KERSEY - He looked as though he'd just come from a distant battlefront, but he still wanted more.
Bearded senior defensive lineman Clyde Leonard still looked the essence of classmate Kyle Killough's pre-game shouts to go forth and win a championship.
"And it IS shouting," Killough laughed afterwards when reminded of his impromptu preaching.
Demanding that every purple helmet "give a hundred-fifty percent effort!" to the extent "we'll have to carry you off!" playoff - Killough's final prep-level speech stopped short of if-we're-not-victorious-let-nobody-come-back-alive. But it properly pumped the Wolverines (seniors in particular) up to complete a three-year journey, full-circle back to the site of 2012's unfortunate exit.
The only real difference between hosts Platte Valley and Bayfield was that each side sought a berth in the Class 2A state championship.
"The feeling was about the same," senior Brody McGhehey said, comparing past and present. "We just had to think about this game as a regular game coming in, so that we didn't get too nervous. It's hard not to know that it's a state championship. You come in here and try to play your hardest, but that's what we do every game anyways. And we just came out trying to get a victory like usual."
Under an overcast, wintry Weld County sky, the result was a state-winning victory.
There were numerous members of the 1996 team on hand, including then-offensive coordinator Marty Moon, running back Kevin Prior and end Reggie Sanchez. The gold-painted rock even came to the game, wheeled in by a crew of four. Players from years before and after, a good number of band director Derek Smith's Marching Wolverines, and an impressive assortment of banner-bringing, posterboard-packing rooters roared them on. BHS' 2015 squad dominated the Broncos for three-and-a-half quarters to score the school's first gridiron title in 19 years by a winning 28-20 margin.
"This crowd supported us, the community's awesome.this is a surreal feeling," said senior quarterback Kelton McCoy who, as part of Bayfield's "hands team," covered Platte Valley's last onside-kick attempt when the ball bounced ironically through senior Zane Phelps' grasp. "You know, it's a blessing; we knew it would be cool-ended our freshman year here and our senior year here-no matter what."
Even going into halftime, the Wolverines didn't let up.
"You know ... we knew their history of comeback(s), we knew how many games they had won - big games - before," Head Coach Gary Heide said. "But we're not any team ... that somebody's going to come back on."
But Platte Valley certainly tried, truly making the battle memorable for both teams.
"Definitely," agreed Platte Valley senior Matthew Hoffman. "Came up a little short, we're not satisfied, but ... I mean, runners-up? Only one in 2A gets to say they were runners-up, and one gets to say they're champions. So you've got to be proud of that."
Consuming the last 2:34 of the third quarter and first 5:12 of the fourth, and prolonged by senior Parker Gilliland's unexpected muff of a Taed Heydinger punt on the possession's 10th play, Bayfield's 65-yard bid at breaking the Broncos ended with McCoy scoring on a four-yard carry through the left side of his offensive line.
Heydinger then nailed his fourth point-after kick in as many tries, and with only 6:48 remaining in the season the Wolverines' 28-6 advantage appeared decisive. Remember, PV had prevailed 31-6 in the 2012 contest.
But even more ironic, and illustrative of the shift of power, was that a relation of BHS' then-QB Allec Rodriguez had recovered Morales' fumble.
"I'd been waiting all day, you know ... wanted to leave my mark in the game - at least get a tackle - and never thought I'd end up with something that big," said junior Ryan Nava. "Saw him fumble it, and I was down there in a jif! Picked it up and I thought I was going to score, but a turnover's good with me!"
Nava continued effusively: "I'd been telling him all week, 'Last time I was at this field I watched you go down.' That's the last time my brother touched this field, wearing this Number Four," he continued, pointing at his jersey, "and I wanted to do something spectacular not only for the team, not only for the coaches, but for my brother so he can live this moment with us. He wanted it just as bad as we did, so ... it's all of ours. It's the town's, it's everyone's!"
Everyone who'd heard of the Broncos' knack for rallying, however, had to hold his or her breath when Hoffman streaked along the PV sideline, clutched senior Tanner Schwindt's lengthy first-down heave near midfield and then motored the rest of the way for a promising 92-yard counterstrike just 21 seconds after McCoy's TD.
Senior Derek Wert knocked the PAT through, and with 6:27 still showing on the clock and three timeouts available for use, the Broncos were back in business, though trailing 28-13. A defensive stop got the ball back for Schwindt, and the senior capped the resulting drive with a one-yard keeper. Wert again tacked on the extra point, and with 2:14 remaining the Wolverines' lead had been whittled down to just eight points.
"Hit him hard! That was the game plan - hit him hard, wrap up," said Killough, when asked how the Wolverines were going to stop the Broncos' prime focal point.
"He was quick, shifty, played a lot like the Miyamura quarterback," senior defensive back Cash Snooks added. "He was a great quarterback ... did have one long one on us we were hoping not to have, but it's a hell of a way to end the season."
And that end finally came when, following McCoy's onside recovery and PVHS' subsequent usage of all their timeouts in between BHS' clock-killing first-, second- and third-down plays. Heydinger - with 3.3 seconds put back on the clock and Bayfield's punt team called onto the field after the celebration had already begun - took the snap and willingly scampered backwards, taking a massive rushing-yardage loss but wasting those final 33 tenths of a second.
"The experience of a state championship ... just soaking it all up is amazing," Killough said. "I'm going to remember that moment my whole life. How grateful I am, how blessed I am with an awesome team that works together and fights together .... Words can't express how I'm feeling right now."
