By Michael Hicks
Berthoud Recorder

LOVELAND — The “New Ice Age” is here, but Saturday night it got off to a chilly start, though not before the Colorado Ice got hot just in time to put a scare in the Billings Outlaws.

Trailing by 20 points early in the third quarter, the Ice, Loveland’s team in the Indoor Football League, rallied behind the tandem of backup quarterback Justin Holland and Cory Sleeth only to fall 46-41 in the regular-season opener at the Budweiser Events Center.

By the time Colorado’s offense, in particular its passing game, got hot, the visiting Outlaws (2-0) had built a 39-21 fourth-quarter lead. But Holland and Sleeth connected on scores of 35, 24 and 22 yards over the game’s final six-plus minutes to pull within five points.

After stopping Billings on downs with 50 seconds left, Colorado (0-1) got a final chance to finish off the comeback but Holland’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Kadafi Tunsil, sending the crowd of 2,084 home disappointed, but not discouraged by the way the Ice rallied.

Holland alternated with starting quarterback Garrett Mehl, who was more effective with his legs than his arm, but Ice head coach Collins Saunders didn’t question the decision to go with Mehl early on.

“The way it finished, I don’t really wonder whether we should’ve changed or not. The first quarter was just as important setting that up as the fourth quarter was,” Saunders said. “Having Garrett in there being able to run the ball. We had made the decision when it was go time Justin was going in to throw the ball. That being said Justin certainly showed he’s a leader, moves the team in a hurry, dangerous quarterback. Justin certainly didn’t hurt his chance to start.”

Holland didn’t question the strategy. As a matter of fact, he agreed with it.

“That was kind of a conscious decision. They probably have the best defensive line in this league,” Holland said of starting Mehl and utilizing the team’s running game early on. “At the beginning of the game their defensive effort was flying up the field, flying up the field. We’re trying to get some runs in with Garrett and our running game, and obviously with Terry (Washington) to get them to kind slow the rush down, tire them a little bit. That’s what opened the passing game late.”

Holland, a Colorado State alum, finished 7 of 14 for 126 yards and the three touchdowns. But the one interception, the Ice’s second interception of the game, spelled the difference between a season-opening win and a gut-wrenching loss.

WHO ARE THESE GUYS? So who are the Colorado Ice? Better yet, what are the Colorado Ice? The Ice is a third-year indoor football league team, playing this season in the Indoor Football League. The IFL is in its first season after the United Indoor Football League and the Intense Football League merged this season.

The IFL consists of 19 teams, 14 of which reside west of the Mississippi River. Colorado is playing this season in the four-team Pacific Division, as part of the Intense Conference. Division foes consist of the Alaska Wild, Billings Outlaws and the Fairbanks Grizzlies.

Colorado has a 14-game regular season, including seven games at the Budweiser Events Center. The next home game is April 11 against the Bloomington Extreme at 7 p.m.

LAYING THE SMACKDOWN: By definition, Justin Gallas’ position is wide receiver. But on Colorado’s first touchdown against Billings, the 6-foot, 180-pounder was applying the hit not the one being hit.

His devastating block of Billings’ defensive back Michael Eby sprung Ice starting quarterback Garrett Mehl for his game-opening 28-yard TD run in the first quarter.

“I give the credit to Garrett. I mean he’s an excellent runner. He makes it easy for people to block down field. That’s part of the game for receivers to block like that,” Gallas said.

Nevertheless, Gallas’ hit, the first of his career, was one of those “wow” moments for the crowd and his teammates. “That’s what it’s for to get the crowd excited,” Gallas said.

KICKING WOES: Rocky Stevens doesn’t have many reasons to be satisfied with his performance, but at least it wasn’t as bad as his Billings counterpart, J.J. Morin. While Stevens, the Ice’s place-kicker, missed field-goal attempts of 22 and 41 yards in the first half, Morin missed four times. Morin missed a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter. Then he booted three extra-point attempts wide left.

As Coach Saunders suggested, though, it was more the inexperience at the position right now that played a role in how his kicker played.

“We had a rookie in there in a tough situation. We’ve got to get better there and I have no doubt he will,” Saunders said.

The second half was a little better. While Stevens had no problems on his extra points, Morin made two of three and missed a 55-yard field goal attempt wide right. The kick wasn’t even close.

BILLINGS 46, COLORADO 41

BILLINGS    0    20    13    13-46
COLORADO    7    0    14    20-41

SCORING SUMMARY
C — Garrett Mehl 28 run (Rocky Stevens kick), 2:06               
B — Jamie January 1 pass from Chris Dixon (kick failed), 11:08       
B — January 6 pass from Dixon (kick failed), 4:05               
B — Safety, Justin Holland sacked end zone by Mike Bazemore, 1:10       
B — January 3 pass from Dixon (kick failed), :03               
B — Charles Anthony 37 pass from Dixon (Joey Morin kick), 14:29       
C — Terry Washington 1 run (Stevens kick), 11:37               
B — Timothy Brown 54 kickoff return (pass failed), 11:17               
C — Justin Gallas 1 pass from Mehl (Stevens kick), 1:31           
B — Brown 5 run (kick failed), 13:32                   
C — Cory Sleeth 35 pass from Justin Holland (Stevens kick), 6:13       
B — Dixon 2 run (Morin kick), 3:33                   
C — Sleeth 24 pass from Holland (Stevens kick), 2:07           
C — Sleeth 22 pass from Holland (pass failed), 1:05               

PASSING: Billings — Chris Dixon 17-27-0, 145; Colorado — Justin Holland 7-14-1, 126; Garrett Mehl 5-14-1, 43
RUSHING: Billings — Dixon 12-63, Charles Anthony 10-53, Timothy Brown 3-19. TOTAL: 25-135. Colorado — Terry Washington 14-58, Mehl 5-57, Holland 2-(-23). TOTAL: 21-92.
RECEIVING: Billings — Anthony 4-62, Jamie January 4-19, Brown 3-37, James Walton 3-22, Willis Austin 3-5. TOTAL: 17-145. Colorado — Cory Sleeth 6-119, Justin Gallas 6-50. TOTAL: 12-169.
FIRST DOWNS: Billings 23; Colorado 19
TOTAL YARDS: Billings 275; Colorado 260
PENALTIES: Billings 10-132; Colorado 7-44
TURNOVERS: Billings 2; Colorado 2
TIME OF POSSESSION: Billings 29:17; Colorado 30:43