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SALT LAKE CITY — The Highland Rams defeated the Skyline Eagles 61-36 on homecoming night. The Rams move to 4-2 on the season, 2-0 within their region. Skyline is now 3-2 after falling on the road and also suffered its first loss in region.
Rams senior quarterback Cole Peterson ran the offense with relative ease and finished the game with two touchdowns on the ground and one interception. Peterson credits his offensive line for the team’s offensive success.
“All that 61 points was all up front,” Peterson said. “We won that battle.”
The game was a back-and-forth affair for much of the first half. Highland led 37-29 at halftime after forcing three turnovers, including a muffed punt recovery. Skyline gave up a safety in the second quarter on a punt attempt after a high snap sailed out the back of the end zone. Four different Rams scored touchdowns before halftime.
Skyline struck first, scoring the opening touchdown of the game. There were a total of five lead changes in the first half. The Eagles defense kept the pressure on Highland after creating two turnovers off the Rams. Turnovers plagued both teams for the entire game.
Junior Matthew Lloyd of Highland had a rushing touchdown and also two interceptions. His presence was felt on both sides of the ball. He was a difference-maker for the Rams, especially on defense.
“Everyone did their jobs,” Lloyd said, “making our blocks, good reads, just playing tough.”
Things quickly changed after halftime, though, as Highland outscored Skyline 24-7 in the second half. The Rams' offensive and defensive lines wore out the Eagles throughout the game until they were gassed at the end.
Rams head coach Brody Benson said he wanted his offensive line to come out and push Skyline around early. The line created big holes for the Rams all game, allowing sophomore running back Colton White to run for two touchdowns on the night.
“On the offensive line, we came out and controlled the game from the get go, which is nice to see,” Benson said. “We got after them up front and it definitely showed in the second half. I thought that we wore them down. It seemed like we were getting a little bit stronger and they were starting to tire a little bit.”
Highland plays Olympus (3-3) next week. Benson said he wants the team to work on limiting turnovers before taking on the Titans on the road.
The Rams can celebrate their homecoming week starting off with a statement win against a region rival. “It’s always big to win on homecoming,” Benson said. “It’s nice to get that one under our belt, be 2-0 in region, and let’s look at the Titans next week.”
“We’ll remember this for a lifetime.” Peterson said with a smile, as he pointed to the student section and noting it’s his last homecoming game.
Skyline will look to bounce back away from home next week as it faces Murray (1-4).
