CHSAANow

Category: Football

  • Big plays lift No. 1 Fleming over No. 2 Stratton/Liberty to claim 6-man football title

    PUEBLO — Charles Hobbs and Nolan Japp had one job. Don’t let Stratton/Liberty’s Alex Cruz into the end zone.

    The Fleming duo allowed Cruz three yards when he needed four on 4th and goal. For their effort, Chris Goss rewarded his teammates by breaking for a 79-yard touchdown run on the very next play, putting the Wildcats firmly in control as they claimed their second straight 6-man football title with a 60-28 over Stratton/Liberty at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at CSU-Pueblo.

    “That was going to be a big play that we were going to have and we just happened to use it right then,” Goss said. “It worked out to where my blockers made the hole and I hit it and just went.”

    This is the fourth state football championship for Fleming, all of which have been won since 2011. But this version might prove to be the most memorable of the bunch considering the obstacles that all teams had to battle through during a COVID-filled 2020 season.

    “This year has been such a roller coaster.,” Fleming coach John King said. “I don’t know how many times since August we’ve been heartbroken. There was a time early in the season and a time about three weeks ago that I had anxiety attacks almost. Every time my phone rang or I got a text, I thought they were shutting us down.”

    The call that King was dreading never came. The Wildcats and Knighted Eagles fought their way through the playoffs and notched a special game in history as the first to be played on a weekend where all seven games converged on one location.

    Rather than the game being held at a home site as has been tradition, the 6-man title game was the first of all seven games to be play at the ThunderBowl. With the field constructed for a a regulation 11-man situation, a little work had to be done to get it to 6-man specs, but made for an overall great atmosphere for a championship game.

    “(6-man) is different because the sidelines aren’t what you normally see,” Goss said. “They had to reconstruct the field a little bit to make it smaller, but I thought it was exciting.”

    Stratton/Liberty Fleming football
    More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

    Cruz sparked the first half scoring run with a 35-yard touchdown to put the Knighted Eagles (6-1 overall) up 8-0 early. The Wildcats (8-0) responded quickly with a 55-yard run from Japp. Cruz added a second rushing touchdown to once again put the Knighted Eagles in front, but that’s when Fleming kicked things into high gear.

    Touchdown runs from Hobbs and Goss along with a Kenny Bandy field goal pushed the lead to 28-14 at halftime.

    Charlie Clapper sparked Stratton/Liberty early in the second half, breaking for a 41-yard score on the first offensive play of the third quarter to cut the lead to 28-20. But the Wildcats responded quickly as Hobbs scored from 13 yards out to once make it a two-score lead.

    And they never looked back.

    Hobbs rushed for two touchdowns in the second half, Kade Comstock threw a touchdown pass to Joel Muller and Goss added a late touchdown run of his own to lock up the Wildcats’ second consecutive title.

    Hobbs was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player thanks in part to his big stop on defense as well as his three rushing touchdowns.

    “I don’t know how to express my feelings right now,” Hobbs said. “It’s not my win, it’s the whole team’s win. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.”

    As time expired and the sun set behind the Rocky Mountains, the Wildcats used just enough of the remaining sunlight to appreciate the sparkling gold of another championship trophy.

    Stratton/Liberty Fleming football
    More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)
    Stratton/Liberty Fleming
    More photos from the game. (Ismael Gomez)

  • How to stream the state football championships live

    CSU-Pueblo ThunderBowl Stadium
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The 2020 CHSAA state football championships are Dec. 3-5 at CSU Pueblo.

    Here’s information on how each game can be streamed live on the NFHS Network. These games will also be covered live on CHSAANow.com.

    [divider]

    Thursday
    Day Class Matchup
    2 p.m. 6-man (1) Fleming vs. (2) Stratton/Liberty
    6 p.m. 8-man (1) Sedgwick County vs. (2) Sanford
    Friday
    Day Class Matchup
    2 p.m. 2A (5) Eaton vs. (7) Lamar
    6 p.m. 4A (2) Palmer Ridge vs. (4) Loveland
    Saturday
    Day Class Matchup
    10 a.m. 1A (1) Limon vs. (2) Strasburg
    2 p.m. 3A (1) Roosevelt vs. (3) Durango
    6 p.m. 5A (1) Cherry Creek vs. (2) Valor Christian

  • 1A football championship preview: No. 1 Limon and No. 2 Strasburg set for Round 3

    (CHSAANow.com)

    In what must be feeling like a holiday tradition, Mike O’Dwyer and Brian Brown are set to have their respective football teams battle each other for a state championship once again.

