A 50-year tradition Top, left; A defender wraps up the runner. Top, right; Craig Ball hands the North’s MVP Xavier Livesay a game ball. Middle, right; A fan wearing his bling. Bottom, right; Practicing before the big game. Bottom, middle; Evading the defense. Bottom, left; QB Garrett Krehbiel of Dayspring scans the field.See story page 18. PHOTOS BY DAVE GIBSON[/caption]

Everyone has their favorite season. For some people it is summer with its warm temperatures. For others it is autumn accompanied by beautiful foliage colors and fresh crispness in the air. Winter affords outdoor recreation in the form of skiing and snowboarding, and spring brings new life. For many of us, the best time of the year is football season. It had been 118 days since the Super Bowl was played between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals and football fans would have to wait until the end of August for football to begin again. Fortunately for the diehards among us, a quality football matchup was played to fill the void on June 3 at Gilpin County Stadium in Black Hawk. It was the annual 8-Man All- State Football Game which scratched the itch nicely, thank you.

Fifty seniors deemed the very best in 8-Man Football had been selected from forty-four teams across Colorado to compete in the prestigious event. A fifty-year tradition which football Coach Craig Ball secured the rights to at the end of 2019, it is the second time the fast-paced, hard-hitting contest has been hosted here.

After spending four days practicing at Denver Christian University in Lakewood, coaches and players arrived in Gilpin eager to compete and showcase their talents. With over six hundred friends and family of their favorite players in attendance, the atmosphere was electric, with gridiron fans knowing that they were in for a treat. The squads were led by last year’s 8-Man Championship winner Coach Stone of Haxtun for the North and second-place finisher Coach Gardner of Mancos for the South. A fitting sendoff for the players, it would be the boys’ last high school football game before moving on with their lives.

The first quarter was spent feeling each other out, mostly shutting down runs and quarterback options in a defensive struggle. The North’s six- foot, three-inch, 235-pound defensive lineman Xavier Livesay of Akron was the most dominant defender in the game and who event organizer Craig Ball called “a menace all day.”

The North took control of the contest in the second quarter with a 3-yard run up the middle by Sedgewick’s Nolan Carlson. The 2-point conversion was stuffed by the South making the score 6-0. Momentum suddenly shifted when Chorbin Cressler of Dove Creek thrilled spectators with an 82-yard interception return for a touchdown to tie the score. The South was successful on their 2-point conversion, putting the score at 8-6 in favor of the South.

The South continued their assault in the fourth quarter, recovering a fumble at the North’s 20-yard line that was later followed by a quarterback sneak from the 1-yard line by Adam Glaze of Pikes Peak Christian. A failed conversion made the tally South 14, North 6.

Down but not out, the North methodically marched down the field to the opponent’s 3-yard line. Ike Andersen of Haxtun ran the pigskin up the gut to pull within two points with 4:16 remaining in the contest.

After stopping the South on downs their next possession at the North’s 15-yard line, the North drove to the South’s 25-yard line with twenty seconds left on the clock. The South clinging to a 2-point advantage and the North without any timeouts, there was only time to pass into the endzone. Four attempts to receivers and four incompletions brought an end to this exciting affair. With football fixes satisfied, game balls were handed out to each side’s MVP. Final score: South 14, North 12.

To support student-athletes and the nonprofit 8-Man All-State Football Game, go to www.eliteallstate.com.

Players from across Colorado Top, left; Olivia Ball was the official flagbearer. Top, right; A defensive back gets away with interference in the endzone. Bottom, right; Trying to strip the pigskin. Bottom, left; You’re never too young to enjoy a quality football game. PHOTOS BY DAVE GIBSON[/caption]