5A football semifinals: Not capitalizing on mistakes sinks Salem Hills in loss to Orem

SALT LAKE CITY — Salem Hills coach Harry Schwenke made no pretense prior, and didn’t change his tune after, despite enduring a tough 51-14 loss at the hands of Orem during the 5A state semifinal round on Thursday. Getting to Rice-Eccles Stadium is a big deal, no matter what the outcome for just about everyone, and particularly for a program such as Salem Hills.

“We have to be able to finish, and we didn’t do that today.” — Salem Hills coach Harry Schwenke

Thursday marked the first-ever trip to the semifinal round for the Skyhawks, although Schwenke is determined not to make it the last.

“We wish we could have come up here to get the win, but we’ll bounce back,” Schwenke said. “We got more than half of our kids coming back next year, so we’re excited about that, but my heart goes out to these seniors right now. But they left their legacy on the field, and I’m proud of those guys.”

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Salem Hills went into Thursday’s game riding high following a resounding 37-0 win over Wasatch in the quarterfinal round on top of a No. 1 RPI ranking, although most tabbed Orem the favorite. Prior to the game Schwenke talked about putting together a complete game, stating his team had yet to put together that perfect game.

Opposing teams can ill-afford to not capitalize on any opportunity Orem provides, considering the Tigers’ talent, with the Skyhawks whiffing on far too many opportunities in the first half.

“It was huge. We were in position, our defense puts us in good positions, and we just can’t finish,” Schwenke said. “That’s key. We have to be able to finish, and we didn’t do that today.”

• Watch replay: Orem 51, Salem Hills 14

Orem turned the ball over three times in the first half, but missed conversions on fourth down opportunities, coupled with turnovers made on their own, ultimately stymied the Skyhawks, and Orem took a commanding 27-7 lead into the half.

Those same opportunities didn’t come around in the second half, as Orem tightened up its execution, aided by a three-score lead forged in the first half. The result was a blowout 51-14 win for the Tigers with the Skyhawks leaving the stadium disappointed yet proud of what they accomplished this season.

“We had a team that bought into what the coaches were teaching, and that was to be a complete team,” Schwenke said. “They put themselves aside and sacrificed for the team.”