When the Montezuma-Cortez High School football team takes on St. Mary’s in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs on Oct. 31, it will be the Panthers’ first playoff appearance since 1994.
Even after two decades however, former M-CHS quarterback Jonathan Prather remembers the Panthers 1994 run to the playoffs like it was yesterday.
Leading the 1994 team were several seniors, including all-state lineman Ray Porter, all-state running back Cory Thompson and all-state wide receiver Chris Sutter. Prather led M-CHS at quarterback, and Dick Geddes coached the team.
“We had a good running game and a solid offensive line,” said Prather. “Our defense was real tough against the run, and our seniors provided great leadership.”
Finishing the 1994 season as the second-ranked team in the West Slope Southern League, the Panthers traveled to Palisade for a cross-divisional matchup against Steamboat Springs.
After losing that game, the Panthers entered the Class 3A playoffs as the West Slope League’s fourth-seeded team and traveled to Colorado Springs for an opening-round playoff matchup against Cheyenne Mountain.
Overwhelmed by Cheyenne Mountain’s size and speed, the Panthers lost the game 42-6. Thompson scored the lone M-CHS lone touchdown on a 58-yard run in the second quarter.
“Cheyenne Mountain had a really good football team,” said Geddes after the game. “They have a lot of team speed, they are big, and they played us very well.”
Reflecting on the game, Prather said that the support he felt from the large Cortez crowd will always stand out in his mind.
“We had incredibly supportive parents,” said Prather. “There was a huge Cortez crowd in Colorado Springs.”
Two decades after his team’s playoff appearance, Prather expressed excitement regarding the performance of this year’s M-CHS team, which he believes is very similar to the 1994 M-CHS team.
“This year’s team has a strong running back, (Randy Haley), and a lot of senior leadership,” said Prather. “A lot of this year’s players used track to enhance their speed, and a lot of our players did the same thing. The two teams are very similar.”
The Panthers last hosted a playoff game in 1991 and lost to Niwot 16-10. Before that, M-CHS had not hosted a playoff game since 1971.
“It’s really exciting to see this year’s class of kids achieving their goal,” said Prather. “The goal to go to state is there for every program, every year. This year’s team has put the work in to achieve that goal.”
