Skyler Still shines in Kelly’s season opening W

On a night dedicated to the seniors, it was the junior quarterback who shined the brightest during Kelly’s 35-6 win over the Doniphan Dons to kick off the 2023 season on Friday, August 25, in Benton, Missouri.

"This might actually have been my best game," Kelly junior quarterback Skyler Still said. "I just wanted to give it all because it's senior night. I wanted to play for the seniors. There's one senior I really wanted to play for who wasn't able to play this whole season. His name is Tucket Miller."

Still had a hand in all of the Hawks' offensive touchdowns against the Dons. He threw three touchdown passes in the first half and ran for another score in the fourth quarter.

"I was very proud of where he kept his eyes downfield, looking for the open receiver, working through his progression," Kelly head coach Lance Powers said. "I was really happy with the way he made the decision to tuck the ball and ran the ball very hard. He was not afraid to mix it up."

"There's a lot more pressure on me because I started as a freshman," Still said. "I'm not even a senior guy and everybody's relying on me for everything, and I just get a little nervous but I push through."

Two of Still's touchdown passes went to Grant Burleson. It's a connection that goes way back.

"Me and Grant played football together since fifth grade," Still said, "and he's always been my No. 1 receiver. So he and I got a pretty good connection."

The other touchdown pass went to senior Ethan Graham, who was nominated for Comeback Player of the Year in the Semoball Awards for tearing his patella. It was his first game fully healthy.

"I missed the first one and I was pretty upset," Graham said. "I got another one from my quarterback and it felt good."

"He brings his lunch pail every Friday night and he's got it packed and he's ready to deliver and he never disappoints," Powers said.

The first score of the second half came in the middle of the fourth quarter. Still scrambled to the end zone, breaking numerous tackles for another touchdown, giving the Hawks the 35-6 lead at the end of the game.

While having a workhorse running back like senior Reece Eftink to hand the ball off to, Still has the full confidence of his coaches to call more passing plays and allow him to be the main option in the ground game, bringing more balance to the Hawks offense.

"Coach has called passes a lot more this year," Still said. "I like it. I get more options and he lets me roll out some more and whenever I don't see anybody open, I just run it."

The other touchdown from the Hawks came from a pick-six by Eftink. Kelly has now defeated Doniphan six straight times, dating back to 2018, when the Dons brought back their football program.

The Hawks return home for Week 2 with a matchup against Malden on September 1.