The Holy Family Tigers bid for the 2021 Colorado high school football 3A state championship
BROOMFIELD, Colo. — The first day of October is a very exciting day for many people all over the country. It signals the start of Halloween season (also referred to as ‘spooky season’) and cooler weather begins to roll in. The most exciting part about the start of October, though, is that the high school football season is reaching the halfway point of the regular season.
Fans are starting to get a good idea of what teams will be competing for the playoffs come the end of October and which teams will miss the playoff push.
One team that is still heavily in the mix to make the playoffs is the Holy Family Tigers of Broomfield, Colorado. They are currently sitting at a comfortable three wins and two losses on the season and are currently ranked at No. 15 in Colorado at the 3A level.
The Tigers are led by their head coach of 14 years, Michael Gabriel. Since Gabriel took over back in 2008, he has kept the Tigers extremely competitive within the 3A division. He has an overall record of 97 wins and 44 losses, only incurring two losing seasons in 13 years, making the playoffs 11 times in 13 years, missing the playoffs only twice.
The Achilles heel of Gabriel and his Tigers has been winning in the playoffs. Despite the tremendous record of playoff appearances in the last 13 years, the Tigers have not been able to surpass the second round (out of four; quarterfinals) of the playoffs.
Gabriel and his Tigers have a chance to change that narrative for the 2021 season. They are currently sitting at three wins and two losses on the season. The road to change that narrative will not be easy, though. First, the Tigers have to finish off the regular season with three out of five final opponents that are currently undefeated, the Fredrick Warriors, Mead Mavericks, and the Fort Morgan Mustangs.
One player from the Holy Family Tigers who will have to play at his top level to help propel his team into the playoffs is senior running back and cornerback Jacob Lawver.
Lawver is a player that can be utilized at almost any position on the football field; whether it be offense, defense or special teams, he is a nightmare for opposing teams to contain on account of his versatility. For the 2021 season, Lawver has accumulated 594 all-purpose yards, which is No. 1 on the Holy Family Tigers roster.
On the offensive side of the ball, Lawver has accumulated 311 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and 80 rushing yards per game. Lawver is also one of Holy Family’s top receivers, posting nine receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown (3rd on the team), averaging 10 yards per catch and 20 receiving yards per game.
Defensively, Lawver flies all over the field, making tackles and breaking up passes from his cornerback position. So far, Lawver has 10 solo tackles and four assisted tackles, totaling 14 tackles for the season and averaging four tackles per game. Lawver also has a huge interception which he returned for 40 yards.
On top of everything else, Lawver is also the team’s No. 1 special teams kick returner. In four games, he has fielded eight kickoffs for a total of 151 yards and an average of 20 yards per return.
Jacob Lawver is one of the critical playmakers that coach Michael Gabriel and his Holy Family Tigers will have to rely on for the remainder of the season. Lawver’s versatility all over the football field is the key element that Coach Gabriel must take advantage of. If Coach Gabriel does this, he will have a chance to make the playoffs for his 12th time with Holy Family Tigers. But, more importantly, he will have the opportunity to win out in the playoffs and make it to the Colorado 3A high school football championship, which would change the narrative about the Holy Family Tigers not being able to win in the postseason.
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