LONGMONT — The thing about Austin Apodaca’s masterful performance Saturday at Everly-Montgomery Field was that it was constantly challenged through a variety of team and individual showings on a wild afternoon.
Saturday’s Class 3A semifinal produced, among a long list, 92 points and nearly 800 yards of offense and returns.
A series of onside and pooch kickoffs.
A halfback-option pass.
A double pass.
Reverse. Fake punts.
An interception return for a touchdown on the final play of the first half.
A 19-point lead that turned into an eight-point deficit.
The losing team, which went for it regularly on fourth down, fell despite scoring four consecutive touchdowns, but it also surrendered four in a row. And four receivers on one team flirted with each having 100 or more yards.
So Apodaca’s showing was that much more important, more brilliant in Silver Creek’s 55-37 victory over a very game Palisade that threw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at its host. The Raptors’ senior quarterback, bound for Washington State, was a red-hot 32-of-38 for 446 yards and seven touchdowns with identical 16-of-19 showings in each half.
“I didn’t know that,” Silver Creek coach Mike Apodaca said about his son. “That just makes it more special.”
The younger Apodaca, who lifted Silver Creek (12-1) to its first title game, appeared to be in a test with a cheat sheet that he could have sold for big money on eBay.
“It just kind of happened. Our offense was clicking and we were all on the same page,” the younger Apodaca said while also crediting his line. “I was just hoping we’d win.”
It could have been better had he not overthrown two attempts, had a couple dropped and been hit from behind on a play that resulted in an interception.
As it was, Apodaca, who has 43 scoring tosses in 2011, led Silver Creek to a 29-10 lead, only to have the Bulldogs, who ended 10-3, roar back to take the lead at 37-29 through trick plays, their usual mountain toughness, a ground game that wouldn’t quit and improved defense.
However, Apodaca capped four consecutive drives with scoring passes to put it out of reach.
All of his completions were to four receivers, with Wyatt Knechtel, Ryan Rankin and Greg Reynolds each nabbing two touchdown receptions. “It seemed like every route was open and every ball was caught,” Apodaca said. “I give all the credit to my teammates. Palisade’s a good team and physical.”
Palisade 7 24 6 0 — 37
Silver Creek 14 14 13 13 — 55
SC — Rankin 30 pass from Apodaca (Templeton kick). P — Woods 60 pass from Jackson (Jackson kick). SC — Reynolds 29 pass from Apodaca (Gibbs pass from Apodaca). SC — McNabb 2 run (Templeton kick). P — FG Jackson 29. SC — Knechtel 36 pass from Apodaca (Templeton kick). P — Orman 26 pass from McLean (Jackson kick). P — McLean 1 run (Jackson kick). P — Zamora 70 interception return (Jackson kick). P — Kuntz 9 run (kick blocked). SC — Reynolds 30 pass from Apodaca (run failed). SC — Lord 8 pass from Apodaca (Templeton kick). SC — Rankin 11 pass from Apodaca (Templeton kick). SC — Knechtel 18 pass from Apodaca (kick failed).
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
