The Arvada West Wildcats will face off against the Denver East Angels at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Arvada West is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Arvada West is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Columbine, who was ranked 21st at the time (Arvada West was ranked sixth). The Wildcats narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Rebels 20-17. Those 20 points were actually the fewest the Wildcats have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Arvada West's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Logan Duhachek, who threw for 177 yards and a pair of TDs. Keegen Balistreri was another key receiver, picking up 100 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Denver East played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They had to suffer through a 55-18 loss at the hands of Chatfield. The Angels were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 41-15.
Arvada West will need to focus on slowing down James Pillivant, one of several Denver East players who made an impact when they last played. He picked up 120 receiving yards and one touchdown. Pillivant really caught the secondary sleeping when he pulled down a catch that went for 70 yards. Another pass catcher making a difference was Jack Ehrlich, who picked up 110 receiving yards and one score.
Arvada West's victory bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Denver East, they dropped their record down to 1-6 with the loss, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Arvada West has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 160 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Denver East, though, as they've been averaging only 82.9 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Arvada West beat Denver East 29-21 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Angels' Sean Campbell, who rushed for 145 yards and one TD. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Wildcats to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
