LAKEWOOD — If any team in the Class 4A playoffs senses deju vu, it’s Dakota Ridge.
It’s looking a lot like 2008 again for the Eagles, and that’s not a bad thing.
Two years ago, Dakota Ridge faced and defeated Pueblo South in the first round to earn a berth in the quarterfinals, where it beat Longmont to earn a berth in the semifinals against Wheat Ridge.
Saturday at Jefferson County Stadium, the seventh-seeded Eagles opened their first playoff quest since ’08 with a 27-7 victory over Pueblo South. The win set up a quarterfinal matchup with — you guessed it — Longmont, which upset No. 2 seed Monarch on Friday. And lest we get ahead of ourselves, a win in the second round could lead to a semifinal rematch against Wheat Ridge, which beat Dakota Ridge en route to the ’08 title.
The coincidences weren’t lost on Dakota Ridge.
“I even have the same haircut and beard, though the beard is a little longer now,” said Eagles senior quarterback Bolton Howes, who started in 2008.
Howes led a complete team effort Saturday as the Eagles (8-3) dominated 10th-seeded Pueblo South (5-6).
On offense, Howes completed 11-of-18 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown and rushed 14 times for 59 yards and a 1-yard score. Senior running back Brent Terrell ran 16 times for 159 yards and two TDs, and Derek Vander Velde, Class 4A’s leading receiver, caught five passes for 94 yards and a 5-yard touchdown.
“That was our best game offensively, hands down,” Howes said. “We finally clicked.”
“From start to finish, I felt we clicked pretty good,” added Terrell, who pushed his season rushing touchdowns total to 15 with runs of 12 and 5 yards. “We’re all playing together, and we want it right now.”
Terrell also broke a 49-yard run to set up his 12-yard score for a 13-0 lead with 1:44 left in the first half. The Eagles drove 95 yards in 12 plays, aided by a Colts offside penalty on third-and-8.
Dakota Ridge added its third touchdown 7.9 seconds before the end of the half, capitalizing on a fumbled handoff between Pueblo South quarterback Niklas Spinuzzi and running back Brandon Castro at the Colts 40. Howes hit five consecutive passes, including the TD to Vander Velde.
The turnover was one of four by Pueblo South, two of them leading to Dakota Ridge touchdowns.
Pueblo South 0 0 0 7 — 7
Dakota Ridge 7 13 7 0 — 27
DR — Howes 1 run (Jonsson kick). DR — Terrell 12 run (kick failed). DR — Vander Velde 5 pass from Howes (Jonsson kick). DR — Terrell 5 run (Jonsson kick). PS — Smith-Madrid 30 pass from Spinuzzi (Castellucci kick).