Phelps remembered the previous game at Platte Valley, as well. "Last time we were here it was a different feeling, different atmosphere. Today, we were here to do business and we ... knew that we weren't going to be stopped. Knew we were going to have a tough game, but we were going to give it all we had ... come out victorious."
Marching 78 yards in 12 plays after McGhehey returned the game's opening kickoff, Bayfield (12-0 overall) did exactly that as McCoy hit senior Wyatt Freier from eight yards out to finish the dictatorial drive.
Behind Schwindt and junior Austin Hill, Platte Valley (11-2) composed a credible response after their first series started at their 33, but Schwindt was thrown for a two-yard loss on fourth down from the BHS 11.
Set up at their own 13 with 2:36 left in the first frame, the Wolverines again battered the Broncos the length of the field and covered the 87 yards (30 on one Phelps carry) in 11 painful plays and 4:01, with McCoy crashing in from a yard out with 10:35 left in the second quarter.
"The defining moment ... we held them on their first series on offense, and then we got the ball quite deep down here - I think it was about the 20? - and then we went 80(?) yards for the score," said Heide, very much enjoying his 60th birthday that day. "That was a HUGE moment in this football game, that drive."
"Yeah, we knew we had to ... jump down their throats," Phelps said. "Didn't change a whole lot defensively or offensively this week; we just knew we had to play our ball, and ... to jump on them like we did."
PV, however, nearly built a beast of a counteroffensive which could have generated a critical morale boost.
Starting at their own 26, the Broncos rumbled down for a first-and-goal at the BHS 8. But after Hoffman managed to push the ball down to the 1 on second down, Phelps barged through on third to fold Schwindt up for a four-yard loss. Head Coach Troy Hoffman elected to send Wert out for a 22-yard field goal on the series' 14th play rather than potentially come away with nothing and only 27 seconds left before halftime.
"The d-linemen, they work so hard and don't get a lot of credit - it's all on them," Phelps said. "They opened the hole and I slipped through untouched. It's all on those guys; they work so hard for me to make plays."
McGhehey added: "Zane Phelps coming through the middle on that play and just smacking heads ... there's not much more you could ask for, because that's a great play on our part, great call by the defensive coordinator. All the running backs and specialists on Platte Valley's team are really great players, but we come in at the end when we need to and we have great players that can stop all that for us."
Until Wert's 24-yard field goal with 2:34 left in the third quarter - the drive had been thwarted by pass breakups courtesy Heydinger and Snooks - hinted that the Broncos still had a pulse. Bayfield appeared to have the trophy already secured after a perfect blend of Phelps runs and midrange McCoy passes had just produced a 12-play, 70-yard possession, draining an agonizing 5:40 of clock and punctuated by a four-yard Phelps carry with 4:01 left.
"Our offensive line, you know - Kyle Killough, 'Butter' (Ryan) Phelps, Cam Seivert, Sam Westbrook, Wyatt Killinen -Â they got it done today," McCoy said. "They whipped some butt," also noting Noah Loutherback's grinding role. "They knew it was going to be a task because that's a good d-line over there, but they actually kind of beat 'em down! They were quitting there in the second half! I'm proud of those guys; those guys have hearts of lions, and that's the reason we win football games."
Added Heide: "Our skill kids and our line gave us time, but some of those plays ... on the perimeter there - the short passes - were basically option passes. You could run, pass ... and some decisions Kelton made were part of his progress that I've seen .... Only certain individuals can take that mental responsibility and be successful. He's just had a stellar four-game playoffs series."
The coach continued, "Of course, Zane's always been our workhorse, and he came up big today. Our offensive line, our receivers, and then our defense - other than two big plays - just playing stellar ... like they have all year."
All told, Phelps finished with 30 carries for 127 yards, and McCoy was 12-of-17 for 127 passing. Schwindt did manage 236 yards through the air on 11-of-21 work for PVHS in the loss, and Hill gained 50 yards on 11 carries.
"We've worked so hard all season to get to this point, gone through crappy practices in below-freezing weather," said McGhehey (4-56 receiving). "And then come out here - the weather wasn't so great at the beginning - and pull it together? That's what we practiced for."
"I still don't have the words to say how great this feels; I'm still pulling all this in."
"This is awesome," said Phelps. "The greatest feeling of my life."
"Tip of the cap to the coaching staff. Coach Mike Wnorowski, Coach Heide, Coach (Justin) Matherson, Coach (Ed) Hisey, Coach Hawkins, Coach (Mike) Wood - they all put the time in, night after night," McCoy said.
"They were going home late to their families so that we could be in this moment, and WIN this moment! And the rest of our team that maybe didn't get as much credit throughout the year ... they deserve it right now!"
MOTIVATION: The day before completing their undefeated season, the Wolverines had a moment to sample life in the National Football League when they visited the Denver Broncos' UCHealth Training Center.
Arranged by the BHS coaching staff, Broncos personnel, and a friendly school-days connection between Phelps' father Dion and ex-Detroit Lion/Denver Bronco Luther Elliss (a Mancos High grad), the team toured the facility's 85,000 square-foot fieldhouse and weight rooms during their side trip to Dove Valley, home to the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre headquarters.
"I guess Coach wanted to make it a treat for us, but as soon as we left that place we knew it was business - we were coming for a state championship," Zane Phelps said. "So it was awesome to go see those cool things - something to dream for, I guess - but ... it was really awesome to play the way we did."
