Rifle Bears usher in season with 49-0 win over Titans
Kaden Wolf, Toto Fletchall, Gavin Peterson and Embrey Marantino are four names already hogging up the stat sheet this season.
During Friday night’s dominant 49-0 win over rival Coal Ridge, the Rifle upperclassmen combined for five touchdowns on the ground. To boot, Peterson also took advantage of his arm, notching one touchdown in the air.
Following a combative opening drive that saw Titans starting quarterback Karsen DuBois connect on a long ball to Jackson Wade, a responding drive engineered by the Bears led to a short touchdown run by Peterson with 6:51 remaining in the first quarter.
At 11:33 in the second frame, Wolf would bash the ball past the goal line for his lone touchdown of the night.
Later in the quarter, the Bears nearly squandered a drive that saw Peterson connect with receiver Trey Caldwell on a fourth-down pass. Two ensuing penalties, however, set the Bears back in their own zone.
But a highly contested run by Wolf eventually moved the chains, setting up Marantino for a short touchdown run up the gut. Rifle headed into halftime 26-0.
Rifle continued to apply the offensive pressure in the third quarter. This time Fletchall would take the spotlight, punching in a touchdown at 7:08. With a successful point-after kick, Rifle improved to a 28-0 lead.
About 20 seconds later, Rifle defender Bryce Rowley rushed a scrambling DuBois, picking up sack on the Coal Ridge starting quarterback. The defensive highlight would set up a touchdown pass from Peterson to Caldwell.
Trying to provide a glimmer of hope for the home team, however, DuBois would later rush for a big gain up field at 2:42. But with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Rifle’s Josh Straw recorded a sack on DuBois, which thwarted any hopes of a successful drive.
This would lead to a short touchdown run punched in by Marantino — his second of the night. Rifle would head into the final quarter up 42-0.
The Bears would later hammer the nail in the coffin with a long touchdown run made by Peyton Prettyman at the 4:32 mark in the fourth quarter.
With the win, the Bears are 1-0 overall on the season. They host Aspen at 7 p.m. March 26.
The loss places the Titans at 0-1 overall on the season. They now prepare to host Salida at 1 p.m. March 27.
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