As the Wasatch and Deer Creek football teams trained together at Wasatch High School this past spring, anticipation for Friday night’s game steeped. While head coaches Derik Bringhurst of Wasatch and DeShawn Perkins of Deer Creek denied animosity between their teams, they wanted a shot at each other and bragging rights in Heber City.
“We’ve been looking forward to this for months and months and months,” Bringhurst said. “It’s exciting. I didn’t talk to anybody today that wasn’t coming to the game.”
Bringhurst correctly predicted the Riverhawks stadium would fill to the point where overflowing fans had to watch from patches of grass around the stands.
“Super excited. They’ve been amped,” Perkins said. “The valley has never seen anything like this before. It’s been 118 years since there’s been another school out here.”
The packed stadium included a few trash talking students but largely Heber Valley residents who were able to sit side by side, at least for the inaugural game, cheering on both teams. There were friends like Heber City’s Dan Warneger and Nils Nilson, who wore Wasatch and Deer Creek apparel while supporting their daughters cheerleading, as well as parents like Midway’s Chris Kemp supporting Deer Creek because his kids go there now, despite his older ones having graduated from Wasatch.
“We’re friends, but we’re mortal enemies now. We have to be,” Nilson joked. “It’s the first rivalry game in the Heber Valley, so might as well come out.”
Kemp also kept things light, joking that his kids and friends supporting Wasatch would have to sit across the field from him in the visiting stands.
“It’s kind of like a reunion,” Kemp said. “It’s tongue in cheek to be a rival with people that are your neighbors and your friends.”
Kemp hoped everyone enjoyed the game, the new Deer Creek stadium and the company of their Heber Valley peers.
Midway’s Brock and Natalie Perry, parents of Deer Creek freshman wideout and defensive back Ezekiel Perry, hoped their son and the other players enjoyed the crowd coming out to support them. Brock and Natalie said Ezekiel came to the school to be part of new experiences like the inaugural rivalry game.
“I just hope they appreciate the community showing up and being here to support these boys,” Brock said.
Deer Creek has another first-ever Wasatch Back showdown against Park City at Dozier Field on Oct. 14, the final game of the regular season.
Wasatch also faces Park City as usual on Oct. 2 at home.