PUEBLO — When the ball left Jordan Woolverton’s hand in the third quarter, he knew the throw was on the money. Like a basketball player holding his follow through or a golfer twirling his club after a purely-struck iron shot, Woolverton took his time to watch the rest of the play, even though he knew the result.
The ball found the hands of Gage Mestas and his speed carried him into the end zone. That play lifted Durango to a 21-14 win over Roosevelt at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at CSU-Pueblo, giving the Demons the Class 3A state football title – the first championship for the school since 1954 and the first outright championship in school history.
“We originally came out in a zone play and they came out in man coverage and left a big hole right where Gage was going to be,” Woolverton said. “I checked the play and trusted him to be in his spot. It was amazing. I knew right when the ball came out of my hand, it was a touchdown.”
The second half the game could be defined by three key plays for the Demons. Woolverton grabbed a huge interception off a Brig Hartson throw, which set up that touchdown pass to Mestas. Then Mestas, the game’s Most Outstanding Player, came up with an interception of his own as the Rough Riders (7-1 overall) neared the end zone for what would have been the game-tying score.
“I was surprised I caught it myself,” Mestas said. “I came down with it and thought ‘what just happen?’ Luckily I have stickier gloves so I was able to come down with the ball.”
It was the capping play of of a memorable championship experience. He got the game going when Woolverton found him wide open for a 23-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
“They wanted to stop the run,” Durango coach David Vogt said. “To win the game we had to make some deep catches. I’m glad we did that.”
But Roosevelt came into the 3A tournament as the top overall seed for a reason.
Hartson got his offense in sync early in the second quarter as he threw the ball up for Tucker Peterson who adjusted mid-route and made a great athletic move to come down the ball in the end zone to tie the game.
The Rough Riders followed the score up on the kickoff by kicking the ball where the Demons weren’t standing. The Rough Riders fell on top of it and Hartson found Keegan Sterkel on a screen pass that went for a 33-yard touchdown, giving Roosevelt its first lead of the game.
But Durango (8-0) struck back quickly. On 1st down with just 1:35 left in the second quarter, Ben Finneseth broke through the first two levels of the Roosevelt defense and outran the secondary to score from 55 yards out to lock the teams in a 14-14 tie at halftime.
That tie was broken was Woolverton made his read on the Roosevelt defense and fired that perfect strike to Mestas.
“That was a laser,” Mestas said. “Great ball by Jordan, he’s an amazing quarterback. He put that on the money and I was so, so happy to catch that.”
As was the Durango sideline. Despite a few missteps in the second quarter, the Demons were sound defensively as it picked off Hartson three times and held the Rough Riders to just 45 rushing yards in the second half.
The effort was culminated with a crowning that the Durango seniors had been working toward since they were in third grade. They feel that they put their school on the football map and have no desire to see their efforts go to waste in the coming years.
“This is so important for the future generations coming up,” Woolverton said. “We want Durango on the map, like I said a long time. To be able to get the job done today for them, for our town, it’s just amazing.”
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.
(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.
JOHNSTOWN — Signing a deed on the line of scrimmage is one way to advance to a state championship game. And that’s exactly the route that Class 3A No. 1 Roosevelt took.
The Rough Riders scored seven rushing touchdowns to beat No. 4 Pueblo South 49-19 to in the 3A semifinals to earn a berth in next week’s state championship game which will be played at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at CSU-Pueblo.
They had every intention of getting to the game by keeping the ball on the ground and playing a brand of old school, smash-mouth football.
“That was our game plan from the very beginning,” coach Lane Wasinger said. “We wanted to run the ball and put it behind our o-line. We knew they had it in them, the size, the strength. Everything. The running back committee did what they needed to do to convert.”
The Roughriders (7-0 overall) scored their first rushing touchdown on their first drive of the game. Keegan Sterkel broke one from 26 yards out, giving the top-seeded team on the bracket a much better start than what they saw last week against Fort Morgan.
In just one offensive play, however, the Colts (5-1) quickly showed that their running game is equally as impressive. George Longoria broke for a 59-yard touchdown run, but the extra point try was no good, leaving Roosevelt still ahead 7-6.
