LITTLETON — It wasn’t just cool,” Mike Griebel said. “It was very cool.”
Who would argue? The Army brat from Fort Bragg, N.C., now age 50, probably couldn’t have imagined a more fulfilling football season than the one that ended Dec. 5 at Invesco Field at Mile High, a glorious Class 4A title run that stands prominently in the Griebel household, as well as Heritage High School and state annals.
He was relegated to the sidelines as head coach, but Griebel, who played at Cherry Creek and Northern Colorado, may as well have been in full regalia. His blood was among the Eagles. Their star player, who only left the field when it didn’t matter, was his son, Mitch, along with a bunch of talent that grew up together in Littleton, a south metropolitan- area city that could have been dubbed Bigton in 2009.
Anyone who has coached their son or daughter knows it’s not easy. They become targets. There are jealousies. Excuses. Negative assumptions.
On the other hand, nothing can be sweeter.
“There was some of that where others aren’t secure about it,” Griebel said. “But what helped is that he performed. It’s not like he wasn’t getting it done.”
The Eagles got it done amid interesting circumstances. In 2008, they dropped from Class 5A to 4A (10-2, losing in the quarterfinals). Nice, but not what they expected. Heritage had figured to be in the Mountain Plains League, a rugged group that produced state winners for years. It was disbanded, so Heritage joined the West Metro.
While the new league has won the past two 4A crowns — Wheat Ridge won in 2008 — its competition, which includes Denver Prep and Jefferson County programs, has been lighter. A year ago, the Wheat Ridge- Heritage showdown happened after both teams were 8-0. Scoring difference? An aggregate 806-67.
“I hated it,” Griebel said.
Better prepared, the Eagles opened 2009 with a 20-13 loss to 5A power Columbine before sweeping through others’ doldrums, winning seven league games by a combined 337-48.
“It was difficult,” he said. “So on those weeks, we scrimmaged like nobody’s business just to stay sharp and be physical.” But, he added, “As a football coach, I felt good about this — over those games, every single kid got to play, guys who had never seen a minute. How many can say that?”
They halted Wheat Ridge’s 22- game winning streak to secure the league title, a convincing 35-7 victory, before warming up for the playoffs by drubbing Dakota Ridge 56-24.
First was a 28-6 decision of Ralston Valley, then a 43-26 victory at Montrose in front of loud mountain folks who saw a flyover by crop-dusters (hey, this is the high school level).
Their semifinals finish was bold — at home against Monarch (which won in four overtimes the previous week), the Eagles trailed by seven after a series of extra football. A touchdown run by Josh Meyers brought them within 35-34, and it suddenly hit Griebel that trading 10-yard fields in overtime against power-rushing Monarch was a bad idea. Not only did they go for it, the Eagles converted a fade route, from Mitch Griebel to receiver Shane Opitz.
Who tries to win a prep playoff game on a fade route?
Said the coach without hesitation: “That was the play, and we did it because of Mitch and Shane.”
In the championship game, tied at 28 at halftime, Heritage downed Longmont going away 42-28, the school’s first title in football.
The younger Griebel was named MVP by The Denver Post; the older Griebel gladly watched and took it all in.
Having completed his 28th season, 15th as head coach, Mike Griebel boosted his career record to 107-62, one more victory than Bernie McCall, the coach he relieved and considers a mentor.
Could anything else cool have happened for him?
“I’m blessed; very, very fortunate,” he said. “The kids got to enjoy what I enjoyed.”
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
