AURORA | As the weeks go by in the 2016 season, the Eaglecrest football team looks more and more like a team built for the long haul in the upcoming state playoffs.
The Raptors put on another impressive display of offense, defense and special teams Friday night in the A-Town Game of the Week, pushing the only remaining unbeaten record in Class 5A football to 7-0 with a 49-14 Mount Wilson League victory over Rangeview at Legacy Stadium.
Junior quarterback Jalen Mergerson threw three touchdown passes, junior running back Kenny Wantings reached the end zone three times and junior Victor Garnes had an electrifying punt return for a touchdown as well as 5-yard ‘Superman’ leap across the goal line for a score in another highlight-filled victory for the Raptors.
Rangeview’s high-scoring offense was thwarted early by turnovers — including a ball stripped away from running back AJ Thomas just short of the end zone in the first quarter — but got on the scoreboard twice in the second half on long bombs from quarterback Jaelin Odegard to wide receiver Josh Hollins.
With touchdown catches of 91 and 80 yards, Hollins hauled in seven of Odegard’s nine completions and picked up 266 of his 292 yards passing for coach Justin Hoffman’s Raiders, now 2-5 overall and 0-2 in Mount Wilson League play.
The next A-Town Game of the Week has Doherty play Grandview at 8 p.m. Oct. 21 at Legacy Stadium. The game will be live streamed for free, presented by the Aurora Sentinel and StreamItSports.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
EAGLECREST 49, RANGEVIEW 14
Score by quarters:
Rangeview 0 0 8 6 — 14
Eaglecrest 28 14 0 7 — 49
RUSHING
Rangeview: AJ Thomas 11-26, Jaelin Odegard 7-17
Eaglecrest: Kenny Wantings 8-100, Jalen Mergerson 9-76, Jakai Thurmond 5-23, Theryne Sandoval-Jimenez 1-17, Victor Garnes 3-17, Sebastin Andujar 5-7, Corey Corbin 1-4, Jordan Jackson 1-4, Sam Onilenla 1-(minus 7)
PASSING
Rangeview: Odegard 9-20, 292 yards, 2 touchdowns
Eaglecrest: Mergerson 10-12, 136 yards, 3 touchdowns
RECEIVING
Rangeview: Josh Hollins 7-266, Josiah Allen-Clark 1-15, Alex Segura 1-11
Eaglecrest: Sandoval-Jimenez 5-54, Garnes 2-50, Connor Dietz 1-33, Wantings 2-28, Kyle Wagner 1-4