Limon – There was no major postgame celebration, no banner hanging from the fence with a big “45” plastered to it and little mention of any streak or state record.
It was just business as usual for Limon football.
The Badgers routed Cripple Creek-Victor 56-6 in a Class 1A South Central League game Saturday at Gaskill Field for their 45th consecutive victory, dating to the 2002 postseason.
That tied Longmont (1988-92) for the longest 11-man streak in state history and put Limon three victories shy of the all-time state record.
But don’t expect the Badgers to get all emotional. They have bigger goals than mere state records.
“The record doesn’t really mean anything to us. All we worry about is the next game and the state championship. You can lose one game and still win the championship,” Limon quarterback Travis Sandersfeld said.
Sandersfeld accounted for five touchdowns – four through the air – and completed 7-of-9 attempts for 151 yards. His first two throws of the game went for 18- and 54-yard touchdowns.
Running back and homecoming king Andy Love carried five times for 90 yards and kicked a 47-yard field goal, and Joe Stone hauled in six passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Limon (6-0 overall, 4-0 league), ranked No. 1 in The Denver Post/9News 1A poll, led 14-0 after 48 seconds, 30-0 after a quarter and 50-0 at the half.
“It’s not so much that those guys are that good, it’s that the team – Limon – that is so good and won 45 in a row now. It’s intimidating,” Cripple Creek-Victor do-everything senior Trent Staley said.
Staley, who plays quarterback, safety, linebacker, punter and kick returner, spent much of the day scrambling for his life.
He went 14-of-29 for 146 yards, sending nine completions for 110 yards to Steven DiCamillo, and punched in the Pioneers’ late score.
The Badgers, big and bad on defense, held Cripple Creek-Victor (3-3, 1-3) to 10 rushing yards on 22 carries.
“We try to explain to the kids that every game is an important game. … You’d be dumb to say that the winning streak doesn’t creep into your mind every once in a while. But we want to be state champions, and you have to get better every week you play to do that,” Limon coach Mike O’Dwyer said.
Limon has won 17 state championships, including the past three, in the program’s 87 seasons. The Badgers can set the all-time state mark with 49 straight victories by winning the remaining three games of the regular season and the first-round game of the playoffs.
However, to break the national record of 151 consecutive victories, set by California’s Concord De La Salle, Limon would have to go undefeated through the 2014 season.
Cripple Creek-Victor 0 0 0 6 – 6
Limon 30 20 6 0 – 56
L – Stone 18 pass from Sandersfeld (Love kick). L – Pottorff 36 pass from Sandersfeld (Love kick). L – Love 54 run (Love kick). L – Stone 28 pass from Sandersfeld (kick failed). L – FG Love 47. L – Brown 8 pass from Sandersfeld (Love kick). L – Sandersfeld 8 run (kick failed). L – Nelson 61 interception return (Love kick). L – Tatum 12 pass from Brown (run failed). CC-V – Staley 2 run (kick failed).
45 and counting
Limon’s Badgers, the three-time defending Colorado champions, have won 45 consecutive games in Class 1A to tie Longmont (1988-92 3A in a 4A system for two seasons, then 5A in a 6A format) for the top 11-man streak. The state record for all levels is 48 by 8-man Stratton (1992-96). The Badgers, who last lost in the 2002 preliminaries, 16-6 to Lyons, can match Stratton if they complete a fourth undefeated regular season in a row and the opportunity to set a new mark would be in the preliminaries:
2003 (13-0)
38 at Sand Creek 6
37 at Strasburg 6
61 at Peyton 8*
47 at Calhan 6*
48 Kiowa 8*
54 at Ellicott 0*
56 Crowley County 6*
50 Green Mountain JV 0
35 Clayton, N.M. 13
Prelimimaries
49 Nucla 8
Quarterfinals
28 Lyons 12
Semifinals
42 Paonia 0
Championship
28 Akron 12
2004 (13-0)
41 at Holyoke 0
42 Strasburg 18
27 Akron 13
48 at Peyton 14*
67 Cripple Creek-Victor 22*
55 at Miami-Yoder 8*
57 Kiowa 0*
48 at Calhan 0
53 Byers 0*
Prelimimaries
61 Holyoke 0
Quarterfinals
54 Crowley County 0
Semifinals
48 at Center 0
Championship
42 Wray 2
2005 (13-0)
48 Holyoke 0
40 at Strasburg 0
25 at Akron 6
61 Peyton 7*
59 at Cripple Creek 21*
62 Miami-Yoder 7*
1 at Kiowa 0, forfeit*
54 Calhan 0*
62 at Byers 21*
Preliminaries
53 vs. Nucla 6
Quarterfinals
16 vs. Wray 6
Semifinals
20 vs. Lyons 6
Championship
35 at Akron 0
2006 (6-0)
55 Wiggins 7
54 at Rocky Ford 7
45 Peyton 8*
66 at South Park 8*
27 Burlington 13*
56 Cripple Creek-Victor 6*
Saturday at Miami-Yoder 1 p.m.*
Oct. 20 Byers 7 p.m.*
Oct. 27 at Calhan 7 p.m.*
* – Denotes league game
