Stout defense bestows win in Niwot's season opener

Games are often won or lost in the red zone and that proved true in Niwot football's season opener at Greeley Central on Aug. 27. The Cougar defense didn't budge much all night to secure the team's first win, 21-14.

With less than two minutes remaining in the game and Greeley Central down a touchdown, senior Craig Wright intercepted a Wildcat pass to put the game on ice. Wright's statement play was a fitting end to a defensive masterpiece.

"Defense comes down to guts -- no guts no glory on the defensive side," said head coach Nik Blume. "They know that and I preach that, and they know that I'm a defensive guy. I hang my hat on that and so when it gets down to it, we got to bow up and got to bend, not break."

Greeley Central's offense couldn't find many yards on the ground, too, thanks to seniors Bryce Nemec and James Roland on the Niwot D-line. Their shining moment came early in the second quarter when Roland came up with a fumble recovery.

"He's an animal," Nemec said of Roland. "He's quiet (and) doesn't really talk much, but he gets work done."

Senior Ben Classen got his first career start at QB and orchestrated a touchdown on his first drive. Classen's running ability got Niwot moving down the field but it was his arm that found Wright for 26 yards on a third-and-11. The play brought Niwot to the 6-yard line which eventually produced a 2-yard rushing touchdown by senior Easten Leatherwood.

Following the touchdown, junior Matthew Hansen, who has recently joined the team in addition to playing goalkeeper for the Niwot boys soccer team, drilled his first of three extra-points. Niwot Athletic Director Joe Brown said Hansen has only been kicking the football for a few weeks.

The Cougars' second touchdown drive began following Roland's fumble recovery. Senior Thomas Carnegie made the Wildcats pay for their blunder with his first TD run of the season.

As is normal in week one games, flags were a common occurrence for the Wildcats. That issue was exemplified late in the first half when they squandered a first-and-goal opportunity at the three-yard line. Multiple penalties, including a touchdown-reversing holding call, combined with Niwot's impenetrable run defense forced the Wildcats back to the 28-yard line where they missed a field goal.

"We all were just giving each other energy, we're all just hyping each other up and just making sure that nothing was getting through us," Nemec said. "We're just working as one and we love each other."

The momentum shifted in the third quarter when Classen was picked off at his own 35-yard line. Blume said Classen, who also started at linebacker, experienced some "growing pains" trying to do too much in his first start. Greeley Central took advantage of the miscue and scored on a 14-yard screen pass but missed the extra point. With their offensive penalties mostly subsided, the Wildcats scored once more and converted the two-point conversion to tie things at 14.

Many Cougars had to play both offense and defense with low numbers in the program. That workload took its toll in the second half when Leatherwood and Carnegie each missed snaps with cramps. Despite two major weapons fighting to stay in the game, Niwot's offense regained the ultimate lead on an 8-yard Classen run. Blume was impressed by the resiliency of his players.

"Rather than complain and make excuses (when) they're laying on the field cramping, they're drinking Gatorade," Blume said. "Whatever they can do to get back on the field is what they do. The sacrifice and the love that these kids have for each other is unmatched."

Niwot will return to Longmont's Everly-Montgomery Field for the first time since 2019 on Sept. 2 for its home opener against Severance. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.