To chase and capture a state football championship is euphoric, but defending the crown is strictly business. At least that is how senior linebacker Bruno DeRose and his Pueblo East Eagles see it.
Pueblo East beat Rifle 30-14 last year in the Class 3A championship game for the football program’s first title in the 55-year history of the school. The No. 1- seeded Eagles get a chance to repeat at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pueblo’s Dutch Clark Stadium against the No. 2-seeded Roosevelt Roughriders, who have the same 12-1 record as the defending state champions.
“Last year there was no pressure,” DeRose said. “Every week you get happier that you’re getting farther. This year we had one goal in mind, and that was to repeat.”
Pueblo East’s lone loss was its first game of the season, 48-27 at Class 4A semifinalist Longmont. Then it rolled off 12 consecutive wins. In three playoff games, the Eagles have outscored opponents 105-27.
The driving force behind the Eagles’ defense is DeRose, who leads the team with 154 tackles.
“He’s as smart as a coach, if not smarter,” said coach Lee Meisner, 25. “To have a kid like that at the high school level is just an unbelievable advantage. He knows the game so well. That’s his biggest strength.”
DeRose’s biggest advantage besides his size — 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds — is his family’s background. Bruno’s father, Dan DeRose, played collegiately at the University of Colorado before NFL stints with the Broncos and New York Giants. Meisner, Bruno’s brother-in-law, played for the Atlanta Falcons after his college career at CSU-Pueblo.
“Whenever I’m going into a game I can always talk to my family and ask how to do something,” DeRose said. “They’ve been in the (National Football) League so they know what it takes and what the best of the best do.”
DeRose’s counterpart on offense is senior quarterback Daniel Martin, who transferred from Trinidad after his freshman year. Martin was originally a running back. But six games into his sophomore year, the starting quarterback was injured and Martin took his spot.
Pueblo East went 11-3 last year and won the state title in Martin’s first full season at the helm of the Eagles’ offense.
Martin brings a gifted skill set — he leads the Eagles in yards rushing (1,363) and total touchdowns (38) — and the intangibles of a championship quarterback.
“The best way to describe him is that he’s a great competitor,” Meisner said. “He can elevate everybody else’s game just by his effort and attitude.”
The Eagles know it won’t be easy to repeat against a Roosevelt team that is 1-1 this season against the teams playing in Saturday’s Class 4A championship game in Denver. The Roughriders lost to Windsor and routed Loveland 41-8 early in the season.
“What jumps out is how disciplined they are,” Meisner said. “They know exactly where to go and do a great job of executing.”
Fifth-year head coach Noland Eastin, 39, and the Roughriders are in the state championship game for the second time. Their first appearance was during Eastin’s inaugural year on the coaching staff in 2000, when he was a coordinator.
“It’s been a true testament to our guys to stay dialed in and focused for the long journey,” Eastin said. “If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right.”
Mario Sanelli: msanelli@denverpost.com
Game plan
When the Eagles run
After allowing only 60 yards rushing against Evergreen in the state quarterfinals, the Roosevelt Roughriders saw Delta rack up 202 yards on the ground in the semifinals. The Pueblo East Eagles average 241 yards rushing per game and 6.3 yards per carry.
Edge: Eagles
When the Roughriders run
The Roughriders have 74 offensive touchdowns, and 64 have come on the ground. Senior Carlos Ortega and junior Cameron Hurtado combined for 2,570 yards and 39 touchdowns. Roosevelt has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in 12 of its 13 games and averages 7.5 yards per carry.
Edge: Roughriders
When the Eagles pass
Senior quarterback Daniel Martin, who leads the Eagles with 1,363 yards rushing — just 9 more than junior running back Bryson Torres — completed 54 percent of his passes in the regular season but attempted more than 20 passes in a game only once. He has gone 10-of-23 for 155 yards during the playoffs, with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. Roosevelt had three interceptions against Delta.
Edge: Roughriders
When the Roughriders pass
Roosevelt has attempted 90 passes this season, compared with 632 rushes. Hurtado put the ball in the air only twice against Delta last week, getting one completion for 13 yards. Pueblo East’s defense has been opportunistic with its 19 interceptions this season, averaging nearly 20 yards per return.
Edge: Eagles
Special teams
While the Eagles and Roughriders combine for only seven made field goals on eight attempts, Pueblo East has five punt returns for touchdowns and has blocked two punts. Roosevelt has no special-teams scores.
Edge: Eagles
Individual leaders
PUEBLO EAST
Rushing — Daniel Martin 203 carries, 1,363 yards, 24 TDs; Bryson Torres 226-1,354-
23; Bruno DeRose 19-141-4; Sebastian Benavidez 11-108-2.
Passing — Daniel Martin 92-of-176, 1,478 yards, 14 TDs, 8 INTs.
Receiving — Luke Padula 43 catches for 883 yards, 8 TDs; Bruno DeRose 11-177-4;
Dusty Biggers 7-153-2; John Orona 10-140-0.
Tackles — Bruno DeRose 154, Hunter Doub-major 99, Jeremiah Arellano 92, Luke
Padula 73, Grant Baggett 62, Jacob Robles 50, Gerardo Diaz 47.
Sacks — Damon Sabbagh 5, Josh Tellez 5, Gerardo Diaz 4.
ROOSEVELT
Rushing — Carlos Ortega 142 carries, 1,421 yards, 19 TDs; Cameron Hurtado 169-1, 149-20; Christian Majszak 103-729-11.
Passing — Cameron Hurtado 32-of-79, 704 yards, 9 TDs, 7 INTs.
Receiving — Orlondo Rivera 14 catches for 422 yards, 7 TDs; Dalton Hulbert 9-182-3;
Carlos Ortega 5-40-0.
Tackles — Christian Majszak 118, Ray Garcia 70, Nathan Swartzbaugh 51, Kaulana
Ukishima 51, Tyler Virgin 48.
Sacks — Daniel Aguilar 4.5, Kaulana Ukishima 4.
Team statistics
| PUEBLO EAST | ROOSEVELT | |
| Total offense | 4,719 | 5,560 |
| Rush offense | 3,140 | 4,715 |
| Pass offense | 1,579 | 845 |
| Total TDs | 79 | 77 |
| Points/game | 42.9 | 43.1 |
| Opp. points/game | 16.5 | 17.2 |
| Int.-yards | 19-303 | 15-128 |
| Fumble rec. | 9 | 12 |
| State titles | 1 | 0 |
Game by game
PUEBLO EAST (12-1)
at Longmont L, 48-27
at CoronadoW, 49-0
Pueblo SouthW, 54-21
at Canyon CityW, 49-24
Discovery CanyonW, 47-36
Pueblo WestW, 42-6
Pueblo Central*W, 56-0
at Classical Acad.*W, 36-21
at Pueblo County*W, 31-24
Sierra*W, 62-8
Playoffs
Lewis PalmerW, 49-10
Discovery Canyon W, 28-10
Fort Morgan W, 28-7
ROOSEVELT (12-1)
Thompson Valley W, 50-12
WindsorL, 25-12
at LovelandW, 41-8
Northridge*W, 56-12
Mead*W, 50-22
at Fredrick*W, 42-7
at Holy Family*W, 64-63
at Niwot* W, 56-0
Erie*W, 24-6
at Berthoud*W, 44-19
Playoffs
Eagle ValleyW, 49-7
EvergreenW, 42-19
DeltaW, 30-23
*League game
