Pueblo South quarterback Zach Cozzolino. More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
PUEBLO — Zach Cozzolino and Marcell Barbee had themselves a nice little Friday night.
Cozzolina went 7 for 10 for 197 yards and four touchdowns, with Barbee was on the receiving end of six of those completions and three of the touchdowns as the Pueblo South stormed to a 55-21 upset win over No. 9 Wheat Ridge on Friday night.
“I’ll take it,” Cozzolino said. “I have 100 percent confidence in (Barbee). We all worked really hard this offseason and it finally paid off.”
Boy did it ever.
After kick-off, it looked as if it was going to be a battle between two talented running backs in Brock and Wheat Ridge’s Payton Dietrich. It was the Farmers (0-1 overall) who stuck first as Dietrich scored from nine yards out.
The Colts (1-0) would go heavy on the run with their first series, going with Brock often. He would get in the end zone, but miss the extra point to let the Farmers hang on to one-point lead.
“I like our backs, I like our offense,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard said. “I saw some things we liked (after that) so you have to take opportunities when they give them to you.”
And that’s when Cozzolino began his aerial assault. His first completion came on a 36-yard bomb to Marcell Barbee to put the Colts up 13-7.
The Farmers got two points back by corralling Brock in the end zone for a safety, but the Cozzolino show was already in full effect.
More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Before the end of the half, he found Thomas Pannunzio for a 47-yard touchdown and connected with Batbee for two more scores to take a stunning 34-9 lead.
“It’s a good feeling,” Barbee said. “I’m glad we’re getting the connection now instead of not catching anything.”
It seemed like the Farmers came out in the second half ready to keep fighting. Quarterback Anthony Tate was able to drive his team down the field, putting the load more on Dietrich’s shoulders, before finding Dominic Trujillo in the end zone.
But the Colts responded on their very next offensive play as Brock took one 51 yards for his second touchdown of the night.
Tate would find Carlos Shippley for a 61-yard touchdown pass before the end of the third quarter, but the damage had been done. Reese Bravo added a fourth quarter touchdown for the Colts, giving them the 55-21 win.
Wheat Ridge coach Stacy Coryell wasn’t shocked by any means at what he saw from Cozzolino, who played his first varsity game at quarterback Friday. He said the final score was a result of defensive miscues and missed tackles.
“We just go back to work,” Coryell said. “We have a tackling circuit that we do every week and just get better at that and continue to instill confidence in (our players). We’re a good team.”
But the celebration belonged to the home team. Cozzolino showed that he has the ability to help the Colts make their way back to the Class 4A playoffs and that he’s surrounded by teammates that will only feed off his play.
“My line is key,” Cozzolino said. “My receivers got open and that was huge too. They were crisp off the cuts. In every aspect they were great.”
The Farmers will take their home field for the first time next week as they welcome Palmer. Pueblo South will stay at Dutch Clark, but act as the visiting team against Pueblo Centennial.