Bear Creek’s second-half surge knocks off Lakewood

LAKEWOOD — Bear Creek football coach Matt Steinfeldt received a cold bucket shower to open the season Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium.

Bear Creek defeated area-rival Lakewood 32-27 in the season opener and Steinfeldt’s players celebrated by dumping the ice bucket on the second-year coach. 

“It’s huge for us. We were so excited last year to start with Lakewood. That rivalry and history we have with them,” Steinfeldt said sporting his soaking wet Bear Creek t-shirt. “To not have that game against them last year was rough on the players.”

It was the first victory for Bear Creek over the Tigers on the gridiron since 2015. Lakewood had a 4-game winning streak going against Bear Creek. The shortened COVID season last year forced the rivalry game off the schedule in 2020. 

“It’s crazy. I can’t even explain the feeling that I’m feeling right now,” Bear Creek senior Richie Caballero said. “We just made history. Six years of losing to them. The Class of 2022 made a name for themselves tonight.”

Caballero made a name for himself running wild in the second half. The senior running back/linebacker scored on three second-half touchdown runs to guide the Bears to the come-from-behind victory.

“I love carrying the ball,” Caballero said. “When I break into the open I can feel the momentum in the stadium. It’s a feeling I love.”

Caballero had touchdown run of 3, 10 and 19 yards in the second half to go along with his 5-yard touchdown run in the first half which was Bear Creek’s lone score before halftime.

“Richie is a big hard body,” Steinfeldt said of the Bears’ returning power running back who had nearly 400 yards rushing in six games last season.

Bear Creek scored touchdowns on its first four offensive possessions in the second half to turn what was a 14-0 deficit early late in the first quarter into an eventual 32-21 lead when Caballero broke off his longest scoring run of the night with 4:27 left in the fourth quarter.

“We just beat Lakewood. That was going through my mind,” Caballero said when he stopped in the end zone after his fourth touchdown of the night.

Lakewood would score a late touchdown with a 9-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Max Schadler to senior Connor Ladd with 1:18 left in the game to cut the Bears’ lead to 32-27. However, the Tigers failed on an onside kick and the Bears were able to runout the clock.

“We had some nice chats at halftime,” Steinfeldt said. “The boys made some nice adjustments and our coaching staff did a great job. We really rallied.”

Schadler had a strong game with a touchdown run and a pair of touchdown passes. Ladd found the end zone three times with a 44-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the game and a pair of touchdown catches, but the Bears were able to slow down the Tigers offensively in the second half.

“Lakewood was very efficient in that spread (offense). They got some big plays on us,” Steinfeldt said. “Our defensive coordinator (Robert O’Brien) did a great job making some gap adjustments. We kept them to three or four yards per play.”

Lakewood hits the road where it will attempt to get in the win column. The Tigers head up to Westminster to face the Wolves.

Bear Creek returns to Jeffco Stadium next week. The Bears host Greeley West in a non-league game at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3. 

“This is a win. We’ll celebrate it for 12 hours and then its on to next week,” Caballero said.