HIGHLANDS RANCH — Ralston Valley’s plan to control the clock and slow the game down against Valor Christian looked like a great idea for about a quarter and a half. Then Chase Hanosh broke into the open field from the shadow of his own goalposts for what should stand as one of the greatest plays in this Centennial State prep football season. Hanosh went 97 yards, the longest of several explosive plays for the Eagles in a 34-17 victory Friday night at Valor Stadium. “The blockers went in their holes and it just opened wide up,” Hanosh said. “I got a little tired, but was able to run it all the way. … The past two years against them has been really close, and it feels good to finally shut them down.” Valor flipped the script in a span of four offensive plays in the second quarter. After a second-long, clock-churning march from No. 6 Ralston Valley, the fourth-ranked Eagles took control with a pair of two-play drives. Dawson Olk hit a couple of big passes earlier in the game that helped set up field goals, but the Valor quarterback went back-to-back for the Eagles for a two-play, 80-yard drive. Olk connected on a screen pass that Wilson Ptacek turned into a 37-yard gain. Then Olk found Jackson Coleman open down the left sideline for a 43-yard touchdown and a 13-10 lead. The Eagles got a stop on the next drive, but Ralston Valley’s punt was downed at the 1-yard line. No problem for Valor’s quick-strike offense. Wideout Cash Spence moved to quarterback and kept the ball himself for two yards. That set up Hanosh’s brilliant run. He went 97 yards, but not before slowing down to shake two defenders near midfield who might have had an angle. “”It’s something that I saw on film last year where they gave us a similar look. I liked it, but I don’t if I “97 yards” liked it,” Valor Christian coach Bret McGatlin said. “They blocked it well, and that got us out of there, and then that move downfield … I looked away because I thought the play was done. It was just a great play.” Midway through the second quarter, the Mustangs had a 10-6 lead and were moving the ball well. With 3:25 left in the quarter, Valor had a 20-10 lead. Ralston Valley Mustangs running back Nico Benallo (2) gets past Valor Christian defenders Cash Spence (1) and Kannon Smith (66) in the first quarter at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) Before the big plays, Ralston Valley’s ball-control approach was working. The Mustangs scored the first touchdown of the game on the first play of the second quarter. Nico Benallo, who had a huge game catching the ball, went around left end for a 1-yard run at the end of an 18-play drive that went 58 yards and chewed up 8 minutes, 1 second, of clock. The Mustangs were marching again on their next two drives, but pressure on quarterback Zeke Andrews derailed both of them, including a missed 40-yard field goal just before the half. Ralston Valley ran 40 plays in the first half, twice as many as Valor and held the ball for 18 minutes. Andrews finished the game with 270 yards on 27 of 44 passing. Benallo had 14 catches for 128 yards. The Mustangs had two more promising drives stall out to start the second half. Their inability to match Valor’s explosive plays or slow down the pass rush proved to be their undoing. “I call them the Columbine of the passing game, because they can nickel and dime you and take the clock down,” McGatlin said. “Then they don’t you have the ball very much. “We couldn’t sit back, because (Andrews) was going to pick us apart. Or he was going to run the ball. He’s a good kid, and he’s going to be pretty special the rest of this year and next year.” Related Articles Preps | Colorado high school football: How Post Preps Top 10 teams fared in Week 5 Preps | Colorado high school football scoreboard: Week 5 Preps | 8 Colorado high school football games to watch in Week 5 Preps | Colorado high school football rankings, Week 5: Welcome to showdown week in Class 5A Preps | Football: Broomfield escapes thriller over rival Legacy Valor showed it can grind out a long drive as well in the third quarter. Olk capped an 11-play march with a 1-yard plunge to give the Eagles a 17-point lead. Ralston Valley did catch a couple of breaks in the fourth quarter and had fleeting hopes of a comeback. Olk’s pass was deflected into the air and intercepted deep in Eagles territory, which the Mustangs turned into a short touchdown pass to Benallo. They also recovered the ensuing onside kick, which gave the visitors renewed life. But Mustangs running back Colton Stratman fumbled it back to the Eagles on the next play. Olk had Ben Herbeck wide open for a 27-yard touchdown to end any doubt midway through the final quarter. Hanosh finished the game with nine carries for 123 yards. Olk completed 11 of 17 passes for 222 yards and a pair of scores plus his rushing touchdown. The Eagles might be relatively young, but they remain undefeated with a showdown looming next week against No. 2-ranked Mountain Vista. “We’ve got a long ways to go. Next week will be a tell,” McGatlin said. “Mountain Vista is … we know this is their team. They’ve been waiting for this team, and we’ve got to go prepare big time. That’s a good team.” Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.