JOHNSTOWN – The process of retooling the baseball team at Fort Lupton High School will start a little sooner than coach Mark Gonzales wanted.
    Green Mountain bounced the Bluedevils from the state 4A playoffs 10-0 Saturday afternoon at Roosevelt High School. Third baseman Taylor Peters was 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs.

    Jeff Merritt, Fort Lupton’s freshman right fielder, had two of his team’s four hits, including a double.
    This was FLHS’ fifth straight trip to the playoffs, and Gonzales would love to keep the streak intact next year. But he knows it’s going to take some work.
    “People are knocking on the doors,” he said. “But we have to go out beating the streets and getting the kids out. It’s a tight-knit community. We have to work on our feeder programs so we can reload rather than rebuild. It’s a work in progress. We have to take baby steps.”
    Green Mountain’s Brandon Strom threw a complete game and allowed four hits. He struck out seven. Clint Cook started for the Bluedevils but couldn’t get out of the third inning. He struck out two.
    Fort Lupton put two runners on in the third and fifth innings but couldn’t get a base hit to drive home a run in either instance.
    “I tip my hat to them,” Gonzales said of the Rams. “They came in and did what they were expected to. They were everything we thought they were going to be. We knew we were coming in against a tough team. I tip my hat to coach (Brad) Madden. I’ve known him for a long time. He had his club ready to go today. They had a different fire in their eyes.”
     Fort Lupton has to find replacements for seven seniors who graduate. Gonzales had meetings with each one after Saturday’s game.
    “This is my second year, and there have been some amazing relationships,” Gonzales said. “We’ve had some tough situations. Each one brought their own aspect to the game. They are a tight-knit group. They gave me an opportunity to wiggle in. I appreciate that, and I respect every single on of them. And I appreciate their heart and hard work.”
    Green Mountain had 16 base hits to Fort Lupton’s four.
    “We hit the ball hard,” Gonzales said. “Cookie (Clint Cook) and Mario (Mario Antuna) went out there and showed a lot of heart. We rode them all year. Our freshman (Merritt), who steps in there and goes 2-for-2? That’s great. Joe Boyle caught a heck of a game. There were guys on base a few times, and he saved some runs.
    “Nobody wants it to end. But we’re not going to ignore the fact these kids persevered,” he continued  “We knocked off the overall EMAC league champion in Northglenn. Some of the accomplishments these kids have made in the last two years have been awesome. But a game like this is part of building and getting that foundation is getting to the next level. That’s what we’re going to do.”