HIGHLANDS RANCH — A year ago, ThunderRidge High School football coach Joe Johnson and athletic director Bob Nelson experienced an epiphany of sorts. “Joe and I said, ‘It’s time,’ ” Nelson recalled.
It was time to play in Class 5A, with the state’s largest schools, in which the Grizzlies were already competing in other sports.
The proverbial big fish in a little pond was 85-17 under Johnson in Class 4A football, with three championships. He was confident, therefore, his program could not only compete, but win, against the best in big-school football. After all, ThunderRidge has won 13 Class 5A Colorado championships in other sports since 1999.
On Friday, the Grizzlies (10-0) host Douglas County (7-3) at Shea Stadium in the second round of the 5A football playoffs as the No. 3 seed and one of only three undefeated teams this season.
Even Johnson didn’t know how it would go.
“I thought we’d take a loss early, when we had a tough schedule,” he said. “I was hoping. Hey, it’s 5A, different, but let’s make the playoffs, get better. There was too much unknown.”
Considering the Grizzlies are now within a dozen students of the 5A minimum of 1,641, it wasn’t a huge leap up.
“The baby steps worked,” Nelson said.
Actually, the Grizzlies took a giant step in 1998, their first playing varsity ball after two years of practicing. With their domination in Class 4A the past few years, negative comments were directed at ThunderRidge for not moving up earlier.
The Grizzlies have used their trademark power rushing attack and a physical defense, starting with a season-opening overtime victory over district rival Douglas County. Hard-fought victories over nearby Mountain Vista, Ponderosa and Highlands Ranch sparked a 9-0 regular season and a Southern League title.
The Grizzlies pounded Overland 40-14 in the first round of the playoffs.
“It’s definitely exciting to prove to all those people who said we couldn’t do it,” senior running back Chris Nwoke said. “All those (5A) teams we were watching last year, we’re actually getting to play them and we’re excelling.”
Safety Patrick Pokryfke said he hoped for “at least .500,” although he soon upgraded that goal.
Quarterback Tim Jenkins, whose passing gives the Grizzlies a balanced offense, credits the coaches for the seamless adjustment.
“Honestly, it has to do with our coaches. They kept telling us it wouldn’t be that different,” Jenkins said. “They kept telling us we could.”
Johnson said there is a noticeable size-and-speed difference between Class 5A and 4A, and more of a week-to-week, physical grind. But he could openly speak about the playoffs with his players during the season because 32 of the 45 teams in Class 5A make the playoffs. Two 3-6 made it. In 4A, there are only 16 playoff teams.
“In 4A, you could have exactly three losses, be 7-3, and not get in,” Johnson said.
There’s also much more depth in Class 5A, Johnson said.
“The difference in records is not nearly as great,” he said. “We would play some of the poorer teams (in 4A) and they really were not a match for us physically. That’s really not true now. When our JVs go in, they really get eaten up.”
Nelson makes no apologies for adhering to a class outlay not easily understood — or agreed with — by the public. Technically, Class 5A power Mullen could play 3A football. Others in Colorado Springs, Jefferson County, Louisville and Loveland compete in 4A football but in 5A in 20 other sports.
While he agrees with the popular notion that “the top eight to 10 in 4A can play 5A football,” Nelson said his school’s mission was to be competitive in all sports. The football team has never had a losing season.
“Our coaches share kids (in multiple sports) and support each other, and our weight room isn’t a football weight room, it’s an athletic room,” he said. “Some say ThunderRidge was out to prove a point this year that we belong and maybe it was true to an extent, but we’ve been past that. Now, it’s let’s find out what we can do.”
Not coincidently, the Grizzlies doubled their 2007 gate and concession receipts and this first season of a two-year realignment formed a league consisting mainly of Douglas County District teams. Previously, ThunderRidge never faced its Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch and Parker rivals in football unless it met them years ago on a lower level.
“We were losing an opportunity our community wanted,” Nelson said.
Douglas County coach Jeff Ketron was a believer in the Grizzlies before he had to face them twice this year.
“They’re good, undefeated,” he said. “When you have to deal with all of the emotions of high schools, it’s tough (to stay undefeated).”
Ordinarily, Johnson isn’t fond of attention, but knew his team’s first 5A go-round wouldn’t go unnoticed, particularly with his team undefeated.
“They’ve bought into not looking ahead,” he said. “They don’t run for a touchdown by themselves. We do it. They don’t make a sack by themselves. It’s a team thing.”
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
ThunderRidge’s legacy
ThunderRidge joined Class 5A in football this season; its other sports programs have excelled at the big-school level for years:
Baseball: 2004 5A state title
Boys basketball: 2002 and 2003 5A state titles
Girls basketball: 2003, 2004 and 2005 5A state titles
Boys golf: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 5A state titles
Girls soccer: 2002 5A state title; 1999 and 2000 3A state titles
Football: 2001, 2004 and 2005 4A state titles
