It took awhile to write this one.

Saturday December 1 was tough.

The Rifle Bear’s unbeaten streak came to a sudden and crashing halt and the Silver Creek Raptors are the Colorado 3A State Champions for 2012.

What Happened?

I have heard this question a lot around our community over the last few weeks. I think that the best answer is that, on a day when they didn’t play their best football, Rifle ran into a quality football team that simply matched-up with the Bears better than any other opponent had all year.

Was Silver Creek a better overall team than Rifle in 2012? Well, on December 1, clearly the answer was yes, but looking at their resumes throughout the season I still believe that the Bears would win a majority of the time if the teams played ten games. Just like Florence and Niwot would have likely won a mjority of times versus the Bears State Championship team in 2004. The point is that the Raptors put in an almost flawless effort when it mattered most and in doing so are 100% deserving to be raising the state championship trophy but, at the same time, Rifle has absolutely nothing to hang their heads about.

Putting the Season in Perspective

Rifle has never seen a season like 2012. Like this year’s group, the 2002 and 2011 teams both finished the regular season at 10-0. But the 2012 Bears posted 13 wins in a row, easily eclipsing the record of 11 wins in a row they had set just the year before. The 1973 state championship team (11-1) has always been (and will continue to be) the standard for Rifle teams to look to, but keep in mind that in 1973 it only took 12 games to bring home the state title.

Nearly every team offensive and defensive record was shattered this season and Ryan Moeller broke a lot of the individual records as well. The Bears amassed 595 points on offense and surrendered just 107. Rifle’s defense posted six shutouts (one in the playoffs) and on seven different occasions the Bears defeated an opponent by more than 40 points (twice in the playoffs).

Looking Ahead

There are certainly those around the state that believe that Rifle will fall precipitously with the graduation of Ryan Moeller and the rest of the stellar 2012-2013 senior class. But to those that study the Bears closely, there is likely to be a lot more success on the horizon. The defense returns 7 starters and the offense returns 5. While Rifle can no longer depend on the amazing running talents of Ryan Moeller, they have more than enough pieces to build a potent offense in 2013. Defensively, the Bears will be tough again with a lot of good young options to replace senior stalwarts like Cody Beauford, Lee Harrison and Hugo Ruelas.

The team will be leaving on Friday at 12:30 with a police escort out of town. They will leave the school and go all the way down Railroad starting by Wells Fargo Bank.

Let’s line the streets!

The game is at Legacy Stadium in Aurora. Legacy Stadium is on the campus of Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora. Click Here For Directions. We need as many Rifle fans at the game as we possibly can. Silver Creek is a lot closer to Legacy Stadium than Rifle. Raptors fans will be there in force. Let’s match them.

Class 3A state title game:

(Thanks to the Post Independent for this information. Please read the full article by clicking here.)
• The matchup: No. 1 Rifle (13-0) vs. No. 10 Silver Creek (11-2)
• Game time: Saturday, 1 p.m.
• The site: Legacy Stadium, Aurora
• How to get there: Legacy Stadium is located on the campus of Cherokee Trail High School (25901 E. Arapahoe Road, Aurora). From Interstate 70, take Colorado 470 East toward Colorado Springs until you reach the Smoky Hill Road exit (exit 10). Take the exit and turn right onto Smoky Hill Road. Then go left on Arapahoe Road.
• Admission: $8 for general admission, $6 for students (K-12) and senior citizens (60 and older). The ticket gates will open at 11:30 a.m. Tickets can also be purchased in advance at chsaa.ticketleap.com.
• On the radio: Listen on KNAM (1490 AM; theteam1490.com) or on KMTS (99.1/96.7 FM; kmts.com).
• On the Web: The game will be streamed live online at chsaa.tv.
• On Twitter: Follow @GSPIsports for score updates throughout the game.
• Weather forecast: Partly sunny and mild with a high of 63 and a low of 36 (via AccuWeather.com).

