Columbine sophomore Tanner Hollens (24) breaks into open field Friday night against Ralston Valley. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — It wasn’t picture perfect Friday night at Jeffco Stadium, but Columbine walked out of Jeffco Stadium with an important win to start the football season.
The Rebels, ranked No. 8 in the CHSAANow.com Class 5A football preseason poll, defeated Ralston Valley 21-7 in the all-Jeffco showdown in Zero Week.
“We’ve got to go back and get better,” Columbine coach Andy Lowry said after the Rebels’ victory. “Zero Week games are hard.”
Columbine had its fair share of penalties and fumbled twice on the opening play of drives in the first half. However, a pair of touchdown passes from junior quarterback Logan DeArment to senior Ted Mullin in the first half and a 15-yard touchdown run by senior Conner Snow was all the offense the Rebels needed.
“We came out not as high speed and physical as we wanted to. We knew it was going to be a fight,” said Mullin, who had touchdown catches of 71 and 16 yards. “Conner Snow’s touchdown run put some wind in our sails and the long pass was a huge momentum shift.”
Columbine senior Conner Snow (21) is mobbed by teammates after a touchdown. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The Rebels’ first two touchdowns came less than two minutes apart and before the 6-minute mark in the first quarter. Columbine’s offense stalled at points and gave Ralston Valley opportunities, especially with the two fumbled snapped that gave the Mustangs the ball in Columbine territory.
“You would like to convert turnovers to points, but it didn’t happen,” Ralston Valley coach Matt Loyd said.
The Mustangs went 3-and-out on both possessions after the Columbine turnovers. However, Ralston Valley found the end zone at the end of its best drive of the game. Junior AJ Jergensen, making his first varsity start at quarterback, connected with senior Logan Schroeder on a 14-yard touchdown with 8:57 left in the second quarter.
“It was nice. It was wide-open because (Columbine) was biting on our runs,” Schroeder said of the Mustangs’ lone touchdown. “It was a great pass and great timing.”
Ralston Valley junior quarter back AJ Jergensen roll out of the pocket against Columbine. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Columbine answered with a touchdown late in the first half on a third-down play where DeArment scrambled out of the pock and found Mullin for the score. It was a solid for start for DeArment, who takes over the helm at quarterback from standout Mikey Griebel.
“Logan is quite the little ballplayer and athlete,” Mullin said. “I see a lot of Mikey in him. I think he is a super good fit for this team.”
The junior quarterback said he will “always have butterflies” but the belief his coaches and teammates have in him gives him the confidence that he can do the job as Columbine’s signal-caller.
DeArment actually helped seal the victory in what was a scoreless second half. The junior, who is also playing defensive back, intercepted a tipped ball midway through the fourth quarter deep in Columbine territory to end a promising Ralston Valley drive.
“My coverage was in the flat and I saw the guy coming out,” DeArment said of his fourth-quarter interception. “I was ready to make the tackle, but the ball got tipped. I turned and ended up catching it.”
DeArment also had a key punt in the second half after a bad snap forced his to retreat to get the ball before booting the ball away.
“He (DeArment) is doing everything for us right now,” said Lowry, who was also pleased with the Rebels’ defensive effort.
The last meeting between Ralston Valley and Columbine was back in 2015. The Rebels won by the same score — 21-7 victory.
“It was a tough match-up, but that’s what I like. I like it tough,” said Loyd, who was also pleased with what he saw from his new quarterback. “We knew Columbine was going to be tough and physical.”
Columbine hits the road next week with a trip to Fort Collins. The Rebels face Rocky Mountain on Thursday, Aug. 31, at French Field.
Ralston Valley has its home opener at the North Area Athletic Complex on Friday, Sept. 1. The Mustangs face Fountain-Fort Carson in a non-league game.
“Everything we did wrong is fixable,” Schroeder said.
Ralston Valley senior Logan Schroeder, left, hauls in a touchdown pass Friday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletic)