HIGHLANDS RANCH | The Eaglecrest defense put on the best performance of the season against Mountain Vista’s high-flying offense, but it still wasn’t enough Friday night.
The 14th-seeded Raptors came up with multiple turnovers and limited the third-seeded Golden Eagles — who averaged a state-best 48 points per game during the regular season — to just 14 points in a Class 5A second round state playoff game at The Stadium at Redstone Park.
While interceptions from senior Miles Turner and junior Jeremy Baliruno and fumble recovery from senior Sam Johnson helped keep coach Jesse German’s Eaglecrest team in the contest, Mountain Vista’s defense kept the Raptors off the scoreboard in a 14-0 win. The Golden Eagles (11-0) move on to the quarterfinals to play No. 6 Arvada West (10-1).
“Overall, I’m extremely proud of the fight,” said German, whose team finished 7-5.
“If you would have told before the game that they were going to score 14 points, I would have thought we’d have a really good chance to win. …There were a couple of plays that didn’t go our way.”
Mountain Vista’s previous season low in points was 20 and came back in Week 2 of the regular season against Arapahoe and it had scored 54 points or more in its last three contests of the regular season.
But the Raptors were equal to the task defensively, beginning with holding the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard after the opening quarter.
“Seeing them averaging 16 points every game in the first quarter and we held them to zero, so there was a sense that we’re in this and it’s going to be a fight,” Johnson said. “It sure was until the last minute. No matter what the score was, it was a dogfight the whole game and we weren’t going to give up until it (the clock) was at zero.”
Mountain Vista did hit a big play early in the second quarter, however, when junior quarterback Marquise Reese hit Luke Bentley on a 58-yard touchdown pass.
The Golden Eagles scored in the early stages of the third quarter on a short run by Brody Callister, but that was all it could get against Eaglecrest, which got an interception in the end zone from Baliruno as well as an interception from Turner.
But the Raptors offense — which was missing a starting lineman and tight end due to injury — could not cash the momentum from the defense into points.
Eaglecrest had only been held scoreless on one other occasion by top-seeded Cherry Creek, but were held to only 131 yards of offense. The Raptors got into the red zone in the final quarter, but turned it over on downs.
Mountain Vista advanced to face Arvada West (10-1), which took out the Aurora area’s other remaining team — No. 11 Grandview — with a 31-15 win (story, here).
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2025 CLASS 5A STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS (2ND ROUND)
Nov. 14 at The Stadium at Redstone Park
(3) MOUNTAIN VISTA 14, (14) EAGLECREST 0
Score by quarters:
Eaglecrest 0 0 0 0 — 0
Mtn. Vista 0 7 7 0 — 14
SCORING
Second quarter
Mountain Vista — Luke Bentley 58 yard pass from Marquise Reese (Grayson Rooney kick), 10:06
Third quarter
Mountain Vista — Brody Callister 1 yard run (Rooney kick), 8:09
RUSHING
Eaglecrest: Clyde Surrell 18-47, William Brinkman 10-30, Josiah Assibey 5-9, Quincy Clayton 1-4
Mountain Vista: Hudson Modrzewski 10-52, Brody Callister 7-22, Marquise Reese 6-20, Dylan Dunbar 3-17
PASSING
Eaglecrest: Brinkman 6-16, 41 yards, 1 interception
Mountain Vista: Reese 9-18, 130 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
RECEIVING
Eaglecrest: Jack Steiner 4-26, Assibey 1-5
Mountain Vista: Luke Bentley 2-75, Sammy Brown 2-36, Brooklyn Bailey 2-17, Ja’Pree Jennings 3-2