Thursday News Round-Up

Bears are learning life’s lessons – Rifle Citizen Telegram
Bears hope to return to top of Class 3A football – GSPI
The 2012 Rifle Bears: Photo roster – GSPI
Rifle’s Unsung Hero – GSPI
KMTS FOOTBALL: BEARS SHOOT DOWN EAGLES TO REACH STATE FINALS – KMTS.com
Previewing football’s 5A, 4A and 3A championship games – denverpost.com
3A CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW – coloradopreps.com
Tailback Josh Quiroz ‘a natural’ in Silver Creek backfield – BoCoPreps.com
Lindenstein: Silver Creek football team relishing underdog role – BoCoPreps.com
State championship game capsules – BoCoPreps.com

Bears Final Pep Assembly

The RHS student body gave the Bears a great send-off this afternoon. Part of the ceremony was a new video. Take a look.

The Rising from Spruce Creek Multimedia on Vimeo.

Wednesday is already here and the nerves are hard to calm. Rifle will play the Silver Creek Raptors for the Colorado 3A State Football Championship at 1:00 on Saturday at Legacy Stadium in Aurora.

Breaking Down Silver Creek

Cocky? Here is Silver Creek’s Andre Apodaca on the game via Twitter: “Their time is done; it’s over. I’m sick and tired of hearing about what a great football team Rifle has. Screw em. THIS is our time.” Granted he is simply quoting USA Hockey’s Herb Brooks as depicted by Kurt Russell in the movie Miracle. What disturbs us the most is that the use of Kurt Russell playing Herb Brooks for motivation is clearly ours first. Rifle’s bulletin board just got a little more cluttered.

This is a very good defensive team, maybe the best that the Bears have seen all year. The Raptors give up a downright stingy 11.85 points per game. In 3A football they are second only to Rifle, who has only allowed 5.77 points per game. Inside Linebacker Andre Apodaca (#5) gets a lot of the state-wide publicity but the heart of the defense might just be big defensive tackle Levi Cecil (#51). Along with defensive tackle #53 Jared Jacobson, Cecil has made it nearly impossible to run on the Raptors. DEs Jeremy Metivier (#23) and Anthony Emberly (#24) do an excellent job of running down any play from the outside.

On offense, Silver Creek has a huge threat in the arm of #7 Ben Sjobakken. His passing numbers compare well to Pueblo East’s Kurt Rode, who the Bears defense managed to control over the course of the game. Rode is more mobile, while Sjobakken is taller, giving him a better view of the field while in the pocket. Silver Creek runs the vast majority of their plays from different shotgun spread formations and Sjobakken rarely takes off and runs. He has passed for 2452 yards and 24 touchdowns on the season.

Sjobakken’s favorite target is #21 Trey Fleming. Fleming has 57 receptions for 795 yards and 6 touchdowns. Junior Zane Lindsey is right on his heels with 49 receptions for 696 yards and 7 touchdowns.

The Raptors running attack is led by Junior Josh Quiroz (#22). Quiroz has 1231 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns. Quiroz is always a threat, especially when Sjobakken has established a passing game.

Overall Silver, Creek ranks 17th in 3A in scoring offense with 18.07 points per game. Rifle is #1 with 38.85 points per game.

Silver Creek vs. Rifle By The Numbers

Rifle is the #1 seed in the 3A playoffs. Silver Creek is the number #10 seed. The Raptors have defeated the #7 seed, the #15 seed and the #6 seed. The Bears have defeated the #16 seed, the #8 seed and the #5 seed.

Silver Creek does not turn the ball over very often on offense. With just 10 fumbles lost and 2 interceptions, the Raptors do not give up easy scoring opportunities to the opposition. With just 9 fumbles lost and three interceptions, Rifle does a nice job of holding on to the ball as well.

There are 15 different 3A teams between Rifle (#1) and Silver Creek (#17) on the 3A Scoring Offense List (when calculated as points per game). Rifle has played and defeated 7 of those teams. Silver Creek has played 4 of those teams, winning three and losing to Roosevelt.

Rifle (#1) and Silver Creek (#2) are at the top of the 3A Scoring Defense List (when calculated as points allowed per game). Of the ten teams that follow the Bears and the Raptors on the list, Rifle has played and defeated three. Silver Creek has also played and defeated three.

Rifle has played 13 teams. Those teams have a combined winning percentage of .520. Silver Creek has played 13 teams. Those teams have a combined winning percentage of .513.

There are two common opponents for Rifle and Silver Creek. Rifle defeated Conifer 38-7. Silver Creek defeated Conifer 24-7. Rifle defeated Roosevelt 48-34. Roosevelt defeated Silver Creek 21-14.

Rifle is ranked first in 3A in per game point differential (the difference between points scored and points allowed). Silver Creek is 5th behind Palisade, and, interestingly, two teams that did not make the playoffs in Fort Morgan and D’Evelyn. Rifle’s per-game point differential is 38.85. Silver Creek’s is 18.07.

Rifle played 7 3A playoff teams this year. The Bears won all 7 games by an average margin of 32 points. Silver Creek also played 7 3A playoff teams this year. The Raptors were 6-1 with an average margin of victory of 16 points.

According to rockyprep.com, Silver Creek played and defeated 4 opponents who were ranked in the top 10 at the time of the contest. Silver Creek won those games by an average of 17 points. Rifle played 5 teams who were ranked at the time of the contest. Rifle won those games by an average of 33.8 points.

News Round-Up

High school football roundup: Rifle on target for first state title since 2004
Rifle runs over Pueblo East in 3A semifinals – GJ Daily Sentinel
Rifle running back Ryan Moeller more than one-trick pony – Maxpreps.com
BoCoPreps TV: Silver Creek set to take on Rifle in 3A football final – BoCoPreps TV
Rifle Preppin for Silver Creek – KJCT TV
Semifinals are a breeze for the Rifle Bears – KKCO TV
Rifle football’s ‘highlight team’ – KKCO TV
No. 1 Rifle Advances to Class 3A State Championship – KREX TV
Prep Football – Rifle Ready To Travel Again – KJCT TV
Rifle star RB Ryan Moeller hopes to attract some Division I offers – Denver Post
USATodayHSS.com/Denver/ Prep Rally | (SUNDAY 11/25/12) – 9News Denver
Pueblow-out: Rifle routs Pueblo, 56-6 – Rifle Citizen Telegram
Plucked from the pitch – GSPI
Bears Football Notebook
Bears capitalize on momentum – GSPI
Bears Football Notebook – GSPI

Kellin Leigh had a dynamic day. He scored from 74 yards out on Rifle’s first offensive play from scrimmage and then caught a long touchdown pass to make the score 21-0. By the time the third quarter was well underway, Rifle had a 42-0 lead and the rest of the game was played with a running clock.

The Bears’ defense returned to form this week. They allowed one Eagles’ drive to reach the 1-yard line before they forced a fumble and recovered it in the end zone for a touchback. Pueblo East scored on a long pass in the third quarter after the Bears had sent the game to a running clock. Otherwise, the Eagles were not allowed near the end zone all day.

For head coach Damon Wells and assistant Jonathan Rice, Saturday marks their third win in a Colorado 3A football semi-final game. Both coaches were with the Bears when Rifle won the championship in 2004 and returned to the finals in 2005.

The win set a number of milestones for the Bears. It again set a new team record for wins in a season with 13. It also guaranteed that the 2012 Bears will have lifted the program’s all-time playoff winning percentage above .500. Right now the Bears’ all-time playoff record stands at 27-25-1. This is impressive for the program because, in a single-elimination tournament, a team must advance to the state semi-finals to achieve a winning playoff percentage in a given year. That’s hard to do, and to do it often enough to have a winning record overall is truly impressive for the program.

Saturday’s state championship will be at Legacy Stadium in Aurora at 1:00PM. It will mark the 6th state championship game for the program. Rifle’s current record in the finals is 2-2-1 so Saturday’s game is an opportunity to give the program an overall state championship game winning percentage. Rifle won a share of the title in 1961, won their first outright title in 1973 and then won another in 2004.

