Bear Creek receiver Ryan Bobick has 5 first-half TD catches in win over Lakewood

LAKEWOOD — The Rico to Bobick connection couldn’t be stopped Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium.

Bear Creek senior quarterback Adrian Rico tossed five first-half touchdowns all to senior receiver Ryan Bobick as the Bears dominated cross-town rival Lakewood 46-13 in both teams’ season opener.

“I’ve been saying it all summer long that I think Bobick should be one of the top receivers in the state,” Bear Creek coach Matt Steinfeldt said. “He is going to garner some attention because of it, but we have some depth in that receiver room.”

Bobick and senior Izaiah Phelps combined for more than 1,300 yards receiving last year. Senior Keelan Flanagain is also a solid target for the Bears’ second-year starting quarterback. However, it was Bobick who put up crazy stats Thursday night.

Bobick touchdown receptions — 28, 24, 22, 39 and 4 yards — all came in the first half. The senior had six catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter. Bobick had just two catches in the second quarter, but both went for touchdowns.

“I was actually trying to spread the love around,” Bobick said of his remarkable night. “You always want your teammates to get some too. Rico was throwing it to me and I was finishing the plays.”

Bear Creek grabbed a 46-0 lead at halftime that also included a 44-yard touchdown run by senior Mason Rodriguez and a pair of defensive safeties. The game went to a running clock after Bobick’s final touchdown catch of the game with under a minute to play before halftime.

“It’s a rivalry and huge for us playing a cross-town team,” Steinfeldt said. “To come out and play that strong in the first half was what we game-planned for and expected.”

It was the second straight year Bear Creek has opened the season with a big win over Lakewood. The Bears won 42-0 last season.

“We were just hungry,” Bobick said. “We wanted this one really bad.”

It was officially the start of a new era for Lakewood football. Josh Carvalho made his debut as the Tigers’ head coach. The Pomona High School graduate had assistant coaching stints at Pomona, Golden and Ralston Valley before being named Lakewood’s head coach last March.

“I was really proud of the kids how they responded in the second half,” Carvalho said. “It would have been really easy for them to bury their heads and not come out. I’m seeing the fight in them that I don’t think they had last year.”

The Tigers had both scores in the second half. Senior Julian Duran had a 26-yard touchdown catch from senior quarterback Samuel Silburn in the third quarter. Silburn finished the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

“I’ve seen Lakewood be great,” Carvalho said of the historically reach football tradition at Lakewood that has won seven state football titles. “That is one of the big reasons why I pursued the job. I think we are laying a new foundation and changing the culture from where it was at.”

Lakewood heads to Boulder to face Fairview on Friday night next week at Recht Field. 

Bear Creek is back at Jeffco Stadium next week. The Bears will host Greeley West on Friday, Sept. 1.

“We are going to do some special things this season,” Bobick said. “Look out for Bear Creek.”