The two teams met in the regular season, back on Sept. 27. Palmer Ridge won the game 24-19.
They met last year in the 3A playoffs with Palmer Ridge winning the game 41-7. It is the only playoff meeting between the two teams, according to the Colorado Preps playoff database.
This is Pueblo South’s second championship game appearance. The first came in the 2017 4A title game where the Colts beat Pine Creek 25-14.
The Bears are playing in their third-straight championship game. They are the back-to-back defending 3A champs.
South is 19-21 all time in Colorado football playoffs. The Colts first made the playoffs in 1978 where they lost to Cherry Creek 33-0. Palmer Ridge made its first playoff appearance in 2010. The Bears lost four of their first five playoff games in school history before starting the remarkable run that they currently enjoy. Heading into Saturday, the Bears have won 11 consecutive playoff games.
This will be the seventh consecutive year that the 3A championship game has featured a team from either Colorado Springs or Pueblo and the third time in four years that a team from both areas will meet for the title.
Rushing offense: 2,483 yards, and 37 touchdowns. The Colts are eighth in all of 3A in total rushing yards. Individually, George Longoria leads all of 3A with 1,827 yards.
Passing offense: 2,253 yards, and 25 touchdowns, both are fifth in 3A.
Scoring: They are averaging 35.9 points per game.
Defense: The defense has forced 14 turnovers, including 12 interceptions.
Special teams: The Colts have returned two punts and three kicks for touchdowns.
Top players: Logan Petit has thrown for 2,074 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has also rushed for over 400 yards and 13 touchdowns. Longoria’s 1,827 rushing yards are tops in 3A. He’s found the end zone 22 times. Jackson Dickerson is the team’s leading receiver with 1,107 yards and 17 touchdowns. Defensively, Jace Bellah leads the team with seven interceptions.
Palmer Ridge coach Tom Pulford on Pueblo South: “They can do a number of things very well. I think they execute their run game at a very high level, they’re able to complete passes on time and defensive line-wise, they’re very stout. We need to make sure that we’re communicating up front that we’re executing the calls that we’re making.”
Rushing offense: 2,686 yards and 48 touchdowns. The Bears rank fourth in 3A in rushing touchdowns.
Passing offense: 2,754 yards, and 30 touchdowns, tops in all of 3A.
Scoring: They are averaging 45.7 points per game, best in 3A.
Defense: Palmer Ridge gets huge production on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears have forced 35 turnovers, 25 of which are interceptions. They also totaled 27 sacks on the year.
Special teams: Anthony Roberson has returned a punt and a kick for a touchdown. Kicker Zach Pribyl is 72-for-76 on extra points this season.
Top players: Quarterback Luke McAllister has thrown for 2,346 yards and 24 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Anthony Roberson set the CHSAA career receiving yard record last week and has caught 49 balls for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns this year. Roberson also spent some time at quarterback where he tossed five touchdown passes. Raef Ruel has racked up 1,715 rushing yards and his 31 rushing touchdowns are tops in all of 3A. Kieran Fry leads the Bears with six interceptions while Kaden Dudley and Marcellus Reed each have five.
Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard on Palmer Ridge: “We had prepared for 15 in McAllister last time and obviously (Deuce) is a special player, but he’s a special player. I think our preparation from that standpoint is we’re going to be prepared for everything.”
PUEBLO — The Palmer Ridge and Pueblo South football teams are no stranger to the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl. That was apparent Wednesday when each team took a tour of the facility before meeting the media ahead of the Class 3A football championship game to played on Saturday.
It’s not even the first time this year that the two teams will have met on that very field. Palmer Ridge escaped the campus of CSU-Pueblo with a 24-19 win over the Colts leaving many at the game to wonder if a rematch was inevitable.
And with the way the Colts have battled to wins in the playoffs this season, Saturday’s game almost feels as if it was destined to happen.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
“Destiny… she’s a fantastic lady,” South coach Ryan Godard said. “As (University of Minnesota head coach) PJ Fleck would say, let’s go pick her up.”
Round two is going to be impactful for many reasons. At the top of the list is obviously the crowning of a state football champion. But so much more goes into a game like this. As some of the players took the tour of the facility and stepped onto the field, they couldn’t help but think that Saturday will be the last time they get to suit up for their respective schools.
“I’ve felt it for sure this week,” Palmer Ridge safety Tyler Calhoun said. “I know Saturday, either way, after the game it’s going to sink in. But hopefully we can go out on a high note.”
That’s the aim for the Bears who come into the game having won the last two 3A state championships. Their closest margin of victory in the 2019 playoffs has been 21 points (twice) although they did enter the fourth quarter of their win over Green Mountain in a tightly contested battle.
