PUEBLO – For the first time since 1999, the Fort Morgan football team is back on top.
With a thrilling 21-17 victory over Mead in the 2021 3A football state championship at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl, the Mustangs won their third title in program history, the other coming in 1992.
For the town of Fort Morgan and fourth-year head coach Ty Davies, it was a return to the top for one of the smaller schools in the 3A ranks.
“This week and this game was one of the best experiences of these kids’ lives.” Davies stated. “Our community and our brotherhood is amazing, and I’m just so happy for everyone involved. These boys embody and represent our community better than any group I’ve been around.”
The Mustangs won the title in a similar fashion as their previous three playoff games, by a razor thin margin. Their three prior playoff games were won by a total of just 23 points. In this one, it took a touchdown with just under four minutes to play, followed by a game sealing interception in their own territory with just 10 seconds left.
Fort Morgan was led on offense by the game’s MVP, senior running back Frank Ortega, who scored two of the three touchdowns. Senior QB Briggs Wheatley had the other, the eventual game winner.
The defense also stepped-up big time, as it has all postseason, forcing two Mead interceptions. The second was the game sealing pick by junior DB David Keller.
“Our coaches told us to not rush after the QB because they run some pretty crazy plays,” Keller explained. "When I dropped back into coverage, I saw their wide receiver run across the middle and I stayed with him. I saw the ball go into the air and I jumped up, I didn’t think I was going to get it, but surprisingly I came up with the ball. I was so just so happy to make that play.”
Fort Morgan was the first to strike in the first quarter. After holding Mead to a punt on the first possession of the game, the Mustangs methodically drove down the field for a one-yard TD run from Ortega to make it 7-0 with just over five minutes of clock left in the first.
Mead had the immediate answer, as they matched Fort Morgan’s long drive, scoring in the first minute of the second quarter on a four-yard run from Corby Tecu to knot the contest at 7-7.
From there, the defenses stepped up, as Mead forced a turnover on downs, followed by a missed field goal from Mead to keep it 7-7. Both teams then traded interceptions, Mead’s coming from Nick Murphy and Fort Morgan’s from Leevi McCoy, to keep the deadlock into the half.
Mead returned the favor on defense to start the second half, forcing a three-and-out and taking over early in the third quarter. A long drive from them was capped off by a second rushing TD from Tecu, this one from two yards out on fourth down, to give Mead its first lead, 14-7, with 6:49 left in the third.
The teams continued to trade punches, as Fort Morgan answered right back on their next possession. The running games continued to dominate, as Ortega scored his second touchdown scampering in untouched from 10 yards out to knot the game back up at 14-14 with just under three minutes left in the third.
Heading into the fourth, Mead capped off a drive with a 25-yard field goal from Ka'ili Casco to take the lead back, 17-14, with 7:40 left to play. Getting the ball back, Fort Morgan executed crucial play after crucial play, including converting a fourth and six near midfield, that kept the drive alive.
Eventually, Wheatley pounded his way in on a QB keeper from about six yards out to get the lead back, 21-17, with just under four minutes to play.
Mead was not quite done yet though, as they quickly moved into Mustang territory with the clock winding down. That was when Keller came up with the clutch interception with just 10 seconds to play to seal the victory.
For Mead, the game represented their first appearance in the state championship since the school was re-established in 2010.