Week Six Preview: Eaglecrest at Grandview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>League play has officially kicked off, with big-time games slated for this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Centennial League is considered to be one of the tougher conferences in the state, making the contest between Eaglecrest (5-0) and Grandview (4-1) worth the anticipation. The undefeated Eaglecrest Raptors will challenge the Grandview Wolves at 7 o'clock tonight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams have quarterbacks who have been outstanding through the first half of the season. Grandview's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='218297' first='Liam' last='Szarka']</strong> (2024) is the dual-threat Air Force commit who has scored 13 passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. So far, he has averaged 225 passing yards and 34 rushing yards a game. Eaglecrest QB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1296071' first='Joe' last='Steiner']</strong> (2025) has put up similar number for the Raptors, averaging 185 yards through the air and 26 yards on the ground with a total of 12 passing touchdowns and two rushing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quarterbacks who put up numbers like Szarka and Steiner have receiving targets who are threats to the defense's secondary. Grandview receivers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251308' first='Xavier' last='Neto']</strong> (2025) and <strong>Nate Denton</strong> (2024) have seen a hefty share of targets this season. Nieto has four touchdowns and an average of 70 receiving yards a game, while Denton has an average of 75 yards a game and three receiving touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Logan Ryan</strong> (2024) and <strong>Zavion Gamble</strong> (2025) have led the Eaglecrest receiving core up to this point. Ryan has racked up five receiving touchdowns and averaged 71 yards a game, while Gamble has averaged 64 yards a game with a total of three touchdowns.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Raptors running back <strong>Josh Wiley </strong>(2025) enters the contest with two rushing touchdowns and an average of 79 yards a game, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='495439' first='Donavon' last='Vernon']</strong> (2025) has averaged 52 yards per game with five touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each team has a dynamic offense, putting immense pressure on the defensive units. Eaglecrest has arguably one of the best secondaries in the state, featuring <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624820' first='Cam' last='Chapa']</strong> (2024), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624823' first='Cory' last='Jackson']</strong> (2024), and <strong>&nbsp;[player_tooltip player_id='1306314' first='Cameron' last='Bell']</strong> (2026). Chapa is a safety with three interceptions, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Jackson is a lockdown corner with eight pass breakups and one interception on limited targets. Bell may be young, but he has done an outstanding job as a cornerback so far, tallying eight pass breakups and two picks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grandview has a talented secondary as well, especially with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='404946' first='Brandon' last='Kahre']</strong> (2025), who has stacked up 52 total tackles and five pass breakups. However, the focus for this game will be on the defense's ability to apply pressure in the backfield. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='495453' first='Nkongolo' last='Wa-Kalonji']</strong> (2024) is a highly-touted defensive lineman who has racked up 52 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks. Joining Wa-kalonji is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1369350' first='Marcus' last='Nesbitt']</strong> (2025), a defensive lineman with 26 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and one sack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On paper, this match will be played by two similarly matched teams with a lot of college talent on both rosters, making it a game worthy of excitement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->