Wellington leaves no doubt, rolls to 2A football state championship

PUEBLO – There’s no doubt who the best team in Class 2A football is in Colorado in 2025.

It is the Wellington Eagles.

A year after finishing as the state runner-up, Wellington marched through its season with a perfect record, culminating with a 35-0 win over Elizabeth to capture the 2A state championship Saturday night at the ThunderBowl on the Colorado State University-Pueblo campus.

This was the first state football state championship since the school opened in August of 2022.

“We set out for this right here,” Wellington coach Travis Peeples said. “It was a redemption year, we weren’t going to blame the refs, and we weren’t going to complain about how it went last year. We just said that we wanted to leave no doubt and be the best team in the state. I told the kids we might not only just be the best team in the state, we might just be the best team in the state, and it also might be the best 2A team ever put together.”

Wellington finished its magical season with a 13-0 record. Elizabeth finished the season at 10-3.

“(My kids) worked and we were stronger than anybody we played,” Peeples said. “We were better than anybody we played. We were tougher than anybody we played. I will play with anybody in any era. I’m proud of them. I’m proud to get this state championship for the Poudre School District, I’m proud to get it for this team. They deserved it. It was a year of destiny. I’m super excited. I’m super excited for our town and our kids.”

Wellington’s star quarterback Tanner Gray was chosen as the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame Colorado Chapter Most Outstanding Player.

“This is a surreal moment to get this win,” Gray said. “Coming from what we did last year and the circumstances we have been through these last four years and being able to do this with my best friends is an amazing feeling. I couldn’t wish for anything better.”

The Eagles stepped on the gas immediately against Elizabeth and never let up, taking a commanding 35-0 lead at half.

Less than a minute into the game, Brayton Meglen sped in for a 69-yard touchdown at the 11:01 mark.

All-everything Gray, who stands 6-foot-4, and weighs 235 pounds, facing a 4th-and-1, bulled through the line and raced down the left sideline for a 57-yard score with 6:40 left in the first.

The Wellington momentum tidal wave continued moments later.

On the ensuing kickoff, Wellington recovered an Elizabeth fumble. Then, Owen Gabbert scampered in for a 5-yard TD at 4:10 of the first.

The barrage kept going as Gray tossed a 5-yard TD to Cyle Kisner to push the Eagles lead to 28-0 with 9:42 until half.

Meglen added a 4-yard scoring run with three minutes left in the second quarter.

“We played by our rules and did our job and we came out and executed,” Gray said. “This feels amazing.”