New York City Marathon Presses On Amid Backlash

Can a first championship game qualify as a classic? Mountain Vista’s thrilling 32-21 victory over Arvada West on Saturday night in the Class 5A flag football title game sure is a contender. The Golden Eagles finished their season with a perfect 18-0 record. A-West,  which won the pilot program title last season, finished 15-3. “To see these girls come together like they did, and then to see all of our fans here, greeting us on the field, it’s unbelievable,” a jubilant coach Dana Sroc said. The Golden Eagles took an early lead, but A-West stormed back to take a 21-20 lead in the third quarter, utilizing the potent combination of senior quarterback Saylor Swanson and senior receiver Sara Walker. But then Ariana Akey, Mountain Vista’s junior Energizer Bunny, took over the game. “She’s a great leader and a great person; I love her so much,” said senior center/receiver Braelynn Looney, who was Akey’s primary target all season.

Years from now, when records have been broken and re-broken, and high school dynasties are set in stone, Saylor Swanson and Sara Walker will be remembered. Arvada West’s dynamic senior duo put its indelible stamp on girls flag football in its inaugural seasons. A-West won the state tournament last year when flag football was a pilot program.

WEST POINT, N. Y. — Kanye Udoh rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns Saturday to help No. 21 Army to a 20-3 victory over Air Force and the Black Knights’ nation-leading 12th straight victory. Playing without starting quarterback Bryson Daily, who missed the game for unexplained reasons, Udoh fulfilled a promise to his captain. The sophomore running back told Daily, who missed the last Air Force game, that the team was going to play for him and keep Army’s undefeated season alive. Udoh backed it up, setting career highs in rushing yards (158) and carries (22) while recording his third multiple touchdown game this season. “I felt like I had a responsibility to fill the shoes of Bryson and go out there and play my best game,” said Udoh, who accounted for 76% of Army’s 207 rushing yards. Udoh ran seven times for 48 yards on Army’s opening drive of the second half.

Before the season began, Mountain View flag football coach Tim Test faced a daunting task. He had to build a team from scratch from assorted schools across the northern Front Range. “We had to go to seven different schools to get 21 incredible, amazing young people, who happened to be 21 amazing athletes,” he said.

A week after its RMAC title hopes were put on life support, the Colorado School of Mines football program got back to the business of winning — big. The 18th-ranked Orediggers ran wild in a 56-21 rout of New Mexico Highlands on Saturday afternoon at Sanchez Family Stadium in Las Vegas, ripping off 491 yards on the ground in a game that didn’t see them punt once. Legacy High grad Braelon Tate carried the load for Mines (7-2, 5-2 RMAC) with 210 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. All told, the Orediggers compiled 658 total yards of offense and scored touchdowns on seven of their first nine offensive drives.