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Basalt football rallies from disastrous start but falls short against TCA in semifinals

It is first and only loss for Longhorns, who finish with 11-1 record

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Austin Colbert
  

Basalt High School junior Will Tarallo, center, carries the ball against The Classical Academy during their Class 2A semifinal football game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, on the BHS field. TCA won, 41-28.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

The game could have been over barely a minute in after a trio of disastrous plays got the Basalt High School football team off to a horrid start.

But the Longhorns fought back against The Classical Academy on Saturday afternoon in their Class 2A state semifinal contest, only to have the rally fall short, 41-28, on the BHS field.

“I cannot be more proud of my seniors. They led this team the right way. They fought until the very end, and that’s all you can ask,” Basalt coach Carl Frerichs said. “At the end of this, we tell the kids all the time, there is only one happy team, and we went through that today, and our amazing season’s ride is over, but these kids have nothing to hang their heads about.”

It is the first and only loss for the No. 2 seed Longhorns, who finish the fall with an 11-1 record in what can be argued as the greatest season in BHS football history. It was only their third semifinal appearance and only the second in Class 2A — the other coming in 2019, when they lost to Delta.

No. 3 seed TCA, now 12-0, will take its perfect mark to Pueblo next Saturday to play No. 9 Wellington for the 2A state championship. The Titans last played for a state championship during the spring 2021 pandemic season, when they lost to Rifle in the 3A final, 35-34.


“We came up short by one point, but it’s going to feel good getting back there now,” said TCA senior quarterback Andrew Brown, who was an eighth-grade ball boy during that 2021 run to the title game. “Feeling great. It’s going to be a great game. Those guys out in Wellington, they are looking good. They are having a great season and they made it to state, too. It’s not going to be a cake walk.”

Basalt could have been the team moving on had a few more things gone right — or at least not gone horribly wrong. The troubles were instant for the Longhorns after allowing TCA’s Zach Mediavilla to take the opening kickoff back for the touchdown.

After throwing an interception to begin its first offensive possession, the BHS defense then let TCA fullback Jackson Schipfer break free for a 60-yard TD run. Basalt trailed 14-0 only 1:03 into the first quarter.

Basalt High School senior receiver Taylor Hays, center, fights off a tackle against The Classical Academy during their Class 2A semifinal football game on Saturday on the BHS field.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
The Classical Academy quarterback Andrew Brown, left, looks to pass while being pressured by Basalt’s Henry Hendrix during their Class 2A semifinal game on Saturday on the BHS field.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

“That opening kickoff, we actually put it exactly where we wanted it. We practiced that all week, and then they return it and the big run up the middle,” Frerichs said. “This is such a fast-start team, so we knew we couldn’t get on our heels, and the exact thing we talked about all week happened. We were like, crap, that’s not what we wanted. But that’s where I’m just so proud of these guys, to get it back to 14-14 when we were on our heels.”

Basalt’s fortunes changed when a muffed punt by TCA set up BHS on the Titans’ 15, and a few plays later, it was senior running back William Daniel who caught the 5-yard TD pass from junior quarterback Karson Schneider to make it 14-6 TCA — the extra point was blocked — at the halftime break.

It didn’t take long into the third quarter before BHS had tied the game via a 29-yard TD catch by junior Parker Sims, and a successful run by Daniel on the 2-point conversion made it 14-14 with not even three minutes gone in the second half.

“Great momentum shifter, but we all kept saying, ‘Hey, as long as there is time on the clock, they still can win.’ We truly believe that,” Brown said of TCA’s cautious response to Basalt’s rally. “We didn’t get too excited, but we knew what we had to do.”

Basalt High School senior William Daniel reflects after a loss to The Classical Academy in their Class 2A semifinal football game on Saturday on the BHS field. TCA won, 41-28.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

The Titans regained momentum thanks to a quick slant caught by Hayden Gustafson that went nearly 50 yards for the score and a 21-14 lead. BHS tied the game again at 21-each by the end of the third quarter following a 65-yard catch and run by junior running back Will Tarallo.

The biggest play of the game was arguably made early in the fourth quarter when BHS fumbled the ball on a reverse attempt deep in its own territory, and TCA took the gift and a 1-yard TD run by Braden Godoy put the Titans up 28-21 with 7:56 to play.

The Longhorns were forced to punt on their next possession, and TCA essentially iced the game when Godoy broke free for a 52-yard TD run to extend the lead to 35-21 with 6:48 remaining.

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Daniel did catch a 1-yard TD pass to get BHS back within 35-28 with 2:08 to play, but TCA recovered the ensuing onside kick and a 47-yard TD catch and run by Elijah Wright ended Basalt’s season.

The game was a rematch from the first round in 2023, when No. 9 TCA won at No. 8 Basalt, 40-19. That was also the last loss for the Longhorns prior to Saturday.

“We had our opportunities. That’s going to be the hardest thing when we watch the film, is we know we had our opportunities. We went toe-to-toe, and we know we are as good as anyone in the state in 2A, but today was not our day,” Frerichs said. “We were one or two more plays away from being in Pueblo next week. But we do need to give credit to their kids and coaches. They came out with a great game plan themselves and executed very well.”

acolbert@aspentimes.com

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