Winning ugly: Skyridge slugs out a 26-14 win over American Fork
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- Skyridge receiver Davis Fyans
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- Skyridge receiver Hunter Sheffield had several nice catches in his team’s 26-14 win over American Fork
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- Skyridge’s Kaneal Sweetwyne both ran and threw for touchdowns prior to leaving the game early with injury
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- Skyridge quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne celebrates following a touchdown run versus American Fork
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- American Fork’s Ty Holmstead celebrates his long touchdown catch versus Skyridge
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- Skyridge running back Lincoln Tahi was a workhorse in his team’s 26-14 win over American Fork
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- Skyridge quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne left Wednesday’s win due to injury
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- American Fork quarterback Nate Childs
The best teams often find several ways to determine positive outcomes, which is exactly what Skyridge football did on Wednesday in defeating American Fork 26-14.
Despite losing star quarterback Kaneal Sweetwyne for a good portion of the second half due to injury, while incurring several turnovers and special teams mishaps, the Falcons proved to have enough to secure a share of the Region 3 championship with the win.
“I feel we did a great job containing their running game, and even though the offense had a couple of turnovers, they kept their heads in it,” said Skyridge senior linebacker Griffin Kunz. “I’m really proud of the effort everyone showed tonight. We had some young guys step up, we trusted them to do the right thing.”
Perhaps the most prominent young player stepping up in the win was Skyridge sophomore quarterback Jagger Fountaine.
The 6-foot-2 signal-caller took over after Sweetwyne was forced to leave with an injury toward the end of the second quarter, and responded well, guiding the Falcon offensive effectively while adding a big 27-yard touchdown pass to Omarian Sanders with just four minutes remaining. The score all but ended the Cavemen’s bid for a comeback and came after they seized back a lot of momentum when American Fork quarterback Nate Childs threw a touchdown pass to Ty Holmstead toward the end of the third quarter, cutting the lead to just 20-14.
“We have a lot of faith in Jag in what he can do and who he’s going to be,” said Skyridge Coach Justin Hemm about Fountaine’s play. “He was cool. calm and collected. He came in and made some big throws down the stretch to move the chains and get us in the endzone at the end there to put us up two scores.”
Sweetwyne’s injury didn’t appear to be serious, and after being checked out thoroughly by trainers, the senior star appeared ready to reenter the game. But coaches opted to hold him out, confident that Fountaine could get it done, and they were proved right.
“We love Jagger and he has all of our trust,” Kunz said. “He always puts in the extra work to get himself ready and you saw that tonight.”
Prior to exiting the game with his aforementioned injury, Sweetwyne proved effective. The dual-threat quarterback led off the scoring with a 35-yard run to put his team up 7-0 early before hitting Adam Warren with a 50-yard strike midway through the third quarter to extend his team’s lead to 20-7.
Sweetwyne did throw two interceptions, however, although the Falcons were able to overcome them both in what was a complete team effort.
“I think we have guys all over the place on both sides of the ball that play at a high level and are willing to step up when there number’s called,” Hemm said. “Offensive line, skill guys, and then our defense had key stops throughout the game.”
Of those skill guys mentioned, Lincoln Tahi was again a standout in the win and accounted for a 9-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter.
As for the defense, it did well in limiting American Fork’s run game while putting forth a complete effort to hold the Cavemen to just 14 points.
“First and foremost they did a great job stopping the run and save for one or two plays, we eliminated the big play,” Hemm said. “When you force these offenses to drive, there’s opportunity for you…I thought our defense did a great job with that, especially in the second half.”
With the win, Skyridge finishes out the regular season with a 7-2 record as it looks forward to making a big run in the 6A state championships.
“At times I think we can play some really great ball,” Hemm said. “I don’t know if tonight was our cleanest game, but I think great teams win games regardless of what it looks like. I think we’ve been in a variety of games this year, and this game was more of a grind-it-out gritty game…but at the end of the day a win’s a win.”
Overall Skyridge has shown strides throughout the season, helping it get by both Lone Peak and Lehi by tight margins on top of Wednesday’s tough win over the Cavemen, which has both coaches and players confident heading into the postseason.
“I’ve been most impressed this year with their mental toughness,” Hemm said of the strides his team has made this season. “Regardless of the situation…these guys have done a great job of just resetting and playing the next play. With that, I think we’ve done a great job growing the scheme, and the assignments and responsibilities. I like where we’re at and we’re getting healthier and healthier heading into the playoffs.”
