What happened: The Arapahoe Warriors defeated the Rock Canyon Jaguars 10-5 on Thursday night. The Warriors rallied back after the Jaguar’s defense forced a safety on Arapahoe’s opening play. Senior quarterback, Connor Desch, threw an interception on his first pass but settled down as the game went on.

Starting off: Arapahoe stayed strong on Rock Canyon’s opening drive and forced a punt. Hayden Hofmeister (#8), punter, pinned Arapahoe’s offense down to their own 1 yard line. The following play resulted in a safety, shifting momentum back to the Jaguars. Rock Canyon then tacked on a field goal, but the Warriors rallied in the 2nd and third quarter to score 10 unanswered points.

By the numbers: On the defensive side of the ball, (Jr) Alex Smith and (Sr) Kyle tennant led the Warriors in tackles, (So) Cade Segura and (Jr) Deven Harriet also contributed with a few tackles and deflected passes.  The Warriors prevented any endzone action from the Jaguars and forced the punt consistently throughout the game. Offensively, junior tight end Jake Groth led the Warriors in receiving with 107 yards and scored the only touchdown of the night.

Did you see that?: Jake Groth hauls in a 35 yard throw from Connor Desch for a first down. Desch maneuvered defenders and threw up a prayer with no defenders in sight. A touchdown saving tackle was made shortly after Groth picked up a few more yards, that would’ve been Groth’s second TD of the night.

Those who showed up: Both sides of the stadium filled with students, parents, and players from other schools watching their future competition. The Warriors student body filled with red, white, and blue, while Rock Canyon’s side went with a whiteout, correlating with the Jaguars’ jerseys. Tickets were still being sold through halftime, followed by a massive parking jam at Littleton High School.

They said it: “Thanks to @arapahoetribe & all the fans for bringing their “A” game last night! U make it so much fun to coach and play!”, said Coach Mike Campbell of the Arapahoe Warriors. Coach Campbell repeated his ritual of thanking the crowd and shouting “How bout’ them Warriors!” shortly after the players shook hands following the game.

Next up: The Warriors will host their long time rival, Heritage Eagles, next Friday night at LPS. This will be a home game for the Warriors, despite Heritage being closer to the stadium. The winner of this non-conference (and division) game will take the milk jug back to their school. The Warriors currently hold the jug after a 17 point victory versus the Eagles last year.