Lehi Sports
Skyridge Football showcases new talent during Orange and Gray scrimmage
The countdown to the 2024 high school football season is officially on, and the Skyridge football preview held on Saturday, Aug. 10, hinted that the Falcons will again contend for Region 3 prominence.
The Falcons return seven defensive starters, including two of the state’s finest rush ends, De’Shawn Toilolo and Iakopo Malufau. The defense also features linebackers with deep experience who came back from last year. During the varsity action, the defense showcased speed and range. The front seven proved to be athletic and quick.
“Toilolo and Malufau basically led the state last year in sacks and tackles for loss. They will be contributors to the defense this season. I like the team defense this year; the linebackers can run, and we have a lot of speed on the field. Linebacker Sam Pollmann and Griffin Kunz playing on the outside will allow us to have different fronts and execute different things. Noah Bird and Ryder Holt will be active in the middle, and both can run and tackle,” said defensive coordinator Patrick Gleaves.
The defensive back contingent only returns one starter, lightning-quick Tavian Edwards. Coach Gleaves has “a lot of faith” in the newcomers and feels they can be successful on the field.
Skyridge head coach Justin Hemm said, “I am excited for the defensive players as they will challenge opponents weekly.”
Gleaves said every season poses challenges, but “feels really good about the D-Line and linebacker depth. I feel like this team can compete at all levels.”
The Skyridge offense showed glimpses of explosiveness behind triggerman Kaneal Sweetwyne, the new starting quarterback. The 6’4″ Sweetwyne showed mobility and a lively arm in his appearances during the scrimmage. Sweetwyne leads the offense behind an experienced line led by Darius Afalava and cornerstone left tackle Ben Howard. The offense looks different from last year’s, with several new receivers on the field.
“As always with high school and college teams, there are new faces each season. We have players who have put in the work, and this is their Friday night opportunity. I am eager and excited for these players. We are returning some O-Line athletes that will stabilize the offense, as they are competitors.”
“Our job as coaches is to make our scheme fit our personnel. We have talented players on offense. The receivers this year are new but quick, and I have no doubt they will step up and make things happen,” said Hemm.
He added, “Kaneal has been working hard and refining his abilities as QB. Our quarterback room is a talented group from Kaneal to Bosten Fountaine to Jagger Fountaine. These guys always perform at a top level and do a great job. As a coaching staff, we look at our QBs as extensions of the coaching staff with how they lead and carry themselves, and we are blessed with a top-notch QB room.”
Hemm is confident that the offense will prove challenging for opponents. “Afalava, Howard, Luke Davies, Filimone and Fangupo are seasoned offensive players we count on.”
“Howard is a returning captain this year. It has been exciting to see the growth in the players, from sophomores to seniors, who learn leadership skills and get out of their comfort zones. The team leaders have matured and stepped into their roles,” said Hemm.
For the first time, the Falcons will travel to Nevada during their second week of play. “The schedule this season is exciting. We are playing great teams in non-region play, and our region play is always filled with very talented teams with talented coaching. This year, we take our first out-of-state trip and will play two teams from outside of Utah in weeks two and three. It is exciting as preseason play includes Bingham, Timpview and Corner Canyon. There are no weeks off, and we’ll need to be consistently playing at a high level to compete,” said Hemm.
Hemm is impressed with how much “this team loves each other and plays for each other. They are disciplined and play hard every single play.”
“The team has had a great offseason together, and I am excited to watch them as they play for one another.”
Skyridge football is looking forward to week one as they prepare to take on Timpview on Thursday, Aug. 15 at home. Kick-off is 7 p.m.
