There will be no rematch of the 2014 Class 4A state football championship as two Longs Peak League teams pulled off upsets Saturday.
Windsor and Loveland scored wins over Longmont and Pine Creek, respectively, to advance to the championship game next Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
No. 13-seed Loveland (8-5) shocked two-time defending champion Pine Creek (12-1), 26-14, ending the Eagles’ 37-game winning streak that dated back to 2013. Down 14-6 at halftime, Loveland scored 20 unanswered points.
After starting the season 3-5, the Indians have rattled off five consecutive wins to advance to their first football championship game since 2006.
No. 3 Windsor (12-1) punched a ticket to its first state championship game since 2011 after beating another Longs Peak rival, No. 2 Longmont (12-1), 12-6. Windsor linebacker/fullback Corte Tapia scored the first touchdown of his preps career — and it was a big one: a fumble recovery in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter for the winning points.
“I’m a little sore, but it’s a great feeling knowing that we have another week together and we’re going to the championship game,” the junior said.
Next Saturday’s game will mark the second meeting between Windsor and Loveland this season. Windsor won 6-0 at Loveland on Oct. 22.
East, Roosevelt move to final. A new coach, but the same results for Pueblo East. The defending 3A champion makes a return to the state championship game under new coach Lee Meisner after beating Fort Morgan 28-7.
The Eagles have won 20 of their past 21 games — their sole loss coming at the hands of 4A semifinalist Longmont in their season-opener.
East will face Roosevelt, which topped Delta 30-23 and is looking for its first state football title. Roosevelt staved off Delta’s 13-point fourth quarter to attain the victory.
The Roughriders are making their second trip to the title game and first since they lost to Eaton 21-7 in 2000 for the 2A state championship.
Bayfield takes 2A football crown. For the first time in nearly two decades, Bayfield stands tall as Colorado’s 2A football champion, holding on to win 28-20 over Platte Valley.
The No. 1-seeded Wolverines (12-0), who last won in 1996, built an 18-point lead in the third quarter. No. 3 Platte Valley was unable to replicate its magic from the prior week, when the team rebounded from a 17-point deficit to beat Kent Denver 29-23 to advance to its third final in four seasons.
Buena Vista captures 1A title. No. 3 Paonia’s bid for a third straight state championship was stopped as top-seed Buena Vista beat the Eagles 27-20 to win the Class 1A title.
For Vista (13-0), this was the Demons’ third title game appearance in four seasons. The school has advanced to the championship game nine times, but had won only once (1999) before Saturday.
Brent McRae has led Paonia to the state title game in each of his three seasons as the Eagles’ coach. Paonia is 36-3 during that span.
Sedgwick County caps perfect season. No. 1 Sedgwick County polished off its perfect season, beating No. 3 Akron 36-6 for the Colorado 8-man crown. It is the first football title in school history.
Sedgwick County finished the season 13-0, eight more wins than it had in 2014 and as many as its total from 2011-14.
