WESTMINSTER — This was the year Mountain Range hoped to narrow the gap on Legacy after enduring lopsided loss to the Lightning the past two seasons.
Maybe next year.
Gleaning momentum from a field goal on the final play of an otherwise scoreless first half, Legacy transformed a defensive-minded struggle into a comfortable 27-0 win Friday night at FIve Star North.
“I was proud of our defense for having the ball three times inside the 20 and not giving up a point,” Legacy coach Wayne Voorhees said.
Legacy defeated Mountain Range 31-7 in 2008 and 29-7 last season, and for awhile, it appeared the Lightning would have difficulty advancing to 3-0 on the season – and all time against their north metro neighbors. But the Lightning passing game, led by the cool and collected Bradie Koch (17-for-27, 214 yards and two touchdowns), turned the Class 5A nonleague tilt into a one-sided affair.
Koch found Phydell Paris for a 5-yard touchdown take command 10-0 in the third quarter, then delivered the dagger with a 39-yard strike to Cameron McWee midway through the fourth.
“We started doing a lot of sprint-outs and stuff along the outside to keep them off-balance,” Koch said.
Said Mountain Range defensive end James Kelly, who had two sacks: “They just kind of tore us down. We had a few guys go out with injuries — including me for a few plays — and it grinded on us. Eventually they broke through.”
The highlight for Mountain Range (2-1) was the coffin-corner punts of Randy Nazaryk, who placed two inside the Legacy 5-yard-line in the first half. The Mustangs were disappointed after a first half in which they missed 33- and 28-yard field goals and fumbled the ball into the end zone on first-and-goal at the Legacy 1 with 1:30 to play before intermission.
Then the Mustangs allowed Koch to scramble 39 yards — 15 more yards were added after a late hit — keying Hugo Aguirre’s 37-yard field goal to close the half.
“I could tell in the locker room that guys were still angry, but that it definitely gave us a bit of momentum,” Koch said.
Legacy 0 3 7 17 — 27
Mountain Range 0 0 0 0 — 0
L – Hugo Aguirre FG 37. L – Paris 5 pass Koch (Aguirre kick). L – Aguirre FG 39. L – McWee 39 pass from Koch (Aguirre kick). L – Paris 34 run (Aguirre kick).
