High school football: Skyline dominates East big Region 10 victory

Skyline entered Friday night winners of five consecutive games. Not only did it extend that streak to six, but did so in commanding fashion, with a big 53-21 Region 10 win over the East Leopards.

The story of the game was Skyline’s quarterback, Xavier Cocci, who rushed for four touchdowns on the night and added one through the air. His five total touchdowns propelled the Eagles to victory as they remain unbeaten in region play.

A kick return for a touchdown by Sione Tupua, a pick-six by Cash Grandon and a defensive safety all helped Skyline not only secure the win but run away with it easily.

When asked about the trickery from his special teams unit, Skyline head coach Marcus Mailei smiled.

“Man, our special teams coach Jackson has been working with the boys for about four or five days, and we do a little extra practice every practice on that. I don’t know exactly what inspired the play other than he wanted to jazz it up,” he said.

The play worked to perfection, as a handoff led to a misdirection that East could not keep up with. Tupua’s return was a spark that the Eagles needed after falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter. East then responded to Tupua’s return with a touchdown of their own via the legs of quarterback Dru Reuss.

Reuss’ touchdown made it 14-7, giving the Leopards a lead that would be short-lived. Skyline went on a tear to close out the first half, scoring 17 unanswered points. The momentum didn’t stop there, however, as Mailei’s team would go on to win the game 53-21.

The game was called with 9:38 remaining in the fourth quarter because of lightning, something that hampered dozens of games across the state on Friday night.

“It’s a reflection on how focused the boys are on each aspect of the game. Kudos to these guys for making every part important. And then, same with the coaches pushing the players to focus.” Mailei continued, “We’re going to keep building on what we’ve got going on. The boys have been really working on their mindset and staying positive. We just want to continue to come together as a unit and build that chemistry so that we can have a really good and long-standing postseason.”

Skyline’s offense has been electric this season, averaging 50.2 points per game since Sept. 5. It’s the type of culture and chemistry that Maile’s young core is building, which will face an even tougher test text week against Highland’s strong defensive unit.

Only two games stand in the way of Skyline and an unbeaten region record.

East will have a shortened break, as it’s slated to take on Jordan next Thursday.