Note: Skyline finished with a 7-5 overall record in 2014 and tied for second in Region 7 with a 4-2 record. It lost to Woods Cross 35-21 in the 4A quarterfinals.
SALT LAKE CITY — After seeing some success in his first season at the helm of the Eagles, Skyline head coach Justin Thompson knows his team needs to fill the shoes left behind and raise the bar this season in order to get to where they need to be to compete for a state title.
Last season, the high-octane Skyline offense came out firing and averaged 41.5 points per game in the first six weeks to help the Eagles get off to a hot start with five victories in their first six games.
Then, in the final six games of the season, Skyline suddenly hit a bump and struggled defensively, dropping four of their last six contests — including three straight — while surrendering a staggering 33.5 points per game.
“We certainly need to improve defensively if we are going to be a championship kind of team. We really need to get a lot better on defense. Offensively, we were very, very productive last year. So if we can get better on defense and be more well rounded, we really think we can be successful,” Thompson said.
Leading the pack of returning defensive starters is the extremely versatile Riley Sharp (LB/DE), Isaac Henry (DT), Jordan Crofts (DE) and Nick Scott (S).
Sharp finished the season with 57 tackles, a team-high 7.5 sacks and one interception and will be a cornerstone in Skyline’s defense again this season. In addition, Henry added 52 tackles and two sacks while Crofts added 64 tackles and two sacks. Scott contributed 43 tackles of his own and all four will need to significantly step up this season to fill the holes in the defense left behind by Parker Bowles (122 tackles) and Sam Prince (86 tackles, one interception.)
Meanwhile, on the offensive end, Sharp continues to be an integral part of the Eagles’ game plan as he is coming off a team-high 55-catch, 1,032-yard season in which he snagged a stellar 10 TDs to lead his team in receiving across the board.
“Riley Sharp was a standout last year. I think he was second in 4A in receiving yards so we need to figure out ways to utilize him,” said Thompson. “We actually think in spite of losing some good talent, we’ve got some good speed coming in and good depth. So in a lot of ways, I think if we get good leadership and a couple of key younger kids stepping up we should be a solid team.”
Last year, Skyline’s offense was extremely productive as it averaged 35.5 points per game and scored more than its average in five different contests, including a three-game stretch in which it scored over 54 points in all three games. The Eagles will rely heavily on that high-octane offense again this year and look to duplicate its offensive success from last year’s explosive squad.
As for replacing the hole at quarterback left behind by Braxton Chipman, Coach Thompson knows it will be no easy task as great players such as Chipman are virtually irreplaceable.
“Obviously, it will be very difficult this year replacing (Braxton) Chipman at quarterback and an Aleck Russon and really a lot of good players from last year’s squad. Braxton was just a kid you can never say enough about. He turned into one of the top passing quarterbacks in the state and was one of the finest leaders I have been around since I began coaching in 1993, so he will be difficult to replace,” Thompson said.
Last year, Chipman was the backbone of this squad as he completed 214 of his 345 passes and threw for a team-high 3,141 yards, 28 TDs and just eight interceptions.
With no starter named yet, the Eagles are in the middle of a quarterback battle between senior George Weeks and Andy Hoffman, and Thompson has liked what he has seen so far out of the two gunslingers.
“The quarterback job is still an open competition. We have two quarterbacks who are competing for the job, George Weeks and Andy Hoffman. They are two kids who have very different profiles and one brings a unique skill set to the table. We just need to get that same production from our quarterback to be successful,” said Thompson.
Meanwhile, the hole in the backfield left by Russon will also be tough to fill.
Russon is coming off a dominant season in which he rushed for a team-high 1,156 yards and 16 touchdowns, off just 167 touches, to power the Eagles’ rushing attack. Michael Binford was second on the team in rushing as he added 776 yards and six TDs.
Those numbers will obviously not be easy to duplicate, but senior Seth Kaelin will look to do just that.
Kaelin saw a little bit of action last season and finished with 60 yards off 20 carries and found the end zone once as he looks to build off those numbers.
