There are eight high schools in Colorado that have the last name ‘Creek’ as a part of their name. It is safe to say the ones most people first recognize throughout the state are Cherry Creek and Bear Creek.
But Pine Creek, in its 11th year and a member of the Colorado Springs Metro League, is starting to make a name for itself on the football field. The Eagles lost in the Class 4A semifinals last season to eventual state runner-up Greeley West, in what was their fourth consecutive trip to the postseason. They were undefeated heading into that game.
“Point blank, I look in the mirror and blame myself for the way we played against West,” Pine Creek coach Todd Miller said. “I just didn’t have my team prepared, and I take responsibility for the way we played. Yet, the playoffs were certainly a stepping stone and the kids responded with their hard work during the summer.
“But when one thinks of the Creek schools, ours is not one that comes quickly to mind,” said Miller, who is in his eighth year at Pine Creek and fifth as the head coach. “I think here in the Springs people are getting to know us. But around the state, we have not received a great deal of attention despite our trips to the playoffs. It takes time to build a tradition, but our athletic staff and all the kids have been working hard to accomplish their goals of success. We feel pretty good by the way we have progressed.”
Pine Creek took another big step last Friday when the Eagles beat rival Fountain-Fort Carson 35-0 in a matchup of unbeatens, to improve to 4-0 on the season. The Eagles opened with a 53-14 victory against Air Academy High, beat Liberty 42-7 and then followed with a rout of Rock Canyon 49-20.
Not blessed with great size up front, Pine Creek has relied on what Miller considers a wealth of heart and speed. That describes the play of running backs Josh Chance (5-foot-11, 160 pounds) and Conner Stevens (5-9, 205) and the team’s leading tackler, linebacker Kenny Klien (6-1, 190).
“Despite our size, the kids have exceeded my expectations,” said Miller, a native of Evansville, Ind., and a graduate of Eastern Illinois. “The key is that we are faster than any team I’ve coached as well as the best tackling team I’ve had. We also played well against some fine competition up north in the playoffs and that‘s been a confidence-builder, too.”
Pine Creek lost in the first round in the state playoffs from 2005 to 2007 against Thompson Valley (14-6), Thunder Ridge (28-14) and Cherokee Trail (15-14), respectively. The Eagles had a pair of playoff wins, beating Brighton (17-7) in the first round in 2003 and 34-19 against Palisade as a 3A entrant in 2000.
Chance put out a fine effort against Fountain-Fort Carson, rushing for 183 yards and scoring touchdowns on runs of 36 and 69 yards. That ran his season totals for a balanced offensive unit to 494 yards and five touchdowns.
“Coach Miller has done just a great job getting us ready for the season,” said Chance, a senior. “I think the progress we’ve made demonstrates how hard we have worked over the past summers, and it’s starting to pay off. I get a bit tired going both ways, but I always seem to be high with excitement when I’m on the field and that keeps me going. What has been the key is how we have come together.
“We have been pretty much overlooked despite our success and that adds fuel to the fire,” Chance said. “We just want to strive to be better each week.”
Klien has racked up 42 tackles, and as a result, teams have been running away from him.
“The lack of recognition does add fuel to the fire,” Klien said. “We have been able to mesh well together and that gives us something to help move us forward. We are not looking at the past and we do want to make it to the state championship game this season. A key is that we are focused, and that‘s also due to the way we worked this summer. We’re playing smart and we have pretty good ideas as to what we have to do on the field.”
That’s the type of attitude Miller admires in his players.
“The kids are not looking for glory for themselves,” Miller said. “They want to do what is right on the field and to do what is right with their teammates, their classmates and school.”
Here’s a look at some of the state’s other top efforts last week:
Holy Family put the clamps on Erie’s Alex Ortega to some extent, as the Tigers upended Class 2A’s top-ranked squad 31-6. Tim Sullivan, with 11.5 tackles, and Thomas Lambert, who made 10 tackles, helped hold Ortega to 124 yards. Also, Holy Family’s Jonathan Gerry rushed for 135 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Tigers improved to 3-1 and Erie fell to 3-1. Ortega came into the game with 588 yards rushing and now has 712 yards, good for No. 2 in Class 2A behind Kent Denver‘s Tyler Jackson, who has 738.
Akron’s winning streak reached 43 games Friday as the three-time Class A defending champions defeated No. 2 Limon 31-14. Kendall Monasmith scored two touchdowns, on a 14-yard run and on a 71-yard kickoff return. The Rams will go for 44 straight Friday when they play Holyoke (1-3).
Speaking of kickoff returns: Corey Herman of Castle View had a 99-yarder Friday in a loss against Mesa Ridge (33-26), John Tidwell of Rangeview uncorked a 92-yard touchdown return against Thomas Jefferson, but also in a losing effort; Elbert‘s Dawson Weber scored on an 80-yard return, helping his team to a 42-24 victory against Kiowa; and Morgan Biel of Sargent also had an 80-yarder in a loss against Crowley County.
Elbert’s Weber also scored on runs of 7, 2 and 2 yards and passed for two touchdown passes to Colten Holschuh. He also ran for two two-point conversions in the victory against Kiowa.
