GREELEY — Greeley West football coach Mark Roggy was hoping to get a more physical effort from his club in the wake of last week’s discouraging loss against Monarch, the No. 2-ranked team in Class 4A.
The Spartans answered their coach’s challenge in bruising fashion Friday, battering Pueblo West running back Derek Jackson while putting together a balanced effort offensively to post a 40-7 victory against the Cyclones, the seventh-ranked team in Class 4A.
Greeley West (2-1) received three touchdowns from running back David Eddy, and senior quarterback Brandon Gallatin added two more through the air as the Spartans dominated the nonconference game at District 6 Stadium.
“We kind of challenged our kids a little bit more physically,” Roggy said.
“Monarch is a good team, but I thought we needed to play more physical, because Pueblo West also is a good team. The kids did a good job that way. We didn’t turn the ball over at real bad times tonight and we were able to make some plays down the field.
“My defensive coaching staff did a great job adjusting to their option. (Jackson) is a heck of a back. We had a game plan for him and we made the right kind of adjustments.”
Jackson rushed for more than 300 yards during the Cyclones’ first two games, but the aggressive Spartan defense limited the junior to just 7 yards on 11 carries in the first half.
While Greeley West was putting the clamps on Jackson, the Spartans’ offense rolled behind Eddy and Gallatin.
Eddy recorded 100 yards on consecutive carries in the second quarter, scoring on a 53-yard run and ripping off a 47-yard run that set up Gallatin’s second touchdown strike, a 3-yard toss to Zach Downing that gave the Spartans a 27-7 lead at halftime.
“Our whole objective this game was to establish the run so it would make our passing game better,” Gallatin said. “We did that. After last week we saw what potential we had, and we finally brought it all together.”
Pueblo West 7 0 0 0 — 7
Greeley West 13 14 10 3 — 40
GW — Eddy 4 run (Buchanan kick). PW — Drury 9 run (Cornwell kick). GW — Dowgin 65 pass from Gallatin (pass failed). GW — Eddy 53 run (Buchanan kick). GW — Downing 3 pass from Gallatin (Buchanan kick). GW — Eddy 1 run (Buchanan kick). GW — FG Buchanan 24. GW — FG Buchanan 37.
