THORNTON — All Fairview had to do was bide its time, wait out the early Cherry Creek rush and strike when the time was right.
And strike the Knights did.
After the Bruins built a four-point lead after the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Knights shifted gears and added team points in bunches. That approach gave them 382.5 points and a second straight Class 5A state swimming and diving title.
“Both (titles) are really special,” junior Jenna Reznicek said. “This year especially because we weren’t sure we were going to win. Last year we lost a lot of crucial swimmers.”
Co-head coach Stacey Tobey had faith that her girls could get it done, but the early results of the meet weren’t trending in their favor. After the 200 individual medley the Bruins held a 110-102 lead over the Knights.
But for a brief moment, fans were able to forget about the team race and appreciate what was happening right in front of them. Fossil Ridge sophomore Lucy Bell jumped out to a quick lead in that 200 individual medley and as the race got closer to ending, her lead only got bigger.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
By the time she hit the freestyle leg — the final leg — her lead was nearly half the pool. She touched the wall in one minute, 58.16 seconds. With two years still to swim, there’s a chance that she could pull of a rare feat in taking Regis Jesuit legend Missy Franklin’s name off the wall. Franklin holds the record in the event at 1:56.85.
“I know if I put in the work and the training I could do that in the next two years and it’s really exciting,” Bell said. “A lot of it I couldn’t do without my teammates behind be. I want to compete for them too because they help me a tremendous amount.”
That same event saw Teagan Steinmetz and Jenna Smith from Cherry Creek both finish in the top six to give the Bruins the team lead for the first time of the night. It was short-lived however, as Morgan Lukianc took fifth in the 50 freestyle for Fairview, giving the defending champions the lead once again.
Bell later added a gold medal in the 100 freestyle.
But from that point on it was Creek and Fairview trading places at the top of the team standings. Tobey had to admit that after the 50 freestyle, confidence started to waiver a bit.
“After the 50 and heading into diving, we didn’t have a diver that qualified and Cherry Creek had one that finished (sixth),” she said. “So we were a little nervous.”
Those nerves were settled after Reznicek took second in the 100 backstroke and freshman Ella Ziegert came in sixth.
“I knew it was going to be close,” Reznicek said. “During that race I was really swimming for the team and the points.”
The Knight didn’t take a gold medal in a single event, but the overall depth of the squad was the primary factor in getting the program its fourth overall title.
The 200 freestyle relay saw a record fall as Chatfield swam the race in 1:34.12, beating Fossil Ridge’s time of 1:34.15 in 2018.
Kathryn Shanley was a part of that relay team and also claimed gold medals in the 200 and 500 freestyle.
Both Shanley and Bell figure to make the 2021 meet one for the ages. Now it becomes a year-long waiting game to see if they can add their names to the record book.
31st Anniversary Class Features Jamie Carey, Katie Carter, Pete Falletta, Andrea (Melde) Hooks, Ben Montoya, Becky (Varnum) Bucolo and Scott Yates
AURORA — The Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame has announced its 31st Anniversary Hall of Fame class. It’s a seven-member group that depicts the rich history of the Association, along with providing real-life examples of what participation, coaching, leading and advocating for students can do. Each of these people has established themselves as a role model for today’s young people seeking their way to adulthood.
The CHSAA Hall of Fame Class of 2019 includes four former athletes in Jamie Carey (Horizon), Katie Carter (Steamboat Springs), Andrea (Melde) Hooks (Air Academy) and Becky (Varnum) Bucolo (Cheyenne Mountain), along with track & field coach Ben Montoya (Fountain-Fort Carson) and football coach Scott Yates (Kent Denver). They will be joined by long-time coach and administrator Pete Falletta (Pueblo Centennial).
“I am continuously amazed at the accomplishments of the many nominees. The Hall of Fame’s prestige continues to be elevated by the final decision the selection committee makes to represent educational activities and athletics in our state. Kudos to the selection committee that has forwarded our largest class of women since the inception of the ceremony,” Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green said when announcing the class.
The CHSAA Hall of Fame selection committee is headed by Bob Marken (Buena Vista). Committee members include Glenda Bates (Prairie View), Larry Brunson (CHSAA Hall of Fame), Dick Katte (NFHS Hall of Fame), Ellie Kempfe (Prospect Ridge), Jeremy Kerns (Byers), Gerry Valerio (MaxPreps.com), David Robinson (Montezuma-Cortez), Robert Framel (Kit Carson) and Cherie Toussaint (Pueblo SD 70 Schools). The committee was joined by four student members of the CHSAA Student Council state representatives – Lily Berg (Columbine), Lucie Nguyen (Columbine), Emily Hancock (Coronado) and Rachel Reese (Roosevelt).