    The tumultuous and even sometimes bizarre 2020 football season has presented many unusual circumstances for several teams across the state. The one thing that’s not unusual heading into the weekend is that Limon and Strasburg will play in the last game of the year with the Class 1A football title on the line.

    In the previous two meetings, the Badgers (6-0 overall) have been the last team standing and the result has been increasing their state record number of team football titles to 19. And while they’re looking to recreate that same feeling of the last two years, Strasburg (8-0) is hoping the third time can be the charm in getting a different result.

    “I hope we beat them,” Brown said during the state championship press conference on Tuesday. “It’s always a challenge to play Limon. They’re so well-coached and the thing we notice about the Limon football team is how disciplined they are. They’re always in the right place at the right time.”

    In their four regular season games, the Badgers barely had their backs against the wall. The same could be said for their quarterfinal game against Holyoke, a game they won 41-15. They’re doing all this win an experienced group of players, a group that includes last year’s 1A Player of the Year, Kory Tacha. In 2018, Tacha scored both Limon touchdowns in the 13-7 win and last year he scored twice in the first half to lead Limon to back-to-back crowns.

    (Paul Soriano)

    “Kory is one of those players that doesn’t come around very often,” O’Dwyer said. “I’ve been very blessed and very fortunate to have the players that I have.”

    Brown can say the same for his Strasburg team. He boasts a senior-heavy group that is just itching for a chance to raise a championship trophy.

    Trystan Graf averages 108 rushing yards per game for Strasburg and quarterback Collin Russell has added balance to the team by throwing 13 touchdown passes and running for an additional 11.

    Perhaps an advantage for Strasburg heading into this year’s championship game is that the two teams didn’t have their standard regular season clash. Rather than trying to figure out how to beat the Badgers twice, Brown is simply coming up with a plan that will help his boys beat them once.

    “When you face a team as much as we face Limon, you kind of know what we each do,” Brown said. “Right now, with what’s happened in previous years and with COVID, going into a championship game on a neutral field is going to be an exciting place to play.”

    Strasburg claimed 1A championships in 2016 and 2017 before and is now playing in its fifth straight title game. The 1A football championship is the first leg of a triple-header of championship contests on Saturday. The game is scheduled to kick at 10 a.m.

    Strasburg Jefferson football
    (David Harvey/ImageProPhotography.com)

  • 3A football championship preview: No. 1 Roosevelt and No. 3 Durango to battle in the trenches

    (CHSAANow.com)

    Whoever controls the line of scrimmage might just control the the Class 3A football championship trophy come Saturday.

    The matchup between No. 1 Roosevelt and No. 3 Durango is intriguing on so many levels. At first glance it could be that the skill position players that are likely to shine for each team. After a narrow win over Fort Morgan in the quarterfinals, Brig Hartson led a Rough Riders (7-0) offense as it scored seven rushing touchdowns to beat Pueblo South in the semifinals.

    Hartson scored one while Keegan Sterkel and Cooper Walton each scored three. But make no mistake, it was all powered by the big fellas on the offensive line. It felt like the Rough Riders were getting two more yards than they needed on a given play while defensively they allowed South one fewer yard than was needed to convert on third down.

    It all played into Roosevelt’s style which has the the team feeling like it’s ready to battle for a state title.

    Pueblo South Roosevelt football
    (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

    “We feel like we’ve been battle-tested a little bit this year,” coach Lane Wasinger said during the state championship press conference. “We play in a league that is highly competitive with good football and tough, talented kids.”

    Roosevelt has played for a state title twice. The Rough Riders lost to Eaton in 2000 and Pueblo East in 2015.

    For the Demons (7-0) the senior tandem of Jordan Woolverton and Ben Finneseth has made them a tough team to beat as evidenced the results of their seven games. Like Roosevelt, it’s easy to point to the guys who get the stats, but a quick glance at Durango’s offensive line reveals a sizeable group that carries the right level of football nasty.

    The linemen have opened enough lanes to allow Finneseth to run for 478 yards, Woolverton to run for 409 yards and junior Nate Messier to run for a team-high 517 yards.

    The three combined to score 22 rushing touchdowns and Woolverton 10 passing touchdowns even when missing the entire second half of the Demons’ win over Pueblo County on Oct. 24.

    “It’s been a pleasure to get these kids out there and let them show their skills,” Durango coach David Vogt said. “We’ve been super fortunate.”

    And the results have been fortunate for the Demons as well. After No. 2 Holy Family cruised through the regular season, they appeared to be a big favorite to advance to the state championship game.