“The game against Green Mountain is the one that is going to prepare us for Saturday’s game,” Palmer Ridge coach Tom Pulford said.
Pueblo South will have the benefit of playing close to home, but that prove to a vital factor in the meeting earlier in the year.
Like the Bears, several seniors for the Colts are trying to take in everything that comes with advancing to the state title game and how it will affect what happens on the field come Saturday.
“Monday I couldn’t sleep,” quarterback Logan Petit said. “I would just be visualizing the game and thinking about what I can do to make this team win the game.”
It helped that the teams were given pep talks from the President of Friends of Football, Dan DeRose as well as CSU-Pueblo head coach John Wristen.
The coach of the ThunderWolves showed passion when talking about what the kids are heading into Saturday afternoon. At the end of the day, he just wants to make sure it’s fun for everyone.
“Around here we spell fun w-i-n,” he said in closing.
The Class 3A football state championship game is set for a 1 p.m. kick. Tickets are available online.
FREDERICK — Knowing they would be playing for a championship in their home town, the Pueblo South football team was determined to win one more game and not waste that uncommon opportunity.
Even when the situation looked bleak in the final minutes of Saturday’s semifinal game against Frederick, the Colts never lost sight of that goal. Down three on the road with just under three and a half minutes remaining in the game, Pueblo South drove down the field and scored on a touchdown pass from Logan Petit to Jackson Dickerson and clinched a 28-24 victory.
The Colts, who won the 4A title in 2017, will face the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal in the Class 3A state championship game at CSU-Pueblo next Saturday.
“It was a 48-minute battle and we knew that it would be from the beginning,” Petit said. “Just because Frederick is the lower seed didn’t mean they weren’t going to come out and play. They were great and we had to answer back a few times. Being the first time from South to play, and maybe win, a state championship in Pueblo is surreal.”
Seeded No. 2 overall, the South Colts (12-1) trailed 17-14 at halftime in a game that featured six lead changes. No. 6 Frederick also lead 24-21 when the Colts offense took over deep in its own territory with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left in the game.
Pueblo South drove down the field quickly and on fourth down, forewent a potential game-tying field goal attempt and instead won the game on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Petit to Dickerson with 15.7 seconds remaining.
(Brad Cochi/For CHSAANow.com)
“We like our offense on the field and we wanted to go for a win,” Colts head coach Ryan Goddard said. “They’re a tough offense to stop in a 10-yard gain so we wanted to give ourselves a chance to go for a win and we were OK either way.”
Petit exited the Final Four having completed 14 of 17 pass attempts for 252 yards, one interception and three touchdowns. The game-winner was the third scoring pass of the game from Petit to Dickerson, who finished with 141 receiving yards and several highlight-reel catches.
“Just giving him the chance and letting him go get it was our game plan,” Petit said. “We knew they were going to cover us well so I just wanted to give him the ball with a chance to catch and run and that’s what we did on the final drive. He executed.”
In a contest between two of the top rushing teams in the state, Pueblo South’s George Longoria rushed for 71 yards on 20 attempts. Frederick quarterback Jake Green led all players with 82 rushing yards and a pair of first-half scores that, combined with a 25-yard Luke Dunker field goal, contributed to the Warriors’ halftime advantage.
Frederick’s Brandon Hornby rushed for 75 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes from Green for 55 yards. Dominik Schleif scored Frederick’s other touchdown, a 5-yard run that gave the Warriors a 24-21 lead with 9:40 left in the fourth quarter.
While the Colts will play for a chance to win their second state title in three years, Frederick came within a few points of making the program’s first-ever state championship game appearance. Saturday’s game also marked the team’s first trip to the Final Four since 2011.
“It was just special getting to spend this season with everybody I grew up with,” Green said. “No one expected us to make it this far so it was a good feeling knowing that we did and that we could have been the first team ever to do it. It was just a great feeling while it lasted.”
The Warriors finished the season with the best overall record in their program’s history.
The following information shows the designated home teams for potential matchups in the Class 3A, 4A and 5A state football championship games. The formula for determining the home team is shown in the football bulletin.
Sites are determined each week at the CHSAA office, one-and-a-half weeks prior to the next round.
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Explanation
How the home sites are determined.
For 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A: The team with the fewest playoff home games will host. If equal, the higher seed will host.
For 8-man and 6-man: The team with the fewest playoff home games will host. If equal, a coin flip determines the home team.
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Future home sites
Key: Home games – Fewest home playoff games; Higher seed – The highest seeded team; Coin Toss – A coin toss was used.
