After two games on the road, Golden is heading back home. They will take on The Dakota Ridge Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Golden will be hoping to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each match than the last.
Last Friday, everything came up roses for Golden on the road against Standley Lake as the team secured a 46-6 win. Given Golden's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado football rankings (they are ranked 35th, while Standley Lake is ranked 92nd), the result wasn't exactly an upset.
Golden's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kalin Hufford, who threw for 149 yards and four touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. Another player making a difference was Luc Chevalier, who rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries.
Meanwhile, Dakota Ridge really took it to Bear Creek for the full four quarters, racking up a 47-19 victory at home. With Dakota Ridge ahead 28-7 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Dakota Ridge's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jack Stewart led the charge by picking up 198 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Stewart's longest reception was for an incredible 72 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Landon Kalsbeck, who rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries.
Golden's win was their fourth straight on the road, which bumped their overall record up to 6-1. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.0 points per game. As for Dakota Ridge, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Golden has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 182.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Dakota Ridge struggles in that department as they've been even better at 226.3 per game. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Golden was able to grind out a solid win over Dakota Ridge in their previous matchup back in October of 2022, winning 49-41. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Dakota Ridge's Noah Triplett, who rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.2 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Golden to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
