Rangely gets win over Vail Christian

RANGELY I The Panther football team scored all of its points in the first quarter, but that was enough to beat the Tigers in Hayden, 15-14. The Panthers will host league foe Vail Christian on Yeager Field on Friday.
Rangely got on the scoreboard first in Hayden with a 22-yard run by Lucas Heinle, then added a two-point conversion when quarterback Kaulan Brady connected with Cameron Enterline in the end zone.
Rangely scored again on another connection between Brady and Enterline, this time for an eight-yard touchdown, followed by an extra point kick by Ryan Wilczek, to give the Panthers a 15-0 lead after the first quarter.
“After that, we went flat offensively until late in the third quarter,” head coach Paul Fortunato said.
Meanwhile, the Tigers scored a touchdown and two conversion points in the second quarter to end the half with the Panthers leading 15-8.
“We put together two drives in the third quarter, when we got inside the red zone but fumbled,” Fortunato said. “The conditions were rough, with snow, rain and wind.”
Although the Tigers scored another touchdown in the fourth quarter, Rangely’s defense did not allow any extra points and held on for the win.
“Defensively, we were outstanding,” Fortunato said of his defense, which recorded eight sacks and three interceptions.
The Panthers were led by Colt Allred, who recorded 13 tackles and one sack and Wesley Goddard, who had 11 tackles and a sack. Ethan Allred had nine tackles and three sacks, and Wilczek was in on seven tackles and three sacks.
Heinle recorded 91 yards rushing and was in on eight tackles. Enterline caught three passes on offense and intercepted two Tiger passes. Kelton Elam also had an interception.
“Elam delivered several big hits to help keep the intensity up for the defense throughout the night,” Fortunato said.
The Panthers are now 1-1 in league play and will host Vail Christian on Yeager Field on Friday.
“This year’s wins and losses have been a complete team effort across the board,” Fortunato said. “New people each week are making huge plays and that is what is helping with the success. Vail Christian will be extremely tough as is everyone in our league.
“This year’s conference has a very level playing field and anything can happen from week to weekd,” he said. “We are taking it one game at a time, trying to see how it’s going to play out.”