The No. 1 teams in the preseason girls basketball rankings include: Cherry Creek, Mullen, St. Mary’s, Limon and Kit Carson.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Montrose 30, D’Evelyn 27, Erie 24, Sierra 18, Ponderosa 16, Sand Creek 15, George Washington 12, Longmont 4, Skyline 4, Canon City 2, Roosevelt 2, Skyview 2, Thomas Jefferson 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
St. Mary’s (10)
0-0
100
2
Pagosa Springs
0-0
85
3
Delta
0-0
66
4
Lutheran
0-0
64
5
Eaton
0-0
49
6
Centauri
0-0
45
7
Alamosa
0-0
36
8
Platte Valley
0-0
27
9
Colorado Springs Christian
0-0
20
10
University
0-0
17
Others receiving votes:
The Academy 15, Resurrection Christian 7, Cedaredge 5, Faith Christian 3, Manitou Springs 3, Moffat County 3, SkyView Academy 3, Lamar 2, Grand Valley 1.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Limon (8)
0-0
114
2
Sanford
0-0
85
3
Wray (1)
0-0
71
4
Yuma (3)
0-0
65
5
Del Norte
0-0
59
6
Meeker
0-0
51
7
Swink
0-0
45
8
Holyoke
0-0
37
9
Heritage Christian
0-0
29
10
Ignacio
0-0
28
Others receiving votes:
Simla 21, Rye 20, Rocky Ford 12, Dawson 6, Highland 5, Soroco 5, Peyton 4, Center 1, Lyons 1, Sedgwick County 1.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Kit Carson (7)
0-0
114
2
Briggsdale (2)
0-0
108
3
Fleming (3)
0-0
95
4
South Baca
0-0
81
5
Genoa-Hugo/Karval
0-0
66
6
Sangre de Cristo (1)
0-0
48
7
Springfield
0-0
36
8
Merino
0-0
27
9
Haxtun
0-0
25
10
De Beque
0-0
22
Others receiving votes:
Cotopaxi 19, Elbert 12, Shining Mountain Waldorf 12, Lone Star 10, La Veta 9, Kim/Branson 7, Hanover 6, Wiley 6, Dove Creek 5, McClave 5, Cheraw 1, Idalia 1.
There was all kinds of playoff football action around the state on Saturday. The end result is that championship matchups are set in three classifications, and semifinals in three others.
The Grizzlies were able to tie the game at 12-12 just before halftime, and went up 14-12 with a two-point conversion attempt. Then, they added another touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter.
“They do some really nice things on defense that gave us some problems, and we finally got some things going and quit having some penalties,” Van Sickle said of turning things around. “The boys just kept plugging away.”
Of advancing to the championship game, the coach added, “It was one of our goals. I thought we had a pretty good group. … I think we’ve earned our shot at Sedgwick next week.
Hudson Grant scored two rushing touchdowns for Pikes Peak Christian.
(1) Sedgwick County 48, (5) Dayspring Christian 0
The four-time defending champs are headed back to a title game thanks to another dominating performance. The Cougars have not allowed a point in their past five games.
“I think our defense played pretty well,” coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show. “We gave up some big plays at time, but really strapped it on when they got on our side of the field.”
Sedgwick County had four rushing touchdowns in the first half as they built at 28-0 lead. They added three more in the second half.
The Cougars are seeking to become the first 8-man team to ever win five state titles in a row.
“We haven’t really talked a whole lot about that throughout the season,” Michel said. “We talk about taking care of stuff day-to-day. We’ll go into it like it’s any other week.”
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Class 1A semifinals
(1) Strasburg 14, (5) Centauri 7
Trystan Graf rushed for two touchdowns — both in the second quarter — as Strasburg reached the 1A title game for the fourth year in a row.
“I tell you what, this game didn’t disappoint. It was a hard-fought win,” Strasburg coach Brian Brown told the Scoreboard Show.
After a scoreless first quarter, Strasburg went up 14-0 at the half. Centauri’s Eric Maez hit Mason Claunch for a 24-yard score with five minutes left, but Strasburg’s defense was able to seal the win.
“We are just such an aggressive group of young men,” Brown said. “Toward the end of the game, they just kind of owned the line of scrimmage.”
Of making a title game for the fourth-consecutive season, Brown said, “Like I tell the boys: I’m just the bus driver, they’re the ones that get on the bus, and they know the path. They just keep forging ahead.”
(3) Limon 15, (2) Holyoke 7
The defending-champion Badgers will return to the championship game after building a 15-0 lead and then relying on its defense to secure the win.
