Skyridge head coach Justin Hemm wants his team to forget Thursday, Aug. 13, happened. Fast.

The Falcons fell 41-26 to Mountain Ridge in their season opener, a sharp reversal from last year's 52-17 Skyridge blowout. Mountain Ridge outscored Skyridge 28-6 in the second half after trailing 20-13 at the break, capitalizing on two botched punt snaps that handed the Sentinels the ball at the Skyridge 33- and 22-yard lines.

"There were mistakes on all three units, offense, defense, and special teams," Hemm said after the game, according to the Lehi Free Press. "There are a lot of things we can take from this game to improve, from individual plays to overall mentality and mindset."

Mountain Ridge running back Bradley Foster turned those short fields into 216 rushing yards on 29 carries, scoring twice after the muffed punts. A missed PAT added to the special-teams breakdown.

Still, Hemm has reasons for optimism. Junior quarterback Jagger Fountaine looked sharp in his first varsity start, completing 23-of-43 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Fountaine also led the team in rushing with nine carries for 44 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring in the first quarter.

Junior running back Beckham Bennett emerged as Fountaine's favorite target, hauling in six catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns while adding 66 return yards on three attempts. Junior wide receiver Koa Wallwork posted a team-high 95 yards on four catches in his varsity debut, and senior Omarian Sanders added five receptions for 59 yards.

The defense showed teeth early. Skyridge committed zero penalties on offense and defense in the first half, and sophomore linebacker Drayson Afalava led the team with 11 tackles, seven solo. Senior linebacker Sa Tanuvasa recorded nine tackles and an interception. Senior Rex Caswell added nine combined tackles with 1.5 for a loss.

But the unit surrendered 263 rushing yards overall, and the second-half collapse exposed gaps that Hemm said his staff will address this week.

The fix-it window is short. Skyridge (0-1) hosts Orem (1-0) on Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. The Tigers are the defending 5A state champions, riding a 12-game winning streak after beating Kamehameha of Hawaii 16-7 on Aug. 14. Orem quarterback Rock Speredon sealed that win with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Brooks Ross with 9:37 remaining, according to KSL Sports.

Orem has historically struggled against 6A Region 3 programs like Skyridge, according to the Daily Herald. But the Falcons will need to clean up the miscues before facing a team that hasn't lost since last November.

Hemm said his players are eager to get back on the field and put the opener behind them. The Tigers haven't dropped a game in 12 straight tries.