The Ralston Valley Mustangs will face off against the Mountain Vista Golden Eagles at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Ralston Valley 9.5, Mountain Vista 6.2) so any points scored will be well earned.
Ralston Valley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They slipped by Cherry Creek 26-25. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mustangs.
Ashlyn Callahan was her usual excellent self, picking up 79 receiving yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 44 yards and one TD. Emma O'Connor made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Ralston Valley didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Liliana Meraz, O'Connor, and Callahan picked up one apiece. O'Connor got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Mountain Vista faced Grandview in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Golden Eagles strolled past the Wolves with points to spare, taking the game 26-7. Those 26 points were actually the fewest the Golden Eagles have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Ralston Valley better keep an eye on Ariana Akey. She was instrumental in Mountain Vista's win, throwing for 234 yards and four TDs, while also rushing for 101 yards on only ten carries. Akey is crushing it when it comes to passing touchdowns: she's passed for at least three every time she's taken the field this season. Kayleigh Besch was Akey's top target, picking up 37 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Mountain Vista's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. Leading the way was Akey with two sacks. Katelyn Jenkins was another major factor on D, making ten total tackles and defending three passes.
Ralston Valley's record is now 14-3. As for Mountain Vista, their record now sits at 17-0.
Ralston Valley was taken down by Mountain Vista 48-21 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Akey, who threw for 309 yards and six touchdowns while completing 76.7% of her passes, and also rushed for 81 yards on only seven carries. Now that the Mustangs know the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
