By Josh Carney The first year in the 2A Western Slope League was a lucrative one for the Rifle Bears’ football program as Rifle won the league championship outright, going 4-1 in league play. After winning the league, the Bears entered the 2A state playoffs as the No. 7 seed.
Rifle then knockout out No. 10 Eaton 27-0, before falling to No. 2 Resurrection Christian 21-14 in the second round. Following the conclusion of the season, the Bears cleaned up in the 2A Western Slope League awards as senior fullback/linebacker Tanner Vines won the league’s Back of the Year award, while head coach Damon Wells won the league’s Coach of the Year award after guiding the Bears to a 9-2 record, with the two losses coming by eight points total. Basalt’s Jake Reuss won the league’s Lineman of the Year award, while Coal Ridge’s Oscar Salazar won the league’s Kicker of the Year award.
Vines won the Back of the Year award after rushing for 2,230 yards and 21 touchdowns, marking the second consecutive season he rushed for more than 2,000 yards. He added seven receptions for 79 yards on the year. Vines finishes his Rifle career with 4,422 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns.
Along with Vines, Rifle saw junior running back Levi Warfel earn First Team All-Conference honors after rushing for 952 yards and nine touchdowns, adding eight receptions for 214 yards and five touchdowns.
Center Wyatt Warfel, G/DE Ariel Herrera, G/LB Paden Kinion, TE/S Dalton Pruett, and T/DE Ethan Mackely earned First Team honors as well for the Bears.
Warfel, Herrera, Kinion, and Mackley helped the Bears rush for 3,834 yards and 40 touchdowns on the season, with a runner going over the 100-yard mark 16 times. Pruett hauled in five passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Kinion recorded 55 tackles and one sack, while Pruett added 52 tackles and two forced fumbles. Herrera chipped in with 50 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Mackely and Warfel added 41 and 32 tackles respectively, while Mackely led the Bears with 3.0 sacks and Warfel added 2.5 sacks.
Basalt saw senior RB/DE Jake Reardon and senior QB/LB Trevor Reuss earn First Team honors. Reardon rushed for 1,561 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Longhorns, while Reuss added 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. Reuss rushed for 288 yards and nine touchdowns as well.
Senior OL/DL Jake Reuss, senior RB/LB Tai Kim, senior OL/DL Goskany Luquin, and junior OL/DL Ernest Lopez earned First Team honors for the Longhorns.
Wrapping up the First Team, Coal Ridge saw junior FB/DL Damian Spell, and senior OL/DL Charles Spell earn First Team honors for the Titans. Damian rushed for 272 yard and touchdowns for the Titans, while Charles led the Titans with 57 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Rifle saw six players earn honorable mention accolades as senior Kevin Tlaxcala, junior Kenny Tlaxcala, junior Holden Stutsman, junior Carter Pressler, senior Connor Macklin, and senior Eddie Ruiz landed on the honorable mention team.
Basalt landed five players on …read more
Via:: Post Independent