Panthers fall prey to Eagles

RANGELY I “It was not the game we wanted to end on but everybody played hard and they didn’t quit, they didn’t quit all year,” first-year Rangely High School head football coach Paul Fortunato said of the season finale, a 45-15 loss to the Paonia Eagles.
The Panthers were first to score after kicking off to start the game. Senior Kody Denny intercepted a pass and three plays later, junior Colton Coombs broke free and scored on an 80-yard touchdown run. Andrew Morton kicked the extra point and Rangely led 7-0, early in the first quarter.
The Panthers would not be able to keep the Eagles down or off the score board, as they scored 49 unanswered points, including 14 in the first and third quarters and 21 in the second.
“We got beat up football wise and it got kind of ugly,” Fortunato said.
Rangely would score again in the fourth quarter when senior Justin Goddard ran in from five yards out and sophomore Cameron Enterline caught the two-point conversion from Denny to end their scoring for the season.
“Overall it was a positive season, we won a couple of games and that’s more than they did last year,” Fortunato said. “We didn’t expect to win a state championship after a 0-9 season last year. I’m excited to have our underclassmen back next year and I wish I would have had more than one season with this year’s seniors.”
Playing in their final high school football game were: Denny, Goddard, Mason Fortunato, Patrick Brown and Demetrius Jamerson.
Fortunato said he was thankful for his assistant coaches Ryan Torsell, Jack Richens, Gary Denny, Adrian Hayes and Andy Schafer.