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- Andrew Hillstead, the junior quarterback for Timpanogos, led his team to a 34-24 victory over Mountain View, completing 20-of-27 passes for nearly 200 yards and five touchdowns.
- Hillstead's performance has been consistently exceptional, with 28 passing touchdowns and a 68.7% completion rate through seven games this season.
- Hillstead transferred to Timpanogos from Skyridge due to a crowded quarterback room and has since become the state leader in passing yards with 2,429.
SALT LAKE CITY — Coming off a crushing loss to region foe Provo in a 48-35 battle, Timpanogos faced a tough Region 8 opponent in Mountain View.
This time, Timpanogos used the arm of their quarterback to get the job done.
With a little over two minutes left in the first half, the Timberwolves held a 20-10 lead over the Bruins and needed to keep the pressure on if they wanted a three-score lead heading into the second half.
Andrew Hillstead connected with Gabriel Graf for the second time in the half to take a 27-10 lead, capping off a four-touchdown first half by Hillstead.
"When I first transferred, Gabe was the first receiver I knew, and I just kind of started work with him off early," Hillstead said on the connection. "I just feel like that kind of created chemistry; we were always on the same page. We know what we're both thinking."
With his fifth and final touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, Hillstead sealed the victory over the Bruins and helped his team move to 5-2 on the year.
Hillstead completed 20-of-27 passes for nearly 200 yards and the aforementioned five touchdowns in the 34-24 win. It's the third game where Hillstead has eclipsed five touchdowns or more and has recorded at least two touchdowns in every game this season.
He also has five games with a 70% or better completion percentage, bringing his average out to 68.7% on the year.
With 28 passing touchdowns to five interceptions on the year, the junior quarterback has continued to elevate his team.
Hillstead, who is cousins with former Utah State and now BYU quarterback McCae Hillstead, started his football journey at Skyridge before transferring to Timpanogos this year.
"When I was a freshman, he came over to my house and ran through the playbook with me," Hillstead said of McCae helping him. "This is when I was at Skyridge and he had just finished. He helped me get into the playbook, understand it, and read it correctly."
Hillstead mentioned that the reason for his transfer from Skyridge to Timpanogos was due to a "stacked" quarterback room, and he felt like he could start elsewhere.
The Timberwolves have not officially recorded a 2,500-yard passer since Christian Stewart, who went on to play college football at Snow College and BYU, in the 2007 season. Hillstead is currently first in the state in passing yards with 2,429 yards, and is second in touchdown passes with 28 through just seven games.
"I have got to give credit to my offensive line. I think I have one of the best O-lines in the state," Hillstead said. "They give me all the time in the world, and they make my job easy, honestly. I have great coaches, and they just took me into the best situation I could possibly be in."
Hillstead said after high school he plans to serve a church mission and would love to continue playing football at the next level with any program that offers him.
What Hillstead has accomplished for Timpanogos this year is record-breaking. The Timberwolves are 2-1 in conference play and will play the teams with the two worst records in the region, Salem Hills and Payson, respectively, before a thrilling showdown versus the No. 1 team in the region, Spanish Fork.
Hillstead and the Timberwolves' aspirations for the state playoffs continue this week against Payson at 7 p.m. MDT.
