Weber will celebrate its 4A state championship by ... eating dog bones? It doesn't sound too appetizing, but its a first-year tradition the Warriors are likely to adopt for good.
"Meatybone" was the theme of Weber's defense this season, started by defensive coordinator John Slocomb. With each victory, the Warriors' defensive squad would celebrate by eating Meaty Bone dog bones.So just how many milk bones does it take for a football team to win the state championship? Weber, which beat Bountiful 17-14 for its first title since 1985, finished the season 11-2. You do the math.
And now, everyone is sharing in the dog-bone breath.
Before Friday's championship game, Weber's student council and principal ate the snacks in support of its team. "Meatybone" T-shirts and necklaces were worn by fans in the bleachers, while chanting the theme before every defensive play.
IDENTITY CRISIS: Before the 5A championship game, it was hard to decipher between Skyline and Taylorsville as both teams showed up in gold pants, gold helmets and dark jerseys. But once the game began, there was no mistaking who was who.
Taylorsville, which had lost the coin toss, changed into white jerseys and Skyline took a 30-6 halftime lead.
The duplication was no coincidence, however. It was rumored that the Warriors came out before the game with the same color scheme as Skyline to add an intimidation factor. But the dark jerseys are just part of Taylorsville tradition, used for Homecoming and playoffs, not for intimidation.
AIN'T NOTHIN' GONNA HOLD ME DOWN: Quarterback Mike Bailey headed Weber's offense and punted for the entire game despite playing with a stress fracture in his right foot. Thanks to a numbing shot before the game and another at halftime, Bailey connected on 13 of 22 pass attempts for 115 yards and a TD.
Ty Sparrow, one of Weber's top players, watched from the sidelines with a broken leg and three others were out with MCL injuries. Adam Garcia, who suffered a partially collapsed lung in the first round, also played some.
NON-CONFORMIST: Taylorsville second-year coach Brad Molen made an untraditional move this season from the sidelines up to the coaches box overlooking the field (ala Wyoming's Dana Dimel). Molen makes the offensive and defensive calls for his team from up above because he has a clearer view of the field.
YOU COULD LOOK IT UP: Skyline has made itself a statistical monster, posting mind-boggling numbers in the record books. With Friday's 5A championship victory, the Eagles claimed their fifth consecutive state title -- their seventh of the decade -- to tie East's state record (1919-23). They have won a state-record 64 playoff games, including a school-record 21 games in a row. In 38 seasons of football, the Eagles have won 13 state titles.
"It's a dream come true," said senior QB Brandon Van Leeuwen. "I've never lost a game while I've been at Skyline. That's all I could ask for."
The Eagles also scored a state-record 190 points in the playoffs this fall. Their 49 points Friday were the most in a title game since Box Elder beat East 51-28 in 1995, and they accounted for 214 push-ups (or at least attempts) by the cheerleaders.
THEY BELONG: If you're among the faction that believes Skyline recruits -- a never-ending accusation by some -- then Eagles' defensive coordinator has a dietary suggestion for you. "They can all eat grass," he said after Skyline's championship win.
Eldracher pointed out that of the Eagles' starters only one didn't go to one of Skyline High's feeder junior highs.
THAT SMARTS: Eldracher also praised his squad for having quantity and quality -- in numbers, talent and academics. All the Skyline players combine to take about 2,200 classes, he said, but the Eagles only accounted for two failing grades this term. Seven Skyline boys have 4.0 GPAs, and three -- David Arcilesi, Scott Christopherson and Tyler Hanks -- were named Academic All-State. The defense's starting front seven players each have at least a 3.5 GPA.
The Eagles practically rented out all of the buses in Salt Lake, bringing along 130 dressed players to Rice-Eccles Stadium. Only 20 of those were sophomores. With 1,800 students in Skyline's student body and over 200 players in its program, it's safe to say that approximately one-in-five boys at the school play football. The Eagles practically rented out all of the buses in Salt Lake, bringing along 130 dressed players to Rice-Eccles Stadium. Only 20 of those were sophomores, while the rest were upperclassmen.
LEAVING IN STYLE: Weber's Athletic Director and boy's basketball coach Lee Dickamore recently decided to leave Weber and take a job at Roy as its AD and principle. The decision came one week before basketball season begins, leaving the assistant coach to take over. Braves is not a good name to be associated with in sports this year. It's a mascot that seems to be the curse of championship games as evidenced by the Atlanta Braves, who lost to the New York Yankees in this year's World Series. The tomahawk chop has been a sign of cutting ones own throat rather than the other teams'.
Bountiful wasn't the only team that could associate itself with the Major League Baseball team. Skyline seem to be suffering from the "Atlanta Braves Effect," which occurs when fans are so accustomed to its team winning, they show little enthusiasm during the playoffs. However, Eagle fans did manage to fill the stands more in the championship game when compared to its meager representation last week against Bingham. In the semis, Skyline's football team practically outnumbered its own fans by dressing out 120 players.
Deseret News prep editor Jody Genessy contributed to this story.