The Gilpin County Eagles will take on the Front Range Christian Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Gilpin County is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Clear Creek just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Thursday. They took a blow against the Golddiggers, falling 60-32. The Eagles were down 52-26 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Gilpin County might have lost, but man, Landon Church was a machine: he picked up 94 receiving yards and a pair of scores, and also rushed for 101 yards on only 12 carries. Church also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing one fumble and making seven total tackles.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Front Range Christian). They breezed past Lyons to the tune of 38-0 on Friday. Considering the Falcons' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Front Range Christian's win came from a few key players Gilpin County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Lawson Edwards, who rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries, and also threw for 161 yards and one TD. Those 161 passing yards gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Corbin Rounds, who gained 142 total yards and a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Front Range Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 234 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Front Range Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Dawid Eifling, Caleb Harms, and Judah Hayes picked up one apiece.
Gilpin County's defeat dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Front Range Christian, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Gilpin County has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 196.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Front Range Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 96.6 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Gilpin County didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Front Range Christian in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, but they still walked away with a 24-20 win. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Falcons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.