Skyview (Idaho) 2011 football recap

On Friday, Feb. 24, I interviewed Skyview coach David Young and wrote an article commemorating his team's 2011 season. The article will be placed near the front of his team's football yearbook, which I'm working on now. Below is the article:

Motivated Hawks reach another goal

Late-season success
gives Skyview SIC title
with hopes for more

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Shortly after the 2011 football season, Skyview coach David Young looked at his schedule and compared it to a basketball tournament.

“Our games were not easy,” he said. “We rolled against the easier opponents and, when we went into the meat of our schedule, we were battle ready. I put our remaining schedule on a poster board and made it look like a basketball bracket … to a degree.”

With just three of the league’s nine teams invited to the postseason, it was basically win or go home. And Skyview won.

The Hawks finished the year with a 7-3 overall record and captured the 4A SIC championship with a 7-1 mark. They came back from a midseason loss to rival Nampa with an attitude that made them believe they were still a contender.

“I was extremely happy … extremely proud,” said Young. “We were the preseason favorite (to win the SIC) and we were able to achieve that goal. Sometimes when you’re pegged in the poll, you can only go downward.

“Some of the kids had questions about what kind of season it would be,” he added. “When we were at football camp, every kid had no doubt.”

The league title was the third in Skyview’s 16-year history and seven victories was the most second-most by the school. Afterward, defensive lineman Ryan Rambo was selected to the all-state team and four players (Rambo, Tanner Robison, Walker Ray and Kody Odom) made all-conference.

Young said what made him the most proud was 17 players were tabbed all-academic and had GPAs of 3.5 or higher.

For the Hawks, their road to season full of memories actually started in mid-summer, with a trip to the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. There, the team bonding experience began, and it continued with their own camp on the Skyview campus in early August.

“It sets the tone and gives us confidence going into the season,” Young said. “It was a huge learning experience.”

The Hawks battled through injuries and didn’t let a season-opening loss to 3A power Fruitland take them down. The season will always be remembered for how it ended:

* - On homecoming night, Skyview rallied from a 17-0 deficit to beat Middleton in a game that had a championship atmosphere.
* - Going to rival Columbia and doing the same thing to the Wildcats, putting a damper on the best season in their short history.
* - Rallying from a huge deficit to edge Bishop Kelly in front of their home fans to claim the league title.

“It felt like each game was for a championship,” Young recalled. “By the time we played BK, our kids were tired, but it was yet another championship. That’s a lot to push on our guys week after week, and they handled it well. We were down at halftime in three of those last four games and they responded.”

The school celebrated, but the team didn’t – as much. After accepting congratulations for winning the title, the Idaho High School Activities Association’s reward was a matchup against defending state champion Blackfoot.

“We knew we were going to have to play them,” Young said. “We wanted to play them at home instead of on the road or at the Minidome (Holt Arena in Pocatello)."

The Broncos had ended Skyview’s season the previous year, and they did again in 2011 en route to another state title. Young said the loss hurt, but also fueled the fire for next season.

“Middleton (finished second in the SIC) went all the way to the state championship and we were proud of what they did for our conference, but our kids were envious, too,” he said. “Middleton did it and so can we, so I think it’s made the kids more hungry.”

The success of 2011 has allowed Skyview’s seniors to pass the torch to the younger players and continue the team’s progress as it attempts to eventually earn its first state title. Next year’s team should have a lot of returning varsity talent, and the junior varsity and freshmen teams fared well.

“There’s quite a bit of depth and talent in the program,” Young said. “We are set up to be good for a while.”