Lakewood – If you appreciate subtle humor, Ryan Miller’s entry on the Columbine roster sheet is worth a look.
Miller towers at 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, with a giant’s grin and a head full of red hair. The junior is listed as a wide receiver and defensive back.
“My dad (played receiver),” Miller said Friday night after the Rebels put the clamps on Poudre in a 33-14 Class 5A nonleague victory at Jefferson County Stadium.
Miller, a standout lineman in the Rebels’ vaunted ground assault, helped pave the way to victory as Columbine had 453 yards rushing to improve to 4-0 in its homecoming week.
Columbine, ranked No. 1 in The Denver Post/9News poll, led 21-14 at halftime and put the Impalas away with a 12-point fourth quarter that included a safety.
Running back Jordan Baum led the Rebels with 217 yards on 16 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 4-yard burst late in the second quarter.
The Impalas have been one of the few teams to match Columbine’s smashmouth ways, defeating the Rebels last season and knocking them out of the playoffs in 2001.
“We prepared hard this week in practice,” Baum said. “The whole week our coaches were preaching that these guys were tough and we need to bring it. I think we did a pretty good job.”
Fullback Jeff Cicchinelli rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback John Fink ran for 93 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown with 7:28 remaining.
After losing its first two games by a total of four points, Poudre dropped to 0-3 and was just a few plays from giving the Rebels a run.
“I hand it to them,” Poudre coach Rich Yonker said of the Rebels. “They made some plays, and that’s what our team has got to learn. We’ve got to be able to make those plays in those crucial situations.”
Senior Blayde Becksted carried the ball 26 times for 162 yards and a touchdown for Poudre.
Poudre 0 14 0 0 – 14
Columbine 14 7 0 12 – 33
C – Cicchinelli 1 run (Gillman kick). C – Cicchinelli 1 run (Gillman kick). P – Becksted 3 run (Buffington kick). C – Baum 4 run (Gillman kick). P – Jestes 80 kickoff return (Buffington kick). C – FG Gillman 28. C – Safety tackled in end zone. C – Fink 5 run (Gillman kick).
