Highlands Ranch football beat ThunderRidge 14-12 on Friday.
Month: October 2020
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No. 8 Green Mountain football wins game of runs versus Eagle Valley
LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain senior quarterback Darius Padilla went through a rollercoaster of a game Saturday afternoon at Trailblazer Stadium.
Padilla threw three interceptions, including a pick-6 that Eagle Valley junior Erich Petersen returned 90 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter. However, Padilla kept it together to guide the Rams — No. 8 in the CHSAANow.com Class 3A football rankings — to a 35-20 come-from-behind victory over Eagle Valley.
Eagle Valley junior Erich Petersen (5) isn’t able to make an over the shoulder catch, but Green Mountain sophomore Colton Brown was called for pass interference on the play. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “It was a game of runs. We had to respond,” Padilla said of Petersen’s touchdown and another interception in the third quarter that helped the Devils cut the Rams’ lead to 21-20. “If I make a mistake I’m going to make a play to get us back.”
Padilla made those plays to keep Green Mountain (3-0, 2-0 in 3A Western Slope League) undefeated on the season.
The Rams scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to grab the momentum back. Padilla connected with senior Rex Bailey for a 7-yard touchdown with 9:49 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“We had some chances there where we could have totally took control of the game, but Eagle Valley got the momentum back. It got tight there,” Green Mountain coach Jesse German said. “These kids know how to play through adversity. They have so much grit. I’m super proud of them for finishing out this game.”
Padilla channeled his point guard skill on the basketball court to set up the Rams’ final score. It looked like the quarterback would take a sack inside the red-zone, but he escaped several tacklers and weaved down to the 1-yard line.
“That run … I was running for my life right there,” Padilla said laughing about the 12-yard scamper.
Green Mountain senior Jose Luis Cedillo capped off the scoring drive with his second touchdown of the day.
“He (Padilla) responded well,” Cedillo said. “He threw some picks, but flushed them and went on to the next play. He fought for his brothers on the field.”
Green Mountain senior Dawson Aaron (28) breaks into the open during the second quarter Saturday afternoon at Trailblazer Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) The Rams fought back from a 7-0 deficit through the first quarter. Eagle Valley senior Daniel Gallegos opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter.
Green Mountain couldn’t muster much offensively on its first four possessions, but exploded in the second quarter scoring touchdowns on three consecutive drives to grab a 21-7 lead at halftime.
“I think on offense we were trying to do too much in the first quarter,” Cedillo said of the slow start. “In the second quarter we went back to the basics and worked as a team. The holes opened up.”
Cedillo and senior Izaiah Carter each had touchdown runs. Padilla threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to senior Austin Peterson to close the 21-point second quarter.
“We came out flat. No energy to start,” Padilla said. “We had to wake up.”
It was the first game of the season for Eagle Valley (0-1, 0-1) who had its first two games cancelled because of COVID issues.
“Our kids are hearing stuff in the news and wondering if this will be our final game,” German said of the news of COVID cases going up in Colorado and questions about if the prep football season will be stopped. “There was probably more pressure and anxiety that these kids have to deal with now with what we are living with.”
Despite the looming unknowns, German said he will have his Rams ready to travel to the Western Slope next week. Green Mountain is scheduled to face No. 7 Palisade (2-1, 2-0) on Friday, Oct. 30.
“Our mentality has been to always play the game like it is your last,” Padilla said. “We have to play as hard as we can and leave everything out here on the field.”
Green Mountain senior Austin Peterson (81) makes a big catch during the Rams’ 21-point second quarter against Eagle Valley on Saturday at Trailblazer Stadium. The Rams won 35-20 to improve to 3-0 on the season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
No. 1 Dakota Ridge football soars through the rain in win versus Standley Lake
LAKEWOOD — The newly tagged No. 1 football team in Class 4A didn’t have an issue with the new weight on its shoulders Thursday night.
Dakota Ridge — top-ranked 4A team in the CHSAANow.com rankings this week after moving past defending state champion Pine Creek in the polls — stayed perfect on the season with a 42-0 victory over Standley Lake at Jeffco Stadium.
