ERIE TIGER FOOTBALL
2023 State Champions
TIGERS STRIKE GOLD!
The epic call by Brandon Bird on the Erie Tiger Network said it all: the Erie Tigers from an old mining town in Colorado struck gold by winning the school's first state championship in football since 1997. An explosive offensive (560 points; 40 pts/game) scored a clinching touchdown on a 32 yard burst in the fourth quarter. The Tigers suffocating defense (12.6 pts/game), created three turnovers and shut out a high scoring Palmer Ridge offense for three quarters in the 20-6 victory. It was the first loss of the season for the previously undefeated Palmer Ridge Bears who hadn't been challenged in a game since week one.
2023 Season (13-1)
-
at Vanguard; 20-26 (L)
-
vs Mullen; 56-26 (W)
-
at Montrose; 38-28 (W)
-
vs Broomfield; 30-7 (W)
-
at Windsor; 40-8 (W)
-
vs Loveland; 36-19 (W)
-
at Monarch; 45-3 (W)
-
vs Silver Creek; 53-6 (W)
-
vs Longmont; 57-13 (W)
-
at Greeley West; 53-6 (W)
-
vs Rampart; 52-0 (W)
-
vs Dakota Ridge; 35-7 (W)
-
vs Montrose; 25-22 (W)
-
at Palmer Ridge; 20-6 (W)
Erie Tiger Network
Final Rankings (MaxPreps)
1 - Erie (13-1)
2 - Palmer Ridge (13-1)
3 - Montrose (10-3)
4 - Broomfield (10-3)
5 - Dakota Ridge (8-4)
6 - Heritage (6-5)
7 - Mesa Ridge (8-4)
8 - Windsor (10-3)
9 - Fruita Monument (8-4)
10 - Pueblo West (7-5)
Media Coverage of the State Championship Game
-
BoCo Preps - How Sweet It Is: Erie Magical Season; PHOTOS: Erie Wins Championship
-
9News - Erie Defeats Palmer Ridge to Capture 4A State Championship
-
Denver Post - PHOTOS: Erie beats Palmer Ridge and Blake Barnett Powers Erie to Championship
-
Colorado Preps - Barnett Shines as Erie beats Palmer Ridge
-
The Coloradan - Erie, Columbine Win State Championships at Canvas Stadium
Postseason Awards
The 2023 EHS Tigers made history by winning 13 consecutive games and claiming the 2023 Class 4A State Championship. The Tigers beat a previously undefeated Palmer Ridge Team by shutting them out for three quarters and holding them to 6 total points in a 20-6 victory. In their path to the championship the Tigers beat the #2 team, the #3 team (twice), the #4 team, and the #5 team head-to-head leaving no doubts as to their claim to the best team in Class 4A. Not surprisingly, Tiger players won a host of awards in addition to claiming the state championship including the following:
-
Blake Barnett, Senior QB/DB: First Team All Conference; Offensive Player of the Year - Northern 2 Conference; First Team All State (third consecutive); Colorado Player of the Year - Class 4A
-
Cade Coblentz, Senior OL/DL: First Team All Conference; First Team All State
-
Jackson Cowgill, Senior DL: First Team All Conference; First Team All State (second consecutive)
-
Mason Cowgill: Senior TE: First Team All Conference; First Team All State
-
Gio Giampietro, Sophomore DL: Honorable Mention All Conference
-
Carson Hageman, Junior LB: First Team All Conference; Defensive Player of the Year - Northern 2 Conference; Second Team All State
-
Gavin Lusk, Junior RB/LB: First Team All Conference; Second Team All Stated
-
Cole Powell, Junior OL/DL: Second Team All Conference
-
Dom Sema, Senior DL: Honorable Mention All Conference
-
Alex Sweeney, Senior WR: Second Team All Conference
-
Preston Terranova, Senior DB: First Team All Conference
-
Braylon Toliver, Sophomore RB/DB: Second Team All Conference
-
Ronin Ward, Junior DB/QB: First Team All Conference; Honorable Mention All State
-
Jeff Giger, Head Coach: Northern 2 Conference Coach of the Year; Colorado Coach of the Year - Class 4A
