Class 3A football championship: Top 5 performers

The Class 3A state football championship wrapped with a bang at the Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl Stadium. Durango High School and Roosevelt provided a splendid blend of offense and defense with the Demons winning 21-14, giving the Demons their first outright state football championship since 1954. Here are the top five performances from the finale. &nbsp; Gage Mestas (Durango) The senior left his stamp on the contest and earned most valuable player for his performance. Mestas finished with three receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns, including a season-long 67-yard go-ahead grab with 5:18 left in the third quarter that made it 21-14 after the PAT. Mestas also had an interception, which came on third and goal with Roosevelt at the Demons 6. The interception kept the Rough Riders out of the end zone and stymied Roosevelt’s attempt to tie the game. In the first quarter, Mestas broke free of the defense and hauled in a 23-yard touchdown in the back left corner of the end zone to make it 7-0 after the PAT. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="22656" first="Jordan" last="Woolverton"] (Durango) The Demons’ star shined in his final prep football contest. Woolverton went 8-of-11 for 146 yards and two touchdowns for Durango in the Demons’ victory. After it appeared the Demons would go three-and-out on a third-quarter drive, Woolverton called an audible at their own 33 on third down. His pass found Mestas, who streaked down the left seam for a 67-yard touchdown. Woolverton also grabbed an interception in the game, his seventh of the year. The interception set up the Woolverton-to-Mestas score that gave Durango their final lead of the contest. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="50575" first="Ben" last="Finneseth"] (Durango) Much like Mestas and Woolverton, Finneseth left his fingerprints on offense and defense. On third and 4 with 1:15 left in the first quarter, Finneseth sprang off the edge and earned a sack for a loss of 13. The play stopped Roosevelt’s momentum and forced the Rough Riders to punt. Finneseth also helped tie the game after the Demons trailed 14-7 with 1:24 left in the first half. Finneseth, who finished with six carries for 78 yards and a touchdown, eluded a defender, broke free of another tackle and bolted down the Roosevelt sideline for a 55-yard score. &nbsp; Brig Hartson (Roosevelt) The Rough Riders senior went 13-of-24 passing for 192 yards and a pair of touchdowns and notched one sack. For his first TD toss, Hartson found [player_tooltip player_id="22771" first="Tucker" last="Peterson"] in the back right corner of the end zone to tie the game at 7-all in the first quarter. Hartson’s second TD pass came with 1:40 left in the first half and gave Roosevelt a 14-7 lead. The senior QB hit Keegan Sterkel on a 33-yard screen pass for the Rough Riders’ final TD of the game. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="22771" first="Tucker" last="Peterson"] (Roosevelt) Peterson’s lone score of the contest was one to remember. After breaking free from a Demons’ defender, Peterson made a diving catch in the back of the end zone and held on to the rock to tie the game. His 25-yard touchdown was his longest reception of the game and Peterson finished with five receptions for a team-high 72 yards. &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_78919" align="alignnone" width="765"]<img class="size-full wp-image-78919" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/Ben-Finneseth-catch-2.jpg" alt="" width="765" height="502" /> Durango High School senior [player_tooltip player_id="50575" first="Ben" last="Finneseth"], center, comes down with the reception and is tackled by two Roosevelt players Dec. 5, 2020, at Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl Stadium in Pueblo, Colorado.[/caption]&nbsp; [caption id="attachment_78920" align="alignnone" width="693"]<img class="size-full wp-image-78920" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/Keegan-Sterkel.jpg" alt="" width="693" height="537" /> Roosevelt High School senior Keegan Sterkel, right, carries the ball on a run play against Durango at Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl Stadium on Dec. 5, 2020, in Pueblo, Colorado.[/caption] &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;