Football Recap: Dakota Ridge Eagles vs. Ponderosa Mustangs
Dakota Ridge had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 15.5 points) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They claimed a resounding 36-7 victory over the Ponderosa Mustangs on the road. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado football rankings (they are ranked ninth, while the Mustangs are ranked 42nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Landon Kalsbeck, who rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.9 yards per carry. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing a fumble and making five total tackles. Kellen Behrendsen was another key player, throwing for 123 yards and a touchdown while completing 76.9% of his passes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Dakota Ridge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 311 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2023.
Several Mustangs players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Max Mervin, who picked up 71 receiving yards and a touchdown. Ponderosa also got a significant boost from De'Alcapon Veazy, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 81 yards.
Dakota Ridge pushed their record up to 5-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Ponderosa, their loss dropped their record down to 3-3.
Dakota Ridge will be playing in front of their home fans against Heritage at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Dakota Ridge is facing Heritage at the right time seeing as Heritage is stuck on a three-game losing streak. As for Ponderosa, they will venture away from home to face off against Highlands Ranch at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Highlands Ranch's defense has only allowed 11.2 points per game this season, so Ponderosa's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