    Durango worked effectively in the first half, building a 14-0 lead and hanging on to win the game 34-14. Until the semifinals, the Tigers had not surrendered more than 15 points to an opponent all year.

    But the Demons are hungry for a title. Woolverton hasn’t been shy about his goal of leaving a legacy at Durango and he knows a state championship will be a big piece of that.

    “We don’t want Durango to fall off the map anytime soon,” Woolverton said in November. “We’re really trying to lead the way for these younger guys and showing them, this is what a brotherhood looks like, this is what everything like in this program looks like. We need to focus on being able to compete with these guys up in the Front Range.”

    Durango is in the state championship game for the first time since 1988 when it lost to Grand Junction. The Demons’ lone state football title came in 1954.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 5A football championship preview: No. 1 Cherry Creek and No. 2 Valor Christian set for heavyweight slugfest

    (CHSAANow.com)

    As far as prize fights go, they don’t get much better in terms of Colorado high school football than when Cherry Creek and Valor Christian meet for the Class 5A championship.

    This will be the third time that Creek and Valor have met for the 5A crown and it will serve as a fitting rubber match for the two programs.

    The Bruins (8-0 overall) won their first state title under Dave Logan back in 2014 when they ended the Eagles’ (7-0) run of five consecutive championships. Valor got revenge four years later and beat Creek 24-14 to give coach Ed McCaffrey his first, and only, state championship as Valor’s coach.

    It was just a year ago that the Bruins got themselves back on top with a win over Columbine. With standouts like Julian Hammond and Myles Purchase back from last year’s championship team, Logan is excited about the chance to bring consecutive titles to Cherry Creek for the first time since winning three straight from 1994-96.

    “This has been a good bunch,” Logan said at the state championship press conference. “It’s a great group of young men to coach. There are some outstanding senior leaders on this team that have been through some battles.

    (Theodore Stark/tstark.com)

    In reality, Logan point to any of his seniors when saying that. Hammond has thrown for 1,373 yards and 19 touchdowns and James Walker II has rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. But it’s hard to watch this team and not be in awe of what Purchase does on the defensive side of the ball. The Iowa State commit has set himself apart as of one of the best all-around players in the state.

    “There are very few things that he can’t do,” Logan said. “He’s an excellent corner. He can play safety, he’s big in the kick and punt return game. He’s dangerous with his hands on the ball.”

    Purchase picked off five passes this season, returning two of them for touchdowns. He also has two punt return touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns to his name.

    He might have to show the ability to help in the run-stopping game, however. Lining up behind a beefy Valor offensive line is standout running back Gavin Sawchuk. The junior is averaging just shy of 10 yards per carry in his career. In 2020, it has taken him just six games to eclipse 1,000 yards and has been a nightmare for opposing defenses to stop.

    “Gavin goes about his business,” coach Donnie Yantis said. “We talk about being a pro. Everything that he does, he’s meticulous about. His pass (protections), how he carries out his fakes, little things.”

    The Eagles have shown the ability to go through the air as well when they need to. Sean McNair isn’t quite putting up the numbers typical of past Valor quarterbacks, but he’s found Landon Turnwall or Tyler Larson to either convert on third down or set up the running game for a key touchdown.

    In all, it should be a game worthy of capping off an unusual 2020 football season. The Bruins and Eagles will kick at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the final state championship game of the year.

    Valor Christian Castle View football
    (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

  • 2A football championship preview: (5) Eaton and (7) Lamar set for thrilling clash

    (CHSAANow.com)

    At first glance, the Class 2A football championship game between No. 5 Eaton and No. 7 Lamar is an unexpected matchup.

    At least to those who have never seen the teams play. Those that have will certainly argue that the potential for each squad to advance to the finals was thriving since Week 1 of the football season. And even all the way through the playoffs.

    For Lamar (7-1 overall), the success of the season almost felt as if it would go the way of a broken down play when Zane Rankin is handling the ball. There could be cause for concern at any moment and even a scare where things look they’re going off the rails. But the result somehow ends up positive.

    Rankin has been the unquestioned heart of the offense all season and has battled through even the toughest of times. He tossed three interceptions in a game twice, once in a win over Elizabeth and once in Lamar’s loss to Pagosa Springs, its only loss of the season.

    But he’s also thrown for five touchdowns in a game when Lamar beat Trinidad. He also had three 100-yard rushing performances through the course of the year.

    Elizabeth Lamar football
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    He hasn’t been alone as both Damian Ramos and Jesus Reyes have also been essential to the team’s success, even when things looked at times like they weren’t going according to plan.

    “How you overcome adversity, that’s what this team is all about,” Rankin said early in the season. “We can battle through adversity and push through, that’s why this team is so good.”

