Hayden Blubaugh carries Grandview football to big win over Doherty
AURORA — Hayden Blubaugh is one wolf that cannot be tamed.
The Grandview senior broke free for 187 yards and five touchdown runs as the Wolves ran by Doherty 65-27 Friday night at Legacy Stadium.
With the playoffs creeping closer and closer, CHSAANow.com No. 4-ranked Grandview (6-1 overall, 3-0 Mt. Massive) is now one game closer to hosting in the postseason yet again. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done.
“We have a lot of things to clean up,” coach John Shultz said. “We have two games to play against Arapahoe, who beat us last year, and Overland who we’ve played every year since we’ve been around.”
Blubaugh sent a clear message to the rest of Class 5A that if the Wolves are running wild, they’re going to be difficult to tame.
“We really came out and executed,” Blubaugh said. “The offensive line came out and did their job like they always do and allowed some big holes for me to get through and score.”
With remaining league games against Arapahoe and Overland, it’s not a stretch to think that Grandview will be hosting in the first round of the postseason. League champions that are in the 16-team playoff field in RPI are protected and get to play their first game at home.
The road to the postseason will be more difficult for the No. 10 Spartans (6-2, 2-1), but they know all they can do is get back on the field Monday and cleaning up some of the holes that Grandview exposed.
“That’s exactly what we do, get back to work,” coach Jeff Krumlauf said. “Our whole focus is going 1-0, obviously that didn’t happen tonight. Everything is to improve on what we didn’t do well tonight and focus on things we did do well.”
The Spartans had dreams of starting big on the night as the first offensive play was an attempted throw down the field. They wanted the Wolves to know they weren’t afraid. After punting the ball away, they were given new life with an interception from Eymon Campbell.
They took advantage as Zander Offut found Justin Ragland for a 22-yard touchdown pass that gave Doherty a 7-0 lead.
But then Blubaugh broke free.
It only took two runs for him to go 57 yards and find the endzone.
Offut threw an interception on the ensuing Doherty drive that turned into another Grandview touchdown.
The Spartans responded with a long drive that ended in a Ragland touchdown, but being down 14-13 is the closest they would be for the rest of the game.
They got outscored 31-8 just through the rest of the first half.
It was just that kind of night and things just happened to fall the way of the Wolves.
“It was two very good offenses,” Schultz said. “Our offense just executed well today and our defense came up with some timely turnovers.”
Blubaugh and quarterback Gunner Lamphere each added a rushing touchdown early in the second half and Grandview was able to grind the rest of the game away for a 65-27 win.
In the process, Blubaugh went over the 1,000 yard mark on the season and nearly doubled his touchdown total.
Not a bad night’s work for arguably the most dominant back in the Rocky Mountains.
And when he and his teammates are firing on all cylinders, there may not be a more dangerous group of individuals in the state.
“I don’t so,” Blubaugh said. “I don’t think there is.”