South then stepped up defensively as Jace Bellah picked off Brig Hartson putting the Colts back on offense. The drive ended with Bellah scoring from one-yard out to make a 13-7 edge for the Colts.
The Colts couldn’t hold the lead though as the offensive line continued to create space for the Roosevelt runners to advance the ball. Cooper Walton and Hartson each added a rushing touchdown to give the Rough Riders a 21-13 lead at halftime.
“We just have to thank the big boys today,” Sterkel said. “They opened up a lot of holes up and there was some pretty good running today.”
That was especially the case in the second half and the defensive line decided to get in on the fun. Bellah scored with 7:41 left in the third quarter to put the Colts within two but from that point on, the Rough Riders had a signed deed on the line of scrimmage.
Each time Roosevelt needed three yards, they got six. Each time the Colts needed two yards, they got one. Walton and Sterkel each scored two rushing touchdowns in the second half and South was held scoreless after Bellah’s score in the third.
“Our offense is a stud offense,” Hartson said. “We have a couple of great receivers, a couple of great running backs, an absolute unit of an offensive line and our defense has four outstanding linebackers. When we put those four on one running back, there’s no way he’s going to get very far.”
The win was something the team has believed in since they started virtual meetings back in March. The belief was only intensified when they beat Mead 21-20 in overtime earlier this season.
When Wasinger leads his team on the field next week, it will be a state football championship experience unlike any other. But there is no group of kids, he’d rather share the unique experience with.
“I knew this group was special,” he said. “These seniors makeup my first four-year group and they mean a lot to me. What a way to maximize our season. I’m proud of them for that.”
It was semifinal Saturday as all seven classes were in action. That means that each championship matchup has been set up ahead of next week’s Championship Weekend at CSU Pueblo.
Cherry Creek scored on a Hail Mary as the first half ended to turn a one-score game to a 21-7 advantage, and the Bruins’ offense kept it up in the second half as they advanced to a third-straight title game.
Julian Hammond III threw two touchdowns, and star defensive back/offensive threat Myles Purchase had three touchdowns. Cherry Creek’s Gunnar Helm and Chase Penry each had receiving scores.
Cherry Creek, the defending champions, will be making its 19th appearance in a state title game, and third straight.
Already up 14-0 after the first quarter, Valor Christian exploded for 31 second-quarter points as the Eagles advanced to the program’s 10th state title game.
Valor score two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter, including one from Jordan Norwood, and then their special teams (blocked punt return from Mitchell Bigelow) and defense (Luke Meyer’s 17-yard fumble return) added two more scores early in the second.
Jackson Zimmermann added a receiving score, and Gabe Sawchuk scored on the ground.
Valor Christian is 8-1-0 in its previous trips to a championship game.
Loveland scored all of its points in the first half, and its defense held firm to secure a second championship game appearance in three years.
Tyson Williams had a 12-yard rushing touchdown which opened the scoring in the first quarter. After Dakota Ridge took a 7-6 lead, Loveland’s Garrett Harstad scored from 3 yards out.
Then, in the second quarter, Zack Rakowsky broke off a 73-yard rushing score for Loveland.
Loveland moves on to make its 15th championship game appearance.
A tight game through the first two quarters, Roosevelt’s Brig Hartson scored from 6 yards out in the final minute of the first half to put his team up 21-13.
Pueblo South’s Jace Bellah scored in the third quarter to cut it to 21-19, but Roosevelt close the game with 28 unanswered points.
This will be Roosevelt’s third championship game appearance, and first since 2015.
Durango built a 21-0 halftime lead, one it extended to 28-0 early in the third quarter as the Demons flexed their muscle in the win.
“The kids just executed our game plan perfectly,” Durango coach David Vogt told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “Our offense just really was rolling.”
Jordan Woolverton led the way for Durango with two rushing touchdowns, a passing score, and an interception on defense. Gage Mestas had two touchdowns: one receiving, and one rushing. Ben Finneseth also added a 40-yard rushing touchdown.
It is Durango’s first appearance in a championship game since 1988, and fourth overall. They are 0-3-1 all-time in title games.
“Every year, that’s our goal: To make it to the state championship,” Vogt said. “To accomplish that, it’s great for everybody who has ever been in the program. Everybody is so happy for the program, and the town is just elated, too.”
