High school football: Skyridge keeps up trend, earns another upset victory

A few explosive plays made all the difference for Skyridge in its 21-16 win at Lone Peak Friday night.

Skyridge takeaways were the biggest factor, energizing the whole team and propelling the Falcons to victory.

“It brings a lot more energy than anyone would think,” Skyridge senior running back Zaeden Selu said of the effect the Falcons’ big defensive plays had on the offense. “We get the momentum going and we use that momentum just to pick it up.”

Skyridge picked up a bad snap from Lone Peak on the Knights’ first possession before scoring a touchdown on the next play – a 35-yard scamper by junior quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne.

However, the Falcons were unable to score again in the first half, missing three field goals, and heading to the locker room trailing 10-7.

“(It’s) part of the game,” Skyridge head coach Justin Hemm said of the missed field goals. “We can look at the same thing offensively, defensively. … There’s things we could have executed a little bit better … and could have scored more points or done different things. … It is what it is.”

Still down three in the waning moments of the third quarter, the Skyridge defense executed with precision when senior defensive back Darian Diarte intercepted a Lone Peak pass, ending a promising Knights’ drive.

Moments later, Selu broke off a 70-yard touchdown run to give the Falcons the lead seconds before the fourth quarter began.

“That’s a huge play,” Hemm said. “(The) defense came up huge twice. … When they get down in the red zone, a big turnover. … Two big plays, explosives, really changed the tides and just (gave us) energy.”

Selu then nearly sealed the game midway through the fourth quarter, putting the Falcons up 21-10 on a 2-yard rush into the end zone. But the Knights wouldn’t go away, putting together another drive deep into Skyridge territory that stalled out with a turnover on downs after the Falcon defense forced multiple incompletions inside the end zone.

“That made the game,” Hemm said. “Obviously we would have liked to ice this thing a little bit earlier. … But (our) defense made everything difficult (for Lone Peak). Nothing came easy.”

The Knights finally broke past the Falcon defense with a late touchdown that put the game within one score, but after recovering the ensuing onside kick, Skyridge needed just one first down and then victory formation to pull off the upset.

In a matter of two weeks Skyridge has hit its stride, taking down Lehi and Lone Peak and putting itself alone at the top of the Region 3 standings.

“It means a lot to us,” Selu said of the Falcons’ second massive win in as many weeks. “We all came into this week preparing like never before. More focused this week, more intensity in practice. It means a lot to us to get this win.”

Skyridge will look to keep its momentum rolling when it plays at Pleasant Grove next Thursday. Lone Peak, meanwhile, will remain home for a matchup with Lehi that same evening.