Lehi Sports
Falcon football closes out league play with hard-fought victory
Jennifer Thomas / Lehi Free Press
After a hard-fought road battle on a rainy night, the Skyridge football team claimed a 26-14 victory over rival American Fork in a Region 3 matchup game filled with turnovers and miscues on Wednesday (Oct. 15).
The Falcons struggled in the first quarter to find offensive rhythm, going three-and-out on two drives while the Cavemen forced an interception but also missed two field goals.
The Falcons pulled out a win due to a combination of disruptive defensive stops, big offensive plays and the steady hand of sophomore quarterback Jagger Fountaine down the stretch.
Despite a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons gained momentum in the second period with two scores. The first was a 35-yard dash into the endzone by senior quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne and the second came on a Lincoln Tahi 9-yard plunge, securing a 13-7 halftime lead.
The Falcons scored early in the third quarter when Sweetwyne connected with senior receiver Adam Warren for a 50-yard touchdown. The Cavemen quickly answered with a touchdown of their own when Ty Holmstead caught a pass from quarterback Nate Childs.
The Falcons rode the wave of their momentum into the fourth quarter with Fountaine filling in for the injured Sweetwyne and sealing the win with a 27-yard scoring strike to senior receiver Omarian Sanders.
Fountaine appeared poised and confident and in full command of the offense.
“We have a lot of faith in Jagger and in what he can do and who he is going to be,” said Skyridge head Coach Justin Hemm. “He was able to execute and make some big throws down the stretch to move the chains and get us into the endzone and put up a score.
“He is one we truly believe in, and he is impressive with how he goes about the process and his work ethic. He pays attention to the details, and all of his work prepares him to come into a game and play at a high level at any given moment. I am very proud of him,” the coach added.
“To prepare for this week I watched a lot of film and focused from the sideline” said Fountaine. “Coach Moss says all the time to ‘get ready and stay ready’ and I felt like I was actively engaged on the sideline tonight and was ready to play after a week of practice and preparation.”
Throughout the game, the Falcon offensive line opened up holes for Tahi to run through and provided consistent protection in the passing game. The offense was opportunistic and scored enough points to secure the win.
Although Sweetwyne turned the ball over three times, his athleticism allowed him to escape the pocket several times as well, picking up crucial first downs for the Falcons
Senior running back Lincoln Tahi contributed in the pass game by catching the ball out of the backfield and consistently picking up tough yards on the ground.
The Falcon defense, despite giving up a couple of big plays in the Caveman pass game, managed to hold American Fork to 14 total points by shutting down the Caveman rushing attack.
“Defense did a great job at stopping the run game and besides one or two plays, they limited the big plays and gave opportunities to get ahead of the chains,” Hemm said. “They made key stops in the second half which led to the win.
“I thought defense really settled down in the second half to execute well. That gave energy to the offense and offense was able to do just enough to get us up two scores and allow us to sneak out of here,” he said.
Senior defensive end Harvie Moeai harassed the American Fork quarterback, forcing errant throws. Senior linebacker Suka Finau assisted with pass coverage and roamed the field making tackles. Senior Griffin Kunz was effective in disrupting the Caveman run game.
American Fork continued to battle but could not muster any points in the fourth quarter, denied by the energized Skyridge defense forcing back-to-back turnovers on downs and capping the night with an interception by sophomore safety Ethan Schriever to secure the important victory.
“That interception felt so great,” said Schriever. “We knew we had to get a stop on defense and offense stepped up and played really well in that moment. When I saw the ball, I thought, ‘I’ve got to get that’ and thankfully, I did.
“Defense held American Fork to 14 points tonight and filled the run really well. We were trying to cover deep and we practiced hard to prepare for their offense and this game,” added Schriever.
“We fought together as a team, and I feel good about this game and how we played and got the win,” said Fountaine.
“At times, we can play some really good ball,” Hemm continued. “I do not think this was our most clean game, but I think great teams win games regardless of what the win looks like. We have been in a variety of difficult football games this year and this was a gritty and grind-it-out type of game.
“Coach Behm and his staff do a tremendous job and I have all the respect for them and their program. We knew this was going to be a battle as is any game in Region 3. I am just proud of this team and how they made the stops and the plays that they needed to ultimately get the win,” the coach said.
Skyridge finished in second place at 3-1 in region play and the team has a 7-2 record overall, heading in the right direction with the upcoming state tournament.
“I have been most impressed this year with their mental toughness regardless of the situation; up, down, good, bad these guys have done a good job with reset and just playing the next play,” Hemm said. “With this we’ve done a good job growing with scheme and assignments and responsibilities.
“I like where we are at, and we are getting healthier and healthier heading into the playoffs. We will take a few days to rest and then continue to grind, put together a plan and hopefully play until late in November,” the coach concluded.
