by Kent Rupe

It's happened before -- and I suspect it'll happen again.  But it doesn't make it any easier to admit that I missed the mark on the 5-A high school football playoffs.

Before the first round of games last week, I was telling anyone who would listen how the defending 5-A champs would do it again in 2006.  But the Skyline Eagles will NOT be at Rice-Eccles Stadium in a couple of weeks, falling to Davis in the first round, 16-6 in Kaysville.

Last season the Eagles struggled mightily during the regular season...then got hot in the playoffs...whipping rival Brighton in the title game.  I thought I could see a similar scenario playing itself out this season.  Skyline's regular-season difficulties weren't even close to what they went through last year, and it seemed pretty clear to me that head coach Roger Dupaix would rally the troops and put together another run to the championship.

It's like this--or so I thought--rank the teams however you want throughout September and October, but when you turn the calendar to November...that's Skyline's time.  Unfortunately for the Eagles and their supporters, they never got to November in 2006...the Darts seeing to that last week.

So my pick in 5-A is gone...I was wrong about Skyline...but I still have East in 4-A and 3-A's Logan alive and kicking.  Probably the "kiss of death" for the Leopards and Grizzlies.