FORT COLLINS — The suggestion was presented to Andy Lowry, and the Columbine coach had to admit it.
“The secret’s out,” Lowry agreed Thursday night after his Rebels handled host Rocky Mountain 40-14 at J. Ray French Field in Class 5A nonleague. “He’s a good back.”
Indeed, Cameron McDondle is no longer under anyone’s radar. The junior torched the Lobos for 301 yards rushing on 19 carries and scored five touchdowns. Two others were called back because of penalty.
“I just think we went out and played pretty good,” McDondle said. “We got everything moving.”
In improving to 2-0, the Rebels, ranked No. 7 in The Denver Post/9News 5A poll, trailed the Lobos (0-2) late in the second quarter before a binge in the final minute gave them a 23-14 halftime lead.
They gradually put it away in the third quarter, overcoming turnover and penalty problems, but Lowry realizes that even this year’s seniors and juniors didn’t get that much playing time a year ago.
“We’re not that young, but we’re inexperienced,” Lowry said. “We could have scored three more touchdowns.”
Columbine fumbled three times early, losing two, but its offensive line was winning the battle and McDondle displayed power, speed and balance. Injured for most of 2009, he scored on runs of 44, 31, 13, 7 and 14 yards. He also had a 64-yard run to the Rocky Mountain 16-yard line on his second carry.
Most impressive was his first touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter. He nabbed a bad pitch behind him and to the left, then burst through a hole on the left side.
“I was just running the hardest I could,” the 5-foot-9, 190-pound McDondle said. “We pushed (the Lobos) up front, got behind them in the secondary and got to the end zone.”
Place-kicker Austin Krueger added field goals of 25 and 32 yards. Noah Thompson blocked a punt in the third quarter that led to one of McDondle’s touchdowns, and the Rebels’ defense settled down after permitting Rocky Mountain a 70-yard scoring drive on its second possession.
The Lobos, whipped 41-10 by Arvada West in Week 1, “competed much better,” coach Mark Brook said. “(Quarterback) Brode (McDonald) played well, but it’s a process . . . and that No. 21 (McDondle) is something else.”
Columbine 6 17 10 7 — 40
Rocky Mountain 7 7 0 0 — 14
RM — Nelson 1 run (Burback kick). C — McDondle 44 run (kick failed). C — McDondle 31 run (Krieger kick). RM — Crim 2 fumble return (Burback kick). C — McDondle 13 run (Krueger kick). C — FG Krueger 25. C — McDondle 7 run (Krueger kick). C — FG Krueger 32. C — McDondle 14 run (Krueger kick).
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