This will be Eaton’s first appearance in a state championship game since 2003, and the program’s eighth overall. Eaton has won one championship before, in 2000.
“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 Scoreboard Show.
Eaton led 14-7 at the half, and pushed their lead to 27-7 in the fourth quarter.
“We knew it was going to be a battle in the trenches. It wasn’t easy, but our guys battled,” Lemon said. “We did a little ‘bend, but don’t break.’ Guys played selfless, and excellent.”
Lamar’s lone score came less than a minute into the second quarter, when Zane Rankin hit Blake Buxton for a 38-yard touchdown. A Luis DeLaTorre extra point immediately after ultimately proved to be the difference in this game.
“Zane put it right on him for the touchdown,” Lamar coach Jason Tice told the Scoreboard Show.
The lead held through halftime and into the third quarter when Delta’s Nathan Scharnhorst scored from 6 yards out with 8 minutes remaining in the quarter. The extra point attempt, though, was not good.
“Our defense stood tall,” Tice said. “The defense really did a nice job today.”
Lamar will head to a title game for the first time since 1963.
“We’ve got great kids. This senior class is remarkable. It’s one of the best senior classes I’ve ever been a part of,” Tice said. “These guys just go out there and they play for one another. As a coach, that’s all you can ask for.”
The Badgers, two-time defending champions, are headed back to the title game.
Tied at halftime, Limon took a 14-7 lead with three minutes to play in the third following a long drive.
“Our kids did a really nice job,” Limon coach Mike O’Dwyer told the Scoreboard Show. “We had talked all week that this game was going to be 3 and 4 and 5 yards, and the team that can sustain that drive and not make mistakes and turn the ball over would win. I really thought our kids did a nice job. We ate up about 8 and a half minutes.”
The Badgers added a field goal early in the fourth to go ahead 17-7.
“To make it a two-score game, you felt a little bit more comfortable,” O’Dwyer said.
Wray cut the lead to 17-14 three minutes later, but Limon sealed the game with a touchdown pass with two minutes remaining.
“It was a great team effort on the defensive side,” O’Dwyer said.
Limon has the most championships of any program in the state, with 19. They have been to a title game 27 times before, also the most in the state.
For the fifth-straight year, Strasburg will head to the championship game. The squad has played Limon each of the past two seasons.
Down 14-0 in the first half, and 14-6 at halftime, Strasburg got a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion midway through the third quarter to tie things at 14-14. Then, with five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, another rushing score gave Strasburg a 21-14 lead.
“When we got down 14-0, nothing was working for us offensively. Centauri came out and they were flying around the football,” Strasburg coach Brian Brown told the Scoreboard Show. “We told the boys, ‘We’re not used to this, but we got to keep our composure.’ Our boys, they never seem too worried about what the score is. They just know that if they keep doing the things they do best, good things will happen.”
They then sealed the game with a pick-6 with three minutes to play.
Strasburg will be making its seventh appearance in a championship game.
The Cougars have advanced to their sixth-straight state title game, and are looking to become just the second program to ever win six consecutive championships. Only Limon has done it before, from 1963-68.
“I think later on down the road, we’ll be able to look back and realize what had happened. Right now, we’re just a one-day-at-a-time team, just like everybody else,” Sedgwick County coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show.
Sedgwick County scored four times on the ground, once through the air, and also had a 64-yard punt return for a score. The Cougars led 40-6 at halftime.
“We do a really good job, when we get some momentum, of capitalizing on that,” Michel said.
•••
(2) Sanford 16, (6) Merino 14
This marks the first time in program history that Sanford will play for a state football championship.
“Beyond excited,” Sanford coach Joe Cary told the Scoreboard Show. “We’re extremely excited to be able to go and do this.”
Sanford trailed 14-8 at halftime in a physical game. They went ahead 16-14 in the fourth quarter on a speed-option play.
“The kids never dropped their heads,” Cary said. “Never once did they let the doubt creep in. They just fought and fought.”
It was a shootout back-and-forth kind of game between the two teams that saw a number of lead changes.
