“They played great,” was all Rangely head coach Paul Fortunato had to say about his team’s performance.
Rangely scored three touchdowns in the first quarter, two rushing touchdowns by Ethan Allred, including one for 35 yards and one in the air, when quarterback Kaulan Brady connected with Kelton Elam for an 18-yard touchdown.
Allred had another 100-yard game, rushing 16 times for 101 yards, two touchdowns and scored on a two-point conversion attempt.
Brady completed three of four passes, all for touchdowns, and scored his team’s fifth touchdown when he stripped the ball from a Mancos running back and returned it for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Brady finished with nine tackles. In addition to Elam, Brady also threw touchdown passes to Jesse Powell and Jimmie Sherman.
Brady’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Sherman in the third quarter, when Kiki Ruiz added the two-point conversion, would be the final time the Panthers scored. Ruiz carried the ball 11 times and rushed for 76 yards.
The Bluejays avoided a shutout when they scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Powell and Elam led the defense, each recording 16 tackles and each recovering a fumble. Powell also recorded a sack as did Allred, who finished with 15 tackles, as did Luis Contreras.
Austin Blakely, Layne Mecham, Chance Sheppard, Nakoma Bailey, Freddie Ruiz, Nych Deleon and Troy Allred also recorded more than two tackles each. Freddie Ruiz had two sacks and a fumble recovery.
The Panthers will travel to the southwest corner of the state to play the Dove Creek Bulldogs, in a non-league game Friday.
“They should be a good test for us,” Coach Fortunato said. “They are a tough team that has been very successful the past few seasons.”
