Crowley County (in 2A) and Peetz (1A) boys basketball have taken over as the No. 1 teams in their respective classifications this week.
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.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Rock Canyon (10)
15-0
109
1
2-0
2
ThunderRidge (1)
14-1
98
2
1-0
3
Chaparral
13-3
76
5
2-0
4
George Washington
11-5
72
3
1-0
5
Denver East
11-2
58
6
1-0
6
Overland
8-7
52
9
2-0
7
Grandview
12-3
50
4
1-1
8
Regis Jesuit
12-4
36
8
2-1
9
Doherty
12-3
24
7
1-1
10
Highlands Ranch
13-2
15
10
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Eaglecrest 5, Smoky Hill 5, Liberty 4, Rampart 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Lewis-Palmer (11)
13-1
135
1
2-1
2
Pueblo South (2)
12-2
125
2
2-0
3
Pueblo West (1)
12-2
98
3
2-0
4
Golden
12-3
95
5
2-0
5
Longmont
10-1
94
4
2-0
6
Valor Christian
9-6
63
7
2-0
7
Silver Creek
10-3
39
6
1-2
8
Evergreen
12-3
31
8
1-1
9
Mesa Ridge
9-4
17
–
2-0
10
Elizabeth
10-4
16
–
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Falcon 11, Montrose 9, Windsor 9, Thompson Valley 7, D’Evelyn 5, Widefield 5, Glenwood Springs 4, Holy Family 2, Mountain View 2, Palmer Ridge 1, Roosevelt 1, Vista PEAK 1.
Dropped out
Windsor (9), Thompson Valley (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sterling (14)
12-0
140
1
3-0
2
Alamosa
10-1
119
2
2-0
3
Kent Denver
11-2
102
3
2-0
4
Platte Valley
11-1
78
5
2-0
5
Grand Valley
9-1
65
4
1-1
6
DSST-Stapleton
10-2
64
6
2-0
7
The Vanguard
11-1
54
–
3-0
8
Manual
8-4
31
8
2-1
9
Resurrection Christian
9-4
21
9
1-1
10
Roaring Fork
9-1
19
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Coal Ridge 17, Colorado Academy 13, Faith Christian 13, Bayfield 7, La Junta 7, Arrupe Jesuit 6, Colorado Springs Christian 6, Jefferson 4, Strasburg 4.
Dropped out
Faith Christian (7), La Junta (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Crowley County (8)
12-0
115
2
2-0
2
Limon
9-1
95
4
2-0
3
Sedgwick County (2)
11-1
92
1
3-1
4
Del Norte
10-2
83
3
2-0
5
Yuma (2)
8-2
73
5
2-0
6
Byers
10-2
59
7
2-0
7
Highland
8-3
39
10
2-0
8
Vail Christian
10-2
31
6
1-1
9
Meeker
9-3
23
–
2-0
10
Sanford
7-4
18
9
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Ignacio 15, Evangelical Christian 13, Custer County 10, Haxtun 9, Calhan 8, Simla 8, Clear Creek 6, Dayspring Christian 4, Hayden 4, Dolores Huerta 3, Fowler 3, Dawson 1, Rangley 1.
Dropped out
Ignacio (8).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Peetz (5)
11-0
84
2
2-0
2
Holly (2)
12-0
79
3
2-0
3
Creede (2)
12-0
76
1
2-0
4
Cheyenne Wells
8-1
45
6
1-0
5
Heritage Christian
8-2
44
4
1-1
6
Sangre de Cristo
12-1
44
5
3-0
7
Longmont Christian
9-3
35
8
2-0
8
Primero
8-2
26
7
2-0
9
South Baca
8-3
24
9
3-0
10
Kit Carson
8-2
19
10
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Sierra Grande 8, Shining Mountain 5, Cornerstone Christian 4, De Beque 2.
Following a week filled with big wins, George Washington boys basketball has moved up to No. 3 in the Class 5A rankings.
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.
The first boys basketball rankings after the break brought a host of changes, including a new No. 1 team — Creede — in Class 1A.
