GILPIN COUNTY - Football season officially arrived in Gilpin County on Saturday, August 30, when the Eagles took to the field against the St. Mary’s Pirates.

It was exactly one year ago in Colorado Springs that Gilpin was ahead of St. Mary’s 14-12 after three quarters of play. Facing a tough team in a tough division, the Eagles eventually lost a heartbreaker by a score of 26-14. They would be seeking to avenge that loss at home this year.

Coming off a 6-3 record in 2024 with eight returning seniors on the roster, the Eagles had cause for optimism. Even so, the Pirates were regarded as an even better team this year and Gilpin’s work would be cut out for them.

Trailing by two touchdowns, the Eagles’ Ryan Marr intercepted a St. Mary’s pass at his own 38-yard line. A long run by Marr took them to the Pirate’s 29-yard line. A few plays later, while extending the football in an attempt to break the plane of the goal line, the ball came loose.

Without the benefit of 20-20 vision or instant replay, I thought that the ground may have caused the fumble, in which case Gilpin would have maintained possession. Regardless, St. Mary’s recovered the football, ending a golden opportunity for the Eagles.

Score at halftime: St. Mary’s 23, Gilpin 0.

Down but not out, Gilpin opened the second half with a wave sweep pass from Ryan Marr to Landon Church in the corner of the endzone for a touchdown. On a slant pattern, Church hauled in the 2-point conversion thrown by Vinny Schoell.

In the fourth quarter the Eagles scored again when Schoell connected with Marr on an out route. A Schoell run crossed the goal line at the pylon for the conversion. Despite a strong second half showing by Gilpin, the Eagles came out on the short end of this one by a score of 36 to 16.

Vinny Schoell finished the game with 257 yards passing, 2 touchdown passes, 1 rushing conversion, and 1 passing conversion. Ryan Marr had 130 yards receiving, 1 receiving touchdown, and 32 yards rushing. Landon Church registered 127 yards receiving, 43 yards rushing, 1 receiving touchdown, and 1 receiving conversion.

Head Coach Craig Ball summarized, “It’s always tough to drop the opener at home, but I was proud of the way our guys responded in the second half. We outscored St. Mary’s after the break, got our new passing game moving, and finished with 83 yards rushing and 257 through the air.

“Defensively, we slowed down their high-powered offense and showed a lot of promise for what’s ahead. With a bye week coming up, we’ll take the time to refocus and reengage before heading to Leadville to take on Lake County.”