Colorado 27, Kansas State 17

Nov. 18, 1995, KSU Stadium, Manhattan, Kan.

A precursor: My all-time favorite game is Pittsburgh Penguins-washington Capitals Game 2 of Eastern Conference semifinals in 2009 when Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin both scored hat tricks. But going with a Colorado theme, and since the recent Broncos’ well has run dry, I went way back. The Cotton Bowl was on the line when CU visited Kansas State in the 1995 regular-season finale. I was a K-state undergrad covering the game for the Topeka Capital-journal and the K-state Collegian. Down 17-13 with 2:24 remaining, the Buffs took the lead on a six-play, 80-yard drive that took only 80 seconds and was capped by John Hessler’s 20-yard touchdown pass to James Kidd. The Buffs added a fumble recovery in the end zone to secure the 27-17 win. I was on the sideline for the end of the game, which made it particularly memorable. It was big-time college football at its best and started a spirited Cu-kansas State rivalry through the rest of the 1990s.

In a championship heavyweight battle in which neither team refused to stop slugging, Pomona outdueled Eaglecrest in the highest-scoring Class 5A football title game in Colorado history. Gold Helmet Award winner and current Washington State star Max Borghi led the way for the Panthers with 247 rushing yards and three touchdowns, securing Pomona’s second state title after falling in the championship the prior two seasons. While quarterback Ryan Marquez and wideout Billy Pospisil also starred for the Panthers, connecting for three touchdowns, gritty Eaglecrest bounced back from an early 14-0 deficit behind the offensive prowess of quarterback Jalen Mergerson and running back Kenny Wantings. Just when you thought one team was out of it, a turnover or a big scoring play would swing the momentum right back the other direction.