“The selection committee was focused on exceptional achievement, impact on the state of Colorado, community focus and character. They debated and advocated knowing that there are so many deserving of this recognition. The 31st class reflects the efforts, passion and love Colorado has for high school activities,” CHSAA Hall of Fame administrator Bert Borgmann said.
The Class of 2019 will be inducted during a ceremony on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, at the Marriott Hotel-Denver Tech Center (I‑25 and Orchard). Individual tickets may be purchased for $60 each by contacting the CHSAA. The festivities get underway at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited.
The selection of the four student participants to the CHSAA Hall of Fame puts the total number of participants in the hall at 75. There are now 73 coaches/sponsors, 29 administrators, 17 officials and 12 significant service contributors enshrined in the CHSAA Hall of Fame that began in 1989. There are also five teams in the hall. The Hall of Fame now features 211 inductees.
Biographies of the newest additions to the hall include:
[divider]
Jamie Carey (Horizon HS) – One of the state’s top female basketball players, Jamie Carey was the state’s 1999 Miss Colorado Basketball. She was among the state’s top playmakers and scorers during her tenure at Horizon High School, guiding her team to three state playoffs. The team finished second in 1997. She had a stellar collegiate career, playing at both Stanford and Texas and she is currently the University of Texas’ Associate Head Women’s Basketball Coach.
[divider]
Katie Carter (Steamboat Springs HS) – Katie Carter is a four-year volleyball star from Steamboat Springs High School where she was a two-time Western Slope League 4A MVP, led her team to the 2002 runner-up position and was named the 4A Player of the Year. She went on to play at UCLA, earning All-America honors and helping the Bruins to a Final 4 spot. She currently plays professionally in Europe.
[divider]
Pete Falletta (Pueblo School District 60) – Pete Falletta has a rich background in cross country and track & field, and served a lengthy run as athletic director at Pueblo’s Centennial High School. He is a member of the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame and was a member of numerous CHSAA committees. He also ran numerous CHSAA district, regional and state events (cross country, track, basketball, volleyball and wrestling) in Pueblo, in concert with District 60’s district athletic directors.
[divider]
Andrea (Melde) Hooks (Air Academy HS) – Perhaps the best female soccer player to come from Southern Colorado, Andrea Melde voted to the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 50th Anniversary top 50 women’s soccer team. A standout at Air Academy High School, she was inducted into the Colorado Sportswomen Hall of Fame (1994) and attended Duke. She was a first team all-state player, Parade High School All-America and was selected to four other All-America teams in high school. She earned All-America honors at Duke, as well.
[divider]
Ben Montoya (Fountain-Fort Carson HS) – The Fountain-Fort Carson High School cross country and track & field coach since 1986, Ben Montoya’s teams have won six state championships in boy’s track & field and finished second twice. He has 38 runners win gold medals at the state track meet. He received Coach of the Year honors from the Gazette Telegraph in 1987, 2015 and 2016, the Denver Post in 2010, the USA Track and Field 2015, and CHSAA 2011-12.
[divider]
Becky (Varum) Bucolo (Cheyenne Mountain)
Perhaps one of the most dominant tennis players in Colorado history, Becky Varnum was a four-time 4A State high school No. 1 singles tennis champion, posting a 68-0 prep record. She is a 2009 member of the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame and has been recognized by Sportswomen of Colorado. Varnum played collegiately at Notre Dame.
[divider]
Scott Yates (Kent Denver School) – One of the state’s top football coaches and athletic directors, Scott Yates currently ranks second all-time in football wins in Colorado. He has been at Kent Denver School for 35 years, serving as coach and athletic director. He is a member of three halls of fame and has been named coach of the year 12 times. Yates’ teams have won three state titles and been runner-up twice in 31 playoff appearances.
[divider]
Pueblo’s Friends of Football, the group that has sponsored the 2A and 3A state football championships the past two years at CSU-Pueblo, will receive the 2019 Colorado Tradition Award for their contributions to the Association.
The CHSAA staff has selected Sharon Lauer, long-time Colorado Springs athletic director and coach, as well as state swimming championship site director and member of the CHSAA Appeals Committee, to receive the Distinguished Service Award this year.
