Football: Eaglecrest holds off ThunderRidge 23-20 to clear path to 5A quarterfinals

AURORA | Save for a few plays, the Eaglecrest football team played phenomenally against ThunderRidge Friday night at Legacy Stadium. Coach Jesse German’s seventh-seeded Raptors survived a few miscues that resulted in big plays for the 10th-seeded Grizzlies with cold execution, desire and resiliency, which resulted in a 23-20 Class 5A second round playoff victory and a spot in the final eight. Junior quarterback Will Brinkman threw for two touchdowns, rushed for another and picked up a key fourth down conversion with less than two minutes left to seal the win for Eaglecrest, which advanced to the 5A quarterfinals for the first time since the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season in which only eight teams made the playoffs. The Raptors (9-2) will travel to face No. 2 Valor Christian — a 62-20 winner over Legacy — for a spot in the semifinals. Eaglecrest became the second Aurora area team to join the final group of eight teams after No.

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