Cougars fall to Mountain View in first loss of the season

The last time the Niwot Cougars football team went 3-0 to start the season, Brad Pitt was still married…to Jennifer Aniston. Which is to say, it’s been a long time.

Going into Friday night’s Homecoming game against Mountain View, the Cougars were hoping to preserve their undefeated season for just a little bit longer. Alas, like many a Hollywood marriage, it was not meant to be. Despite jumping out to an early lead, Niwot fell to the Mountain Lions 42-22. Costly mistakes and a potent Mountain Lions offense ultimately proved too much for the Cougars to overcome.

“We did some really good things, but turnovers and penalties took the wind out of our sails and put it right in theirs,” said Coach Dylan Hollingsworth.

The first quarter featured a flurry of offense by both teams. Niwot received the ball to start the game, and came out of the gate throwing. Senior Trae Gomez, starting his first game under center, completed long passes to senior Alex Oelsner and junior Nate Nielsen during the Cougars’ first drive, which culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Gomez to senior Adam Barber. Kicker James Lerner added the extra point, and the Cougars took an early 7-0 lead.

Mountain View struck back quickly, taking just three and a half minutes to tie the game. On Niwot’s next drive, Gomez took to the air again, connecting with Oelsner for 30-yard gain on a crucial third down play. The Cougars went on to score on a keeper by Gomez, and led 14-7 as the quarter ended.

Entering the game, the Cougars averaged just 54 yards per game rushing, so the 90 yards passing in the first quarter was a definite departure from the Cougars’ game play so far. Hollingsworth said the more balanced approach on offense was deliberate.

“We’ve worked a lot on passing the ball. We know we have to do a better job passing the ball to be successful,” he explained.

The Cougars stopped the Mountain Lions on their next possession, but then fumbled the ball away on their subsequent drive. The Mountain Lions took advantage, tying the game on an 8-yard TD pass from junior Peyton Mayes to senior Reid Nichols with 8:00 remaining in the second quarter.

Mountain View took a 21-14 lead when another Cougars’ fumble gave them the ball in Niwot territory. Niwot got the ball back with just under two minutes remaining in the half, and began driving. With less than 30 seconds to go, Niwot scored on a 16-yard pass from Gomez to Oelsner, but the play was called back on an offensive penalty. Niwot was held to a field-goal attempt, which bounced off the upright. Going into the half, Mountain View led 21-14.

Hollingsworth sounded frustrated when talking about his team’s missteps on offense. “It’s unacceptable, and it will be taken care of immediately,” he said.

The Cougars were unable to generate much offense at all in the third quarter, and the Mountain Lions extended their lead to 35-14.

In the fourth quarter, Niwot briefly came to life. Senior linebacker Zach Kinnison sacked Mayes in the end zone for a safety. On Niwot’s ensuing drive, junior quarterback Matt Baun, coming in off the bench, led the Cougars down the field for a quick touchdown, putting the Cougars within two touchdowns with 5:22 left in the game.

But the comeback was short-lived. An attempted on-sides kick failed, and Mountain View capitalized on the short field, scoring its sixth touchdown of the night with 1:28 remaining. Niwot got the ball back, but with no timeouts remaining, couldn’t stop the clock. The final score was Mountain View 42, Niwot 22.

Coach Hollingsworth was disappointed in the loss, especially with his team’s mental lapses at the end of the first half.

“If we could have gone into the half ahead two scores, it would have been a different game,” he said. “Little mistakes are coming back to haunt us.”

Ultimately, though, the coach was pleased with how far the program has progressed in the past year. “I’m happy with the kids,” he said. “At this point, we are who we are. We’ll get things worked out.”

“They’re competitive,” he concluded. “They haven’t had that in a while.”

Niwot will host the Skyline Falcons (4-0) at Everly-Montgomery Field on September 30.

Mountain View 42, Niwot 22

Mountain View (2-2) 7 14 14 7 — 42

Niwot (3-1) 14 0 0 8 — 22