Aurora – Littleton football coach Chad Koepke told his team they didn’t want to put the Lions’ playoff hopes into the hands of some wild-card committee, so he put the ball into the hands of running back Marcus Brogan.
Brogan racked up 221 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries, including a 69-yard touchdown on Littleton’s first play from scrimmage, as the Lions clinched a postseason berth with a 27-20 victory over Aurora Central in a Class 4A Skyline League game Thursday night at Aurora Public Schools Stadium.
“I don’t know what would have happened with the playoffs if we had lost, but I told the guys to play like the season would end if we did lose it,” Koepke said.
Chris Romero gained 105 yards on the ground as Littleton (8-2 overall, 6-2 league) won its sixth consecutive game and secured third place in the Skyline.
Aurora Central dropped to 6-4, 4-4, and the Trojans will turn in their equipment after notching the program’s first winning season in more than 15 years.
The Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a pair of Brogan runs, but Trojans quarterback Sean Cunningham found Stephen Franklin for a 9-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-6.
Cunningham completed 24-of-34 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns, both to Franklin, who hauled in 14 receptions for 175 yards.
Littleton added to its lead with a 39-yard run by the 200-pound Brogan, and Aurora Central hurt itself by taking four offensive drives deep inside Lions territory with zero points to show.
A Brogan fumble set up a Cunningham-to-Franklin touchdown. A 42-yard bomb from Cunningham to, who else, Franklin paved the way for a 1-yard dive by Cunningham as the Lions closed to within 21-20 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The Lions did exactly what they needed to do with the game on the line. First, they put a drive together to stretch the lead. Then they ate up the clock.
Brandon Johnson snagged a 12-yard pass from Joe Vigil to give Littleton a 27-20 lead in the third quarter. Aurora Central’s last chance came with 4 minutes, 44 seconds left and the ball on its 11. The Trojans moved down to Littleton’s 22, but a penalty pushed the Lions back and a fourth-and-28 play came up short.
Littleton 14 7 6 0 – 27
Aurora Central 0 6 14 0 – 20
L – Brogan 69 run (kick failed). L – Brogan 1 run (Romero pass from Vigil). AC – Franklin 9 pass from Cunningham (kick blocked). L – Brogan 39 run (Cole-Martinez kick). AC – Franklin 11 pass from Cunningham (pass failed). AC – Cunningham 10 run (Veasley pass from Cunningham). L – Johnson 12 pass from Vigil (kick blocked).
