Category: History

Summit, Battle Mountain win team skiing championships

KEYSTONE — Friday, the second day of the state skiing championships, was all about tight turns, low-light lenses, and big flakes.

Well, for most of the day. The girls started the sun-less, low temperature morning.

Sophie Defries, a junior at Boulder who races for Nederland, took first place for the slalom. A top-five finisher in Thursday’s giant slalom race, Defries was excited and surprised to take the top spot. She said she loved the course on Thursday, but Friday, it seemed, the course loved her.

Though there were spills towards the bottom, and a late gate that seemed to trip up a portion of the field, Defries stayed on her feet.

“This was a pretty tough course, so it threw some girls off,” she said. “It was quick, and I just had to stay focused. I was a little more prepared today, and slalom is always a stronger race for me.”

Defries’ Cassidy Donahue had the fastest time heading into the second race, but slipped out at the end, bumping Defries into her spot.

“I am bummed that my friend crashed,” she said. “I guess for me, I looked ahead and there was a little bit of luck.”

Eleanor “Ellie” Brown-Wolf finished her senior season with a second place run, her first podium finish, and a happy end to her high school career. Brown-Wolf will take a gap year before college and continue to compete in ski racing. Abby Davidson was third.

(Danielle Ennis/CHSAANow.com)

Snow had already begun falling at the close of the girls first run, and by the time the boys took the hill for their final run, the winds had picked up and visibility was limited.

It didn’t keep Sands Simonton from doing what he does best: skiing fast.

In his senior year, Simonton knows the podium well. As does his Battle Mountain teammate, Quintin Cook, who finished first in slalom.

The two finished first and second in both alpine events. And collectively, Battle Mountain won its first team alpine championship in 14 years.

“Besides those short 30 seconds to a minute, this is all about the team. I am overjoyed to be part of this,” Simonton said.

Simonton has committed to Colorado, where he will race as a Buff.

Head alpine coach Simon Mar says the dynamic between Cook and Simonton is “really cool to watch and coach.”

The boys of Battle Mountain swept all four events across the board, winning state championships and marking their most successful season in competition history.

(Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)

In girls Nordic Classic, Summit teammates Ezra Smith and Ruthie Boyd finished back to back.

The two, elated to skate and push so close to each other, both landed on the podium in Thursday’s Nordic Skate, as well. Smith, a freshman, finishes her first high school season with two first-places finishes.

Her elder classmate and friend Boyd, crossed the finish line a minute and 30 second after Smith.

“I’m really excited to share the podium with Ruthie,” said the newtimer, Smith. “It’s been really fun to have each other for training and to go 1 and 2.”

Lyle Shipp of Vail Mountain followed shortly behind for third place. In the boys Nordic Classic, Henry Trowbridge, winner of the Nordic skate event on Thursday, was unable to race Friday due to illness. Nick Sweeney, Luk Platil, and Graham Houtsma took first, second, and third respectively.

The host team, Summit High school, won overall state champions for the girls.

(Danielle Ennis/CHSAANow.com)

February 21, 2015
Evergreen wins second consecutive 4A girls swimming title

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

THORNTON — The day began with records falling. Three of the first four races saw the Manitou Springs medley relay team and two individual swimmers come in with the best times ever for the 4A class. The landmark day ended with Evergreen hosting the state championship trophy at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton.

The Cougars finished with an overall score or 368, besting runner-up Cheyenne Mountain by 92 points to successfully defend their 2014 title.

“We’re just really proud of our girls and we’re happy with how we swam today,” Cougars coach Jeanne Godaire said. “We had a lot of best times and the girls were ready for the meet.”

Through the first two events, the Cougars were without a win as Manitou took the 200-yard medley relay and Thompson Valley’s Eryn Eddy won the 200-yard freestyle. Both wins resulted in 4A records.

It was the third event when Lindsay Morrow finally got Evergreen on the board with a win. He took the 200-yard invdividual medley with a time of 2:03.42, almost three seconds better than than second-place finisher – and her teammate – Anna McDonald.

“Getting the individual wins were great, but to be able to celebrate this win as a team is such an incredible feeling,” Morrow said. “We all worked really hard in prelims and knew coming in today that we just had to move up one spot to be able to do well today.”

The win was anything but a given for the Cougars as they had the Indians on their tail much of the day. Cheyenne Mountain had finished in the top three at state three years in a row coming into Saturday’s meet and would prove to be force once again.

Freshman Cat Wright got the charge started for the Indians by taking the 100-yard butterfly, setting a state record in the process. It was the only win for the Indians on the day, but their consistency to finish in the top five boosted them into a firm second-place finish.

“Evergreen was so strong and they had so many horses in the early races,” Indians coach Kate Doane said. “We’re very happy with where we finished. We wanted a top-two finish and so as far as getting to No. 1, we swam the best we could and so did Evergreen.”

