Saturday’s crowd for the Classes 5A and 4A football championship games at Invesco Field at Mile High may have been tabbed at a modest 11,423, but officials remained thrilled.
“It was everything I could have hoped for and more,” Colorado High School Activities Association commissioner Bill Reader said.
The first foray into Championship Saturday was a success in the eyes of Reader, who had visions of this day 15 years ago.
Early hopes were for a crowd around 20,000, but the snow and cold definitely were a factor, including rough travel in the mountains for those from Grand Junction.
“I’m sure the weather had a big impact on the size of the crowd. I bet you we would have got a couple thousand more, easily, had the weather been better,” Reader said. “But, nonetheless, this is a great crowd, and we are pleased with that.”
Salute
Nick Lind learned his lesson early. After scoring the first TD in the 4A game on a 28-yard run in the first quarter, Lind, the ThunderRidge senior and last season’s player of the year, did his Terrell Davis impersonation and gave the Grand Junction sideline a Mile High Salute.
It’s a no-no in high school. Two flags were thrown in Lind’s direction before his hand had left his brow.
Etc.
Douglas County players had their hair done for the final. There were the bleached blond of running back Andy Muns and the purple locks of receiver Kaither Holloway. The mohawk was also all the rage on the Huskies’ sideline, including one on head coach Jeff Ketron. …
Mullen had won nine of its past 10 playoff games. …
Douglas County’s championship was the first non-Centennial or Jefferson County winner since 2003, when Ponderosa won. Before that, the most recent team not from Centennial or Jeffco was the Denver Prep League’s Thomas Jefferson, 1989. …
Think the site wasn’t a big deal? Think again. The allure of playing at Invesco Field sunk in for ThunderRidge standout linebacker James Tucker.
“Before the game, I couldn’t have cared less where we played,” said Tucker, his face creased in a grin with one bloody nostril plugged with cotton. “I could have played on a dirt field. But to win here with all my senior friends is something I’ll never forget.”
