LAKEWOOD, Colo. — This was playoff football at its finest.
Two crosstown rivals exchanging strikes with elimination on the line, Chatfield and Dakota Ridge battled it out in a marquee matchup at Jeffco Stadium on Friday night.
Ultimately, it was the Chargers who outlasted the Eagles 42-31 in the Class 4A quarterfinals to advance to next week's semifinals.
It was also a dose of revenge for Chatfield, which had lost to previously undefeated Dakota Ridge by just one point (29-28 in Week 10) in the regular season.
"This postseason is called the 'Revenge Tour' for a reason," Chatfield senior running back Jake Marschall said. "We knew we could beat them, and we went out there and proved it tonight."
However, a victory didn't seem probable in Friday night's game with the way Dakota Ridge had been in control.
The Eagles led 17-7 at halftime, and put together a 12-plus minute touchdown drive to begin the second half to put the Chargers in a 17-point hole.
Chatfield then rattled off three touchdowns in just three minutes to re-gain the lead. Both teams exchanged strikes until the Chargers took their final lead with more than four minutes left to play.
"Electric -- that's the only thing I can say," Marschall said, "I just can't ask for a better team."
Chatfield, the No. 7 seed in the 4A playoff bracket, will next host No. 3 Pine Creek in the semifinals.
>>Watch the extended video above and see the highlights on the 9NEWS Prep Rally this weekend!
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