SMITHFIELD — When the Sky View Bobcats laid out their goals for the 2019 season, their ambitions weren’t all that dissimilar from any other football team in the state.
Winning a region championship and defeating their rivals warranted discussion, and an undefeated record in region play was on the table.
Sky View wanted to improve upon its quarterfinals appearance in the 2018 state tournament as well, and in the process make it back to Rice-Eccles Stadium.
As the season progressed, Sky View football steadily checked off objective after objective, doing so with apparent ease at times.
The Bobcats rolled through Region 11 with a perfect 5-0 record, outscoring their Cache Valley and Bear River foes 170-38.
When the postseason began, they didn’t slow down and recorded back-to-back blowout victories over Cedar Valley and Mountain View, securing a spot in the semifinals of the 4A state tournament.
In the semifinals, Sky View was no less impressive and recorded a convincing victory over the Dixie Flyers.
“Super impressed with the way our kids played in the second half. I thought it was a complete turnaround,” Sky View head coach Chris Howell told the Deseret News following the game, as his team outscored Dixie 28-0 after the break.
That triumph checked off yet another goal, namely advance to the state championship game.
Now, only two goals remain and they are inextricably linked to one another: Win the state championship and go down as the greatest team in Sky View history.
“One of the goals that this team set was to be the best team in Sky View history, and really, they are one game away from being able to make that a reality,” Howell said.
Win the state title Friday morning at Rice-Eccles and there will be no argument about it, these Bobcats will go down as the best team in school history.
Only one other group, the 1987 team, made it to a state championship game, and that team lost to Mountain Crest in the 3A championship.
Bring the championship trophy home to Smithfield and the 2019 Bobcats will be the greatest team ever. The GOATs.
And they know it.
“I think it is really cool to be a part of it,” junior offensive lineman Evan Hall said. “We’ve all wanted it all year and we’ve been working for it all year.”
“It is crazy,” senior linebacker Jacob Zollinger added. “It is just nuts that nobody from Sky View has ever won a state championship. For us to be in this opportunity …”
The Bobcats are relishing the opportunity. After all, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“You have to think about the moment because it is going to go by super fast,” senior nose tackle Jaxon Wilson said. “You have to live in the moment.”
And not just for themselves, either.
“It is huge. It is so big,” senior defensive end Hunter Larsen said. “It is not just about us, it is about all the brothers who came before us.”
There is, of course, the fear that Bobcats might get ahead of themselves, what with their dreams ever so enticingly before them, but Howell isn’t worried. Not with this team.
“I think they understand the importance of the game, but they’ve been through a 13-game season now, and we also have a ton of good senior leadership and they’ll keep us focused,” he said. “It is definitely one of those things, because Sky View has never won a title and there is that pressure, but they’ll be fine.”
You can almost hear it in their voices.
“We are also just looking at it as another game,” said Wilson. “We have to go our hardest and do whatever we can. Just play ball.”
“We just have to keep going, execute and do what we can do,” Larsen added.
If they do, they’ll go down as the best ever, and the checklist will be complete.
“There is only one way to finish a season with a smile on your face: being able to go all the way,” said Zollinger. “We just have to seize the moment and go 1-0 this week.”