AURORA — Grandview’s 28-21 Class 5A nonleague victory over Fort Collins on Thursday night was rousing and perhaps season-changing.
Under a full moon at Legacy Stadium that Wolves coach John Schultz said he and his team purposely howled at, and with Jupiter just to the right, its closest encounter to Earth in nearly a half-century, Grandview moved to 2-2.
“It was crazy,” said Wolves linebacker Eddie Yarbrough, whose sack of Fort Collins’ Erik Brakke on third-and-goal led to a fourth-down incompletion as time expired.
How crazy? Count the ways. The game began late because it followed a soccer game. There were four injury delays. Grandview fumbled five times in the first half, yet led 21-7.
The Lambkins, who fell to 3-1, completed what appeared to be a harmless, short pass on their first possession only to have a defender punch the ball — it was picked out of the air by Ray Bozmans, who ran for an 85-yard touchdown.
Grandview’s second touchdown came after Ryan Tasker ran 25 yards to the Fort Collins 2-yard line. He fumbled, but lineman Jimmy Short recovered in the end zone.
“What can you say?” Wolves running back Kory Davan said after rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Plus, Grandview, which had dropped out of The Denver Post/9News 5A poll, had already lost to No. 1 Mullen and No. 2 Bear Creek. Can you guess what the Lambkins were ranked entering the game?
“No way we were losing to the top three,” Yarbrough said.
In all, the Wolves fumbled eight times, mostly between the quarterback-center exchange. Meanwhile, Fort Collins never made a move after tying at 21 and left the surface feeling that it let one get away.
“Turnovers and dropped passes,” coach Eric Rice said, “are a recipe to lose.”
Even on a crazy night.
Fort Collins 7 0 14 0 — 21
Grandview 7 14 0 7 — 28
G — Davan 4 run (Williams kick). FC — Bozmans 85 pass from E. Brakke (Mosbrucker kick). G — Short 2 fumble recovery (Williams kick). G — Williams 13 pass from Schlehuber (Williams kick). FC — Marum 57 pass from E. Brakke (Mosbrucker kick). FC — E. Brakke 9 run (Mosbrucker kick). G — Davan 5 run (Williams kick).
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
