Jaguars secure elusive victory
Boulder Creek rallies for first win in school history
by Jason Stone

ANTHEM – It was bound to happen sooner or later, but Boulder Creek football coach Scott Heideman is relieved that the team’s first win came sooner, rather than later.

One week after the team blew a 30‑point lead against Kellis to ruin a chance at earning the first win in school history, the Jaguars turned the tables on an opponent, erasing a 14‑0 deficit and turning it into a 27‑20 win over Cobre, a team from Bayard, N.M.

“I’m real proud of the kids for the way they stuck with it,” Heideman said about his team breaking a five‑game losing streak to start its first varsity season. “We have a lot of kids who played on the successful JV team we had last year. They almost  forgot what it was like to come off the field with a win.”

Boulder Creek, which has been racking up injuries, now gets a week off before returning to the field on Oct. 13 to face Copper Canyon.

The time off will be a much‑needed rest for Heideman’s team. The Jaguars certainly left it all on the field against Cobre when it rallied for 20 second‑half points, and from behind  21‑14 in the fourth quarter, then held on in a final defensive stand to earn the win.

“We did it the hard way, which sure is nice after what happened (against Kellis),” Heideman said.

It was especially nice for Jaguars fans because the team lost running back Nathan Hay, its main offensive threat, on the first play of the game. Hay never returned, but didn’t need to as senior Cody Witherrite had what Heideman called “his coming out party.”

Witherrite scored three rushing touchdowns in the second half for the Jaguars–including the TDs that tied the game and gave Boulder Creek the win.

After his second score tied the game at 21, Jaguars defensive end Steven Kallen recovered a fumble on a high snap and gave BCHS the ball inside the Cobre 20. On the first play, Witherrite busted through for his third score and a 27‑21 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Cobre had one last chance to win it with a touchdown and conversion when it recovered the ball at midfield on a Jaguar punting miscue with two minutes left in the game. Cobre drove to the 25, but Boulder Creek’s defense held.

“We’ve had an emphasis in practice on trying to change the little things and hoping the big things would work themselves out,” Heideman said about the team’s psyche going into the game. “We talked about heart. After the losing (a 30‑point lead), we looked at it like a brand new start.”

After the week off, Boulder Creek will play its final four games all at home as part of a span of seven straight games in Anthem.

Reach the reporter at jason@thedesertadvocate.com.