Now, the Tigers had a 4th and goal from the 14-yard line in overtime against the team that has kicked them around every season since 2014. Ten years of being an also-ran.

Will Applegate, the Tigers’ senior signal caller with the strongest arm this side of the Rocky Mountains, took a shotgun snap and looked to his left. He lobbed the pass to tight end Drew Marsh who was blanketed by defenders. Marsh snatched it out of the air and held on for dear life as he fell back down to earth.

Rylan Mulvey’s extra point split the uprights and for the first time in a decade, when most of these kids were learning their multiplication tables, Grand Junction football had finally beaten Fruita Monument, 28-27 in overtime. The Tigers are 4-0 for the first time in 13 years.

“I just went up and caught the ball, I didn’t think of anything else in that moment. I just went up and caught it,” Marsh said after being mobbed by teammates and coaches. “I knew I had to go to the sideline. Will threw a perfect ball, it was perfectly placed, everything about that play was perfect.”

You saw those 10 years of frustration and blowout loss after blowout loss released in pure elation. Grown men and young men screaming at the top of their lungs. The emotion may have also been because the win further legitimized Grand Junction’s 4-0 start.

You know the story now — the Tigers won five games from 2020-2023. It seemed as if they were spinning their wheels across those 34 games. But those losses lit a fire in the seniors and team leaders who were hell-bent on changing the culture at 1400 North 5th Street.

“We were just throwing it up at that point. It’s fourth down, we gotta make something happen and Drew’s such a great guy to go to in that situation and he made a great catch,” Applegate said. “That was a better catch than a throw.”

HOW IT HAPPENED

Fruita (1-3) opened the game doing its thing. The Wildcats held the ball for nearly 10 minutes in the first quarter thanks to their run-first offense. They struck first when Chris Bennett rumbled into the endzoe from four yards out, his first of three touchdowns in the game.

But the Tigers snapped back. They went three-and-out on their first drive after three runs. But they went vertical on the second drive.

The Tigers are blessed with Applegate’s athleticism and rocket right arm, and a deep pool of athletes he can throw to. A strong passing game is such an advantage on the Western Slope where most teams keep the ball on the ground.

A 34-yard run from Noah Watkins set Grand Junction up at the Fruita 31. Applegate broke the pocket on the next play and hit Marsh in traffic for an 18-yard gain, Three plays later, Applegate found a wide-open Marsh in the middle of the endzone for a 7-yard touchdown.

Grand Junction got the ball back with around two minutes until halftime and the offense marched 80 yards in only six plays. Applegate found Marsh twice on that drive — first on a 23-yard gain on a 3rd and 9 at their own 37-yard line, and then on a 14-yard touchdown pass where Marsh was, again, all alone.

Applegate was 10 of 18 passing for 132 yards and the three touchdowns to Marsh, who had 76 yards on five grabs. Izaak Martinez had three catches for 30 yards.

“Drew’s an outstanding receiver, he’s a great guy to have on our side. But Mason Anderson opens the field up for Drew,” Applegte said. Mason has so many strengths that other teams have to double cover him and that opens the field up for the other receivers.”

Grand Junction recovered a Fruita fumble, one of three for the ’Cats in the game, early in the third quarter. That set up a 36-yard touchdown run from Matthias Martinez to make it a 21-7 game, but then the Wildcats mounted their comeback.

Fruita responded with a clinical 13-play, 79-yard drive that ate more than five minutes off the clock and ended with a Cooper Rowell touchdown run. Fruita recovered a Grand Junction fumble on the ensuing kickoff. But Bennett fumbled on a 4th and 2 from the GJ 8 with nothing but paydirt a nd a few defenders in front of him.

The Wildcats pulled off another clutch drive in the fourth quarter and capped it off with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Rowell to Bennett. A fumble on a fourth-down snap with 20 ticks left on the clock ended Fruita’s chances at a last-second win.

In overtime, both teams have a 1st and Goal from the 10-yard line with a chance to win the game. Fruita had the ball first, and a would-be touchdown pass to Bennett fell incomplete and gave them a 4th and 6. But the Wildcats were hit with a penalty that Grand Junction accepted so the play was nullified and Fruita had a 3rd and 11. Rowell then hit Bennett for an 11-yard touchdown pass.

Rowell was 8 of 13 passing (two incompletions were spikes) for 96 yards and two touchdowns.

Applegate threw a touchdown to Marsh on the first play of their overtime possession but it was called back because of a penalty and Grand Junction was hit with a 1st and Goal from the 15.

Three plays later, Applegate and Marsh connected for the win.

“This means basically everything to the team,” Marsh said. “Before this year I had won three games in my entire high school career.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Fruita is experiencing plenty of growing pains in its first season in 5A. The Wildcats, who are replacing 17 starters from last season, are off to their worst start in 10 years. They’ve been outscored 118-64 this season and have yet to score against a 5A opponent. They host juggernaut Montrose (4-0) next week before opening South Metro Conference play at Castle View (4-0) on October 4.

The Tigers hit the road to play Class 4A foe Durango (2-2) before embarking on I25 Conference play. The I25 is a developmental conference meant for programs that have struggled to in recent years. Because of that, only the conference champion can reach the playoffs. The Tigers open their conference slate against Gateway (1-3) on October 4.

Football is all about the one-game-at-a-time mentality but the folks packing the west stands are going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

“Everything has skyrocketed. Our offensive line is exponentially better. Our receivers are better, our running backs are ridiculously good, it’s such a team effort,” Applegate said. “Everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”