By Josh McFadden | [email protected]

Like most other schools around the state, the Skyline football team has hit the halfway point of the season. Now the real tests begin.

Region play is where the intensity and competition step up, as teams jockey for position in league standings to qualify for state. With just five teams in Region 6, every league contest for the Eagles is critical if they hope to return to the Class 5A state tournament. Last season, Skyline placed third in Region 6 but didn’t fare so well at state, losing in the first round to Skyridge 55-0.

Halfway through this season, it’s been a mixed bag for the Eagles.

Skyline began the year 2-2, winning the opener and game three, and losing games two and four. Skyline hosted Brighton Sept. 14 in a game played after our press deadline.

The opener went well, especially offensively. Skyline prevailed over Class 6A’s Granger 47-40 in a point- and yard-filled affair. Skyline doubled up the Lancers in the first half, 26-13, thanks largely to the efforts of quarterback Chris Dudley. The senior signal caller threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Visser in the first quarter and an eight-yard TD toss to Isaac Campbell in the second. Sandwiched in between those touchdowns was Dudley’s five-yard run into the end zone. Dudley added a second TD pass in quarter No. 2 — a 32-yarder to Hayden Hansen.

Granger made things interesting in the second half, cutting the margin to six points at 32-26. But Dudley continued his terrific play with two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter — a 34-yarder to Campbell and a 90-yard bomb to Campbell. In all, Dudley’s amazing night consisted of five touchdown passes and 401 yards through the air. He added a pair of scores on the ground. Campbell had six catches for 219 yards and three TDs.

In week three, Skyline’s defense stepped up, holding Juan Diego to just seven points in a 26-7 victory for the Eagles. Dudley threw for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Mason Lund had touchdown runs of 17 and 2 yards.

In Skyline’s two losses during the first four games, it was outscored by Skyline, Idaho, 36-26 on Aug. 25, and fell to Westlake 45-14 on Sept. 7.

The Eagles have put up some impressive stats so far this season. Dudley already has 13 touchdown passes against just two interceptions. He had nearly 900 yards through the first four games. He was also the team’s leading rusher in the first four games with 217 yards on the ground. Through the Sept. 7 game against Westlake, Campbell had 389 yards receiving and four touchdowns on 17 catches. Jacob Walker picked up a pair of sacks during this span.

Skyline hosts Highland in the Region 6 opener on Sept. 21, followed by a home game with Murray. The final region matchup is an Oct. 11 clash with the Olympus Titans, the Eagles’ longtime rival. Skyline then wraps up the regular season with another non-region game. This one will take place on Oct. 17 at home against Lehi against the defending 5A state champion Pioneers.