Tickets are $60 per seat or $600 per table of 10. Please contact Laikyn Cooper (lcooper@chsaa.org) for reservations. Contact the CHSAA office with questions.
Ponderosa captured the state championship in 4A poms Saturday night, and in the process became of the winningest spirit programs in Colorado history.
The Mustangs, who won the competition at the Denver Coliseum with a score of 94.64, earned their 12th spirit state championship to tie Grandview High School in first place all-time.
Erie finished second with a score of 93.78, followed by Standley Lake (93.34), Roosevelt (93.20), Mullen (92.26) and Wheat Ridge (92.08).
In 5A, Cherry Creek repeated as state champions with a score of 94.64. It marked the eighth spirit state championship for the Bruins, who have won the competition in four of the last five years.
Rock Canyon (94.00) finished in second place, while Grandview finished third with a score of 93.52.
Aspen won its first-ever spirit state championship with a win in the 3A classification. The Skiers scored posted a score of 92.50 to finish ahead of second-place Skyview Academy (91.22).
In 2A, Limon (92.44) won championship over Hotchkiss (91. 78). It was the third overall spirit title for Limon and its first since 2008.
Eaglecrest took the top spot in the 5A classification. The Raptors earned a top score of 91.80, followed by Rock Canyon in second place (89.25) and Grandview in the third place (88.88).
In 4A, Erie won the state championship for the second-straight year with a score 91.22. Ponderosa was second (89.58) and Roosevelt finished third (82.28).
Prospect Ridge won the 3A state title with a score of 77.57 to finish ahead of James Irwin (75.25) and Gunnison (70.98).
Front Range Christian won the 2A championship (82.60) by finishing ahead of Highland (79.75) and Cheyenne Wells (78.45).
ThunderRidge captured the 5A championship for the second-straight season after posting a score of 93.57. Mountain Vista (85.62) finished in second place, followed closely by Legacy (85.47). Vista Ridge (84.00) finished fourth.
Thompson Valley won the 4A championship with a score of 88.90. Golden (85.03) finished second, followed by Pueblo West (72.80) and Woodland Park (72.08).
Coal Ridge captured the 2A/3A title, with a score of 90.43. Bayfield (65.53) was second, Alamosa (61.32) was third, and DSST: Byers was fourth (60.92).
Eaglecrest won its second championship of the evening, and 11th overall, with its win in hip-hop. The Raptors finished with a score of 94.42. Fruita Monument (93.48) finished second, followed by the 2018 champion, Broomfield (93.26).
Valor Christian High School won the first 4A/5A state championship in the game day discipline with score of 97.37. The Eagles edged out Smoky Hill, which finished second with a score of 97.03.
Cherry Creek finished third after posting a score of 91.07, followed by fourth-place Castle View (90.25) and fifth-place Regis Jesuit (88.82).
Strasburg won the first 2A/3A state championship with a score of 86.07.
Bishop Machebeuf finished second (84.45), followed by Lutheran (79.22), Swink (78.10) and Ft. Lupton (75.13).
DENVER — Gavin Herberg used his legs, and then his arm, to help Pine Creek’s football come full circle.
The Pine Creek senior quarterback used a pair of big runs to set up touchdowns, and his 35-yard scoring strike late in the third quarter helped seal a 34-3 victory over Broomfield in the Class 4A state championship game Saturday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High.
It was Pine Creek’s third trip to the title game but the first title since Herberg’s freshman season, when the Eagles also defeated Broomfield for the crown.
“I’ve been playing with some of these guys forever,” Herberg said. “Being able to come out on top like this – we’ve come up short a couple years, but coming out on top like this our senior year, there’s nothing like it.”
Herberg did the most damage with his legs, rushing for 131 yards on only eight carries with a touchdown. His 52-yard run in the first quarter helped set up David Moore III’s first touchdown run, and Herberg’s 53-yard in the third quarter led to his own 11-yard score.
On the very next possession, he found Eddie Kyle open for a 35-yard touchdown to make it 21-3.
“He let me go get the ball,” Kyle said. “That’s what we both like to do. We’ve been doing this together since I think seventh grade. We’ve always had that connection, so it’s just great to see how our last touchdown came out.”
Moore added another short rushing score for Pine Creek (13-1) and Kyle finished things off with a 74-yard interception return.