The Cougars recorded four wins on the day, with Morrow accounting for two of the three individual wins. The Cougars won the meet’s final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, a fitting bow to tie on their state title.

“We had some top girls get us some good wins,” Godaire said. “We got a lot of points in the (consolation races) and the finals which helped.”

February 15, 2015
Fossil Ridge comes away with 5A girls swimming title

(Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

FORT COLLINS — When a team wins a title, they bring it home.

Fossil Ridge didn’t have far to travel on Saturday. In fact the Sabercats, by claiming the Class 5A state championship in girls swimming and diving, kept the crown at their own facility, Edora Pool Ice Center in Fort Collins.

“All our home meets are here and this is where we train,” Fossil Ridge coach Tasha Marchant said excitedly. “It makes it even sweeter.”

Any time a team wins a state championship, the joy is unequivocal for athletes and coaches alike. Any time a team runs over everyone else for the crown in the way Fossil did, the feeling for the opposition might be astonishment.

For Sabercat senior Bailey Nero, the meet was a wonderful bookend to a decorated career. Fossil Ridge won the school’s first title in the sport in 2012, Nero’s first year in the program. The Sabercats piled up 347 points on Saturday as Regis, who had won three of four 5A crowns, placed second with 277 points. Fairview was third with 226.5.

“Freshman year, it was a surprise to be state champions,” Nero admitted. “We talked about it, but we weren’t sure if we really had the talent to get there. This year, we all knew we had the potential to be champions. It was just a matter of being a team as a whole.”

As a whole, the squad won two of three relays and three individual events in claiming first in five of 12 events overall.

“I’m so happy for the girls,” Marchant said. “They set their focus at the beginning of the year. We revisited our goals and objectives throughout the season and they reminded me that we were almost there. It’s nice to see them accomplish everything that they wanted to accomplish.”

Nero certainly accomplished a lot for her team and for herself in her final swims as a Sabercat before competing for Auburn University.

First, she swam a strong third leg of the winning 200-medley relay (1:43.03). Then, she beat a game Brooke Hansen of Loveland, a two-time state champion entering the weekend, in the 200-individual medley with a blistering 1:59.20. Next, Nero enthralled the crowd with an all-classification record in the 100 butterfly. Her time of 53.22 seconds was more than one full second faster than the previous record of 54.25. To cap it all off, the senior anchored the winning 400-free relay in 3:25.26 as Fossil nipped Regis’ 3:25.49.

“I’m pretty happy with how I swam,” Nero said. “I’m really excited about the 200 IM. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to whip that out, but I’m pretty happy about that. It’s fun to get the record in the fly too.”

“She’s just obviously top-notch,” Marchant added. “She’s first of all, a great person. The girls really look up to her and she loves to compete and she likes to win. She brings good positive energy to the team. Those kinds of girls are priceless.”

Asked if she knew a 53 in the 100-fly was possible, Nero’s coach didn’t hesitate.
“She’s got a lot of fast swimming still ahead of her. Nothing totally surprises me, but it was fast and it was fantastic.”

Bailey Kovac, a sophomore, added to her growing legacy at the school as well with a state championship in the 100 breaststroke, defending her title in the event from last year.

ThunderRidge’s Annie Ochitwa, a senior and future Arizona Wildcat, defended crowns of her own with victories in the 50 free (22.86) and 100 free (49.60). Her 50 was the fourth fastest in Colorado history, while her 100 was second fastest as she held off Loveland’s Hansen (49.97). Hansen’s time ranks fifth best ever.

Arapahoe’s Ella Moynihan won the 200 and 500 freestyle races and Regis Jesuit’s Mckensi Austin was first in diving with a 5A record performance of 540.305 points. The junior also won diving a year ago.

Fossil Ridge has earned both of the school’s state championships in girls swimming.

February 15, 2015
Pueblo East wins first football championship by claiming 3A

Pueblo East players celebrate their 3A football championship. More photos. (Mark Adams)

PUEBLO — With a chance to make history, the Pueblo East football team seized the moment.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles’ defense converted a safety and then moments later running back Bryson Torres raced 80 yards for a touchdown, propelling East to a 30-14 win over Rifle Saturday in the Class 3A state championship game before 8,125 fans at Dutch Clark Stadium.

This was East’s first state football title since the school opened in 1959.

“We needed to get in the backfield and make a play,” said defensive lineman Donny Garcia, who was part of the swarm tackle in the end zone for the safety. “Luckily, he (Rifle quarterback Layton Stutsman) went back for a pass and Damon (Sabbagh) hit him and their lineman caught it deep in the end zone and then we just gang tackled him.

“This is great feeling to be the first one over here on the East Side to win a football state championship and represent Pueblo the way we did.”

East finished the season with an 11-3 record and on an eight-game winning streak. The Eagles were playing in the school’s inaugural football state championship. East’s best finish in football came in 2012 when they advanced to the Class 3A state semifinals before losing at home to Rifle 56-6.