Joining the polls this week:
Highlands Ranch, No. 10, in 5A.
Ponderosa, No. 8, and Valor Christian, No. 9, in 4A.
Manual, No. 9, in 3A.
Limon, No. 6, and Vail Christian, No. 8, in 2A.
Sangre de Cristo, No. 8, and De Beque, No. 10, in 1A.
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.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Rock Canyon (8)
11-0
105
1
2-0
2
Grandview (3)
10-1
98
6
6-1
3
ThunderRidge
12-1
82
5
3-0
4
Chaparral
10-2
67
3
4-2
5
Denver East
9-2
62
4
3-2
6
Regis Jesuit
10-1
52
8
4-0
7
Doherty
9-2
33
10
4-0
8
Smoky Hill
7-4
32
2
3-2
9
George Washington
7-5
24
7
2-3
10
Highlands Ranch
8-2
20
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Rampart 8, Liberty 5, Broomfield 4, Mountain Vista 4, Castle View 2, Cherokee Trail 2, Overland 2, Cherry Creek 1, Eaglecrest 1, Rangeview 1.
Dropped out
Eaglecrest (9).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Lewis-Palmer (14)
8-0
157
1
2-0
2
Silver Creek (1)
8-0
125
4
4-0
3
Pueblo South
9-2
124
3
2-0
4
Golden
9-2
107
2
2-0
5
Pueblo West (1)
9-2
100
9
6-0
6
Longmont
5-1
61
6
1-0
7
Holy Family
6-4
31
5
2-2
8
Ponderosa
10-1
25
–
3-0
9
Valor Christian
5-6
24
–
4-3
10
Falcon
5-3
21
10
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Evergreen 19, Widefield 18, Elizabeth 15, Windsor 15, Roosevelt 12, Air Academy 5, Mountain View 5, Palmer Ridge 4, D’Evelyn 3, Mesa Ridge 2, Steamboat Springs 2, Thomas Jefferson 2, Montrose 1, Pueblo East 1, Thompson Valley 1.
Dropped out
Windsor (7), Widefield (8).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sterling (15)
7-0
159
1
0-0
2
Alamosa (1)
6-1
117
4
1-0
3
Faith Christian
6-2
113
3
1-0
4
Kent Denver
7-2
89
2
1-1
5
Grand Valley
6-0
76
6
0-0
6
DSST-Stapleton
4-4
62
7
0-1
7
Platte Valley
7-1
55
5
2-0
8
La Junta
7-2
34
8
0-2
9
Manual
4-3
32
–
0-0
10
The Vanguard
5-1
29
9
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Arrupe Jesuit 15, Resurrection Christian 14, Colorado Springs Christian 12, Strasburg 12, Colorado Academy 11, Bayfield 9, Centauri 9, Coal Ridge 9, Lutheran 8, Roaring Fork 5, Pagosa Springs 3, Delta 2, Jefferson 2, The Pinnacle 2, Manitou Springs 1.
Dropped out
Resurrection Christian (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sedgwick County (5)
7-0
105
1
2-0
2
Crowley County (4)
8-0
98
2
1-0
3
Del Norte
6-2
74
4
0-0
4
Yuma (1)
5-2
65
3
0-0
5
Meeker
4-2
48
8
1-1
6
Limon (1)
6-1
45
–
2-0
7
Simla
6-0
38
7
1-0
8
Vail Christian (1)
6-1
36
–
2-0
9
Ignacio
4-3
31
5
1-2
10
Sanford
3-3
30
6
0-1
Others receiving votes:
Byers 16, Hoehne 14, Custer County 9, Twin Peaks 9, Highland 8, Merino 5, Plateau Valley 5, Clear Creek 4, Evangelical Christian 4, Dolores Huerta 3, Haxtun 3, Hotchkiss 2, Paonia 2, Sargent 2, Calhan 1, Dawson 1, Fowler 1, Front Range Christian 1.
