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Roy High running back Moresby Tauiautusa, center top, is upended by Bonneville safety Cache Jensen (18) at the sideline on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Roy High's Synic Harvey (5) draws a defensive pass interference penalty as Bonneville receiver Daniel Park (8) on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Roy High's Howie Howard (24) rushes in a touchdown against Bonneville's Cache Jensen (18) on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Bonneville High running back Noah Chavez (0) finishes a touchdown run past Roy's Gunner Pearson (6) on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Roy High receiver Drayden Esplin (2) hauls in what becomes a touchdown catch against Bonneville's Cache Jensen (18) on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

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Bonneville High running back Noah Chavez (0) fights a Roy defender into the end zone on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in Roy.

Photo supplied, Gordon Doxey

❮ ❯

ROY — Since Roy High opened its doors in 1965, the Royals and Bonneville Lakers have met on the football field 57 times.

Chapter 57 goes on the books as a comeback, 38-34 Roy homecoming victory, where the Royals scored two touchdowns 20 seconds apart in the fourth quarter Friday, then dodged a late Bonneville score to escape with their first Region 5 win.

The ledger now stands at 34 wins for Bonneville and 23 for Roy.

Junior quarterback Rock Speredon threw three touchdown passes for the Royals, including a 62-yard pitch and run to Riley Jeppesen with 4:57 remaining in the fourth period for the go-ahead score.

“Give credit to my boys up front; my O-line was great all game. I couldn’t be more proud. My receivers and running backs were making plays all over the place,” Speredon said. “I’m just a little piece of the puzzle; everyone doing their job … 11 out of 11.”

Bonneville took a 27-24 lead on a 22-yard run by Noah Chavez (his second of the game) at the 10:25 mark of the fourth quarter and appeared poised to take home a road win back to Washington Terrace.

An exchange of possessions left the Royals (1-5, 1-2 Region 5) with the ball at their own 48 with 5:38 remaining. On the first play from scrimmage, Speredon raced around left end and scored a 52-yard touchdown, but it was called back because of a penalty.

One play later, Speredon connected with Jeppesen for the 62-yarder and a 31-27 Roy lead.

“I dropped back and got a little bit of pressure; I stepped up and they vacated him. He takes it all the way,” Speredon said.

Jeppesen was playing his first varsity game for the Royals, having sat out the mandated five weeks after transferring from West Field.

“I was running my route; I had a post and Rock started rolling out … they were man, so I took it deep,” Jeppesen said. “Their cornerback left me and I was wide open. It was scary watching (the ball) in the air, but I gotta reel it in.”

Trying to rally, Bonneville (0-6, 0-3) went to the air on first down. Roy senior linebacker Ange Ahui stepped in front of the pass, intercepted the ball and returned it for a pick six; Roy led 38-27 just 20 seconds after taking the lead.

“I was in the right place at the right time. I jumped my coverage and the ball was right on my hands and I had to make something out of it and take it to the end zone,” Ahui said. “The whole game, the receivers went into the flat on a go route and I read it. All I was thinking was I have to score.”

The Lakers weren’t done, adding a 12-yard touchdown on a pass from Jacob Smith to Ashton Spackman, consuming only 2 minutes and 7 seconds, but Roy recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Spackman caught two touchdown passes for the Lakers and junior quarterback Paden Toula threw for two TDs.

Roy scored on all four of its opportunities in the first half and led 24-13 at the break.

“The play calls were great. We were driving the ball down the field … moving positive after positive,” Speredon said.

He tossed two first-half touchdowns, both to senior wideout Drayden Esplin — the first a 21-yarder midway through the opening stanza, putting Roy up 7-0.

“I see my guy Drayden wide open and I put it on him; he made it to the end zone,” Speredon said.

Chavez scored his first touchdown for the Lakers on a 3-yard run with 4:22 left in the first quarter, knotting things at 7 and capping an 11-play drive.

Howie Howard rushed 5 yards for a score and Roy again led, 14-7, late in the first quarter.

Toula passed 29 yards to Daniel Park early in the second period, but the Lakers missed the extra point to trail 14-13.

Roy then chewed up 7 minutes, 42 seconds and ran 14 plays, a possession that ended on a 45-yard field goal by Bo Williams with 1:21 left in the half.

Bonneville ran three plays, but fumbled the punt snap and Roy had the ball at the 21 with 22 seconds before the break.

Speredon linked up with Esplin for the second time, a 16-yard touchdown, making it 24-13 as the clock touched 8.7 seconds.

“My coach said this either has to be a touchdown or it has to be out of the back of the end zone so we can have another chance,” Speredon said. “I put it out there and Drayden, the playmaker, made another play.”

After an active first half, the only touchdown in the third quarter came on a 25-yard strike from Toula to Spackman; the Lakers closed the gap to 24-21 and set up the dramatic finish.

The game featured a plethora of penalties, especially when the teams got past midfield. For example, Roy once had a third-and-30 from the Bonneville 32, while the Lakers faced a first-and-25 on the Roy side of the 50.

“We were undisciplined; the little things. Those little flags, those little false starts,” Jeppesen said. “We’ll fix that definitely for next week.”

Neither Roy nor Bonneville had won anything on the gridiron this season, and Jeppesen hopes this will be a launchpad of things to come for the Royals by beating their longtime rivals.

“This is huge. This will turn around our entire season,” Jeppesen said. “This changes everything.”