“It was a great football game between two really good teams,” coach Mike O’Dwyer told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids just stepped up a little bit, especially on the defensive side of the ball.”
Limon went up 15-0 with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Holyoke’s Miles Sprague made it 15-7 with a four-yard rushing touchdown.
Later in the fourth quarter, Holyoke recovered a fumble, and also forced Limon to turn it over on downs, but Limon’s defense didn’t allow another score.
“It was a tremendous effort by our kids,” O’Dwyer said.
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Class 2A semifinals
(4) Delta 17, (9) Basalt 6
Nolan Bynum and Hunter Hughes connected for two touchdown passes to help the Panthers move to a title game.
Delta led 10-0 at the half. Basalt made it 10-6 in the third quarter, but Delta responded with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
“It was a real physical game. They did some really nice things, we were just able to get more points on the board to advance,” coach Ben Johnson told the Scoreboard Show.
“We got after their quarterback really well. I thought the D-line played really well, and we tackled really well.”
It is Delta’s first appearance in a title game since 1961.
“It’s been a while,” Johnson said. “The community’s really excited about it. We had great fan support here in Basalt today. They’re excited about this opportunity for Delta High School.”
(2) Sterling 21, (3) Resurrection Christian 14
Sterling is headed to a championship game for the first time since 2004.
The Tigers trailed 7-0 in the first quarter before reeling off 21 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to go ahead 21-7.
“It was a lot of fun out there today. It was a great atmosphere,” Sterling coach Rob Busmente told the Scoreboard Show. “It was nip-and-tuck going back and forth between us and them. We made some plays when we had to, and were fortunate to come out with the win.”
Resurrection Christian scored late in the third quarter, but Sterling didn’t allow them to do so again, and secured their spot in next week’s title game with a late interception.
“We got them to fourth down, and Peyton Rose was able to step in front of his guy, and got it back for us,” Busmente said. “It was just one of those things where we tell our kids, ‘If there’s time on the clock, we’ve got to play ball.’”
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Class 3A quarterfinals
(8) Green Mountain 30, (1) Mead 21
In the upset of the day, the Rams built a 17-7 halftime lead, and then answered every rally attempt Mead made in the second half to win.
“It was a heck of a game,” Green Mountain coach Jesse German told the Scoreboard Show. “It’s everything we’ve been preaching along the way. It took us awhile to get to a point where the kids have the unwavering belief … and total buy-in, but this is a special group.”
Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Mead cut the lead to 17-14, but Green Mountain responded quickly with a rushing score on the ensuing drive. That made it 23-14.
Mead didn’t go away. The top-seeded Mavericks got a passing touchdown from which made it 23-21 with seven minutes left.
But another rushing touchdown from Green Mountain with three minutes left secured the win.
Frederick’s Jake Green found Blake Duran for a 78-yard touchdown with eight seconds left to lift the Warriors to the win.
“We could’ve taken it to overtime, I guess, but we didn’t want to do that again,” coach Travis Peeples told the Scoreboard Show. “I called timeout with 20 seconds or so left, and we drew up a little play, kind of Sandlot play. The kids wanted to do it, and it worked. It’s really a tribute to how bad they wanted to win this game.”
Green also scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown with three minutes left, and then Frederick converted on a two-point attempt to tie the game at 25. They forced a punt, and got the ball back with less than a minute to play. Then Green hit Duran for the winner.
Green finished with three passing touchdowns — two went to Brandon Horby — and also had a rushing score.
Now Frederick is headed to the semis for just the second time in school history.
“We’re not just trying to get to the semis, we’re trying to get past there,” Peeples said. “I think we’ve got a team that can do that.”
More photos. (Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography)
(2) Pueblo South 21, (7) Durango 14
In a close game that mirrored their narrow regular season matchup, the Colts scored a late touchdown to advance.
“It was another wild game,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told the Scoreboard Show. “Two good teams going at it. I’m just proud of our kids and the way they played.”
The game always within a score for one team. Durango led 7-0 with a touchdown in the first quarter, and then South tied it up immediately with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Then, Durango went up 14-7 late in the first quarter, and South tied it at 14 with 34 seconds left in the half.
The Colts got the winning score on a 3-yard run from quarterback Logan Petit with 1:11 to play.
“Credit to our defense, because all afternoon they just came up with huge stops when we needed them the most,” Goddard said.
The 2019 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These team were created following a process where the coaches voted upon a list of nominees. Players who were named first-team all-league are eligible for the all-state ballot.
Coaches also voted specifically for player and coach of the year.
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Class 5A
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Player of the year: Korbe Otis, Columbine Coach of the year: Jim Santaniello, Columbine