This was East’s third athletic state championship, joining the 2012 Class 4A softball and 2014 Class 4A boys basketball title teams.

“I knew if I kept running hard one was going to break and I just had to be patient,” said Torres, who finished with 156 yards on 21 carries. “I saw some green and I just ran as hard as I could. It was so exciting to get that touchdown. This feels like a dream right now.”

More photos. (Mark Adams)

East took a 16-14 lead on the safety with 10:25 remaining in the game, right after East quarterback Danny Martin turned the ball over on downs after being stopped inside the Rifle 1-yard line.

The 6-foot-1, 270-pound Garcia was a catalyst in Torres’ run which came with 10:12 on the clock.

“I’m the center on offense and we left seven points on the field, I knew we had to step up when we got the ball back,” Garcia said. “The key for us is to always take our steps and that’s exactly what we did on that play. We took our steps and sealed them off and I actually got the nose guard and that freed up the hole for Bryson to get free.”

Rifle was playing in its fourth state championship since 2004 and has captured two state crowns outright in 2004 (Class 3A), and 1973 (Class AA) and shared the Class A title with Louisville in 1961 when the teams tied 6-6. The Bears ended the season with a 12-2 record.

The Bears have played in six state championship football games, losing in the Class A finals in 1952, 3A finals in 2005, and most recently the Class 3A finals in 2012 to Silver Creek 32-15.

“They had a great pass rush and knocked the ball loose,” said Rifle coach Damon Wells about the safety which swung the momentum in East’s favor.

Holding a 23-14 edge, Martin secured the coveted win for the Eagles as he dipped and dashed in for a 22-yard score with 8:33 remaining. Martin finished with a game-high 192 yards rushing and 87 yards passing.

“We just knew we had to keep our heads up,” Martin, a junior, said. “We had to keep pounding and pounding and win the state title. It is all about big plays and we did the job. This is incredible to win state. I can’t believe this just happened.”

The first half had plenty of fireworks, but not much scoring.

The Eagles had two great first quarter scoring opportunities end with zero points.

Matin’s pass in the left corner of the end zone on 4th-and-7 and the Bears 7-yard line fell incomplete. Moments later, East was in business again when cornerback Kevin Ribarich intercepted Rifle quarterback Stutsman’s pass.

The Eagles faltered again when Martin fumbled and the Bears recovered at their own 3-yard line.

Rifle finally ended the scoreless battle when Ty Leyba caught a pass from Stutsman over the middle and raced 37 yards in for the touchdown with 35 seconds left in the first quarter.

East finally countered and tied the game at 7-7 on Martin’s 5-yard run 7:33 until the half.

The Eagle offense moved the ball in the first half via Martin’s legs and arm. The junior had 126 yards rushing on 16 carries and 53 yards passing. Rifle had 117 yards of offensive the first two quarters paced by Blaine Vance’s 41 yards rushing on five carries.

In the third quarter, Rifle gained control on a 33-yard pass from Stutsman to Tyler Bosshardt and then on the next play Brock Clark sprinted 39 yards to give the Bears the lead at 14-7 lead 31 seconds into the third quarter.

East tied game at 14-all on a clutch 8-yard scoring reception by Bruno DeRose from Martin at 5:53 of the third quarter on 4th-down-3.

“Before the game started I knew I was going to have a big role in the passing game,” said 5-foot-11, 205-pound junior DeRose. “I came out and I was able to capitalize on a lot of things. I will remember winning this state championship forever. It’s crazy.”

More photos. (Mark Adams)

November 30, 2014
Cherry Creek Mystique returns with 5A football title

Cherry Creek’s Milo Hall celebrates the 5A championship with his teammates. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

DENVER — Dominant prep football programs from the past and present collided Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High to determine the 2014 Class 5A football champion.

Cherry Creek conquered 1980s and 1990s winning eight titles (1982, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1996) in the largest classification. Valor Christian burst onto the championship stage in 2009 and have staked claim to five straight football titles entering Saturday’s showdown with Creek.

In the end, a 24-yard touchdown run by Cherry Creek’s dynamic running back Milo Hall and 2-point conversion run by DJ Luke with 5:09 left in the fourth quarter was the game-deciding moment.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Hall said after the Bruins took a 25-24 victory to etch a ninth state football title into their deep resume.

“We’re going to be remembered at that school forever. I’m really proud we brought back that tradition of winning.”

Luke bulled his way into the end zone on the 2-point conversion to send the Bruins’ fans into frenzy.

“I was a little bit surprised, but he just gave it to me and I knew I could do it,” Luke said of Creek going for the 2-point conversion and the lead instead of the tie. “I just wanted to help my team win. It’s the greatest feeling ever.”

