FOUNTAIN — If you ever wondered why countless football coaches, parents, administrators, fans and yes, yours truly, lobbied and pushed and raised hell for a fall football season in Colorado, he is why.

His name is Q.

Alexisius “Q” Jones is a Fountain-Fort Carson senior who runs with the football like there’s a mountain lion trying to play tag. His heart is pure enough he spent the final seconds of his final high school game consoling a crushed teammate after a 28-12 loss to Palmer Ridge in the Class 4A state semifinals. Q carries a 3.85 GPA, and if we’re being real, I’ll be working for him some day. And I’m perfectly cool with that.

“I’m going to run my own business,” Q told me late Saturday. “I want to be an entrepreneur.”

And if there was no fall season here? Well, I don’t want to think about the opportunities lost, because this young man, who turns 18 Monday, deserves every opportunity coming his way. And I guarantee you they will come his way — in large part because enough people saw the light and raised a stink, Gov. Jared Polis relented on COVID-19 restrictions, the Colorado High School Activities Association came through, and there was a fall football season.

See, Q needed a fall football season. Had to have it. He didn’t play his junior year due to a leg injury. So he didn’t have film for college coaches from his junior year, and it wasn’t until Q erupted as a senior as the state’s leading rusher with almost 250 yards per game, that colleges came calling. Air Force recently offered a scholarship. Dartmouth offered a scholarship. That’s the caliber of academic institutions we’re talking about with Q, and if this fall football season doesn’t happen, they don’t come calling.

Still think it’s just a game? No way. Not a chance. High school football is bigger than high school football. Ask Q, one of many reasons for the season.

“There is no question,” said F-FC coach Jake Novotny, a former CSU-Pueblo coach who knows how the college recruiting game works. “This season, more than any player in our program, he needed it. That’s why myself and other coaches and people who had the kids’ best interests at heart were so vocal about having this (fall) season. These are kids that deserve that opportunity.”

Oh, right, about this Class 4A state semifinal. No. 2 Palmer Ridge was the more experienced and disciplined team and earned heavy-favorite status against No. 4 Loveland in the state championship game Friday at CSU-Pueblo’s ThunderBowl. But it wasn’t the blowout the final score indicates. F-FC had four touchdowns — or near touchdowns — called back due to penalty, turnovers or dumb luck. You can’t gift Palmer Ridge studs Luke McAllister (Colorado State-bound), Kaden Dudley (Boise State) and Anthony Costanzo (former CU commitment) so many loopholes and expect to smile on the way home.

That’s a Palmer Ridge squad with precious few weaknesses and a keen sense for the moment — about what you’d expect from an established program playing for its fourth state title. 

“We’re not assuming that we have reached the summit,” Palmer Ridge coach Tom Pulford said. “But we do know that we can trust the process.”

I counted 96 family members who were allowed in due to COVID-19 protocols, and another eight kids playing two-hand touch over on the hill. Maybe they will agree, maybe they’ll think the brisk air got to my dome: the two best players on the field were Q Jones and F-FC sophomore Tai Faavae, a linebacker who has Pac-12, Big 12, anywhere he wants, written all over him.

And guess who Faavae was telling me about after F-FC finished its first trip to a state semifinal since 2003 (before he was born)? Q. Tai credited Q’s relentless drive. Credited his leadership. F-FC’s breakthrough season all goes back to No. 20 in blue, and his bright future is very much intact because of football in the fall.

“Every day, Q kept us accountable. He made sure our workouts happened. He made sure our school (work) was done. He made sure everyone was on time every day,” Faavae said.

If the NFL season collapses Sunday due to COVID-related issues, bummer. But they are millionaires who will be OK. If the college season crumbles before the playoff, that stinks. But they are getting an expensive education for free at prestigious universities, and Alabama.

High school football, though? High school football is bigger than high school football. High school football is different. It’s a turning point of a lifetime, and a gateway to a blessed one.

“When we weren’t sure if we were going to play, I’ll be honest, I was pretty nervous,” Q said.

Still wondering why Colorado high schools were right to forge ahead with a fall football season during a pandemic? He’s a running back, 5-foot-11, 187 pounds, if you count the sweet dreads.

His name is Q.