Rifle running back Ryan Moeller more than one-trick pony

Think Ryan Moeller is causing the entire coaching staff from Silver Creek (Longmont) more than a few headaches? Well, then consider the myriad problems the senior standout from Rifle has caused his opponents this year.

Moeller is the leading rusher in Class 3A and ranks second overall in the state, trailing only Pueblo West standout Derek Jackson. Yet there is far more to Moeller's game than simply churning out gaudy rushing totals.

Silver Creek will be forced to keep tabs on Moeller in every facet of the game when the 10th-seeded Raptors take on top-seeded Rifle in the state championship game Saturday at Legacy Stadium in Aurora.

MaxPreps Colorado Class 3A state brackets



"We've been trying to live in a sheltered world and take things one game at a time," Rifle coach Damon Wells said. "We try to focus on ourselves at this time of year, but that can be hard. It's a balancing act, because this is a special time for high school kids. We're focused on what we need to do, but we also want the kids to enjoy this.

"Sometimes people forget these are 14-, 15-, 16-year old kids. A lot of our guys can't drive and their rooms are a mess. It's important to remember they're still high school kids and that they need to enjoy the moment."

Moeller has had more than a few memorable moments during his remarkable 2012 campaign. The senior's 2,857 rushing yards leads 3A, as do his 41 rushing touchdowns. Moeller has scored 48 touchdowns overall, the top mark across all classifications in the state, and has proven to be a force all across the field.

Moeller has more than made the most of his other touches in different phases of the game. He has made only five receptions this season, yet those catches have been good for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Moeller has gotten his hands on only six punt returns but has averaged 23.7 yards with two touchdowns. Stunningly, his two pass attempts have fallen incomplete.

Defensively, Moeller is the Bears' third-leading tackler. He has recorded eight interceptions, the top mark in 3A, and has returned two of them all the way for touchdowns.

To recap those 48 touchdowns: 41 rushing, three receiving, two punt returns and two interception returns. Those numbers would be impressive in a 13-year NFL career, let alone a 13-0 high school season.



"We're pretty beat up and we're not that big, but that's life in Rifle, Colorado," Wells said. "Most of our kids play two-ways, so Silver Creek probably has an advantage there. But it doesn't matter now. We just have to survive another 48 minutes."

Silver Creek (11-2) will make its second consecutive appearance in the 3A championship game. And while the Raptors undoubtedly will have their hands full attempting to contain Moeller, Silver Creek's defense may have been uniquely primed for the challenge during a 24-7 victory against Conifer in the semifinals.

Conifer entered that game averaging about 328 rushing yards a game and boasted two runners, A.J. Eleniewski and Matthew McClintock, who collectively had nearly matched Moeller's production this year. Silver Creek limited Conifer to just 94 yards while using its balanced offense to steadily pull away in the second half.

"We're going to play physical football on defense, and I'd like to say when we're running the football, we're getting after them, too," Silver Creek coach Mike Apodaca said. "We'll have to do a lot more of that this week against Rifle because they're a physical team and we're going to have their intensity.

"We've hung our hat on our defense all year. We were going to at the beginning of the year. That's where we returned the most kids. The recipe is our defense doing that and our offense moving the chains and not having turnovers."

Silver Creek is seeking its first football state title in the school's brief history. Rifle won its most recent state title in 2004.