Dropped out
Byers (9), Hoehne (10).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Creede (5)
8-0
91
3
1-0
2
Holly (4)
8-0
81
1
0-0
3
Peetz (1)
8-0
74
2
2-0
4
Heritage Christian
5-1
44
9
0-0
5
South Baca
4-2
42
4
1-1
6
Longmont Christian
6-1
39
5
1-0
7
Cheyenne Wells
5-1
32
6
1-0
8
Sangre de Cristo
6-1
24
–
2-0
9
Primero
5-1
23
10
1-0
10
De Beque
7-0
21
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Front Range Baptist 19, Kit Carson 14, Moffat 9, Aguilar 7, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 5, Sierra Grande 5, Mile High Academy 3, Caliche 1, Shining Mountain 1.
A host of new teams joined this week’s boys basketball rankings.
Included: Eaglecrest and Doherty in 5A, Widefield in 4A, Byers and Hoehne in 2A, and Creede and Primero in 1A.
With a relatively light schedule this week, these will be the final rankings prior to the winter break.
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.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Rock Canyon (12)
9-0
129
1
4-0
2
Smoky Hill (1)
4-2
95
3
1-0
3
Chaparral
6-0
85
6
2-0
4
Denver East
6-0
84
2
0-0
5
ThunderRidge
9-1
75
5
3-0
6
Grandview
4-0
65
7
1-0
7
George Washington
5-2
55
4
1-1
8
Regis Jesuit
6-1
53
8
2-0
9
Eaglecrest
5-3
32
–
2-1
10
Doherty
5-2
8
–
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Cherokee Trail 7, Rampart 7, Liberty 6, Rangeview 6, Highlands Ranch 3, Castle View 2, Overland 2, Mountain Vista 1.
Dropped out
Rangeview (9), Overland (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Lewis-Palmer (13)
6-0
130
1
2-0
2
Golden
7-2
107
2
2-1
3
Pueblo South
7-2
103
3
2-1
4
Silver Creek
4-0
80
4
3-0
5
Holy Family
4-2
56
5
1-1
6
Longmont
4-1
40
9
2-0
7
Windsor
5-1
37
7
2-1
8
Widefield
4-1
29
–
2-0
9
Pueblo West
3-2
28
6
1-1
10
Falcon
4-2
25
10
0-1
Others receiving votes:
Ponderosa 17, Thomas Jefferson 13, Valor Christian 11, Roosevelt 10, Mountain View 6, Evergreen 5, Glenwood Springs 3, Mesa Ridge 3, Pueblo East 3, Elizabeth 2, Littleton 2, Air Academy 1, Cheyenne Mountain 1, Mead 1, Sierra 1, Thompson Valley 1.
Dropped out
Valor Christian (8).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sterling (15)
7-0
150
1
1-0
2
Kent Denver
6-1
95
2
1-1
3
Faith Christian
5-2
89
5
3-0
4
Alamosa
5-1
74
4
0-0
5
Platte Valley
5-1
69
3
1-1
6
Grand Valley
6-0
62
7
2-0
7
DSST-Stapleton
4-3
56
6
1-1
8
La Junta
7-0
23
10
1-0
9
The Vanguard
5-1
21
9
1-1
10
Resurrection Christian
4-3
20
8
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Colorado Academy 19, Colorado Springs Christian 19, Manual 19, Coal Ridge 16, Lutheran 15, Bayfield 12, Brush 12, Arrupe Jesuit 11, Strasburg 11, Roaring Fork 7, Fort Lupton 5, Delta 4, Frontier Academy 4, Jefferson 4, The Pinnacle 3, Pagosa Springs 2, Ridge View Academy 2, DSST-Green Valley Ranch 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sedgwick County (6)
5-0
100
1
2-0
2
Crowley County (3)
7-0
92
2
2-0
3
Yuma (1)
5-2
59
3
1-1
4
Del Norte
6-2
56
4
2-0
5
Ignacio (1)
3-1
42
6
2-1
6
Sanford
3-2
40
5
0-1
7
Simla
5-0
38
9
3-0
8
Meeker
3-1
31
7
0-1
9
Byers
6-1
27
–
3-0
10
Hoehne
6-1
22
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Limon 21, Cripple Creek-Victor 20, Plateau Valley 19, Highland 12, Vail Christian 9, Mancos 8, Hotchkiss 3, Fowler 2, Paonia 2, Dawson 1, Twin Peaks 1.
