Pomona football avoids getting derailed by Lutheran in 3A state quarterfinal

ARVADA — Pomona football took some hits Saturday at the North Area Athletic Complex, but were still the last team standing in the Class 3A state quarterfinal match-up against Lutheran.

No. 2-seeded Panthers were able to escape with a 30-27 victory over No. 10 Lutheran in a punch and counter-punch game at the NAAC.

“This is five years in the making,” Pomona coach Nathan Johnson said of the Panthers returning to the 3A state semifinals for the second straight season. “I’m just so proud of the boys. I truly believe that nobody is tougher than us. We are going to fine away to keep it going.”

Pomona will face the winner of No. 6 Roosevelt and No. 3 Palisade next Saturday, Nov. 29, back at the NAAC in the 3A semifinals.

“It’s always great to practice on Thanksgiving. I’m with my secondary family. I love these boys,” Pomona junior Rylan Berger said. “There is no other place I’d rather be, besides a wrestling mat.”

The wrestling season will have to wait a few more weeks for Berger, member of Pomona’s dominate wrestling team that is going for an eight straight 5A team title this coming Winter season. Berger made a huge play on defense in the third quarter with Lutheran holding a 20-17 lead.

The junior defensive back intercepted Lutheran senior quarterback Eli Abramson and returned it to the Lions’ 28-yard line to set up Pomona’s go-ahead score.

“I was just playing centerfield and decided that I wanted the ball more,” Berger said of his key interception late in the third quarter that led to Pomona’s go-ahead touchdown. “I wanted to win the game. We were down and I wanted to make a statement.”

Pomona junior quarterback Tucker Ingersoll scored on a 4-yard touchdown run where he actually fumbled just before crossing the goal line, but recovered his own fumble in the end zone to put the Panthers back up 24-20 with 2:30 left in the third quarter.

Ingersoll put Pomona (11-1 record) up by two scores with a 12-yard touchdown pass to senior Sebastian Reyes with 8:55 left in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 30-20. It was the second scoring connection of the game between Ingersoll and Reyes on the day. Reyes caught a 12-yard pass late in the first quarter to give Pomona a 7-0 lead.

Pomona looked like it was going to runaway with the quarterfinal match-up in the first half. The Panthers had a 16-play, 93 yard scoring drive that ate up nearly 8 minutes in the first quarter.

The Panthers pushed the lead to 14-0 with a 63-yard touchdown run by senior Luis Santana with 9:07 left in the second quarter. It was the longest run of the career for Santana.

“Just vision. It was mostly vision,” Santana said of the long touchdown run. “Running down the field felt great. I broke that last tackle and thought ‘Let’s go get that 6.’”

Lutheran answered back in a big way. The Lions scored a pair of touchdowns in just over two minutes to tie things up 14-14. Abramson scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to get Lutheran on the scoreboard.

After a three-and-out by Pomona, it took the Lions two plays to find the end zone again. Abramson hit senior Deacon Downing for a 57-yard pass play to get into the red zone. The next play Abramson conceded with senior Evan Makkai for a 9-yard touchdown with 6:22 left in the first half to tie things up 14-14.

Pomona had a nice drive that ended with a 32-yard field goal by junior Chase Keaton to give the Panthers the lead back, taking a 17-14 lead at halftime.

The difference this season to last year’s trip to the semifinals is the Panthers will be the higher seed and host. Last year Pomona lost to Mead on the road.

“We’ve got to get healthy and taper down a little bit,” Johnson said preparing for the semifinal at NAAC next Saturday. “Whoever we play, this train isn’t stopping.”

The Panthers did suffer a few injuries, including senior Emmitt Munson. The two-way player didn’t play in the second half.

“The next player always has to step up,” Santana said of the Panthers dealing with injuries at the running back position. “We have leaders on this team that know how to pick it up. This team works together and gets the job done together.”