Top-ranked Pomona football speeds past No. 9 Ralston Valley
ARVADA — Pomona junior Max Borghi has the speed and power that lights up Friday nights on the football field.
Borghi put on a show at the North Area Athletic Complex on Friday as the No. 1 ranked Class 5A football team in the CHSAANow.com poll took care of area rival No. 9 Ralston Valley with a 28-7 victory. The junior had three touchdown runs — 57, 7 and 23 yards — on his way to more than 150 yards on just 10 carries for Pomona (3-1).
The highlight for Borghi was actually nullified with a 15-yard personal foul for hurdling. It appeared the junior had a 79-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, but the longest run of the game was called back because of illegal hurdling. If a player hurdles a standing player it’s deemed a dangerous play and a 15-yard personal foul.
“I had to do it. It was a crazy play,” Borghi said with a smile. “I knew it was a penalty right when I did it. It was worth it. It will look good on film.”
Borghi would have gone for well over 200 yards on the ground if the run would have counted.
“It’s great to have Max playing for us,” Pomona senior linebacker Garrett Zanon said. “Every time (defense) comes off the field we know he (Borghi) can take it the distance anytime he gets the ball.”
Pomona’s defense limited No. 9 Ralston Valley (2-2) to just one score. Ralston Valley’s offensive highlight was a 65-yard touchdown run by senior Shayne Whitmyer that cut the Panthers’ lead to 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
“We were on the verge of really taking over the game, but when you play a good team they are going to fight back,” Pomona coach Jay Madden said. “Ralston Valley fought back, but every time they fought back we had a little bit more.”
The Panthers led 21-7 at halftime thanks to Borghi’s second touchdown run of the game just before halftime.
Pomona junior quarterback Ryan Marquez opened the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown run. On the next offensive play for the Panthers, Borghi sprinted 57 yards to pay dirt with 6 minutes, 35 seconds left in the first quarter.
Borghi’s third touchdown came in the third quarter. He hurdled a defender, who was already on the ground which is legal, at the goal line to finish off the 23-yard touchdown run.
“It’s always fun playing against Ralston Valley,” Zanon said. “It’s always a tough game no matter the circumstances.”
Ralston Valley versus Pomona is a football rivalry that fortunately didn’t disappear despite the fact the two Arvada-area schools aren’t in the same conference.
The new waterfall format moved the perennial 5A powerhouses to different leagues while dissolving the 5A Jeffco League for at least the next two-year cycle. The Mustangs and Panthers made it a point to keep the rivalry alive with a non-league game.
“This is what high school sports is all about,” Madden said of the atmosphere of the packed NAAC for Pomona’s homecoming game. “Everyone thinks its about state championships, but it’s about Friday nights every September and October.”
Pomona’s regular-season road doesn’t get any easier. The Panthers head to Highlands Ranch next Friday night (Sept. 23) to face defending state champion Valor Christian. The Eagles (1-2) dropped their first two games, but rebounded last week and have a bye week heading into the rematch of last year’s 5A state championship game.
“We’ll just keep pushing forward. We are looking forward to each week,” Zanon said. “I feel pretty confident about where we are.”
Pomona will have a bye week after the showdown with Valor, opening 5A Mt. Evans League play Oct. 6 at NAAC against Rock Canyon.
Ralston Valley has its bye week this coming week before returning to action in its final non-league game of the regular season against Pine Creek on Sept. 30 at NAAC.
