Another Panther has made it to the next football level.
Montezuma-Cortez High School senior Stephen Candelaria anchored both sides of the Panthers line and was a team captain.
Despite missing multiple games his senior season with a concussion, Candelaria battled back and was named first-team All-Conference in the 2A Mountain League.
I never got discouraged. I knew that I would end up where I needed to be, Candelaria said. My philosophy is, Adapt, overcome and press. I did what I had to do to get past that concussion. I overcame it and pressed on.
Candelarias grit and determination on the field and in the classroom really paid off. He signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden on National Signing Day, Wednesday morning.
I feel so extremely blessed. Im very thankful to the all mighty God in heaven for giving me the opportunity to go to such an amazing school and giving me such an amazing family for support, Candelaria said. My amazing coaching staff has been behind me from day one. Ive had amazing support from all the faculty and staff here at Montezuma-Cortez High School. I definitely wouldnt have been able to accomplish this feat without the help of my peers and the people around me helping me. Im ecstatic!
Candelaria will play defensive lineman for 12th year Orediggers coach Bob Stitt. He will major in engineering at one of the countrys top schools in the field.
They were extremely knowledgeable about what they were doing and extremely organized, Candelaria said about the Mines coaching staff. Everything about Colorado School of Mines, just screamed, Youll fit in here. I knew it would be a good fit.
The tall, stout Candelaria wanted to go to either Mines or the Air Force Academy. It was Candelarias former coach Chuck Cotter that encouraged him to participate at the Mines spring skills camp.
Coach Cotter came up to me one day last spring, Candelaria said. He said, I got this brochure from Colorado School of Mines. Its a prospect camp. You go up there for a day and you basically get to show your skills.
Once Candelaria stepped foot on the Mines campus, it was golden from there.
I went up there and it was just an atmosphere you can feel, he said. That whole aura of Colorado School of Mines football. I liked it. I like it a lot. Its an extremely competitive atmosphere, the education, the whole surrounding area.
One more unofficial visit was all the Orediggers coaching staff needed to make a decision. It was happy decision for dad, too.
Right now, Im an extremely proud parent, Jim Candelaria said. I feel great for him. It just opens up a whole world of new opportunities for him. Playing football is just icing on the cake for being able to get a great engineering degree at the Colorado School of Mines. Im extremely proud and happy for him.
First year M-CHS football coach Casey Coulter only had Candelaria last season, but saw first hand the kind of player that highly represented Montezuma-Cortez.
This is something he put in motion a long time ago, Coulter said. Hard work and diligence. All that paid off for him. I couldnt be prouder. Basically, it comes down to he set his goal, and he met it. He went through a lot of hardships during the season and obstacles that were unforeseen. He overcame all that. He set his goal and stayed with it. His work ethic is unbelievable.
Candelaria believes that good athletes within the Panthers football program will eventually produce more wins.
I definitely feel the program here is taking a turn for the better, Candelaria said. I know that we get a bad reputation for our records, but we do have good athletes here. I feel like we do have a good program in the making. The skys the limit, and its only going to get better.
Candelaria is the second M-CHS player in as many years to earn a football scholarship to a NCAA Division II, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference school.
Mines finished last season 8-3 and in third-place in the RMAC. The Orediggers were 9-3 in 2010 and RMAC co-champions.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.