Columbine grounds out 5A title win

DENVER – As usually is the case, two was better than one when it came to the Class 5A state football championship.

Top-ranked Columbine (Littleton) literally rushed to the big-school state title on the legs of brothers Cameron and Bernard McDondle for a 41-31 victory against Lakewood on Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The win gave Columbine its fifth big-school title in 13 years but first since 2006.

Columbine's power ground game is without peer and was the perfect complement to the frigid temperatures, which hovered in the teens throughout. The Rebels (14-0) amassed 403 rushing yards, as the McDondles overshadowed a stellar effort from Lakewood tailback John Greer.

Cameron, a senior, carried 18 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns, while Bernard delivered his best game of the season. The speedy sophomore gouged the Tigers for 255 yards on 19 carries and two second-quarter touchdowns. Cameron also tossed an 11-yard scoring pass on the halfback option for the Rebels' final points.

"This is exactly how I pictured it, winning state with my brother and this team," said Bernard, who rushed for 191 yards against Grandview in the semifinals. "Everybody gets a time to shine, and it was my turn. This is the best thing ever."

Cameron entered as the classification's second-leading rusher with 2,148 yards, but he was happy to defer to his younger sibling on this day. Bernard had accounted for 917 yards before the championship effort.

"We knew it was going to take of lot of me decoying and him coming out here and having a great game; he did his part," Cameron said. "This is huge. We knew this was the last chance that we would ever get to win with each other, and we wanted to make it a special time."

On the other side, Greer did his best to keep Lakewood in the game, but ultimately it wasn't enough. The senior slashed his way for 132 rushing yards and two scores, and he also gave Lakewood a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter with a 94-yard kickoff return.

The contest between friendly Jefferson County rivals didn't fail to disappoint. Lakewood pulled to within 28-23 after a 17-yard scoring run by Greer with 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the McDondles, behind another solid effort from their offensive front, took care of the rest.

Cameron went 52 yards for a score on the ensuing possession, before Bernard's halfback pass to Ceasar Lopez cinched with a little more than a minute remaining.

"I'm not going to deny anything against Lakewood," Bernard said. "They are a very good team. But you know what, we're a little better."

Lakewood (12-2), which entered the 32-team playoffs as the 10th seed, had won 12 in a row. The Tigers were playing in the state championship for the first time since 1985.