“I’ve been on Instagram and all that, and I’ve seen ‘oh my gosh, team comes back with a minute and 30 seconds left to go,’” Kyle said. “I always play like the game’s not over until the clock hits zero.”
Pine Creek’s defense was stifling all season, but even more so in the postseason. The Eagles allowed only 33 combined points in four games, and just three points between the semifinals and championship game.
The Eagles had three sacks and two interceptions. Outside of a 46-yard pass from wide receiver Grant Swenson to Trey Ortega – which led to Broomfield’s only points of the game on a 28-yard field goal from Matthew Eich – the Eagles (13-1) never really found their rhythm against Pine Creek.
Caden Peters, the state’s leading rusher coming into the game, was limited to 73 yards on 25 carries. Zachary Kapushion passed for 51 yards and was picked off twice.
Still, Broomfield trailed just 7-3 going into halftime thanks to a strong performance from its own defense.
“That first half we felt a little sluggish, but then we came out and we dominated that second half,” Kyle said. “We went into halftime and we just knew we needed to slow it down a little bit and we needed to keep our composure and just ball out that second half.”
Pine Creek did exactly that, as Herberg’s second big run of the afternoon set up an 11-yard keeper on fourth down. Broomfield was held on fourth down thanks to a big tackle from Abner Schwab, and a personal foul on Pine Creek’s next possession gave the Eagles new life. On the next play, Herberg found Kyle down the left sideline.
“That’s all thanks to the men up front. They do a great job,” Herberg said of his rushing success. “Our coaches do a great job of getting them set. They get up there and allow me to make plays.”
Moore capped his prep career in third place on the state’s all-time rushing list with 7,624 yards. Moore, who rushed for 112 yards and the two scores Saturday, finished off a 95-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. He added another 1-yard run in the closing minutes.
Pine Creek’s outgoing senior class finishes as part of a group that went 47-7 over four years.
“We finished three out of four years in this stadium, and it was fantastic,” Herberg said. “Junior year we couldn’t get here, and it was very sad, but being able to come out on top, it’s amazing.”
More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)More photos. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
PUEBLO — Following a brief celebration of their third consecutive Class 3A state football title, Palmer Ridge High School coaches and players gave their thanks to the numerous members of their team and community.
Those minute details paved the way for the Bears all season and did so again at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on Saturday in their 35-13 win over Pueblo South.
It was the second time the Bears defeated Pueblo South in Pueblo this season. They won 24-19 on Sept 27, which was also at the ThunderBowl.
Bears coach Tom Pulford stressed how difficult it is to defeat a team twice in one season, let alone two times on their turf.
“Hats off to South, they did a great job in all three phases of the game,” Pulford said. “They did a good job on defense and limited what we could do in the run game. We made some adjustments with our personnel but they still were stout against the run.”
Not off the bat, however.
After the Bears (12-2) forced a three-and-out on the Colts’ first drive, Palmer Ridge took over at the 50 and needed four plays to reach pay dirt.
Raef Ruel did the dirty work with a 37-yard run on first and 10 down the sideline to give the Bears a lead they did not relinquish. Zach Pribyl’s kick made it 7-0 with 8:03 left in the first.
South (12-2) forced a three-and-out in the second quarter and, after a late hit put the Colts at Palmer Ridge’s 32, the Colts got on the board.
South’s work horse George Longoria cut to his right and went up the gut untouched for a 23-yard touchdown run. Jackson Tondera’s kick made it 7-7 with 8:43 left in the half.
From that point, though, the Bears cleaned house.
Palmer Ridge outscored South 28-6 the remainder of the contest and the game’s most valuable player, Luke McAllister finished 8-for-17 with 272 yards and four touchdowns.
“We practiced really hard for this week and we knew they were going to be hungry,” McAllister said. “Two in a row against a team is hard to do. I can’t be more proud of us and how we practiced.”
McAllister began to cook and hooked up with his receivers for scores on back-to-back drives.
McAllister connected with Kaden Dudley on an 87-yard pass to make it 14-7 after the field goal.
McAllister, a Colorado State University commit, followed that with a 20-yard strike to Anthony Roberson and, after the kick, the Bears led 21-7.
Palmer Ridge extended its lead to 28-7 after Dudley broke free for an 81-yard reception, which was McAllister’s third TD toss of the afternoon. Dudley’s two TD grabs went for 168 yards.
