Chelsea Self / Post Independent
Rifle Senior Embrey Marantino had just finished the game with 201 yards and two touchdowns. Riding the bus back to Rifle, it took just two words for him to sum up how it felt to win the 3A state title:
Cloud Nine.
“Like, if you would’ve asked me two or three months ago if we would’ve even been in the playoffs, I would’ve said heck no,” Marantino added. “I didn’t even think we were going to make it to the playoffs, much less win the state final. But a lot of us have been playing since we were six and seven… we’ve been playing for a long time, and it’s just a very special brotherhood we share. We’re trying to prove how strong it is and just how amazing we’ve done and how much we can stick together, and that’s what really won it for us.”