Finally, after 55 years, the Pueblo East Eagles get their chance.
At 1 p.m. Saturday at Dutch Clark Stadium, they will host Rifle in the Class 3A state championship football game.
“This is what prep sports and the community are supposed to be about,” East coach David Ramirez said. “You can’t believe the countless calls and e-mails I’ve gotten the last couple of weeks. This is about as excited as they have ever been for a high school football game. It’s almost like all of Pueblo is behind us. For this game, I think we are Pueblo’s team.”
It’s been a long time coming for the Eagles.
Pueblo East swung open its doors in 1959, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and a gallon of gas cost 25 cents. Since then, 10 different men have occupied the White House, but the Eagles have never played for a state football championship.
That might seem like a lot of history to pile on teenagers’ shoulders. Not so, says wide receiver-cornerback Kevin Ribarich, who has a team-best 1,233 yards receiving.
“It’s more on the back burner. I mean, we’re cognizant of it, but we are thinking about Rifle, I can promise you that,” said the 5-foot-8, 135-pound Ribarich, whom Ramirez calls “pound for pound one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached.”
Pueblo high school football fans are a passionate bunch. When Central meets Centennial in the annual “Bell Game,” crowds of 13,000 to 14,000 often turn out at Dutch Clark. Similar crowds show up for the annual “Cannon Game” between South and East.
“The community has always supported their local team, and that’s no more evident than in those rivalry games,” said Ramirez, who graduated from Centennial in 2001.
Saturday, however, the football community will be split. The CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolves are hosting Angelo State (Texas) at noon in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
“I guess some fans are going to have to make a choice,” Ramirez said with a chuckle. “I’m sure we’re going to have a good crowd rooting us on. The CSU-Pueblo game just highlights the excitement in this community.”
Standing in the way of East’s title dreams are the Rifle Bears from the Western Slope. Saturday will be Rifle’s second championship game appearance in three seasons, and seventh overall. The Bears lost to Silver Creek in the 3A title game in 2012. They last won a title in 2004.
“Rifle is a very good football team,” Ramirez said. “So right now, we are just focusing on football and on our job on the field. But knowing that you are part of history is something pretty special.”
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or