Dakota Ridge senior Miles Reitan (53) tries to bring down Standley Lake quarterback Jake Worm during the first quarter Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “When Pine Creek walks on the field they assume they are the best team on the field. We’ve got to get to that point with this group,” Dakota Ridge coach Ron Woitalewicz said. “We should be the big dog on the field right now and they kind of embraced that this week. We know we are going to get everyone’s best shot with that (No. 1) target.”
Dakota Ridge (3-0, 2-0 in 4A Jeffco League) has now outscored its first three opponents 155-26.
“We have full belief in ourselves, full belief in our coaches,” Dakota Ridge senior Charlie Offerdahl said. “We know our capabilities. We have a lot going for ourselves this year. We are going to take it all the way.”
The Eagles actually fumbled on their opening drive, but was sharp offensively after the miscue. Dakota Ridge scored touchdowns on its next four drives to take a commanding 28-0 lead.
“It was definitely slick. We had to have two hands every time,” Offerdahl said of weather conditions that included freezing rain. “I give the credit to our offensive line. Great job up front. Everything works around them.”
Dakota Ridge sophomore Noah Triplett opened up the scoring with a 62-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.
“Credit to the youngster, Noah,” Offerdahl said of the sophomore running back. “He can play. The more weapons we have the better.”
After a Standley Lake turnover, Dakota Ridge quarterback Ben Gultig hooked up with senior Colin Stuhr for a 29-yard touchdown.
“What I was really impressed with was how Ben (Gultig) threw the ball early on with the wet ball and it was cold and windy,” Woitalewicz said.
Dakota Ridge senior Charlie Offerdahl (44) attempts to break the tackle of Standley Lake sophomore Max Stout. Offerdahl had touchdown runs of 35 and 15 yards in the second quarter to extend the Eagles’ lead to 35-0 at halftime. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) The Eagles capitalized on another Gator turnover to set up a third touchdown. Senior Steve Reyes rumbled in from 7 yards out on the first play from scrimmage in the second quarter and Offerdahl ran in a 2-point conversion to give Dakota Ridge a 21-0 lead in a driving rain with 11:55 left in the second quarter.
Offerdahl put Dakota Ridge up 28-0 minutes later on a 35-yard touchdown run. The senior capped off the scoring in the first half with a 15-yard touchdown, his seventh touchdown on the season.
“As long as we have 44 (Offerdahl) we are going to have a chance to be in the game,” Woitalewicz said. “That’s three straight games with a pick on defense for him. Every time he touches the ball on offense something dynamic can happen. He is a pretty special player.”
The senior standout intercepted a pass from Standley Lake quarterback Jake Worm on the opening drive of the second half. Following a 34-yard pass from Gultig to senior Mason Galbreath that set the Eagles up in the red-zone, Offerdahl scored his third touchdown of the night on a 10-yard scamper into the end zone.
The eighth touchdown of the season for Offerdahl induced a running clock for the remainder of the game with Dakota Ridge’s 42-0 lead.
Standley Lake (2-1, 1-1) threatened to end the shutout bid in the final minutes, but a goal-line stand gave the Eagles their first shutout of the season.
Dakota Ridge is scheduled to be back in action next Friday night at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood. The Eagles face Wheat Ridge (0-3, 0-2) in another 4A Jeffco conference battle.
Standley Lake will try to get back in the win column when the Gators face Bear Creek (0-2, 0-1) on Oct. 30 at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada.
Dakota Ridge sophomore Noah Triplett (4) races past Standley Lake’s sideline during a 62-yard touchdown run during the first quarter Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
No. 4 Florence football’s power run game grounds No. 10 Peyton
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) PEYTON — Cold, wind and mist are the kind of weather factors that will take the air out of any passing game.
That’s why it was all the better for the Class 1A No. 4 Florence Huskies. A heavy ground attack, led by Jacob Kennedy’s four rushing touchdowns led the Huskies to a 48-6 win over No. 10 Peyton.
