Skyline Eagles
On Aug. 8, the Deseret News published a preview of the Skyline football team. Here is what was written by
reporter John Coon.
All streaks come to an end eventually. Even if they could not admit it privately or publicly, players and coaches
at Skyline understood the state-record scoring streak would one day stop.
The 23 year-old streak did finally met its end last fall - in the 5A quarterfinals against Layton. But how it ended
did not sit well with the Eagles afterward.
A 49-0 loss to the Lancers felt like a humiliating end to an uneven season and called into questions whether
Skyline's era of dominance was truly over.
"It was tough on us," fullback Algernon Brown said. "We really thought we were going to go really far."
Now as the Eagles embark upon writing a new chapter in their football program, they are determined to make
it read much like the ones written before.
It all starts with reclaiming Region 2 supremacy and ends with putting themselves in contention for a state
title. The Eagles own enough talent and experience on both sides of the ball to make life difficult for other
teams. Twelve starters return on offense and defense.
Prominent among returning playmakers is Brown. He had limited carries while sharing the backfield with
Kalama Molisi a year ago, but still rushed for 360 yards and seven touchdowns on only 47 carries n good
enough for an impressive 7.7 yards per carry.
With Molisi graduated, Brown is expected to get the bulk of the carries in Skyline's option offense. He has
gotten bigger, faster and stronger in the off season, which has teammates believing he'll have little trouble
moving the Eagles downfield.
"He's going to take a lot of work off of me," senior quarterback Kevin Wagstaff said. "You can always count on
him to get a couple of yards at least."
Wagstaff will be counted on to play a major part in the offense as well. Although this is first year behind center
with the varsity team, Wagstaff has plenty of experience when it comes to directing an offense. He has been
the starting point guard for the Skyline boys' basketball team over the past couple of seasons.
Those skills, which he honed on the basketball court, should also come into play on the football field.
"He's got a lot of poise and a lot of smarts, so I think he's going to do really well," Eagles coach Roger Dupaix
said.
Patience may be in order for Skyline and its fans through the early part of the season. The schedule does the
Eagles no favors with non-region games against Highland, Bingham, East, American Fork and Kearns - all of
whom were playoff teams a year ago.
A slow start against that slate would be hard for any team to avoid. The Eagles will have to work hard to build
early momentum.
"They're going to be tested, " Dupaix said. "We've got one of our harder schedules we've ever had. "
On Aug. 8, the Deseret News published a preview of the Skyline football team. Here is what was written by
reporter John Coon.
All streaks come to an end eventually. Even if they could not admit it privately or publicly, players and coaches
at Skyline understood the state-record scoring streak would one day stop.
The 23 year-old streak did finally met its end last fall - in the 5A quarterfinals against Layton. But how it ended
did not sit well with the Eagles afterward.
A 49-0 loss to the Lancers felt like a humiliating end to an uneven season and called into questions whether
Skyline's era of dominance was truly over.
"It was tough on us," fullback Algernon Brown said. "We really thought we were going to go really far."
Now as the Eagles embark upon writing a new chapter in their football program, they are determined to make
it read much like the ones written before.
It all starts with reclaiming Region 2 supremacy and ends with putting themselves in contention for a state
title. The Eagles own enough talent and experience on both sides of the ball to make life difficult for other
teams. Twelve starters return on offense and defense.
Prominent among returning playmakers is Brown. He had limited carries while sharing the backfield with
Kalama Molisi a year ago, but still rushed for 360 yards and seven touchdowns on only 47 carries n good
enough for an impressive 7.7 yards per carry.
With Molisi graduated, Brown is expected to get the bulk of the carries in Skyline's option offense. He has
gotten bigger, faster and stronger in the off season, which has teammates believing he'll have little trouble
moving the Eagles downfield.
"He's going to take a lot of work off of me," senior quarterback Kevin Wagstaff said. "You can always count on
him to get a couple of yards at least."
Wagstaff will be counted on to play a major part in the offense as well. Although this is first year behind center
with the varsity team, Wagstaff has plenty of experience when it comes to directing an offense. He has been
the starting point guard for the Skyline boys' basketball team over the past couple of seasons.
Those skills, which he honed on the basketball court, should also come into play on the football field.
"He's got a lot of poise and a lot of smarts, so I think he's going to do really well," Eagles coach Roger Dupaix
said.
Patience may be in order for Skyline and its fans through the early part of the season. The schedule does the
Eagles no favors with non-region games against Highland, Bingham, East, American Fork and Kearns - all of
whom were playoff teams a year ago.
A slow start against that slate would be hard for any team to avoid. The Eagles will have to work hard to build
early momentum.
"They're going to be tested, " Dupaix said. "We've got one of our harder schedules we've ever had. "
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