Two dominant backs in Mo Thenell and Matthais Martinez-Santana are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Heritage Eagles will challenge the Grand Junction Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Grand Junction will be up against a hot Heritage squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Everything went the Eagles' way against Ponderosa two weeks ago as they made off with a 35-14 win. Considering the Eagles have won four contests by more than 20 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Heritage's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Cooper Schwartz, who rushed for 123 yards and a pair of scores on only 15 carries. Jamison Seese was another key player, rushing for 35 yards and one TD.
Heritage didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Ponderosa to a completion percentage of just 36%. The team can thank Cooper Marquis for the heroic effort on defense: he. Heritage has been improving in that area: they had allowed a completion percentage of 0.62 earlier this season, but they've only allowed one of 0.62 in their last three games.
Heritage's defense didn't let Colter Espinoza, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. Bryant Buelow refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself. Heritage got some further help from Buelow: he picked up two sacks, made five total tackles, and defended one pass in addition to snagging two interceptions.
Meanwhile, Grand Junction had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They strolled past Highlands Ranch with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 48-32.
Grand Junction's win came from a few key players Heritage will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Andrew Neese, who threw for 200 yards and five touchdowns on only 11 passes. Those five passing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. Drew Marsh was in the mix as well, providing Grand Junction with three scores.
Grand Junction didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. A.J. Schlachter was the real danger to the passing game, picking up two interceptions all by himself. He was another major factor on D, making four total tackles and defending three passes in addition to snagging two interceptions.
Heritage's record is now 7-3. As for Grand Junction, their record now sits at 9-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Heritage has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 267.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Grand Junction struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 209 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Heritage strolled past Grand Junction in their previous matchup back in September of 2015 by a score of 17-0. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
