Chatfield senior Dalton Keene, far left, celebrates a touchdown 77 seconds into the Chargers’ eventual 57-7 win over Wheat Ridge on Thursday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — Before Chatfield even took an offensive snap it snagged a 7-0 lead Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium.
Chatfield senior Dalton Keene blocked a punt and scooped it up to return it for a touchdown 77 seconds into the non-league football game to get the ball rolling the Chargers.
“We’ve always talked about blocked punts and 90 percent of the time the team that blocks a punt wins the game,” Chatfield coach Bret McGatlin said. “That’s a stat we talk about a lot. That was huge.”
For the second straight week, the Chargers induced a running clock. Chatfield had a convincing 57-7 victory against Wheat Ridge. Chatfield (3-0 record) lassoed the top spot in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A football poll last week. The Chargers have no intention of letting the No. 1 ranking go anytime soon.
Keene had a monster game. The Virginia Tech-bound recruit not only had the touchdown on special teams, but had a pair of interceptions from his middle linebacker position along with a 17-yard touchdown run in the second half that pushed the Chargers’ lead to 43-7 midway through the third quarter.
Chatfield senior Andrew Mangold looks to make a move on Wheat Ridge sophomore PJ Dewitt (3). (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Chatfield junior quarterback Colton Arne had an impressive game throwing for 164 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 17-yard touchdown run.
“It’s always good to have that cushion,” Arne said of the block punt that he followed up with a 36-yard touchdown pass to senior Tylor Rowles on the Chargers’ first offensive play from scrimmage to up Chatfield ahead 14-0 less than four minutes into the game.
Chatfield senior Drew Johnson had a 28-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter to give the Chargers a 30-0 lead. Wheat Ridge got on the scoreboard with a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Anthony Tate to junior Max Warner to prevent the shutout.
The early-season momentum Chatfield has built is undeniable. However old rival Columbine (2-1), No. 4 in the 5A poll, has a chance next week to slow down the Chargers’ stampede. The south-Jeffco area rivals face off in a non-league game at 6 p.m. next Thursday at Jeffco Stadium.
“It’s going to be a packed house. It’s always a fun game,” McGatlin said. “We’ll be excited and ready for it.”
Columbine handled Chatfield 31-7 in an old 5A Jeffco League showdown last year. The Chargers had a 1-6 conference record last season before moving to the 4A classification for the next two-year cycle. Chatfield begins its five-game 4A Plains League schedule when the Chargers face Golden on Oct. 7.
“We are ready to take it to Columbine next week,” Keene said. “There has been a lot of chatter about the move down to 4A, but I think we’re ready for them.”
Wheat Ridge (1-3) receives a needed bye week after playing in Zero Week and facing three 4A top-10 teams (Pueblo South, Broomfield and Chatfield). The Farmers play their final non-league game against Dakota Ridge on Sept. 30 at Jeffco Stadium before starting play in the 4A Mountain League.
Wheat Ridge opens conference play Oct. 7 on the road against George Washington at All-City Stadium in Denver.
Chatfield junior Griffin Moss (44) puts pressure on Wheat Ridge quarterback Anthony Tate on Thursday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)