CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE — Collins Gantz knew he had to create some big plays.
As if channeling the legendary Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, the Kent Denver junior returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown. He then turned a simple slant route into a 45-yard sprint-and-run that set up the deciding score as the Sun Devils got past top-ranked Faith Christian 23-13 on a typically picturesque early fall Saturday in Colorado.
It evened both teams’ records at 2-2 as the upper end of Class 2A continues its faceoff into league play.
Gantz burned the Eagles on a 95-yard kickoff return to open the second half, finding a seam courtesy of Sun Devils teammates to push their lead to 13-3.
And after Faith Christian, No. 1 in The Denver Post/9News 2A poll, put together two drives for a touchdown and field goal to tie it, his snag of a look-in from Richard Yates became a burst to the Eagles’ 4-yard line. Matt Florence took two tries to run it in, and No. 9 Kent Denver had re-established order, strangled the momentum out of the Eagles and weathered another difficult foe in an ambitious nonleague schedule.
“Faith Christian has always been that game for us and playing it was the motivation,” Gantz said. “I wanted to get that kickoff return. On the pass, it was actually supposed to go to someone else. (Yates) called it the wrong way, but I was fortunate.”
So were the Sun Devils, who were able to take away the Eagles’ passing game and any rushing on the perimeter.
“We made some big plays when we needed to,” Kent Denver coach Scott Yates said. “We had a hard time sustaining drives until the fourth quarter, when we drove the ball from the 5.”
The Sun Devils were able to move to the Faith Christian 22, where they received a key 39-yard field goal by Dan Brugioni to make it 23-13. It also ate up five minutes.
Assorted mistakes and penalties by Faith Christian didn’t help against the Sun Devils’ Jack Addy, Zach Motz and Yates, each strong on defense.
“We have to make sure that when we have momentum, we build on it,” Eagles coach Blair Hubbard said.
Faith Christian 0 3 10 0 — 13
Kent Denver 6 0 14 3 — 23
KD — Tills 5 pass from Yates (kick failed). FC — FG Phillips 39. KD — Gantz 95 kickoff return (Petre kick). FC — FG Phillips 27. FC — Marshall 10 fumble recovery (Phillips kick). KD — Florence 2 run (Petre kick). KD — FG Brugioni 39.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
