Today's Sports

DENVER — When the Chatfield Chargers were good Sept. 3 at Mullen, they were very good.

When the Chargers were young, they were very young.

The junior-dominated Chargers veered through all phases against the Mustangs and ended up learning another of life’s lessons.

The pitter patter of runners jogging up and down neighborhood streets is back. Yes, it is cross-country season again, and it should be an interesting year for both boys and girls at Dakota Ridge, Columbine and Chatfield high schools, as they seek to improve on last year’s achievements.

Well, most of them anyway.

For the Dakota Ridge girls, it is almost impossible to improve on its state championship season of a year ago, setting a record low with 28 points at the Class 5A state meet.

Austin Rodriguez was always judged by his feet until the day someone finally noticed his hands.

Always a running back, Rodriguez’s ability to catch the ball caught a coach’s attention one week before his first freshman game at Dakota Ridge.

“It was probably the best move I’ve ever made,” Rodriguez said.

It’s certainly hard to argue against a year after Rodriguez was a Class 4A first team all-state selection at wide receiver by The Denver Post.

Football coaches typically don’t expect perfection in the season opener.

They are well aware heading into that first game that mistakes are going to be made. They just hope those mistakes aren’t game-enders.

After Chatfield’s 24-10 thumping of cross-town rival Dakota Ridge on Aug. 28 at Jefferson County Stadium in a nonleague game, Chargers coach Bret McGatlin was critical of his offense, which turned the ball over three times.