The Monarch Coyotes will square off against the Frederick Golden Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Monarch sitting on three straight victories and Frederick on six.
On Thursday, Monarch blew past Greeley West, posting a 48-8 win. The result was nothing new for the Coyotes, who have now won five games by 20 points or more so far this season.
Malakhi Payne
| 10/16/25 @ Greeley West | 126 |
| 10/10/25 @ Loveland | 172 |
| 09/26/25 vs Boulder | 121 |
| 09/19/25 @ Fairview | 164 |
| 09/12/25 vs Centaurus | 215 |
Monarch's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Malakhi Payne led the charge by rushing for 126 yards and one TD on only 13 carries. Payne's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 121 rushing yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Nico Rizzello, who threw for 115 yards and one touchdown while completing 83.3% of his passes.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Monarch was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 208 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Frederick was able to grind out a solid victory over Poudre on Friday, taking the game 36-28. The win almost wasn't to be: the Golden Eagles were down 28-14 in the second quarter.
Monarch better keep an eye on Sonny Delpizzo. He was instrumental in Frederick's win, rushing for 172 yards and four scores while picking up 7.8 yards per carry, and also picking up 89 receiving yards. Preston Kissinger was another key passer, throwing for 206 yards while completing 71.4% of his passes.
Frederick didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Cyle Rarden, Jovan Martinez, and Reno Digesualdo picked up one apiece. Another thorn in Poudre's side was Marllow McCoy, who picked up a sack and made 12 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Frederick's victory bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Monarch, their win bumped their record up to an identical 6-2.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Monarch has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 201.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Frederick struggles in that department as they've been averaging 213.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Monarch barely slipped by Frederick in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, winning 21-20. Will the Coyotes repeat their success, or do the Golden Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
