Rangeview vs. Vista Peak

Friday, April 2, 2021 @ 6:30 pm

Aurora Public Schools Stadium

Quotes from Rangeview Head Coach, Mike Holmes

On what it's like to play spring high school football?

MH: Well personally, it's kinda nice because I got a fall football season in too as coach at Vista Ridge. So I'll get two football seasons in this year. But for our team, it has its challenges but once you get going, it's just football and we're excited to be out playing. The biggest difference is probably the weather. Clearing snow off the field isn't something you typically have to deal with in the fall.  

How have the Rangeview players adjusted to a Spring season after having the fall cancelled?

MH: Luckily, we have a lot of seniors and some great leadership. They were able to take the reigns and be able to get all the players to show up for all the workouts each and every day. The biggest challenge has been the extra leg work like the mandatory testing and not being able to have group film study on weekends. But they've been chomping at the bit to play, and it's nice to finally get to play some other opponents. It was like 16 months since this team had played a game so we're happy to be back.

How have your team goals changed now that you are playing a spring season where most of the state is not playing?

MH: Well, we're in a different league for this spring but I think our season goals remain the same as any other season. For this season, there are 14 teams in 5A so I think with our schedule, we want to work hard and play well and hopefully earn a playoff spot. And can we win our conference? But those are long term goals, and right now, our primary focus is just to take it one week at a time and never look past an opponent.

What will it be like to play two high school football seasons in the same year?

MH: Yeah, that's gonna be tough. I think the thing that hurts the kids the most has been and will be the lack of weight room time. We went into this season with minimum weight room time and with this spring having the chance to play eight or nine games, the boys will once again really miss out on that true offseason weight room workout time that is extremely beneficial. I think we'll have time to recover before fall, but looking at some of our younger guys, we could have some juniors for next fall that haven't had a true offseason program. 

What are your thoughts about your team's 2-0 start?

MH: Well first off, I can't do anything without my coaching staff. We had seven guys on staff, five in the building and they've been absolutely outstanding. We tweaked some things on offense so that's taken time, but our defense has been working and polishing for the past 16 months. So, our defense is really carrying the load for us thus far. Overall, I'm very happy with how physical we've played and it's nice to know that we have some athletes who can also play with finesse. But we love playing physical.

What do you see in Vista Peak as you prepare for week 3?

MH: On film they have athletes across the board. They have some big boys upfront, some great skill players and a good quarterback. But I think we match up very well. Similar programs, they're a little bigger but I think athletically it should be a great ball game. We're excited to play this Friday and like most weeks, this one will come down to a few plays here or there.

Quotes from Vista Ridge Head Coach, John Sullivan

On what it's like to play spring high school football?

JS: It's been mixed emotions. It's been great to get out here and play… thought this season would never come… but it's been the longest 10 months of my employed career. Trying to keep the kids engaged and spirits up after being denied to play in the fall was tough but we have a great group of kids who have worked extremely hard to get to this point.

How have the Vista Ridge players adjusted to a Spring season after having the fall cancelled?

JS: I liken it to Christmas morning and you're waiting to up your presents, your brothers and sister have presents to open but you get nothing. They're watching their friends from other schools get to play so mentally it was a pretty challenging time. We haven't been in school much either so they were stuck at home which doesn't help. But our captains have done a great job in keeping the team together.

How have your team goals changed now that you are playing a spring season where most of the state is not playing?

JS: Our goals haven't change. We liked our chances to compete for a state championship in the fall, and that's were we're at right now. Now, we don't talk about state titles, we take things week to week and never overlook an opponent. But our goals have stayed the same. 

What will it be like to play two high school football seasons in the same year?

JS: I was just thinking about that the other day. It's already been a long year and now it's going to be even longer. We won't get much of a break in the summer but at the end of the day, I think this spring season will help us be more prepared for next fall. 

What do you see in Rangeview as you prepare for week 3?

JS: You know, they do some really nice things on both sides of the ball. They are very aggressive on defense with some great athletes. On offense, they do a great job of running the ball. I think whoever can run the ball the most effectively will be the winner and we're looking forward to the challenge. Should be a fun game. We've actually never played them in football but they still feel like a rival. We've always competed against them in Futures (middle school) but just never at the high school level.