Basalt High School’s football team is trying to go where no recent Longhorns team has gone before: the state championship game.
After traveling to Sterling for the Class 2A quarterfinals last Saturday, defeating the Tigers 34-14, Basalt is back home this Saturday, Nov. 23, to face The Classical Academy (TCA).
Kickoff is 1pm at the BHS field.
The winner between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively, advances to the 2A State Championship game in Pueblo next weekend.
Saturday’s game is a rematch between two teams that are familiar playoff foes.
The Titans (not to be confused with Coal Ridge) ended Basalt’s postseason last year, handing the Longhorns a 40-19 first-round loss at home. In 2019, Basalt defeated TCA at their place in Colorado Springs in the first round, 13-7, en route to the Longhorns’ only other appearance in the semifinals.
Both teams come into this week’s game with identical 11-0 records. Only one will finally earn that coveted trip to the state championship game.
The Longhorns are seeking redemption after the blowout loss to TCA in front of the home crowd last season.
“We really got a sour taste in our mouths after that one, because we felt like we were going to go deep (in the playoffs) that year,” said senior co-captain Will Daniel. “So, we went right back into the offseason training, hitting the weight room and doing a bunch of speed work over the summer. It made us grow together more as a team and we battled through some challenges.”
Daniel is one of the primary work horses in the backfield for the Longhorns, having racked up 1,290 yards rushing on 157 carries with 17 touchdowns. That, alongside junior running back Will Tarallo’s 1,171 yards on 188 carries and 15 touchdowns.
“We believe that if we play our game and eliminate turnovers, we can beat anybody in the state,” Daniel said.
Co-captains Owen Lindt and Kody Barton account for five sacks per game between them. They both praised the tight family bond the team has this season, and the support from their parents and the Longhorns’ faithful.
“We’ve just been good teammates,” Lindt said. “We preach family all the time, and we really stand by that. I hope we can do it one last time for our home crowd and the community.”
Head coach Carl Frerichs said the win at Sterling was an example of the business-like approach the team takes to games, whether at home or on the road.
“You can tell how dedicated they are with that attitude,” Frerichs said. “They come into every game focused and ready to play.”
That will be key against a team that forced numerous turnovers against the Longhorns last season. The game pits the run-heavy offense of the Longhorns against the more pass-oriented attack of the Titans.
He credits the offensive calls of his assistant coaching staff, and the game management decisions of junior quarterback Karson Schneider.
Schneider comes into this week’s game having passed over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns, with only four interceptions on the season. Senior Taylor Hays is one of his favorite targets, averaging 47 yards receiving per game with 17 touchdowns.
“The chemistry on this team is so special,” Frerichs said, adding that extends to the parents. “That’s been so helpful, and we’re so lucky to have that support to make this program what it is.”
Saturday’s winner will play the winner of No. 9 Wellington versus No. 13 Eaton, both of whom pulled off upset wins in the quarterfinals.
Roaring Fork soccer wrap
The No. 5 Roaring Fork High School boys soccer team ended its playoff run in the 3A semifinals on Nov. 13 with a 3-0 loss to No. 1 Holy Family in Arvada.
“The game unfolded in a way that was hard for us to overcome,” Rams head coach Nick Forbes said. “They scored early on a set piece, and mentally it put us in a hole against a very disciplined, strong team.”
Holy Family went on to win the 3A state championship with a 1-0 extra-time win over Jefferson Academy on Saturday.
Considering Forbes came into this season with a “rebuilding year” mindset after losing a slew of seniors to graduation last year, it was a phenomenal season for the Rams.
“I learned early on that we had a group of seniors who were motivated and had a desire to make it a built year,” Forbes said. “They knew what they wanted and how to achieve it, and they did it in a way to show an otherwise pretty young team what it takes.”
Many of those seniors were on Roaring Fork’s state championship team as freshmen in 2021.
“Having that institutionalized memory and the lessons learned from that is huge,” Forbes said.