Football Recap: Hugh Thoene and Cristiano Ontiveros Lead the Defense for Weld Central Win

Rebels

Margin (Wins)

08/29/25 vs Bennett	55
10/03/25 vs Fort Lupton	49
10/09/25 @ Arvada	44
09/05/25 @ Valley	35
10/18/25 @ The Academy	31

Weld Central hadn't done well against Sterling recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Rebels blew past the Tigers 46-23. Considering the Rebels have won six matchups by more than 22 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Luke Witzel went supernova, throwing for 154 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 passes, while also punching in one TD on the ground. What's more, he racked up 141.1 passer rating, the most he's had since back in August.

Weld Central's run defense was locked in: Sterling could only muster 2.3 yards per carry. While two picked up at least 11 total tackles, Bryen Stalcup stood above the rest. He picked up two sacks and made 11 total tackles (5.0 for loss). Weld Central didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.8.

Weld Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Hugh Thoene and Cristiano Ontiveros. Weld Central got some further help from Stalcup: he picked up two sacks and made 11 total tackles (5.0 for loss).

Sterling's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Memphis Dempcy, who threw for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 38 yards and one score. The Tigers' leading receiver Caleb Garcia was Dempcy's top target yet again, picking up 93 receiving yards and one TD.

Weld Central has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 43.6 points over those games. As for Sterling, they now have a losing record of 4-5.

As of now, neither Weld Central nor the Tigers have any future games scheduled.