Cheyenne Mountain sees its journey end with loss at Wheat Ridge

LAKEWOOD • Cheyenne Mountain senior Sharell Bell may not remember his 95-yard kick return for a touchdown Friday night. And in a couple months, he may not recall the 46-17 score that Wheat Ridge handed his Indians, ending his high school football career.

He’ll remember practicing with his best friends, grinding out wins when they had to have them to extend the season and he’ll be reminded about leaving behind a resurgent program at Cheyenne Mountain for years to come.

“I love this team,” he said, covered in tears. “Best team I’ve ever been on.”

But Friday night, that team was overmatched.

Wheat Ridge running back Davion Amos-White ran for three touchdowns and more than 200 yards, as the No. 6 Farmers kept tacking onto their lead against the No. 11 Indians in the first round of the 4A playoffs at Jefferson County Stadium.

“Give Wheat Ridge all the credit,” Cheyenne Mountain coach Brian Sherman said. “They’re a good football team.”

Wheat Ridge started with a slow drubbing of the Indians’ defense with a 14-play, 80-yard opening drive that took nearly 5 minutes.

But then, the Indians answered in a flash when Bell took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for the score.

Bell was untouched.

“It was just great blocking,” the 5-foot-10 back said. “I ran straight and scored.”

Bell was so fast, Wheat Ridge coach Reid Kahl could barely catch his breath.

“That was kind of demoralizing for us,” Kahl said. “I mean, we dominated the first 5 minutes of the game and in 7, 8 seconds it’s tied. Luckily we bounced back.”

The Farmers then took two jabs to make it 17-7 after Amos-White ran for his second score, followed by a field goal. And then Cheyenne took a jab of its own when Blake McNelis drilled a 38-yard field goal to pull within 17-10 with 4:49 left in the first quarter.

But, seemingly as quick as Bell’s touchdown, the game turned into an all-Wheat Ridge showing.

The Farmers scored 29 straight points to put the game away.

“Our line dominated tonight,” Kahl said. “That’s what won us the game.”

Senior running back Ryan McMahon ran in from 14 yards for Cheyenne Mountain’s final score, putting the deficit at 46-17.

Now, for the Indians’ seniors, they’ll hope to remember the successful road that got them here. Not the road block that ended it.

“The season was great,” Bell said. “We just didn’t finish the way we wanted to.”