Just one non-conference game remains for the Yuma High School football team.
And it will be a perfect lead-in to the pending gauntlet of the North Central Conference schedule.
“The No. 3 team in 2A is coming to town; what a cupcake way to get ready for league,” Yuma coach Kelly Seward joked.
The Brush Beetdiggers will be here Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff. It is Yuma’s first home game since the season opener August 29.
The Beetdiggers for decades were a perennial football power, but the program has kind of fallen off the pace since its 2014 championship. However, it appears they are on the rise again under the guidance of Brush graduate Joe Rosenbrock.
They come to town 3-0 after last Friday’s 36-14 win at Wray, in a game that was tied 14 all at halftime. They also have wins over Fort Morgan and University. They are No. 3 in the 2A Selection and Seeding Index, which made it’s 2025 debut this week on chsaanow.com.
Yuma also is 3-0 after last Friday’s exciting 28-27 win at Torrington, Wyoming. It is the first time Yuma football is 3-0 since 2022 when it opened with six straight wins and made it to the state quarterfinals.
The Outlaws are No. 6 in the first CHSAA 1A Index.
Yuma and Brush played an exciting game last season at Beetdigger Stadium, with the Outlaws pulling out a 27-24 win in overtime.
“Besides Limon, they will be the biggest and most physical team we’ll face all season,” Seward said. “…Our guys relish being physical. I think they’re ready to show people what they can do.”
Yuma and Torrington put on a fun one last Friday in eastern Wyoming, with an extra-point clanking off the left goal post being the difference.
It seemed at times the Outlaws would run away with the win, but penalties kept cropping up, as well as the big-play scores of the Trailblazers.
Yuma’s ground game was impressive, racking up 462 yards and four touchdowns on 61 carries, averaging 7.1 yards per game. Three Outlaws topped the 100-yard mark, Christian Thomson 146 and one touchdown, Iann Duran 113 and one touchdown, and Daden Beauprez 109 yards and one touchdown, along with David Covarrubias running for 72 yards and one touchdown, and Marvin Duarte tacking on 22 more.
“The cool thing about it is that is the most we have run as a team since we’ve been the coaches,” Seward said. “…It’s a lot of fun to watch right now. How could you not be proud of the O-line? And they believe in each other, which is fun.”
Duran was not as effective throwing the ball as he was in the North Park game, completing three of 10 for 27 yards, while several other tosses were just missed. Covarrubias had all three receptions.
However, penalties kept putting the Outlaws behind the chains as they were flagged 12 times for 101 yards. Torrington had five penalties for 42 yards.
“There were some very odd calls,” Seward said. “We’ll just leave it at that.”
Torrington kept scoring on big plays. Quarterback Drew Kramer completed 12 passes for three touchdowns, including one for 80 yards, and also had a 52-yard touchdown run. They Trailblazers also had another 80-yard touchdown.
Yuma possessed the ball for 29 minutes, 26 seconds, compared to 12:02 for the Trailblazers, yet barely hung on for the win.
“We controlled the game, but we did not prevent the big play,” Seward said.
Both teams scored on their opening drives. The Trailblazers then broke off their first big-play touchdown. Yuma came back with another sustained drive, and the teams were tied at 14 at halftime.
The Outlaws took the lead in the third, but a bobbled snap on the extra-point left the score 20-14. Torrington again scored on a long play, then made the extra point for a 21-20 lead.
Yuma answered with a touchdown and converted the 2-point conversion for a 28-21 lead. Torrington scored again, but the extra point clanked off the left upright, leaving Yuma ahead by one.
The Outlaw then were mostly able to salt away the win, though the Trailblazers got one last chance deep in their own territory in the final seconds.
Torrington finished with 296 total yards, including 205 passing.
Covarrubias was in on seven total tackles for the Outlaws, while Duarte was in on five, Duran three, Jose Mario Ross three, Beauprez three and also recovered a fumble, Jesus Gordo three, Reyli Trejo two, Stevie Seward two, Dallas Brunk two, David Gaytan two, Bryan Montes two, Lief Sims two, and Thomson, Brodie Kallweit, Lennox Huwa and Tanner Himes one each.
This is the final week of non-conference play for the NCC teams. Limon is 3-0 and No. 1 in the 1A Index, playing at No. 3 Buena Vista on Friday. Burlington is 3-0 and No. 2 in the Index, with the Cougars playing at Denver Christian on Friday. Wray is 2-2 and No. 9 in the Index. This is the Eagles’ bye week. Wiggins is at 2A-power Strasburg on Friday, sitting at 1-2 and sitting at No. 16. Holyoke has a bye week after going 2-2 in non-conference play and is No. 21.
YMS
The Yuma Middle School football team closes out the regular season today, September 25, against Wiggins after suffering their first loss last Thursday, 23-14 to Burlington.
Yuma led at halftime, but Burlington controlled the second half.
Offensively, the Outlaws rushed for almost 200 total yards, but were only able to break the endzone once. Running back Dryaden Black accounted for 92 of those yards and the score. Quarterback Izahias Loya rushed for another 86, along with 52 yards of passing. Wide receiver Jagger Lungwitz was the recipient of a 40-yard completion from Loya.
Losing contain and missed tackles were the story defensively. Black racked up 11 tackles from the safety position, along with a defensive touchdown coming off an interception of 60 yards. Loya was in on a handful of tackles and a sack.