'You're not catching him': Colton Pawlak's 4 TDs propel Fossil Ridge football past Windsor

The cries rang out from players and first-year coach Chris Tedford alike after the game.

"Run the table!"

It's a bold mantra for a Fossil Ridge football team that started 0-3. The SaberCats got the first one, though.

Colton Pawlak ran for nearly 200 yards and four touchdowns as Fossil won a fun 35-30 shootout over Windsor at PSD Stadium in its home opener.

"It was written in the locker room before the game, so we took that to heart," Pawlak said of the motto. "It’s a brick-by-brick build. Now let’s keep it going."

Windsor pushed Fossil Ridge hard but trailed throughout after Pawlak scored on the second play from scrimmage on a rainy night.

It was a much-needed win on several fronts. The SaberCats (1-3) had struggled to close the deal early this season in tight road losses to Loveland and Brighton.

"It takes the monkey off our back," said an emotional Tedford. "We always talk about building, right? Well, we put a big brick on the wall tonight.

"This was a long time coming. I'm almost speechless."

Here are four takeaways from the SaberCats' win:

Pawlak dominates Windsor again

Pawlak sure seems to like playing Windsor.

The junior running back had his breakout game against Windsor last year, filling in at quarterback and tallying five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in a 33-0 win.

He nearly matched that outburst a year later in a much closer game, and it started right away.

Pawlak took the second play from scrimmage 77 yards around the left end, zooming past defenders once he found a seam.

He wasn't close to done. Later in the first half, he scored from 45 yards out, again cutting back to the left side.

"I just stay patient, and follow the great blocks from the guys up front until a hole opens up," Pawlak said. "Then it's full speed."

He added another crucial score from two yards out at the halftime buzzer, a huge swing play that put Fossil up 21-10 at halftime.

For good measure, Pawlak salted the game away with a 23-yard touchdown run full of stiff arms and broken tackles before bursting into the end zone.

"He’s such a determined runner with so many different moves," Tedford said.

"What separates him is that speed. You’re not catching him once he accelerates in the open field."

Pawlak finished with more than 190 yards and tripled his season touchdown total. Not a bad night for the SaberCats' star after a semi-slow start to the season.

Fossil turns its fortunes

This one exorcised some growing close-game demons.

Fossil reversed its fortunes after dropping games at Loveland and Brighton by just six points.

The SaberCats were the ones making clutch plays this time.

They stopped a fake punt in the second quarter and baited Windsor into multiple offside penalties that kept drives alive early.

Fossil also came up with a huge fourth-down conversion up 21-17 that led to a beautiful 39-yard touchdown pass from Nick Kubat to Luke Garvin to keep Windsor at bay in the second half.

Then, a fourth-quarter drive that ended with Pawlak's score featured three third-down conversions while milking six precious minutes off the clock.

The swing plays, the momentum builders and killers that had gone against Fossil suddenly swung in its favor.

"We’ve been on a razor’s edge and things finally bounced our way most of the night," Tedford said. "Our kids capitalized every time."

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SaberCats deliver well-rounded effort

Don't be fooled by 30 points for Windsor, or Pawlak's gaudy stat line.

This was a well-rounded performance that embodied the "total team effort" cliche.

"Everybody helped us tonight," Pawlak said.

Marcus Mozer made multiple highlight-reel catches, setting up that key score before halftime and extending other drives.

Kubat bounced back from a pair of first-quarter picks and found Garvin, Wes Stefanski and Harley Schmidt on several tough throws.

The offensive line cleared running lanes, and Jake Toshcoff was effective behind the unit while keeping Pawlak fresh.

Fossil Ridge topped the 200-yard mark both through the air and on the ground.

"I love the balance out of the offense and we want to keep that up," Tedford said.

While the defense surrendered 30, the SaberCats also forced early punts that allowed them to build a lead and rarely let Windsor score quickly.

That side of the ball needs more refinement, but the whole team rallied behind a solid, persistent defensive effort.

"The defense did their part and kept our offense rolling out there," Pawlak said.

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Wizards' close-game magic runs out

Unlike Fossil Ridge, Windsor (3-1) entered as the close-game kings.

The Wizards had won three contests over Longmont, Mead and Windsor by a combined six points. Head coach Chris Jones and company know how to win.

Fossil Ridge's dynamic offense and early lead put a lot of pressure on Windsor. Jones responded by being aggressive, for better or for worse.

A fake-punt led to an early field goal while a fourth-and-goal TD run kept Windsor in striking distance before halftime.

But another fake punt on fourth-and-23 plus several failed misdirections and trick plays hampered the Wizards. Finally, an onside kick that sailed well out of bounds ended their last-ditch hopes late.

"They were super aggressive, and I think we had them on their heels and playing a bit out of character," Tedford said. "Credit to our kids for matching them in the clutch moments."

"But they’re a great, well-coached team over there and they’ll be a tough out in (Class) 4A."

Rocky Mountain, Fort Collins drop games

The Lambkins (0-4) couldn't get their first win of the season, squandering a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter to Cherokee Trail in a 35-31 loss Thursday night at French Field.

Fort Collins blocked a punt and scored two plays later to take a 21-14 lead after a two-point conversion, extending the lead to 10 on a field goal late in the third quarter.

But the Cougars scored three touchdowns in the fourth, including one in the final minute to complete the comeback.

Rocky Mountain (1-3) also fell on the road to Eaglecrest in a 34-9 loss that was delayed 90 minutes by inclement weather.

The Lobos trailed 13-0 at halftime but got within 19-9 in the fourth quarter before the Raptors scored consecutive touchdowns to put the game away.

No further stats were immediately available from either game.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado high school football: Pawlak scores 4 TDs to lead Fossil Ridge over Windsor