Football roundup: Ralston Valley knocks off 4A No. 1 Pine Creek

Ralston Valley football picked up a huge win on Friday night, knocking off top-ranked Pine Creek and ending the Eagles’ state-best 15-game winning streak.

The Mustangs grabbed a 17-7 lead at halftime thanks to a field goal as time expired. They then held on in the second half, including one last stop with a minute left to seal the win.

Ralston Valley, a Class 5A program, is now 2-3 this season following an 0-3 start. Pine Creek, which plays in 4A, drops to 4-1.

Both teams begin conference play next week.

5A: (1) Valor Christian 26, (5) Cherry Creek 14

Blake Stenstrom threw two touchdown passes, Joshia Davis rushed for 118 and a score and caught a TD pass, and the Eagles got yet another big win in their non-conference slate.

Valor Christian is now 5-0.

“We feel like playing great teams helps us refine what we need to do,” Valor Christian coach Rod Sherman told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “We’re not scared to lose. This is the first time in five, six, seven years that we’ve actually been undefeated out of our non-conference. If you’re not scared to lose, then these games are really good, because it helps you grow.”

Sherman pointed to his team’s ability to run the football, and stop Cherry Creek from doing the same, as one of the differences in the game.

“With a team like Creek, they’re so talented and they do such a great job coaching, if you let them be balanced, you’re in trouble,” he said. “And ultimately we ran the ball really well and we stopped the run.”

1A: Aspen 34, Coal Ridge 28

Aspen entered 4-0, and Coal Ridge was 3-1, so their matchup on Friday was a good one. Ultimately, the Skiers won 34-28 to improved to 5-0.

Aspen won just two games last season, and hadn’t won five games in a season since 2013. It’s Aspen’s best start since opening 7-0 in 2010.

“We challenged (the kids) to understand what it takes to be successful,” Aspen coach Karson Pike told the Scoreboard Show about the team’s turnaround. “They did a good job this summer and this spring. … That’s really where we grew up.”

2A: (5) La Junta 21, (3) The Classical Academy 11

The Tigers picked up a big top-five win a week after dropping another top-five matchup.

“It was a big win for us to get back on the winning track,” La Junta coach Clint Buderus told the Scoreboard Show. “The kids played good. It was huge for us.”

La Junta, the defending 2A champion, had its 16-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in a loss to now No. 1 Kent Denver. So this win was a big bounce-back following that game.

“We played better tonight,” Buderus said.

1A: (1) Bennett 76, (10) Clear Creek 36

The top-ranked Tigers handed Clear Creek its first loss this season.

Bennett rushed for more than 600 yards in the game, including 515 in the first half.

Bennett, which reached the semifinals last season, is now 5-0 this season. Clear Creek is 4-1.

8-man (3) Haxtun 29, (8) Dayspring Christian 21

A fourth-quarter touchdown lifted Haxtun to the win and a 5-0 start this season.

The team teams were knotted at 21 going into the final frame, and at 6-6 at halftime, before Haxtun pulled away.

Dayspring Christian is now 3-2.

Notables:

With Pine Creek losing, the longest winning streak in the state now belongs to Valor and Sedgwick County. Both have won 15 games in a row.
Sedgwick County, ranked No. 1 in 8-man, beat Akron 48-24 in a matchup of the past two state title games in that classification. “I thought our offensive line did a great job digging in in the second half and getting us some big yards,” coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show.
4A No. 9 Pueblo South beat 3A Pueblo East 34-19 in the annual Cannon game. East, the three-time defending 3A champs, has opened the year 0-5. “There is just so much that goes into this, I don’t think people truly understand how things are in Pueblo, especially the rivalries, but I’m just proud of our kids tonight,” South coach Ryan Goddard told the Scoreboard Show. South is 4-1.
In 3A, No. 3 Palmer Ridge cruised to a 43-0 win over No. 10 Canon City. Quarterback Ty Evans threw four touchdown passes and rushed for another. “When we give Ty time, he does a really good job going through his progression, and he’s a competitor,” coach Tom Pulford told the Scoreboard Show.
2A No. 1 Kent Denver shut out Elizabeth 35-0, giving coach Scott Yates his 320th career win. 8-man No. 4 West Grand shut out Hayden 50-0, giving coach Chris Brown his 320th win. Both men lead the state in career wins.
Brighton came back from down 21 to beat Fort Collins 28-21.
Skyview is 5-0 for the first time in program history following its 48-21 win over Lincoln.
La Veta upset 6-man No. 8 Cotopaxi 71-38.
Mountain Valley got three touchdowns each from Salvador Vigil and Drew Martinez in a 60-13 win over Aguilar.
Ta’yon Burton returned a kickoff for a score as Manual beat Front Range Christian 27-0.
Pretty big win for Fountain-Fort Carson in 5A: 35-26 over Doherty.
Mead looks ready for the No. 1 spot in 3A. The Longhorns, currently No. 2 handled Fort Morgan 51-14. Current No. 1 Holy Family lost on Thursday.
Ikaika Gonzalez-Bentosino rushed for 266 yards and two scores as Englewood beat Sheridan 58-0 in 2A.
Vista Ridge beat Discovery Canyon 35-21 in a 4A/3A matchup behind big rushing days from Jeffrey Crittendon (218 yards, two TDs) and Jaylen Thomas (183, 1). Thomas also had two passing TDs.
Travis Cunningham rushed for two scores and Austin Coalson passed for two as Eaton beat University 33-6 in a 2A game.