“He saved me on that,” McAllister said of his first TD toss to Dudley. “At that point I knew what I wanted, I saw him open and I took a shot downfield. I got hit on it and he made a great play and took off. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
South marched 80 yards in nine plays and quarterback Logan Petit found the end zone on a 3-yard scamper to cut the Bears’ lead to 28-13 with 8:23 left in the third.
But the might of Palmer Ridge proved too much.
McAllister escaped the defense and found Marcellus Reed for a completion and he broke free from South’s defense to take it 53 yards for the score. The ensuing kick made it 35-13 with 5:50 left in the third.
The Bears came up with two interceptions in the second half with Reed snagging one along with his touchdown.
“We got the call from coach and I trusted our guys,” Reed said. “I see the quarterback launch the ball and I had to go get that for my brothers because I know since day one they’ve been doing it for me.”
That pick on 3rd-and-5 with 3:54 left in the third, followed by Roberson’s interception with 3:18 on the clock, thwarted South’s momentum and put a kibosh on the Colts comeback attempt.
The Bears continue to be a thorn in the side of Pueblo.
Last season, Palmer Ridge earned its second consecutive title by defeating Pueblo East 47-38.
In addition to their win this season, the Bears ended South’s playoff run last year in the first round with a 41-7 victory.
Pulford said the team overcame a lot to make it to this point. To grab a third title in as many years was a fitting end to the Bears’ season.
“This was super important for everyone to play so well,” Pulford said. “This was the last opportunity for the seniors to be out on the field together and the challenge was to rise up against whatever adversity we saw. I think our kids rose above that challenge. There’s always things you wish you could do better but the end result and process we took to get there is something I’m thankful for.”
DENVER — Make it a perfect 10 for Cherry Creek’s football team.
The Bruins capped an undefeated season – winning the school’s 10th overall title in the process – with a 35-10 victory over Columbine in the Class 5A state championship game Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High before a raucous crowd of 12,789.
It was also a sweet moment of vindication for the players who experienced the other side of the coin last year, losing to Valor Christian 24-14 last December on the same field.
“It’s such a sweet feeling,” Bruins junior wide receiver Chase Penry said. “We worked so hard last year and we came up short. To come out here, run the table and go 14-0 and finish it with a statement like that, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Jayle Stacks rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown and garnered game MVP honors. Despite dealing with a bad ankle, the senior put together a strong second half that included a 51-yard run on the first play of the third quarter.
“He’s a load,” Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan said. “I told him before the playoffs started that we couldn’t win it without him.”
The Bruins came into the 2019 season with some questions after graduating 36 seniors, a number of which came on the offensive side of the ball. The team also lost senior running back Seamus Henderson for the season to an injury before the first game.
The team started strong though and never looked back, winning every game by at least 17 points with the exception of a 14-7 semifinal victory over Pomona.
“I knew we would be pretty good on defense because we had a lot of returning starters in the box,” said Logan, who has now coached eight teams to state championships. “I didn’t know how we’d be offensively, because we lost a lot of seniors. But credit to those kids – they stepped right in and got better every week.”
Julian Hammond III put together a strong junior season at quarterback, and was brilliant in the first half Saturday as Cherry Creek jumped out to a two-touchdown lead. Hammond III capped a 12-play drive with a 15-yard touchdown to James Walker II late in the first quarter, and added a 23-yard touchdown pass to Penry midway through the second quarter.
“We heard a lot of media talk about how we lost a lot of seniors, especially at the quarterback position,” said Penry, who caught six passes for 70 yards. “Julian stepped up big. He was a great player for us all year, especially tonight in the first half.”
Stacks’ 51-yard run to open the second half led to a Myles Purchase 11-yard touchdown run to put Cherry Creek up 21-0. Columbine (11-3) refused to go away, putting together its own big drive that went 10 plays and 80 yards. Tanner Hollens put the Rebels on the board with a 7-yard scoring run, then intercepted Hammond on the last play of the third quarter. That led to a 35-yard field goal by Adam Tasei.
Cherry Creek responded by eating up the clock with runs from Stacks, Walker and Purchase on its next two possessions. Stacks made it a 28-10 game with a 2-yard touchdown run with four minutes, 21 seconds remaining, and Purchase intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards for another score.
“We were able to bend, and not break. We knew if we had a lot of rubber bands, we could stay together,” Purchase said. “If we play by ourselves, one rubber band is going to snap easily.”
