Eads ends Bulldogs' playoff run

As is usually the case in six-man football the action was fast and furious from the opening kickoff Saturday afternoon.

Though there was plenty of action in the quarterfinal game of the Colorado High School Activities Association's A-6 Football Championships, the #6 Peetz Bulldogs came out on the short end of a 64-36 final at #3 Eads, Colo.

Despite the season-ending loss, the young Bulldogs (6-4) team continued an unbroken four-year progression of improving win totals. This is the first Peetz team to have made the playoffs since the 2009 squad lost in the first round at Otis 76-67. The last time a Bulldogs team has won as many as six games was in 2008 with a 7-2 mark.

Since the Bulldogs are only graduating two players, Austin Wilson and starting center Corbin Heller, this Peetz team could be ready to rival those of the mid to late 2000s, a regular fixture in the playoffs.

As for the Eagles, they have developed somewhat of a long-distance history with Peetz. The last time these two teams met was in the 2007 state championship game. The Eagles hosted that game, too, and ruined the Bulldogs perfect record (11-0) and title hopes with 75-19 victory. Like the Bulldogs, Eads is also a young group with only two seniors in the starting lineup.

Though the Bulldogs were able to show off some of their offensive firepower, their biggest problem was in stopping the Eagles. Eads was not forced to punt the entire game.

"It think this year was 10 times better than last year," said Bulldogs quarterback and defensive back Bradey Holtz. "We tried to give them different looks but we just didn't do a good job stopping them."

With 3:35 left in the first half and the 'Dogs trailing 26-14, Peetz sophomore Jordan Nelson jumped high over an Eagles defender on his way to a 45-yard touchdown run. After Casey Barrett split the uprights with a two-point kick, the Bulldogs were in a position to keep the game close (26-22) at the halftime break. But they needed a defensive stop.

Faced with the talented Eagles duo of quarterback Tyler Rouse and running back Dylan Dixon, it was a tough ask. When Peetz freshman Tre Lewis dropped Dixon for a one-yard loss on first down and Rouse fumbled the snap on second down, suddenly the task looked feasible.

Then the Eagles went to a spread formation and Rouse took advantage of the open space for 37 yards on his next two carries. Dixon eventually toted the rock the final three yards to give Eads a 32-22 halftime lead.

"We have to work on our defensive speed," said Peetz Head Coach Scott Sorensen. "Last week (at Arickaree in a crossover playoff game) we did a good job on defense so I know we have the potential. We just have things we'll need to work on next year."

After falling into the 10-point halftime deficit, the 'Dogs could never reel the Eagles back in. Eads opened the second half by going on a 70-yard march that took just 2:49 to complete. When Peetz was forced to punt on its ensuing possession and Eads answered with another score for a 46-22 lead, the situation began to look out of hand, though their was still 15 minutes playing time left.

After Nelson's touchdown run in the second quarter, Eads answered with 32 unanswered points to before the streak was broken by Cody Wilson. He returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to bring the score to 58-28 in the fourth period.

"We can learn a lot from this game and we're only graduating two players," Wilson, a freshman said. "I think we have a chance to be a really good team next year."

Wilson's score was the second of three in a span of 24 seconds between the two schools. One offensive play later Rouse found Caden Parker on a 45-yard touchdown pass. Nelson scored the games final touchdown on a four-yard run two minutes later.

In the first quarter Peetz took its only lead of the game after Holtz outran the Eagles defense for a 54-yard run down the visitors sideline. Barrett's kick was good for an 8-6 Peetz lead with 3:39 left in the opening 10 minutes.

The 'Dogs lost the advantage for good when a 14-14 tie was broken on an onside kick attempt. Peetz was able to knot the score at 14 thanks to a strong running exhibition by the Bulldogs' Logan Vach. During a five-play drive Vach was given the ball three times. He went for runs of 18 and 12 yards before scoring from 22 yards out on a direct snap.

"As a team we came together. I don't know if many of us thought we could get this far," said Vach a sophomore. "They were more technically sound than we were. We'll have to improve next season if we're going to be able to play at their level."

The ensuing onside kick seemed like a worthwhile gamble against the Eads scoring machine, but it backfired. Rouse scooped up the attempt and ran it in for a 20-14 advantage with eight seconds remaining in the first. Nate Dorow's two-point attempt was blocked by Ben Naegele who was a special teams handful for Eads. Naegele went on to block three of Darrow's conversion attempts. Nelson blocked another.

The Eagles upped their advantage to 26-14 after a seven-minute drive ended in a Dorow touchdown pass from Winder. Dorrow's boot for the conversion was again turned back by Naegele.

Vach led the team in rushing with 104 while Holtz picked up another 80. Nelson and Wilson had two receptions apiece for 49 and 45 yards respectively.Vach and Wilson were also the tackle leaders with 12 and 10.

"It was a great season," Sorensen said. "We had some ups and downs but overall I'm proud of how this team performed."