Roaring Fork High School’s football team had its biggest offensive output of the season on homecoming night, Friday, Oct. 4, but fell just short of a win, dropping a 23-20 decision to 1A Western Slope League foe Grand Valley.
With the fans revved up for the return of Friday night lights to homecoming week in Carbondale (the Rams returned to varsity football this season after a one-year hiatus), things got off to a good start before junior Donny Read fumbled it into the end zone for a touchback.
Read made up for it, though, eventually rushing for 124 yards on 17 carries and scoring all three of the Rams’ touchdowns.
The first came early in the second quarter when Read crossed the goal line from 6 yards out to give the Rams a 7-0 lead after junior Eli Norris kicked the extra point.
Grand Valley tied it up on the next series, then scored on a pass play into the end zone 9 seconds before halftime to take a 13-7 lead (the point-after kick was no good).
Another fumble to open the third quarter gave the ball to the Cardinals in Rams territory, leading to another touchdown run for the visitors to make it 20-7 after the extra point.
With 1:04 showing on the clock in the third, Read showcased his running prowess again, scrambling 30 yards and stiff-arming a tackler to get into the end zone, making it 20-14.
Untimely penalties and some minor injuries to junior quarterback Kenny Riley (cut finger) and senior wideout Hunter Noll (knee) hampered the Rams’ offensive efforts in the fourth quarter and kept Noll from playing defense. Still, Roaring Fork kept Grand Valley at bay until just 1:28 remained on the clock, when the Cardinals kicked a field goal to make it 23-14 and essentially put the game out of reach.
Not to let the fans down on homecoming night, Roaring Fork had one more scoring drive, including a 54-yard pass completion in a role reversal from Noll to Riley to set things up with 17 seconds left. A roughing the passer call against Grand Valley with no time on the clock gave the Rams one last shot, and Read busted through the line for his third TD.
“Penalties were a big factor, but that’s part of the game and it’s our work to overcome those types of things,” Rams head coach Scott Noll said.
Regardless, he said he felt like Roaring Fork was the better team on the night.
“Right now, we’re hurting ourselves more than the other team is hurting us,” he said. “We just have to get back to the details and trust what we’re doing.”
Notable on the defensive side of the ball, senior Balaram Koss had 11 solo tackles and assisted on 12, and senior Westin Sherman had eight solo and four assisted tackles.
Next up, the Rams (2-3, 0-1) host 1A WSL foe Meeker this Friday, Oct. 11 in Carbondale. Game time is 7pm.
Volleyball
In its homecoming game on Thursday, Oct. 3, the Roaring Fork girls volleyball team earned a 3-1 win over visiting Grand Valley (25-15, 23-25, 25-7, 25-19).
Junior Nikki Tardif finished with 19 kills, freshman Clover Hansen had 14, and junior Yaki Hernandez 11, while seniors Carley and Erica Crownhart had 19 and 18 digs, respectively. Carley, as the team’s lead setter, assisted on 41 points for the Rams.
Roaring Fork improved to 4-9 overall and 1-4 in 3A WSL play.
“Every time we go out on the court, I feel like we get better,” head coach Karen Crownhart said.
A matchup allowed the Rams to work on their offensive rhythm and not be on the defensive as much as has been the case in previous matches. Learning to find that rhythm against an attacking team is the next hurdle, Crownhart said.
“We have strong offense and really quick defense in practice, and if we can put it all together in a game we’ll be more competitive,” she said.
Their next chance comes this Thursday, Oct. 10, at home against Moffat County (7-9, 3-3). Varsity game time is 6pm.
Soccer
The Roaring Fork boys soccer team scored a 1-0 on the road at Delta on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Sophomore Cal Stone had the goal, assisted by senior Phillipe Huang. The Rams (7-2-1, 5-0) are now ranked No. 1 among 3A teams in Colorado after winning at home against Aspen, 1-0, on Tuesday. This time, Huang scored the goal with Stone assisting.
Cross country
Running at the Pantherfest meet in Delta on Saturday, Oct. 4, Basalt High School junior Towler Scott led the field for another individual win, covering the 5-kilometer course in 15:36.5.
Top-25 finishers for the Basalt/Roaring Fork girls were senior Izzy Moon, 16th (20:03.6), and junior Caroline Cole, 23rd (20:30.3).
Softball
The combined Basalt softball team earned a 28-5 win over Aspen at home on Thursday, Oct. 3. Sophomore Nyala Honey drove in four runs and earned the pitching win, giving up just one earned run and striking out four.
State golf tournament
Roaring Fork High School sophomore Griffin Didier finished second overall, and his Basalt High School boys golf team took third at the 3A State Golf Championships on Monday and Tuesday at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo. Didier shot a round of 69 on Monday and 70 on Tuesday to finish four strokes behind state champion Tyler Long of Evergreen. Senior teammate Jackson Stewart finished in the three-way tie for 10th with rounds of 74 and 73; sophomore Hudson Arnold was 38th (81 and 79); and freshman Parker Strelecki was 59th (85 and 83) to round out the Longhorns’ team scoring. Stewart and Arnold also attend Roaring Fork.