(Photos: Josh Watt/CHSAANow.com; Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)
Pueblo East and Discovery Canyon have been stuck in the same cycle since 2013. Every year since then, the Eagles and the Thunder have met twice.
Once in the regular season and once in the Class 3A state playoffs.
The Thunder is 3-1 in the regular season meetings. The Eagles are 3-0 in the playoff games, the fourth of which will be played Saturday at District 20 Stadium.
Unlike the previous three games, however, the state championship is on the line this time.
Pueblo East is looking for its third-straight state title and looking to do it with its third head coach.
Andy Watts is looking to give his senior class a parting gift in the form of another championship.
“We have multiple seniors who weren’t just on the sideline, but actually played in the title games,” Watts said. “That senior experience is huge.”
Especially in a situation where the Eagles have a sophomore signal-caller in Luc Andrada who has not necessarily seen a state championship atmosphere.
But by no means is he unprepared.
Andrada came into the season with two pass attempts under his belt. This year, he threw for 1,742 yards and 12 touchdowns. He added 291 yards on the ground and found the end zone six times with his feet.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
“I think he’s ready,” Watts said. “He’s been building on his confidence all year. I see a lot of confidence with him.”
It also helps to a have a bruising back like Bryson Torres to help. Torres rushed for a career-high 1,684 yards in 2016. He’s one of the seniors that Watts will heavily lean on to help the Eagles overcome any nerves of a state championship atmosphere.
Discovery Canyon will look to counter with its own running game led by Josh Tomjack.
The senior leads the Thunder with 1,029 yards on the year. But junior back Trevor Ivy (807) and senior quarterback Tyler McFarland (760) are very much involved in the tripe-option attack.
“I’d even throw Colt O’Connell in there too and say four-headed,” coach Shawn Mitchell said. “It’s going to be important that we distribute the ball. That’s something we’ve relied on all year; the ability to hit defenses in multiple places.”
The biggest obstacle for Discovery Canyon to overcome is mental. Each of the last three seasons, its season has to come to an end at the hands of the Eagles.
It’s a streak that the Thunder very much hope to break, but it simply does not have history on its side.
“I hope a lot is going to be different,” Mitchell said. “I hope we win this one. But I’m proud of this group and these seniors in general. I’m proud of the way they’ve met challenges this year.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Last year when the Eagles traveled to District 20 Stadium for a playoff showdown, they came away with a 47-13 win, leaving little question as to who was the better team.
The Thunder had edged out Pueblo East 27-21 during the regular season in 2014, but lost by three scores when the postseason matchup rolled around, falling 39-21.
“I haven’t had to say too much to them,” Mitchell said. “The kids who are seniors on this team, that is their memory of playoffs the last three years. East has been the reason we left the playoffs early.”
But this time will be different before any outcome is decided.
For the first time, these teams are meeting with the state championship on the line.
The Thunder’s season will once again end with a game over Pueblo East. But if the No. 1 team in the bracket has any say, it will be them finally celebrating a state championship win.