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Skyridge players make a tackle on a Westlake ball carrier during the 6A second round game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge senior tight end Teagan Calton catches a touchdown pass during the 6A second round game against Westlake in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge players make a tackle on a Westlake ball carrier during the 6A second round game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge quarterback McCae Hillstead passes the ball as Westlake defenders battle on the line during the 6A second round game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake players make a tackle on a Skyridge receiver during the 6A second round game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge junior wide receiver Smith Snowden reaches out for a deep pass during the 6A second round game against Westlake in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake quarterback Derek Anderson throws the ball while Skyridge defenders apply pressure during the 6A second round game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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A Skyridge player catches a touchdown pass during the 6A second round game against Westlake in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Skyridge players prepare to take the field during the 6A second round game against Westlake in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake head coach Louis Wong and Thunder players leave the field at halftime of the 6A second round game against Skyridge in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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It’s special for a defense to force five turnovers in a game.

When a team picks off four passes and recovers a fumble in the first half — including taking one back for a touchdown — victory is almost guaranteed.

The Skyridge defense did just that in Friday’s 6A second round game against Westlake in Lehi, propelling the Falcons to a 51-point lead at the break. Skyridge then cruised to the 58-14 win over the Thunder and advanced to the 6A quarterfinals.

“We wanted to establish our focus and intensity after have so much time off since Week 10 of the regular season,” Falcon head coach Jon Lehman said. “I was very happy with both our offensive execution, which was really efficient in that first half, and the way we created takeaways defensively. We established who we wanted to be in all three phases of the game.”

He said he was thrilled with how his defense played throughout the game as it continued to perform at a high level like it has all year.

“Takeaways are key,” Lehman said. “For the opposing offense, you just don’t ever get into any flow. Turnovers create a weird flow in the game, so we weren’t on the field very much.”

He said it was big to see his team take control early and build a big lead.

“Seizing control for us was important to get in the rhythm after being off,” Lehman said. “But Westlake also played an awesome game last week against Roy. I thought they were the better team in the game by a good margin. They came in with a lot of energy and confidence after that win, so it was important for us to establish ourselves early and play our type of game.”

The first Westlake points came on a fourth-quarter interception by Thunder junior linebacker Chanse Miller, which he returned to the end zone for a touchdown. The visitors also added a late touchdown pass.

The rest of the game belonged to the Falcons, who marched up and down the field at will in the first half. They replicated their performance when the two teams met in the regular season, a game Skyridge won 44-2.

Although Westlake would’ve loved to have had a more favorable result, Thunder defensive coordinator Vili Halisima said he was proud of the way the team battled all year long.

“I like how we fought but the types of mistakes we make in region, these teams don’t let those fly,” Halisima said. “Hopefully we can turn that page and this taught us a lesson. These teams will expose the smallest things. It’s definitely not how we wanted to go out but we definitely need to clean some things up.”

He hopes the underclassmen are able to build on the good things and come back even stronger in 2022.

“We’ve got to hit the weight room,” Halisima said. “We took some steps in the right direction in that area this year but it’s got to be even bigger. We need to put that at the forefront. Region 4 is like Goliaths out here, so we have to work on that during the offseason. I think this young group has a good idea about that now.”

Skyridge, the No. 3-seed in 6A, now turns its attention to facing No. 6-seeded Farmington in the 6A quarterfinals.

“We’re happy to have another home playoff game,” Lehman said. “Now it’s tell us who our opponent is and let’s get ready to play.”

That game is scheduled to take place at Skyridge on Nov. 5 with the kickoff time still to be finalized. The winner of that will move on to play in the 6A semifinals at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Nov. 12.

State football playoff scoreboard

6A state playoffs second round at home sites

American Fork 20, Riverton 13

Lone Peak 37, Herriman 14

Skyridge 58, Westlake 14

5A state playoffs second round

Springville 41, Alta 7

Timpanogos 31, Box Elder 29

Orem 28, Provo 14

Timpview 42, Bonneville 15

Lehi 35, Wasatch 34 (OT)

East 38, Spanish Fork 20

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