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Rifle falls short in 4th quarter of title game

Jon Mitchell
jmitchell@postindependent.com
Rifle's Brock Clark advances the ball early in the Bears' 30-14 loss to Pueblo East during the 3A state championship game at Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo.
Darcy Copeland / DC Photo |

PUEBLO — Quick-strike touchdowns and a tiebreaking safety made all the difference for the Pueblo East High School football team Saturday, as the Rifle Bears weren’t able to keep up in the 3A state title game. Pueblo East beat Rifle 30-14.

The Bears (12-2), who took a 14-7 lead at the beginning of the third quarter on a 39-yard touchdown run from Brock Clark, watched Pueblo East score 16 points in less than two minutes and take the lead for good in the fourth quarter. The Eagles (11-3) won their first state championship in school history.

Rifle’s offense was outplayed in the first half, but the Bears buckled down on defense several times to keep the Eagles out of the end zone. The Eagles three times drove inside the 20 against the Bears — once on their opening possession and another on their final possession of the second half.



Rifle went up 7-0 after Layton Stutsman’s 37-yard TD pass to Ty Leyba in the first quarter, and the game was tied 7-7 at the half and 14-14 at the end of the third quarter.

Please see Sunday’s Post Independent for complete coverage.


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