There is no time for Summit to look back and revel in the first undefeated regular season since the football program started in 1988. A new season approaches – the Class 3A playoffs – and it has been a long time since the Tigers have seen it.
Coach Dylan Hollingsworth and his staff are 17-3 in two seasons, a remarkable turnaround for a team from 9,000-foot-high Frisco that didn’t even have a league to call its own the past few years. The Tigers accomplished their first goal by winning the Central Metro title and making the playoffs for the first time since 1997, and they exceeded expectations by going 10-0.
Now, oddly enough for a team that only had one win three seasons ago, the Tigers are trying to avoid thinking they are too good.
“We are confident that we can play with anyone, but we can’t be cocky,” Hollingsworth said. “We had a game this season where we won 34-0, but that was a game where we had this mix of cockiness and ambivalence. I think these guys thought they were better than their opponent and they were going to score two touchdowns and shut it down. They know they can’t do that.”
Senior Drew Crangle, part of a tough linebacking duo along with Scott Campbell, first gave credit to the coaches for Summit’s success this season, then added that those same coaches don’t allow the Tigers’ heads to inflate.
“The players have a great mentality, but I would give the credit to the coaches,” Crangle said. “They put us in the right places to make plays, and they make us go 100 percent in every practice and every game. They stay on us every second. The whole team understands what we have to do now, and none of the seniors want this to be their last week of practice ever.”
Summit will host Moffat County (5-5) at 1 p.m. Saturday, and the Tigers will have to find a way to deal with the size of Kip Hafey’s Bulldogs. And don’t let the Western Slope team’s record fool you. Four of the Bulldogs’ five losses came against 3A playoff teams: Palisade, Steamboat Springs, Berthoud and Rifle.
3A football
HARRISON (6-4) AT ALAMOSA (10-0)
The Mean Moose have been the top-ranked 3A team all season and lived up to the hype. Quarterback Clay Garcia has played lights out with 2,665 passing yards and 34 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. Receivers Dustin Bolt and Jason Espinoza came within a catch or two of 1,000-yard seasons, and Sonny Yohn has been a threat running and receiving. Yohn is also the leader on a defense that shutout six opponents and did not surrender a point on its home field. No mere game will offer a challenge as great as what Harrison has already been through this season. Fermin Vialpando collapsed during an early October game and died shortly thereafter. The Panthers managed to regroup and earn their second playoff appearance in as many years.
ELIZABETH (5-5) AT RIFLE (7-3)
Rifle lost a game to start the season, lost one in the middle of the season and lost one near the end of the season. But these Bears live for the playoffs, and they won a state title in 2004 before finishing as runners-up last season. Mitch Johnson (1.527 rushing yards, 18 touchdowns) carries most of the load for Elizabeth, a team that struggled early before three wins in a row.
FLORENCE (8-2) AT BERTHOUD (10-0)
Congratulations, Berthoud Spartans. You stomped undefeated through the regular season and will be rewarded with a first-round game against Florence, a powerhouse program and the defending 3A state champions. “It’s just one of those things,” Berthoud coach Dan McGinn said. Running back Derek Good is the workhorse for the Spartans, but McGinn has added a second dimension to his offense with an improved passing game.
PALISADE (7-3) AT CENTAURUS (5-5)
Palisade was the undisputed top dog of 3A throughout the 1990s, winning five-straight state titles from 1994-98. The Bulldogs have had to deal with off-the-field distractions the past few seasons. But Palisade is all about football this year, and it is coming off of two blowout wins. The Centaurus defense will need to slow Palisade’s powerful ground attack.
FORT LUPTON (6-4) AT STEAMBOAT SPRINGS (9-1)
The Blue Devils get their first taste of the playoffs since 1991 after starting the season 1-3. They will face a Steamboat Springs team that has dominated opponents with equal parts quarterback Tanner Stillwell (1,045 yards passing) and running back Jay Hanley (1,144 yards rushing), topped off by a defense that allows an average of 10.3 points per game.
PUEBLO CO. (8-2) AT STERLING (9-1)
The Hornets have been the surprise team of the fall, and they nearly shocked all of 3A with a near-miss against the No. 1 team. Pueblo County was forced to forfeit its first game then won six in a row, including an upset of defending state champion Florence. It was nearly seven straight wins for the Hornets, but they came up a few yards short on a two-point conversion against top-ranked Alamosa. Pueblo County’s ground game, led by Zach Martinez, will be relied on against Sterling, which would be undefeated except for its one-point loss to Berthoud.
FREDERICK (7-3) AT ENGLEWOOD (8-2)
Englewood is never down for long, and after a rare postseason miss a year ago, coach Randy Penn has his team are back on track. Bryce Penn, the coach’s son and the team’s leading rusher, has 1,276 yards on the ground to go with 17 receptions. This is Frederick’s first playoff appearance since 1998, and quarterback Cavin Thorne is dangerous.
MOFFAT CO. (5-5) AT SUMMIT (10-0)
Moffat County missed the playoffs last season after three straight appearances. Running back Nick Navarette is 6-feet-2, 230 pounds, and he has pounded out 1,188 yards on the ground. The Summit offense spreads the ball around to four or five backs, and sophomore quarterback Talon Roggasch has thrown just three interceptions.
(BRADY DELANDER)
Playoffs: In bracket order
FIRST ROUND
Harrison (6-4) at Alamosa (10-0), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Elizabeth (5-5) at Rifle (7-3), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Florence (8-2) at Berthoud (10-0), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Palisade (7-3) at Centaurus (5-5), Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Field
Fort Lupton (6-4) at Steamboat Springs (9-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Pueblo County (8-2) at Sterling (9-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Frederick (7-3) at Englewood (8-2), Friday, 7 p.m., Pirates Stadium
Moffat County (5-5) at Summit (10-0), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Quarterfinals: Nov. 18
Semifinals: Nov. 25
Championship: Dec. 2
