Spartans shut out by top-ranked Fort Morgan, focuses on Thompson Valley
By Dan Karpiel
The Surveyor
The biannual conference realignment did not do the Berthoud High School (BHS) football team any favors. The Spartans have played three straight road games, traveling close to 400 miles round-trip in three weeks. Berthoud has dropped all three games, the most recent coming at the hands of top-ranked Fort Morgan, 39-0 on Sept. 23.
Head Coach Troy Diffendaffer was aware of the tough schedule – Berthoud’s last three opponents are a combined 8-3 on the season – and long road trips to start the season, but refused to use it as an excuse.
“You have to play who is on your schedule; there’s no way to change it,” he said.
Diffendaffer put a positive spin on the schedule, explaining the adversity will help his team be better prepared for league play in the newly-minted 3A Tri-Valley Conference (TVC). The third-year head coach also said playing a tougher non-conference schedule will be of benefit for the Spartans RPI rankings that are used to help determine state playoff seeding at season’s end.
The undefeated Fort Morgan Mustangs were simply too much for the young Berthoud squad to handle. Fort Morgan has nearly twice as many players as Berthoud, have better size along their offensive and defensive lines, and boast 22 seniors to the Spartans two. Making matters more difficult, the teams had to play in gale-force winds on the high plains that gave fits to an already-struggling Berthoud special-teams unit.
The Mustangs scored 13 points in the first quarter and another 20 in the second to take a commanding 33-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Berthoud was out-gained 365 yards to 69 and made only two first downs to the Mustangs 21.
In part due to the blustery conditions, but also because they’re a “three yards and a cloud of dust” type of football team. The Mustangs attempted only four passes on the night compared to 54 running plays. Fort Morgan senior Tate Kembel led all players with 163 yards and two touchdowns.
Berthoud is always going to be a size-challenged team, it’s something Diffendaffer and the team are well aware of.
“The kids are learning to play at the speed at this level, knowing they’re always going to be out-sized,” he explained. “It’s about learning and applying their technique, playing team football and using all the experiences they get, whether positive or negative, and growing from it.”
The Spartans will put the ugly loss to Fort Morgan behind them and focus on Friday night’s homecoming game with Thompson Valley. The Eagles are 0-4 on the season, having been out-scored by a combined 145-67. Berthoud was awarded a win via forfeit in their season-opening game against Greeley Central, a game that would have been a 41-18 loss.
Despite the struggles early in the season, which truthfully were unsurprising given the tough schedule and almost total lack of varsity experience on the Berthoud roster, Diffendaffer remains optimistic.
“We leave frustrated with the game, but then the next day we put on the tape and we realize that we’re not far away,” Diffendaffer said. “It’s a little thing here, a little thing there, and dang it the kids want to work, they want to get better and they’ve been putting in the work.”
Berthoud kicks off its annual homecoming game at Max Marr Field at BHS at 7 p.m. on Sept. 30. The Spartans begin league play the following week with a trip to Erie but will close out the season playing three of their final four games at home.
- November, 01 2023
Spartans sink Steamboat Springs in 59...
Photos by Will CorneliusSenior Daniel Mahoney stiffarms a would-be tackler on...
- June, 14 2018
All-State football game was no exhibi...
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor Generally speaking, all-star games in sports are fun, but largely...
- September, 06 2018
Berthoud football dominates in non-co...
By Jordan Schachterle The Surveyor On Friday night the Elizabeth High School (EHS) Cardinals traveled...
- October, 28 2016
Berthoud football battles for much-ne...
By Dan Karpiel The Surveyor Throughout the 2016 season, the Berthoud High School (BHS) football...
- November, 13 2020
Young Spartans win championship
Courtesy Photo - In what had to be one of the most remarkable finishes in...
- October, 29 2015
Spartans slay Warriors
Berthoud offensive linemen Eric Montes runs the ball during the final...
- Spring training begins for Spartan ba...
- Berthoud “Bombers” win championship i...
- Spartan baseball undefeated in April
- Boys basketball 13-10 season ends in ...
- Spartan C-team sees big success
- Spartans notch well-deserved win in s...
- Spartan golf team has enormous partic...
- Berthoud golfers win R2J Championship
- Berthoud golf team begins season swing
- Boys soccer wins in season opener
- Spartan soccer ends season on a high ...
- Berthoud soccer squad seeing signific...
- Bothun leads Spartans to second place...
- Spartans send ten runners to state cr...
- Clark wins Patriot League Cross Count...
- Lady Spartans fall to Jefferson Acade...
- Thompson Valley tramples Lady Spartan...
- Berthoud girls stand out in All-Star ...
- Tychsen leads Lady Spartans to first ...
- Top five finish for girls golf
- Lady Spartan golfers battle for state...
- Spartans fall to Frederick in state s...
- Spartan softball comes back against N...
- Softball finishes regular season 20-3
- Back in the water and back winning
- Spartan swimmers set new school recor...
- Berthoud swimmers shine in Break the ...
- Berthoud boys head to state tennis to...
- Berthoud sending two lines to state c...
- Lady Spartans earn second place at re...
- Spartans steal the show at Roosevelt ...
- Brooke Nelsen leaps over 30-year scho...
- Half-mile state champion Williams ret...
POLICEBLOTTER
Community NewsNorthern Water sets C-BT quota at 70% for 2024
Community NewsEmotions run high during Revere Property hearing
Community NewsSnowpack at 119% above normal
Community NewsKarspeck to serve third term as Berthoud mayor
Community NewsOPINION – No bitchin’ allowed
Community NewsRoy Tripi to become principal of BHS on July 1
Community News
COMMUNITY CALENDAR:
Community Calendar – add an eventHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
03 May 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
07 Jun 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
05 Jul 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
02 Aug 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
06 Sep 4:00 PM - 7:00 PMHomestead Fine Art Gallery First Fridays OPEN HOUSE
04 Oct 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM