Coming off a miraculous win over Eaglecrest in round 2 of the 5A State Playoffs, the Ralston Valley Mustangs (11-0) look to stay undefeated as they take on the visiting Fairview Knights (11-0) tonight 7:00 PM at the NAAC.

Ralston Valley and Fairview represent two of the three remaining unbeaten teams in the state’s highest classification.

This showing of Friday Night Lights is going to be hotly contested as both teams look to move to 12-0 on the season, and into the semifinals of the Colorado Class 5A State playoffs. Fairview will be looking to make a repeat appearance in the state semifinals, and the Mustangs are looking to return to the semifinals for the first time in three seasons.

But most interesting for the game will be the matchup of the state’s number one defense in Ralston Valley against Colorado’s top-rated offense in the the Knights.

Fairview’s powerhouse offense is leading the state in points per game at 44.3. Meanwhile, Ralston Valley boasts the number one ranked defense, despite last week’s Eaglecrest onslaught, allowing a minuscule 12.2 points per game.

Fairview is led by quarterback Johnny Feauto who now has the fourth most passing yards in one game in Colorado history. Feauto torched Legacy for 546 yards in a regular season, 50-49 victory over the Lightning.

Feauto also leads the state with 3,648 yards on the season. Feauto is assisted by having three wide receivers who are among the top five in the state, including Tim Ryan who is Feauto’s favorite target, game in and game out.

Ryan has scored seven touchdowns in Fairview’s two playoff victories.

On the offensive front, Ralston Valley has just as many weapons, with Wyoming commit Andrew Wingard leading the team to victory week after week. Wingard is averaging 133.3 yards per game and 9.4 yards per carry.

As an offensive unit, the Mustangs, trailing only Fairview, are the second-highest scoring offense in the state.

In addition to Wingard, junior Kyle Rush along with seniors Anthony Falbo, Dalton Pribble and Noah Wells give RV coach Matt Loyd five capable running backs to run his offense.

In the passing game, seniors Chase Hefley and Cooper Loyd look to tight end Collin Root to get the ball downfield. Additionally, junior Tanner Hauptman has shown up consistently in the Mustangs two playoff victories.

Between the Tackles:
Kickoff: Friday, 7 p.m., North Area Athletic Complex (NAAC)
Records: Ralston Valley, 11-0; Fairview, 11-0
Last Week: Ralston Valley defeated Eaglecrest, 44-43, on Collin Root’s 56-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired; Fairview defeated Overland, 45-27, as quarterback Johnny Feauto threw for 352 yards and five TDs. With 3,648 passing yards on the season, Feauto needs 230 yards to match former teammate Anders Hill for the fourth-best single-season total in state history. Fairview receiver Tim Ryan needs four receptions to break into the state’s top 10 single-season list.The winner advances to the Colorado Class 5A state semifinals against the winner of Friday night’s quarterfinal matchup between Cherry Creek and Regis.