LAKEWOOD – Research projects into the Mountain Vista flag football program will be fun.

The sport is still young in its sanctioning by CHSAA, but these Golden Eagles are (so far) the best there is, the best there was and perhaps the best there ever will be.

For 38 consecutive games – since flag football was sanctioned to start play in 2024 – Mountain Vista has emerged victorious. Saturday’s Class 5A state championship game was no different as the Golden Eagles beat a tough Legend team 48-26 at Trailblazer Stadium.

Too soon to declare this team a dynasty? Perhaps. But when combining the athletic ability of Ariana Akey, Braelynn Looney, Kayleigh Besch and the rest of the roster, it’s tough to imagine what could look better.

Akey is simply the engine the powers the Golden Eagles on offense, and it’s an engine that runs only on premium fuel.

“She’s amazing,” Looney said. “She’s humble. She’s probably the most humble person I’ve ever met and she locks in and you see all of her energy. When she’s locked, we’re all locked.”

On each of her five rushing touchdowns, onlookers in the stands on the sidelines and in the press box stared at each other looking for a proper way to describe her athletic ability. And by the time they all came up with something, she had scored again.

In case anyone dare call her one-dimensional, she threw a touchdown pass in the first half, finding freshman Harper Hofmeir. And each pass has the kind of zip that would even make Marquise Reese – the quarterback of the Golden Eagles boys football team – nod his head in approval.

“When you start running, the pass opens up,” Akey said. “They’ll have to bring two [rushers] and then it’s a numbers game. If they bring two on one quarterback, someone is always open.”

(Dan Mohrmann/ColroadoPreps.com)

But here’s the ultimate kicker: Legend is not a team gets outmatched very easily.

The Titans tied the game on a great pass from Madi Smolen that got over three defenders and was hauled in by Lucy Thompson.

The Golden Eagles regained the lead on Akey’s pass to Hofmeir. Legend bounced back with a Smolen touchdown pass to Presli Easley, but that’s when Akey’s legs created distance. Both from the defenders on the field and the Titans on the scoreboard.

In total, she ran for five scores and threw for two, the second of which went to Looney for Vista’s final score. Senior to senior. Baller to baller.

“Growing with [the seniors] as a team has been huge,” Akey said. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

As the Golden Eagles were handed the championship trophy, a loud voice kept screaming “Thirty eight in a row.”

It was a reminder from assistant coach Garrett Looney that this team has set a standard of greatness very early in flag football’s infancy.

Two different teams with very similar results.

“We’re both great teams,” Braelynn Looney insists.

How do the championships of those two teams compare?

“Two-peating is harder than winning state,” she says with a grin.

But these Golden Eagles make it all look so easy.

(Dan Mohrmann/ColroadoPreps.com)