Football: Trae Gomez scores three touchdowns in Cougars loss to Broomfield

Though it wasn’t a victory, moral or otherwise, Coach Dylan Hollingsworth was heartened by what he saw in his team against the sixth-ranked Broomfield Eagles last Friday night.

“I thought we blocked better. We ran the ball better, and we passed the ball better,” he said, coming off a 62-0 loss to Loveland the week before. “I thought there was improvement across the board.”

But the miscues and mental lapses that have plagued this team all season reared their ugly heads once again, dooming the Cougars to their fifth straight loss.

“We can’t keep losing turnovers. You lose the game if you have turnovers,” Hollingsworth said.

Lost turnovers were certainly a factor in the Cougars’ 54-20 loss, if not the biggest factor. In the second quarter, Niwot coughed up fumbles on two consecutive series, resulting in 13 points for the Eagles, all but putting the game out of reach.

“That broke the game open for them,” a dispirited Hollingsworth said. “I thought we were doing some really good things up to that point.”

Certainly, Niwot improved on the loss to Loveland. The Cougars’ secondary, led by Niwot junior free safety Matt Baun and corner back Brandon Barton, held Broomfield’s passing game in check during the first half. Before the fumbles in the second quarter, the Cougars held the dynamic Broomfield offense to just two touchdowns.

There were even signs of life on offense. Senior quarterback Trae Gomez led Niwot to its first score in more than six quarters, when he ran it in on a keeper from nine yards out with 4:50 remaining in the second quarter. Gomez would go on to score more two touchdowns in the second half, including a 58-yard run in the third quarter. Sophomore running back Jeremy Hollingsworth also picked up several keys first downs for Niwot.

Ultimately, though, Broomfield’s speed and strength would prove too much for the Cougars. The Eagles’ first touchdown of the third quarter activated the running clock rule, and Niwot was never able to catch up. Broomfield added an eighth touchdown in the fourth period, and would go on to win 54-20. The loss moved the Cougars to 3-5 on the season, and 0-3 in the Longs Peak League.

If the Cougars were hoping for a break, they won’t get it next week. On Saturday, Oct. 29, the Cougars will be in Greeley to take on the Greeley West Spartans, who are riding a four-game winning streak, including a 29-23 victory over Broomfield on Oct. 14.

“It’s the three heavyweights of our league, all in a row,” Hollingsworth mused.

The Spartans, at 6-2 on the season, boast one of the league’s best rushers in senior Darren Delacroix, who is averaging 167 yards per game, and has amassed nearly 1,200 yards on the season so far.

Coach Hollingsworth knows his team will have to contain him if they have any chance at a victory.

“He’s a big kid, and runs really hard,” Hollingsworth said. “We’ve got to make sure that we get him wrapped up and tackled if we want to have any chance.”

Broomfield 54, Niwot 20

Niwot (3-5, 0-3) 0 6 7 7 — 20

Broomfield (6-2, 3-1) 13 27 7 7 — 54