ELIZABETH – Joe Finken took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and Elizabeth never stopped running in a 41-20 victory over Palmer Ridge on Friday night.

The Cardinals (3-0), ranked No. 2 in 3A by The Denver Post, rushed for 160 yards and four touchdowns in the first half while holding Palmer Ridge (2-0, No. 8) to 14 yards and no first downs.

“We just came out flat,” Bears senior defensive end/tight end Collin Babcock said. “It wasn’t pretty. We just stood there. We didn’t know what to do. It was just terrible.”

Steady growth in our military since 2005 has helped buffer the area in our down economy, according to the Quality of Life Indicators report. The report also says the Colorado Springs area needs to diversify its economy. Photo by ANTHONY SOUFFLE, THE GAZETTE FILE

ANTHONY SOUFFLE