Dropped out
Highland (8), Cripple Creek-Victor (10).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Holly (5)
8-0
76
1
3-0
2
Peetz (2)
6-0
66
3
2-0
3
Creede (2)
7-0
57
–
2-0
4
South Baca
3-1
51
7
2-0
5
Longmont Christian
5-1
37
6
2-0
6
Cheyenne Wells
4-1
32
2
1-1
7
Front Range Baptist
5-1
30
8
2-0
8
Kit Carson
4-1
26
5
2-1
9
Heritage Christian
5-1
25
10
2-0
10
Primero
4-1
23
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Sierra Grande 21, DeBeque 18, Sangre de Cristo 12, Cotopaxi 8, Cheraw 6, Fleming 6, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 1.
The 2017 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created entirely from the results of the coaches’ vote.
There were plenty of changes as the first boys basketball rankings of the regular season were released. Included: Lewis-Palmer is now the new No. 1 team in Class 4A.
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.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Rock Canyon (9)
5-0
108
1
5-0
2
Denver East (1)
6-0
74
6
6-0
3
Smoky Hill
3-2
73
2
3-2
4
George Washington
4-1
72
3
4-1
5
ThunderRidge (1)
6-1
58
5
6-1
6
Chaparral
4-0
54
8
4-0
7
Grandview
3-0
44
10
3-0
8
Regis Jesuit
4-1
42
7
4-1
9
Rangeview
4-1
18
–
4-1
10
Overland
0-3
15
4
0-3
Others receiving votes:
Rampart 13, Doherty 10, Eaglecrest 7, Cherokee Trail 4, Arvada West 3, Douglas County 3, Broomfield 2, Fruita Monument 2, Cherry Creek 1, Horizon 1, Legacy 1.
Dropped out
Eaglecrest (9).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Lewis-Palmer (14)
4-0
157
4
4-0
2
Golden (1)
5-1
128
1
5-1
3
Pueblo South
5-1
107
2
5-1
4
Silver Creek
1-0
84
6
1-0
5
Holy Family
3-1
73
5
3-1
6
Pueblo West
2-1
71
3
2-1
7
Windsor
3-0
50
–
3-0
8
Valor Christian
1-2
38
8
1-2
9
Longmont
2-1
30
9
2-1
10
Falcon
4-1
28
10
4-1
Others receiving votes:
Evergreen 24, Widefield 23, Thompson Valley 19, Mead 11, Cheyenne Mountain 9, Ponderosa 7, Littleton 6, Summit 5, Mesa Ridge 3, Pueblo East 2, Roosevelt 2, Thomas Jefferson 2, Glenwood Springs 1.
Dropped out
Widefield (7).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sterling (15)
6-0
159
1
6-0
2
Kent Denver (1)
5-0
110
3
5-0
3
Platte Valley
4-0
86
–
4-0
4
Alamosa
5-1
72
7
5-1
5
Faith Christian
2-2
54
2
2-2
6
DSST-Stapleton
3-2
51
5
3-2
7
Grand Valley
4-0
41
–
4-0
8
Resurrection Christian
3-2
38
4
3-2
9
The Vanguard
4-0
36
–
4-0
10
La Junta
6-0
34
–
6-0
Others receiving votes:
Colorado Springs Christian 26, Lutheran 24, Coal Ridge 21, Frontier Academy 20, Centauri 17, Strasburg 15, Fort Lupton 12, Bayfield 10, Roaring Fork 10, Manitou Springs 8, The Pinnacle 8, Buena Vista 7, Arrupe Jesuit 6, Pagosa Springs 5, Peak to Peak 4, Brush 3, DSST-Green Valley Ranch 3, Colorado Academy 2, Jefferson Academy 2, Ridge View Academy 2, The Academy 1, Eaton 1, Jefferson 1, Manual 1.
