This summer, BoCoPreps.com will take an early look at each area football team ahead of the fall season and in this installment, we look at the Skyline Falcons.
Kaiden Box’s junior year didn’t turn out the way he had hoped.
During a time when recruiters graced the stands and when his team made an early push toward the postseason, the Skyline quarterback stood on the sidelines with a broken collarbone. He couldn’t lead his team in the way he had hoped — not, at least, until he made his 2021 debut against Erie in late September.
“It was a little bit more difficult than I was expecting,” Box said. “I was kind of hoping that I’d come back and be just fine but the first three or so games, I was definitely playing a little bit scared, trying not to reinjure myself. It kind of showed, unfortunately, but I think at some point, I kind of just stopped focusing on that and just played football.”
Box finished the year out with six full games, including the Falcons’ first-round Class 4A playoff loss to a higher-seeded Vista Ridge. He didn’t fully return to his old form until about his fifth game back, when he went 19-for-31 with 234 yards in a late regular-season victory against Grand Junction Central.
By that point, he wasn’t playing scared anymore.
The junior had shaken off the post-injury nerves, gaining confidence with every play. He stopped throwing off his back foot and felt more comfortable going on the run whenever necessary.
Now, with his recovery far behind him and a rock solid collarbone to rely on, Box believes the Falcons can do some serious damage this upcoming season. The team, after all, looks similar to the one the Falcons fielded in 2021.
He’ll have some help to lead the team toward success.
The Stalwart
Senior Logan Miller. When Skyline football’s ship found itself without a captain in 2021, Miller stepped up from first mate to take the helm. Miller, who normally played wide receiver and cornerback, moonlit as quarterback in Box’s early absence, collecting 420 passing yards on 34 completions and rushing for 477 more. A jack of all trades, he led the Falcons with 1,536 all purpose yards by adding 321 more on kick returns.
Star in the Making
Senior Kaiden Box. Injury may have stolen Box’s junior season, but the senior quarterback is ready to step back into the spotlight. In just six games last year, he accrued 1,041 passing yards on 78 completions. “Although there were several glimpses of what he is capable of, he never showed just how good he can be,” head coach Michael Silva said. “He has put on about 20 pounds and can make all the throws. I fully expect him to have that breakout season.”
Solidifying a Presence
Much like every other football team, the Falcons spent much of the summer hard at work in the weight room. Skyline, however, went undefeated in its 7-on-7 league while increasing speed on both sides of the ball.
