Aerial showdown in Zero Week match-up between Ralston Valley and Mountain Vista

DENVER — Ralston Valley coach Jared Yannacito made it clear during the CHSAA Media Day on Aug. 14 at Empower Field at Mile High that the only team the Mustangs are focused on is Mountain Vista.

Yannacito was asked about facing 4-team defending 5A state champion Cherry Creek on Aug. 25, but the second-year head coach for the Ralston Valley has a talented Mountain Vista squad on deck first. The Mustangs will travel to Halftime Help Stadium (formerly Shea Stadium) for a Week Zero kickoff at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18.

“It has benefits,” Yannacito said of playing Zero Week. “It doesn’t matter if you play Week Zero or Week 1, until you play that first game will you know what you need to work on and fix. We’ll find out.”

Ralston Valley knows it will be facing one of the top returning quarterbacks in the state with junior Austyn Modrzewski who led 5A in passing yards with 3,327 yards. Modrzewski also tossed 34 touchdowns as a sophomore to help guide the Golden Eagles to a 7-4 record.

“I just see it as Ralston Valley versus Mountain Vista. I’m not the whole team and Austyn isn’t either at Mountain Vista,” Ralston Valley senior quarterback Logan Madden said when asked about the two premier quarterbacks going head-to-head. 

Madden has a breakout junior year with some impressive numbers of his own. Madden was 177-for-248 passing for 2,375 yards and 24 touchdowns to help the Mustangs advance to the 5A semifinals last season.

Madden and Modrzewski actually saw each other a lot over the last few months. The two played with 7-on-7 teams during the summer. 

“We know what Logan did last year and Austyn is a great quarterback. They are some of the best quarterbacks in the state,” Yannacito said. “It is going to be exciting for the fans to watch.”

Ralston Valley’s defense will get a strong first test facing the prolific passing attack, but the Mustangs appear to have the horses upfront.

“We want to put as much pressure on the quarterback as possible,” Ralston Valley senior defensive lineman Jack Moran said of the Mustangs’ defensive line mind-set. “We don’t want to let him get the ball out.”

Moran is the son of Colorado State University graduate Sean Moran who was a fourth-round draft pick coming out of CSU. He played defensive end for the Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers over his eight year career.

“He played at a very high level,” Moran said of his father. “It is a little bit of pressure. I just need to work and try to live up to that name.”

Mountain Vista also returns its top to receivers in juniors Jakhai Mack and Sean Conway. The two combined for 1,763 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.

“At the skill position (Mountain Vista) is as good as anyone in Colorado,” Yannacito said. “Our defensive line is going to have to get after the quarterback and we are going to have to make some plays.”

Ralston Valley graduated its top running back in Diano Benallo, who finished with over 1,200 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns. Yannacito will look to junior Bryson Diebel and senior Brady Weldon to fill those big shoes at running back.

Senior Jack Hansen will be one of the main targets for Madden. Hansen had a team-high 62 receptions and 11 touchdown catches last season.

“Week-to-week I’m just going to fill whatever role I need to help us win,” Hansen said. “We’ve got great guys coming back. I believe in our guys. We’ll figure it out.”

Ralston Valley would like to figure out a way to get to a state championship game. The Mustangs have had a number of state semifinal appearances during the schools 22-year history. 

Last year was the closest it has ever got to playing for a state championship. Valor Christian defeated Ralston Valley 42-41 in double-overtime in a 5A semifinals. 

“We set goals at the beginning of the year with coach,” Hansen said. “The highest you can get is a state title. We were so close last year. It’s all motivation.”