Gilpin County High School to Host

By Gary King

The 2020-21 8-Man Football All-State game was held this Friday, July 9 under the lights on the Gilpin County High School football field located at 10595 Hwy 119, Black Hawk, CO 80422. Announcements began at about 6:20 pm with game time set at 7:00 pm. The Colorado 8-Man All-State Football Game, drawing from six leagues and 44 teams through Colorado, is a tradition that goes back over 50 years and was moved from Sterling to Black Hawk, Colorado in 2020.

Colorado’s 2021 8-Man All State Football Game is sponsored by the Elite All-State Foundation, a not-for-profit organization whose Executive Director is Gilpin’s own football Coach Craig Ball. Elite All-State provides college and trade scholarships to the top 8-Man Football Players in the State of Colorado and affords grants for advanced concussion prevention helmets.

The All-State Game will pit Team South against Team North. The teams are comprised of the top High School Senior athletes from 3 leagues in the South and 3 leagues in the North. Team North includes the Plains League, Northwest League (includes Gilpin County) and the Central League while Team South consists of the Arkansas Valley League, Southern League, and the Mountain League.

July 6^th-9^th the All-State Players will attend a Pre-Game Camp at Colorado Christian University where they will live and practice with their new teammates and coaches. The teams, 22 players for Team South and 27 players for Team North, will both practice at Jefferson County’s Trailblazer Stadium.

Gilpin County High School Boasts 3 Players on Elite All-State Team North

Gilpin County High School is well represented this year by three talented football athletes who have been playing contact football on the same teams since 2^nd grade: Nolan Lindberg, Blake Boulter, and Stephen King. Our boys ended their regular 8-man football season with some impressive stats.

League Play Overall Rankings

Offense:

–Rushing yards: #1 Stephen King with 1,519 yards, #3 Blake Boulter with 672 yards

–Scoring: #1 Stephen King with 116 points, #2 Blake Boulter with 92 points

–Touchdowns: #1 Stephen King with 18 TDs, #2 Blake Boulter with 11 TDs

–Total Yards: #1 Stephen King with 1,697 yards, #2 Blake Boulter 989 yards

–Receiving: #3 Nolan Lindberg with 173 yards

–Passing: #2 Blake Boulter with 240 yards, #4 Stephen King with 158 yards

Defense:

–Tackles: #2 Blake Boulter with 94 tackles, #4 Stephen King with 75 tackles

–Sacks: #3 Blake Boulter with 3.5 sacks

–Interceptions: Tied for #1 Stephen King with 2 interceptions

Special Teams:

–Punt Returns: #1 Stephen King with 154 yards

–Kickoffs: #4 Nolan Lindberg with 60 yards

–Kickoff Returns: #2 Stephen King with 113 yards

–Total Returns: #1 Stephen King with 267 yards

State of Colorado 8-Man Football Overall Rankings

Offense:

–Rushing Yards: #1 Stephen King

–Scoring: #7 Stephen King, #13 Blake Boulter

–Touchdowns: #6 Stephen King, #15 Blake Boulter

–Total Yards: #4 Stephen King

Defense:

–Tackles: #6 Blake Boulter

–Sacks: #6 Blake Boulter

If you’re a fan of small-town football you are encouraged to come out and support our All-State players and experience the fellowship of like-minded fans that only football can provide.

Donations to the Elite All-State Foundation are accepted through their website: www.eliteallstate.com and can be collected at the ticket booth on game day. You can learn more about their mission and vision for the event on the footer of all website pages.