Dakota Ridge races past Palmer Ridge for first 4A state title in school history

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Carlos Bryant

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Dakota Ridge achieved its first CHSAA Class 4A state football championship, defeating Palmer Ridge 38–14. Senior quarterback Kellen Behrendsen excelled, throwing five touchdown passes, contributing significantly to the historic victory.

Dakota Ridge running back and linebacker Landon Kalsbeck, a Washington State signee, carries the football through a running lane under the lights at CSU Pueblo’s ThunderBowl, lowering his shoulder as Palmer Ridge defenders close in during the CHSAA Class 4A state championship game.

Dakota Ridge wasted no time making history.

Senior quarterback Kellen Behrendsen threw four first-half touchdown passes and finished with five total scores as Dakota Ridge rolled past Palmer Ridge 38–14 on Saturday at CSU’s Canvas Stadium to claim the program’s first CHSAA Class 4A Colorado state high school football championship.

The Eagles blitzed Palmer Ridge with 21 unanswered points in the opening quarter. Behrendsen opened the scoring with a 44-yard strike to senior running back Landon Kalsbeck at 8:08. Less than four minutes later, he hit Jaxson Arnold who took it to the house for an 84-yard touchdown. Dakota Ridge closed the quarter with a 6-yard scoring pass to Leo Lukosky with 46 seconds left, pushing the lead to 21–0 after three straight extra points by Aydan Smith.

Kellen Behrendsen | 21 of 24 289 Yards | 5 TD

Palmer Ridge answered early in the second. Quarterback Cole Harris found Eli Stewart on a 22-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 21–7 with 9:46 left in the half. Dakota Ridge responded immediately, leaning on its ground game. Arnold capped the next drive with a 14-yard touchdown run at 7:42, restoring a three-score cushion at 28–7 heading into halftime.

Once more, Behrendsen and the Eagles had the answer. With 5:07 left in the third, the senior quarterback dropped a 39-yard touchdown pass to receiver Nathan Rodriguez, stretching the lead to 35–14 and effectively putting the game out of reach.

Dakota Ridge’s defense took care of the rest. The Eagles generated constant pressure up front and came away with multiple interceptions, including a late pick by Blake Bishop that snuffed out Palmer Ridge’s final drive and sparked a brief scuffle before officials restored order. Linebacker Jack Offerdahl delivered several key stops, including a fourth-and-1 stuff early in the third quarter that killed a Bears drive.

Smith added a 20-yard field goal with 2:39 remaining in the fourth quarter to close the scoring at 38–14, sealing a dominant championship performance for a senior-heavy Dakota Ridge group.

“This means everything for our school and our community,” Behrendsen said. “We’ve been chasing this for years. To finally finish it off with this group is something I’ll never forget.”

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