Mitch Griebel of Heritage likes to help his team score in various ways, too. In the Eagles’ 51-0 victory against Denver North, he threw touchdown passes of 30 and 5 yards to Shane Opitz, returned a punt 60-yards for a touchdown, then scored on a 20-yard pass interception and a 10-yard run.
Travis Adamson of Byers also had a sharp day under center in the Bulldogs’ 33-14 victory against Wiggins. He ran 5 yards for his team’s first score, then threw four touchdown passes.
Games of the Week
Class 5A: Arvada West (4-0) at Columbine (3-1), Friday.
Columbine was upset by Chatfield, 16-13, last Thursday and Arvada West defeated Regis 20-6. The Rebels hope to get back on the winning track against Arvada West, while the Wildcats would like to put a two-game losing streak on their Big 8 League foe in the crucial league matchup. Arvada West has been paced by quarterback Gavin Glanz (695 passing yards, eight touchdowns) and running back Issac Fairbairn (327 yards rushing), who is also the team’s leading receiver (12 catches, 146 yards, 3 TDs). The defense, paced by Taylor Connors, Luke Spaw and Ian Fleming, has allowed a scant 23 points this season. Columbine quarterback Danny Spond (291 yards passing, 264 rushing) and running back Phillip Romero (323 rushing) have played key roles. Defensively, the Rebels have been stout behind TJ Cavarra, Zach Oppeneer and Kalvin Cruz.
Class 4A: Montrose (4-0) at Pueblo West (4-0), Friday.
Montrose had an easier-than-expected 33-7 victory against Golden last week, while Pueblo West easily handled Widefield 41-7. This game should be quickly played, as both teams like to stay on the ground and they matchup fairly evenly. Montrose, with running backs Jordan Passehl (488 yards) and Glayden Berry (269) and quarterback Nathan Robertson (238 rushing, 294 passing) averages 296.8 yards rushing a game. Pueblo West has six running backs with more than 100 yards rushing. Hans Ask leads with 205 yards, while Colton Vaughn has added an additional 188 for a squad that averages 284.3 rushing yards a game.
Class 3A: Mountain View (4-0) at Silver Creek (3-1), Friday.
When it comes to points scored and allowed, Silver Creek is even at 67 points each way. The Raptors beat Fort Morgan 14-13 last week, while Mountain View came away with a 21-7 victory against Sterling. Silver Creek might have an edge in the passing game, as quarterback Austin Apodaca has thrown for 509 yards, while Mountain View QB Brennan Stine has passed for 414 yards and also leads the team in rushing with 191 yards. Cody Alme (199 yards) and Keenan Olson (157) have been the top ball carriers for the Raptors, a team that averages only 122.3 yards a game on the ground. Defensively, Kohlman Scribner averages a solid 10.3 tackles a game for Mountain View, while Casey Garmen leads Silver Creek with 9.3 tackles a game.
Class 2A: The Academy (4-0) at Faith Christian (4-0), Friday.
The Academy, unranked, certainly has played well this season but will get its biggest test against No. 1 Faith Christian. The Faith Christian defense has been nothing short of fantastic, as the Eagles have allowed only 13 points. Those 13 came in their 16-13 victory against Platte Valley two weeks ago. Quarterback Micah Twedell has thrown for 431 yards while rushing for 216 for the Eagles. Running back Derek Lepore leads the team in rushing and receiving with 266 and 131 yards, respectively. The Academy’s four-year starting quarterback, Landin Caswell, has passed for 227 yards while rushing for 272. He also is the team’s leading tackler with 30.
Class A: Calhan (3-1) at Burlington (3-1), Friday.
Calhan hopes to rebound after last week’s loss to unbeaten Rye (34-8), while Burlington comes in off a 43-0 victory against Holyoke. Burlington might have the edge as the Cougars’ three-point loss to top-ranked Akron two weeks ago proves they can play with the best. Burlington, with Colin Eberhart (430 yards rushing) and Brock Rhodes (220 yards) spark a ground game that averages 297 an outing. Eberhart also leads the team in tackles with 29, followed by Michael Slatterly with 27. Calhan’s leading rusher is Jake Sparks (293 yards) while quarterback Clint Hammond has passed for 244 and rushed for 173 yards. Jordan McClelland leads Calhan in tackles with 37, Justin Carpenter (36) and Sparks (34).
Class A 8-Man: Caliche (4-0) at Merino (4-0), Friday.
There’s no doubt this one should be a classic in the northeastern portion of the state. Caliche, ranked No. 5, is coming off a 52-12 victory against Longmont Christian, while Merino enjoyed a 50-0 romp last week against Haxtun. The Rams have allowed just 27 points, while Caliche has surrendered 60. The teams are just about even offensively, as Caliche has scored 219 points this season, Merino 210.
Class A 6-Man: Otis (4-0) at Fleming (3-1), Friday.
Unranked Fleming wailed on Woodlin 66-12 last week and appears ready to take on the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs. Otis averages 441 yards a game offensively, Fleming 352. Karson Kunz (493 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns) and Jimmy McGrath (255 rushing) lead the ground game for the Bulldogs. Fleming likes to stay on the ground, too, with Justin Stone (496 yards) and Jason Carwin (441).