Granada led 46-38 in the fourth quarter, but a long touchdown run cut it to 46-44 for Fleming. The Wildcats then took the lead for good on an 8-yard pass.
“It was a great game,” Fleming coach John King told the Scoreboard Show.
Fleming, the defending champion, will head back to the championship game for a second year in a row, and for the seventh time in program history.
“I’m sure it’s going to be one heck of a test for us again,” King said.
•••
(2) Stratton/Liberty 36, (3) Cheyenne Wells 15
It’ll be a fourth-straight title game appearance for the Knighted Eagles, and a rematch of last year’s title game, won by Fleming.
Against Cheyenne Wells, Stratton/Liberty trailed 15-14 at halftime. They closed with 22 unanswered points.
“I thought we just played harder, with more heart, and more urgency, in the second half,” Stratton/Liberty Toby Kechter told the Scoreboard Show. “The second half, we just ran right at them and we finally found some holes.”
This will be Stratton/Liberty’s 15th championship game in program history.
“We’re excited. You take away our best player Week 2, and our kids really stepped up,” Kechter said. “They played with a lot of heart and desire and want-to.”
After a thrilling week of Colorado playoff football games, teams roll into semifinals this weekend. With upsets in nearly every big-school classification, intriguing matchups have been set as teams prepare to earn a chance to get to the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl in Pueblo to compete for state football championships.
Here is a look at the semifinal games for the big-school games this weekend.
Breakdown: Two coaches very familiar with each other will face off once again as they each look to claim another state title. Dave Logan led Cherry Creek to the 5A crown last year and has a team loaded with talent once again in 2020.
Quarterback Julian Hammond has thrown for over 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns and he also has the experience of leading the Bruins (7-0) to a state title. Cherry Creek won their quarterfinal game over Regis Jesuit 29-6 thanks to big plays from James Walker and Myles Purchase.
Pomona fell behind early in its quarterfinal game against Eaglecrest but behind Ian Dexter’s 101 rushing yards and the team’s six total rushing touchdowns, the Panthers grabbed a 49-14 win to advance.
Cherry Creek beat Pomona 12-7 in last year’s semifinals and the Panthers certainly wouldn’t mind evening the score this weekend.
• • •
(3) Legend at (2) Valor Christian
Paul Shepardson / Paul Shepardson Photography
Date and time: Nov. 28, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Without Gavin Sawchuk, it seemed like Valor Christian’s game against Cherokee Trail was going to get a whole lot tougher. But Zach Wiley had other plans.
The backup ran for four first-half touchdowns to help the Eagles (6-0) to a 49-14 win over the Cougars. A few of those touchdowns were set up by brilliant completions from Sean McNair to Tyler Larson.
Valor is looking to get back to the state title game after getting beaten in the state quarterfinals a year ago.
Speaking of backup running backs, no one had a better weekend than Legend’s Bryce Vaz.
The junior broke out for 310 yards and six touchdowns as the Titans (7-0) beat Fairview 56-35 to advance to the state semifinals for the first time in the program’s history. Vaz spent his freshman year at Valor and is looking forward to displaying his ability against his former school.
Breakdown: Dakota Ridge wasn’t messing around when the postseason got underway as it scored 10 offensive touchdowns to beat Montrose 76-34 in the quarterfinals.
Ben Gultig ran for 101 yards and a touchdown and Noah Triplett accounted for three of the Eagles’ seven total rushing touchdowns on the day.
Loveland’s trip to the semifinals came thanks in part to a major boost on the defensive side of the ball.
Joe Killian’s pick-six was came at a crucial time and led the team to a 28-7 win over Broomfield, the 2019 4A runner-up. Zack Rakowsky had a banner day running the ball, amassing 183 yards and two touchdowns.
• • •
(2) Palmer Ridge at (6) Fountain-Fort Carson
(Paul Shepardson / Paul Shepardson Photography)
Date and time: Nov. 28, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Palmer Ridge is in search of its fourth straight state title and its first in 4A. The Bears (5-0) looked strong in their 32-7 win over Pine Creek in the quarterfinals.
Luke McAllister threw for 367 yards and five touchdowns, four of which landed in the hands of Marcellus Reed.
