Saturday’s face-off against Flatirons Academy quickly became a game of errors for the Clear Creek football team.
Just six minutes in, the Golddiggers were already down 9-0.
Flatirons’ defense kept Clear Creek pressed up against the endzone for much of the game, and the Bison scored easy points off fumbles and safeties.
The Golddiggers ended up losing 59-0.
“We’re better than what we played,” Clear Creek head coach Danion Baca said. “ … We’ve got too many young guys missing assignments.”
Clear Creek is 0-3 for the season, losing its first home game against Manual 34-14 and then losing at Estes Park 40-6.
The Golddiggers’ schedule is unbelievably brutal, senior center Clay Robertson said. The team’s first four games are against the best four teams in the league.
Plus, Baca pointed out, five starters were injured in the March 20 game against Manual and underclassmen have had to fill their positions.
Injuries and inexperience played a major role on the field Saturday as well, as the Bison scored 16 points in four minutes at the end of the first quarter.
With 3:50 left in the quarter, Clear Creek senior tight end Armando Acosta fumbled the ball as he was tackled and the Bison recovered it for a touchdown, making it 23-0. Acosta was injured on the play.
On the next possession, Clear Creek was again playing near the endzone. The Bison defense pressured Clear Creek quarterback Bode Baker and ended up knocking the ball out of his hands for a safety and a 25-0 lead.
With one minute left in the first quarter, Flatirons wide receiver Deverick Dow caught a long reception for another touchdown.
Thus, Flatirons had a 32-0 lead going into the second quarter.
After the next Bison touchdown, the Golddigger defense stopped their two-point conversion attempt, making it 38-0.
Four minutes later, Flatirons quarterback Jacob Dube scored another touchdown and made the lead 44-0, at which point the running clock rule set in.
The Bison only scored twice in the second half, including a touchdown that came after a blocked Golddiggers punt put Flatirons on the 2-yard line.
“We came out flat-footed,” Clear Creek senior wide receiver Jett Howard said. “We were intimidated at first. … We need to get the offense going. The defense is good, but the score won’t reflect that.”
Howard, who had several good kick-off returns, said he had the potential to score off those possessions, but the Golddiggers’ blocking needs to improve.
Additionally, Robertson said the team’s chemistry and communication has to improve if Clear Creek is going to win any of its remaining games.
“It was a bit disappointing,” Robertson said of Saturday’s outcome. “But, we came together in the second half.”
While Clear Creek lost the game, there were still a few small victories on the field.
Robertson and Baca both thought the first-time starters did well Saturday, with Baca specifically praising newcomers Mateo Gonzalez and Breyda Spinner.
Ultimately, the Golddiggers are a very young team, Baca said, and aren’t “football smart” quite yet.
Clear Creek’s next game will be noon Saturday at Buena Vista.