Pomona QB tosses 6 touchdowns in win over Green Mountain

LAKEWOOD — Throwing five touchdown passes in a single quarter has to be some kind of a record for Pomona football.

Junior quarterback Tucker Ingersoll was a touchdown throwing machine with a handful of scoring tosses in the second quarter in an eventual 49-6 victory for Pomona against Green Mountain on Friday night at Jeffco Stadium.

“We got Tucker rolling,” Pomona coach Nathan Johnson said. “I was kind of upset we didn’t get him the ball until the end of the first (quarter). We started slow. We finished like I expected.”

Green Mountain (0-3 record) actually grabbed an early 6-0 lead taking advantage of a muffed punt by Pomona. The Rams took over on the Panthers’ 3-yard line. Green Mountain senior Drew Contreras scored the Rams’ first touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run with 5:34 left in the first quarter.

It was all Pomona (3-0) from there on out.

Senior running back Ethan Vu scored on a 27-yard touchdown run with 4:02 to put the Panthers ahead 7-6. Then Pomona’s passing attack took over as Ingersoll had a historic night throwing for a total of six touchdowns.

“Just working every day to be the best quarterback I can,” Ingersoll said. “Ryan Marquez is who I look up to because a he was a great quarterback at Pomona. That is my motivation week-in and week-out. I want to be better than him. Hopefully go down as one of the greats at Pomona.”

Marquez — 2018 Pomona graduate — was a three-sport athlete for the Panthers. He helped guide Pomona to the 2017 5A state championship going 20-for-22 passing for 345 yards and five touchdowns in the dramatic 56-49 title game victory over Eaglecrest at Mile High Stadium. 

The 2018 CHSCA Freddie Steinmark Award winner went on to play football at the University of Wyoming. However, Marquez never had a 6-touchdown passing game like Ingersoll had Friday night.

“We have weapons all over the place and I personally think we have the best offensive line in the state,” Ingersoll said. “All the wide receivers are beasts.”

Pomona turned interceptions by senior Ian Demars and Dominic Martin into touchdown passes from Ingersoll to senior Luis Santana of 32 and 31 yards to push the Panthers’ lead to 21-6.

“The start of the first quarter didn’t look like Pomona football,” Santana admitted. “We had the set the tempo. We have to believe in each other. If everyone does their job we will win.” 

Ingersoll kept it going with a 28-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Isaias Sierra and 14-yard pass to senior Jaydon Molina with 2:06 left before halftime to make the score 35-6.

Pomona’s defense forced a third straight three-and-out with 1:32 left before halftime. Ingersoll ran the 2-minute drill to perfection, capping out the final scoring drive of the first half with a 39-yard touchdown pass to senior Emmitt Munson.

“Our defense is great,” Ingersoll said. “Our defense and offense are both legit. We are really dangerous in all aspects.”

The Panthers led 42-6 at halftime thanks in large part to the five touchdown passes by Ingersoll in the second quarter. 

Pomona got it took a running clock with the 40-point margin on the opening drive of the second half. Ingersoll finished off a 68-yard scoring drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Santana on a fourth-down play with 5:51 left in the third quarter to push the lead to 48-6.

Ingersoll finished the night 13-for-18 passing for 277 yards and the six touchdowns through the air.

“As coaches we talk about how we can get our best 11 (players) touches,” Johnson said. “Overall it was a great performance after we locked in after the first half of that first quarter.”

Pomona — No. 2 in this week’s Class 3A football media poll put out by ColoradoPreps.com  — cruised to a Week 1 victory over Kennedy before an impressive 17-7 victory last week against top-10 4A Pueblo West at the North Area Athletic Complex.

“It’s a blessing,” Santana said of Pomona’s tough non-league schedule. “I love going up against those competitive teams. It shows how much we have left in our tank.”

The Panthers will have a huge non-league test against 4A Dakota Ridge next Friday, Sept. 19, back at Jeffco Stadium. The Eagles (2-0) are one of the favorites in the 4A classification. 

“It is going to be great,” Ingersoll said. “I grew up playing against all those guys from Dakota Ridge. I’m excited for it. I really think we can compete against them.”

No. 3 Dakota Ridge is on the road in Colorado Springs against No. 10 Mesa Ridge (1-1) on Saturday night. 

“It will be Dakota Ridge’s homecoming next week. We are pumped for that,” Johnson said. “It will be a great test. We are excited to what is to come.”

Green Mountain was hit hard from graduation the past two years. The Rams advanced to the 3A semifinals the past three seasons (2022, 2023 and 2024).

Green Mountain will attempt to get in the win column next week when the Rams travel to Greeley to face Northridge next Friday night.