Columbine takes the opportunity from Pomona to run a 5A Jeffco table

Football
10/28/2021 7:22:53 PMDennis Pleuss / Jeffco Sports information

Rebels won the substitution battle in the regular season final at NAAC

ARVADA – Columbine junior Rocky Shields tore off a possible unbeaten Class 5A Jeffco League race for Pomona on Thursday night.

Rebels in 10th place led the 8th Panthers 13-6 early in the fourth quarter. It seemed that Pomona senior runner Chase Muller scored a goal with an 11-yard touchdown run, possibly leveling the situation.

“It was one of those things where they escaped from my side,” said Shields, a two-way lineman. “You can’t give up a play. It’s about trying and striving. That’s what I did. I was in the right play at the right time to do the play.”

The shields tore at the ball as Muller was about to reach the finish line. The ball came off and Columbine senior Grayson Headrick got the ball back from Rebels ’2-yard line.

Columbine (7-3, 3-2 in the league) took the place at 8:49 in the fourth quarter. Rebels continued the 15-game, 98-yard run, which ended with sophomore James Cillessen’s 1-yard plunge. Playing time was less than 2 minutes and a win of 20-6 for Rebels.

“It’s Rebel Ball at its best,” Shield said of Columbine’s 98-yard touch run to make it a two-touch game. “That’s what we work for and preach.”

Pomona (6-4, 4-1) already decided on the title of the conference last week. Four consecutive league wins from Lakewood, Ralston Valley, Arvada West and Mullen, combined with a little help when rival Ralston Valley defeated Columbine last week, allowed the Panthers a league championship before Thursday’s late afternoon tilt at the North Area Athletic Complex.

“These two substitutions were deadly,” Pomona coach Nathan Johnson said after the Panthers ’4-match winning streak ended. “I respect (Columbine’s) attack. When you make such mistakes and have a negative turnover margin, it’s hard.

The only two goals in the second half were senior Wes Jones Columbine field goal and a touchdown by Cillessen. Both points arose after Pomona’s donations.

Columbine opened the game with an explosion. In the first match, scrimmage second student Josh Snyder had a 53-yard touchdown run past the rebels ’sideline.

“I just thought run, run, run,” Snyder said. “It was awesome to hit them right away.”

The rebels were shortened, and senior runner / linebacker Seth Cromwell was left out due to injury.

“We weren’t sure what the outcome would be,” Snyder said of playing without Rebels ’leading runner. “We just did our best and the result was 20-6.”

The only result of Pomona’s game came from Muller’s 1-yard touch with 4:49 left in the second quarter, cutting Columbine’s lead to 10-6. The loss is likely to force the Panthers to play in the opening round of the 5A State Tournament next week.

“Five weeks ago, a lot of people thought we were down and out. I think when our team realizes their backs are against the wall, they become pretty passionate and controlled desperate,” Johnson said. “

Columbine and Pomona are now waiting to see how the 24-team 5A state tournament series will be formed. The top 8 teams will receive first round greetings. The Colorado High School Athletic Association will release the parentheses on Sunday, October 31st.

It was a huge return win for Rebels, who had lost three of the last five matches before winning the regular season final.

“We were pretty down. We were a little scared last week. We didn’t know who they really are,” Columbine coach Andy Lowry said.

Columbine was 11th in the RPI table before winning. So it’s possible that the rebels could take a valuable first-round goodbye to get healthier before the 16th round.

“I definitely like it,” Lowry said of the rebels who made it into the top eight to grab the first round of goodbye. “It’s going to be close.”