The Palmer Ridge passing attack will be countered by one of the best running backs in the state.
Q. Jones put his talent on a full display in the Trojans (6-1) 41-38 win over Ponderosa last week. Jones ran for 332 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Palmer Ridge is on the road because of a rule in 4A through 6-man which allows teams with fewer postseason home games to host.
Breakdown: Roosevelt was nearly the victim of a major upset at the hands of Fort Morgan in the quarterfinals.
A last-second field goal from Brecken Sawyer gave the Roughriders (6-0) the win and moved them on to the semis. Cooper Walton was also crucial to the win as he punched in two rushing touchdowns.
Pueblo South advanced to the semifinals due to Mead forfeiting their game last week because of COVID-19 issues.
The Colts (5-0) have looked strong all year as George Longoria has rushed for 816 yards and 12 touchdowns in just four games. South beat Vista Ridge 35-28 in its most recent game.
• • •
(3) Durango at (2) Holy Family
(Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)
Date and time: Nov. 28, 12 p.m.
Breakdown: Holy Family made a big statement in its playoff opening win against Evergreen. The Tigers (7-0) maintained a balanced offensive attack as Michael White threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns.
Oscar Sena caught five passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns and the team overall rushed for 133 yards and a pair of scores.
Durango’s banner season continued as the Demons beat Lutheran 47-6 in the 3A quarterfinals.
Jordan Woolverton threw for 154 yards and three touchdowns while Ben Finneseth ran for 130 yards and scored two touchdowns.
The state football playoffs are underway this week. Each bracket consists of eight teams with quarterfinals taking place this week before semifinals are played next week, ahead of the state championship games, all of which will be played at Colorado State University Pueblo.
With four games in all seven classifications, here is a breakdown of this week’s big-school matchups:
Breakdown: There has been no slowing down for Cherry Creek (6-0) since the Bruins claimed the 5A title last December. They haven’t been shy about putting up points and have only surrendered 28 total points all year. Quarterback Julian Hammond has thrown for 1,027 yards and 17 touchdowns while James Walker II has rushed for 566 yards and four touchdowns.
Regis Jesuit (5-1) has put together some impressive wins this season but fell to Legend, the only playoff team on its schedule. The Raiders have been paced all year by senior running back David Dody. Through the course of the season, he has rushed for 514 yards and nine touchdowns.
• • •
(5) Eaglecrest at (4) Pomona
(Lance Wendt/CHSAANow.com)
Date and time: Nov. 20, 5 p.m.
Breakdown: As has been tradition in recent years, Pomona (6-0) has taken care of business this season. The Panthers won a key battle with Columbine to end the regular season and officially punch their ticket to the postseason. A big reason for that is Jack Pospisil. The senior has rushed for 593 yards and 10 touchdowns this year.
A Week 1 shootout made a lot of people pay attention to Eaglecrest’s (4-1) offensive potential. The Raptors got solid games from JP Luketu (547 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns) and anything can happen when quarterback Khalil Howard finds wide receiver Ty Robinson.
• • •
(7) Cherokee Trail at (2) Valor Christian
(Kevin McNearny)
Date and time: Nov. 19, 6 p.m.
Breakdown: Under first-year head coach Donnie Yantis, Valor Christian (5-0) is looking to return to the state title game for the first time in two years. To get there, they’ll rely on Gavin Sawchuk, who has rushed for 993 yards and 16 touchdowns.
After dropping the first two games of the year, Cherokee Trail (4-2) battled its way into the 5A field. Quarterback Jayden Lavigne has been a big reason for those four straight wins as he’s totaled 1,287 passing yards and 13 touchdowns.
• • •
(6) Fairview at (3) Legend
(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 2:30 p.m.
Breakdown: In the first four games of the season, Legend surrendered just seven total points to its opponents. The Titans are looking strong heading into the postseason thanks in large part to the running game of Connor Eise (798 yards, eight touchdowns) and the complementary passing attack of Kalen Shoemaker (890 yards, 14 touchdowns).
After finding its footing through the first two games of the year, Fairview found its rhythm offensively. The Knights scored at least 42 points in each of their last four games of the year. Liam O’Brien threw for a staggering 310 yards per game and 18 total scores to just one interception.
