Skyview seeks respect

As the third head coach of the Skyview football team in three seasons, Phil Sheridan knows it is unrealistic to come in and shoot for a small-schools championship.

SKYVIEW

PANTHERS

COLORS: Purple and black

2003 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 1-7 (0-4 Northern Lights Conference)

HEAD COACH: Phil Sheridan (first year)

ASSISTANTS: Neldon Gardner, Shawn Parnell, Dan Bohrnsen, Dave Brown

CAPTAINS: Zach Rowell, Tyler Wehrli, Matt Smith

2004 VARSITY SCHEDULE

Aug. 14 at Service 3 p.m.

Aug. 21 at North Pole TBA

Aug. 28 WASILLA 2 p.m.

Sept. 3 at Seward 6 p.m.

Sept. 11 SOLDOTNA 2 p.m.

Sept. 18 KODIAK 2 p.m.

Sept. 25 at Kenai 2 p.m.

Oct. 1 HOMER 5:30 p.m.

Home games in CAPS

"A realistic goal is to be 4-4 and get back to respectability," Sheridan said.

A couple of years ago, a 4-4 season meant disappointment for the Skyview program. The last two years, however, have seen the program fall on hard times.

In each of the past two seasons, the Panthers have failed to win a Northern Lights Conference game. Last season, Skyview went 1-7 and was outscored 248-43.

"It's not like I'm the coach of the Green Bay Packers here," Sheridan said. "If I can just win some football games, people will be happy."

Skyview is the largest school on the peninsula, so Sheridan would like to lead the Panthers to conference and state championships. He said his freshman class has the potential to challenge for a state title.

Before Skyview can worry about state titles, it must at least make games competitive. Sheridan did not coach at Skyview last year, but he coached the junior varsity squad for four years before that. He never finished worse than 5-3.

Knowing the potential of the players, it hurt him to sit back and watch last year as the Panthers were continually out of the game by the second half.

"I watched the blowouts and knew they couldn't be that bad," Sheridan said. "We have to get nasty, energetic and play tough. We have to make a game of football out of it."

Sheridan already has moved Skyview back to respectability by taking advantage of the enthusiasm of the parents and getting the booster club to raise a bunch of money. That has allowed Skyview players to get new gear for practice.

That new gear has been getting a lot of work.

"The biggest weakness of Skyview last year was the inability to tackle," Sheridan said. "People don't give up 50 points and win many times."

Sheridan said he will coach the defense this year. He is hoping going back to the basics will help the unit improve.

"We tackle, tackle, tackle and then tackle some more," he said.

The Panthers also have been spending a lot of time blocking in practice with an eye on putting more points on the board this season.

The brain behind the offense will be former Seward head coach Dan Bohrnsen. Bohrnsen started the program at Seward from scratch and built it to respectability before taking a few years off from coaching.

"It's not a brute-strength, bull-ahead type of system," Sheridan said. "It's not 4 yards and a cloud of dust. It'll lose 2, then make 4, then gain 12."

Bohrnsen's teams in Seward the smallest football school on the peninsula often made use of great athletes being crafty enough in the skill positions to overcome operating behind an undersized line.

Like a typical Bohrnsen team at Seward, Sheridan said Skyview has nice athletes at the skill positions, but is thin at the line.

Tyler Wehrli will play quarterback for the Panthers, while Zach Rowell will play halfback and Josh Carlon will play fullback.

Sheridan also is excited about the athleticism Aaron Singleton and Richard Derkevorkian bring to the tight end position.

The strength of the offensive and defensive lines will be senior Justin Dahlen and Matt Smith and junior Nick Hann.

Sheridan also could see talented sophomore Gregor Bosick and freshman Eddie Buffington working their way into some varsity playing time in the backfield this season.

On defense, the linebackers will be Jeff Dolifka, Carlon and Bosick.

Juniors Shane Strausbaugh and Clark Buffington also could see time at linebacker.

In the secondary will be Corey Fowler, Jason Smith, Rowell and Wehrli.

Sheridan said he has a great coaching staff, but he knows getting off to a fast start will be tough because the players are seeing their third coach in three years.

"We've still got a lot of experience and good kids, but three coaches in three years is tough," he said.

He said he would like the team to be rolling by the fifth week, when it takes on Soldotna.

"I'd like to give them a run for their money," Sheridan said. "Losing by 50 points each year is not a rivalry."

