The Class 3A football state semifinals were all played on Saturday afternoon throughout Colorado.
When the dust settled, the championship game teams for next week's title game were set. No. 1 Roosevelt will face No. 3 Lutheran in the state championship game next Saturday at the CSU-Pueblo Thunderbowl.
(1) Roosevelt 30, (5) Green Mountain 3
JOHNSTOWN — Top-seeded Roosevelt closed out the final football game ever played at Peterson Field in impressive fashion Saturday afternoon.
The Roughriders advanced to the Class 3A state championship game next Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Thunderbowl at Colorado State University-Pueblo with a dominating 30-3 victory over No. 5 Green Mountain.
“It was very important for me,” Roosevelt senior Tucker Peterson said celebrating a win on Peterson Field for the final time. “I started as a freshman and have been here for four years. This is where a dreamed about growing up. To win the last game here was something special.”
Undefeated Roosevelt (13-0 record) will face No. 3 Lutheran (11-2) in the title game next weekend. The Lions upset No. 2 Durango 45-28 in the other 3A semifinal on the Western Slope on Saturday.
Roosevelt opened up the scoring with an 80-yard, 13-play drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Xavier Ramirez with 1:05 left in the first quarter. The junior had 22 carries for just over 100 yards as he nears a 2,000-yard season, which he could reach in the 3A title game.
“Our run game was awesome and our offensive line did a great job for our running backs,” Roosevelt coach Lane Wasinger said. “They stuck to the script and kept pounding the ball.”
The Roughriders’ defense provided the huge momentum swing in the second quarter that helped Roosevelt take a commanding 23-0 lead at halftime. Seniors Ryan Doucette and Elizar Valencia combined on tackling Green Mountain senior quarterback Zach Wallace, who fumbled on the hit. Roosevelt senior Evan Cline recovered the fumble on the Rams’ 40-yard line.
“These games come down to momentum and swings of momentum,” Wasinger said. “Our defense came out from the start. They held up the standard and put (Green Mountain) up against the wall a little bit. They played disciplined. They played physical. They played fast. They did everything we asked them to do all week.”
Roosevelt capitalized on the fumble with a 10-yard touchdown run with 6:52 left in the second quarter to push the lead to 14-0.
Green Mountain (12-1) went 3-and-out on its next drive. Roosevelt took over on the Rams’ 36-yard line after a short punt and extended the lead to 21-0 with 1:46 left before halftime with a 9-yard touchdown run from quarterback Bronco Hartson.
The halftime was finished off with Roosevelt sacking Wallace in the end zone for a safety with 1:32 left before halftime.
“When you play during this part of the season mistakes like that can be fatal,” Green Mountain coach Jesse German said of Roosevelt scoring 23 unanswered points from the end of the first quarter to late in the second quarter. “That was a huge moment thing.”
Green Mountain got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter with a 28-yard field goal by senior Kuba Betlinski. The Rams recovered an onside kick, but the Roughriders’ defense forced another punt after the special team play by the Rams.
“We were just more physical and faster team,” said Peterson, who had an interception in the fourth quarter to set up the Roughriders final scoring drive of the game. “We came ready to hit.”
Hartson hit senior Mateo Leal for a 14-yard touchdown pass in the final minutes to make the final score 30-3.
“Bronco capitalized things in the pass game and so did our receivers,” Wasinger said of the Hartson’s pair of touchdown passes. “It was an awesome day for Roosevelt.”
The 2022 Riders squad has already made history being the winningest Roosevelt football squad in the school’s history with its 13th victory on the season. However, they wanted to finished the season off with a state championship.
“We are hungry,” Peterson said. “We came up short my sophomore year. We don’t want to come up short again. We were willing to do whatever it takes and throw all our bodies on the line to get that win.”
Durango defeated Roosevelt 21-14 in the 3A title game in 2020.
(3) Lutheran 45, (2) Durango 28
DURANGO - In a battle of high-powered offenses, the Lutheran Lions set the tone early while also intercepting four Durango passes to prevail in the Class 3A semifinals, 45-28, on Saturday at Durango High School.
“Lutheran did everything better than us,” said DHS head coach Todd Casebier. “They coached better, they played better and they deserved the win.”
The Demons struggled to move the ball on offense for most of the game, and they didn’t help themselves with penalties.
Lutheran, meanwhile, methodically moved down the field in the first half with its no huddle offense.
The Lions struck first on a 14-play, 79-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession. Ryan Kinney scored on a 7-yard run to give Lutheran a 7-0 lead.
“That first drive, we grinded out 79 yards and I think that set the tone,” said Lutheran head coach Stephen Robbins. “That got our guys hyped up.”
A hold negated a DHS first down on its first drive. Landen Mrozczek then sacked quarterback Tyler Harms to force DHS to punt.
Durango’s defense made a stop on the next drive. A Lion receiver got a step on Durango’s defense, but was unable to make the catch. On fourth-and-3, Lutheran completed a pass, but Kaleb Roberts made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage to force Lutheran to turn the ball over on downs.
Durango then tied the game after starting at Lutheran’s 42. On fourth-and-8, Harms completed a 35-yard pass to AJ Folk. Harms then scored with a second effort from one yard out with 2:05 remaining in the first.
The Lutheran Lions, however, were able to pull away after that.
Kinney scored his second touchdown on a six-yard run to put LHS up, 14-7.
DHS was forced to punt on its next drive, but fumbled the snap and Lutheran started at Durango’s 12-yard line. Three plays later, Ryan Daugaard completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Sam Wisler.
The Lions’ Samuel Smolen kicked a 20-yard field goal as the second quarter expired and LHS took a 24-7 lead into halftime.
Lutheran extended its lead in the third quarter to 38-7 with a pair of touchdown passes. Wisler caught a 30-yard touchdown and then, after Smolen intercepted a pass, Chace Sorenson hauled in a 32-yard score. Joe Ciccio also caught a 15-yard touchdown for LHS in the fourth.
Durango kept fighting and scored on its last three possessions. Jeric Baruch broke free for several big runs in the second half and scored on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter. Later, Harms threw a nine-yard touchdown to Zach Haber. Durango recovered an onside kick and Haber ran into the end zone once more on a 11-yard run with 52 seconds remaining.
Lutheran, however, was able to take a knee after that and will now play in the state championship for the first time in the program’s history.
"I'm speechless," Robbins said. "This is the first time in program history we've made it to the championship. Last year we were a field goal away. Our seniors led on defense and Kinney was just a beast on offense."