Stratton – Manuel Gonzales couldn’t watch.
The 35-year veteran coach at Granada didn’t need to – the entire population of the tiny Prowers County community located on the Arkansas River let him know. Gonzales and his Bobcats earned their third Class A 8-man state football title with a 47-46 triple-overtime victory over Stratton on Saturday.
“We had our chance that first time, and you work on this stuff week after week after week, and it was just the pressure,” said Gonzales, who also won titles in 1979 and 1988. “Young kids with pressure on them. … I guess it was meant to be.”
It was the fourth try for Gonzales against the Eagles, who had won three titles at his expense in 1993, 1994 and 2002.
Tied 28-28 at the end of regulation, the advantage belonged to Granada in overtime. Stratton, without a reliable kicker, was forced to go for two on its PATs, whereas the Bobcats could bring in kicker Riley Widener.
Stratton scored first in the initial overtime, when quarterback Todd May hooked up with senior Seth Isenbart on the first play from scrimmage. The ensuing two-point conversion pass failed when May was pressured by Rumaldo Vega and Matt Carrigan.
Granada answered right back with a 1-yard run by Tyson Thrall. But Widener, who early in the game drilled a 42-yard field goal with plenty of room to spare, never got the kick off the ground.
“I felt real bad after missing that first one,” said Widener, whose miss with 35 seconds left in regulation came after a false start pushed him back 5 yards. “I felt even worse after that one.”
The second overtime featured a third-down score by Granada and a missed extra point, and then a fourth- down score from May to Isenbart to tie the game at 40-40. The Eagles went back to Isenbart for the victory, but Bobcats sophomore quarterback-safety Tyndan Marquez deflected it away.
“We just didn’t execute our two-point plays. I should have done a better job and called timeout,” said Stratton coach Dave Gottmann, whose dynamic duo hooked up 14 times for 132 yards and five scores. “I’ll always second-guess myself, but the kids played as well as I could ask.”
Said Marquez: “As a defensive back, I messed up a lot … they ate me up. I was thinking after the three or four previous times they did that, I might actually get there once, and I was ready.”
It was May to Isenbart again in the third overtime, but much like the second, Marquez was in position to deflect the conversion attempt away.
After Granada’s Ryan Schulz scored to make it 46-46, Widener again came out with his chance to be a hero. The 6-foot-2, 195 pound backup lineman left little doubt.
“I was real scared,” said Widener, who was named the game’s MVP by The Denver Post. “I knew if I had the chance I would put it through. I tried to keep what was going on out of my head, and try to treat this just like another field goal like in practice.”
Marquez finished with 148 yards on 16 carries, including a 52-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He was also 7-for-12 passing for 98 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
May was 24-for-34, for 223 yards and six touchdowns. In addition to his five receiving touchdowns, Isenbart also added an 82-yard punt return late in the fourth quarter.
“That was one of the greatest 8-man games in the history of the game,” Gottmann said.
Granada 6 6 3 13 6 6 7 – 47
Stratton 0 8 8 12 6 6 6 – 46
G – Thrall 2 run (run failed). G – Bohlander 21 pass from Marquez (pass failed). S – P. May 31 pass from T. May (Isenbart pass from T. May). S – Isenbart 9 pass from T. May (T. May run). G – FG Widener 42. S – Isenbart 6 pass from T. May (pass failed). G – Marquez 52 run (Widener kick). S – Isenbart 82 punt return (pass failed). G – Thrall 1 run (kick failed). S – Isenbart 10 pass from T. May (pass failed). G – Thrall 1 run (kick failed). G – Schulz 11 pass from Marquez (run failed). S – Isenbart 5 pass from T. May (pass failed). S – Isenbart 8 pass from T. May (pass failed). G – Schulz 1 run (Widener kick).
Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
MVP
Riley Widener, Granada
It was just a matter of time before Riley Widener got one. Granada’s sophomore kicker, who had already made a 42-yard field goal, missed two PATs that would have won the game in regulation and in the first overtime. The third time was the charm, and gave the Bobcats their first football title since 1988.
