Football Preview: Ralston Valley Mustangs vs. Valor Christian Eagles
The Ralston Valley Mustangs will take on the Valor Christian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are still undefeated after four-games, but that won't be the case come Friday.
Last Thursday, Ralston Valley blew past ThunderRidge, posting a 39-2 win at home. The game marked the Mustangs' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Ralston Valley's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Zeke Andrews, who threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown. Colton Stratman handled things on the ground, rushing for 88 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Ralston Valley's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Matt Gates and Hunter Essenpreis. Gates is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made seven or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Valor Christian). They blew past Mullen 46-20 on Friday. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado football rankings (they are ranked third, while the Mustangs are ranked 31st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
A big part of Valor Christian's victory came down to the chemistry between Dawson Olk and his top target Cash Spence. Olk threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns while completing 74.1% of his passes while Spence gained 138 total yards and three touchdowns. The dominant performance also gave Olk a new career-high in rushing yards. Chase Hanosh was another key player, rushing for 49 yards and two touchdowns.
Ralston Valley pushed their record up to 4-0 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Valor Christian, their record now sits at 4-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Ralston Valley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 160 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Valor Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 156.3. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Ralston Valley barely slipped by Valor Christian in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, winning 22-21. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Valor Christian's Gabe Sawchuk, who rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Ralston Valley to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