Despite losing such significant players, Skyline should always be considered a threat with its potentially lethal offense and improving defense.
There’s no doubt the Eagles have some holes they desperately need to fill, but with some experience and leadership returning along with some additional newcomers thrown in the mix, they should feel pretty comfortable heading into a wide-open Region 6 and 4A class.
“We are still trying to get complete uniformity in terms of our culture and having clear expectations with the kids about what they need to do to be successful. With Mountain Crest, Logan and Sky View being out of 4A now, Timpview is obviously the favorite, but it’s a pretty open race. We think that there is an opportunity to excel and play really well and we hope we can take advantage of that,” Thompson said.
Skyline Eagles at a glance
Head Coach: Justin Thompson is entering his second season as Skyline’s head coach. He’s amassed a 7-5 record and led Skyline to the quarterfinals of the playoffs in his first year at the helm of the Eagles. He’s also a graduate of Skyline High School.
Offense (4 returning starters; Spread offense)
Offensive coordinator: Mike Carlson (5 years as assistant)
Returning offensive starters
Riley Sharp (WR/TE)
Luke Afamasaga (OT)
Jet Leineke (OT)
Daxton Lowe (OL)
Jordan Crofts (OL)
Offensive newcomers to watch
Seth Kaelin (RB)
John Kirkham (WR)
Defense (4 returning starters, Multiple-set defense)
Defensive coordinator: Justin Thompson
Returning defensive starters
Isaac Henry (DT)
Nick Scott (S)
Jordan Crofts (DE)
Riley Sharp (LB/DE)
Defensive newcomers to watch
Ben Adams (LB)
Taylor Larsen (DB)
Coaches preseason Region 6 straw poll: First
Deseret News Region 6 prediction: First
Bottom line: There’s little doubt that Skyline is one of the top four or five teams in all of 4A, but after losing several key skill players from last year’s squad, it remains to be seen if this team can compete with the state's top contenders. That might depend on the development of quarterbacks George Weeks and Andy Hoffman and running back Seth Kaelin filling the shoes of stars Braxton Chipman at quarterback and Aleck Russon out of the backfield. In his first season as head coach, Thompson was able to rely on both Chipman and Russon to get his team’s offense running consistently game in and game out. The Eagles will need several players to step up and fill the holes left behind from last year’s squad on both sides of the ball to establish that same consistency. With a fairly easy schedule, Skyline’s biggest tests of the year should come against region foes Murray and Olympus on Sept. 18 and Oct. 23, respectively.
Last 5
2014 — 7-5 (4-2 in Region 7, Quarterfinals)
2013 — 4-6 (2-4 in Region 7, Missed playoffs)
2012 — 5-5 (4-1 in Region 7, First round)
2011 — 7-4 (4-1 in Region 7, Quarterfinals)
2010 — 6-5 (4-2 in Region 2, Quarterfinals)
Skyline coaching history
2014-current — Justin Thompson (7-5)
2012-2013 — Steve Marlowe (9-11)
1986-2011 — Roger DuPaix (246-74)
1982-1985 — Ray Groth (17-23)
1980-1981 — Gil Cordova (7-13)
1968-1979 — Ken Schmidt (108-26)
1964-1967 — H.G. Linford (31-10)
1962-1963 — Wayne Startin (7-12)
Deseret News Mr. Football recipients
2000 — Steve Tate, QB
1999 — Bo Nagahi, DB
Deseret News First Team all-staters the past 10 years
2012 — Garrett England, Specialist
2011 — Zach Russon, OL,
2010 — Nick Johnson OL
2008 — Tenny Palepoi, DL
2005 — Matt Marshall, QB
2005 — Brian Vaaulu, OL
To view second team and honorable mention all-staters through the years, check out the Deseret News All-State Archives.
Ryan Love is a full-time student and has been a part-time sportswriter for the Deseret News since Oct. 2012.
Follow him on Twitter @RLove7724
EMAIL: rlove@deseretnews.com