Two games will decide next week’s matchup for the Class 4A state football title. Cherry Creek will take on Pomona and Legend heads to Valor Christian as those teams will clash for the right to play one more week and do so on at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at Colorado State University-Pueblo. PHOTO BY LANCE WENDT
With these logically being the four best teams remaining, no win will come easy and a lot will go into determining which teams will live to fight another day.
Pomona (7-0) at Cherry Creek (7-0) 1 p.m.
Pomona and Cherry Creek have combined to claim two of the last three 5A state titles. Pomona’s effort in 2017 was capped off with an emotional win for coach Jay Madden and his boys while Dave Logan’s Bruins entered 2020 as the defending champion after a win over Columbine at Empower Field at Mile High last December.
The Bruins (7-0 overall) opened the playoffs with a gritty 29-6 win over Regis Jesuit. By all accounts, it wasn’t the best game that Creek has played all year but Logan made no bones about the fact that there were only eight teams remaining, so the assumption has to be a battle each week from here on out.
“When the playoffs only have eight teams, all eight teams are good teams,” Logan said after the win. “We’ve had some games this year where teams have essentially given the game away. You have to prepare your kids the best you can that when you get into the final eight, you’re playing good teams that are not going to give the game away.”
James Walker II was a big reason for the Bruins getting the win as he ran for 155 yards and three touchdowns. The fourth touchdown for Creek came courtesy of a Myles Purchase pick-six which only served as a reminder that Creek is dangerous on both sides of the ball.
While Creek was trying to pull away from Regis, Pomona found itself in an early hole against Eaglecrest in a game that was played at Valor Christian. The Panthers (7-0) quickly regained their footing and rolled to a 49-19 win. Ian Dexter broke out for a season-high 101 rushing yards to lead a Pomona running game that scored six total touchdowns on the day. Dominick Nichols accounted for two of those six scores.
Jack Pospisil completed just two passes, but one of them was a 32-yard touchdown pass to Nichols.
The Panthers and Bruins are no strangers as they find themselves on the field against each other on a fairly regular basis. The last two meetings have been decided by a total of eight points. Cherry Creek won last year’s 5A semifinal game against Pomona 14-7 and also won the 2018 regular season meeting. The Bruins won that game 35-34 in overtime.
Legend (7-0) at Valor Christian (7-0) 1 p.m.
The intriguing part of the semifinal game between Legend and Valor Christian is that both teams displayed new weapons in their arsenals when the playoffs began.
Running back Gavin Sawchuk was noticeably absent during the Eagles (7-0) 49-14 win over Cherokee Trail in the quarterfinals. He may have been absent but he wasn’t needed as Zach Wiley filled the hole nicely, scoring all four of his rushing touchdowns in the first half to give Valor a very comfortable lead.
“It’s about team,” coach Donnie Yantis said. “That’s what we talk about. It’s not one individual. (Zach) has worked his tail off since we started in June and he had carried the ball a few times for us so I had no doubt he would do well.”
Wiley’s effort showed how much depth Valor has on offense and how even more versatile it could be. Two of his touchdowns were set up by big completions from quarterback Sean McNair to Tyler Larson. The Eagles can certainly pass the ball when they need to. Late in the game, they also go a tremendous effort from Sawchuk’s little brother, Gabe. “Little Chuk” went for 83 yards on 13 carries and scored his very first varsity touchdown.
Speaking of breakout backs, perhaps no running back anywhere in the state had a better day than what Legend’s Bryce Vaz had on Saturday.
A shoulder injury took Connor Eise out of the game and Vaz stepped up in a big way, running the ball 31 times for 310 yards and scoring six touchdowns along the way. That performance led the Titans (7-0) to a 56-35 win over Fairview in the quarterfinals.
“I’ve just been waiting for my opportunity,” Vaz said. “I couldn’t play varsity as a sophomore because of transfer rules and I’ve been waiting for my chance. I was always with the running backs, but I’m a receiver. I’ve been asking to get some running back reps and I got my chance and proved myself.”
Vaz played his freshman year at Valor Christian but transferred to Legend as a sophomore. When the final gun sounded on Legend’s win, he knew he was getting a chance to take the field against his old team and prove what he is truly capable of.
“I’ve been waiting for this game since I left,” Vaz said. “This is my state championship game.”
Legend will be playing in its first state semifinal in program history. The Eagles return to the semifinals after getting bounced out of last year’s playoffs in the quarterfinals.