Cherry Creek’s Milo Hall (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Hall, who battled a wrist injury for the majority of the game, had his facemask grabbed on his fourth-quarter touchdown run. The penalty moved the ball inside the 2-yardline for the extra point. Creek coach Dave Logan, who coached his fourth different

program to another 5A state title, admitted the 2-point try was a risk.

“Half the distance to the goal and we had been getting the running game going a little bit,” said Logan, who coached Arvada West (1997), Chatfield (2001) and Mullen (2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010) to state championships. “It was a gamble and the kids made it work.”

Hall, who finished with 214 yards rushing on 28 carries, wasn’t even on the field for the 2-point conversion.

“We had to dig deep,” said Hall, who admitted he watched the eventual-game winning conversion on the video screen. “DJ is a tremendous running back. He is just as good as me.”

Valor coach Rod Sherman wasn’t shocked Creek for the lead instead of kicking the extra point.

“I think the way they had been running the ball it made sense,” Sherman said. “I thought it was a good call.”

Creek had to respond after Valor senior Danny Rambo had a 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give the five-time state champion Eagles a 24-17 lead with 5:38 left in the fourth quarter.

A solid kickoff return from Hall was followed up by a 31-run by senior Joseph Parker. Hall scored on the next play.

“They made a couple more plays then we did, but there is nothing for us to hang our heads about here,” Sherman said after the Eagles’ first postseason loss in the program’s history.

Valor was 26-0 in the playoffs over six seasons going into the game. The Eagles had leads of 17-10 and 24-17 in the fourth quarter only to see the Bruins respond.

“That’s a great high school football game,” Sherman said. “If you are scared to lose a football game you probably shouldn’t be playing sports. My hat goes off to Creek.”

Valor was forced to punt with just under five minutes to play trailing by a point. Creek managed one first down before punting the ball back to the Eagles with less than 10 seconds left.

Creek sophomore Jonathan Van Diest snagged a backward pass on the final play to end the game.

“It means everything. We’ve worked so hard for it. It’s been since 1996 when I was born actually,” Creek senior captain Michael Morean said. “It feels awesome to bring it back. A year ago nobody thought we could win it.”

Hall was held in check for the majority of the first half, but broke loose for back-to-back carries of 30 and 35 yards midway through the second quarter. Hall’s carry of 35 yards with 6:26 left before halftime went for the lone touchdown of the opening half.

Hall had just 33 yards on his first 10 carries before his monster runs that gave Creek a 7-3 lead. The Bruins’ extended their lead to 10-3 in the final seconds before halftime on a 38-yard field goal by senior Henry Lyon.

Valor tied the game at 10-10 on a 61-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Dylan McCaffery to junior Ben Waters late in the third quarter. McCaffery gave the Eagles’ their first lead on a 15-yard pass to Rambo with 10:15 left in the fourth quarter.

“A good offense like Valor is going to get some yards and even get some touchdowns, but you have to keep bring it,” Morean said.

McCaffery finished 16-for-30 passing for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He was also Valor’s leading rusher with 29 yards on the ground. The Eagles were held to just 47 yards rushing while Creek put up 368 yards on the ground.

More photos. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

November 30, 2014
Pine Creek cruises to second straight 4A football title

Pine Creek repeated as the 4A football champion Saturday. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

DENVER — Four years ago, after Pine Creek lost the Class 4A football state championship game 66-10 to perennial powerhouse Valor Christian, Eagles head coach Todd Miller wasn’t sure his squad would ever get another shot at the state title.

Those worries seem silly in retrospect.

Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the Eagles took another step towards establishing a dynasty of their own, beating the Longmont Trojans 45-20 to wrap up an undefeated season and a second-straight 4A state championship. It is the first time a Colorado Springs-area school has won back-to-back titles.

“This year we had a target on our back and I kind of understand what Valor and some of the other schools are going through,” said Miller in the midst of a raucous postgame celebration. “It takes a toll on you personally, it takes a toll on these kids. But you still chase it, because this is unbelievable.”

The outcome was never in doubt, as the Eagles dominated on both sides of the football right from the start. Only penalties — the Eagles had six for 81 yards in the first half — held them back. Even then, mistakes could only slow Pine Creek, not stop them.

Pine Creek’s Josh Odom (21) finds open space during the 4A championship game. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

After a missed field goal to start the game, Pine Creek’s JoJo Domann connected from 32 yards out on the Eagles second possession. Having officially gotten on the board, the Eagles picked up steam and started piling it on.

Led by quarterback Tommy Lazzaro and running back Josh Odom, the Eagles looked unstoppable as the first half unfolded. Lazzaro found pay-dirt from eight yards out to cap a four-play, 62-yard drive as time expired in the first quarter. In the second frame, it was Odom who shouldered the load, eventually finding the end-zone to make the score 17-0 Pine Creek just a few minutes into the second quarter.

Odom spent the game adding to his already impressive resume. The senior running back finished with 152 yards rushing at halftime and 284 for the day.