Taking the ball after winning the state-wide coin flip, the Huskies (3-0 overall, 2-0 Tri-Peaks) immediately went to their bruising running back Owen Busetti. The senior set up several of Kennedy’s touchdowns while adding two of his own. They did all as wind speeds picked up and temperature started dropping.
“You find out who the toughest team is (in this weather),” Busetti said. “You have to be tough and you have to be gritty.”
It’s the standard that the team hopes to maintain for the remainder of the year. If Florence is going to be stopped, Kennedy and Busetti must be slowed down and that’s a task well easier said than done.
The Panthers (2-1, 1-1) struggled to get any offense going during the early stages of the game but got several chances by recovering two Florence fumbles.
But even with the turnovers, it was tough to generate momentum as Peyton went into the locker room at halftime having gained fewer than 50 total yards.
“We just stuck to the grind,” Busetti said. “We had to focus and execute on every play.
A big run from Wes Hart on the first offensive drive for Peyton certainly got the attention of the Huskies but they quickly adjusted and slowed the attack.
Peyton also got their hands on a little momentum late in the first half thanks to sophomore quarterback Gunner Graham’s ability to find open receivers through the air.
Florence quickly quelled any Peyton momentum to start the second half as Kennedy found the end zone on two quick possessions to initiate the running clock.
Coach Jeremy Nix was pleased overall with the performance from his team but wouldn’t mind seeing some mistakes cleaned up as the Huskies still have a big game against CSCS on the horizon.
“You have to be able to play through games like this,” Nix said. “It’s not getting any warmer. We have to find a way to make sure we’re not turning the ball over.”
The key for the team going forward will be its ability to run the ball as effectively as it did Thursday night.
That means a lot of push up front from the offensive line and finding the gaps and moving through them quickly.
“Our offensive line takes pride in its run-blocking,” Nix said. “And those backs are pretty special.”
With a shortened schedule this season, the games feel more like a sprint than a marathon and Nix’s boys don’t mind taking that expression literally with its powerful run game.
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Photos: No. 2 Valor Christian football blanks Mountain Vista
A quick start led to a big win for Class 5A No. 2 Valor Christian football, who beat Mountain Vista 46-0 on Thursday.
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Photos: No. 1 Cherry Creek football shuts out No. 8 Grandview
Top-ranked Cherry Creek football improved to 3-0 on the season after getting a 37-0 win over No. 8 Grandview on Thursday.
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Photos: Conifer football battles to a tough win over Mountain View
Conifer football battles to a 34-24 win over Mountain View on Thursday night to improve to 2-1 on the season.
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Photos: No. 9 Fairview football rolls to a big win over Fossil Ridge
Class 5A No. 9 Fairview wasted no time building a lead and riding it to a 47-0 win over Fossil Ridge on Thursday.
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Friday night football hub: Week 3 streams, scores and more
It’s Week 3 of the football season around the state.
Links
- Live scoreboard
- Top-10 scoreboard | Full rankings
- Full schedule & scoreboard | @ColoHSFootball
- RPI standings
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Denver South changes mascot from Rebels to Ravens
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) The sports teams at Denver South will have a new mascot, principal Bobby Thomas announced in a letter to parents on Friday afternoon.
The school’s athletic department will now be known as the Ravens, changing from Rebels.
The South High School mascot has been the Rebels since the school’s founding in 1926. The Rebels is a reference to the southern Confederacy in the Civil War. Nearly 100 years after the school’s founding, the Rebels no longer seems appropriate, acceptable, or an accurate representation of what South stands for or should reflect in its mascot. For this reason, the leadership at South determined that the mascot should be updated to better represent the school’s values.
Following “robust community feedback,” as well as process involving surveys, focus groups and a mascot selection committee that took six months, the school selected the Ravens as the new mascot.
“We believe that the Ravens represent the South community in a number of ways,” Thomas wrote. “Ravens are smart, clever birds that are known to be strategic problem solvers. They are empathetic, loyal creatures that form lifelong bonds. And importantly, the raven is an inclusive animal — it has a long history of being held in high regard both in Native American culture and others throughout the world, and ravens are not associated with any particular gender or race.”
The school’s new logo will be unveiled in the coming weeks.