Lakewood – Doherty coach Mike Sirko believes his Spartans caught a break in the schedule Thursday when they had to make the trek from Colorado Springs to face sixth-ranked Bear Creek.
Sirko hoped the Bears might be looking ahead to next week’s South Metro League showdown with No. 5 Columbine and looking past a Doherty team that had lost four of its past five games.
He’s not sure if that was entirely the case, but Bear Creek, committing five turnovers, didn’t look sharp on offense and could not stop Doherty junior running back Darius Turner in a 31-14 loss at Jeffco Stadium.
Bear Creek (6-2 overall and in league) still can win the South Metro championship with a win over Columbine (7-1), but not if it doesn’t show considerable improvement in the next week.
“We got our butts kicked in every way, shape and form tonight,” said Bears coach Tom Thenell, whose team had won five straight since losing to Arvada West. “We weren’t prepared as a football team. Our effort was poor, and I take complete credit for that. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
Sirko was plenty talkative.
“That was a great effort,” he said of his 4-4 team. “But let’s be honest: They turned the ball over and we took advantage of it. In this league, if one team is up and one’s not…Bear Creek maybe was looking forward a little to Columbine. We just caught ’em tonight.”
Turner, a 6-foot, 190-pound junior with the unenviable duty of replacing Lamar Houston, now a freshman at the University of Texas, set the tone early for Doherty. The Spartans drove 74 yards in 10 plays with the opening kickoff, capped by Turner’s 21-yard run off left tackle.
It was the first of four touchdown runs by Turner, who did yeoman work by carrying 46 times for 275 yards and scored his other three touchdowns on 5-yard runs.
“I was sick before and during the game; I felt I was about to pass out,” Turner said. “But I sucked it up and kept on playing.”
Doherty’s game plan was to control the football and the clock, thus limiting the opportunities for Bear Creek’s potent offense behind Jake Spitzlberger, the state’s leading passer.
The Spartans added a 76-yard touchdown drive and went 53 yards leading to a field goal for a 17-14 halftime lead.
Spitzlberger finished with 21-of-32 passing for 306 yards and a touchdown to Ryan Smith (10 catches, 160 yards), but threw two interceptions, including one with 4:14 left.
Doherty 7 10 7 7 – 31
Bear Creek 7 7 0 0 – 14
D – Turner 21 run (Webb kick). BC – Flanagan 68 run (Flanagan kick). D – Turner 5 run (Webb kick). D – FG Webb 34. BC – Smith 6 pass from Spitzlberger (Flanagan kick). D – Turner 5 run (Webb kick). D – Turner 5 run (Webb kick).
