Eagles fly high — Skyline soars to 5A girls basketball title

Skyline girls basketball coach Deb Bennett maintains there is no such thing as a good loss.

"Losing stinks," she said. "It's what you learn."

Apparently her Eagles are good students as they rebounded from their second region loss to Brighton in championship fashion.

"After that second Brighton loss, our team really just came together," she said during the 5A tournament last week. "Our teamwork has just been the thing down the stretch. The kids committed as a team to do what it took."

What it took for the Eagles to win their first girls basketball title in 25 years was a little different depending on Skyline's opponent.

They started with Lone Peak, a game that went into overtime, then defeated Clearfield in the quarterfinals, Bingham in the semifinals and Mountain View in the finals on Saturday.

In making their title run, the Eagles faced some of the best the state has to offer in athletes, including Lone Peak's Caitlin Sears and Jen Harris, Clearfield's Haley Hall and Ashley Washburn, Bingham's Megan Marks and Stephanie Sampson and Mountain View's Michelle Harrison and Maylene Ornelas.

"I'm just very proud of the kids," she said after the 46-36 win over the Bruins. "They've done everything we've asked. They've worked so hard."

The team is a blend of senior experience and youthful energy, and a deep, talented roster. Senior guard Jaime Judkins led the team defensively and was one of the Eagles co-captains.

"She's that quiet force on a team," Bennett said. "Her presence never shows up in statistics as much as we felt it on the court. I think she was one of the top defenders in the state."

Co-captain Alicia White played forward for the Eagles and was the team's second-best rebounder. She's also a 4.0 student and displayed a positive attitude no matter what her role in the game.

Molly Sadinski became the other starting forward about halfway through the season. The senior's confidence solidified and so did her game.

"I thought she contributed a lot," Bennett said.

Two sophomores started for the squad — point guard Jenteal Jackson and center Dani Peterson. Both got stronger emotionally and physically and led their team as much off the court as they did on the hardwood.