Breakdown: Dakota Ridge (6-0) meant business from the second the first whistle blew to start the season. The Eagles outscored their first three opponents 155-26 and haven’t looked back since. Ben Gultig is completing 69 percent of his passes and has totaled 920 yards and 14 touchdowns.
A tough schedule put Montrose (4-2) right on the bubble, but they’ll have a chance to pull off a major shocker on Saturday. The team showed it can play with the best in 4A after leading Palmer Ridge at halftime of their game back on Oct. 30.
• • •
(5) Broomfield at (4) Loveland
(Brad Cochi)
Date and time: Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Breakdown: A hard fought victory over Skyline last week kept Loveland (6-0) undefeated on the year and more importantly, battle tested heading into the postseason. Zack Rakowsky leads Loveland with 860 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
After getting to last year’s state title game, Broomfield (5-0) has every intention of making a return trip. Sophomore Cole Lacrue has shown poise at the quarterback position while throwing for 841 yards and nine touchdowns. As a team, the Eagles have forced a staggering 16 takeaways.
• • •
(7) Pine Creek at (2) Palmer Ridge
(Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Arguably the most anticipated matchup of the week sees two teams who both claimed state titles last year. Palmer Ridge (4-0) won the 3A title while Pine Creek enters the postseason as the defending 4A champ. Luke McAllister has paced the Bears offensively with 1,070 passing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Playing a full 5A schedule should make Pine Creek (2-2) battle tested heading into the tournament. Beau Freyler and Zion Hill have rushed for a combined 555 yards and four touchdowns this year.
• • •
(6) Fountain-Fort Carson at (3) Ponderosa
(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 10:30 a.m.
Breakdown: A strong showing in the regular season saw Ponderosa (6-0) go undefeated. That included a thrilling last-minute win over Montrose on Nov. 6. Quarterback Jack Hanenburg has shown strong leadership all year as well as solid play. He has thrown for 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns this year.
Fountain-Fort Carson (5-1) got rare regular season retribution to end the year by knocking off Rampart, the very team that handed FFC its lone loss of the season just a week earlier. Q. Jones is in the conversation for 4A player of the year as he averages over 232 rushing yards per game and has scored 16 rushing touchdowns this season.
Breakdown: Since beating Mead 21-20 in overtime on Oct. 16, Roosevelt (5-0) has been the clear No. 1 in the 3A field. Brig Hartson is the catalyst of the team’s offense as he’s thrown for 838 yards and 13 touchdowns while also rushing for 204 yards and two scores.
With just one loss in the regular season, Fort Morgan (4-1) is looking to pull off a major upset in the quarterfinals. Briggs Wheatley has thrown for 563 yards and rushed for 417 and will need to pace the Mustangs in their bid to shake up the 3A field.
• • •
(5) Mead at (4) Pueblo South
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Date and time: N/A
Breakdown: COVID-19 concerns prompted Mead (5-2) to withdraw from the game. Pueblo South (5-0) wins via forfeit and advances to the semifinals.
• • •
(7) Evergreen at (2) Holy Family
(Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)
Date and time: Nov. 20, 6 p.m.
Breakdown: If there is one thing Holy Family (6-0) likes to do, it’s score points. The Tigers cross the 30-point mark in all but one of their games this season. Michael White and Trevin Johnson give the offense a bit of balance as White has thrown for 903 yards while Johnson has rushed for 786.
Losses to Palisade and Durango got Evergreen (4-2) off to a 2-2 start, but the Cougars finished strong to earn a postseason berth. They’ll have to rely on Noah Martens (871 rushing yards, three touchdowns) to control the time of possession and keep Holy Family off the field.
• • •
(6) Lutheran at (3) Durango
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: An undefeated regular season has given Durango (5-0) confidence that it can claim its first state football title since 1954. Jordan Woolverton has a cool command of the Demons offense, throwing for 629 yards and six touchdowns while adding five rushing touchdowns.
The lone loss of the year for Lutheran (4-1) came in the regular season finale against Holy Family. The Lions are hoping that a steady passing attack from Clayton Jacobs (1,082 yards, 13 touchdowns) will be too much for Durango to hang with.
