The Northern Colorado Nightmare were back in action in The Boneyard at District 6 Stadium for the first time this season this past Saturday. The Nightmare (2-3) have been on a uncharacteristically up-and-down season as the offense establishes identity and injuries plague the depth. In their first true home game and on the fringe of the playoff hunt NoCo needed a home win badly.

The first quarter was competitive as both offenses made progress, but could not get into scoring position. However, the second quarter was full of excitement as the Golden Chargers picked up steam. Denver made it all the way down to the Nightmare five yard line. A series of tackles for a loss and a sack forced the Golden Chargers out of the red zone and ultimately missed a field goal attempt.

Just a few plays following the turnover quarterback Matt Keeling took off on a scramble that seemed to be enough for a first down, but after he was down a scrum ensued. Denver players signaled their ball and the referees agreed despite Keeling seeming to have his left knee down before any contact from the tackle. Denver would find holes in the frustrated Nightmare to secure a quick touchdown just a few plays later.

The first half was a back-and-forth struggle that favored Denver at halftime. NoCo came out of the locker room looking refreshed. The Nightmare moved the ball down the field well and embraced the rushing attack. Their change of pace paid off by evening the score.

While the Nightmare started gearing up, the Golden Chargers started cooling off as their usual plays stopped working. NoCo kept the balanced offense rolling in the third quarter as the rushing game would find pay-dirt again. Kicker Topher Ahrens was cool under pressure all game, including the second successful point after where he made the kick gracefully despite getting run over by a defender.

Both sides of the Nightmare were cooking with oil once they got confidence from taking the lead. Just a few plays into Denver’s next drive NoCo forced a bobbling interception deep within Denver’s territory. The Nightmare quickly cashed in with their third rushing touchdown of the night.

The Nightmare bested the Golden Chargers 21-7 with a stout defense and an offense willing to embrace change. The next home game will be June 17th at 6:45pm in The Boneyard at District 6 Stadium.