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LEHI – If the start to their season is any indication, the Skyridge Falcons will finish as one of the top teams in Utah this year.
The Falcons entered the week as the No.1 team atop the KSL.com Top 20+1 poll. After missing out on a shutout in last week's 52-7 win over Fremont, the Falcons were able to close one out in Friday's 42-0 victory over East.
Quarterback McCae Hillstead threw for a touchdown and added two more on the ground, and running back Carter Sheffield pitched in two scores of his own. Even special teams got in on the scoring action and returned a blocked kick for a touchdown.
Of Skyridge's 42 points, 28 came in the second quarter alone, as the Falcons seemed to capitalize on every mistake East made.
"It was really important for us when they gave us those opportunities to take advantage of them," Skyridge head coach Jon Lehman said. "The interception, the blocked field goal, those were really important."
The Falcons controlled the game from the moment they won the opening coin toss and opted to defer to the second half and gave the ball to the visiting Leopards. Skyridge's defense opened the game by forcing a three-and-out series on the first drive, which led to a shanked punt that traveled only 4 yards down field.
Blessed with excellent field position inside the 50-yard line, it did't take long for the home team to find the end zone. Three plays in, Hillstead broke away for a 21-yard scramble that would set up a short touchdown from Sheffield for the first score of the game.
East opened the ensuing drive with a false start penalty that pushed them back 5 yards, but they were able to make that ground up and gain a first down on the legs of running back Amini Amone. Just when it felt like the Leopards had finally got momentum under them, quarterback Tucker McCormick was picked off by Skyridge linebacker Collin Sheffield.
The interception set up the Falcons deep inside East's territory at the 24-yard line. Hillstead opened the drive with an incomplete pass, but the Utah State commit found the end zone three plays later when he scrambled again for a 16-yard touchdown.
East was, again, hampered by a penalty to open their next drive, and they remained unable to move the ball. A few short plays after the punt, Sheffield broke away for a 40-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 21-0.
Fun fact: East finished the first half with more penalties (7) than first-downs (4).
— Christian Esparza (@cesparza55) August 20, 2022
Hillstead's lone passing touchdown came on the next series after the defense, again, forced a punt. Hillstead hit running back La'akea Kalama on a quick crossing route, and Kalama was able to waltz untouched into the end zone.
If there was any chance East could make a comeback, it left when the Falcons blocked a kick and returned it for a touchdown to closeout the half. Elijah Terripaia was able to snag the tipped ball out of the air and flew into the end zone with a flock of Falcons behind him. This grew the lead to 35-0 at halftime.
The second half was much less exciting after another Skyridge score, this time from running back Tate Walker from 1 yard out. Following that play, the Falcons sent out their junior varsity squad, and the Leopards followed suit shortly after.
After two blowout wins to open the year, Skyridge will have to be tested at some point. It likely won't come next week against Herriman, but it will happen soon. Regardless, Lehman knows they don't have to be in midseason form right now.
"We don't need to take our game to the next level tomorrow," Lehman said. "We need to take little steps as we go through the season and continue to get better. Great teams continue to improve; they practice hard, they have great habits, they hold each other accountable, they take ownership, and so they improve as the season goes."
