Lehi Sports
Skyridge gets road win in Vegas
The Skyridge football team outlasted the highly-ranked Patriots of Liberty High School in a decisive 41-26 win on Friday night(Aug. 23) in Las Vegas.
After a scoreless first quarter, Skyridge got things rolling in the second quarter. The Falcons scored 21 points in the period.
They got on the board with a 12-yard run into the endzone by senior running back Zaeden Selu and a 69-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne to senior receiver Junior Coughlin.
The Patriots responded with 14 points in a span of under five minutes. Skyridge extended their lead near the end of the second quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run by senior receiver Josh Hansen for a 21-14 score at the half.
“Offensively, we started slow but settled in,” said Skyridge head coach, Justin Hemm. “I thought we did a good job spreading the ball around and making it difficult by being multi-dimensional.”
Despite a few offensive miscues, the Falcon defense kept the Liberty offense in check throughout the game, limiting the Patriots to 12 points in the second half.
Hemm said, “I thought defense played good overall football. They limited big plays and made things difficult for their opponent. They are establishing an identity and becoming more and more confident in each other. It was a great team effort.
“The offensive and defensive lines are proving themselves and set the tone for our team. They are a great group of boys who we count on for leadership,” added Hemm.
The Skyridge offense consistently pressured the Patriots by scoring 20 points in the second half with another touchdown plunge by Selu and two Sweetwyne touchdown passes to senior receivers Jaxon Burt and Josh Hansen.
Senior kicker Blake Hester converted five out of six PATS to secure the non-region win.
“We will get back at it on Monday and continue to improve what we do,” Hemm said. “There are many areas we can work on as a football team to become more consistent. We take pride in our preparation and will reset and focus on another great team to play at hone for the first time.”
The Skyridge Falcons will take on Cherry Creek, Colorado at home on Friday (Aug. 30) with kickoff at 7 p.m.
