ARVADA, Colo. — Two teams with state championship aspirations squared off on Thursday night at the NAAC in Arvada.
And while they won't play each other down the road, it would have been fun to see 5A No. 5 Ralston Valley and 4A No. 2 Loveland battle at full strength.
But that wasn't entirely the case.
9NEWS confirmed "multiple" Loveland players were out due to COVID-19 tracing protocols, including the starting quarterback for the Red Wolves. Ralston Valley rolled to a 25-6 win after being up 25-0 after three quarters.
But the issues for Loveland should take nothing away from the performance of the Mustangs, who played smothering defense all game in cruising to the victory, and also showed off their depth on both sides of the ball.
Up next for Ralston Valley (3-0) is a trip to Grandview on Friday night, while Loveland (2-1) will look to rebound at home against Windsor.
>>Watch the extended video above and see the highlights on the 9NEWS Prep Rally this weekend!
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