Rock Canyon hasn't had much luck against Mountain Vista recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Jaguars will host the Golden Eagles at 7:00 p.m.
Rock Canyon fought the good fight in their overtime game against Castle View on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Sabercats by a score of 20-17. The Jaguars were up 17-0 in the third quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.
Meanwhile, Mountain Vista put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 62-7 win over Fruita Monument. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 49-7.
Rock Canyon better keep an eye on Marquise Reese. He was instrumental in Mountain Vista's win, throwing for 296 yards and five TDs while completing 87.5% of his passes. What's more, Reese racked up 166.7 passer rating, the most he's had since back in August of 2024. Brody Callister helped Reese out on the ground, rushing for 90 yards and one score on only seven carries.
Mountain Vista didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Fruita Monument to a completion percentage of just 37.5%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from four players: Lucas Conklin, Hudson Modrzewski, Halden Robinson, and Taj Alexis, who each logged one passes deflected. Mountain Vista has been improving in that area: they had allowed a completion percentage of 0.63 earlier this season, but they've only allowed one of 0.63 in their last three games.
Mountain Vista didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Conklin led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. He is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in each of the last three games he's played. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Rock Canyon's defeat dropped their record down to 3-5. As for Mountain Vista, their victory bumped their record up to 8-0.
The upcoming game will be a clash of competing strengths. Rock Canyon has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 180.9 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Mountain Vista has preferred to attack from the air: they average 275.6 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Rock Canyon took a serious blow against Mountain Vista in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 70-10. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Jaguars were down 42-10.
