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Windsor High School senior Trevor Okamoto looks back as a ball goes past him during Saturday's playoff game against Steamboat Springs in Steamboat.
Moving on
With the victory over Windsor, Steamboat Springs now prepares for the semifinals of the Class 3A playoffs, a place the team hasn't been since 2005. Steamboat will face No. 1 seed Pueblo Central, who easily defeated Delta on Saturday, 34-7.
A day and time haven't been set, but the game will most likely be on Saturday. It will also take place at Pueblo Central High School.
Although there were some complaining about the seeding, the top four seeds in Class 3A advanced on Saturday. In the other side of the bracket, No. 3 Mountain View beat No. 6 Falcon, 39-6, and No. 2 Valor Christian beat No. 7 Glenwood Springs, 51-28.
The remaining four teams left in the Class 3A field have a combined record of 44-0.
A day and time haven't been set, but the game will most likely be on Saturday. It will also take place at Pueblo Central High School.
Although there were some complaining about the seeding, the top four seeds in Class 3A advanced on Saturday. In the other side of the bracket, No. 3 Mountain View beat No. 6 Falcon, 39-6, and No. 2 Valor Christian beat No. 7 Glenwood Springs, 51-28.
The remaining four teams left in the Class 3A field have a combined record of 44-0.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Most of the hype leading up to the Class 3A Quarterfinals football game between Steamboat Springs and Windsor focused on how the Wizards would stop Steamboat quarterback Austin Hinder, who is considered one of the best at his position in the country.
It turned out to be the Steamboat defense that dominated Saturday's game and played the biggest role in the Sailors' 31-7 victory against the Wizards.
Fourth-seeded Steamboat tossed away early opportunities on offense and fell behind 7-0 early, before the defense came up big each time.
The Sailors limited Windsor, which ended its season 9-3, to 172 yards of offense — with 80 of that coming on one play. They also limited Windsor to a 2-of-10 on third down, created four turnovers and put the Steamboat offense in a position to win.
The Sailors advance to the 3A semifinals and will face Pueblo County next Saturday.
In the first half alone, Steamboat ran 41 plays to Windsor's 13. In the game, Steamboat's average starting field position was the Windsor 45, while the Wizards started at their own 25.
“This isn't just a one-dimensional team,” Windsor quarterback Trevor Okamoto said. “Coming into this game all you heard was about Steamboat's offense. Man, their defense is just as tough as their offense is.”
Given enough opportunities, the Steamboat offense is bound to take advantage.
Hinder, a Division I recruit who has committed to play at the University of California, had a ho-hum day, tossing two touchdown passes, running for another and finding five different receivers. Joe Dover picked up a touchdown run and had 151 yards on 19 carries.
Again it was the Steamboat defense, a unheralded group playing together.
“We're excited about how they're playing,” Steamboat defensive coordinator Lonn Clementson said. “They got each other's back.”
The Sailors offense opened the game turning the ball over on downs twice inside the Wizards 13.
Windsor finally capitalized on that momentum late in the first quarter. Running back Conner Glenn broke open around the left side and went 80 yards for a touchdown and an early 7-0 Wizards' lead.
But Windsor's hopes for an upset road win didn't last long.
Steamboat put together a drive on its next possession, going 67 yards in eight plays, before Hinder found Dylan Pivarnik for the touchdown from 8 yards out.
Windsor fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but Steamboat again stalled on downs inside the red zone.
But on the next play, Jack Spady picked off Okamoto, and on the Sailors' second play of the next drive, Hinder found Spady from 18 yards out for a 14-7 Steamboat lead.
Steamboat tacked on a 21-yard field goal by Peter Schuette near the end of the half to go up 17-7.
“They brought three guys every play, and we just didn't do a great job of hitting up in the hole,” Windsor coach Chris Jones said. “That was the key to that.”
Okamoto said the Wizards hoped to stage a comeback in the second half, but Steamboat's defense would have none of it.