Adam Harrington rushed for 84 yards for Columbine and Hollens added 53 yards. The Rebels were making their first trip to the state title game since 2011.
Cherry Creek will return a number of key pieces from this year’s championship, including Hammond, Purchase and Penry.
Purchase said he believed this group was special from the first day, and being part of the program’s 10th title makes it even more memorable.
“That is a special number,” Purchase said. “I’m so happy for Coach Logan for leading us into this game and this season, and I love my teammates.”
FOWLER — It is uncharted territory, while at the same time, business as usual for the Sedgwick County football team.
With a decisive exclamation, Sedgwick County claimed its fifth consecutive 8-man football state championship Saturday, downing homestanding Fowler 44-8.
With the state title, the Cougars become the first 8-man program in state history to win five straight championships, and just the third program in state history to win five straight, regardless of classification. Limon claimed six straight from 1963-68 and Valor Christian pulled off the feat from 2009-13.
“It’s huge for these kids and it’s huge for our community,” Sedgwick County head coach Chris Michel said. “It’s a testament to the amount of work these boys put in every day, that kind of stuff that people don’t see, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The rare air that is a fifth consecutive state championship looked like it might be in question in the first half.
After Sedgwick County opened the game with an 18-play, 80-yard scoring drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown run by Beau Parker, the first of his three touchdown runs, Fowler got right back into it.
Burning Sedgwick County three times on read-option quarterback keepers, Fowler quarterback Luke Bitter led the Grizlies on an 8-play, 89-yard drive, ending with a 29-yard touchdown run by Bitter on fourth down, to tie it up 8-8 with 3:53 left in the first half.
It was the first score given up by Sedgwick County in six weeks, and would be the final score it would give up on its way to a thunderous state championship win.
“We had to fix the little things,” Michel said, “tackle and come off the block better, justing making some small adjustments, and we told them to go out and make plays in the second half.”
After a Jared Ehmke pass found its way to junior Terrance Heath with 45 seconds left in the first half, giving the Cougars a 14-8 haltime lead, it didn’t let up in the second half.
Outgaining Fowler 220-24 in the second half, the Parker-led Sedgwick County running game hit its stride.
Parker got every touch on an 8-play, 70-yard scoring drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown burst, giving the Cougars a 22-8 lead.
After Sedgwick County blocked a Fowler punt on the following possession, setting it up with the ball on the Grizzly 30-yard line, Parker carried the rock three more times, his 20-yard touchdown run making it 30-8, sinking Fowler’s hope to stop Sedgwick County’s championship coronation.
Parker, voted the game’s most valuable player, put together a 40-carry, 242-yard performance to close out his high school career.
“This one feels a bit different not having (former Sedgwick running back Layne Green) around, sharing carries with him,” Parker said. “But I was ready to take over this year and do what it takes. You’ve got to dig deep and find it somewhere, especially in a game like this.”
Losing just five seniors from this championship team, Sedgwick County can think about joining Limon in the six-timers’ club next season. But before those kinds of thoughts, Michel said, the team will savor the taste of this latest crown.
“We’re going to enjoy this one for a while,” Michel said. “This doesn’t happen very often.”
STRASBURG — As Limon’s football gathered to receive the Class 1A state championship trophy Saturday afternoon, the Badgers made sure that Logan Marx was the first player to hold it up high.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound offensive lineman — one of only three seniors on the roster — had helped Limon ride a strong second half to a 26-13 victory over Strasburg in the title game, and the Badgers wanted to recognize their starting tackle.
“It was just such an honor that my teammates let me hold that trophy,” Marx said. “They all work so hard and I’m just thankful that we were all able to pull out a victory.”
The victory gave third-seeded Limon (11-2) its state-record 18th state championship in the program’s history (a 13-13 tie with Springfield in 1964 could technically count as a share of 19 overall).
The Badgers also claimed consecutive championships after defeating top-seeded Strasburg on its home field for the second year in a row. That comes after losing 16 starters from the 2018 title-winning squad.
“It’s just a huge accomplishment for us to get back to the state championship, for one, let alone win it,” said Limon junior Kory Tacha, who scored three touchdowns Saturday. “It’s an amazing feeling and I’m fortunate enough to be on this team.”
Limon edged the Indians 13-7 last November behind two Tacha touchdowns, and for a while Saturday’s game seemed like déjà vu for the program. Tacha scored two first-half touchdowns — the second coming on a 74-yard touchdown pass from Trey Hines — and a missed extra-point kept the score at 13-7 headed into the fourth quarter.
