Football Recap: James Pillivant Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Montbello

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Eaglecrest, Denver East was happy to have turned things around on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Montbello Warriors, sneaking past 22-19. The Angels have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw the Warriors, too.

Denver East's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but James Pillivant led the charge by picking up 94 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Pillivant also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making three total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defending two passes. Another passer making a difference was Declan Macdonald, who threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

Denver East didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Montbello to a completion percentage of just 33.3%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from four players: Pillivant, Kaeleb Clark, Moise Toure, and Alexander Klug, who each logged two passes deflected. Denver East wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 68%.

Several Warriors players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Amari Williams, who rushed for 105 yards and a pair of TDs. Montbello also got help from Zyaire Custis, who showed off his sure hands for 89 receiving yards.

Denver East's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Montbello, they are on a nine-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-5.

Denver East has already played their next game, a 48-9 loss against Columbine on the 3rd. As for Montbello, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 50-18 win against Aurora Central on the 3rd.