Preview: Sierra Grande Panthers vs. Stratton Eagles
The Sierra Grande Panthers will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against the Stratton Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on November 11th. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Sierra Grande had no problem doing just that on Saturday. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 66-20 win over Arickaree. With Sierra Grande ahead 36-12 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Brian Ontiveros had an outrageously good game as he picked up 119 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in two touchdowns on the ground. Ontiveros was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 63 yards. Tyler Kester made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Meanwhile, Stratton put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Hanover 56-16 on the road. Given Stratton's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado football rankings (they are ranked fourth, while Hanover is ranked 47th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Stratton's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Charlie Tagtmeyer, who threw for 46 yards and three touchdowns while completing 100% of his passes. Another player making a difference was Cyler Notter, who gained 34 total yards and three touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Stratton's defense and their three sacks. Leading the way was Notter and his two sacks.
Their wins bumped Sierra Grande to 7-3 and Stratton to 10-0.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's contest: Sierra Grande has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 183.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Stratton struggles in that department as they've been even better at 255 per game. It's looking like Saturday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
