Pueblo’s offensive regular season standouts in 2020

The 2020 season was a rollercoaster for teams all across Colorado, and the eight schools in Pueblo County were no exception with five of them having dealt with a COVID-19 case at some point in the season. Despite the canceled games and weeks on the sidelines, plenty of player stood out during the 2020 campaign. Here is a look at who shined the brightest in the Steel City: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22590" first="George" last="Longoria"], RB, Pueblo South, 2021<img class="size-medium wp-image-70863 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/longoria-redzone-300x211.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="211" /></strong> The Colts’ senior entered 2020 as the reigning rushing champion of Class 3A when he ran the ball 338 times for 1,896 yards and 23 TDs. Unfortunately, the Colts missed the first two weeks of the season due to COVID, but Longoria hasn’t missed a beat. In the Colts four games, all wins, Longoria handled the rock 129 times for 816 yards and 12 TDs, plus an average run of 6.3 yards, an improvement from his 5.6 yards per carry in 2019. Pueblo South qualified for the Class 3A tournament as the No. 4 seed and has already advanced to the semifinals as their first round opponent in No. 5 seed Mead had to drop out due to COVID-19. The Colts will host the winner between No. 1 Roosevelt and No. 8 Fort Morgan next weekend. <strong>Cole Brinkley, QB, Pueblo West, 2022</strong> The 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior emerged as the starting QB for the Cyclones this year and showcased his dual-threat ability in their four games, the final two being canceled due to COVID-19. Brinkley went 29-for-56 passing with 390 yards, four TDs and three INTs while carrying the ball 42 times for 274 yards and a team-high six rushing TDs. The junior went over 100 yards rushing in two of the four games. Combine Brinkley’s rushing numbers with fellow juniors [player_tooltip player_id="58951" first="Jeremiah" last="Sanchez"] (31 carries, 389 yards, 5 TDs) and Hunter Johnson (45 carries, 358 yards, 3 TDs) and the Cyclones are set to be a handful to bring down next season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22666" first="Chase" last="Hartman"], QB/ATH, Pueblo County, 2021<img class="size-medium wp-image-70864 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/hartman-redzone-300x232.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="232" /></strong> No one in Pueblo did more with their 2020 season than the Hornets’ leader in [player_tooltip player_id="22666" first="Chase" last="Hartman"]. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound QB was the best dual-threat in town, going 47-for-91 passing with 644 yards, seven TDs and only pick while also running the ball 70 times for 703 yards and eight TDs. Hartman’s 1,347 total yards easily led the South-Central League and ranked as the third most in all of Class 3A. Pueblo County has one game left against Lewis-Palmer as the Hornets fell short of qualifying for the playoffs at 3-2, but watching Hartman command the offense is well worth the viewing. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22586" first="Jaxson" last="Herring"], QB/S, Pueblo East, 2021</strong> Sticking with the theme of dual-threat QBs in Pueblo, add Herring’s name to the list as his 1,016 total yards in five games ranked second in the S-CL and seventh overall in Class 3A. Herring went 44-for-79 passing with 796 yards and eight TDs compared to four interceptions while carrying the ball 56 times for 220 yards and two TDs. The Eagles senior also played safety and had one interception of his own coming against rival Pueblo South. However, with the Eagles season over, Herring now prepares for the Eagles’ basketball season where the 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior is a standout forward. <strong>Andrew Sherman, FB/LB, Pueblo Central, 2022<img class="size-medium wp-image-70861 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/sherman-redzone-282x300.jpg" alt="" width="282" height="300" /></strong> Sherman was finally able to take the field for the Wildcats after transferring from Pueblo West before the 2019-2020 school year. While no stats are available for Sherman, the 6-foot-3, 260-pound fullback was a noticeable presence in Pueblo for the 2020 season. Whether it was keeping up with his running back on blocks to the outside, running the ball himself up the middle, making catches coming out of the backfield, or laying the wood on defense, Sherman brought a different spark to the Wildcats. Pueblo Central struggled as a team, finishing the season 1-4, but with a talent like Sherman roaming the backfield for one more season, the future is bright.