Austin Apodaca, a Washington State recruit, passed his way into the Colorado state football record book Saturday.
Silver Creek's Austin Apodaca.
By Patrick Miller
The senior fired seven touchdown passes, tied with four others for the second-best, single-game effort in state history, to lead
Silver Creek (Longmont, Colo.) to the Class 3A state title game. (Ryan Miller passed for eight TDs in a game for Ellicott in 2008).
In the 55-37 victory against Palisade, Silver Creek staked to a 29-10 advantage early in the second quarter before Palisade rallied to take a 31-29 lead at halftime.
Apodaca, a 6-foot-3, 180-pounder who is the son of head coach Mike Apodaca, took over in the second half and tossed four TD passes to help the Raptors pull away.
Overall, he completed 32 of 38 passes for 450 yards. He went 16-for-19 in each half.
Apodaca entered the game as Colorado's leading passer, regardless of classification, with 3,066 yards and 36 TDs. With 43 touchdown passes he is now third in the state record book for a single season. Two players are tied at No. 2 at 44, and the state mark for scoring passes in a season is 52.
Silver Creek will play in the championship game for the first time and will meet Windsor on Dec. 3.
