More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
LAKEWOOD — Pueblo South wasted no time in erasing a 6-0 first-quarter deficit Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium.
The No. 2 ranked team in this week’s CHSAANow.com 4A poll trailed 6-0 against No. 6 Wheat Ridge. An eight-play, 99-yard scoring drive capped off with a 15-yard touchdown run by senior Jordan Jones put the Colts in an early hole. However, Pueblo South responded in a big way.
Pueblo South scored 23 points in a span of 4 minutes, 42 seconds on the clock to sweep momentum to its side. The Colts (3-0) went to on a 37-20 victory on the road on the night Wheat Ridge (2-1) was celebrating its homecoming.
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
“Momentum just changed after that,” Pueblo South senior running back Raymond Mitchell said of his 60-yard touchdown run with 2:21 left in the first quarter started the Colts’ scoring outburst. “Our (offensive) line started taking care of what they needed to do. Holes started opening up.”
Wheat Ridge turned the ball over on its own 7-yard-line two plays later to set up Pueblo South’s next score. Junior Dennis Ramos scored on a 1-yard run with 21 seconds left in the quarter to extend the Colts’ lead to 14-6.
It was Pueblo South’s defense to get into the scoring act next. The Colts’ defensive line put pressure on Wheat Ridge junior quarterback Nicco Young with junior Isiah Pannunzio sacking Young back on the Farmers’ 7-yard-line. On the next play Young threw an incomplete pass, but Wheat Ridge was called for holding in the end zone to force a 2-point safety.
“Our kids played hard and played well for 48 minutes,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard said. “They overcame some things early. We didn’t like our energy on the sideline, but we got going and made some plays.”
After a getting the ball back on offense after the safety, Pueblo South scored with 9:39 left in the second quarter on a 15-yard touchdown run by Mitchell to make the score 23-6.
Mitchell finished the game with 17 carries for 150 yards and three touchdowns.
Wheat Ridge used the ‘wildcat’ formation for a nice 80-yard scoring drive that was capped off by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Young to junior Xavier Dreiling, cutting the deficit to 23-13. The Colts struck quickly again with a 49-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Nathan Spinuzzi to Pannunzio to put an exclamation point on the first half.
“The big strike to Isiah was a real momentum changer,” Goddard said of the score to give the Colts a 30-13 halftime lead.
Mitchell scored his third touchdown of the game on the Colts’ first possession of the second half to pretty much put the game out of reach.
Jones was a big bright spot for Wheat Ridge in the first loss of the season under first-year coach Dan Reardon. The senior racked up 232 yards on 21 carries and found the end zone twice.
“Jones is a good player. You have to give Wheat Ridge credit. They do a good job with him,” Goddard said. “He gashed us there a little bit. Second half I think our defense did a good job of bending, but not breaking.”
Wheat Ridge sophomore Sam Magalei, right, looks for away around Pueblo South junior Marcos Estrada. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
The Farmers’ defense came into Thursday’s contest with back-to-back shut outs on the road against Pueblo Central and Littleton. Pueblo South was able to put up 254 yards rush and an addition 60 yards through the air Thursday.
“We had the momentum, but we pretty much beat ourselves. We had fumbles. We could have done way better,” Jones said. “Pueblo South is a good team, but we are too. I’m sure we’ll see them again.”
Wheat Ridge faces another top-10 ranked team in 4A next week. No. 7 Dakota Ridge squares off against the Farmers at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at Jeffco Stadium.
Pueblo South will get a tough test when it hosts Falcon next Friday night in a 7 p.m. kickoff before a return to the Denver area Sept. 27. The Colts square off against No. 3 Denver South at All-City Stadium in a Saturday afternoon tilt.
Pueblo South junior Dennis Ramos (28) fights for extra yards against Wheat Ridge’s defense Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium. The Colts racked up 254 yards on the ground in a 37-20 victory against the Farmers. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)