SkyHi seeks respect

By JEFF HELMINIAK

Peninsula Clarion

As the third head coach of the Skyview football team in three seasons, Phil Sheridan knows it is unrealistic to come in and shoot for a small-schools championship.

SKYVIEW

PANTHERS

COLORS: Purple and black

2003 REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 1-7 (0-4 Northern Lights Conference)

HEAD COACH: Phil Sheridan (first year)

ASSISTANTS: Neldon Gardner, Shawn Parnell, Dan Bohrnsen, Dave Brown

CAPTAINS: Zach Rowell, Tyler Wehrli, Matt Smith

2004 VARSITY SCHEDULE

Aug. 14 at Service 3 p.m.

Aug. 21 at North Pole TBA

Aug. 28 WASILLA 2 p.m.

Sept. 3 at Seward 6 p.m.

Sept. 11 SOLDOTNA 2 p.m.

Sept. 18 KODIAK 2 p.m.

Sept. 25 at Kenai 2 p.m.

Oct. 1 HOMER 5:30 p.m.

Home games in CAPS

"A realistic goal is to be 4-4 and get back to respectability," Sheridan said.

A couple of years ago, a 4-4 season meant disappointment for the Skyview program. The last two years, however, have seen the program fall on hard times.

In each of the past two seasons, the Panthers have failed to win a Northern Lights Conference game. Last season, Skyview went 1-7 and was outscored 248-43.

"It's not like I'm the coach of the Green Bay Packers here," Sheridan said. "If I can just win some football games, people will be happy."

Skyview is the largest school on the peninsula, so Sheridan would like to lead the Panthers to conference and state championships. He said his freshman class has the potential to challenge for a state title.

Before Skyview can worry about state titles, it must at least make games competitive. Sheridan did not coach at Skyview last year, but he coached the junior varsity squad for four years before that. He never finished worse than 5-3.

Knowing the potential of the players, it hurt him to sit back and watch last year as the Panthers were continually out of the game by the second half.

"I watched the blowouts and knew they couldn't be that bad," Sheridan said. "We have to get nasty, energetic and play tough. We have to make a game of football out of it."

Sheridan already has moved Skyview back to respectability by taking advantage of the enthusiasm of the parents and getting the booster club to raise a bunch of money. That has allowed Skyview players to get new gear for practice.

That new gear has been getting a lot of work.

"The biggest weakness of Skyview last year was the inability to tackle," Sheridan said. "People don't give up 50 points and win many times."

Sheridan said he will coach the defense this year. He is hoping going back to the basics will help the unit improve.

"We tackle, tackle, tackle and then tackle some more," he said.

The Panthers also have been spending a lot of time blocking in practice with an eye on putting more points on the board this season.

The brain behind the offense will be former Seward head coach Dan Bohrnsen. Bohrnsen started the program at Seward from scratch and built it to respectability before taking a few years off from coaching.

"It's not a brute-strength, bull-ahead type of system," Sheridan said. "It's not 4 yards and a cloud of dust. It'll lose 2, then make 4, then gain 12."

Bohrnsen's teams in Seward the smallest football school on the peninsula often made use of great athletes being crafty enough in the skill positions to overcome operating behind an undersized line.

Like a typical Bohrnsen team at Seward, Sheridan said Skyview has nice athletes at the skill positions, but is thin at the line.

Tyler Wehrli will play quarterback for the Panthers, while Zach Rowell will play halfback and Josh Carlon will play fullback.

Sheridan also is excited about the athleticism Aaron Singleton and Richard Derkevorkian bring to the tight end position.

The strength of the offensive and defensive lines will be senior Justin Dahlen and Matt Smith and junior Nick Hann.

Sheridan also could see talented sophomore Gregor Bosick and freshman Eddie Buffington working their way into some varsity playing time in the backfield this season.

On defense, the linebackers will be Jeff Dolifka, Carlon and Bosick.

Juniors Shane Strausbaugh and Clark Buffington also could see time at linebacker.

In the secondary will be Corey Fowler, Jason Smith, Rowell and Wehrli.

Sheridan said he has a great coaching staff, but he knows getting off to a fast start will be tough because the players are seeing their third coach in three years.

"We've still got a lot of experience and good kids, but three coaches in three years is tough," he said.

He said he would like the team to be rolling by the fifth week, when it takes on Soldotna.

"I'd like to give them a run for their money," Sheridan said. "Losing by 50 points each year is not a rivalry."