“Coach Miller just tells me, it doesn’t matter if you get ten or thirty carries,” said Odom, who averaged 14.2 yards per-carry. “Just as long as you put your head down and help the team be successful.”

Meanwhile, the Trojans were struggling to get anything going against an active Eagles defense. The Eagles shortened the field against Longmont quarterback Clint Sigg Jr., who had to settle for short out routes that the Eagles could swarm to.

The Eagles intercepted Sigg twice in the first half, and though neither directly led to Pine Creek scores, losing the field position battle meant tough going as the Trojans tried to find a break. Trying to simply run out the clock to end the half, the Trojans put the ball on the ground, and all-purpose threat JoJo Domann picked up the ball and returned it 19-yards for another Pine Creek touchdown.

Domann finished the game with 64 yards and one touchdown receiving to go along with his defensive exploits.

“We swarmed the ball. That’s our mentality,” said Domann, when asked what his team did well on defense. “Always get to the ball, get to the pile. Make plays and tackle well, and that’s what we did.”

“The boy’s a baller. He gets to go both ways and he does a great job at it,” Odom said of his teammate. “He’s definitely a high-level elite athlete.”

The second half opened in the same manner as the first – with a dominate Eagles defense frustrating the Trojans into turnovers, and Odom and company capitalizing. A six play, 79-yard drive by the Eagles ended with Odom’s second touchdown of the day. On Longmont’s next possession, junior defensive back Travis Meachum intercepted Sigg and took the ball to the house. Domann’s extra point made it 45-0 in favor of Pine Creek.

From there, Longmont was able to put some points on the board. Junior Conlan Berger scored two rushing touchdowns in the final frame and finished with 80 yards.

Sigg, in his final game for the Trojans, broke into the endzone as time wound down to make the final score 45-20.

Still, with the game already out of reach, a loud Pine Creek crowd spent the majority of the fourth quarter urging the Eagles to bring back the championship trophy.

For seniors of both squads, it was their final moment in uniform. And though it didn’t end the way Longmont head coach Doug Johnson wanted, he had only one message to his team.

“I love them. I’m super proud of our kids. We caught the best team on a day when we didn’t play very well,” said Johnson. “We knew we had to play well to be out there with them, but we just didn’t have our best today. I’m super proud of our guys, and super proud of our season.”

For the seniors of Pine Creek, a second straight championship was exactly the sort of legacy they wanted to leave behind.

“For this program, we’ve got some good guys leaving but we definitely have some good young guys coming up,” said Odom. “I’m eager to watch these guys play next year.”

Pine Creek has won its last 25 games.

“I’m going to miss them. They gave it their all,” said Domann of Pine Creek’s seniors. “We owe it to them to get back here next year, but I’m so grateful for all of them. This is for them.”

And as for next year, is it took early to start thinking about a three-peat?

“That’s on our mind,” said Domann. “But I’m going to celebrate this one first.”

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

November 29, 2014
Caliche wins 8-man, first football title since 1994

Caliche players pose with the 8-man championship trophy. More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

GRANADA — The wait is over for the Caliche football program.

For the first time since 1994, the Buffaloes captured state gridiron supremacy.

Caliche ended its drought with a dramatic 34-32 victory over Granada Saturday in the 8-man state championship game before a standing-room only crowd at the GHS field.

“I’m proud of these boys,” said Caliche coach Paul Zink, who finished his ninth season leading the Buffaloes. “They gave 100 percent since day one. I’m so excited for them. It’s just unbelievable.”

Caliche was fueled by quarterback Austin Yahn who rushed for 275 yards and five touchdowns.

Caliche quarter quarterback Austin Yahn. More photos. (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com)

“This is like a dream and this feels good,” said the 6-foot, 165-pound Yahn, who had 36 carries. “We just stuck together and I can’t believe this happened. Winning a state championship is great. This just shows that our hard work paid off and we finally won state after 20 years. All season I was nervous the whole week and now it is lifted after this win.”

Zink praised the effort of Yahn.

“This was a great team effort, but Austin is an unbelievable player,” Zink said. “We haven’t put many statistics up, but I think after (Saturday) he probably has over 2,600 yards rushing on the year. There’s never any quit in that kid.”

Caliche capped its magical season with a 12-1 record and won its eighth game in a row. The Buffaloes last won state in 1994 when they beat Rye 13-0 in the Class 1A title game.

The Buffaloes lost to Dayspring Christian 35-28 in the 8-man title game last year, and also lost state to Hoehne (2010), Merino (1999), and Merino (1977).

Granada ended its season with an 11-2 record. The Bobcats were trying to win their fourth football state crown to go along with the ones it won in 1979, 1988 and 2006. Granada last appeared in the state title game in 2012, losing to Hoehne 58-38.

“We fell short, but we can’t dwell on it now,” said senior Granada standout quarterback Koy Palmer, who had 226 yards passing and 67 yards rushing.

