Three weeks into the regular season, it appeared to be the same old Palmer.
Over the past couple of decades, the Terrors, who also sport one of the cooler mascots in Colorado high school sports, have had enough athleticism and talent to fill an action flick, yet they have struggled to put it all together.
Into their fourth week in 2010, the Class 5A Terrors stood 1-2 and appeared headed to a 16th nonwinning season in coach Rod Baker’s 17 years, but here’s where the turnaround began.
Dominic Rufran, who displays the type of speed and quick turns that usually draw attention from traffic cops, led an assault against 4A Castle View. Rufran totaled 238 yards and had three touchdowns, eight receptions and a kickoff return — he also ran for a two-point conversion and passed for another — as Palmer won 29-23.
It ignited a stretch in which the Terrors won six of seven games, notably the past week’s 32-0 shellacking of ninth-seeded Lakewood in the state playoffs.
Not only was it No. 24 Palmer’s first playoff victory during Baker’s tenure, which began at just about the time any of the current Terrors were born, but it wasn’t the milestone you would think. Nor was it for his players.
“It doesn’t matter to them,” Baker said of any reference to a Palmer football history lesson. “It has been awhile, but for these guys it’s, ‘Hey, let’s see if we can get better.’
“They truly do the right things. They want to be 1-0 every week and string together good practices. That’s all we’ve been talking about, and they believe in that stuff.”
For the record, Palmer last won a football state championship in 1956, the year of classic Chevrolets as well as an AAA championship.
However, since the switch from a 6A system in 1994, the Terrors have been like so many other Colorado Springs-area big-school programs. They have had ability, just not quite enough of it, and struggled at times in the lines.
Colorado Springs’ most recent big- school state champion was Mitchell in 1981.
In addition, the state football committee obviously remains perplexed about what to do with the southern schools. Palmer, now in the Colorado Springs Metro League — there are all of four teams — also has been lumped through the years with Jefferson County schools, the Douglas County schools, even Aurora’s Grandview in its infancy and Grand Junction (anyone out there remember something called the Grand Peak League?).
And the Terrors didn’t even get it done in the playoffs when it had the sweet Bobby Purify, who went on to star at the University of Colorado.
Still, Baker, along with multifaceted Rufran (who will line up at quarterback, running back or wide receiver and has more more than 1,300 yards rushing and a hand in 30 touchdowns), Chris Urbaniak and Eddie Bacalane, isn’t aren’t surprised.
“Our groups were solid when they were younger,” Baker said. “It’s not a big thing for us, but new for our school to have success. The kids are not crazy out of their minds about it; they expected it.”
The Terrors will host eighth-seeded Chaparral on Friday at Garry Berry Stadium.
Footnotes.
School bean counters aren’t going to like this — four quarterfinal games this weekend will total 2,096 miles in travel. . . . 6-man Idalia (10-0) has won 23 games in a row. This season, the defending-champion Wolves are averaging 62 points. . . . Yes, prep players are watching the NFL and its new rules on illegal hits. Said Columbine defensive back Conner Dorris to Post Preps reporter Pat Rooney when it was announced: “I just think they are kind of softening up football. It’s a contact sport.”
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
