The Mead Mavericks are making a run for the state championship
MEAD, Colo. — As Thanksgiving closes in, the high school football playoffs continue to rage on through the continuously cooling temperatures. In most divisions, we are closing in on the final two games before the state championship games in December.
One team that has come off an incredibly impressive regular season and has earned their chance to compete for the 3A Colorado State Championship is the 5th ranked Mead Mavericks.
The Mavericks are led by their head coach of nine years, Jason Klatt, who has instilled a culture of winning in Mead. In his nine years with the Mavericks, Klatt has led the team to eight winning seasons, making the playoffs in seven of those seasons. However, Coach Klatt and his Mavericks have not made it to the promised land, the 3A state championship game, in those seven playoff runs. The closest they have come was the 2016 semifinal game where they lost 28-21 to Pueblo East.
Coach Klatt is looking to change that narrative around for this year’s playoff run, and so far, they are off to a good start, winning their first-round game against Evergreen 21-20. If the Mavericks can play up to the standards they have for the regular season, they have an excellent chance to compete for the state championship in December.
Throughout the regular season, and the first game of the playoffs, the Mavericks have dominated through a balanced but productive offense and a consistently stingy defense. The offense has scored 351 points throughout the season, while the defense has only let up an impressive 163 points.
Four key players have been crucial for the Mavericks’ success and will continue to be essential for their success as the playoffs wear on: senior quarterback Gavin Garrettson, senior running back Evan Morris, senior receiver Corby Tecu and senior linebacker Jeremiah Strizki.
Garrettson has been nothing but consistent, just like the offense that he captains. He has 86 completions on 142 attempts (60% completion) for 1,407 yards, 20 touchdowns, six interceptions and a quarterback rating of 115.8. Garrettson has also produced using his legs, totaling 37 carries for 279 yards and one touchdown.
Garrettson’s favorite target throughout the season has been Tecu. On the season, Tecu has totaled 28 receptions for 553 yards and seven touchdowns. He averages 20 yards per reception and 61 receiving yards per game. In addition, Tecu has also been productive through the rushing game, totaling 52 carries for 392 yards and five touchdowns, putting his all-purpose totals at 80 touches of the ball for 945 total yards and 12 total touchdowns.
Tecu’s production totals place him as the second most productive skill player on the Mavericks, only behind Morris. Morris is the Mavericks’ primary producer in the running game, totaling 144 carries for 977 yards, averaging seven yards per carry, 98 rushing yards per game and accumulating 14 rushing touchdowns. Morris has also produced in the passing game, totaling 10 receptions for 167 yards and two receiving touchdowns. This puts Morris’ all-purpose totals at 154 touches of the ball for 1,144 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Mavericks are led by Strizki. He has been the key to the Mavericks’ stingy defense throughout the whole season. Strizki has 64 solo tackles and 25 assisted tackles, totaling 89 tackles on the season, which ranks number one on the Mavericks. Five of those 89 tackles have been tackles for loss. Strizki also has four sacks on the season, which have totaled 28 yards lost. Strizki is all over the field every single game for the Mavericks and a nightmare for opposing offenses.
The 5th ranked Mavericks’ next game is on Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. against the 4th ranked Durango Demons. This game will be the quarterfinals for the 3A bracket. If the Mavericks win, they will only have one game remaining before they make it to the 3A state championship game. To do that, though, Coach Klatt will have to put a great game plan together for his team, and the key players highlighted above will have to execute that game plan to perfection.
If done correctly, Coach Klatt and the Mavericks will have a chance to make it to the highest level of the playoffs in Klatt’s nine-year tenure with the team.
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