Lehi Sports
Skyridge football suffers tough loss on the road
Jennifer Thomas / Lehi Free Press
A return match on the road against Colorado’s perennial powerhouse, the Bruins of Cherry Creek, resulted in the first loss of the season for the Skyridge Falcons 28-51 on Friday night (Sept. 12).
With a robust offense, the five-time Colorado state champions wasted no time getting 21 points on the board in the first quarter of the game.
The Falcon offense unraveled quickly as senior quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne failed to find his rhythm and threw three interceptions while under pressure from a formidable Bruin defense early in the game.
The Falcons came back and rallied in the second quarter when Sweetwyne connected with junior receiver Omarian Sanders for a 50-yard catch-and-run into the endzone. Sweetwyne topped off the scoring in the first half with a one-yard rush for a touchdown.
The Skyridge defense gave a full effort on the field, forcing turnovers by the Bruins in the second quarter and limiting scoring to one TD for Cherry Creek. Senior defensive end Harvie Moeai got a hand on the ball, blocking the Bruins’ extra-point attempt to keep the score at 27-14 going into halftime.
The Falcons regrouped and took the field with vigor for the second half. Sweetwyne rushed for a touchdown as the offense gained momentum. Senior receiver Hunter Sheffield scored with a 10-yard catch, finalizing the tally for the Falcons in the game.
“We fought back and made it a 34-28 game,” said Skyridge head Coach Justin Hemm. “We had a tough call go against us that changed the situation.”
Senior running back Lincoln Tahi gained tough yards throughout the game and senior receiver Talmage Oswald kept the offensive momentum with his acrobatic catches.
The defense executed well in the second half. Junior linebacker Rex Caswell and senior safety Briggs Parker registered tackles and gave a full defensive effort. Senior linebacker Griffin Kunz registered a sack and several tackles-for-loss.
Other standout defensive players include senior linebacker Suka Finau, junior defensive end Latu Moea’i and senior defensive back Braylon Sidwell, who all contributed with key stops and halting Bruin drives.
Moea’i tipped a Cherry Creek pass, adding to the havoc created by the Falcon defense.
Senior kicker Crew Odom successfully converted all four PAT attempts to add points for the Falcons.
“Overall, it wasn’t our night,” said Hemm. “We made too many mistakes against a very good Cherry Creek team. I did love the effort our boys played with, but we have some things to clean up. Our boys handled themselves well and battled throughout the entire game.”
“We made some plays on all phases but simply made a few too many mistakes that ended up being costly.” Hemm concluded, “We will watch the film, learn, get better and prepare for the next game. We are excited to start region play.”
The Falcons will regroup as they prepare for competitive region play. Skyridge is scheduled to take on the tough, cross-city rival Pioneers for Homecoming on Thursday (Sept. 18) at 7 p.m.
