Basalt traveled to two-time defending state champion Eaton on Saturday, Nov. 12, hoping to earn a spot in this weekend’s semifinals. The Longhorns and the Fighting Reds carried winning streaks of ten games and 9 games, respectively, into the matchup, but only one team could move on.
The Longhorns struggled to cope with Eaton’s offensive firepower, and multiple turnovers did not help the cause. The Fighting Reds struck early and often, scoring 28 unanswered points in the first quarter. Basalt could not get a foothold in the game, and Eaton led at the half 41-0.
A Cooper Crawford touchdown early in the third quarter gave the Basalt faithful a sliver of hope, but a series of fumbles and interceptions from both teams ensured that the remainder of the second half was scoreless. The game finished 41-7.
Despite the defeat, the Basalt Longhorns and Head Coach Carl Frerichs deserve praise for an outstanding season of football. Thanks to the hard work of seniors Lev Illouz, Shane Britt, Trevin Beckman, Jamie Dolan, Luke Rapaport, Will Keating, Dylan Madden, Kade Schneider and Cooper Crawford, future generations of Longhorns will have plenty of heroes to emulate in years to come.
Elsewhere in 2A playoff football action, #14 seed Rifle fell to #11 seed Montezuma-Cortez, who will play #2 seed Eaton this weekend. On the other side of the bracket, #1 seed Delta defeated #8 seed Alamosa and will face the #2 seed Classical Academy to see who will move on to the state championship game.