STEAMBOAT SPRINGS (10/15/10) — “If the right one don’t getcha, then the left one will,” Tennessee Ernie Ford sang in the mid-fifties song, “Sixteen Tons.” Steamboat Springs became the fourth straight Western Slope opponent to feel that one-two punch, better known as Luke Jacob and Drew Halsch, as the two seniors combined to rush for 244 yards in a 39-14 win Friday on the Sailors’ synthetic turf.
Halsch, who has rushed for 787 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first varsity season (after not playing his sophomore and junior years), scored in the first, second, and third quarters, while piling up 135 yards on 20 carries. Jacob, who added 109 yards rushing in 16 attempts, complemented that performance by throwing a 15-yard TD to Willy Pelland for a 14-0 first quarter lead and heaving a 53-yard scoring bomb to Austin Tribble near the end of the third quarter to pad the margin to 32-7.
Before the game, coach Rocky Whitworth, still recovering from his foot operation and generously provided by Steamboat with a golf cart to whip around the sideline in, said his team was “not hitting on all cylinders yet — the best is yet to come,” he predicted. Except for the nagging tendency to pile up penalties (ten for 85 yards — the sixth time in seven games Glenwood has been penalized 65 or more yards), the Demons came close to fulfilling that prophesy.
Jacob and Halsch split the running duties, with each breaking off a 20-yard run, in a 5-play, 58-yard scoring drive that used just 94 seconds, following Tribble’s 31 yard return of the opening kickoff for a 7-0 lead. On their next possession, after a 23-yard punt by Steamboat set Glenwood up on the Sailor 44, Halsch and Jacob ran the ball down to the 15 before Pelland took a strike over the middle into the end zone for his first varsity touchdown. Pelland’s 20-yards a catch leads a talented group of ten different receivers (five underclassmen) who have caught passes this season.
Four penalties plagued the final three minutes of the first period, but the Demons overcame two more flags in driving 77 yards in 16 plays that consumed more than half (6:18) of the second quarter, piling up five first downs before Halsch went in from the one. JD Weeden, who had booted 13 consecutive PAT’s had his streak end, but Glenwood was up 20-0 with 4:04 left in the half.
The Demons added three more penalties (giving them 8 for 65 yards at the half) contributing to Steamboat getting on the scoreboard when Christian Ramirez hit Randall Nelson on a 14-yard pass with 24 seconds remaining.
But, as they have in five of their seven games this season, the Demons scored on their first possession of the second half, when Halsch capped a 9-play, 69-yard drive with another one-yard TD for a 26-7 lead at the 7:06 mark. The next possession was even more impressive, as Glenwood covered 93 yards in nine plays — the final 53 on a tremendous heave and catch from Jacob to Tribble with 2:45 to go in the period. The 12-0 quarter leaves Glenwood with a 62-13 third-quarter scoring advantage this season.
In the fourth quarter, Jon Forristall made his varsity debut at quarterback, Travis Alderson broke off a 12-yard run in his first varsity carry, and Jake Bair doubled his season-rushing total, gaining 21 yards as Glenwood nearly consumed the game’s final five minutes with Tribble scoring from the seven with 51 seconds left.
Rifle (6-1, 4-0 WSL) kept pace with the Demons (6-1, 4-0) with a 14-10 win over Delta (4-3, 2-2). Palisade (6-1, 3-1) remained a game back with a 47-13 win at Eagle Valley (2-4, 1-3) – Glenwood’s next opponent. The Demons host the Devils Friday, while the Bears travel to Moffat County (3-4, 2-2), which won at Battle Mountain (1-6, 0-4), 40-34. Palisade will play Steamboat at Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction on Thursday.