    To claim a state title, Lamar will have to beat another good team and a team that did what not a lot of people thought could be done.

    Eaton was never scared of Resurrection Christian despite the fact that the Cougars defense hadn’t surrendered a point in the regular season. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around in the semifinal clash, Eaton had scored 27.

    While Ethan Florez had been the standout back for Eaton during the course of the regular season, it was Juan Maravilla stepping up against Rez. He rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown in the win. Short yardage situations were also beneficial considering that quarterback Scott Grable could hand the ball to a tank in Tanner True. True scored two touchdowns on Saturday to help Eaton punch its ticket to championship weekend.

    “The look on the players’ faces, it’s classic. It just brings tears to your eyes. Excited for them, that their hard work is playing off. You just love to see that look on their faces,” Eaton coach Zac Lemon told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show on Saturday.

    Eaton’s last state championship came in 2000 when the team beat Roosevelt 21-7 to capture the 2A crown. It’s been a bit longer for Eaton’s opponent. Lamar’s last football title came when it beat Delta for the AA title back in 1961. It last played in the title game in 1963 leaving the program with a prolonged absence when it comes to football success. And absence that the players hope will be erased come Friday.

    Eaton Resurrection Christian football
    (David Johnson/davidjohnsonphotography.org)

  • 4A football championship preview: No. 2 Palmer Ridge and No. 4 Loveland aim for gold

    (CHSANow.com)

    There may not be two teams with more different styles heading into championship weekend than Loveland and Palmer Ridge.

    The contenders for the Class 4A football title each grabbed impressive wins over tough opponents in their semifinal games and remain alive heading into the season’s final days of play. But their methods in getting there are vastly different from each other.

    Coming off three straight 3A titles, the Bears (6-0) continue to play their brand of football that features a high-flying, pass-heavy offense and combine it with a physical, unrelenting brand of defense.

    In just six games, quarterback Luke McAllister threw for over 1,600 yards and 23 touchdowns. He’s spoiled when it comes to target options as Kaden Dudley, Anthony Costanzo and Marcellus Reed have all proven to be top-notch talents this season.

    (Paul Shepardson / Paul Shepardson Photography)

    Cam Jones has been a big defensive presence as he leads the team in sacks with five and has even pulled down an interception. The team overall has forced 14 turnovers on the year which played a big factor in playoff wins over Pine Creek and Fountain-Fort Carson.

    McAllister is trying to end his career the same way his predecessor Ty Evans did, but winning two state titles in a row and he knows that he has a group talented enough to get it done.

    “I know my team has my back,” he said earlier this year. “I love this team and love the way they handle things.”

    On the other side of the field, Loveland (8-0) may have the exact formula needed to slow down Palmer Ridge’s offense.

    Loveland rushes for 340 yards per game and has a tendency to put together long sustained drives that end with points being scored. Zach Rakowsky leads the way, averaging 153 yards per game and he’s found the end zone 16 times.

    It’s an old-school style of play that Loveland backs up with with a suffocating defense that has totaled nine sacks on the year and forced 20 turnovers in just eight games.

    Loveland has been playing with postseason intensity since the final game of the year, a 27-26 overtime win against Skyline. The team rode its defense to a big win over Broomfield (the 2019 4A runner-up) in the quarterfinals before slowing down No. 1 Dakota Ridge – who had just put up 76 points a week earlier – to reach the state championship game.

    “To get that kind of experience, you get more from the last five minutes of those games,” Loveland coach Jeff Mauck said after the Skyline win. “So much of who you are as a person is tested in those moments.”

    He’s hoping those moments have tested his boys enough to be ready for a state championship game. The last time Loveland played for a state title was 2018 and the result was every bit as good as they had hoped for. They took down Skyline 62-14 to claim the programs seventh state crown.

    The 4A football championship game will kick at 6 p.m. on Friday and will follow the 2A title game between Lamar and Eaton.

    (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

  • CDPHE modifies position to allow spectators at state football championships

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    A maximum of 75 spectators, per team, will be permitted in the stands during each championship football game this weekend.

    The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment indicated in a letter to CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green on Monday night that the agency “has modified its position on spectators to allow a maximum of 75 spectators in the stands, per team, which is the limit of the outdoor seated events guidance provided in Public Health Order 20-36 COVID-19 Dial.”

    This came after CHSAA had petitioned CDPHE to reconsider its amended variance last week which would have disallowed spectators at the championship games.

    The distribution of tickets for Championship Weekend will be managed at the local level by individual schools.