With 10:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, Yahn gave his team a 34-26 lead with a 1-yard scoring plunge. Yahn’s 2-point conversion pass failed, leaving it a one possession game.

Granada kept its composure and marched on a 13-play, 88-yard drive that culminated with Palmer’s 2-yard touchdown run with 2:58 left.

More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

That set up the all-important 2-point conversion try by the Bobcats. Palmer rolled out and had time, but his pass to Kevin Navarrete was knocked away at the goal line by Caliche safety Colby Duncan.

“There was nobody open and I couldn’t find any lanes to run into the end zone,” Palmer said. “So, I just tried throwing it to one of the open guys I saw and I didn’t see the safety come up.”

Duncan, a junior, was just thrilled to make a huge play for his team.

“Before the play I was thinking if we could stop them here that could win the game,” said Duncan, who also had 63 yards rushing. “I just dropped into my zone and we had pretty good coverage and Palmer had time to scramble and I think he kind of just threw it up for grabs a little bit and I was right there to make the play. I was in the right spot at the right time. This feels great for us and our coaches, and it makes us proud to finally be the team that gave them the state championship.”

The first half was full of offensive fireworks.

Yahn powered his team with four rushing touchdowns of 1, 18, 40 and 2 yards. Yahn had 15 carries for 176 yards in the first half alone to give his team a 28-20 halftime lead.

“It all starts with our offensive line,” Yahn said.

Granada’s offense struggled throughout the half on the ground, but the Bobcats were able to adapt and go through the air.

Palmer was 8-of-11 passing in the first half for 194 yards and three scores to Tre Jensen (86 yards), Navarrete (20 yards) and David Reyes (15 yards) to keep the game close. The Bobcats were doomed by four failed 2-point conversions.

November 23, 2014
Goal-line stands help Brush win 2A football championship

Brush players pose with the Class 2A championship trophy. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

BRUSH — Brush two-way senior lineman Joe Carwin and his teammates simply refused to be denied the Class 2A football state championship on their home field Saturday against Kent Denver.

Brush’s defense capped off a perfect 13-0 season by beating the previously undefeated Sun Devils (12-1), 14-6, for the crown.

On second down and 11 at the Brush 41 yard-line, Kent had 2:14 seconds left on the clock. Down 14-6, all-everything running back Jaden Franklin and his Sun Devil teammates, were looking for a possible tie. Carwin, a ferocious 6-foot, 248-pound lineman burst through and slammed Kent quarterback Zander Ellis to the ground.

Two-way Brush lineman Joe Carwin. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

Carwin, the fiery leader of a defensive line that bludgeoned Kent all afternoon, stepped up when his teammates needed him the most.

“It was an intense moment,” Carwin said of the sack. “I knew I had to get a stop. Jaden Franklin is the best running back we’ve ever seen. I knew they weren’t going to give it to me. They were going to pass and I had to do what I had to do. My team calls me ‘Beast Mode,’ and when it’s crunch time that’s what I have to do.”

The sack set up a third and 19 for the Sun Devils at the Brush 49. Next play, incomplete pass to Jack Ammons near the chains.

Next play, another incomplete pass to tight end Joe Rassenfoss that would’ve given Kent a first down, but a pass interference call set up fourth down and 4 with just under two minutes to play. Ellis found running back Wyllis McKissick for a short screen that went for four yards. The refs were called for a measurement. In a game decided by mere inches, Kent was one inch short on fourth down.

Brush took over. A third down conversion on a gutsy run by senior quarterback/running back Kyle Rosenbrock with 1:06 to play gave Brush its first state championship in football since 1994. The championship is the school’s fifth overall in football.

Appearing in their 12th state title game, Brush played inspired, championship-level defense in front of a raucous home crowd.

Going against the highest scoring offense in 2A at 49.3 points per game, and a running back in Franklin who entered Saturday fifth in rushing yards in Colorado history with 6,566 and fifth in touchdowns with 107, the Beetdiggers stuffed Kent time and again.

But on Kent’s first possession, Franklin found a seam and took it 65 yards for a touchdown on a gorgeous run that displayed all his vision and home-run speed. A 15-yard touchdown pass from Rosenbrock to tight end Clay Shaver had given Brush the 7-0 lead after the Beetdiggers’ first possession, but Franklin’s long touchdown run made it 7-6. Kent missed the extra point.

“Other than that one play, I think we did a pretty dang good job stopping their run and their pass,” Rosenbrock, also a linebacker for Brush, said of Franklin’s touchdown burst. “They’re not just a one-dimensional team. Jaden is an absolutely amazing player, but they also have a good quarterback that can throw the ball. To stop that and the run game, that was huge.”

Brush’s Kyle Rosenbrock. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

Both teams scored on their opening possessions. After that, it was all “Beast Mode” Carwin and company dominating the trenches.

