Historically polygamous community in Utah hosts first-ever high school football game

Water Canyon High School in Hildale, Utah, marked a significant shift in its community’s traditions with its first-ever high school football game. The event took place on August 12, 2022, on a newly sodded field surrounded by redrock buttes. The game symbolized a departure from the past, when the area was a stronghold of the polygamous Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and governed by strict religious rules.

Preparation for the game was unique, as the team lacked a traditional locker room. Instead, players gathered in a biology classroom, stretching jerseys over pads and hydrating with Pedialyte. The space also housed dioramas of intestines, reflecting the community’s historical focus on education, albeit under restrictive conditions. One player humorously noted that if he vomited during the game, at least he would know where in his stomach it came from, prompting laughter from teammates.

The game represented a new era for the town, which was once tightly controlled by FLDS leaders. Sports had been banned under the leadership of Warren Jeffs in the early 2000s, along with other modern conveniences like television, the internet, and public education. The community, known as Short Creek, included the twin towns of Hildale and Colorado City, Arizona, and was characterized by its isolation and adherence to religious doctrines.

Many of the players were born in Hildale or Colorado City and grew up under the FLDS faith. Some recall their families being part of the group, which split from the mainstream LDS Church in the early 1900s after polygamy was outlawed. The community practiced plural marriage in secrecy, far from the reach of government oversight.

The football game marked a turning point, as the community began to embrace new traditions and move away from the rigid practices of the past. The event highlighted the community’s evolving relationship with modern life, while still maintaining its cultural identity.

As the team prepared for the game, they engaged in quiet pregame prayers, reflecting on the significance of the moment. The atmosphere was a mix of nervousness and excitement, with players trying to get into the mindset of being tackled. A video of rodeo cowboys being slammed by bulls played on a projector, serving as a makeshift training tool for the inexperienced team.

The game itself was a symbol of change, representing the community’s willingness to adapt while honoring its history. It also underscored the broader narrative of communities navigating the tension between tradition and modernity, a theme echoed in Micah 6:8, which calls for people to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

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