PARKER – As the final seconds ticked away, the rain started falling at EchoPark Stadium. But nothing was going to dampen the mood of the hoard of Ponderosa students rushing the field.

Bragging rights in Parker mean everything, especially for Ponderosa. That’s primarily because the Mustangs haven’t had bragging rights over Legend since 2017. In the years following, they were close to beating the Titans, but went home with losses. In their more recent meeting, Legend ran away with a win.

This year, Ponderosa entered the annual matchup as the top-ranked Class 4A team in the CHSAANow.com football rankings, but the team knew it had to back up the hype. Two quick touchdowns, a pass from Zach Stryker to Lyam Edwards and then a Stryker rushing touchdown helped the Mustangs get the early lead they needed. They held strong to get a 21-14 win over the 4A No. 7 Titans.

It can easily be considered just another win as the Mustangs (4-0 overall) set their sights on a state championship, but the reality is that getting a win over Legend is a demon that has needed to be exorcised for five years.

“At the end of the day, it’s a good rivalry,” Ponderosa coach Jaron Cohen said. “It’s a town where the kids played youth together, they’re friends, I get along with their coaches off the field just fine. It’s fun. It’s time we got it back and we’ll put that trophy up in our case.”

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