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February 2010 |
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| Featured Athlete |
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Nationally Ranked Washington State 4A Champions
Skyline High School
by: Greg Barton
Photos courtesy of Jim Simpkins @ Crimson Photography
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Skyline HS seniors celebrating 4A State Championship
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2009 Washington 4A Championship Game
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Congratulations to Skyline High School for bringing home their 3rd straight Washington State Championship with a huge win over Ferris High School (Spokane, WA). It was a great game with lots of excellent players on both teams. Mat Taylor and his staff did a wonderful in coaching the Skyline kids throughout the season. It is not easy to repeat a state championship for 2 years in a row. It is next to impossible to win it 3 years in a row. Just think, for the past 2 years every opponent looks at their regular season game with Skyline as being a state championship game. That is where Coach Taylor and his staff did such a remarkable job; simply keeping the Skyline players at the top of their game throughout the season. This is not easy, but the coaches figured it out.
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Jake Heaps in the 4A State Championship Game
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Jake Heaps came up big as the quarterback for Skyline. Jake just seems to make huge plays under pressure for his entire high school career. Kasen Williams, the brilliant wide receiver made big plays all night and Nick Beauchamp came up with his best rushing game of the season. Nick Washburn finished his remarkable high school career by making some tough physical runs. The offensive line led by Jase Butorac dominated the line of scrimmage, as they have done most of the year. |
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| As good as the offense was for Skyline throughout the season, the defense was even better. I watched the game on television from Oregon and the Skyline team speed on the defensive side of the ball was amazing. Anthony DeMatteo really stood out as a middle linebacker. He is a very good football player. Cooper Pelluer is one heck of a football player on both sides of the ball. I believe that Cooper will develop into a very good player at the college level. I shouldn’t even be mentioning names as the entire roster was special. |
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I felt really bad for Evan Day when I heard he got hurt earlier in the season. I believe this young man has a whole bunch of football left. He has improved his game dramatically over the past couple of years. I know it was tough on him watching the playoffs from the sideline, but he must understand he is a big reason why Skyline was such a great team.
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Nick Beauchamp running for some of his
118yds in the 4A State Championship game
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I have a lot of great memories of these Skyline players. Whenever I would get to a Barton Training session up in Seattle or Sammamish, I was amazed when I saw so many Skyline players in our training. Without question, these players are one of the most dedicated groups that I have ever seen in high school football. For the past three years I have always talked to the Oregon players in our training about how much I respect the Skyline High School football program. I have used the Skyline program as a model when talking about desire and hard work. |
| Coaches love to say, “An important thing that players should have is a great work ethic and commitment when their coaches are not watching.” To me, this defines so many of the players I have seen from this great program. When I watch them in our camps and training, they, as a group, are all business and I seldom see one of their players ever go half speed. |
| I just respect the heck out of these guys as they give a great effort in everything they do, and keep in mind this is in the off-season training. This is the time they can go half speed as their coaches from Skyline are not there watching; but I have only seen them compete hard in every drill they do. The receivers run the patterns hard and they make plays. In my mind this is what separates this program from others. They show up in the off-season training wanting to get better. |
Anthony DeMatteo making another tackle for a
loss in the 4A State Championship Game
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| Skyline is just a remarkable program and my hat is off to the coaches and families as these young men are being pushed in the right direction. The work ethic and commitment they show everyday will help them do some special things in their lives. Football only lasts a few years for most, but what these young men are getting from their football experience will make them successful in whatever they decide to do in life. They learn wonderful life skills everyday in the Skyline Football program. |
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Jake Heaps, Jordan Simone & Jase Butorac celebrating 3-peat
Cooper Pelluer in 4A State Championship Game
Kasen Williams catching a TD in 4A State Championship Game
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Skyline High School - 3-peat
2007 - 4A State Champions (14-0)
vs. Bellevue 6-0
vs. Mercer Island 48-13
vs. Newport 31-7
vs. Mount Si 28-0
vs. Liberty 28-0
vs. Interlake 49-6
vs. Issaquah 24-7
vs. Woodinville 41-7
vs. Sammamish 62-7
vs. Bonney Lake 42-7
vs. Lakes 39-20
vs. Kennewick 35-7
vs. Pierce 48-14
vs. O'Dea 42-35
2008 - 3A State Champions (14-0)
vs. Sheldon (OR) 21-0
vs. Ballard 56-6
vs. Lake Washington 55-0
vs. Newport 49-0
vs. Garfield 35-2
vs. Eastlake 42-0
vs. Issaquah 38-0
vs. Redmond 41-6
vs. Bothell 16-12
vs. Graham-Kapowsin 30-7
vs. Federal Way 49-6
vs. Auburn 38-2
vs. Ferris 24-21
vs. Issaquah 20-15
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2009 - 4A State Champions (12-2)
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vs. Jesuit (OR) 17-0
vs. Ballard 42-12
vs. Oaks Christian (CA) 25-28
vs. Newport 55-6
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vs. Garfield 55-0
vs. Eastlake 43-7
vs. Issaquah 42-0
vs. Redmond 42-7
vs. Bothell 20-25
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vs. Kentridge 42-0
vs. South Kitsap 63-14
vs. Curtis 49-14
vs. Bothell 31-26
vs. Ferris 45-21
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