PARKER — Lions and Tigers and a bear of a Class 1A playoff game. Oh, my!
It was for Wes Crane and the Lutheran Lions, who handled the Hayden Tigers 35-6 on Saturday at Sports Authority Stadium in small schools’ opening round of football playoffs.
The Lions moved to 10-0 and will be at Wiggins next weekend in the quarterfinals.
Crane may be diminutive at 5-foot-5, 140 pounds, but his moves were huge. He constantly reached space, turning in a variety of considerable returns (for 131 yards), rushing for 49 yards and a touchdown, piling up 119 receiving yards and changing lanes more times than a rush-hour driver on Interstate 25.
His dynamic approach isn’t usually seen in 1A and is getting noticed.
“I don’t know, I really don’t know how to explain it,” said Crane, a senior. “I just run.”
So did freshman Christian Versteeg, who ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns as the Lions regularly won the battles across the fronts.
“(Wes) has done that all year. I think he’s probably the best player in 1A, but I’m biased,” second-year Lutheran coach Daryl Moe said.
Optimism has grown for Moe by the week. Yes, he’s thrilled with the Lions’ performance, but, no, he’s not that surprised.
Lutheran, in its second year since combining with the old school in West Denver, will move to 3A next year in anticipation of its suburban setting being more of an attraction, not unlike that involving Regis Jesuit and Holy Family — both moved from North Denver and now are flourishing in Aurora and Broomfield, respectively.
All of it is obvious to Tigers coach Shawn Baumgartner, whose team battled as usual, but ended 5-5.
“They’re able to spread you out, run the ball and they can throw the ball,” he said of the Lions.
Hayden 0 6 0 0 — 6
Lutheran 7 21 0 7 — 35
L — Waite 3 pass from Grimmett (Schoene kick). L — Crane 7 run (Schoene kick). L — Versteeg 1 run (Schoene kick). H — Doolin 50 run (kick failed). L — Claussen 12 pass from Grimmett (Schoene kick). L — Versteeg 7 run (Schoene kick).
