CU recruit Orms scores five TDs as Wheat Ridge earns 4A crown

By Brad Byler, Special to the Rocky

Published November 29, 2008 at 4:58 p.m.

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Photo by David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Wheat Ridge running back Parker Orms, top, jumps into the arms of his older brother, Dylan, to celebrate after Parker scored the winning touchdown, on a 56-yard run in the fourth quarter, in the Farmers' victory against Greeley West in the Class 4A championship game Saturday at Invesco Field at Mile High.

Players and spectators at the Class 4A state championship football game at Invesco Field had to wonder if they’d witnessed a magic trick on Saturday.

Parker Orms definitely pulled something out of his helmet in the final seconds to lift Wheat Ridge to a stunning 35-31 victory against Greeley West.

Time was running out on the Farmers' unbeaten season after Greeley West (12-2) took its first lead of the game, 30-28, on a touchdown pass with only 57 seconds remaining. The outlook for the Farmers looked even more bleak when they faced a fourth-and-2 at their 44-yard line with only 29 seconds left. But with the championship on the line, Wheat Ridge put the ball in the hands of 4A’s best player, and Orms responded.

The University of Colorado-bound tailback took the ball on a draw play, broke the tackle of Greeley West’s Cameron Gallatin and silenced the Greeley West fans in the stands with a 56-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left in the game.

Greeley West’s final opportunity at its first state championship ended when quarterback Sean Blackmer threw incomplete to the end zone on the final play.

Orms, who led 4A in rushing this season, with 2,813 yards and 32 touchdowns, even seemed to be shocked by his winning touchdown run.

“I told coach to give me '20 draw' because I almost busted it in the first half,” said Orms, who rushed for 280 yards on 38 carries and scored five touchdowns Saturday. “I knew this time I had to get the first down and make it to the end zone. I still can’t believe it just happened.”

The victory gave the Farmers (14-0) a 7-0 record in championship games, dating to their first title in 1966.

Greeley West, which had recovered an onside kick in the final minutes to set up its first lead of the game, was astonished by the turn of events.

“We were pointing out draw, and we knew that was their best play,” said Spartans linebacker Gavin Miller, who led Greeley West in tackles, with 111/2. “But they fooled us, I guess.”

Wheat Ridge had had little success throwing the ball in the game. Farmers quarterback Charlie Land threw his first completion, on four attempts, on the play before Orms' touchdown run. But the Spartans brought in extra defensive backs to defend a long pass by the Farmers and weren't prepared for the draw play.

“It was a play we should have seen coming,” said Greeley West linebacker and running back Max Morgan, who caught a 21-yard touchdown pass that put the Spartans ahead in the final minute. “They hadn’t been able to do anything other than hand the ball to Orms. In that situation, I guess we got a little naïve, thinking they were going to pass. We had a lot of defensive backs in. They manned us up and he broke tackles.”

Orms admitted that doubt was settling into the Farmers' minds when the Spartans went ahead on Morgan’s touchdown reception. The Spartans fans were in full throat cheering on their team, and the Spartans were inspired by the comeback.

“There was a lot of doubt,” Orms said. “I still can’t believe they scored (with 57 seconds left). I thought our state championship just slipped away. But on that draw, I knew we had one chance left and we had to score.”

Orms had suffered a hip injury while making a tackle late in the third quarter, and for several plays it looked as if his play would be affected. But he never left the field, despite the pain.

“It was the worst burning I’ve ever felt in my hip,” said Orms, the Rocky Mountain News 4A championship game Most Valuable Player. “No way I could leave. It’s the last game.”

Wheat Ridge looked like it would take control after Orms scored his third touchdown to help put the Farmers ahead 21-7 in the second quarter. But Greeley West, led by Blackmer, had a late drive at the end of the first half, with Blackmer throwing across his body for a 10-yard touchdown pass to Reed Miller to cut the Farmers' lead to 21-14 at halftime.

The Farmers squandered a long drive in the third quarter when Orms lost a fumble at the Greeley West 13-yard line, and the Spartans turned the Farmers' first turnover into a 21-yard field goal by Brian Wright to cut their deficit to 21-17.

On the Farmers' next possession, Greeley West stopped Orms on fourth-and-short, but Orms and Jordan Schmitz combined on a tackle and forced fumble of Spartans tailback Steffen Bunting to get the ball back.

Wheat Ridge turned the Spartans' turnover into another Orms touchdown, with 5:56 remaining, for a 28-17 lead. But just when it looked like the Spartans were finished, Blackmer sparked the Greeley West passing game. He threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Eli Swick to help cut the deficit to 28-23. The Spartans' onside kick richocheted off a Farmers player and was recovered by the Spartans' Travis Belfiore, and it helped set up Greeley West’s first lead, on Blackmer’s touchdown pass to Morgan.

“A lot of stuff went their way towards the end,” said Wheat Ridge linebacker Austin Livingston. “But we never gave up. Parker, none of us, were going to let this get away.”

Even the most optimist Farmers fan had to be skeptical of a Wheat Ridge victory before Orms rescued the Farmers. He made believers out of a disappointed Greeley West team, too.

“I have never seen one guy do so much for one team,” Morgan said. “It’s amazing how many tackles he can break and what he does for that team.”

• December 7, 2008

  7:34 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  LooseCannon writes:

  WAY TO GO, FARMERS!

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