The Ralston Valley Mustangs will welcome the Columbine Rebels at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Ralston Valley is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Ralston Valley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Arvada West, who was ranked ninth at the time (Ralston Valley was ranked third). The Mustangs blew past the Wildcats, posting a 49-20 victory. Considering the Mustangs have won seven matchups by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Ralston Valley's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Levi Rillos, who rushed for 127 yards and a pair of scores on only 11 carries, and also picked up 60 receiving yards and one touchdown. Nico Benallo was in the mix as well, providing the Mustangs with one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Ralston Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 209 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Columbine rose to the challenge on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Wildcats 44-14. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 24-0.
Ralston Valley better keep an eye on Mark Snyder. He was instrumental in Columbine's win, rushing for 185 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.4 yards per carry. They are 3-1 when Snyder posts two or more rushing touchdowns, but 3-4 otherwise. Ben Frazier also helped out as he racked up 107 rushing yards.
Columbine didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Tavis McCatty and Jesse Adame.
Ralston Valley's record now sits at 10-0. As for Columbine, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Ralston Valley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 171.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Columbine struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 253.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Ralston Valley strolled past Columbine when the teams last played back in October by a score of 35-21. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Snyder, who rushed for 148 yards and a pair of scores. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Mustangs still be able to contain Snyder? There's only one way to find out.
