The Brush Beetdiggers might as well have been walking to school barefoot in the snow uphill — both ways — this season.
The Class 2A team played a brutal nonleague schedule, facing perennial heavyweight Holy Family and two 3A opponents.
Then the injury bug came early, taking running backs Skyler Seewald (broken wrist), Joe Rosenbrock (knee, broken wrist) and quarterback Eric Garcia (broken jaw) by the time Patriot League play began.
Brush, a preseason No. 6 pick, started 0-4. But after a dramatic 10-7 victory at fifth-seeded Florence, the 12th-seeded Beetdiggers (7-4) are a tribute to momentum and hardiness.
The wounded are back and they get a chance for revenge Saturday when they host fourth-seeded Platte Valley (10-1), the last team to beat Brush.
“The kids have just kept battling,” said Brush coach Randy Dreitz, who often reminded his young team that it had the talent to shake off the rough start.
“I told them that, but they’ve got to believe it.”
The rematch with Platte Valley could have a different outcome if Brush takes better care of the ball. The Broncos’ one loss was an overtime defeat at No. 1 Faith Christian.
Faith Christian (11-0) travels to No. 9 Aspen (9-2), where standout quarterback Anderson Cole and running back Nicky Ufkes await. The Skiers want to control the clock and hold their ground up front.
“We’re not going to pull any rabbits out of our hats, that’s for sure,” Skiers coach Mike Sirko said.