That’s when the Limon offense took over. Tacha broke off a 32-yard touchdown run with eight minutes, 31 seconds remaining to make it a 19-7 game. After forcing Strasburg (12-1) to turn the ball over on downs, the Badgers put together a nine-play drive that culminated in a Jeremiah Leeper 8-yard scoring run.
“I really thought that we kind of started seizing a little bit of momentum,” Limon coach Mike O’Dwyer said. “That was on the back of Kory, but it isn’t one kid. I thought our offensive line played really well today and really got on some guys.”
Strasburg quickly went down the field, with Collin Russell going 4-of-5 for 66 yards and connecting with Michael Burns for a short touchdown pass. The 2-point conversation failed though, and Limon recovered the ensuing onside kick.
“They just keep fighting,” Indians coach Brian Brown said. “You could hear them on the sideline, ‘hey, we’ve still got a chance.’ When you look at the clock with 1:12 left you know it’s not going to happen, but that’s what this team has done all year long.”
Tacha finished with 125 yards rushing and 109 receiving, and it was his long touchdown catch that put Limon on top to stay. After Strasburg’s Trystan Graf had tied the game with a 5-yard run out of the Wildcat formation, Hines connected with Tacha over the middle.
The junior did the rest, sprinting up the left sideline for the score.
“I kind of just got open, and my quarterback did a great job throwing me the ball,” Tacha said. “I’m grateful for my other wide receivers who gave me a couple blocks and gave me the chance to put some points on the board there.”
Leeper finished with 55 yards rushing and the one touchdown.
Graf had 78 yards rushing, but the majority of that came in the first half. He also caught three passes for 70 yards. Russell threw for 123 yards on the day, but Brown said Limon did a solid job taking the Indians out of their offense for much of the game.
Strasburg will graduate seven seniors but returns most of its top playmakers, including Graf and Russell.
“We’re losing seven seniors, and they are key seniors,” Brown said. “But we have some tremendous players coming back. The great thing about this season is we were able to play some sophomores, and some juniors got a lot of playing time. I expect they’re going to do the same thing next year.”
That’s where the Badgers are, with the majority of its roster back next fall. O’Dwyer admitted it isn’t always easy to play for a coach who is “a little old-school, maybe a little growly a lot,” but praised his players for how they respond.
The Badger tradition is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I don’t know what to tell you about it. It’s just an incredible community,” O’Dwyer said. “It’s incredible focus by our players and I think I have such a great staff.
“I think it’s the whole program. Our kids buy in, and they buy in at a young age.”
PUEBLO — Howling winds, opportune moments and a couple of defensive touchdowns turn out to be a good formula for winning a state championship.
That was the case Saturday at the Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl. Sterling had trouble moving the ball at times, but big defensive plays and a little trickery powered the Tigers to a 27-19 win over Delta to claim the Class 2A football crown, the first football title in program history.
“We preach takeaways and big plays throughout the week,” Sterling coach Rob Busmente said. “It’s always a point of emphasis, but you can always watch a lot of football games every weekend and not see any takeaways.”
Busmente saw one on the second play of the game, just not in the way he would’ve liked. On quarterback Brock Shalla’s first pass of the game, he was picked off by Hunter Hughes.
The Panthers (11-2 overall) couldn’t move the ball offensively but Ku Moo connected on a 37-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead early.
Those struggles for Sterling continued for much of the first quarter as they faced three 4th down situations and couldn’t convert on any of them. They gave every appearance that they’d take the chances with their offense than try to take on the wind.
“A punt wasn’t going anywhere in that wind,” Busmente said. “You weren’t going to flip the field.”
Delta seemed less intimidated on its first play of the second quarter as Noah Bynum found Nathan Workman for a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it a 10-0 game.
With the wind now at their backs, however, the Tigers (12-1) found their groove, albeit in a tricky way. A flea-flicker resulted in a 58-yard touchdown pass from Shalla to Peyton Rose to get the Tigers on the board.
“We had that set in a long time ago,” Shalla said. “It’s one of those plays that we have in our back pocket and if we ever need the momentum on our side, just go to it.”
The game completely turned on its on the next drive as Drew Book batted a Bynum pass and hauled it in for an interception. No Panther could run him down as he found the end zone and gave Sterling a 14-10 lead.