Dropped out
Colorado Springs Christian (6), Lutheran (8), Bayfield (9), Strasburg (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sedgwick County (7)
3-0
83
1
3-0
2
Crowley County (1)
5-0
80
9
5-0
3
Yuma (2)
4-1
72
–
4-1
4
Del Norte
4-2
60
3
4-2
5
Sanford
3-1
51
7
3-1
6
Ignacio (1)
1-0
33
10
1-0
7
Meeker
3-0
30
–
3-0
8
Highland
2-2
26
4
2-2
9
Simla
2-0
24
–
2-0
10
Cripple Creek-Victor
5-1
19
–
5-1
Others receiving votes:
Hoehne 16, Hotchkiss 12, Limon 12, Sargent 11, Fowler 10, Plateau Valley 10, Byers 9, Haxtun 9, Vail Christian 9, Twin Peaks 6, Dawson 5, Mancos 5, Merino 2, Paonia 2, Dolores Huerta 1, Evangelical Christian 1.
Dropped out
Holyoke (2), Paonia (5), Fowler (6), Akron (8).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Holly (4)
5-0
68
1
5-0
2
Cheyenne Wells (1)
3-0
59
2
3-0
3
Peetz (2)
4-0
51
6
4-0
4
Cotopaxi
2-1
49
–
2-1
5
Kit Carson
2-0
37
7
2-0
6
Longmont Christian
3-1
32
8
3-1
7
South Baca
1-1
25
10
1-1
8
Front Range Baptist
3-1
22
5
3-1
9
Sierra Grande
3-2
20
9
3-2
10
Heritage Christian
3-1
18
–
3-1
Others receiving votes:
Primero 15, Cheraw 9, DeBeque 9, Fleming 9, Creede 8, Sangre de Cristo 3, Shining Mountain 3, Arickaree/Woodlin 1, North Park 1, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 1.
The 2017-18 preseason boys basketball rankings are here. No. 1 teams to start the season include: Rock Canyon (5A), Golden (4A), Sterling (3A), Sedgwick County (2A) and Holly (1A).
Sterling and Holly are defending champions, while Sedgwick County finished runner-up last season.
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.
Evergreen 19, Mead 16, Mesa Ridge 16, D’Evelyn 13, Thompson Valley 12, Sierra 7, Air Academy 4, Northridge 3, Sand Creek 3, Windsor 3, Mountain View 2, Palmer Ridge 2, Ponderosa 2, Fort Morgan 1, Vista PEAK 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Sterling (10)
0-0
109
2
Faith Christian
0-0
92
3
Kent Denver (1)
0-0
58
4
Resurrection Christian
0-0
48
5
DSST-Stapleton
0-0
35
6
Colorado Springs Christian
0-0
34
7
Alamosa
0-0
31
8
Lutheran
0-0
27
9
Bayfield
0-0
25
10
Strasburg
0-0
22
Others receiving votes:
Coal Ridge 20, Manitou Springs 20, Manual 15, DSST-Green Valley Ranch 13, Basalt 7, Buena Vista 7, Grand Valley 7, La Junta 7, The Academy 6, Colorado Academy 6, Platte Valley 5, The Vanguard 5, Roaring Fork 4, Arrupe Jesuit 1, Machebeuf 1.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Sedgwick County (5)
0-0
94
2
Holyoke (4)
0-0
84
3
Del Norte (1)
0-0
61
4
Highland
0-0
46
5
Paonia
0-0
43
6
Fowler
0-0
33
7
Sanford
0-0
31
8
Akron
0-0
30
9
Crowley County
0-0
27
10
Ignacio
0-0
24
Others receiving votes:
Yuma 20, Peyton 10, Burlington 6, Meeker 6, Merino 6, Vail Christian 6, Byers 5, Dawson 5, Limon 4, Haxtun 3, Hotchkiss 3, Evangelical Christian 2, Calhan 1.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Holly (5)
0-0
69
2
Cheyenne Wells
0-0
61
3
Fleming (1)
0-0
51
4
Creede
0-0
46
5
Front Range Baptist (1)
0-0
40
6
Peetz (1)
0-0
36
7
Kit Carson
0-0
31
8
Longmont Christian
0-0
29
9
Sierra Grande
0-0
18
10
South Baca
0-0
15
Others receiving votes:
Heritage Christian 8, Ouray 8, Cheraw 7, Stratton/Liberty 4, Sangre de Cristo 4, Flagler 3, Shining Mountain 3, Walsh 3, DeBeque 2, Cornerstone Christian 1, Weldon Valley 1.
