Chatfield senior Thomas Elsenbast (15) makes a catch in front of Lakewood junior Jamie Perez during the Class 5A Jeffco League game Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. The Chargers pulled out a dramatic 42-41 victory in double-overtime against the Tigers. (Dennis Pleuss)
LAKEWOOD — Chatfield football hasn’t lost its flair for the dramatic at Jeffco Stadium.
The Chargers edged Class 5A Jeffco League rival Lakewood, ranked No. 9 in this week’s CHSAANow.com 5A football poll, in double-overtime fashion Friday night. Chatfield came away with a 42-41 victory when an attempted trick shovel pass by Lakewood on a extra-point hit the ground after being thrown toward the line-of-scrimmage.
“Ball on the ground, block, tackle, kids sprinting off the field,” is how Chatfield senior Sean O’Dell described the play. “It was just pure joy. I’m just so happy.”
Chatfield (2-1 overall, 1-0 in league) had a pair of last-second wins last season. That trend of putting playing close games has followed the Chargers into this year’s campaign. Horizon knocked Chatfield out of the ranking last week with a come-from-behind 42-40 win.
Lakewood junior Eric Gonzalez (83) fights for extra yards as he is tackled by Chatfield senior Lucas Gunkel in the second quarter Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss)
“I don’t know what it is with us, but the last two years our games come down to the wire all the time,” Chatfield coach Bret McGatlin said. “I’ve never been so proud of a group of guys. We’ve been riddled with so many injuries. Our kids just kept fighting. They never gave up.”
The first half of what was the Chargers’ homecoming game was pretty tame and ended with Chatfield leading the Tigers 7-3.
“This week we had a lot of defensive-minded practices to have a response after that Horizon game,” O’Dell said. “They stepped up big time. Giving up just three points at halftime is big time.”
The action got wild in the second half. The lead changed hands six times in the final 24 minutes of regulation time. Lakewood (2-1, 0-1) scored with 13.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard pass play from quarterback Antonio Martinez to Mao Niko to tie the game at 28-28.
Lakewood only needed to kick the extra point to take the lead, but a low snap saved Chatfield. Tigers couldn’t get the kick off and for the second time during the 5A Jeffco doubleheader Friday at Jeffco Stadium overtime would be played.
Columbine blew a late lead and ended up having to beat Bear Creek 43-42 in double-overtime in the 4 p.m. game earlier in the day.
“We are very comfortable,” O’Dell said of playing in tight games. “We call ourselves the ‘Buzzer Beater Crew’. Last year we had two big game-winners late.”
Lakewood senior Anthony Brown (88) attempts to spin out of the tackle by Chatfield junior Conrad Bristol (25) during the first half Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss)
Lakewood and Chatfield exchanged a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the first overtime period and each kicked their extra points to send the game into a second overtime. Chatfield senior quarterback Kyle Winkler tossed a 10-yard touchdown to senior Brayden Gilbert and Becca Meares kicked the extra point to give the Chargers a 42-35 lead.
The Tigers answered with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Martinez to Chris Reynoso, but the trick play on the shovel pass to end the game with a 2-point conversion failed.
“Our guys just blew up the middle. That’s all I saw,” McGatlin said of the final play of the game that concluded at nearly 11 p.m. “All I know is I saw the ball on the ground and people running past me.”
Chatfield won’t have much time to celebrate the victory. The Chargers have a short week playing at 6 p.m. next Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium against Bear Creek.
Lakewood will try to rebound after its first loss of the season against Pomona at 4 p.m. next Friday back at Jeffco Stadium.