Roosevelt prepares for tight, hard-fought game in 3A state football finals

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JOHNSTOWN, CO - NOVEMBER 19:Roosevelt's Xavier Ramirez (21) runs during the Roosevelt Rough Riders 3A state quarterfinal playoff football game against the Evergreen Cougars at Roosevelt High School in Johnstown Nov. 19, 2022. The Rough Riders defeated the Cougars 48-20 and will advance to the 3A state semifinals. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)

Lane Wasinger and his title-hungry Roosevelt football team are plenty confident.

They’re far from naive.

So even though the unbeaten, top-seeded Rough Riders have outscored opponents an average of 41-11 points per game this season — including an average of 40-8 in three playoff games — Roosevelt isn’t necessarily counting on another wire-to-wire onslaught when it faces third-seeded Lutheran in the Class 3A title game at 1 p.m. Saturday at CSU-Pueblo’s Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.

“We’ve been in some tight ball games — we’ve been tied, we’ve been down at half, we’ve been a great second-half team, and a great fourth-quarter team, all year,” said Wasinger, the Rough Riders’ sixth-year head coach. “Our kids are up for the test of a title game. Our kids will have to respond to adversity well. There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs.”

The Rough Riders (13-0) are playing in their fourth title game in program history and are in pursuit of their first state football title in school history.

Lutheran (11-2) is making its first title game appearance.

JOHNSTOWN, CO – NOVEMBER 19:Roosevelt’s Bronco Hartson (8) dives for yardage as he runs on a keeper during the Roosevelt Rough Riders 3A state quarterfinal playoff football game against the Evergreen Cougars at Roosevelt High School in Johnstown Nov. 19, 2022. The Rough Riders defeated the Cougars 48-20 and will advance to the 3A state semifinals. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)

Roosevelt — for all intents and purposes — figures to be the favorite Saturday. Then again, the same could be said for the last time the Rough Riders were in a title game, in 2020.

Just like this season, Roosevelt was undefeated and was the top seed in the 3A playoffs before falling in the finals to Durango, 21-14, on Dec. 5, 2020, on the CSU-Pueblo campus.

Though he and his huge roster of 111 players are no doubt happy to be back in a title game for the second time in three seasons, Wasinger said his team is well aware of how precious and rare of an opportunity playing in a title game is.

The Rough Riders were just narrowly denied a repeat trip to the finals a year ago when they were upset by Mead in the semifinals.

“They’re excited for their opportunity and their ‘time,'” Wasinger said of his driven players. “When you play in a state championship game, like we did two years ago, you never know when you’re going to get back. It’s so rare. We’ve been fortunate with great players and some pretty good seasons to help raise the bar.”

JOHNSTOWN, CO – NOVEMBER 19:Roosevelt’s Tucker Peterson (20) tries to slip out of Evergreen’s Gabe Zimmerer (20)’s grasp during the Roosevelt Rough Riders 3A state quarterfinal playoff football game against the Evergreen Cougars at Roosevelt High School in Johnstown Nov. 19, 2022. The Rough Riders defeated the Cougars 48-20 and will advance to the 3A state semifinals. (Alex McIntyre/Staff Photographer)

Bobby Fernandez covers high school sports for the Greeley Tribune. Reach him at (970) 392-4478, by email at bfernandez@greeleytribune.com or on Twitter @BobbyDFernandez.

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