5A football: Grandview stuns Pomona, 30-29, behind Liam Szarka’s heroics in wild season opener

ARVADA — The Class 5A shot play opened with a opposition of styles: Grandview’s assertive passing crippled vs. Pomona’s persistent moving attack.

The heavy shot won retired successful Grandview’s melodramatic 30-29 triumph Thursday nighttime astatine the North Area Athletic Complex.

The Wolves rallied from a 13-point shortage successful the archetypal fractional down the heroics of backmost Liam Szarka. The sophomore orchestrated a precocious game-winning thrust — 9 plays for 56 yards — capped with a Szarka rushing people successful the last seconds. He finished the nighttime with 4 touchdowns.

First-year Grandview caput manager Tom Doherty earned his debut triumph against first-year Pomona manager Nate Johnson — some of whom replaced long-tenured leaders successful John Schultz and Jay Madden, respectively.

The Panthers ran the shot connected astir each play.

Pomona opened the crippled with rushing scores from sophomore Marcus Talbert and elder backmost CJ Kaylor. A uncommon propulsion to elder Chase Muller resulted successful a 32-yard touchdown reception to spell up 20-7. Muller dominated with much than 200 yards rushing successful the game.

But Grandview (1-0) didn’t springiness up. Szarka orchestrated 3 consecutive scoring drives — capped with a 60-yard touchdown completion to elder wide receiver Charlie Dick — for a 24-20 pb successful the 3rd quarter. A 90-yard punt instrumentality from elder Evan Johnson acceptable up 1 of Grandview’s touchdowns.

Pomona (0-1) aboriginal converted a agelong tract extremity and added different Kaylor rushing people to marque it 29-24 (failed 2-point conversion) precocious successful the fourth. The Panthers curiously attempted a failed on-side kick. That’s erstwhile Szarka led Grandview down a abbreviated tract to implicit the Wolves’ chaotic comeback.