Kent Denver has gone 7-2 against Englewood recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Sun Devils will host the Pirates at 1:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Kent Denver's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They breezed past Hinkley to the tune of 60-0. The Sun Devils' win was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Yianni Balafas
| 10/04/25 vs Hinkley | 177.1 |
| 08/29/25 @ Florence | 157.2 |
| 10/05/24 @ Hinkley | 145.8 |
| 08/31/24 vs Florence | 139.8 |
| 10/19/24 vs Bennett | 137.9 |
Yianni Balafas produced another solid effort throwing for 71 yards and three TDs on perfect 5-for-5 passing. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passer rating (177.1). Colton Meade made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Kent Denver didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Meade led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Englewood really took it to Bennett for the full four quarters, racking up a 44-0 victory. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Pirates had established a 37-point advantage.
Englewood's win came from a few key players Kent Denver will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Logan Mael, who rushed for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, picking up 1.5 sacks, forcing one fumble, and making three total tackles. Another player making a difference was Nathan Owens, who picked up 78 receiving yards and three scores.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Englewood proved: they limited Bennett to a paltry 1.8 yards per carry. The team can thank Kaloni Refuels for the heroic effort on defense: he. The dominant display was nothing new: Englewood has now limited their opponent to fewer and fewer yards per carry in three consecutive games.
Englewood's defense didn't let Cougar Cronk, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for four sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Mael and Jevan McMains, who each picked up 1.5 sacks apiece.
Englewood's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Kent Denver, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
Saturday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Kent Denver has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 181.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Englewood struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 152.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Kent Denver was able to grind out a solid win over Englewood in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, winning 37-27. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Pirates' Deon Robinson, who rushed for 158 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 7.9 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Saturday, will it be easier for the Sun Devils to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
