Dakota Ridge boys lacrosse sweeps South Jeffco rivals

LAKEWOOD — Dakota Ridge’s boys lacrosse team are the kings of South Jeffco for the first time under coach Dak Riecke.

“When Heckel (Dakota Ridge athletic director Matt Heckel) hired me six years ago he said to me, ‘I want you to win The Block’,” Riecke said. “We finally did it after six years. It’s really cool.”

Dakota Ridge (6-0 record) defeated South Jeffco rival Chatfield on March 26. The Eagles completed the rivalry sweep Wednesday night at Trailblazer Stadium with an 11-8 win over Columbine (5-1).

“It means a lot to me. It’s really a family rivalry at this point,” said Dakota Ridge junior Jack Offerdahl of the rivalry games against Columbine and Chatfield. “There is a lot of blood on the line. We are friendly outside the game, but inside the game there is some animosity. You go as hard as you can.”

Offerdahl had a monster game with a season-high three goals from his midfield position. The junior opened the scoring with a goal with 4:23 left in the first period, but Columbine answered scoring the next five goals to take a 5-1 lead.

Preston Maggard, Caleb Hayes, Lucas Gwinner, and Caleb Mainwaring put the Rebels in the lead. Columbine sophomore goalie Ephram Goodchild was solid in net. However, Dakota Ridge grabbed a little momentum before halftime with Isaac McGrew scoring to cut into Columbine’s lead.

“We went into the locker room and really talked it up,” Dakota Ridge senior goalie Zach Hearn said of what turned things around. “We knew we could play a better game. We knew we needed to turn on the switch and we did.”

Dakota Ridge outscored Columbine 5-2 in the third quarter to even things up 7-7 heading into the fourth quarter.

“In a rivalry game no matter how it goes, no matter how you play or anything the win is the outcome,” Riecke said. “You have to get the win in a rivalry game.”

Opperdahl’s third goal of the game midway through the fourth quarter gave the Eagles the lead for good at 9-8.

“Offerdahl was a major catalyst today, getting him open in the middle,” Riecke said. “His shot is a rocket. As soon as it leaves his stick it’s 90-plus.”

Junior Levi Pullig and senior Tyler Read added late goals for Dakota Ridge to secure the 11-8 victory.

“I give a lot of props to Brody Spallone,” Offerdahl said of the Eagles’ offensive success in the second half. “He was really working the defense and creating a lot of opportunities for people, including myself.”

Hearn allowed just one goal in the fourth quarter. He also scrambled behind his net twice to beat out Rebel attackers to give the ball back to Dakota Ridge.

“Anything I can do to get the team up I do,” Hearn said of his pair of hustle plays in the fourth quarter. 

Hearn — two-year starting goalie for the Eagles — picked up his sixth victory in net on the season.

“He is a textbook goalie. When I saw him when he with in fourth-grade I grabbed him and pulled him aside,” Riecke said. “I told him he was going to be my goalie from now on. He had the energy. He had the attitude. He is the No. 1 goalie in 4A in my mind. There is nobody better than him between the pipes in 4A.”

Dakota Ridge will attempt to stay undefeated when it faces Fairview (3-1) at 7 p.m. Monday, April 7, at Trailblazer Stadium.

“We set that goal at the beginning of the season to go undefeated,” Offerdahl said. “We have a tough schedule coming up with Fairview and Colorado Academy.”

Columbine will try to get back in the win column in its Class 5A League #2 opener Friday, April 4, back at Trailblazer Stadium. The Rebels face Erie (4-1).