BERTHOUD — Years of studying the complexities of the spread option enabled Berthoud quarterback Jordan Major to keep Pueblo County’s defense scrambling Saturday.
No sequence, from shotgun snap to multiple fake handoffs and pitch-outs, was more effective than the one that left Ty Duncan all alone at the 20-yard line waiting for Major’s touchdown pass.
The 55-yard TD gave Berthoud its first lead en route to a 35-33 victory at Max Marr Field and its inaugural berth in the Class 3A state championship next Saturday at Falcon.
“My eyes got huge when I saw him going down the field,” Major said. “I had to make sure that I made a good throw. That was a huge score for us.”
Cornerback Marshall Stout was expecting another option run, according to Pueblo County coach Jeff Wilson.
“We run the option so many times and defenders start creeping up and creeping up and we just wait for the opportunity,” said jubilant Berthoud coach Dan McGinn.
The TD, with 5:35 left in the third quarter, gave Berthoud (11-2) a 20-19 lead.
After stopping Pueblo County (11-2) on three downs for the first time, Berthoud drove 62 yards on five plays, featuring a 33-yard tackle-breaking run by Bryce Muñoz and Major’s 2-yard TD dive.
On a fake PAT, kicker Alek Diffendaffer passed to Jeffory Shields for a 28-19 lead.
Pueblo County’s Joe Pullara punched it in from the 1-yard line to draw the Hornets within 28-26 with 7:48 left in the game.
With 4:30 remaining, the visitors failed to convert on fourth down and Berthoud drove 43 yards, culminating in Alex Sommers’ 15-yard TD romp for a 35-26 lead.
Pueblo County, the 2006 3A runner-up, made it close by scoring with 19 seconds left, but an onside kick failed and the celebration began for the Spartans.
Pueblo County 16 0 3 14 — 33
Berthoud 0 14 14 7 — 35
PC — Rider 14 run (JT Greenhood run). PC — JT Greenhood 4 run (Rider run). B — Sommers 4 pass from Major (Diffendaffer kick). B — Major 6 run (Diffendaffer kick). PC — FG Molina 30. B — Duncan 55 pass from Major (kick failed). B — Major 2 run (Shields pass from Diffendaffer). PC — Pullara 1 run (Molina kick). B — Sommers 15 run (Diffendaffer kick). PC — Sandoval 26 pass from JT Greenhood (Molina kick).
Pueblo County Berthoud
First downs 18 15
Rushes-yards 66-213 24-141
Passing 5-8-0 9-12-1
Passing yards 51 136
Fumbles-lost 3-3 3-2
Punts-avg. 2-28 3-28.6
Penalties-yds. 3-30 3-33
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Pueblo, Rider 28-100, J.T. Greenhood 10-47, Pullara 18-35, Josh Greenhood 10-31; Berthoud, Major 13-53, Munoz 4-50, Sommers 7-38.
Passing — Pueblo, JT Greenhood 5-8-51-1-0; Berthoud, Major 9-12-136-2-1.
Receiving — Pueblo, Pullara 2-16, Toomey 2-9, Sandoval 1-26; Berthoud, Duncan 5-84, Munoz 2-36, McGinn 1-12, Sommers 1-4.
