D’Evelyn football gets defensive in win over Green Mountain
LAKEWOOD — D’Evelyn senior receiver/defensive back Cullen Flynn was a prime example of how to respond to adversity Friday night at Jeffco Stadium.
Green Mountain’s large homecoming football crowd got fired up early when junior Ryan Burdi intercepted a pass from D’Evelyn quarterback Chad Dines that was intended for Flynn on the third play from scrimmage. The ball hit Flynn directly in the face mask on an out-pattern. Burdi snagged it and returned the pick to the Jaguars’ 3-yard line.
Green Mountain senior Cade Casterline scored on the next play on a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Rams a 7-0 just 75 seconds into the game.
“We always talk about adversity. If we get down, we keep fighting. That is what we did,” Flynn said after the Jaguars rallied for a 21-10 victory. “We had adversity right off the bat.”
Flynn turned things around personally in a hurry. He ended with 10 catches for 112 yards. His 19-yard touchdown catch from Dines in the fourth quarter was the only points put up in the second half and gave D’Evelyn its two-score lead.
“Flynn has so much confidence right now. It started in track when he placed third in the 110 (Class 3A hurdles) at the state track meet,” D’Evelyn coach Jeremy Bennett said. “He is a tremendous athlete. We tell our kids adversity is going to happen. How do you act to it?”
Flynn wrapped up his night in style intercepting Green Mountain sophomore quarterback Trey Towndrow on the final play of the game.
The Jaguars’ high-powered offense had great balance with seniors Cody Bell, John Ochoa and Flynn combining for more than 200 yards receiving. Junior Luca McIntyre contributed 102 yards on 13 carries as the Jaguars bounced back from an opening season loss.
“This is cool. It’s fun for our kids,” Bennett said of playing at Jeffco Stadium. The Jaguars normally play their games at Trailblazer Stadium. “This hasn’t happened for our kids since 2003. It was great atmosphere for a high school football game. This was a lot of fun.”
D’Evelyn’s first-half scoring came from the Dines to Bell connection. The senior quarterback hit Bell for touchdowns of 2 and 48 yards to help the Jaguars to a 14-10 lead at halftime.
Green Mountain kicker Quinn Meinert connected on a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter, but hit the upright on a 27-yard attempt that could have trimmed D’Evelyn’s lead to a single point heading into halftime.
“Jeremy does a great job,” Green Mountain coach Matt Pees said of D’Evelyn. “They are a really well-coached team. They are disciplined and believe in themselves. We knew it would be a fight to the end.”
Casterline had a solid night on the ground with 21 carries for 84 yards, but wasn’t able to break off any big runs in the second half as D’Evelyn’s defense adjusted.
“Green Mountain was killing us on the outside,” D’Evelyn senior linebacker Peter Flack said. “They were breaking containment. We just widened out a little bit. It was pretty good to shut them down in the second half.”
D’Evelyn (1-1 record) hosts The Classical Academy on Friday night at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood. TCA is currently ranked No. 4 in the CHSAANow.com Class 2A football standings.
“(TCA) is going to be a good challenge,” Flack said. “They beat us last year. We’ve just got to prepare right and hopefully get that one too.”
Green Mountain (0-2) hits the road to face Golden (1-1) in the Demons’ homecoming game 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15. The game will be played at Colorado School of Mines’ football stadium — home of the Orediggers’ Division II football program.
“We just have to clean somethings up and get better each week,” Pees said. “It’s part of the process. Our goals are still ahead of us.”
