Tate Johnson and Skyline Roll Past East, Eye Region 10 Title

This article recaps a segment from The Rush's Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026 episode. Watch the full show.

Skyline beat East 49-12 and is unbeaten in Region 10, setting up a game with Highland this week that is basically for the region championship. Quarterback Tate Johnson joined The Rush to talk about it.

The East game carried extra weight because Skyline coach Brandon Matich used to coach at East. Johnson said Matich told the team before the game that it wasn't about him. It was about the team and the rest of the season. "It was a really great feeling in that locker room," Johnson said.

The Eagles' goal is to dominate on all sides of the ball. They got there through a tough preseason against Stansbury, Olympus, Lone Peak and Skyridge. Johnson said losses to Lone Peak and Skyridge taught them how one mistake can wreck a play against the best teams in the state. Even though the Skyridge score didn't show it, the Eagles felt they played good football and took momentum into region play.

He praised a teammate he called "all gas," who chirps in practice and wants to win more than anyone he's played with. Judah Valle moved from receiver to running back with Jonah Mailei out since the Skyridge game with a concussion. Valle has multiple kickoff return touchdowns this year and set the tone on Skyline's first play against East. Safety Liam Whitworth-Hosea also helps on offense and hits so hard that Johnson is nervous throwing his way in practice.

Johnson's biggest influence is his dad, who believes in his dream of playing Division I football, sometimes more than Tate does himself. (Week 8 roundup, Deseret News)