The Hive Sports

by James Tate

Skyridge Falcons senior quarterback Jackson Stevens threw four touchdown passes in a 55-17 non-region win over the Farmington Phoenix. Stevens, a three-star recruit according to 247 Sports, was on target from the beginning of the game. He passed for a game-high 457 yards and completed 34 of 45 pass attempts.

Senior running back Carter Sheffield rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Wide receiver La’Kea Kalama led the way in receiving, with nine catches for 177 yards and a touchdown.

First quarter

With 10:12 in the first quarter, the Phoenix scored first on a 48-yard field goal by senior kicker Drew Romney. On the Falcon’s next possession, Stevens found Kalama over the middle, but Kalama fumbled at the Phoenix 15-yard line. Farmington could not take advantage of the turnover and punted back to the Falcons with six minutes left in the first quarter.

Skyridge utilized Sheffield with runs up the middle and screen passes. Stevens began to find his rhythm with quick passes to open receivers. The Falcons quickly moved down the field into scoring position. Sheffield scored the Falcon’s first touchdown, a one-yard run at the 2:47 mark of the first quarter.

Farmington’s offense would not move the ball against the Falcons the rest of the quarter. The Skyridge defensive line, anchored by Ian Mariner, Lakopo Malufau, Deshawn Toiolo, and Sitiveni Tokelau, took away the Phoenix running game. Toiolo intercepted a tipped pass to give the Falcons a short field for their next scoring drive.

Capitalizing on the turnover, Skyridge quickly moved the ball, and Stevens found senior receiver Trevan McClellan for a touchdown. The first quarter ended with the Falcons ahead 14-3.

photo of Carter Sheffield (right) and Dante Coats (left)

Second quarter

The Falcons opened the second quarter with Stevens connecting with Kalama on a 20-yard touchdown pass. With the score 21-3, the Falcons made the Phoenix offense one-dimensional. Dropped passes and poor field position plagued the Phoenix offense in the first half.

Sheffield scored his second touchdown, a 12-yard pass from Stevens. After Sheffield’s score, the Falcons had a commanding 27-3 lead at the 5:51 mark of the second quarter. The Phoenix would respond with senior quarterback Easton Wight finding junior receiver Afu Fiefia on an 8-yard touchdown pass. This score cut the Skyridge lead down to 27-10, giving the Phoenix a spark. The drive was keyed by Wight finding junior running back Lucas Peterson on three consecutive pass plays.

Less than a minute before halftime, Stevens threw his fourth touchdown of the half to senior receiver Trent Call. Call made a great catch in the back of the end zone, and the momentum was back with the Falcons. The score now stood at 34-10.

Before the Falcons finished celebrating their score, the ensuing kickoff was returned 96 yards for a touchdown by Phoenix junior Travis Hoopes. Hoopes found an opening up the middle and beat the Falcon defenders for the touchdown. This 34-17 score gave life back to the Phoenix.

Third quarter

Farmington received the second-half kickoff and the opportunity to cut the Skyridge lead, but punted after failing to make a first down. The Falcons would shut down any comeback attempt by the Phoenix with tight coverage in the secondary. Wight rarely had time to find receivers, who were well covered.

The Falcons scored the only touchdowns and points of the third quarter. Scoring the first touchdown of the second half was Skyridge senior running back Brett Buhler. Buhler scored from four yards out. Sheffield added his third touchdown of the game, a six yard run with 3:03 left in the third quarter. The game’s final score was a 14-yard touchdown pass from Stevens to senior receiver Jack Burke.

Fourth quarter

The fourth quarter began with the Falcons ahead 55-17, and the clock was now a running clock because of the big lead for the Falcons. The Falcons entered backup players into the game to close out the contest and move their record to 3-0. The Phoenix dropped to 0-3 and will have the other top team in the 6A classification, Corner Canyon Chargers, next Friday at home.

Outstanding performances

Stevens played outstanding and moved the offense down the field consistently. The offensive line eventually wore down the young Phoenix defensive front. The size and depth of the Falcons team was enough to keep them undefeated, and they will face a tough test at home next Friday against the Bingham Miners.

The Phoenix squad battles injuries to key players and still saw great games from running backs Peterson and Hoopes. Peterson played both ways, made defensive stops, and had 50 receiving yards on five catches.

The kickoff return for a touchdown was the highlight of the game for the Phoenix. Hoopes led the Phoenix in receiving yards with 54. The Phoenix defensive line had talented freshman Easton Hunt and sophomore Cooper Willoughby playing against arguably the most talented offensive line in the state. The Phoenix young team will get on track and be a force in Region 1 this season.

photos courtesy of James Tate