By: Addie Brooks, Chatfield Athletic Department Intern
Lakewood – The Chatfield Chargers (3-4-3) faced the Columbine Rebels (6-2-2) in a high-stakes
rivalry, leading to a 2-2 tie and a shootout win from the Chargers.
When Chatfield and Columbine meet, it’s never just another game. It’s a rivalry built on pride,
grit, and intensity. Monday night’s clash was nothing short of exciting, with the Chargers and
Rebels going head-to-head in a tense match that ended in a dramatic shootout.
The Chargers attacked fast with swift ball movement on offense and multiple shots on goal.
Shortly after, Conlan Priekschat capitalized on an assist from Timmy McFarland and found the
back of the net, giving Chatfield early momentum with a score of 1-0. But Columbine wasn’t
going down quietly. A Rebel goal leveled the score 1-1, and the intensity only ramped up from
there.
Chatfield’s defense held strong, with Ridge Blue making crucial saves and the back line battling
to hold off the pressure from the Rebels. A yellow card against Luke Tritsch added to the
tension. The passion between both teams eventually fueled Columbine, pushing the score to 1-2.
With just over two minutes remaining, Noah Gallegos delivered a swift drive into the goal, tying
the game 2-2 with 2:33 left on the clock.
The final whistle did not mark the end of this rivalry game. While the official CHSAA score was
2-2, both teams entered a shootout in hopes of winning the Horvath-Mehlbach trophy. In the
shootout, Blue came up huge for the Chargers, stopping 3 different shots from the Rebels.
Tritsch, Ryder Buhl, and Brayden Decker each sealed the deal for Chatfield with goals against
the Rebel keeper.
Gallegos stated that this game “was the biggest of the whole season”, and the team “worked so
hard to be able to perform”. Reminiscing on his game tying goal, he felt that “stepping up for
[his] teammates means everything”. This rivalry was nothing short of what the Chargers
expected, sparking something new inside the team for games to come.
Although the game ended in a tie, the Chargers’ grit and precision in the shootout showed just
how eager they are to win. Blue believes that the team will “apply the same energy that [they]
brought out in the rival game”, to their upcoming matches, and regardless “[they] will play their
game with passion”. The team takes away this trophy with high hopes, heading into their next
match on Wednesday, October 1st, against Monarch at home.
Follow us at – Instagram: @chatfieldchargersathletics