Rifle’s opponent in the finals will be the Silver Creek Raptors. This will be the second consecutive finals for the Raptors who lost to Windsor in the title game last year. The Raptors, like Pueblo East, have a balanced offensive attack that relies slightly more on the pass than the run. They average 30 points per game. Their strength is likely their defense which allows opponents just over 11 points per game and may prove to be the best the Bears have faced this year. In comparison, Rifle averages 45 points per game while giving up just 6.

We will be posting more information throughout the week, but for now the Bears achieved their primary goal for the game: “7 More Days” together as a team.

To say that the Roosevelt Roughriders refused to quit on Saturday might be the understatement of the season. The Bears kept scoring and the Roughriders kept counterpunching their way back into the contest. There were many in the stadium who believed the Bears would certainly be practicing on Thanksgiving after Isaac Rider scored on a 82 yard touchdown run with 7 minutes remaining in the game. But as they had all day long, the Roughriders answered. Roosevelt responded with two touchdowns of their own to bring the game to within 8 points with less than one minute on the clock.

Roosevelt then recovered an onside kick and the nerves of the capacity home crowd became even more frazzled.

For those interested in the controversy between Rifle head coach Damon Wells and the officials following the onside kick, the exchange centered around whether or not Roosevelt players had made contact with a Rifle player before the ball had gone ten yards. A change to the rule book just this year, outlawed a member of the kicking team from making contact with any member of the receiving team before the ball either travels ten yards or before the receiving team has a chance to catch it.

The officials gave the ball to Roosevelt, and the Roughrider quickly picked up yardage, but Ryan Moeller ended the drama by picking of a Roosevelt pass and taking it 90 yards for the touchdown as time expired.

To be sure, there are some around the state that may be surprised how close the game was given Roosevelt’s 7-4 record. But the way that the Roughriders had finished the season in a very tough Tri-Valley league clearly made them one of the top two or three teams remaining in the 3A bracket.

Making History

The Bears set a program record last year by going 11-0 and have broken it again this year. No team in Rifle High School history has ever eclipsed the 11 win mark until the current squad. The 1973 State Championship team finished at 11-1 and the 2004 state championship team was 10-4. Rifle will have the opportunity to break the record once again this Saturday.

Pueblo East

The state semi-finals will take place at 1:00 on Saturday at historic Dutch Clark field in Pueblo. The Bears will be taking on the Pueblo East Eagles, who earned their trip to the Semi-Finals with a 35-24 win in Delta this last Saturday.

The Eagles boast a powerful and balanced offense. They average 208 yards per game through the air and 182 yards per game on the ground. They average 38.8 points per game. By comparison, Rifle averages 62 passing yards, 364 rushing yards and 43.6 points per game.

The Eagles are led by Junior quarterback Kurt Rode. Rode, #10, has a strong and accurate arm and will be the best throwing quarterback that the Bears have faced all year. His 2491 yards passing are truly impressive. Rode works from under the center as well as the shotgun. When he hands off, it is usually to Senior tailback Derion Ibarra. Ibarra has 1312 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the year.

Defensively the Eagles look similar to Roosevelt, running a 4-4 defense with the outside linebackers walked up near the line of scrimmage. Their defense has allowed 278 points on the year for an average of over 23 per game.

Pueblo East ended the season in a three way tie with The Classical Academy and Pueblo Central in 3A’s Southern conference. They would have won the league outright if not for an amazing 4th quarter comeback by The Classical Academy when the Eagles and the Titans played earlier in the year. Pueblo East had a 33-16 lead with just 6:22 on the clock before the Titans roared back to win 37-33.

The Eagles also lost to Discovery Canyon early in the season. With quality wins over Frederick, Holy Family and Delta, Pueblo East looks to be a very formidable opponent for the Bears.

News Round-Up

KMTS Football Playoffs: Rifle Finally Tested, But Advances to Semifinals, 48-34 – KMTS.com
Bears ride into the semis – GSPI
Rifle defense delivers in the clutch – GSPI
Rifle tops Roosevelt in round two – KKCO TV
Rifle’s Ryan Moeller runs over Roosevelt. – Denver Post
Moeller’s INT return dooms Roosevelt in Class 3A football playoffs – reporterherald.com
Rifle’s relief – GJ Sentinel (Subscription Required)
Pueblo East Defeats Delta, Will Face Rifle in Semifinals – KREX TV
Prep Football – Rifle Outlasts Roosevelt – KJCT 8 TV
USATodayHSS.com/Denver/ Prep Rally | (SUNDAY 11/18/12) – 9 News – KUSA TV

Mud. Rain. Football.

The Rifle Bears and the Conifer Lobos face off on October 12, 2012 in a match-up of two top ten teams in Colorado 3A High School Football.

Thanks to Pride Rock Kennels for sponsoring Week 7.

Thanks as always to Jake Statler, Jaime Gomez and Lauren Potter for the sideline video and Ben Bradley at KNAM 1490 for the play-by-play.

This was a fun one to edit but a miserable game to shoot. It was cold and wet and I struggled to keep my gear up and running. But the visuals turned out to be great.

Notes:
Title: Rifle Bears Football Week 7: Rifle vs. Conifer
Music: APM Music Library
Gear: Canon 5D MKiii, Canon 5dMKii, Canon 7D, Canon XA-10, Canon XH-A1, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, Steadicam Merlin, Cinevate Merlin, Sachtler Soom, Bogen Tripod and Monopod, Lectrosonic Mics

Sponsored by Goliath Industries

2012 Playoffs – Week 1:
Rifle Bears vs. Erie Tigers – 1:00PM Saturday November 10 – Bears Stadium – Rifle, CO

Rifle’s second straight undefeated regular season is in the books. A streak that began in August 2011 at Grand Valley is still intact. Rifle has won 20 regular season football games in a row. It is a great accomplishment for the team and for individuals, like Adam Rice, who is now 21-1 as the starting quarterback for the Bears.

As the only 3A football team without a loss, Rifle earned the number one overall seed when CHSAA published the 3A football bracket yesterday.

Rifle’s end of the year stats showed that they outscored opponents 434 to 35. The 35 points allowed was the result of five shut-outs out of the ten games played. What is interesting about the number 35 is that 19 of those points were allowed after Rifle pulled its starters. So, on the year, Rifle’s starting defense has yielded sixteen points and has shut out seven out of ten opponents.

Ryan Moeller had another great performance on Friday. Despite not playing the second half, Moeller tallied 209 yards on just 12 carries. He scored three touchdowns and eclipsed the 2000 yard mark for the season. He finishes the 2012 regular season with 2202 yards.

Always the unsung hero, Kellin Leigh turned in his usual strong performance with 94 yards on six carries and two touchdowns. Leigh finished the regular season with 847 yards on 80 carries.

Erie Tigers

The Bears drew the #16 Erie Tigers as their first round opponent. The Tigers will be a tough out. They are 7-3 on the season and have outscored their opponents 344 to 155. Erie runs a double-wing offense and spends some time in the double-tight robust as well. Rifle just completed a 52-13 victory over another double-wing team in Eagle Valley on Friday, so they are familiar with what they will be facing. But Erie’s version of the double-wing looks a lot more like Battle Mountain’s than Eagle Valley’s. Like the Huskies of 2011, the Tigers’ counter and counter-trey plays are their staples.

The stats are clear, with 2,804 yards on the ground, the Tigers are a consistently run-based team. They also spread the ball around. No runner has more than 1,000 yards but three backs have crossed the 500 yard mark. Joey Ramey (#28) leads the Tigers in rushing with 747 yards. Pedro Anderson (#2) is a quick and dynamic fullback who runs hard. Anderson has 590 yards on the year. Junior Christian Mickey is a wingback with 630 yards on the year. Erie throws rarely, with quarterback Tristen Lyle averaging just 2.6 passes per game with 407 yards and three touchdowns. One of the Tiger’s best running options, Sr. Ryne Atkins is out for the season with broken leg suffered in the Northridge game.

Erie has losses on the year to Northridge (42-28), conference champ Frederick (21-7), and Holy Family (43-42). The Holy Family loss was in double-overtime. All three of those teams are playoff teams and the games were competitive for the most part. On the flip-side, Erie does not have a win over a team that ended the season with a winning record. Their highest-quality win was a victory over 5-5 Skyline.

With an enrollment of 751 students, Erie joined the 3A ranks in 2010 and made the playoffs that year. They lost to Canon City 35-21 in the first round. In 2011 the Tigers were 4-6 and missed the playoffs. In 2008, the Tigers lost an overtime thriller to Olathe in the 2A state championship game. Erie won a 1A state championship in 1997. The Tigers are coached by Larry Gartrell, who has been at the helm for 17 years. Erie is located northeast of Boulder.

News Round-Up:

2012 Colorado 3A Football Bracket
Rifle gets No. 1 seed in Class 3A playoffs – GSPI
Rifle unbeaten in regular season, topping Eagle Valley, 52-13 – GSPI
2012 Erie Tigers at a glance – BOCOPREPS.com
Erie makes case for playoff spot with win over Centaurus – BOCOPREPS.com
Cracked sternum can’t sideline Erie’s Jensen – BOCOPREPS.com
Erie routs Denver North to halt losing skid – BOCOPREPS.com
Erie at Northridge – 9 News Video
Erie squanders lead, loses Atkins to ankle injury – BOCOPREPS.com
Denver Post Sports Class 3a Football Playoff Preview
3A PLAYOFF CAPSULES – coloradopreps.com
Who’s No. 1 not on Bears’ mind – Rifle Citizen Telegram
Bears care about the win, not the accolades – GSPI
Erie gunning for upset of No. 1 Rifle in 3A playoffs – BOCOPREPS.com
Week 11 football playoff capsules – BOCOPREPS.com
Last six football squads standing have overcome plenty of obstacles – BOCOPREPS.com
Erie vs. Holy Family 2012 (Video) – Youtube
3A Football Capsules – GJ Daily Sentinel (Subscription Required)
Rifle gets top seed in 3A – GJ Daily Sentinel (Subscription Required)
Moeller, Bears rout EV – GJ Daily Sentinel (Subscription Required)

Thanks once again to Goliath Industries for their great support of our videos and website this year.
Week 6 was a show-down in Colorado 3A High School Football. Both #1 ranked Rifle and #2 ranked Palisade were undefeated heading into the match-up. The game was hard hitting and physical and the Bears were victorious 31-3.

The video that Coach Wells references in the open was @CU_Video’s “Shoulder to Shoulder” (which can be seen on Vimeo here: vimeo.com/49923270 ) Thanks to @CU_Video and the CU video team, coaching staff and alum for the inspiration.

Special thanks this week to our usual play-by-play station KNAM 1490 (theteam1490.com/). Both Jim Davis and Ben Bradley were in the booth, but we had some audio difficulty with recording their call of the game. While some of the calls are KNAM’s, the majority are from our old stand-by KMTS (kmts.com/). Ron Milhorn and Jack Jabbour usually call the Glenwood Springs games, but since Rifle vs. Palisade was on a Thursday, they were able to make the trip. Many Rifle fans will remember the voices of Ron and Jack from the videos of the state championship run of 2004. We also used audio from Aman Chabra at KJCT 8 (kjct8.com/) to set the scene for the game.

Thanks to Jake Statler, Jaime Gomez and Lauren Potter for the additional sideline video this week.

Notes:
Title: Rifle Bears Football Week 6: Rifle vs. Palisade
Music: What What – APM Music; Time Will Remember Us – APM Music; I Am a Fighter – APM Music Library; I’m On Fire – APM Music; Devastate – APM Music Library
Gear: Canon 5D MKiii, Canon 5dMKii, Canon 7D, Canon XA-10, Canon XH-A1, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, Steadicam Merlin, Cinevate Merlin, Sachtler Soom, Bogen Tripod and Monopod, Lectrosonic Mics