Fort Collins football just pulled off an absolutely wild 21-20 Week Zero victory, kicking off the 2026 season with a second-half surge that left everyone buzzing. New head coach Jeff Brennan’s tenure started with a bang, as the Lambkins knocked off a Colorado high school football powerhouse in a game that was anything but boring. It was sloppy early, sure, but what an ending!
The Second Half Was Pure Fire After a Rough Start
Let’s be real, the first half was a total mess for Fort Collins. Sluggish, frustrating, you name it. But when that sun started to go down, something flipped! The Lambkins dropped 21 straight points on Columbine, scoring on three straight electric possessions that completely changed the game. It took just under nine electric minutes for those decisive scores to go up, transforming a dormant offense into an absolute freight train. Junior quarterback Jace Garcia was out there slinging it, throwing for over 300 yards! He threw touchdown passes on consecutive possessions in the third quarter, first to Bode Hammerschmidt, then right after to Donovan Dumas. Talk about lighting a fire!
Mozer’s Big Plays and a Scrappy Defense Got It Done
While Garcia was airing it out, junior wideout Preston Mozer was quietly making noise. After a quiet start, Mozer pulled down two HUGE downfield catches for long gains, one of which immediately set up a 20-yard touchdown scamper by Vicente Romero on the very next play. That’s clutch football, folks! And we gotta shout out the inexperienced Fort Collins defense too. Despite nearly 20 penalties and six turnovers combined by both teams, our defense stepped up big time. They made multiple crucial fourth down stops and recovered three fumbles. That’s the kind of gritty play you need to win tight ones.
Columbine, now in Class 4A, started strong with an early touchdown drive but then stalled out hard until Fort Collins had built a 21-7 lead. The Rebels did mount a comeback, scoring on consecutive drives to put the party temporarily on hold. The drama peaked when their last touchdown came with only 1:05 left in the game. But then, the kicker: their extra point missed wide left! You could hear the roar from the home sidelines as the ball sailed wide, sparking a raucous celebration. What a way to seal a one-point victory! This team just showed they can fight, they can respond, and they can win. What a way to start the season, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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