Mountain Lion Stadium was silent as Colorado Springs Christian School’s Mikey Orawiec lay on the turf after a massive hit to the head. 

A couple of minutes passed before the senior rose and walked off the field to applause from the stands. But the loss of the Lions’ wide receiver and safety before the final quarter would be felt for the rest of the game.  

Struggles with injury Friday night led the No. 7 Lions to fall to No. 19 Monte Vista 21-0 in the first round of the Colorado High School Activities Association 1A state playoffs. 

After being up one touchdown at the half, Monte Vista (7-3) scored two more in the fourth quarter while keeping the Lions’ offense off the field. 

“[Monte Vista] played well, they deserved to win,” first-year CSCS head coach Nick Salas said. “They have a great running game, and we couldn’t overcome the mistakes we were making. Our mindset going in was to be better in every aspect of the game, and getting through the injuries that people had, but it was too much to overcome.”

Besides Orawiec’s injury, one Lion offensive lineman broke his thumb, and another tore a bicep. However, the team’s ailments started at the beginning of the season when senior running back Daniel Hoggard tore an ACL before the team’s first game, which was a huge blow to their offense. 

CSCS (6-4) started strong with a big stop on fourth-and-1 late in the first quarter to force a turnover on downs, and almost had another one to open the second quarter. However, Monte Vista got the first down and marched down the field for its first TD, by junior Judah Howe.  

With a 7-0 lead at the half, the Pirates intercepted the Lions on the opening drive of the third quarter. CSCS managed another turnover on downs, but were unable to score after failing to convert on fourth down to end the stanza.

Orawiec took the hit just before the fourth quarter and was removed for the rest of the game with a concussion. It was Orawiec’s seventh concussion, and the coaches prioritized his future health as more important than the game. 

However, the senior’s injury affected the team’s morale for the rest of the contest. 

“The loss of Mikey on offense and defense … you could tell when he went out, people were dejected,” Salas said. “We lost a lot of people this season. It’s been a tough road.”

Orawiec leads the team in multiple categories, including tackles (12.3), receiving yards (95.4), and total touchdowns (9). He also overcame a broken foot injury earlier in the season. 

“He was the backbone of our team,” Sala said. ”He is a captain and a character guy who has done just a really good job. He stepped it up all year long.”

With an Orewiec-less Lions team, Monte Vista opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown to go up 14-0, and later earned a pick-6 after sacking CSCS quarterback Fisher Tenpas on back-to-back plays. 

With less than three minutes left, the Pirates once again stopped the Lions on fourth down to force a punt and seal the win.  

Despite missing the last quarter of his high school career, Orawiec is proud of the team’s season that saw three shutouts of their own and is thankful for Sala’s leadership through the team’s myriad of injuries. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of the season we had,” Orewiec said. “Being here…playing JV freshman year and then stepping up and making an impact, these guys are the most fun I’ve played football with ever. I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. They are a tough bunch and will be successful next year.”