This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

SKYRIDGE FALCONS

The Hurry-up — Skyridge is a first-year program located in Lehi. The Falcons will compete in Region 7 in the 4A classification.

Starting from groundwork is an obvious challenge, but the journey is enjoyable. The players currently working in the summer heat in anticipation for the season opener against another first-year program have the designation as the first group to wear the Falcon orange.

Expectations often are difficult to assess when you're working without a past reference point, but coach Jon Lehman, who successfully molded American Fork's defense into a tenacious threat, is keying on being competitive every Friday night, despite playing in a difficult region.

"It's been kind of a fun process for us to gel as a team. For us, expectations, we're just trying to get better every day," Lehman said. "We're trying to become more of a cohesive team. We're trying to build our team culture. We're in a tough league, but at the same time, I think we've got some really tough kids that have experience playing at a high level. My expectation would to be in a position to compete always."

Another benefit of playing the first season in school history is the community support. It's hard to duplicate the excitement of witnessing history, and the Lehi community is desperate for a winning program.

"Really from Day 1, back when myself and some of the other coaches were hired in November, a lot of great community support and enthusiasm and people who are excited and want to be involved," Lehman said. "We've really been blessed to have a lot of good people who care about football and just about young men."

Quarterbacks — Employing the spread philosophy on offense, two players are still competing at quarterback — Conner Meinzer and Cody Frampton, who was the top receiver for Lehi in 2015. Ultimately, if Meinzer wins the starting gig behind center, Frampton would easily transplant to the outskirts.

Running backs — Hunter Williamson, Josh Hadfield, Blayden Togiai and Brendan Roper will all share time in the backfield. "We want to run a good tempo, so we want to be able to sub these guys in pretty often and get good production," Lehman said.

Receivers — Wyatt Parkinson is another transfer from Lehi. Last season, he caught 31 passes for 485 yards and six touchdowns. He'll be the focal point in the air, if Frampton plays quarterback, but the two have already showcased they make a lethal one-two punch at receiver.

Offensive linemen — Several starters from Lehi's offensive line packed their bags and headed to Skyridge, which makes the Falcons atypically comfortable in the trenches for a first-year program. Britt Demarco will start at right tackle alongside Mitch Lott, Corbin Hampton, Ben Read and Scott Larsen. "I feel really good about them," Lehman said. "To be honest, from our perspective, they've been game-tested. I can watch them on film and see how they react to different scenarios — stuff you can't model on the practice field, so I feel good about where they're coming from."

Defensive linemen — Operating in a 3-4 scheme, Matt Raass, Kalil Leota-Hunkin and Braxton Roberts are tasked with applying pressure and stuffing the running gaps up front.

Linebackers — Blayden Togiai, Jeremy Hansman, Kani Taufa and Kedric Akiona will hold down the fort in the middle layer of the defense, and, as Lehman said, the group is percolating with potential. "A couple of sophomores in that group, but incredibly talented," Lehman said. "They just need reps."

Defensive backs — Andre Chapman, Garrett Rusick, Alex Palmer and Jordan Chapman collectively create the secondary, which, in past defenses under Lehman, has been a strong position.

Key Players

Cody Frampton, QB/WR/DB — One of the best players on Lehi last season brings a wealth of experience and talent to the table.

Wyatt Parkinson WR — Another threat on offense. Region 7 features several teams loaded with scoring weapons, so Skyridge needs to be able to paint points on the board consistently.

Blayden Togiai, RB/LB — Expected to contribute extensively on both sides of the ball.

Name To Know: Frampton has been mentioned several times, but his impact can not be understated. As a first-year program, there needs to an established leader. Frampton can help create the culture for the program for years to come.

2016 Schedule

Aug. 18 — RIDGELINE, 7 p.m.

Aug. 26 — WEST, 7 p.m.

Sept. 2 — SPRINGVILLE, 7 p.m.

Sept. 9 — at Timpanogos, 7 p.m.

Sept. 16 — at Corner Canyon, 7 p.m.

Sept. 23 — PROVO, 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 — ALTA, 7 p.m.

Oct. 7 — at Mountain View, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 — at Orem, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 — TIMPVIEW, 7 p.m.

Verdict: Skyridge has six home games this season, which, obviously, is a huge luxury for a program with growing support and excitement. However, expecting too much out of a team in its first year of existence can be dangerous, especially in arguably the deepest region in the 4A classification.

Projected finish in region: Seventh