JOES — It was gut check time for Peetz. Down 28-24 with five minutes left in the game, Peetz lined up for a game-tying field goal.
The Bulldogs sent a man in motion to the outside, the holder took the snap, dropped back, and threw it up to Logan Sircy for a touchdown to win the 6-man football championship.
“Well we’ve worked on it,” Peetz coach Scott Sorensen said. “We used that motion man to get us a one-on-one matchup. We felt comfortable with it, we ran it in practice all week. It was great to see it work.”
Sircy had three touchdowns, none bigger than the one that distanced Peetz for good in a 38-28 win.
“It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Sircy said. “It’s crazy, we worked our butts off all year just to get to this point. We had some guys come out that had never played high school football before. It was a team effort, from the bottom to the top.”
The Bulldogs outscored Stratton/Liberty 24-8 in the final quarter.
(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com)
“It shows our grit,” Sircy said. “We’ve been down before. We were down to Fleming in the first half by a couple touchdowns. We feel that we overcome adversity.”
Stratton/Liberty came out with a tough defensive effort. The Knighted Eagles forced Peetz to punt on each of it’s first five drives.
Eltan Yarger put Stratton/Liberty up 6-0 with 6:49 in the 1st quarter, then Phillip Pickard followed with a 38-yd touchdown run to give the Knighted Eagles a 14-0 lead after one quarter.
“We just needed to get out of that first quarter,” Sorensen said. “To only be down two touchdowns after that first quarter, that was great. They were bringing it.”
Peetz forced two turnovers with Stratton/Liberty inside the five-yard-line — an interception in the endzone and a fumble recovery at the two — but was unable to turn the opportunities into points.
A turnover on downs finally gave Peetz good starting field position, and they took advantage of it. The Bulldogs cut the Stratton/Liberty lead to 14-6 with about two minutes before halftime after a crucial fourth down conversion in the red zone.
“The kids were used to it,” Sorensen said. “They’ve had tight games. The loss, I think helped us bounce back and know that we’re not invincible.”
With Peetz driving, Stratton/Liberty stopped the Bulldog offense on fourth down and two, then took it down the field to extend the lead. Yarger’s second touchdown of the day put the Knighted Eagles up 20-6.
Sircy kept Peetz in the game with two touchdowns. His second, with 1:38 in the third quarter, made it a one-possession game with Stratton/Liberty holding just a six-point lead.
“Do whatever I can to help my team,” Sircy said. “Do whatever I can to get us that much closer.”
On the ensuing drive, Sircy intercepted the pass to set up Peetz with a shot at taking its first lead of the game. Peetz went three-and-0ut, but the punt was downed at the Stratton/Liberty one-yard line.
(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com)
Peetz shot up the middle on defense and forced a safety on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“That was the turning point,” Sorensen said. “You felt the whole momentum shift. It was big. First of all, the punt to get it down there, that was great. What a punt. Nice little sequence of plays there.”
Hunter White spun into the endzone to cap the ensuing drive and give Peetz its first lead of the game. The extra point hit off the upright and bounced in to put the Bulldogs up 24-20.
But, Stratton/Liberty hung tough. A gutsy, tackle-breaking run by Pickard put the Knighted Eagles back in the lead.
Then, Sorensen’s fake field goal call gave Peetz a title win after a 15-year drought. Peetz last won the 6-man championship in 2002 and 1995.
“It feels good, I just don’t need to do it every 15 years, man,” Sorensen laughed. “Holy crap.”