“That’s what we preached all year. Defense wins games,” Carwin said. “Defense meant the world to us and that’s what we’ve focused on. We put the best players we had on defense and that’s how we got the job done.”

Getting the job done as in holding Franklin, who entered the game with 1,835 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns, to a tough 132 yards on 20 carries. He had 86 of them on his first three carries, but every yard was a fight after that.

“Joe Carwin and Jose Rodriquez have to play both sides of the ball,” Brush coach Randy Dreitz said of his two star lineman. “They just did a tremendous job. They really plugged things up, up the middle. I’m super proud of all those lineman. They don’t get recognition a lot of times, but I’m super proud of them and their effort. I’ve told them all along that we don’t go anywhere without a good line and they did a great job today.”

Carwin also had an interception in the first quarter on a play in which Kent quarterback Ellis lost grip of the ball and it went straight up in the air into the arms of the bruising senior.

Despite such a dominant defensive front, Kent had two golden opportunities to tie the game up late in the third quarter and early in the fourth. Kent drove down inside the 5-yard line late in the third only to get stopped four times in a row. But, after the Sun Devils turned it over on downs, Brush gave it right back to them on a fumble by Rosenbrock. Kent Denver got the ball back at the 2-yard line.

Once again, the Beetdiggers stuffed them four times in a row. An incredible back-to-back goal line stands emphasized the dominance of the Brush defense throughout the game and throughout the playoffs as the Beetdiggers only gave up 27 points total in four playoff games.

On offense, Rosenbrock ran for 112 yards on 20 carries, a critical 88 of the yards in the second half alone. Rosenbrock’s 31 yard touchdown run with 5:56 to play in the third quarter gave Brush a little breathing room. He also threw for 108 yards and a touchdown.

Dreitz, a long-time assistant at Brush before becoming the head coach 13 years ago, earned his first state championship as head man.

“I feel like I had a big monkey on my back for a lot of years,” said Dreitz, whose team lost in the championship game to Olathe 14-13 in 2010. “I could never do it as a head coach. I think I finally got that monkey off my back.”

“Coach Dreitz has been with us since we were little kids,” Carwin said. “This means the world to him, this means the world to us, and we earned it.”

November 23, 2014
Paonia football withstands late rally to claim second straight 1A state crown

Paonia football players pose with the 1A football championship trophy. (Brian Miller/CHSAANow.com)

PAONIA — Even after executing its gameplan to near-perfection Saturday afternoon, Paonia’s football team still had to hold its collective breath in the final minutes of the Class 1A state championship game.

The Eagles led by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but a late Buena Vista score — followed by the recovery of an onside kick — made things interesting.

The Demons were one yard away from cutting into the deficit again, but on fourth down quarterback Keegan Wentz was wrapped up by Eagles junior lineman Willy Darling and thrown for a loss. Paonia was able to run out the clock and celebrate a 21-7 triumph at Paonia Town Park, securing a second consecutive 1A state title in the process.

“It felt good to stop him,” Darling said. “It felt good to help my team.”

Paonia (13-0) upped its winning streak to 23 games and ended Buena Vista’s season in heartache for the second year in a row. The Eagles also downed the Demons (12-1) in the state semifinals last fall on their way to the championship.

“It feels great to show our town we’ve still got it and we can do it,” Paonia junior Taylor Walters said. “A small town can still do this and win two in a row.”

Walters capped a brilliant junior season with another strong performance Saturday, rushing for 126 yards and a touchdown and tossing a 62-yard touchdown pass to Logan Schoop.

After being held in check for the much of the first half with only 27 yards, Walters methodically wore down the Buena Vista defense in the second half with a ball-control offense that kept Wentz off the field.

“It was as much time as I could take off, that was my job,” Walters said. “I’d let the ref count it out until I had to snap it.”

After Walters scored from two yards out to make it 21-0, Buena Vista put together an impressive 12-play, 80-yard drive. One play after losing nine yards on a sack, Wentz found Trevor Close for a 14-yard touchdown pass to put the Demons on the board.

Zakk James recovered the ensuing onside attempt, and Buena Vista again moved the ball efficiently. On fourth-and-goal at the 1 though, Wentz attempted a fake before turning around and trying to drive forward into the end zone. Instead he ended up in the arms of Darling.

“That’s the d-line for you. That’s coach Don Holt for you,” Paonia coach Brent McRae said. “That’s our kids, that’s the town of Paonia for you. When the going gets tough, they rise up.”

Wentz finished the day with 86 yards through the air and the touchdown, adding 68 yards on the ground. The junior mirrors Walters with his dual-threat capability and was a handful for opposing defenses all season long.

“He’s strong,” Walters said. “He’s going to go somewhere and play probably, because he’s a great athlete. They want him to have the ball in his hands because he can make plays.”

Close rushed for 61 yards and caught three passes for 36 yards. Mark Harding added three catches for 35 yards.

