LAKEWOOD — A strong third quarter helped Erie escape out of Jeffco Stadium with a victory late Friday afternoon.
The Tigers — No. 6 in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com football rankings — got a trio of long touchdown runs by senior Caleb Theisen and sophomore quarterback Blake Barnett in the third quarter to open up a 3-touchdown lead over Bear Creek.
Erie (3-0 record) took a 39-21 victory to stay undefeated on the season and hand Bear Creek (2-1) its first defeat.
“We knew we weren’t playing to our full potential,” Theisen said about the opening half. “We obviously had some mess ups with the penalties and stuff like that. We talked about it in the locker room and got it figured out.”
The first half featured a few lead changes before a late Bear Creek field goal in the second quarter tied things up 15-15 going into halftime.
It was all Erie in the third quarter. The Tigers scored touchdowns on three of its four possessions in the second half.
“It’s a pretty big win. It was a good test for us,” Theisen said. “We haven’t had a close game yet. It was good for us to learn how to fight through and push to get the win.”
Theisen had a pair of scores with touchdown runs of 3 and 20 yards, he also had an interception on the first play of the fourth quarter that eventually led to a 29-yard field goal by junior Caleb Harner that put the Tigers up 39-15 with 8:04 left in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers scored 24-unanswered points to start the second half. Erie’s defense grabbed four interceptions in the second half.
Barnett finished with three touchdowns runs — 8, 42 and 21 yards — in the win. The sophomore quarterback started the game with an incredible athletic play hurdling a Bear Creek defender on the first play from scrimmage. He did pick up a 15-yard penalty for hurdling on the play.
“He (Barnett) is a hell of an athlete,” Theisen said of the Tigers’ sophomore quarterback. “Not many people can guard him.”
Bear Creek’s lone score in the second half was a 1-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Jaedon Minter with 3:39 left in the game.
Bear Creek scored first with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Minter to senior David Hutchcraft with 3:12 left in the first quarter. Erie answered with an 8-yard touchdown run Barnett with 1:28 remaining in the first quarter to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead.
The Bears retook the lead 12-7 with 9:23 left in the second quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Minter to senior Blake McOmber. However, the Tigers answered again with a 3-yard touchdown run by Theisen midway through the second quarter to give Erie a 15-12 lead.
The final score of the first half was a 19-yard field goal by Bear Creek sophomore AJ Garcia to knock things up 15-15 heading into the break.
It was the first game for Bear Creek since losing starting running back/linebacker Richie Caballero to a left ankle injury. The Bears’ leading rusher was at the game in a boot and on crutches. He was injured in the first half of Bear Creek’s victory last week against Greeley West.