All City Stadium, Denver- The game was a landslide from the start. The Pirates took on Denver West Friday night at All City Stadium. Denver West was known for one quality player, #44, who is big and formidable. This was not enough to keep the Englewood football from taking an early lead and holding it all game.

The Denver West team couldn’t stop the running game EHS has practiced for months. The defense held Denver West on two occasions from scoring at the goal line, but Denver West put points on the board with field goals and two touchdowns. Englewood was able to score with teamwork, “We got physical and hit them,” Ikaika Gonzales-Bentosino (11) said. Gonzales-Bentosino is a running back who scored three times. He says the running game couldn’t be stopped, “I had a toss to the left and it pushed their defense wide and it made an easy hole. I was able to take on two opponents going into the end zone.”

The team practices four days a week and the practices are very physical. They focus on repeating plays over and over until team members memorize them and get them perfect. “We have a new defensive coordinator. It’s a new coach and a new formation. It is helping to keep other teams from getting wide on us,” Gabe Torres (10) said. Torres is a left tackle.

The final score of Friday’s matchup was 44-18. The team takes on Denver North Friday.

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Football team kneels for an injured player on Denver West