The No. 7 Chatfield football huge rally shocks the No. 2 Dakota Ridge

Football
11/19/2021 at 10:51:27 PMDennis Pleuss / Jeffco Sports information

Chargers grabbed the ticket to the 4A state semifinals, defeating a competitor

LAKEWOOD – The tide turned in a hurry on Friday night at Jeffco Stadium.

Well. 2 Dakota Ridge seemed to dominate as he scored 24 response points and moved to a 24-7 lead at 2:37 in the third quarter against 7. Chatfield. Even Chargers coach Bret McGatlin probably thought the playoffs would end in the Class 4A state quarterfinals and he would be on his way to Florida for Thanksgiving.

Change of plans.

Chatfield made five touchdowns from the end of the third quarter to the middle of the fourth quarter, taking an incomprehensible 42-31 win over its South Jeffco rival. The Chargers (9-4 record) will host Pine Creek (10-2) likely at 1pm on Saturday 27th November back at Jeffco Stadium.

The three-minute offensive rage began the return of Chatfield. Junior Mason Lowe made a 39-yard touchdown. Senior Jake Marschall scored in the 3-yard touch and Lowe threw a 28-yard touchdown to freshman Brock Narva to turn the 24-7 deficit into a 28-24 lead with 11:11 left in the final quarter.

“It went much better than last year, I say,” Lowe said halfway back from his touch feed to Narva, which lifted Chargers to the lead. “It was a switch. I’m glad Brock caught it. It really changed the pace.”

After being empty in four consecutive attacks after Marschall’s 80-yard touch run in the first round of play, the Chargers kicked it into high gear.

“That two-game run gave us a little energy. Then 3-and-out. Then another quick result. Then turnover and second score, McGatlin said of three Chatfield touches in 2 minutes and 44 seconds. “That’s right… I couldn’t believe we were in the lead right now. It was awesome.”

Dakota Ridge (11-1) played 19 games and a 70-yard goal, culminating in a 5-yard touch by junior Noah Triplett, who moved to a 17-point lead at the start of the second half.

“The wheels came off in a hurry right there,” Dakota Ridge coach Ron Woitalewicz said. “We had a great effort to start the third quarter and we did 24-7. Then suddenly (Chatfield) makes three touchdowns in two and a half minutes. We didn’t just come up with a way to stop the defense when we needed it.

The Eagles returned to the lead 31-28 7:55 in the fourth quarter with quarterback Adam Graves ’61-yard touchdown attack on Connor Fitzhugh. However, Marschall responded with a 70-yard touch less than 30 seconds later and gave Chargers the final lead.

“It didn’t look good. I’m not going to lie,” Marschall said of Chargers, who were 24-7 behind at 2:37 in the third quarter. We knew what to do. “

Narva gave Chatfield his first 2-point lead in the game with a 53-yard touchdown run of 4:42, resulting in a 42-31 score.

“Our plan for the venue was to get it for our athletes,” McGatlin said. “I know we have special athletes and they did amazing things.”

It’s Chatfield’s first trip back to the 4A state semifinals since 2016. Pine Creek actually beat the Chargers 28-14.

“I knew this group was special,” said McGatlin of his team, which had multiple injuries this year but has finally recovered. “We just had to get them together.”

Dakota Ridge tried to make her third consecutive trip to the 4A state semifinals under the guidance of longtime coach Woitalewicz. Dakota Ridge won the state champion Loveland in the semi-finals in 2020 and lost to Broomfield’s last-second finish in 2019.

“I’m proud of our children,” Woitalewicz said. “Lose 11-0 and be the league champion in a row with everything these guys have experienced in the last two years. It didn’t end the way we wanted to, but what a great game.”

Three weeks ago, Chatfield and Dakota Ridge faced a match that decided the 4A Metro 1 league champion. The Chargers led the fourth quarter 28-19, but the Eagles collected 10 answer points in the fourth quarter and won 29-28. Junior Landon Giebler kicked a 26-minute goal with less than a minute left in the game.

Chatfield and Dakota Ridge both earned the top 8 seeds and first-round greetings for the opening round of the state tournament. Chargers cruises past Ponderosa last week and the Eagles beat Longmont to set up a South Jeffco race in the quarterfinals.

“Knowing we’re one of the last four teams left is the biggest feeling ever,” Marschall said. “I like Thanksgiving, but playing football makes it a lot better.”