Photo By Loren Orr - #11 Clayton Franssen
Written by Wayne Dzubak
Skyview returns faster, stronger and more mature in 2020, according to Head Coach David Young.
The Hawks welcome a host of young, talented athletes with varsity experience. In 2019, Young said Skyview had to cancel its JV program due to injuries, with many of the then-sophomore players bumping up to the big leagues.
“We started as many sophomores in our final three games as we did seniors last year,” Young said. “Now, those sophomores are juniors and are ready to impact our team. We will start more juniors than seniors this season.”
And while the Hawks faltered to a 1-8 finish in the SIC, Young said he’s excited to see last year’s efforts pay off. And with more juniors than seniors in the starting lineup, Young said the sky’s the limit for Skyview.
Quarterback Clayton Franssen spent most of his time last year running from pressure of opposing defenses, but in 2020, an improved offensive line should allow him more time to do what he does best — run the offensive scheme. The Hawks’ offensive line is stronger, smarter and faster, said Young, and will be the key to Skyview’s ability to move the football. The return of veteran running back Cade Salios and receiver Haydn Turner will help in the attempt for a balanced offensive attack.
Another area of improvement for the Hawks is the defensive line. The improvement of the defensive line will certainly help the Hawk linebackers as Skyview looks to fill the void of Tucker Tentinger, the leading tackler in 2019. His leadership will be missed but the maturation process of the Skyview sophomores and juniors is readily visible.
“Much like our offense, we return a lot of guys that were too young last year to impact the game,” Young said. “We are physically better this year and will be able to compete and defend at a higher level this season.”
Skyview will compete in the newly formed Foothills Division of the 5A SIC, along with Rocky Mountain, Eagle, Meridian and Boise.
Outside of conference play, the Hawks have both Nampa and Columbia — a battle for bragging rights in Canyon County.