Montbello Community Celebrates Together After High School Football Team Takes Home First-Ever State Championship
DENVER (CBS4) - The Montbello community came together on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the Far Northeast Warriors' first state championship in football. The Warriors beat Boulder High School 34-0 in the 5A state title game and seeing the community come together to honor the win was a moment the young would never forget.
"It was amazing. Just to see the whole community rally together and like the support of us. This is amazing. That was really cool," said senior running back Gregory Anderson.
The parade was the vision of Tony Lindsay Sr. who took the Warriors head coaching job in 2017 after a successful 10-year stint at Denver South high school. As the Rebels' coach he was 78-33 and lead them to an appearance in the 4A title game in 2012.
When Lindsay took over the Warriors football team, it was a program in disarray with four coaches in the previous four seasons and a 3-27 record over a three-year period from 2014-16. Before becoming a head coach at Denver South, he worked as an assistant coach with the Warriors under Oliver Lucas from 2004-06.
"I fell in love with the students in the school and I thought I was going to be the head coach here, but they went another direction, which was okay because that's the way it was supposed to be. I didn't know that then, but I was put there to come just to grow and people get ready for this and this and this is where I'm at now," Lindsay said.
During the spring season, the Warriors were 6-2 with losses to Denver South and Vista Peak. The Warriors were able to win the rematch against Vista Peak 23-16 in the 5A semifinals.
A week later, the Warriors turned in a dominating performance over Boulder High School behind the performance from Gregory Anderson who was named as the game's Most Outstanding Player. He rushed for a touchdown, caught another, and threw a touchdown pass as well.
"Coach was talking about we're going to take state. That is our dream and get this community back together. I think that was what our driving force was and that's what brought us here today," Anderson said.
The Montbello community has another reason to celebrate. Montbello High School, which was closed in 2010, will reopen in 2022 in part of the "Reimagine Montbello" campaign from Denver Public Schools.
"We are getting ready to push the restart button and saying this is what the community wants," Denver Public Schools board member Tay Anderson said.
"This is the time for us to get it right and give the students a 21st century building, so that they when they do go compete, they have the same resources, and the same opportunities so that we're no matter if they're playing football, or studying to be a neuroscientist, they're able to have the same ability in the same capacity and to be able to step into the greatness."
