Photo courtesy of football videographer: Jacoby Kaker.

After a state runner-up finish last season, the Mead Mavericks returned to the field on the 29th. They came into the game ranked fifth in the CHSAA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Mavericks came in with a dirty taste in their mouth after falling short of a state championship. The Pueblo South Colts were eliminated by the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs last season. They had also faced off earlier in the season where the Mavericks won 33-14. The Colts were looking for revenge in their home opener.

The game kicked off at 6:00 pm, 148 miles south of our home. The game started with a touchback from Eli Davis (‘26). The Colts started with a long, 12-play drive. The drive ended when the Colts attempted a trick play on third down that was intercepted by Jordan Patterson (‘26).

The Mavericks’ first offensive drive was highlighted with a 60-yard rush by Ethan Elmore (‘27). The long run would set up a 15-yard touchdown run by Griffin Kratochvil (‘26), where he broke three tackles. Davis would kick the extra point, and the Mavericks would take a 7-0 lead.

On the next possession, Mead’s stifling defense would force a three-and-out. On fourth down, the Colts had a bad snap and their punter, Caden Herrera (‘26) was forced out of bounds by Ben Morris (‘28). The Mavericks’ offense would take over on the South’s 16-yard line. The defensive stand would allow for Elmore (‘27) to score from four yards out. The kick by Davis would split the uprights and make the score 14-0.

On the following drive, the Mavericks forced a three-and-out, but a personal foul was called on the Mavericks and gave the Colts a new set of downs. The first quarter would end with the Mavericks up 14-0. The Colts would continue their drive, but faced fourth and short. Herrera connected with Landen Cordova (‘27) for a 38-yard gain. The Colts would get the ball down to the three-yard line but after a tackle for loss by Jackson Shields (‘28) and a sack by Caleb Fahlin (‘28), the Colts faced 4th and 22. The Colts decided to be gutsy and go for it, but the pass was broken up by Breckan Palko (‘26) in the back of the end zone.

The Mavericks’ offense would take the field once again. The offense cruised down the field once again after multiple great passes by Elmore. The offense would get down to the goal line, and Noah Chapala (‘27) would finish the drive off with a two-yard rushing touchdown. The Maverick defense continued its dominance after Carter Woods (‘26) sacked the quarterback. The offense would take over and score on the second play of the drive. Elmore took advantage of the Colts’ blown coverage and connected with Davis for a 74-yard touchdown.

The defense held as another three-and-out was forced. The Mavericks would take their 28-0 lead into the locker room. The Mavericks’ dominant offensive line would take the field once again. They would create a gaping hole that Chapala ran through and juked a defender en route to a 52-yard run. The run set up the Elmore to Davis connection for the second time of the evening.

You would never guess what the defense did on the next drive: they forced another three-and-out which forced South to punt once again.

The offense would take the field once again looking to score. With the score 35-0, the Mavericks were looking to get a running clock, meaning the clock only stops for injuries and timeouts. Elmore was able to connect with Ryan St. Aubin (‘26) for a 45-yard touchdown on a beautiful throw down the middle of the field.

The dominant defense would return to the field and shut down the drive as soon as it started. Another three-and-out was forced, and the Mavericks’ offense took over. The offense would be forced to punt for the first time of the night, but the South returner dropped the kick, and Elijah Sigg (‘28) recovered the fumble. The offense would then go into victory formation and take a knee to run the clock down.

The team had a great all-around performance this past week and looks forward to repeating the effort for the rest of the season. The Mavericks had 433 yards to South’s 114. The defense had 6.5 sacks led by Fahlin with two on the night. Josh Gonsalves (‘26) was the leading tackler on the dominant defense with nine total. Davis would be the leading receiver on the evening finishing with three receptions, 100 yards, and two touchdowns. Chapala finished with 97 yards on 10 carries and added one touchdown to the board. Elmore went seven or ten with 192 yards and two touchdowns through the air in addition to his 79-yard and one touchdown on the ground. Resulting in Mead winning their first game 42-0.