Honored: Salem Hills, West Field show respect to military veterans
-
- Military veterans are escorted onto the field by Salem Hills and West Field players before the start of a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
-
- Retired Army Major General Jefferson S. Burton (left) conducts the coin toss before the West Field vs. Salem Hills high school football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
-
- Military veterans and players from Salem Hills and West Field bow their heads in a moment of silence before a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
-
- Sale Hills team captain and offense/defensive lineman Jagger Archuletta poses with his grandfather, a military veteran, after a 33-15 victory against West Field on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
-
- Military veterans and their families enjoy a dinner sponsored by the Salem Hills football program before a game against West Field on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
For the Salem Hills community, this past Friday night was more than just a football game.
Yes, the Skyhawks won 33-15 over visiting West Field but more importantly it was time to express gratitude to the men and women who served in the armed forces.
“This is a chance to be reflective,” remarked Salem High head football coach Jeff Higginson. “Football is a big thing, but there is a lot more than just a game.”
Nearly a 100 veterans were honored ranging up a half dozen World War II veterans to those that just served in the most recent conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Before the game the veterans and their families were fed dinner in the north end of the stadium. Then before the coin toss, a procession took place as the Salem Hill band and cheerleaders formed a wall tunnel and football players from both schools escorted veterans through it.
This recognition event started 12 years ago when Higginson’s brother Joel was the head coach. And each year a new twist makes the event more memorable. This year retired Major General Jefferson S. Burton, who also serves as the state representative in the Utah House of Representatives, led the procession. During the coin toss, Burton tossed a specially made coin to commemorate the Armed Forces.
Veteran recognition nights like this are catching on. Davis High is having one this year and according to Higginson local rival Spanish Fork is interested in also doing one.
“I’m pretty proud of it,” Jeff Higginson said. “Every (opposing) coach always does it with me. And everyone of them that stands at the end of this tunnel with tears in their eyes. It’s moving, and to see two teams escort them in unity is really neat.”
In many cases, the players themselves have fathers and grandfathers that served and having the opportunity to escort them before the game is extra special.
Jagger Archuletta, a two-way player on the offensive and defensive line along with being a team captain for the toss, was able to escort his grandfather through the tunnel.
“It was pretty cool,” Archuletta said of the opportunity.
In regards to the game, Salem Hills had a bit of a rough start having a field goal blocked in their first possession then later giving up a safety. The Skyhawks did score on a 53-yard completion from Ryder Hales to Joe Hughes and added a short 23-yard field goal by Ammon Butler, but still trailed the Longhorns at the halftime break, 15-10.
But in the second half Salem Hills dominated, scoring 23 unanswered points.
In the third quarter Ben Staheli scored on a 45-yard romp while Hales hooked with Guss Johnson on a 11-yard TD reception. Then in the final stanza, Butler nailed a 35-yard field goal and Peyton Higginson put the icing on the cake with a 6-yard pass reception from Hales.
After some early setbacks, the offensive line made up of Archuletta, William Crane, Spencer Hopkins, Zyler Frey and Slade Davis dominated the trenches giving Hales ample protection to throw and making huge holes for Skyhawk running backs to gouge the Longhorns with long runs.
“After that safety, the (offensive line) really buckled down and was really able to move this offense really well,” Higginson said.
Archuletta agreed. “We stepped up and dominated.”
Salem Hills defense was great all night long. Though West Field tallied 15 points, one score came via a safety and another by a long kickoff return after Butler’s first field goal.
“I was proud of our defense and with our coaches and the adjustments they made at half. Overall, it was just a great team effort,” said Higginson.
Now it is on to league play for the Skyhawks (2-1) as they host Timpanogos (2-1) to open up the 4A Region 8 wars. West Field (2-1) will host winless Roy (0-3) to start off 5A Region 5 play.
Notes: Yes, the traffic on I-15 is getting ugly and with Friday beginning the Labor Day weekend, it was extra thick. This caused West Field, located in Weber County, to arrive a bit late and the Longhorns didn’t take the field for opening warm-ups until a half hour before the scheduled kickoff.
Because of the festivities, the kickoff was already scheduled to be bumped back ten minutes but was delayed a bit more to make sure West Field had time to both properly warm-up and also participate in the pre-game activities honoring veterans.
The Utah National Guard also made an appearance and parked a tank outside the stadium which drew a lot of curious onlookers. They also used a howitzer in the south end zone to blast after Skyhawk scores which did startled a few people.
Outside the valley, there was another game that also honored two men in uniform but in this case it was a much more somber occasion.
Sergeant Lee Sorenson was laid to rest Friday in the Garland cemetery and on Thursday was the funeral service for Officer Erik Estrada. Both were killed answering a domestic dispute situation. As fate would have it, Box Elder hosted Bear River in the Battle of the Golden Spike on Thursday night. It was the 105th meeting between these county rivals.
Bear River High School is located in Garland. Estrada also served in Brigham City where Box Elder is situated, so these deaths impacted both communities greatly.
Students from both schools dressed in blue to honor these fallen officers and the game was played in front of a packed house. Box Elder, which has generally dominated the rivalry, won the game easily 58-14 to remain undefeated. Bear River suffered its first loss but this obviously pales compared to the pain this community has endured the past several days.
