Niwot Cougar football falls to TJ in season opener

Niwot High School's football team kicked off its season on Saturday, Aug. 31, with a tough matchup against Thomas Jefferson High School (TJ), a 4A team known for its strong competition. The Cougars, playing in Class 3A again this season, showed flashes of promise, but ultimately fell to the Spartans, 33-14.

The game started on a positive note, with senior running back Haden Shaw scoring on a six-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Junior kicker Caleb Roby added the extra point, putting the Cougars up 7-0. However, the Spartans quickly responded, driving down the field and capitalizing on a Niwot face mask penalty to score a touchdown of their own. The Cougars had stopped the Spartans for no gain on a fourth-down play deep in Cougar territory before the penalty gave TJ new life. The extra point was good, tying the game 7-7 with 10:27 left in the first half.

Niwot's Kelly Snyder made a notable 31-yard punt return, giving the Cougars good field position, but a delay of game penalty and a subsequent timeout halted their momentum. Shortly after, junior Eli Quesada provided a spark by intercepting a pass from TJ's quarterback, but the Cougars could not convert the turnover into points.

TJ took control later in the second quarter with a punt return touchdown, followed by a successful extra point, bringing the score to 14-7 with 6:12 remaining in the half. The Cougars went into halftime looking for answers to stop the Spartans' strong play.

Early in the third quarter, the Spartans extended their lead with another touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, making the score 20-7. Niwot responded with a touchdown pass from junior Wyatt Volf to Quesada. Roby's extra point cut the deficit to 20-14 with 7:04 left in the third quarter.

However, the Spartans struck again quickly, with their quarterback connecting for a touchdown, followed by another successful extra point, extending their lead to 27-14 with 6:15 left in the third period.

In the fourth quarter, Niwot tried to mount a comeback, but a series of missed opportunities, including a near interception by senior Moises Gonzalez Avina, put them on the back foot. Thomas Jefferson sealed their victory with another touchdown, though their extra point attempt was no good, leaving the final score 33-14.

The Cougars will look to regroup and improve as they prepare for their next game on Friday, Sept. 6, against Centaurus High School at Everly-Montgomery Field in Longmont. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.