Lehi Sports
Skyridge football secures resounding victory in Idaho
Jennifer Thomas / Lehi Free Press
A road trip proved to be a cakewalk for the Skyridge football team as the Falcons dominated the Rams of Highland High School, the third- ranked team in the 6A Southeast Idaho conference, with an overwhelming 70-6 victory in Pocatello on Friday (Sept. 5).
The offensive onslaught of the Falcons included a lot of chunk plays, and that coupled with a solid defensive effort proved to be too much for the Rams as Skyridge held them scoreless until the final minutes of the game.
The Skyridge offense was powered by senior quarterback Kaneal Sweetwne, who proved his versatility by finding the endzone with both his arms and legs.
Sweetwyne completed 12-of-18 (67%) passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed seven times for 126 yards and two more scores for 362 total yards.
Following a tipped pass, the Falcons found their rhythm as Sweetwyne ran for 25 yards for an early touchdown. Senior receiver Davis Fyans put up the second score with a 24-yard pass from Sweetwyne.
Skyridge senior linebacker Luke Barrus rounded up the scoring in the first quarter with a 16-yard interception return.
Falcon senior receiver Hunter Sheffield extended the lead with a 26-yard catch and run in the second quarter followed by Sweetwyne’s 55-yard dash into the endzone. Receivers Omarian Sanders (51 yards) and Diesel Hunter (6 yards) rounded out the scoring for the Falcons in the first half.
The younger players took command in the second half, scoring 21 points with a rushing touchdown from sophomore quarterback Jagger Fountaine and two more from sophomore running back Beckham Bennett.
“Offensively, we executed well, staying ahead of the chains all night,” said Skyridge head Coach Justin Hemm.
The Falcon defense dominated Highland with excellent execution, creating turnovers that resulted in ideal field position for the Falcons. Besides Barrus, senior defensive back Grey Sharp made an interception and senior defensive tackle Alema Croft recovered a fumble.
Led by standout performances from senior linebackers Kingston Toilolo, Griffin Kunz and Easton Simmons plus junior linebacker Rex Caswell, the defense completely stifled Highland’s offense.
“Defense played with toughness and created havoc throughout the night, causing turnovers that led to great field position,” said Hemm.
Skyridge senior kickers Crew Odom and Johnny Detro successfully converted a combined 10 PATs to complete the blowout.
“The team came out and played with tremendous energy throughout the game,” Hemm said. “This road trip was a little non-traditional with the pre-game routine and set up for us, but I’m very happy with the emotional and mental readiness the team showed.”
Skyridge will be challenged next week as they travel to the Denver area to take on the top-ranked team in Colorado, the Cherry Creek Bruins. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 12) and will be live-streamed on the NFHS Network.
