Football: Basalt win sets up championship showdown; Aspen falls
Austin Colbert |
The stage is set.
With Basalt High School’s 49-24 win at Coal Ridge on Friday, the Class 2A Western Slope League title will come down to next week’s game between host Basalt and Moffat County.
Both teams are now 3-0 in WSL play after Moffat’s 18-0 homecoming win over Steamboat Springs.
“It’s super exciting,” Basalt coach Carl Frerichs said. “We are hoping the whole community comes out to support these boys. It’s a huge opportunity for these guys. That’s what we wanted. We wanted to be able to control what happens, and we get that opportunity on Friday.”
The Longhorns jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead over Coal Ridge in Friday’s game, but did get a little fight from the Titans, including an 80-yard Coal Ridge touchdown pass that made it 27-14 in the second quarter.
But a 37-yard touchdown pass from Basalt quarterback Miles Levy to Griffen Jenkins in answer led to a 35-17 Longhorn lead at halftime.
“We kept them off balance all night, and the offensive line was just opening up holes for the rest of the team,” Frerichs said. “Alex Alberto, Miles Levy, Kyle Roberts and the offensive line really did some great things on that side of the ball.”
The defense, which struggled in the first half, was strong in the second and effectively silenced the Titans after the break.
Next week’s game against Moffat County (4-3 overall) will be senior night for Basalt (5-2 overall). The Longhorns are looking for their first league title since 1984.
Aspen loses to Roaring Fork
The Aspen High School football team dug itself an early hole at Roaring Fork on Friday in Carbondale, and was unable to dig out in a 43-22 loss.
“We came out a little flat. I kind of sensed it a little in warmups,” Aspen coach Karson Pike said. “We just kind of played that way — on our heels for the first half of the game.”
The Skiers trailed 12-0 after a pair of early Ram touchdowns, which included a long fumble return for a score. Aspen quarterback R.J. Peshek scored on a 21-yard run early in the second quarter, with a successful conversion making it a game at 12-8.
However, two scores right before halftime, including a pick-6, gave Roaring Fork a 28-8 lead after two quarters.
“We threw a bubble screen, it got tipped by our guy, and the corner jumped up and picked it and took it to the house,” Pike said. “Then all of a sudden, a quick 14 points there for them and we were kind of reeling heading into the half.”
The Skiers got the ball going late in the game, but by then the game was out of reach.
Aspen (1-6 overall, 0-3 WSL) will host Steamboat Springs (0-7 overall, 0-3 WSL) on senior day next week before wrapping up its regular season Oct. 28 with a game at Moffat County.
