It was only a year ago the Basalt High School football team hosted TCA in the first round of the Class 2A state tournament, losing 40-19 to the Titans to end the season in a rough way.
The Longhorns haven't lost since, but the sting from that defeat is still very real today.
"Last year, we came out really flat. We weren't really expecting the team that came out against us," BHS senior running back William Daniel said. "This year, we know they are a really good team, and they've proven that. We are ready for the challenge, and we are really looking forward to getting payback from last year because they kind of embarrassed us and showed how we should not have gotten a home game last year."
The Longhorns will have the chance to get that revenge on Saturday when No. 2 seed Basalt hosts No. 3 TCA in the 2A state semifinals. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on the BHS field.
When the teams played in the first round last season, BHS hosted as the No. 8 seed, while TCA pulled the upset as the No. 9 seed. The stakes are a bit higher this time around, with both teams also sporting a perfect 11-0 record. The winner moves onto the Nov. 30 championship game in Pueblo against either No. 9 Wellington or No. 13 Eaton.
For the BHS fans wanting a quick refresher of last year's first-round game, there isn't much to say. The Titans jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead, and BHS miscues helped TCA build a 30-0 lead late into the third quarter. Back-to-back scores did get BHS back into the game at 30-12 early in the fourth quarter and at 33-19 with 6:43 to play. The rally fizzled from there.
"They are a really well coached team," BHS coach Carl Frerichs said. "They have a lot of great pieces, and we don't feel like we coached very well or played very well last year, just watching the film from last year. But one thing that is definitely an advantage for the team that lost is you can watch that film and really see what you did well and did not do well. That's a huge advantage for us."
It's not like Basalt hasn't had recent success against TCA. In 2019, the teams also met in the first round, No. 9 BHS winning at No. 8 TCA, 13-7. A week later, the Longhorns hosted No. 1 Rifle and pulled off a stunner, winning 21-14 in double overtime to advance to the 2A semifinals for the first time in program history. The Longhorns' only other semifinal appearance prior came in Class 1A in 1979.
The historic 2019 run ended for Basalt with a 17-6 loss to No. 4 Delta. The Panthers lost to No. 2 Sterling in the championship game, 27-19.
The Longhorns haven't been to the semifinals again until now. In the spring 2021 pandemic season, BHS lost in the quarterfinals to Sand Creek. In the fall of 2021, it was a first-round loss at Brush. In 2022, then-undefeated Basalt lost 41-7 to Eaton in the quarterfinals; the Reds beat Delta in the championship game that year.
And in 2023, it was of course that first-round exit to the Titans.
"We hope to come back strong," BHS senior center and defensive end Owen Lindt said. "Last year, we didn't come out of the gates as strong as we hoped. We weren't as prepared, I feel like it. But I feel this week, we have a better game plan, and if we just do our jobs, we'll give them a good fight."
So far this postseason, The Classical Academy has wins over No. 14 Pagosa Springs (49-7) and a close 20-17 win over No. 6 Berthoud in the quarterfinals. Basalt beat No. 15 The Academy in the first round, 42-14, before a 34-14 win at No. 10 Sterling in the quarterfinals.
Should they meet again in the championship game, TCA opened the season against Eaton, winning 28-14. That said, Wellington already beat Eaton once this season, winning 35-10 on Oct. 18. Wellington and Eaton were scheduled to play their semifinal game on Friday night.
Basalt has never played in the state championship game in football. The program's first 2A playoff win only came in 2017 over Salida. Prior to this recent run under Frerichs, Basalt's football history is fairly bleak and empty, at least until you get back to the 1970s.
"These kids put so much into this," Frerichs said. "And this is every year, but this is just another group of them that I know they are going to give us everything they possibly have on Saturday, and I know if we do a great job putting in a great game plan, we are going to have every opportunity to take care of business."