SANFORD — On Saturday Sanford and Mancos played one game to ultimately decide who might go on to win the 8-Man Mountain League. Both teams entered the contest with perfect records and ranked in the top ten of CHSAA’s unofficial RPI rankings. After all was said and done it Mancos (6-0) winning by a score of 34-18.

Sanford (5-1) has executed high paced offense and stout defense to perfection this year posting some pretty gaudy point differences. Prior to the Blue Jays, Sanford was outscoring opponents on average by 43 points.

When the action started, it was Mancos taking the initiative. The Blue Jays went 45 yards in six plays with Chance Morgan-Garcia punching in a one yarder. The two-point attempt was no good and Mancos owned a 6-0 lead. Sanford’s first drive sputtered with a fumble and an incompletion, then Mancos blocked the punt and earned possession at the Sanford 30 yard line.

The Blue Jays would overcome a holding call and a fumble on the drive by scoring on a 20-yard pass from Trevor Paquin to Christian Cova. A second failed two-point attempt put Mancos up 12-0.
With their second possession Sanford got things going with their signature hurry-up offense.

Sanford made it 41 yards until the drive abruptly ended with a fumble going to Mancos’ Anthony Media at the one-yard line. The teams would trade three more turnovers - two by fumble and a third by downs giving Sanford first and ten at the Mancos 15 after the shuffle.

They made good on that opportunity. Kelton Gartrell went in from four yards out to cut the lead to 6. After forcing a Blue Jay turnover on downs it was Sanford ball again. Using his arm and legs Sanford senior Chase Holman steered Sanford down the field to the 39. Mancos spotted the home team five yards with an encroachment to the 34 and Gartrell broke loose for his second of the day to even it all up at 12 apiece.

Mancos got their next drive to the home team’s 12-yard line and Sanford returned the fumble favor. The loose ball went to Sanford’s Gavyn Smith and the after some maneuvering to avoid a safety the two teams would go to the locker rooms all tied up.

Sanford got the ball to start the second half and after an attempted flea flicker it was back to the ground. Clay Canty got the call and took the ball 63 yards to paydirt to give Sanford the lead for the first time in the game, 18-12.

Four possessions later Sanford was driving out of their own territory. A miscommunication in the home team’s backfield led to a toss becoming the fumble of nightmares, a loose ball 15 yards back.
Hunter Goodwin of Mancos covered it and it was Blue Jay ball at the Sanford 28. Blue Jay quarterback Paquin collected 16 yards en route to scoring the equalizer on a keeper up the middle. Things were already physical but they got personal on an incompletion intended for Sanford’s Jakob Peterson. Peterson took a shot from behind and would leave the game. Sanford’s drive fizzled out and was punted away.

On the Blue Jay’s following offensive drive Mancos would get flagged for a hit on Kelton Gartrell that would put him out for a few plays. Tensions rose and Sanford would allow 15 yards with an inopportune clipping foul that put Mancos four yards out. Three plays later Morgan-Garcia got the call from 1 yard out and put the Blue Jays up  24-18. After a time out Mancos converted the first two-point attempt of the game to go up 26-18 with eight minutes remaining.

Thanks in large part to a nifty pass back to the quarterback from Canty to Holman that went 46 yards Sanford’s following drive went all the way to the 9-yard line before going back to Mancos on downs. The Blue Jays covered five yards before giving up their fifth turnover of the day, four plays later Sanford reciprocated with an interception that made their third giveaway.

Mancos drove 81 yards in four minutes driving the final coffin nail with another connection from Paquin to Cova, the two-point finalized the score at 34-18.

Sanford will look to get back on track next week when they host Del Norte (1-5) on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.