By Jonathan Maness

Sports Correspondent

WESTMINSTER – The Legacy High School football team was on a mission Oct. 22.

The Lightning scored 42 consecutive points to roll by rival Horizon 42-14, moving one step closer to the winning the North Conference title.

Legacy (6-3 overall) is sitting alone in first place in the conference with a perfect 4-0 record and will take on Fossil Ridge in Fort Collins Friday, Oct. 29, for the league title.

“It’s a big game,” Legacy coach Corey Heinz said. “We haven’t won a league title for a while, especially outright. The guys are motivated, and it’s how our seniors want to go out.”

It was the Lightning's fifth win in a row, and the team wasn’t about to take its foot off the pedal, LHS scored 21 points in the first quarter and 35 in the first half. What was most impressive is LHS did its damage in a variety of ways.

Four people scored touchdowns for Legacy, with Braelon Tate leading the way. The senior all-state running back couldn’t be stopped in the contest. He averaged more than 7 yards a carry and rushed for 153 yards and three scores. He found paydirt on the first two scores of the game for Legacy.

With Tate and Legacy’s run game clicking, it freed up quarterback Jaden Carter and the Lightning air attack. Carter threw for 193 yards and a touchdown and helped Legacy drive up and down the field in a hurry. Carter had three throws that went for more than 30 yards, including a 64-yard connection with Will Thurston in the first half.

“We have a special group of kids,” Heinz said. “The way we executed tonight, we thought we could come up with big plays. It’s easy to get up against a cross-town rival. The kids came out swinging, and it was fun to watch.”

Horizon also moved the ball down field, taking the ball into Legacy’s territory three times in the first half but couldn’t convert on the opportunities.

What worked for the Hawks was their ability to get the ball into senior Blake Kramer’s hands. The 6-foot-4-inch wide receiver was a mismatch for Legacy’s defense and found the end zone in the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Alex Birch hooked up with Kramer on a 19-yard connection for the Hawks' first score. Kramer added another touchdown in the closing seconds for Horizon.

Horizon (2-7 overall, 0-4 in conference) closes out the season at Fairview Oct. 29.