No. 5 Montrose football wins narrow top-10 battle against No. 7 Fruita Monument

MONTROSE – In front of a packed Montrose Stadium, the fifth-ranked Montrose and seventh-ranked Fruita Monument football teams proved why they are ranked where they are, and the home crowd went home happy as the Indians won, 26-22, in the end.

“Us running backs had a great game,” Austin Griffin said. “Gage (Wareham) had a great game too. We had a great game all around as a team. They (the offensive line) just never quit. They just keep going and going and they did an awesome job.”

Friday’s game went back and forth throughout.

The visiting Wildcats (1-1) tried an onside kick to open the game but the host Indians recovered and got their running game going, marching went right down the field. With 8 minutes, 46 seconds left in the first quarter, Griffin scored from 13 yards out to give the Indians (2-0) a 6-0 lead that held until the end of the first quarter.

Fruita Monument’s Corben Rowell found Armony Trujillo for a 10-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter but the Wildcats’ first lead was brief, as the Indians rushing attack marched back down the field and Ethan Harman went 45 yards for a touchdown to put the Indians back up 13-7. The Wildcats responded quickly, as sophomore Wyatt Sharpe scored from 36 yards to put his team back in the lead.

The Wildcats added a late second-quarter touchdown and with a two-point conversion, they led 22-13 at halftime.

“It was a tough, physical game tonight,” Fruita Monument coach Cameron Ross said. “I think we did some good things in the first half, but struggled in the second. We made too many mistakes and against a good team like Montrose, you can’t do that and expect to win.”

Fruita Monument started on offense to open the second half but the Indians defense held, which set up a 65-yard drive that ended with Griffin scoring on a five-yard run that cut the lead to 22-20. With the Wildcats driving on their next possession, Montrose senior Ethan Hartman intercepted a long pass that set up a go-ahead drive and a third rushing touchdown from Griffin that gave the Indians’ the late lead the needed to hold on and win.

“I am proud of these boys. Their commitment to playing team football is amazing.” Montrose coach Brett Mertens said. “They played so hard tonight, never gave up and were behind each other the whole game. Great night to be a Montrose Indian.”

Unofficially, Griffin finished with 153 yards rushing on 30 carries. Hartman had seven carries for 80 yards, and also caught four passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. Gage Wareham was five for eight passing for 57 yards.

For Fruita Monument, Trujillo had 22 carries for 93 yards.