Panthers take runner-up honors

There were no smiles on the faces of the Pomona players accepting the second place trophy after Valor Christian edged the Panthers 29-26 in the Dec. 5 Class 5A state football championship game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

The Panthers scored the first touchdown with 1:08 left in the first quarter and held the lead until Valor took it back with a touchdown with 2:23 left in the game.

“Our kids played their hearts out tonight,” Panther Coach Jay Madden said after the game. “It was a great effort. I am very proud of our kids and, like all Pomona kids, they will give you all they have got in every game. Our kids are resultant and, while it will take a lot of work and a bit of luck, we will be battling to get back here next year.”

The teams slugged it out early but, as the first quarter wound down the Panthers mounted a drive and capped it with quarterback Ryan Marquez throwing a 17-yard pass to Elijah Levya for a touchdown. Tyler Thimsen kicked the extra point to give Pomona a 7-0 lead.

A few minutes later, Panther defender Brandon Micale sacked Valor quarterback Dylan McCaffery in the end zone for a safety to boost the lead to 9-0.

Pomona led 16-7 at halftime and 19-14 at the end of the third period and Pomona increased it leade when Max Borghi scored a touchdown to up the Panther lead to 26-14 with 8:05 left in the game.

But Valor scored a touchdown with 4:04, recovered a fumble to get the ball back and scored again with 2:23 left to take the lead for good at 29-26.

Pomona junior Elijah Leyva said after the game that the loss hurts but you have to make this game a building block for this young team.

“We will take all that happened here today, learn from it and work to get back here and win the title next year.”