Valor Christian routs Highlands Ranch in Mount Lincoln Conference action.
VALOR CHR. 43, HIGHLANDS RANCH 7
Lincoln Lancers running back/wide receiver Anthony Garcia eludes a Vista PEAK Prep defender and heads upfield Friday at All City Stadium. Vista PEAK won 34-14. John Leyba, The Denver Post
Valor Christian’s 1-3 start left many around the state wondering just how good the defending 5A champions really are this year.
The No. 7 Eagles answered that question emphatically in Friday night’s 43-7 blowout of No. 8 Highlands Ranch in Mount Lincoln Conference action: They’re very, very good.
“We’ve gotten so much more physical lately,” senior linebacker Will Rodgers said. “Defensively and offensively, the physicality we’ve been coming with is tremendous. At the beginning of the year, we were missing tackles and not being physical enough on both sides of the ball, but now our intensity is on another level.”
Defensive back Jack Walley got the Eagles going early with a pick-six on Highlands Ranch’s first drive, and the Eagles also capitalized on a perfect first half of passing from senior quarterback Dylan McCaffrey (11-of-11 for 241 yards and three TDs) to carry an insurmountable 36-0 lead into halftime.
It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools separated by less than a mile, and the Eagles physically outplayed the Falcons from the opening whistle en route to racking up 459 yards of total offense. Highlands Ranch quarterback Joseph Alber was under duress for much of the night, and star running back Kobe Eller was a lone bright spot for the Falcons’ offense with 105 yards rushing and the team’s lone touchdown.
Sophomore wideout Luke McCaffrey also played big for the Eagles, catching two of his older brother’s passes for 128 yards and a score. Sophomore running back Joshia Davis added 56 yards rushing and two scores, while Rodgers recorded eight tackles and two sacks.
The Eagles (5-3, 3-0) are riding a four-game win streak as they prepare for games at Poudre (Oct. 28) and home against Fountain-Fort Carson (Nov. 4) to close the regular season. Highlands Ranch (5-3, 2-1) finishes its regular season hosting Legend (Oct. 27) and at Poudre (Nov. 3).
For Valor Christian to continue to progress down the stretch — and for the Eagles to eventually beat elite teams in the playoffs that they lost to in the regular season such as Mullen and Pomona — Davis noted his team needs to continue to come together down the stretch.
“We’re just playing more as a brotherhood lately, and we’re playing unselfish football,” Davis said. “So I’m pleased with tonight but I’m never satisfied. Our team always has room for improvement.”