A dominant run through the playoffs and to a state championship earned the Bayfield High School quarterback and head coach the state’s top honors Friday.
Gary Heide was named the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 2A Coach of the Year after leading the Wolverines to a state title in his fourth season leading the program. Senior quarterback Kelton McCoy was named the classification’s player of the year in the voting conducted by the state’s coaches.
“It’s a blessing everything turned out the way it did,” McCoy said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald.
The Wolverines went 12-0 this season and finished with a 28-20 win at Platte Valley in the state championship game Nov. 28. It is the second state football title in school history and was the first since 1996.
Also recognized by CHSAA on the Class 2A All-State First Team was Bayfield senior wide receiver/cornerback Taed Heydinger, senior offensive lineman/middle linebacker Kyle Killough and senior offensive tackle/defensive end Noah Loutherback.
Bayfield junior lineman Sam Westbrook and senior running back/corner back Brody McGhehey were named to the All-State Second Team.
“I got to coach a great football team. It was so much fun and such an honor,” Heide said. “The talent we had, a lot of coaches would have given a lot to be in my shoes and coach those guys. Sometimes I thought they were so talented I thought my biggest responsibility was to get them on the bus.”
McCoy, son of Derek and Loresa McCoy, dazzled in the playoffs and was 11-for-16 passing for 133 yards and one touchdown in the title game. He also rushed for two scores against Platte Valley. That came one week after he had six total touchdowns against La Junta in the semifinals. He finished the season with 1,313 yards and 14 touchdowns to only two interceptions through the air and another 268 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing.
“I was consistent. I wasn’t up and down, and I didn’t have stupid bad games,” McCoy said. “Definitely my success in the playoffs caught some eyes. That’s because of our offensive line and Zane (Phelps’) success throughout the season, too.”
Phelps, the team’s senior running back and safety, was also in consideration along with Kent Denver’s Will McKissick. Both of those players were named to the CHSAA Class 2A All-State First Team.
McKissick finished with 1,563 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns. He added 166 receiving yards and three more receiving touchdowns. He also added 68 tackles on defense, 14 of those going for a loss and six coming via quarterback sack. He also had one fumble recovery and one interception.
Phelps, son of Dion and Koel Phelps, rushed for even more yards, going for 1,646 yards and 23 touchdowns to go with 172 receiving yards and another touchdown catch. Phelps also played defense, finishing with 54 tackles. He also had three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one sack.
“I was a little surprised,” McCoy said of besting McKissick and Phelps.
“I was expecting Zane to win it,” Heide added. “But I think Kelton is very deserving. His performance, as with Zane’s, in the playoffs against the best teams in the state was superb and got him notoriety. He’s a very balanced athlete, and being the commander of the offense gave him an edge.”
Heide has gone 33-10 as head coach of Bayfield. McCoy said he was thankful Heide let him throw the ball more this year and credited him for the offense’s breakthrough season.
“He’s really made adjustments to what our personnel is like,” McCoy said. “Him allowing us to throw it and be more balanced ultimately won us a championship.”
McCoy also was named to the All-Intermountain League First Team. Phelps was named the running back of the year, and Loutherback was named the All-IML Lineman of the Year.
McCoy, also a baseball star, was selected to the Class 3A All-State Second Team as a junior.
Heide said he couldn’t be more proud of all seven of his players honored Friday, and he felt many more Wolverines made it all possible.
“It’s something they all deserve from all the effort and hard work the entire team put in,” Heide said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
