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Skyview High School
School Info
Conference: 4A Southern Idaho Conference
Classification: 4A
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Head Coach: David Young
Years as Head Coach: 13th Season
Previous Experience: Assistant at Idaho Falls for 8 seasons
Record Last Year: 6-5
State Titles: None
Assistant Coaches:
Eric Bonds
David Robinson
Josh Bravo
Jon Hallock
BJ Sorensen
Steve Flashman
Steven Michaelson
Returning Players:
Cody Ghighina (Sr, RB)
Jacob Hibbard (Sr, QB)
Taylor Copeland (Sr, RB/LB)
Trevor Hatch (Sr, TE/LB)
Isaiah Schlegel (Jr, WR/DB)
Fili Church (Jr, TE/DL0
Owen Rockwood (Jr, OL/DL)
DeMonte Horton (Soph, WR/DB)
Gavin Laws (Sr, DB)
Chris Lugo (Sr, LB)
Tanner Tracht (Sr, DB)
Returning Players with Honors:
Cody Ghighina – 1st-Team All-SIC and 1st-Team All-State
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Photo By: Loren Orr - #11 Cody Ghighina
“Key Players” lost from last year:
Four of five starting offensive linemen (Holden Montgomery/Garrett Douglass/Justin Harrison/Chase Ashworth)
Incoming “impact” players:
Jr. OL Adam Nebel
Jr. OL Andrew Wymore
Jr. OL Pedro Galvan
Jr. WR/DB Kyle Pierce
Sr. DL Shiloah Fleshman
Jr. DB Harris Villanueva
Jr. DB Connor Lofthus
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Team Preview:
Written by: Will Hoenike (@willhoenike)
You can say this for David Young and his Skyview Hawks – the road isn’t likely to bother them as the season wears on in 2015.
The Hawks open the season with two road games at opposite ends of the Gem State. They’ll appear in the Rocky Mountain Rumble at Holt Arena in Pocatello on August 29 and follow that up with a September 4 foray into the panhandle to take on the Post Falls Trojans.
Skyview also hosts out-of-district opponents Madison (September 12) and Gooding (September 17) before finding a familiar foe in the Southern Idaho Conference opener at Middleton on September 25.
That gives Young and his staff nearly a month – and four games – to coach and mold a team that shared the SIC title with Bishop Kelly last season, but lost four offensive linemen and over half its defense to graduation.
“We are very young, but this year’s group of guys is willing to do whatever we ask of them to be successful,” Young said of the Hawks. “This year’s team is very moldable and coachable.”
Don’t read too much into Young’s assessment. He still has some potent weapons, headlined by All-State running back Cody Ghighina. He rushed for nearly 1,600 yards as a junior and tallied 17 total touchdowns, helping Skyview reach the 4A State Quarterfinals last season.
Skyview also returns its starting quarterback, Jacob Hibbard, and lots of depth on the outside at receiver. Isaiah Schlegel and Kyle Pierce, each of whom qualified for the Idaho State Track and Field championships as sophomores, return and will be supported by DeMonte Horton and Matt Williams.
“Our strength will start with our skill positions,” Young said. “We will be fast and athletic.”
Up front, Owen Rockwood returns but the questions begin with the other four spots.
“We are really excited about the incoming linemen with their work ethic, coachability and talent,” Young continued. “They will need to grow and mature quickly.”
Among those expected to step into larger roles are juniors Adam Nebel, Andrew Wymore and Pedro Galvan. If they improve and gel as expected, Skyview’s offense should not have much trouble putting up points.
Defensively, the Hawks lost a lot of playmakers off of last season’s team but returns senior linebackers Chris Lugo, Taylor Copeland and Trever Hatch. The team’s defense improved steadily as the season wore on last fall, holding five straight opponents to 21 points or less down the stretch leading up to the quarterfinal game.
Defensive backs Gavin Laws and Tanner Tracht return and will be supported by juniors Harris Villanueva and Connor Lofthus. The team is also quick up front with Rockwood, Shiloah Fleshman and Fili Church along the defensive line.
Skyview has reached the state playoffs five consecutive seasons. If the offensive line comes along as quickly as Young anticipates, a sixth straight trip seems likely.
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