    “Our qualifying teams, school communities and staff were anxious about receiving a favorable decision,” said CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green. “We submitted our reconsideration request on Friday and have spent numerous days asking our stakeholders and media partners to be patient. We are a small piece of the puzzle within the many decisions being made by state officials in these challenging times.

    “We celebrate each incremental decision, even those delayed, as we continue to intentionally advocate for CHSAA schools and school communities in resuming safe and equitable participation during the disruptive impact of COVID-19,” Blanford-Green added.

    Wrote CDPHE executive director Jill Hunsaker Ryan, in the letter to CHSAA: “As a public health agency, we are trying to balance mitigation of disease spread, but also acknowledge that some parents may choose to transport their children to the game.”

    As a result, each team will be permitted to have 75 fans at the championship games, under strict guidelines that must be followed.

    • Non-household groups must maintain 6 feet of distance;
    • The groups of 75 must enter and exit through different egresses;
    • They must utilize different facilities, such as restrooms, to “fully keep these two groups as separate events”;
    • All spectators (along with non-active participants, coaches, officials and staff) must wear masks, without exception.

    The only venue approved by CDPHE to host the state football championships is CSU Pueblo. The variance approval for this CHSAA state championship event was completed and submitted weeks ago. Without the extended variances, the season would have culminated prior to the postseason with the recent changes to the state dial.

    The game schedule is as follows:

    Thursday:

    • 2 pm – 6-man
    • 6 pm – 8-man

    Friday:

    • 2 pm – 2A
    • 6 pm – 4A

    Saturday:

    • 10 am – 1A
    • 2 pm – 3A
    • 6 pm – 5A

    CHSAA has a press conference scheduled for 12 p.m. on Tuesday to preview the championship games. Each head coach of the participating teams is scheduled to participate.

    CHSAA Championship Weekend will feature all seven football championship games at one location for the first time in the 100-year history of the Association. The public can view the press conference live on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XUd5yJbEn_o. 

  • Video: The Road to Pueblo for the state football championships

    14 football teams have traveled the Road to Pueblo this season.

    This coming Championship Weekend, the 2020 state football championships will be contested at CSU Pueblo.

  • 6-man football championship preview: No. 1 Fleming takes on No. 2 Stratton/Liberty

    (CHSAANow.com)

    If last year was any indication, this year’s 6-man football championship game is going to be a fun watch.

    After heading to Stratton/Liberty last year, Fleming looks to defend its state championship against the same Knighted Eagles team it downed 28-27 on a sunny, but windy day last November.

    The Wildcats (7-0 overall) have played out the season looking like the defending champions and continued that momentum into the 6-man playoffs which began two weeks ago.

    To get the state title game, Fleming had to survive the passing attack from one of 6-man’s most prolific offenses. Granada’s Dominic Coleman hasn’t been afraid to put the ball in the air at any point this season and has been effective in doing so. When it came to keeping up with an offense that had scored fewer than 49 points just once all season, Coleman was happy to take on the challenge.

    He completed 18-of-25 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw two interceptions and found out very quickly that the defending champs meant business.

    Fleming and Stratton/Liberty also met in the 2019 6-man title game. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Fleming’s offense was every bit as effective as it had been all season. Charles Hobbs showed off his big-play ability carrying the ball just four times for 148 yards and scoring three touchdowns. When a standout back is only tackled once all day, it tends to be a recipe for success.

    The same could be said for Brady Kuntz. The senior caught three passes for 72 yards yards and scored twice.

    With a fumble recovery and blocked field goal from Joel Muller, the Wildcats certainly have the personnel needed to grab another gold trophy this weekend.

    But Stratton/Liberty (6-0) has to have revenge on its mind. The Knighted Eagles have to have the one-point loss in last year’s title game still fresh in its memory. The fact that it happened at home couldn’t have helped in the matter.

    The rushing tandem of Alex Cruz and Riggin Williams is looking to provide every bit the threat that Hobbs will for the Wildcats. Cruz broke for 101 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s semifinal win over Cheyenne Wells. Williams rushed for just 66 yards but also scored twice for Stratton/Liberty.

    Sophomore Logan Breyer made his presence felt defensively as he recorded three sacks. Cruz picked off one pass while Will Witzel had two interceptions to help the Knighted Eagles win the turnover battle.

    This is Stratton/Liberty’s fourth straight appearance in the state title game and the team will be looking for its second title in that span. The Knighted Eagles beat Kit Carson 57-18 in 2018.

    The 6-man championship game is the first of the seven state football championship games to be contested this week. The game is set for a 2 p.m. kick on Thursday.