The Yuma and Platte Canyon football teams opened their seasons this past week against the top two teams in Class 1A.
Yuma met up with top-ranked Limon on Monday night, suffering a 40-0 loss, while Platte Canyon lost 41-0 to No. 2 Strasburg last Saturday.
Now, after such difficult openers, the Indians and the Huskies get to play each other. Platte Canyon, based in Bailey west of Denver, will make the long trip to the high plains to take on the Tribe, Saturday at 1 p.m. It will be the Indians’ home opener, and there will be plenty of COVID-19 protocols in place. (See article elsewhere for more on that.)
Saturday’s game will be Yuma’s only non-league title in this shortened six-game season. 
Limon is off to a 1-0 start in North Central Conference play. Wray, ranked No. 8 in 1A, opened with a 43-14 home win over Burlington last Thursday. Wiggins opened Friday with a 21-6 nonconference win over Bennett. Sixth-ranked Holyoke opened Saturday with a 22-20 overtime win against 10th-ranked Highland.
This week sees Wray at Wiggins on Friday, and Holyoke at Burlington in a pair of NCC games. Limon is at Highland on Saturday for another conference game.
Platte Canyon went 4-5 last year. Yuma went 6-3 in the regular season to earn the program’s first playoff berth since 2013, and barely lost to Colorado Springs Christian in the first round.
However, both definitely had their struggles in their season openers.
Yuma knew since the decision was made to go ahead with a fall season and the schedules were released, that it would have a difficult time opening at the defending state champions.
It became more challenging as YHS went to remote learning for two weeks, and more than half of the football roster was put on quarantine thanks to COVID-19 cases. Practices were not at full strength until the first of the month.
It was a pleasant Monday evening, sunshine, blue skies and no wind.
Both teams had decent-sized crowds in the stands despite spectator restrictions, with fans staying on their side of the field, and there were no concessions.
It was not so pleasant on the field for the Indians.
They finished with just 68 total yards on offense, 35 rushing and 33 passing. Limon rolled up 411 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per carry while rushing for 322 yards, adding another 89 through the air.
Limon scored on its first drive, a four-yard run by Kory Tacha after the Badgers converted a fourth down inside Yuma’s 10-yard line.
The first quarter ended with Yuma trailing just 6-0, and it seemed the Indians were building a little momentum, playing tough defense and finding some success on offense.
However, Tacha broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run early in the second.
Yuma was forced to punt again, and the Badgers went on another methodical capped by Tacha’s 12-yard run to the left side to go up 19-0 midway through the quarter.
Limon got the ball back one last time before halftime, capitalizing with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Trey Hines to Alex Carr.
Yuma trailed 26-0 at halftime.
Tacha capped off the scoring late in the quarter with a nifty 47-yard run, sidestepping some would-be tacklers along the way.
Yuma averaged 1.4 yards per rushing attempt. Sophomore Ethan Goeglein found some success late in the game, finishing with 31 yards on eight carries. Clay Robinson was limited to 10 yard on 10 attempts, and the other Yuma ball carriers finished with negative yardage.
Joey Ross completed three of five passes for 33 yards. Lane Remmich had one catch for 19 yards, and Robinson two for 14.
Tacha led Limon with 192 yards on 14 carries, and Jeremiah Leeper added 93 on 15 attempts.
Defensively, Ross was in on 11 total tackles, Louden Blach nine, Yahir Trejo six, Robinson five, John Smith four, Juan Cortes four, Remmich three, Kail Cooper three, Jose Ruiz three, Eduardo Corral two, Kevin Hermosillo two, Ethan Gonzales two, and Brandon Mendoza, Gabe Schulte, Rigo Muela, Damon Thornton and Lars Sims one each.
There was only one turnover in the game, a Yuma fumble. Yuma had six penalties, and Limon eight.
