Four big “D words” were frequently heard around the field at Jeffco Stadium on Saturday afternoon: “Domination, defense, disrespect and destiny.”
The No. 5 Broomfield Eagles earned the right to use every one of them after they destroyed top-seeded Dakota Ridge 45-7 in the Class 4A semifinals.
“Our most complete game of the year, no question,” said senior running back Colin Torres, who scored two touchdowns and rushed for 149 yards on 23 carries. “The big boys up front did it again for me. It’s what I say every week. They make the biggest holes for me, and I just read them, follow and go. I wouldn’t trade this line for any in the state.”
Two years after winning its fifth state title, Broomfield will play for its sixth at 2 p.m. next Saturday against No. 2 Montrose at Canvas Stadium on the Colorado State campus in Fort Collins. The Redhawks beat No. 3 Pueblo West 18-7 in Saturday’s other semifinal.
Broomfield (12-1), winners of eight straight, has outscored its opponents 521-119 this season.
In what turned out to be such a lopsided affair, there really was no turning point in Broomfield’s demolition of Ridge. But early on, there sure appeared to be.
On the game’s opening drive, Dakota Ridge smartly marched 66 yards to the Broomfield 1-inch line only to see Landon Kalsbeck stonewalled on a fourth-down run.
Pumped-up Broomfield then drove 99 yards in 11 plays, scoring on a 17-yard run by senior Elliot Less. The two key plays on the methodical march were pass connections between senior quarterback Darien Jackson and Mikhail Benner, one for 14 yards, the other for 26.
Asked what he was thinking about when his first snap of the semifinal came at his own 1-yard line, Jackson replied, “I was thinking, ‘Let’s set the record for the longest drive in 4A.’ That was my mentality. … The ball was on, like, the tip of the goal line. But our line just punched its (way) up the field.”
Added coach Robert O’Brien: “Wow, 99 yards on 11 plays. What a drive. We converted when we needed to. Just really, really big.”
Broomfield’s Mikhail Benner returns an interception for a touchdown against Dakota Ridge in the Class 4A football semifinals at Jeffco Stadium on Saturday, November 30, 2024. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps.com)
On the first play of Dakota Ridge’s next possession, junior quarterback Kellen Behrendsen looked downfield, bought time by scrambling to his right, and finally unloaded the ball. But Benner, who also plays defensive back, read the play perfectly, picked off the pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Broomfield lead.
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Source:: The Denver Post – Sports