“Either way we would’ve done something there and go us back in the game,” Book said. “We knew it was going to be a tough, grind out game like that.”
That score held to the end of the third quarter and it was Delta’s decision to punt the ball that played back into its favor. A bad snap on 4th down resulted in a safety and after returning the kick to midfield, the Panthers finally got some offensive flow in the second half.
Bynum found Hughes for a 31-yard gain, before a 13-yard Moo run set the Panthers up at 1st and goal at the two. Gauge Lockhart converted the touchdown run, once again putting the Panthers ahead 19-14.
But as Book said, the Tigers were resilient.
They mounted their best drive of the game to answer the Delta touchdown. It was capped with a touchdown run by Shalla to put the Tigers up 20-19.
Bynum went back to work on offense, but great defensive push led to a a fumble on an option play and it was Rose taking the ball all the way to the end zone to push the score to 26-19 and sealing the game for the Tigers.
“I knew our defense needed to get another stop,” Shalla said. “But I had a pretty good feeling. I have a lot of trust in them.”
That trust gave the 2019 Sterling football team something the school hadn’t had until time officially ran out. A state football championship trophy will enter the hallways for the very first time.
STRATTON — On Sept. 21, 2018, the Fleming Wildcats had come off a painful 47-point loss to Prairie. Coach John King was out of ways to respond to the loss. Hard practices weren’t working it seemed like any idea he could muster up was ineffective.
So he talked with his boys. He asked them what they thought the top 10 teams in the state, whether it be Stratton/Liberty in 6-Man or Cherry Creek in Class 5A were doing. That was the start of their redemption. They went into every practice, every weightroom session, every game with a simple mentality.
Be a 10.
One year, two months and two days later, the Wildcats no longer had to try to Be a 10. They were now The One.
A thrilling 28-27 over Stratton/Liberty gave the Wildcats (13-0 overall) the 6-Man football championship. It concludes a remarkable road that started that with that loss to Prairie and culminated with much of the same group hoisting a championship trophy, the third in program history.
“I’ll probably never know what clicked for a whole team to click like that overnight,” King said. “It felt like it happened at the snap of a finger almost at some point there. I’ve never experienced, I’ve never even heard of anything like that.”
After holding the Knighted Eagles (11-2) on the first drive of the game, Fleming found the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown run from Brandon Williams. It wouldn’t be his first of the day, but it turned out that every little bit was going to count.
Stratton/Liberty answered with a 65-yard touchdown run from Jaret Lichty. He would go on to rush for 270 yards and four touchdowns for the game and at times, looked to be the deciding factor that wasn’t going to allow the first-place trophy to leave on I-70.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
But until the clock had all zeroes on it, the Wildcats knew there was a chance.
“We never had any doubt that we were out of it,” Williams said. “Even when they scored and went up with three minutes left, we never had a doubt.”
A big stop on fourth down late in the fourth quarter gave the ball back to the Knighted Eagles. They drove down inside the five-yard line with a chance to get another touchdown on the board and put the game out of reach. But even after all the times that Lichty had broken free during the game, he was held one yard short of his intended mark of the goal line.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Two plays later, the Wildcats had given themselves some breathing room before Williams broke for a 70-yard score. The two-point kick after was blocked and Fleming still trailed by one with time running out.
The defense refused to let Lichty or anyone break free for three plays and Stratton/Liberty was forced to punt. And that’s when the Wildcats found the two points they needed. The snap sailed over the head of the Knighted Eagles’ punter and was kicked out of the end zone for a safety.
“I feel bad about how that happened,” King said. “I’ve felt like I’ve lost state championships because of an injury before and just little things. Those little things can make a huge difference.”
Stratton/Liberty was able to get the ball back to try get one more chance to regain the lead. But a 3rd down pass was intercepted by Eric Resendiz (who also had a touchdown reception in the game) and the Fleming celebration was one.
When King gathered his boys and reminded them that the win was ignited by the fire of that big loss to Prairie over a year ago, it was a reminder for them to contemplate where they had been and what had gotten them to where they were.
“It’s not even the same team,” Williams said. “I’ll tell you what, we wanted it so bad. We were always underdogs. We were the underdogs all year, and we just worked our butt off over the summer and all throughout the whole season.”
They worked like they thought a top-10 team was supposed to work. Their reward was not being seen as a top-10 team at the end of the season. They received their state championship trophy and held up a single finger.
