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The 2019 Niwot Football season will be memorable for a number of reasons and the emergence of Jarrett Noterman as a standout athlete is at or near the top of that list. As a wideout/cornerback/kick returner for the Cougars, the speedy senior had a hand in nearly every one of the team's marquee plays during the season, and was often the only highlight in their double-digit losses against league opponents. Now Noterman is bringing the same spark as a guard in Niwot's varsity basketball lineup, and he is gratified to see months of hard work on the gridiron payoff on the court.

"I think all the work during football season and over the summer carried through," he said of his high-energy play as a starter for the Cougars. "My speed and strength have been up, and I'm better conditioned this year than I was last year, and it helps a lot."

That was evident during Niwot's 61-48 upset win over top-ranked Erie on Dec. 19. From the first tip-off, Noterman pushed the pace both on offense and defense, and definitely hampered the Tigers' high-scoring shooters. On offense, he drained a timely three-pointer for Niwot in the opening seconds of the third quarter to put the Cougars back on top for good, and put the momentum decidedly in their favor. He ended the night with six points, three assists, and two steals. Later, he said the only thing surprising about Niwot's win was how many people were surprised.

"We knew we could come out and play with them," he said. "With our hard defense, we held them down with their scoring. I think it will carry through to the rest of the season. Against Longmont or Silver Creek, I think we can come out just as hard or harder and beat them."

For first-year Niwot head coach Clay Wittrock, Noterman's uptempo play was hard to replace during a two-game absence during Santiago's Shootout in mid-December, and having him back to full strength was a key factor in the win over the Tigers.

"He's just a warrior," Wittrock said after the senior's performance. "He's always going to be a warrior, and we just saw that tonight. That side of him really put him in plays and in position to either make the play or get the call."

"Warrior" is also a fitting description of Noterman's play on the football field this year, where he led Class 3A in total kick return yards, with 747 (542 kickoff, 205 punt), earning him a spot in the Boulder Daily Camera's BoCo Preps 2019 all-region team. In four separate games, Noterman had more than 100 yards in returns, including the homecoming win against Fort Lupton (134) in September and the season finale loss at Roosevelt (139) on Nov. 8. In that game, he also had a season-high 11 tackles and 120 receiving yards for the Cougars, and called his leaping 4th quarter touchdown against the Roughriders the most memorable play of the season.

His performance against Eagle Valley on Oct. 5 may be his most memorable for Niwot Football fans. In a losing effort for the Cougars, he racked up 189 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns, a successful fake punt, and a timely interception. More than 100 of his yards were on kick returns, including a dramatic 72-yard run for a touchdown to close out the first half.

Overall, Noterman led Niwot in receptions, with 25, receiving yards (424), all-purpose yards (1,207), and was second in total tackles (52). Unfortunately, his dazzling performance on the season didn't help the Cougars to many wins, but the senior was pleased with the team's improved play, especially on offense.

"This year we showed that we could move the ball on teams and actually score and get yardage and complete passes and get a bunch of receiving yards," he said.

Noterman credited his breakout football season on a new mentality during the off season-one that continues to pay dividends.

"I just switched it in my mind and decided to work harder, lift more weights, and get to every football event I could over the summer," he said.

Noterman is also a member of the Niwot boys track team, competing in the 4×100 relay and long jump. As a student at Niwot, he especially enjoyed his PE classes with Coach Aimee Keronen, and continues to enjoy their regular conversations about his sports career. After graduation, Noterman plans to study at Front Range Community College and eventually go on to a career in business.