When and met in mid-September in non-conference play, the longtime city rivals turned in a game for the memory banks.
That night, the Cyclones beat the Colts 55-54 in a double-overtime shootout complete with multiple kickoffs returned for touchdowns, an abundance of big-play offense and, in dramatic Friday-night-lights fashion, an extra point that dinged off an upright — and through it — to ultimately win the game for Pueblo West.
A couple months later, as the Class 4A playoff field was released — and after each team crushed its first-round opponent — it’s become increasingly hard for the state’s bracketologists to overlook a potential all-Pueblo championship game Dec. 2 at Sports Authority Field, as the Cyclones and Colts are on opposite sides of the tournament.
It’s a prospective rivalry showdown that probably has a lot of folks in the Home of Heroes hyped, even if it is several weeks (not to mention multiple pivotal wins) away for each team.
“We’ve had some good games with South in football as well as in basketball the last few years, and the intensity is high in basically any sport we play them in,” Pueblo West coach Monte Pinkerton said. “Playoff football, of course, has its own intensity, and the prospect of a trophy up for grabs would just add to it. But obviously — we’ve got a whole lot of other work to do before that would even be a consideration at this point.”
Pinkerton’s “but obviously” sentiment was echoed by Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard, as both programs have stiff quarterfinal tests looming Saturday when the Cyclones battle Chatfield (undefeated in the state of Colorado this year) and the Colts take on (coming off an upset of previously unbeaten ).
For the Cyclones, the key to storming their way past Chatfield lies with a 14-man senior class, with running back Pierre Taylor, slot Nieyeme Smeyer-Williams and quarterback Jacob Wilkinson leading a dynamic offense that ranks sixth in the classification at 38.7 points per game.
“We have a good senior group, and a lot of them have been starting since they were sophomores,” Pinkerton said. “They got thrown into the fire a couple years ago when we went 5-5, so that experience is big, and it’s helping us out now even though it was tough to go through it at that time.”
Meanwhile, the Colts boast the second-ranked offense in 4A, as senior quarterback Zach Cozzolino, senior running back Steve Brock and senior wideout Marcell Barbee headline a team with a steadfast incremental focus.
“(For motivation) we don’t really mention anything beyond ‘chasing excellence’,” Goddard said. “We don’t want to compare ourselves to other programs, or try to emulate what someone else is doing — it’s all about what we do at practice every day as far as getting our work done, enjoying the process and competing with each other to be the best team we can possibly be.”
And as each program seeks to build its postseason resume throughout November and into December — the Cyclones by way of a second title and first since 2007, and the Colts with what would be their first championship — both coaches are confident in the momentum their respective squads have built heading into the quarterfinals.
“As far as my guys go,” Goddard said, “I’ll put that group of guys against anybody, any day.”
Pueblo teams in the quarterfinals
Pueblo West vs Chatfield
Where: Cyclone Stadium
When: 1 p.m.
Seeds: No. 4 Cyclones, No. 5 Chargers
Records: Cyclones 10-1, Chargers 10-1
Other keys: Sr. DL/OL Garrett Cassio, Sr. DT Grant Guerra, Sr. OT/DT Ethan Hildebrand, Sr. MLB Jared Aragon, Jr. SS Kyle Jameson.
Opponent’s keys: Sr. RB Ben Frenette, Sr. WR Cole Ingersoll, Sr. WR Keland Rumsey, Sr. QB Colton Arne, Sr. MLB Cameron Manzanares, Sr. G/DT Tyler Sexton.
Semifinal opponent: No. 1 /No. 8 Rampart
Pueblo South vs Vista Ridge
Where: Vista Ridge High School
When: 1 p.m.
Seeds: No. 6 Colts, No. 14 Wolves
Records: Colts 10-1, Wolves 7-4
Other keys: Sr. SB Thomas Pannunzio, Sr. WR Jesse Anzar, Sr. TE Jeremy Cody, Sr. DB Parker Stephens.
Opponent’s keys: Sr. RB Jaylen Thomas, Jr. QB Rowan Neal, Sr. RB Jeffrey Crittendon, Jr. WR Micah Hilts, Jr. MLB Carter Bussone, Soph. SS Ryan Poolman.
Semifinal opponent: No. 7 Loveland/No. 15 Broomfield
