Pueblo East players celebrate winning in the 3A football semifinals. (Courtesy of @EastBoosterClub on Twitter)
Rifle and Pueblo East will play in the Class 3A football championship next Saturday after both teams won in the Class 3A semifinals on Saturday.
It will be Rifle’s second championship game appearance in three seasons, and seventh overall. The Bears lost to Silver Creek in 3A’s tilt in 2012. They last won a title in 2004.
Pueblo East, a No. 4 seed in the playoffs, has never been in a title game before. Now, the Eagles will get to host one after toppling No. 1-seeded Discovery Canyon 39-21 in the semifinals.
Discovery Canyon had leads of 7-0 and 14-7 but Pueblo East twice rallied to tie things. Then, the Eagles scored on a fake field goal just before the half to take a 19-14 lead. That lead grew to 31-14 before the third quarter ended, and Pueblo East cruised from there.
Daniel Martin had scoring runs of 11 and 30 yards, as well as two touchdown passes, for Pueblo East.
No. 6-seeded Rifle, meanwhile, beat No. 10 Fort Morgan 35-7.
Rifle’s Brock Clark had three touchdowns, and Layton Stutsman threw for one score and rushed for another.
The two teams will play at Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo at 1 p.m. next Saturday.