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Brock-hard back: Rifle’s Brock Clark among 13 all-league Bears

Staff Report
Rifle High School senior running back Brock Clark runs for yardage against Pueblo East during the first half of the Class 3A state championship game at Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo on Nov. 29. Clark was named the Class 3A Western Slope League's Back of the Year.
Darcy Copeland / DC Photo |

CLASS 3A ALL-WSL FOOTBALL

Lineman of the Year: Marcus Garcia, Sr., Delta.

Back of the Year: Brock Clark, Sr., Rifle.

Special Teams Player of the Year: Marques Combs, Sr., Palisade.

Coach of the Year: Damon Wells, Rifle.

FIRST TEAM

Marcus Garcia, Sr., Delta; Jonny Ponce, Jr., Delta; Daniel Brown, Sr., Delta; Damon Jensen, Sr., Delta; Derek Horn, Sr., Delta; Luis Chavez, Sr., Eagle Valley; Riley Rowles, Sr., Eagle Valley; Devin Ward, Sr., Eagle Valley; Evrett Marr, Sr., Glenwood Springs; Cristian Gonzalez, Sr., Glenwood Springs; Sam Carmer, Sr., Glenwood Springs; Matt Osier, Jr., Glenwood Springs; Wyatt McElwain, Sr., G.J. Central; Drake Buford, Sr., Palisade; Marques Combs, Sr., Palisade; Isaac Maestas, Soph., Palisade; Anselmo Quezada, Sr., Palisade; Quincy Campbell, Sr., Palisade; Brock Clark, Sr., Rifle; Austin Shepherd, Sr., Rifle; Layton Stutsman, Sr., Rifle; Austin Boone, Sr., Rifle; Alex Gould, Sr., Rifle; Cody Rice, Sr., Rifle; Mitch McCannon, Sr., Steamboat Springs; Jack Anderson, Jr., Summit.

HONORABLE MENTION

Ali Medina, Sr., Delta; David Brown, Sr., Delta; Cade Gafford, Sr., Delta; Dayaran Urquhart, Sr., Delta; Chance Wolfe, Sr., Delta; Drew Elliot, Sr., Delta; Tristain Brown, Soph., Delta; Kelby Brown, Jr., Delta; Kory Mills, Jr., Delta; Easton Byers, Sr., Delta; Mike Ramunno, Sr., Palisade; Xavier Mendoza, Sr., Eagle Valley; Christian Agular, Sr., Eagle Valley; Chase Nieslanik, Sr., Glenwood Springs; Shane Cleveringa, Sr., Glenwood Springs; Zane Lundin, Sr., Glenwood Springs; Austin Gonsalves, Sr., Glenwood Springs; Luke Prosence, Sr., Glenwood Springs; Soloman Jarman, Sr., G.J. Central; Justin Ellers, Sr., G.J. Central; Chris Franklin, Soph., G.J. Central; John Goff, Jr., Palisade; Joe Kobert, Jr., Palisade; Easton Woods, Sr., Palisade; Brayton Stewart, Sr., Palisade; Cody Latham, Sr., Palisade; Jay Shuman, Jr., Palisade; Prescott Price, Soph., Palisade; Ty Leyba, Jr., Rifle; Brooks Pressler, Sr., Rifle; Jose Prado, Sr., Rifle; Joe Kosht, Jr., Rifle; Tyler Bosshardt, Jr., Rifle; Gage Johnston, Jr., Rifle; Austin Knight, Sr., Rifle; Zach Holm, Jr., Steamboat Springs; Joe Deline, Jr., Steamboat Springs; Jesse Pugh, Sr., Steamboat Springs; Will Flannagan, Jr., Summit; Tristan McDonald, Sr., Summit.

Rifle High School’s football team may not have come away with a state title this season, but the Bears did come away with plenty of award winners when the Class 3A all-Western Slope League football team was determined at the end of the regular season this year.

The Bears, who lost to the Pueblo East Eagles in the 3A state championship game this past weekend, earned more all-league recognition than any other team in the league thanks to its fourth consecutive league championship. The Bears had six first-team players and seven honorable mentions.

Also earning lots if all-league awards were the Glenwood Springs Demons, who had four first-team players and five honorable mentions.



Rifle, however, brought home two of the top-four awards. Among them were senior running back Brock Clark, who won the league’s Back of the Year award. Also earning top recognition was Rifle coach Damon Wells, who was named the WSL’s coach of the year.

Clark, who stands 5-foot-9, 200 pounds, was one of the classification’s top ball carriers. He finished with 1,425 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns, including a 39-yard TD run that staked the Bears to a 14-7 lead early in the third quarter of the Bears’ 30-14 loss. He finished the season with 1,907 all-purpose yards, including a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD in Rifle’s victory over Northridge in the first round of the 3A state playoffs.



Clark also won the award over Delta junior running back Jonny Ponce, who was also named to the first team. Ponce finished the season as Class 3A’s leading rusher for the second consecutive year, tallying 1,921 rushing yards.

Earning the league’s Lineman of the Year award was senior Marcus Garcia of Delta. Senior Marques Combs of Palisade was named the league’s special teams player of the year.

Also earning a first-team nod from Rifle were five seniors: linebacker/lineman Austin Shepherd, quarterback/defensive back Layton Stutsman, lineman Austin Boone, lineman/linebacker Alex Gould and tight end/linebacker Cody Rice.

For Glenwood Springs, three seniors were named to the first team, including running back/defensive back Evrett Marr, linebacker/lineman Cristian Gonzalez and lineman/linebacker Sam Carmer. Glenwood junior Matt Osier was a first-team award winner for his play as a defensive back.

Each one of the Demons’ honorable mention award winners were seniors: Chase Nieslanik, Shane Cleveringa, Zane Lundin, Austin Gonsalves and Luke Prosence. Juniors and seniors alike from Rifle earned honorable mentions for the Bears, including junior Ty Leyba, senior Brooks Pressler, senior Jose Prado, junior Joe Kosht, junior Tyler Bosshardt, junior Gage Johnston and senior Austin Knight.


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