10:00 PM, Aug. 19, 2011
| SALT LAKE CITY - Making the long drive to the Wasatch Front a night in advance, meaning an overnight stay around the city capital just isn't worth it this time of year for Hurricane football coach Chris Homer.
"Too many things can go wrong," he said with a laugh Friday of the thought of young people in hotel rooms.
Driving north for several hours to start the season, stopping in Fillmore and then Provo for a late-afternoon lunch - a routine built by multiple experiments for the Tigers - worked just fine in a 33-14 win at Skyline.
The home team dropped to a lower classification this season (4A) and still wasn't enough to handle one of 3A's powers.
Hurricane started slow, but scored 33 unanswered points in the middle two quarters, making the rematch not nearly like the thriller of last season that the Tigers won on a last-second kick.
Taylor Parker starred, completing 11-of-13 passes for 108 yards while also scoring three touchdowns. He had 82 yards rushing on five carries, as well.
Adam Thompson added the first two Hurricane scores, breaking a scoreless game that dragged through the first 12 minutes.
Hurricane's relatively young team, with just about 10 returning starters, made a good start after coming off a 12-2 season and another tough loss in the 3A state championship game.
They loaded onto a chartered, air-conditioned bus and watched "Rocky III" for a good segment of the trip.
"The kids wanted to be inspired," Homer said. "That's a good thing."
The knockout punch, so to speak, came on Jared Edwards' 15-yard touchdown catch from Parker, as Skyline continued to look lost.
It was a 26-0 deficit before the Eagles scored.
Longtime Skyline coach Roger DuPaix credited the visiting team for its game plan and having a lot of players that believed they could be every bit as good as the past few teams that advanced to title games.
The Eagles, who went 6-5 last year, still made the 5A quarterfinals and possess a similar team to Homer. That is, not a ton of starters returning but more experience than that calculations awards value. Hurricane's deceptive experience won by a long shot.
Much like getting on the bus - an all too common part of a season for St. George-area teams - Homer has this part of the season nailed down. He credits his staff for helping to set the tone, and the kids for buying in.
"We're so consistent. We know what we want. We know what it takes. Philosophically speaking, the goal is keeping kids on the right path," the coach said. "We're not worried so much about wins. You want to be successful, but you also want to be getting better this time of year."
Last year, Hurricane defeated Skyline early in the season on a field goal with a few seconds left. Skyline needed a late touchdown this time just to pull within three touchdowns.
The game was much farther from home, but the result would lead to a lot of good laughs at dinner in the area before making the long drive back home.
"The opponent, the trip, it's a good challenge to start the season," Homer said. "Our team knows it's a long day, but they're fine with it."
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