Lehi Sports
Resilience propels Falcons to exciting football victory on the road
Jennifer Thomas / Lehi Free Press
The Skyridge High School football team overcame a grueling, long travel delay and a mechanical breakdown in the desert to get to their game and defeat the Liberty Patriots 24-20 on Friday (Sept. 4).
The thrilling, down-to-the-wire interstate matchup at Liberty High School in Henderson (NV) proved that the Falcons are as resilient as they come.
The journey from Lehi to Henderson in the Las Vegas area is typically a straightforward drive, but the Skyridge team bus broke down miles out of town, leaving the players stranded on the side of the road in the heat.
Instead of letting the frustration and cramped itinerary drain their energy, the Falcons leveraged their brotherhood and adaptability before even reaching the stadium. After a replacement bus was secured, the team finally arrived in Henderson, heavily truncating their normal warm-up routine.
“This was a really good game for us,” said Skyridge head Coach Justin Hemm. “Liberty is a physical, athletic and very well-coached football team. We knew it was going to be a four-quarter battle. I was proud of the way our guys continued to compete and found a way to finish the game on the road.”
Although Liberty scored first with a 29-yard field goal, the Falcons didn’t skip a beat as the game went on. Junior quarterback Jagger Fountaine took control of the offense in the first quarter, lighting up the Patriots’ secondary.
With just 31 seconds remaining in the first period, Fountaine connected with junior running back Beckham Bennett on a crisp one-yard touchdown pass followed by a successful PAT from junior kicker Evan Kopp.
The Falcons kept their foot on the gas in the second quarter. Fountaine found sophomore wide receiver Malosi Shepard for a five-yard score, and just a few drives later, unleashed a beautiful 35-yard touchdown strike to junior receiver Steeler Wesley.
The Patriots added a touchdown to their tally as well, but Skyridge headed into the locker room riding the momentum of Fountaine’s three first-half touchdown passes and leading 21-10.
“Offensively, we were able to put together a few long, sustained drives and were relatively efficient moving the football. Those drives were important in helping us control portions of the game,” said Hemm.
Liberty came out in the second half determined to not get beaten on their home turf. The Patriots put together a scoring drive in the third quarter to narrow the gap to 17-21.
Skyridge got on the scoreboard again in the third period with a field goal by Kopp but a late fourth-quarter field goal by the Patriots put them within striking distance once again, setting up a heart-stopping finale.
The Falcon defense stood tall. With their backs against the wall and the Nevada crowd roaring, they came up with a massive final stand, turning away Liberty’s offense in the closing minutes to secure the narrow 24-20 victory.
“Defensively, I felt we did a great job against the run game, and we made them work for everything they got,” said Hemm.
Fountaine finished the effort completing 25-of-40 passes for 270 yards, three touchdowns and no picks, also securing 22 rushing yards on four carries. Bennett carried 18 times for 57 yards to lead the ground game.
Wesley finished with seven catches for 106 yards to lead the receivers, with junior Koa Wallwork second with seven receptions for 84 yards. Junior Eli Mortensen produced 34 yards on two kick returns and also had four solo tackles and two deflections.
Senior linebacker Sa Tanuvasa led all tacklers with eight including three solo. Senior linebacker Rex Caswell, junior linebacker Jackson Horsley and senior tackle Latu Moeai each added five tackles. Senior defensive lineman Sua Ripley had three hurries and two tackles.
Skyridge beat both the odds on the highway and a powerhouse opponent on the road.
“This was a great win for our program. Going on the road to Nevada and beating a quality opponent like Liberty is something we can build on as we continue through the season,” concluded Hemm.
The Falcons will celebrate Homecoming with the visiting Skyline Eagles on Friday (Sept. 11), with the contest kicking off at 7 p.m.
Photos by Michael Mills.
