BRECKENRIDGE – Summit senior linebacker Al Espinoza and the Summit
Tigers knew what they were getting Friday night on the frozen turf at
Tiger Stadium in Breckenridge with Glenwood Springs’ smashmouth
double-tight, double-wing offense.
On paper, it may seem simple to
some. A dive, a counter and a pull – three plays to diagnose and stop.
Better buckle your chin strap, stay low and discipline your eyes to
diagnose what’s coming at you.
But with a distinct weight and
experience disadvantage in the trenches, the Demons rushing attack left
the Tigers somewhat stunned and dazed, Summit down 16-0 at the end of
the first quarter.
“We
knew it was coming hard,” Espinoza said. “And the first couple of plays
it just smacked us right in the face. But I believe in my team so much.
Man, last year, we lost to this team 41-12. And in this game I saw a
completely different team. I’m so proud of how the defense showed up.”
Playing
in frigid, high-altitude conditions that dipped into the single digits
with the wind chill, Summit scraped back from that early 16-0 hole to
take an eventual 23-22 lead Friday night under the lights at Tiger
Stadium. But, in the end, Glenwood’s 485 rushing yards on 59 attempts –
attempting a solitary passing play on the night – proved too much for an
inspired bunch of Tigers. Despite the 36-30 loss, the Tigers (3-6, 2-2
3A Western Slope) put it all on the line against the Demons (3-6, 3-1),
playing for Espinoza and fellow seniors including two-way lineman Zayden
“Ziggy” Gerry, tight end and defensive end Daniel Gonzalez, safety and
wide receiver Alexi Nevarez and team inspiration Joseph Burgos.
Before
the sun set behind the Tenmile Range and turned Senior Night into a
subzero struggle, Summit first-year head coach James Wagner sat his team
down in the Summit High auditorium. He then asked each senior,
one-by-one, to address the team. Later during pregame, the Denver
Broncos mascot, Miles, hoisted the NFL team’s flag in the air while
leading theTigers to the field, as electrified as ever.
“They
poured it all out there,” Wagner said of the seniors. “They spoke from
the heart, it really set the tone for the night. Our whole team wanted
to win this game for them, and I think that put an extra motivation in
them to pursue a victory. … Every time Glenwood did something, they
responded. We did some great things for us to mentally come back.”
Down
16-0 after a pair of rushing touchdowns by Glenwood junior running back
Garrett Dollahan, Summit maintained hope after Glenwood sophomore
running back Blake Nieslanik fumbled at the end of a 35-yard run, Summit
junior Kobe Cortright recovering possession at Summit’s 45 with 4:50
remaining in the half. A minute later, Summit junior quarterback Cam
Kalaf took an up-the-gut run 24 yards for a touchdown, following it up
with a 2-point conversion, the Tigers down 16-8, as Miles the Denver
Broncos mascot waved his flag.
With
2:06 left in the half, Summit continued to dial in their defensive
adjustments, Gonzalez blowing up a play in the backfield to force a long
third down and Glenwood’s only pass attempt of the night. Then with
just 29 seconds left in the half, Kalaf found junior wide receiver Kobe
Cortright for a 24-yard touchdown catch, capped by a Gonzalez 2-point
conversion run to tie the game at 16. For Cortright, his two catches on
the drive were season-defining moments of growth after he dropped an
open pass to start the drive.
At halftime Wagner and the Tiger
coaches were in the midst of adjusting to Glenwood’s 154 rushing yards
in the first half on 25 carries. Gauging that the Demons liked to run to
the boundary – narrow side of field – Summit set its strength to the
boundary while rotating the positions of individual defensive players to
employ their strengths strategically.
The third quarter was scoreless until the final moments, as Summit started slanting into gaps to disrupt the timing of Glenwood’s blocks. With 1:08 left in the quarter, Niselanik broke free off tackle for a 15-yard touchdown scamper. But the Tigers kept it to within 22-16 after Wagner barked out a “toss” to help stop the 2-point conversion.
Just
41 seconds later, Kalaf connected to Cortright for a 72-yard
catch-and-run touchdown on a read-pass option, capped by a 1-point
conversion kick by junior Jaden Smith for a 23-22 Tigers lead.
Glenwood
then created enough cushion beginning with a 55-yard rushing touchdown
by Dollahan and a 2-point conversion from senior fullback Elliot Walz
with 8:47 left in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Glenwood’s kicker
rocketed the football off of a Summit player, the freak play resulting
in an effective onside kick and Glenwood recovery. Glenwood then
extended their lead to 36-23 with 4:13 left on a 7-yard touchdown run by
Dollahan.
Summit took less than a minute to score on the next
drive, Collins catching an 11-yard pass, Cortright catching a 53-yard
strike and Summit capping the drive with a speed-option pass play
involving Kalaf, Collins and senior Alexi Nevarez.
Drawing within
36-30 wasn’t enough though, as Glenwood converted enough first downs to
run the clock out. Still, on a subzero Senior Night, Wagner described
the Tigers’ effort as “unbelievable.
“The fight that my kids gave,” the coach said, “I could not ask more of them. They played their hearts out.”
