After completing his fourth-straight win in his rookie year as a head coach, Kai Smalley did something few would believe.
As he addressed his team after Park City defeated American Leadership Academy 49-6 on Homecoming night, Smalley took off his white Miners polo and pointed to his chest.
Written on a black, long-sleeved shirt was “Wasatch Football.”
The move got his team’s attention. He then pointed to the opposing stands, where some of the Wasatch staff and players had come to watch the Miners’ highlight-reel evening.
“I knew (Wasatch) was over in the stands watching tonight,” Smalley later said. “They’re going to come ready to go.”
So will the Miners.
Park City (5-3) thrashed visiting ALA, adding another notch to the win streak, and improved to 3-0 in region play.
Quarterback Paul Flake threw for a career-high 375 yards on just 10-of-16 passes, including five touchdown passes, all of which came on wide-receiver screens.
There’s a saying in football that a quarterback’s best friend is his offensive line. Thursday night at Dozier Field, Flake’s best friends were his wide receivers.
Thanks to some tremendous downfield blocking and excellent field vision by the receivers, the Miners offense was unstoppable..
“Yeah, it wasn’t bad,” Smalley said of his receiving corps’ tremendous night. “It’s a good way to go, I guess.
“Our downfield blocking was amazing,” Smalley said. “Brian Schettler was out there killing people.”
Senior wideout Robert Cashel hauled in two touchdowns of 58 and 79 yards. Junior star receiver Jono Schettler also caught two touchdowns, one for 16 yards and the other for 79. Brian Schettler, a senior and brother of the younger Jono, got in on the action too, as he took a screen pass 52 yards to the house untouched early in the third quarter.
Running back Blake Thorne tacked on two touchdown runs in the second quarter, and Park City steamrolled into the half with a 42-0 lead over the Eagles.
“We’re rolling right now,” Brian Schettler said. “We just all came together and decided it was going to be changed. We just bonded, did everything together and it’s showing.”
change, the elder Schettler means flipping the 1-3 season start on its back.
The Miners had struggled mightily throughout the first few games of the season, saddled with a daunting preseason schedule, new coaching staff and, most importantly, an entirely new offensive and defensive system.
“We had one of the hardest preseason schedules in the state of Utah,” Cashel said.
“Coming into my senior year, I wanted to go undefeated, wanted to have all these wins, but we’ve had some harsh losses. I think it’s great our team didn’t let that affect us.”
It certainly doesn’t seem like it did.
Park City’s offense has exploded against Region 10 teams, averaging 45.3 points per game in its three region wins thus far. The defense has been spearheaded by a plethora of different contributors and the horizon is looking bright for the once downtrodden Miners.
“I think our whole attitude has changed; everyone’s getting more focused,” said Heath Vincent, who intercepted a pass on the third play of the game. “We’re bringing it harder in practice every day. We’re getting it done.”
Smalley’s been so pleased with his defense that he handed the reins over to the players.
“I didn’t call in a single play,” he said.
The Miners are hitting an ideal stride that couldn’t have come at a better time.
Driving north up Highway 40 Thursday afternoon will be a 6-2 Wasatch team that has won five in a row, and had an extra week to prepare for Park City due to a bye.
The Miners have won the last seven matchups with their Heber City rivals, and Smalley and his team know that the Wasps have had this one circled on their calendar since day one.
“It’s going to be a battle and Wasatch is going to come out swinging,” Smalley said. “My guys wanted to send a message (to Wasatch) that they’re here to play.”
What’s on the line is more than just bragging rights.
The outright Region 10 championship will be held by one of the two teams Thursday night at Dozier Field. Park City would ensure itself a home playoff game to kick off the 3A state playoffs with a win.
Now only a rival stands in the way of a region title for the Miners.
“We’re going to go into the Wasatch game and practice as hard as we can, the hardest all year,” Cashel said. “It’s my whole season, because it’s that rivalry that’s just down the road.”