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Longhorns football logs first win

Nate Peterson
The Aspen Times
Aspen, CO Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS ” Basalt senior running backs Dalton Jacobson and Cody Kosinski both earned 100 yards on the ground and had two touchdowns apiece Friday night in a 24-6 rout of Vista Ridge, a newcomer to 2A this season.

What was a competitive game in the opening half turned into a walk for visiting Basalt in the third quarter after Jacobson and Kosinski scored their second touchdowns of the night to give Basalt a 24-0 lead.

The Longhorns’ second-team defense allowed Vista Ridge’s only touchdown in the fourth quarter. The win was Basalt’s first of the season and the first for new head coach Carl Frerichs.



“It was huge,” Frerichs said. “I think early season wins are huge for us, just to get the ball rolling and get confidence.”

The biggest improvement for Basalt following a 34-14 loss in its opener to 1A Meeker came on the defensive side of the ball, Frerichs said.




Vista Ridge drove down inside Basalt’s 10-yard line in the first half, but the Longhorns defense stiffened, stuffing the Wolves on four straight plays to turn the ball over on downs.

“They played extremely impressive and were really getting off the ball,” Frerichs said.

The coach singled out senior middle linebacker Michael Miller and 6-foot-6 defensive end and tight end Taylor Niko-Foreman, who returned to the starting lineup after missing the opener.

“Michael must have had 15 tackles tonight,” Frerichs said. “He was all over the field. Taylor had an amazing game tonight on both sides of the ball. He’s just a huge kid for this level.”

Jacobson opened the scoring in the first quarter with a short run at the goal line. Kosinski made it 12-0 in the second quarter on another short run.

Jacobson’s second score came when the senior broke free on a counter play from 25 yards out. Kosinski then finished off Basalt’s scoring with a short dive near the end of the third quarter.

Basalt (1-1) has one more nonconference game at 7 p.m. Friday at Paonia before opening its 2A Western Slope schedule when it hosts rival Aspen on Sept. 19.

npeterson@aspentimes.com