Football Recap: Montrose Takes Down Monarch in a Playoff Battle

Montrose had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They took their game on Saturday with ease, bagging a 56-27 win over the Monarch Coyotes. The Red Hawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by 21 points or more this season.

Elijah Womack had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 193 yards and three scores while picking up 10.7 yards per carry. He has been hot for a while, having posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last ten times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cade Saunders, who rushed for 58 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Montrose was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 398 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Monarch only rushed for 105.

On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Montrose's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Jayce England, Lincoln Jones, and Owen Cervantes, who each picked up one sack apiece.

Several Coyotes players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Tyler Tharp, who picked up 138 receiving yards, and also punched in one TD on the ground. Malakhi Payne was another key player, rushing for 97 yards and one score.

Red Hawks

Previous Games

11/22/25 vs Monarch	56-27
11/15/25 vs Frederick	55-6
10/31/25 @ Pueblo West	23-6
10/24/25 vs Widefield	61-6
10/17/25 vs Mesa Ridge	54-22
+ 7 more games

The victory keeps Montrose at an undefeated 12-0. Those wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 10.1 points on average this season. As for Monarch, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 9-3.

Montrose wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next matchup, a 31-29 defeat against Palmer Ridge on the 29th. Monarch does not have any more games scheduled as of now.