Happy birthday, Colorado — and Colorado sports.

Leading into the state’s 150th birthday Aug. 1, The Denver Gazette has partnered with the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to publicize the definitive list of Colorado’s top 150 sports moments.

For Nos. 50 to 1, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian Dave Plati coordinated a 19-member committee to rank in order what they considered the top moments. The No. 1 moment will be revealed July 31. Plati and Broncos icon Jim Saccomano will unveil the list weekly on a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame podcast at coloradosports.org/podcast/.

No. 10 — Jan. 11, 1987

On a cold, windy day off Lake Erie, Denver and Cleveland battled for the AFC title. The game was tied at 10, and then at 13, before Cleveland took a 20-13 lead. The Broncos got the ball back with 5:32 to play, first-and-10 at their 2, setting the stage for, “The Drive.” John Elway engineered a 15-play, 98-yard march, capped with a 5-yard TD pass to Mark Jackson, with Rich Karlis’ extra point tying the game at 20 with 31 seconds left. The Broncos converted on all three third down plays, including an Elway-to-Jackson 20-yard pass on a 3rd-and-18, and earned six first downs on the drive. The plays covered 5, 3, 2, 3, 11, 22, 12, 0, -8, 20, 0, 14, 0, 9 and 5 yards. In the overtime, the defense forced the Browns into a three-and-out, with Karl Mecklenburg making a key third down stop and the offense took over at its 25. Elway completed passes of 22 yards to Orson Mobley and 28 to Steve Watson, the latter setting up a game-winning 33-yard field goal by the barefooted Karlis.

— Dave Plati, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian