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PEACH VALLEY, Colorado — It's tough for an opposing team to score when it doesn't have the ball.
That's precisely the recipe for football success Gunnison applied in its 39-6 win at Coal Ridge on Friday.
Using its bruising ground game to level a no-nonsense, downhill attack, the Cowboys churned out 374 yards rushing and possessed the ball for 30 minutes, 29 seconds against the Titans.
“That's our game plan, every week,” relayed Gunnison senior Josh Roper, who rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. “We run right at ‘em. We might not be as big as some teams, but every week we run right at ‘em. It's worked for us so far.”
Roper's junior brother, Ryan, finished with 93 yards and two scores on 11 totes and quarterback Chris Schmalz ran for 89 yards and a TD on 11 carries as the Cowboys (4-2 overall, 3-0 in the 2A Western Slope League) won their fourth straight game.
“They held the ball,” said Coal Ridge coach Scott Parker, whose team's time-of-possession count clocked in at just 17:31. “You've got to give them credit. They executed well. Their kids played hard.”
Gunnison set the tone at the outset, holding the ball for 9:40 on the opening series. The Cowboys covered 80 yards on 18 plays en route to the end zone. Josh Roper covered the drive's final yard to put the visitors on the board.
Gunnison went on to put up three more TDs in the second quarter in taking a 26-0 advantage into halftime.
In that first half, the Titans managed just 18 yards of offense and one first down.
Coal Ridge senior Colby Fauser started the second half off at the right foot for the Titans, breaking off a 48-yard TD run on the second play from scrimmage.
“He stepped up in that second half and showed some senior leadership,” Parker said of his running back. “That got us on the board.”
Coal Ridge wouldn't revisit the scoreboard on its homecoming night.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys added a pair of scores — a 55-yard TD pass from Schmalz to Evan Ayers late in the third and a 6-yard rushing score by Schmalz midway through the fourth — to round out the final count.
The loss dropped the Titans to 2-4 overall and to 0-3 in league.
“We've got to execute better,” Parker said. “We just have to improve.”
Next up for Parker and company is a home date with Basalt next week. Gunnison is at Cedaredge.
jcaspersen@postindependent.com
That's precisely the recipe for football success Gunnison applied in its 39-6 win at Coal Ridge on Friday.
Using its bruising ground game to level a no-nonsense, downhill attack, the Cowboys churned out 374 yards rushing and possessed the ball for 30 minutes, 29 seconds against the Titans.
“That's our game plan, every week,” relayed Gunnison senior Josh Roper, who rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. “We run right at ‘em. We might not be as big as some teams, but every week we run right at ‘em. It's worked for us so far.”
Roper's junior brother, Ryan, finished with 93 yards and two scores on 11 totes and quarterback Chris Schmalz ran for 89 yards and a TD on 11 carries as the Cowboys (4-2 overall, 3-0 in the 2A Western Slope League) won their fourth straight game.
“They held the ball,” said Coal Ridge coach Scott Parker, whose team's time-of-possession count clocked in at just 17:31. “You've got to give them credit. They executed well. Their kids played hard.”
Gunnison set the tone at the outset, holding the ball for 9:40 on the opening series. The Cowboys covered 80 yards on 18 plays en route to the end zone. Josh Roper covered the drive's final yard to put the visitors on the board.
Gunnison went on to put up three more TDs in the second quarter in taking a 26-0 advantage into halftime.
In that first half, the Titans managed just 18 yards of offense and one first down.
Coal Ridge senior Colby Fauser started the second half off at the right foot for the Titans, breaking off a 48-yard TD run on the second play from scrimmage.
“He stepped up in that second half and showed some senior leadership,” Parker said of his running back. “That got us on the board.”
Coal Ridge wouldn't revisit the scoreboard on its homecoming night.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys added a pair of scores — a 55-yard TD pass from Schmalz to Evan Ayers late in the third and a 6-yard rushing score by Schmalz midway through the fourth — to round out the final count.
The loss dropped the Titans to 2-4 overall and to 0-3 in league.
“We've got to execute better,” Parker said. “We just have to improve.”
Next up for Parker and company is a home date with Basalt next week. Gunnison is at Cedaredge.
jcaspersen@postindependent.com
