Consider Elizabeth’s 2010 Cardinals colorful. They ran only 26 plays from scrimmage in a season-opening 28-13 victory against ball control-minded Erie.
Last weekend, they drove 10 1/2 hours to Pocatello, Idaho, for the Rocky Mountain Rumble and defeated Rupert (Idaho) Minico 40-6 in the enclosed Holt Arena.
No many schoolboys get the chance to play indoors.
“I know, we played well inside,” Elizabeth coach Chris Cline said, “and got lots of carpet burns.”
Neosporin aside, why shouldn’t the unusual continue for the Cardinals? Next up: Surprising third-year school Palmer Ridge in The Denver Post game of the week.
Cline, in his 11th year heading Elizabeth (2-0), No. 2 in The Denver Post/9News Class 3A poll, admitted to earlier scheduling a big trip, then having a game against a newer school, “but (the Palmer Ridge Bears) are killing people and are ranked (No. 8).”
Not to be outdone, Palmer Ridge (2-0), 4-6 in its first season and 5-5 in 2009, has had to deal with the different in preparing for the Cardinals.
“It’s a big-time challenge for us, our first road game (in 2009),” coach Monte Gutowski said. “We watched (the Elizabeth-Minico) game on a webcast. It was interesting to scout a game off an Internet source.”
Defense has carried Elizabeth thus far, notably, Cline said, by Matt Biery and Brad Goldsberry in the secondary. While the Cardinals, experienced with nine starters on each side of the ball from 2009, lack exceptional size, they make amends in other areas.
“They are fast, fast, fast,” Gutowski said.
The Bears of Monument have scored 67 points in eight quarters. Defensive end Collin Babcock, Gutowski said, has been a leader. A 30-0 rout of Windsor has put foes on notice.
“We’re pretty pumped,” Gutowski said. “It’s a chance to prove us as a pretender or contender.”
