Niwot football falls to Windsor

The Niwot Cougars faced another tough night on Thursday, Oct. 10 with a 56-0 loss to the Windsor High School Wizards. The game, played at Everly-Montgomery Field in Longmont, saw the Cougars fall to 0-6 on the season.

The Wizards struck early and often, with their first touchdown coming four minutes into the game. By the end of the first quarter, Windsor had built a commanding 28-0 lead. Niwot struggled to find any offensive rhythm, despite a few bright moments, including a solid run by senior Yovanni Guevara and some solid connections from sophomore quarterback Jaydan Martinez to juniors Brooklyn Donohoe and Caleb Roby.

In the second quarter, Niwot's defense showed some grit with some big hits from juniors Wyatt Volf and Roby. Senior Haden Shaw also sacked the Windsor quarterback, and another tackle by Volf led to a turnover on downs, giving the Cougars a glimmer of hope.

However, the Wizards were unphased. Martinez's pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown with 4:23 left in the second quarter, pushing Windsor's lead to 35-0. Windsor found the end zone twice more before halftime, including another interception returned for a touchdown just before the break, making the score 49-0.

During halftime, the Cougar cheerleaders performed with a group of mini cheerleaders for the crowd, while the band hosted a "movie night" themed performance, complete with a giant popcorn bucket prop.

The second half began much like the first, with Windsor scoring another touchdown just a minute into the third quarter to extend their lead to 56-0. Despite the lopsided score, Niwot players continued to fight, with junior Eli Quesada making a solid tackle and senior Juan Mares coming in with a good stop late in the game. Unfortunately, the Cougars were unable to put any points on the board, and the game ended with a 56-0 final in favor of the Wizards.

The Cougars will look to find their footing as they head into their next game on Thursday, Oct. 17, when they face the Timnath High School Cubs in an away match at 7:00 p.m. Timnath currently holds a 2-4 record and is on a two-game losing streak, giving Niwot a chance to snap their winless run this season.