ARVADA — The Ralston Valley Mustangs were just full of good Deeds on Thursday.
Faced with a win-or-go-home game against the desperate Littleton Lions, the Mustangs dominated the second half with Danny Deeds’ three touchdown runs en route to a 56-31 Class 4A Metro North League victory at the North Area Athletic Complex.
“This was a playoff game to us,” Deeds said. “We had to win or else we were done. Every football team in Ralston Valley history has made the playoffs, so we wanted to keep that alive.”
Ranked 15th in the unofficial wild-card points coming in, the Mustangs (7-3, 6-1 in league) did more than enough to make next week’s 16-team playoff bracket. The Lions (6-4, 3-4) dropped their third in a row, are out of the playoffs, and all-state running back Mister Jones suffered a possible concussion.
Deeds scored on runs of 2, 8 and 7 yards, quarterback James Robinson threw for 93 yards and ran for 92, and Taylor Jacobsen returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the first half. But with Jones out, the Lions were outscored 36-7. The Mustangs added touchdowns from Aaron DeCino, Tanyan Farley and a 62-yard interception return by linebacker Jeff Grenfell.
“Our kids got it done,” Mustangs coach Matt Loyd said.
Jones, who has committed to Colorado, ran the ball 14 times for 204 yards in the first half, scoring on runs of 1, 80 and 35 yards to put the Lions up 24-20 by halftime. Jones did not return in the second half.
Predictably, the Lions struggled without the 6-foot-2, 210-pound standout, who had danced around or demolished most would-be tacklers.
After scoring on each of their four drives in the first half, the Lions punted twice in the third quarter, finally gaining traction on a 72-yard drive capped by Noah Gaumer’s 1-yard dive midway through the fourth quarter.
The Lions recovered the subsequent onside kick but failed to pick up a first down.
The Mustangs put it away one play later with a 37-yard score to the tight end Farley.
Littleton 14 10 0 7 — 31
Ralston Valley 14 6 14 22 — 56
L — Jones 1 run (Dottavio kick). RV — Deeds 2 run (Grenfell kick). L — Jones 80 run (Dottavio kick). L — Jacobsen 95 kickoff return (Grenfell kick). L — FG 29 Dottavio. RV — Wiemers 17 pass from Robinson (kick failed). L — Jones 35 run (Dottavio kick). RV — Deeds 8 run (Jacobsen run). RV — DeCino 1 run (run failed). L — Gaumer 1 run (Dottavio kick). RV — Farley 37 pass from Wiemers (Farley pass from Wiemers). RV — Deeds 7 run (Mahrer kick). RV — Grenfell 62 interception return (Mahrer kick).
