The Lobos at 3-3 were probably seen as the favorites going against the Lewis-Palmer Rangers, 1-5, this past Friday, especially as they were coming off a strong win versus Littleton.  However, speaking to the head coach of the Conifer High School football team, John Shipley, he explained that, “I don’t think [the Rangers’] record really explains how talented they are.”  He went on to say that, “They’re a really good team, really well coached, and it’s going to be a challenge for us and we’re looking forward to the opportunity.” 

He was surely right, as this game was a challenge for the Lobos and they almost came out with the win.  The game was pretty close throughout, with the Rangers scoring the first points and taking a lead, 13-7, before halftime.  By the end of the third quarter, the Lobos had scored a touchdown but missed the extra point, tying the game at 13-13.  Unfortunately, the Rangers scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter and the Lobos failed to respond, resulting in the final score of 20-13.

There are a few things that most likely contributed to this.  First would be the lack of a running game as compared to previous games.  Throughout the season, the Lobos have relied on their rushing game, totaling over 100 rushing yards in all of their games (with the exception of the win against Pueblo Central in Week 2).  On Friday, the Lobos had 154 rushing yards, as compared to 256 in the previous game.  Also impacting their loss to Lewis-Palmer was the fact that the Lobos only had one rushing touchdown.  This is especially noticeable given the offense had six rushing touchdowns last week.  Finally, it should be noted that the game on Friday marked the third in a row where the offense lost a fumble.  

The Conifer Lobos will be playing the undefeated Lutheran Lions this coming Friday, October 22nd, at 7pm in Parker, Colorado.  Go Lobos!