Lehi Sports
Skyridge football beats LP for Senior Night in 2OT
Jennifer Thomas / Lehi Free Press
In a dramatic senior night showdown, the Skyridge football team outlasted the Lone Peak Knights in a thrilling Region 3 double-overtime battle on Thursday (Oct. 2).
The Falcon offense struggled through a scoreless first half before finally igniting after the break, and an opportune pick as regulation game time expired preserved the tie, sending the contest into tense extra periods.
With two touchdowns in overtime, Skyridge secured the 37-34 victory after a nearly perfect second half during which they scored on all but one possession.
Lone Peak controlled the first two quarters and led 10-0 at the half. The Falcons fought back with determination and grit throughout the second half and into overtime. The resilience and discipline of the Falcons was evident throughout the battle.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” said Skyridge head coach Justin Hemm. “I’ll tell you what, this five-week stretch has been a grind, playing out of state two weeks in a row and then three difficult regions games, two with short rest weeks (Thursday games).
“Last week’s game didn’t go the way we liked, but I was very proud of how we responded tonight,” the coach added.
Skyridge’s comeback in the second half rode on the shoulders of senior running back Lincoln Tahi. The Falcon offense was ground-and-pound throughout the game with Tahi touching the ball 45 percent of the time.
Tahi fought for every yard between the tackles. He carried 28 times for 128 rushing yards with two scores, including the clinching touchdown to end the exciting contest and give the Falcons the hard-earned win. He also had 13 catches for 85 yards to keep the ball moving towards the target.
“These guys (Lone Peak) are a very physical team, and we had to mess with their energy,” said Tahi. “Coach told me to be ready to do this at game time and so I put my head down and was ready for whatever came.
“Time and time and over and over again I ran the inside zone, and it was working. They didn’t stop us,” the player said. He accounted for 213 of the team’s 467 total yards in the contest.
“I cannot say enough about Lincoln and his character,” Hemm said. “He is one of the best backs I’ve been around. His ability to catch the ball and run the ball with opposition is great. He is such a selfless and gritty player. He is hard-working and I’m proud of his effort tonight.”
Senior quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne was efficient on the offense, making the correct checks and calls. He completed 28-of-40 (70%) passes for 231 yards with two touchdown and one interception. He also ran 20 times for 81 yards and another score.
Sweetwyne’s steadfast composure was the steadying force that drove the team to win the game. “Across the board we were doing great things offensively, but we weren’t finishing drives on both sides,” Hemm said.
“The first half we made 44 plays on offense with 17 minutes of possession time and we were doing great things, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if we don’t put the ball into the endzone. The offensive line deserves credit for their play tonight; they executed extremely well down the stretch.”
“The O-line is young, but they are some of the best I have played with and credit should go to them,” Tahi added.
After a rough start in the first half, the Falcon defense collected itself and held up the Lone Peak offense. Their stellar execution set the tone in the second half as they shut down big-play ability for the Knights during the extended-time segments.
Key players on defense included senior inside linebacker Griffin Kunz, who led the team with seven combined tackles, plus senior defensive back Daison Merrill with five solo tackles and senior linebacker Luke Barrus with four solo and five total tackles.
Senior safety Briggs Parker’s defensive coverage foiled Lone Peak’s big-play schemes, leaving only short and intermediate routes available. Kunz and senior defensive end Harvie Moeai shut down the run game and frustrated the Knight offense at every turn.
Sophomore safety Ethan Schriever changed the momentum of the game by picking an errant Lone Peak pass after the Falcons got their first score on the board in the third quarter with a 36-yard toss from Sweetwyne to senior wide receiver Davis Fyans.
“Defensively, we were doing great things but gave up two big plays,” said Hemm. “Once we were able to settle down and finish drives, the confidence and momentum continued to build. Down the stretch, in the second half, our boys executed extremely well.
“When we talk about assignments in football, it is a lot of numbers and reading your cues. We got hats on hats where they needed to be and made the right reads on both sides of the ball. As a result, we were able to finish the drives we were looking for,” the coach said.
The tension was palpable for everyone in attendance after Sweetywyne connected with senior receiver Diesel Hunter for a five-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 24-24 with 2:26 remaining.
That left plenty of time for Lone Peak to drive down for the winning score, coming close by moving the ball to the Falcon 25-yard line.
However, Parker intercepted a pass at the goal line with three seconds on the clock to deny Lone Peak a chance at a 42-yard field goal attempt that could have given them the win.
The Falcons opened overtime with a one-yard rushing touchdown by Sweetwyne. Lone Peak quickly responded with a tying score by Sean Tahi.
Skyridge held the Knights to a field goal in the second overtime period and the Falcons answered by pounding the football for the aforementioned game-winning 16-yard touchdown run by Tahi.
“The response of these guys tonight, they have been pushed and challenged this season,” Hemm said. “I can’t say enough about their ability to get back up, fight and continue to remain positive not only during game time but at practice.”
“I am a little banged up, but it feels good to win. We are going to get back to work and be ready for the next game,” concluded Tahi.
The Falcons have a bye next week and will finish the regular season at American Fork on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
