Cougar football falls on Halloween Senior Night

The Niwot Cougars fell 58-14 to the Northridge High School Grizzlies on Thursday, Oct. 31, in their last home football game of the season, which doubled as Senior Night. Despite a challenging game against Northridge, Niwot fought to put points on the board in the second half.

Northridge opened with a touchdown just minutes into the game, taking a 6-0 lead after a failed extra-point attempt. Sophomore quarterback Wyatt Volf aimed to rally the Cougars, but an early interception by the Grizzlies, combined with penalties, allowed Northridge to widen its lead. Volf completed a big pass to fellow sophomore Kaleb Noterman, who left the game shortly afterwards with an injury. Another interception in the second quarter allowed the Grizzlies to increase their advantage to 19-0.

Niwot's defense responded with critical stops, including a turnover on downs by Northridge and a big tackle by junior Eli Quesada. However, a third interception set up another Grizzly touchdown, pushing the score to 26-0.

In the closing minutes of the first half, the Cougars gained some momentum. Volf completed key passes to Moises Gonzalez Avina, and following an interception by Quesada, Volf capitalized on the turnover. With determined play, Volf executed a quarterback keeper, running the ball in himself, bringing the score to 26-7. The Grizzlies quickly answered back with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion bringing the score to 34-7 at the half.

The Halloween night crowd was treated to an entertaining, movie-themed halftime show by the Niwot High School Marching Band, whose performance set a lively tone for the rest of the evening.

The second half began with another Grizzly touchdown, bringing the score to 40-7. Despite continued turnovers, Niwot kept pushing, but Northridge stretched the lead to 52-7 by the end of the third quarter.

In the final quarter, Caleb Roby pushed the Cougars forward with a big run for a first down, and junior Wesley Manzanares found the end zone with a 20-yard touchdown run. Roby added the extra point, bringing the final score to 58-14.

Before kickoff, the Cougars honored seniors Moises Gonzalez Avina, Juan Mares Mejia, Haden Shaw, Max Bedell, Emiliano Flores, Yovanni Guevara, Maddox Brown, and Shubham Shrestha.

Coach Blume shared thoughts on each senior's unique impact on the team. Avina and Mares were key defensive players, with Avina switching to tight end this year. Shaw, despite a concussion early in the season, returned to play solid games in the backfield and on defense. Bedell had a strong season as a starting offensive tackle, and Flores, who contributed greatly last year, was sidelined this season by a broken wrist.

In his second year in the program, Guevara has spent significant time at safety this season. Brown joined the team this year and quickly adapted to the running back position after Shaw's concussion. Shrestha also joined this season and added depth to the offensive line.

Reflecting on their time with the team, Blume expressed pride in their growth and dedication to the program. "We are grateful for all the time and energy these young men have contributed to our program," he said, "and we look forward to who they will become when they leave Niwot High School."

This loss brings the Cougars' season record to 0-9. Their last game will be away on Friday, Nov. 8, against the Mead High School Mavericks. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Mavericks are 8-1 and most recently lost to the Windsor High School Wizards 13-7.