RHS opens 8-man season

RANGELY I The Rangely High School football team will start a new season, in a new league, playing a new game: eight-man football.
“There is a lot more speed involved but it’s not a drastic change,” head coach Paul Fortunato, starting his second year, said of the switch to the eight-man game. “We will be able to make adjustments and move forward.”
Chaz Byerly, Toby Gasper, Colton Coombs, JoD Stults, Gabriel Garcia and Drew Collins will provide the senior leadership for the Panthers this year.
“We have quite a bit of speed in our senior class,” Fortunato said. A total of 24 players are out for the team.
The Panthers scrimmaged last Saturday in Grand Valley against Plateau Valley, West Grand and Norwood and Fortunato said his varsity and JV teams looked “really good.”
The Panthers will play in the Central League, which will include; Hayden, Soroco (Oak Creek), Vail Christian, South Fork (Fairplay) and West Grand (Kremmling).
Ryan Torsell, Gary Denny and John Irvine will assist Fortunato with the coaching duties this season.
“We have the personnel to succeed,” Fortunato said. “We’ll see how it goes Friday.”