Paonia took control early in the first half after denying Buena Vista on a fourth-down play on the opening drive. The Eagles needed only five plays to go 60 yards, with Jeremiah Hillman scoring from two yards out. Hillman had a 30-yard run early in the drive and finished the game with 92 yards on the ground.

Walters made it 14-0 on the next possession, lofting a ball down the field to Schoop, who bobbled it briefly before gaining control and sprinting into the end zone.

“I faked it to my running back, and he stays low so they don’t know if he has the ball,” Walters said. “The safety came up. My timing was really good. I threw it a little low, but he caught it.”

A Paonia turnover nearly allowed Buena Vista to make it a one-score game at the half. The Demons’ 13-play drive went for naught though as Wentz was stopped again at the 1 on fourth down.

It was simply that kind of day for Paonia, which wasn’t about to be denied a repeat.

“All we do is enjoy every week. We enjoy every practice together and we enjoy every game we get to play,” McRae said. “That was our motto all year. At the beginning of the year you’re guaranteed nine games – that’s all you get. You earn everything after that.”

While it may be a bit early to start thinking about a three-peat, Walters said it would be nice to savor two in a row.

“It’s going to be great to enjoy this one. Last year, that one was for the town,” Walters said. “Now this one is ours.”

November 23, 2014
Leoffler leads Arickaree/Woodlin to 6-man football title

Arickaree/Woodlin’s Kyle Leoffler (16) stiff-arms Eads’s Dylan Dixon (19) as No. 1 Arickaree/Woodlin and No. 2 Eads play in the 6-man championship. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

ANTON — Kyle Leoffler jumped the route and delivered a title.

The Arickaree/Woodlin senior had a game-changing interception return for a touchdown just as the third quarter ended, and the Indians used to momentum to seal a title with a 44-26 victory over Eads in the 6-man football championship game on Saturday.

“Honestly, I think that decided the game,” said Arickaree/Woodlin senior Garrett Shaffer. “If we wouldn’t have gotten that, they could have come back. They did it against Peetz (in the semifinals). They could have done it against us. They’re a good football team.”

Arickaree/Woodlin’s Kyle Leoffler (16) runs back an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Added Leoffler, who threw two touchdowns and rushed for another for a four-score day: “That kind of took some of it out of them.”

But things didn’t start well for Arickaree/Woodlin, the top seed in the 6-man playoffs. Even with a 1 p.m. kickoff, conditions were frigid. The temperature hovered around 15 degrees with a wind chill dropping it to minus-2 at times.

The weather affected both offenses early, though No. 2-seeded Eads was able to grab a 6-0 lead on its first drive on Dylan Dixon’s touchdown.

The Eagles were threatening to add to that lead later in the quarter when Arickaree/Woodlin made a huge stop on 4th-and-1 at the 9-yard-line.

“That’s huge,” said Arickaree/woodlin coach David Saffer. “They can put up a lot of points. To get a stop, get a swing in momentum and get things going your way, it makes a difference.”

Two drives later — on third and goal from the 25 — Leoffler took a pitch from his brother, Trent, eluded a tackle in the backfield, then lofted a swing pass back to Trent. Trent shot down the left sideline for a score; Kyle added a two-point kick for an 8-6 lead.

That score held up at halftime, which left many scratching their heads.

Arickaree/Woodlin entered the game on pace to break the state record for points scored in a season. Ultimately, after Saturday’s win, the Indians finished with 747 this season, one off Hugo’s record of 748 set in 1930.

Suffice to say, the first half was out of character for Arickaree/Woodlin.

“We started slow,” Kyle Leoffler said. “It was cold.”

Said Shaffer, “We came out flat. We weren’t paying attention like we should.”

At halftime, the adjustments were nothing schematic, Saffer said.

“We just weren’t firing off the ball,” the coach said. “We were just a little sluggish, I think, and they were taking it to us. We just weren’t aggressive enough.”

A delicate snow began to fall as the second half opened, but it only added to the atmosphere.

Arickaree/Woodlin scored on its first two drives of the second half, then came Leoffler’s pick-six. It was 28-12 at that point, but Arickaree/Woodlin answered every score Eads had from there on out.

Eads’ Dixon had a great day, scoring four touchdowns, and was seemingly in on every tackle.

With the four touchdowns Saturday, Kyle Leoffler finished his season with 48 scores. That mark is the seventh-most in state history.

The championship is the first for Arickaree since the school won three consecutive 6-man titles from 1986-88. It’s Woodlin’s first football championship since winning 8-man in 1974.

“It’s great for both of these schools,” Saffer said. “It’s been a while that both of these communities and schools can get excited, so I’m happy for these kids, happy for both of these schools.”

Arickaree/Woodlin celebrates with the trophy after the 6-man championship. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Eads’ Dylan Dixon (19) runs the ball during the 6-man championship. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

November 16, 2014