High school football: Friday’s Provo-Timpview game canceled after social media threats toward Provo coaches, students

Friday’s scheduled high school football game between rivals Provo and Timpview has officially been canceled.

The decision was announced Thursday night via email by Timpview principal Momi Tu’ua after threats on social media came to light toward Provo’s coaches and students in an Instagram story.

The Deseret News obtained screen shots of some of the threats and hate speech, many of which are directed toward Provo head coach Kirk Chambers and his family. The most egregious was a direct threat made toward Chambers’ teenage daughter, who is a student at Provo High.

Chambers’ daughter was in tears much of Thursday after seeing the threats, and is still incredibly shaken by the experience.

“The community has come alive and been so supportive and our Provo High administration has been amazing. We are so grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people. We have definitely felt an avalanche of love and support,” Marilyn Chambers, the wife of Provo’s head coach, told the Deseret News on Friday.

The initial post on the “timpview.barstool” story on Instagram was a sticker post that said “Provo Hate” and had a place for people to post responses. As of Friday morning, there were over 20 responses. In addition to the posts directed at Chambers and his family, several other Provo students and coaches were negatively targeted and threatened.

Here’s the email in its entirety from Timpview’s principal sent out Thursday announcing the cancellation of the game. Thursday’s junior varsity game was also canceled.

Provo School District superintendent Wendy Dau also sent out a follow-up email.

Much of the vitriol in the social media posts stems from the fallout of a transfer student-athlete.

The football rivalry between Timpview and Provo has been one-sided through the years, with Provo’s last win coming in 1989.

Provo will return to action next Friday when it travels to Salem Hills for its region opener. Timpview travels to Centennial, California, next Friday.