Cherry Creek overcomes first half shutout to win 5A football championship

FORT COLLINS – With seven consecutive trips to the Class 5A state championship game, Cherry Creek is no stranger to big moments and high pressure. What is foreign, however, is a large and looming zero next to their logo at halftime.

Despite leading rusher Jayden Fox leaving with an ankle injury early in the third quarter and a Legend defense hammering quarterback Brady Vodicka, the Bruins found unlikely success in freshman Elijah Cromwell, whose two touchdowns after halftime lifted Cherry Creek to 13-10 victory Saturday at Canvas Stadium.

Cromwell was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player after rushing for 100 yards on 17 carries, most of which came after halftime.

“I feel like I had to set the momentum,” Cromwell said. “Nothing was really going. We didn’t have time and we were arguing at each other. I just told everybody to calm down and we got things to work on.”

After Cherry Creek’s opening drive of the second half stalled out, the Bruins forced a three-and-out on Legend’s first drive after the break. From there, Fox ripped off two medium runs before ceding to Cromwell, who rushed for 15 yards, then capped the surge with a 2-yard touchdown where he completed what he said was a planned hurdle into the end zone, cleanly jumping over Legend defenders.

The Bruins forced a fumble on the next drive — recovered by Ashton Shepardson — which gave the offense a short field. Cromwell rewarded the momentum change with a 9-yard touchdown run that gave Cherry Creek the lead for good. The Bruins are now 5-2 during their state championship run and are winners of five of the past six titles in the largest classification.

Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan said penalties hampered the team in the first half, but added that the initial score from Cromwell got the team going. He said the freshman backup was crucial to securing the win after Fox left the game despite Legend’s hard-nosed play.

“Everybody else talked about us being prohibitive favorites,” Logan said. “I thought that was just nonsense. They were a really good team. So, I’m proud of my kids for finding a way back.”

The first strike from Legend came on Carson Flowers’ 34-yard field goal with 7:04 left in the first quarter. The second was more electric, with quarterback Nicholas Farely holding onto an option keeper, floating back to the left side of the pocket, absorbing a crushing hit that briefly sidelined him and lofting a 33-yard touchdown to Ryken Banks. The touchdown put the Titans up 10-0 with 7:57 until half, an advantage they’d carry into the break.

Between the gutsy play of Farely, intense edge pressure from Raymond Bergner and Brody Shuss, and the overall quality displayed by the Titans, it was still a banner night in the program’s first state championship appearance since its founding in 2008.

Farely went 14-for-24 through the air for 124 yards against arguably the most talent-laden secondary in the state.

Bergner and Shuss each finished with multiple sacks, some of the eight tackles made behind the line of scrimmage by the Titans.

Above all, Legend coach Monte Thelen said he was proud of his team.

“We knew they were going to come out and try to bloody our nose a little bit running the football,” Thelen said. “A couple turnovers in the second half were big and they usually are in these types of games. But it’s nothing but positive at Legend High School. We’re super proud of squad and this doesn’t define us. Our effort defines us and we played with a great deal of effort.”