(Troy Baker/Buena Vista HS)
BUENA VISTA — Redemption couldn’t have been sweeter for the Buena Vista football team Saturday.
A year after losing in the Class 1A title game to Paonia, Buena Vista rallied to beat the Eagles 27-20 to capture the 1A state title before a standing-room only crowd at Demon Field.
“This feels really good,” fifth-year Buena Vista head coach Matt Flavin said. “The joy in the eyes of those kids is something you can’t describe until you live through it and now I’m finally living through that. I’m so happy for them.”
The Demons finished their memorable season with a 13-0 record and claimed their second football state championship school history with the other coming in 1999 in Class 2A. Paonia (11-2) was trying to win its third state football title in a row as it defeated Buena Vista 21-7 in 2014.
“Both sides had their chances to win this game and when they had them, they made them,” third-year Paonia coach Brent McRae said. “We were just a little short when it came down to the end.”
It appeared the Eagles would be celebrating their third consecutive championship in a row as they led 20-7 at halftime.
Buena Vista’s Keegan Wentz had other ideas though.
The senior quarterback tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Josh Yates and then added a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final 24 minutes to clinch the victory.
“At half, coach told us to keep our composure and do what we do,” the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Wentz said. “We knew we could win this game. We just had to have faith.”
Despite facing a 13-point deficit, the Demons weren’t lacking any confidence in the third quarter as they marched down the field with their ground and pound attack. Wentz finished Buena Vista’s 51-yard drive by muscling in for a 6-yard score with 9:02 on the clock.
“I asked my guys at half, ‘How do you want the second half of your last game ever to be?’” Flavin said. “I told the seniors they need to step up and lead and that’s exactly what they did. Then, the team just rallied and played well.”
Flavin is right.
With the deficit cut to 20-14. Wentz and Co., went to work again. The Demons sprinkled in runs from Wentz and Cooper Eggleston and Keenan Barr to roll down the field.
When the spotlight was the brightest, Wentz shined. Facing a 4-and-2 at the Paonia 13-yard line, Wentz rushed for two yards to keep the drive alive. That, however, wasn’t the most dramatic play of the drive.
Moments later, Paonia’s defense stiffened, allowing just five yards on Buena Vista’s next three plays, leaving Buena Vista with a 4th-and-5 at the Eagle 6-yard line. The game was hanging in the balance so Flavin called a timeout.
“I wanted to do something they believed in,” Flavin said. “There were a few plays thrown around and we hadn’t thrown the ball, and we believed in that happening.”
And, it showed.
Wentz rolled right and threw to a wide open Yates in the end zone.
“I was having flashbacks to my first-ever start as a sophomore against Alamosa,” Wentz said. “We ran a slant to win the game with two seconds left. That was running through my head and I just had faith. I threw it and my best friend Josh came down with the catch.”
Yates’ catch and Ty Koch’s PAT gave Buena Vista its first lead of the game 21-20 with 9:28 left in the fourth quarter.
Paonia did regroup and was poised to go back on top, but the Eagles possible go-ahead drive ended when Jeramiah Hillman took a handoff on a 4th-and-1 play at the Buena Vista 16-yard line and fumbled away the ball with 3:36 showing on the clock. Buena Vista took over possession at its own 15-yard line. Hillman had a game-high 204 yards rushing, including a 65-yard scoring run early in the second quarter.
“We picked up the first down and we just fumbled it,” McRae said about the play. “Credit Buena Vista they made a play.”
Buena Vista failed to run out the clock when it took over on downs, but Wentz once again came to the rescue with his pick 6 of quarterback Taylor Walters with 35.1 seconds left.
“I was so happy I scored, but I was worried I might have scored too early and given them the ball back,” Wentz said.
Enter Denver Hargrove. The Buena Vista defensive back intercepted Walters’ pass with 21.3 ticks remaining setting off Demon euphoria on the sidelines and in the stands.
“What a ride,” said Hargroves. “This a dream come true. We finally did it.”