BASALT — Tanner Nieslanik had a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown and Roy Benge added a TD reception for the Roaring Fork High School football team, and the Rams’ defense pitched a shutout in their 13-0 victory over the Basalt Longhorns on Friday night.

Benge’s TD reception gave Roaring Fork (1-0 overall) a 7-0 halftime lead, and Nieslanik’s third-quarter punt return for a score capped the scoring. Basalt, Roaring Fork coach Tory Jensen said, was missing a pair of key players due to injury from the Longhorns’ season opener against Paonia on Aug. 23.

“It was a good, hard-fought game between two rivals,” Jensen said. “Our kids fought hard.”

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The Rams play again next on Sept. 6 when they host a nonleague game against Aspen.

“It was a good, hard-fought game between two rivals. Our kids fought hard.”
Tory Jensen
Roaring Fork coach

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Meeker stuns Grand Valley

PARACHUTE — Meeker quarterback Jake Phelan authored a 21-carry, 160-yard, two-TD rushing performance and threw for 158 yards and three TDs, outplaying highly touted Grand Valley quarterback Tyler Scott during the Cowboys’ 32-29 season-opening victory over the Cardinals.

Phelan’s 59-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter proved to be the decisive score.

Scott threw for 169 yards and two TDs — including a pair of 40-plus-yard strikes — and he ran for 97 yards on 11 carries.

Grand Valley coach Mike Johnson said his defense lacked chemistry.

“We have to learn how to play team defense,” Johnson said. “It’s about maintaining your responsibility and doing your job. We have to have some integrity and play defense like a team, not a bunch of individuals.”

Grand Valley continues nonleague play Sept. 6 at Paonia.