Football Game Preview: Thornton Trojans vs. Sand Creek Scorpions + How To Watch

For the first time this season, Thornton will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will take on the Sand Creek Scorpions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Thornton's offense hasn't had much luck over their past five matchups, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Thornton is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Frederick on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Trojans were dealt a 54-6 loss at the hands of the Golden Eagles. The Trojans were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 47-0.

Meanwhile, Sand Creek strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They took their game with ease, bagging a 50-0 victory over Palmer. That looming 50-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Scorpions yet this season.

Thornton better keep an eye on Ethan Mangrum. He was instrumental in Sand Creek's win, rushing for 139 yards and three touchdowns on only six carries. Mangrum's rushing production has been exceptional for a while as that marked his 13th straight game with at least 100 rushing yards dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Treven Rick, who rushed for 49 yards and one score.

Sand Creek was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 282 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 184 rushing yards in 14 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

One reason for the win was Sand Creek's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. Achilles Evans was especially locked on to Palmer's QB and sacked him 2.5 times.

Sand Creek's win bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Thornton, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.

Thornton was dealt a bruising 66-23 loss at the hands of Sand Creek in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Trojans were down 30-7.