Barbara Lawlor, Gilpin County.  It was the first time Eagle shoes hit the artificial turf of the Gilpin High School new field during a game. The first game of the season is always a thriller for football fans, but this was also the first time the Eagles played under their own lights.

Spectators filled the stands, soon to be rebuilt, and even a large Caliche Buffalo herd showed up to cheer, on the field with the bright lights and fantastic colors.

Unfortunately, the game score was not in the brilliant range as the Eagles went down 0-43, a reflection of the team’s youth and rebuilding status with the largest number of players, eight being freshmen and three seniors,
Friday Aug. 24, Caliche pulled out their more experienced and pounded their hoof prints into the turf. Last year, the Eagles beat the Buffalos, 36-30.

It was the first game of the season for both teams.

Caliche showed their strength in the first series of the game adding up the first downs until a player squeezed round the Eagles to score. The conversion was no good and the score was 6-0.

Gilpin’s quarterback Stephen King had a few runs goalward, but no end zone invasion. Angel Gomez put out the defensive effort, but, the Caliche train pretty much hurtled to its large score ending.

Tackles: Angel Gomez; 13 solos, 5 assists; Nolan Lindberg, sophomore: 3 solos, 6 assists; Kamron Brewer: 3 solos; Stephen King: 10 solos, 4 assists; Blake Boulter, 6 solos, 4 assists; Daniel Jewell: 4 assists; Jimmy Immordino, freshman: 2 solos, 2 assists; Seth Gordon: 3 solos, 2 assists; Rodriguez-Jimenez, freshman: 2 solos; Jaime Alexander, senior: 3 solos, 4 assists; Jaime Alexander, junior: 3 solos, 3 assists. Stephen King, sophomore, made an interception.

The next game will be an away game against Merino, on September 1, at 1 p.m.

GHS Athletic Director Jeffery Schuessler said, “We’re just really happy to practice and play football on such a great field. You can’t find a better surface or a better view anywhere.

It has been a long time overdue in a lot of ways. We’ve built a new building and made several upgrades to both buildings and the grounds over the past decade and a half, and this is the first time that we’ve truly addressed the issue of the football field and the fact that we haven’t had a track to practice on in all those years. We are excited to share our new facility with the community.”

Angel Gomez, Player of the game

Roster by grade:

Freshmen: Andal Innis, wb, cb; Kamron Brewer, wb, cb; Andrew Jewell, wr, cb; Jimmy Immorodino, ng; Seth Gordon, rb, lb; Alex Rodriguez-Jimenez, wr, cb; Chet Grapes, dl, 0l

Sophomores: Rayvaughn Amaya, ol, dl; Blake Boulter, c, mlb; Stephen King, qb, cb; Nolan Lindberg, wr, cb;

Juniors: Will Innis, db, wr; Mike Fry, dl, ol

Seniors: Angel Gomez, rb, lb; Chance Williams, wr, cb; Jaime Alexander, rb, dl.

Gilpin High School Football Schedule

9/1 Merino, away, 1 p.m.

9/7 Sedgwick, HOME, 7 p.m.

9/14 Hayden, away, 7 p.m.

9/22 Soroco, HOME,1 p.m.

10/5 Plateau Valley, away, 7 p.m.

10/12 Vail Christian, HOME, 7 p.m.

10/19 Rangely, away, 7 p.m.

10/26 West Grand, HOME, 7 p.m.

(Originally published in the August 30, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)