Lehi Sports
Skyridge football overpowers Mountain Ridge in season opener
Jennifer Thomas | Lehi Free Press
The Skyridge football team handled the Sentinels of Mountain Ridge with a 52-17 victory at home to start the year on Friday (Aug. 15).
The Sentinels opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal. That fueled the Falcons as they quickly followed up with an 80-yard drive resulting in an 18-yard touchdown connection from senior quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne to senior receiver Talmage Oswald and Skyridge never looked back.
Sweetwyne’s performance was nearly flawless with five touchdown passes and a near 90-percent completion rate. Sweetwyne’s leadership was evident on the field with his decision making and execution of the offense.
Photo credit: Matt Paepke
The versatile receiving corps also showed up, ran for precise routes, had zero drops and were in sync with Sweetwyne throughout the game.
“The offense did some good stuff tonight,” said Skyridge head Coach Justin Hemm. “Our receivers have made huge strides this year, the O-line really showed up and the running backs looked great. Kaneal is growing up; he showed maturity and made some good decisions on the field. His leadership set the tone for the game.”
The inexperienced Falcon offensive line displayed cohesion and discipline as they worked together to protect the quarterback and open holes for senior running back Lincon Tahi.
Offensive line coach Tanner Roberts said, “We lost all five offensive line starters this year, but these new athletes showed up tonight with heart and ready to play. They come to practice with a positive mentality and always strive to get better.
“I am proud of the new five, they are young and hungry, and we will keep working to improve each game,” Roberts said.
The game was quickly out of hand early in the second half as the Sentinels managed just one touchdown and struggled to keep pace with the Falcon offense scoring at will.
Senior receiver Diesel Hunter said “We had some mistakes tonight but overall, as receivers we played well. I think we will keep improving each week. It was emotional tonight as we are all playing for each other and just living in the moment.”
The Falcon defense bent but didn’t break and easily locked down the Sentinel receivers. The Falcon defensive line executed well with minimal mistakes throughout the game. Skyridge’s defense held the Sentinels scoreless in the fourth quarter to cap off an overwhelming performance.
Photo credit: Matt Paepke
“The defense showed great leadership and contributed to the effort,” Hemm said. “Once the players settled in, they did a tremendous job and I could not be more proud.”
Standout performances on defense include senior defensive end Harvie Moeai, who pressured the Sentinel quarterback into forcing errant throws throughout the game. Senior safety Briggs Parker led the defensive secondary in containing the Mountain Ridge receivers.
Senior linebacker Griffin Kunz intercepted a tipped pass and stopped any chance of a Mountain Ridge comeback in the second half. A newcomer, junior linebacker Rex Caswell, energized the defense when forcing a fumble recovered by senior safety Beaux Sharp.
Skyridge special teams led by coach Jordan Smith added to the potent offense, converting all PATs with senior kicker Crew Odom nailing a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter of the game.
This contest served not only as a season warm-up but a powerful team statement for the Falcons.
“We executed good tonight, we still have a lot of work ahead, but we are up for it. I am proud of this team and how well they played tonight,” Tahi said.
“We are just getting started and have a lot of work to do as we continue to practice hard and reset for next week’s game,” said Hemm. “It was a good game tonight; the boys came out and did very well. There were ups and downs, however, it is week one and we will continue to improve.”
Sweetwyne said, “I feel like it was good game tonight. It was the first week out and we had energy and fired up the ball. We will work together to get better as we prepare for next week.
“I am looking forward to the improvement week to week. I am proud of my team and for their support and for giving a good effort tonight,” the player said.
Hemm added, “When playing through non-region games, you make mistakes, but you try to clean them up for region play. Region 3 is a tough place to be, every game is a battle, and every team is well-coached. All of the teams are filled with talent. But we are ready to play, and we are excited for the challenges ahead.”
The Falcons will host Liberty (NV) on Friday (Aug. 22) with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
