GJHS football 3-0 with rival Fruita up next

The D51 teams are preparing for Friday night’s matchup in Stocker Stadium

Lincoln McQuade, Managing Editor • September 16, 2025

GJHS football coach Landon McKee stands next to the gymnasium. This is his fifth season as the Tigers’ coach, and McKee has a GJHS coaching record of 17 wins and 28 losses as of Sept. 16.

After an impressive 3-0 start to the season, the Grand Junction Tigers are preparing to play the rival Fruita Monument Wildcats.

The Wildcats, which will be the visiting team, have started the season 2-1 and present a bigger challenge than the Tigers’ previous opponents, who all have losing records as of Sept. 16.

The Tigers are coming off a successful 10-2 season that culminated in a first-round playoff victory against Longmont High School followed by a second-round playoff loss to Ponderosa High School. This was their most successful season since 2011, and it included a victory over Fruita.

“We’ve been taking practice really seriously, and I think it’ll be a really good game. It just comes down to who is most focused and who has the best mentality,” said GJHS senior defensive end Rylan Mulvey.

The game will be 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, in Stocker Stadium. Last year, the Tigers defeated the Wildcats at home 28-27 in overtime. It was the Tigers’ first win against the Wildcats since the 2014 season.

According to fifth-year GJHS football coach Landon McKee, the football team is treating this upcoming game the same as every other one this season. McKee has an impressive 13-2 record after posting a 4-26 record through his first three seasons at GJHS.

“We have a system that we follow, and we prepare for it like we would every other game. I’m very proud of what the guys are doing as far as improving, team atmosphere, and team culture,” said McKee.

Top players on the football team include GJHS senior receiver Drew Marsh, who scored three touchdowns during the Tigers’ 35-7 win over Denver North on Sept. 11.

Additionally, other top players include Mulvey, senior running back Matthais Martinez-Santana, junior safety Kolton Music and sophomore linebacker Titan Williams. GJHS sophomore Andrew Neese is the Tigers’ new starting quarterback, replacing multi-year starter Will Applegate from last season.

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About the Contributor

Lincoln McQuade, Managing Editor

Lincoln McQuade is a GJHS senior and this year’s Managing Editor. This is his second year on the staff and his first as an editor. Lincoln enjoys playing the guitar and bass, and he is very excited to be a prominent editor this year.