Football roundup: Longmont tops Pueblo East in big cross-classification showdown
It doesn’t get much bigger for Zero Week: One defending champion, one runner-up — both from different classifications.
On Friday, Longmont, the Class 4A runner-up last season, held off Pueblo East, the reigning 3A champ, with a 48-27 victory. The Trojans got five touchdowns from Conlon Berger, according to BoCoPreps’ Brad Cochi.
The game was actually knotted at 21 at halftime, but Longmont seized a two-touchdown lead just two drives into the second half. Pueblo East fumbled on the next possession, and Longmont’s Berger scored on the very next play.
Longmont, ranked No. 2 in 4A’s preseason poll, cruised thereafter to knock off top-ranked Pueblo East.
1A/2A: (4) Resurrection Christian 15, (5) Platte Valley 13
Resurrection Christian scored two touchdowns in a span of 1:28, and it would be all the Cougars needed to upset 2A foe Platte Valley, 15-13.
Scoreless at halftime, Resurrection Christan got a touchdown from John Hecker midway through the third quarter. Less than two minutes, a blocked punt led to another score.
Platte Valley battled back, and even scored a touchdown to make it 15-13 with 2:37 remaining, but couldn’t convert the two-point attempt to tie the game.
3A: (9) Delta 38, The Classical Academy 35
In a game that featured seven lead changes, Delta was finally able to hold off The Classical Academy.
TCA led 28-24 with 8:29 to go in the third quarter, but Delta was able to rally to take a 31-28 lead heading to the fourth.
The Classical Academy drove down to the Delta 1-yard-line with a chance to take the lead, but turned the ball over. Delta scored on the ensuing possession to make it 38-28.
8-man: (10) Sargent 40, (8) Springfield 28
Sargent built at 32-14 lead at halftime, and was able to pull the upset of Springfield.
The game looked to be a back-and-forth affair early on, but a 66-yard kickoff return for a score made it 24-8 and broke the game open.
5A: Cherry Creek 31, Heritage 0
Cherry Creek, the defending 5A champion, shook off some Zero Week jitters to cruise to a season-opening win.
Joe Caplis threw three touchdowns, while JC Chery added a rushing score.
Notes
- Pine Creek extended its state-best winning streak to 26 games by beating Pueblo Centennial 45-0. Paonia has the second-longest streak at 23 games.
- Colorado teams were 4-0 on Friday against out-of-state opponents. Included: Valor Christian beating Bonneville (Idaho) 51-12; Bayfield topping Kirtland Central (N.M.) 43-0; Rifle over Grand County (Utah) 47-12; and Sedgwick County routing Creek Valley (Neb.) 94-8.
- Durango pulled off a big upset in 3A, knocking off No. 10 Lutheran 33-7.
- In 6-man, No. 8 North Park upset No. 5 Peetz, 60-26. Helmuth Wenneker had two rushing touchdowns, while Garrin Cox rushed for 170 yards and a score.
- Tanner Patterson had six total touchdowns as 6-man No. 10 Otis beat Weldon Valley 50-7 — three passing and three rushing.