“We were hoping to score on our opening drive and from there get a stop on defense,” he said. “It would have been a 3-point game. It just didn't happen. They had a great game plan and they just shut us down.”
The two teams traded unsuccessful drives early in the third quarter, before Windsor muffed a punt at its own 11, setting Steamboat up. Hinder trotted into the end zone on the next play giving Steamboat a 24-7 lead.
After the Wizards turned the ball over on downs, the Sailors then went to work on the clock.
Steamboat took nine plays and 4:47 before Dover ran in from 14 yards out to put the game away.
“Man, their gameplan was good for us,” Okamoto said. “They didn't let us do what we're good at, which is running. Every film we watched of them they created turnovers, and they did it again today.”
It turned out to be the Steamboat defense that dominated Saturday's game and played the biggest role in the Sailors' 31-7 victory against the Wizards.
Fourth-seeded Steamboat tossed away early opportunities on offense and fell behind 7-0 early, before the defense came up big each time.
The Sailors limited Windsor, which ended its season 9-3, to 172 yards of offense — with 80 of that coming on one play. They also limited Windsor to a 2-of-10 on third down, created four turnovers and put the Steamboat offense in a position to win.
The Sailors advance to the 3A semifinals and will face Pueblo County next Saturday.
In the first half alone, Steamboat ran 41 plays to Windsor's 13. In the game, Steamboat's average starting field position was the Windsor 45, while the Wizards started at their own 25.
“This isn't just a one-dimensional team,” Windsor quarterback Trevor Okamoto said. “Coming into this game all you heard was about Steamboat's offense. Man, their defense is just as tough as their offense is.”
Given enough opportunities, the Steamboat offense is bound to take advantage.
Hinder, a Division I recruit who has committed to play at the University of California, had a ho-hum day, tossing two touchdown passes, running for another and finding five different receivers. Joe Dover picked up a touchdown run and had 151 yards on 19 carries.
Again it was the Steamboat defense, a unheralded group playing together.
“We're excited about how they're playing,” Steamboat defensive coordinator Lonn Clementson said. “They got each other's back.”
The Sailors offense opened the game turning the ball over on downs twice inside the Wizards 13.
Windsor finally capitalized on that momentum late in the first quarter. Running back Conner Glenn broke open around the left side and went 80 yards for a touchdown and an early 7-0 Wizards' lead.
But Windsor's hopes for an upset road win didn't last long.
Steamboat put together a drive on its next possession, going 67 yards in eight plays, before Hinder found Dylan Pivarnik for the touchdown from 8 yards out.
Windsor fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but Steamboat again stalled on downs inside the red zone.
But on the next play, Jack Spady picked off Okamoto, and on the Sailors' second play of the next drive, Hinder found Spady from 18 yards out for a 14-7 Steamboat lead.
Steamboat tacked on a 21-yard field goal by Peter Schuette near the end of the half to go up 17-7.
“They brought three guys every play, and we just didn't do a great job of hitting up in the hole,” Windsor coach Chris Jones said. “That was the key to that.”
Okamoto said the Wizards hoped to stage a comeback in the second half, but Steamboat's defense would have none of it.
“We were hoping to score on our opening drive and from there get a stop on defense,” he said. “It would have been a 3-point game. It just didn't happen. They had a great game plan and they just shut us down.”
The two teams traded unsuccessful drives early in the third quarter, before Windsor muffed a punt at its own 11, setting Steamboat up. Hinder trotted into the end zone on the next play giving Steamboat a 24-7 lead.
After the Wizards turned the ball over on downs, the Sailors then went to work on the clock.
Steamboat took nine plays and 4:47 before Dover ran in from 14 yards out to put the game away.
“Man, their gameplan was good for us,” Okamoto said. “They didn't let us do what we're good at, which is running. Every film we watched of them they created turnovers, and they did it again today.”
