LAKEWOOD — Legend’s flag football team isn’t messing around this season.
A year after coming up a game short of winning the Class 5A state championship, the Titans returned Monday night to Trailblazer Stadium — same field that Mountain Vista defeated Legend 48-26 on Oct. 25, 2025 in the title game — for their season opener against Green Mountain.
“We’ve turned the page and we were just hungry to come back,” Legend coach Darren Pitzner said of the Titans’ opener. “I love our program. I love where we are at. It is hard to replace the amazing seniors we had, but we have players who are hungry to learn. They showed that with their attention to detail tonight.”
Legend showed no ill signs about returning to Trailblazer Stadium. The Titans dominated Green Mountain 46-22.
Legend junior quarterback Addy Law threw three first-half touchdowns. Junior Reagan Steuber and senior Rhys Matoush both had interceptions returned for touchdowns in the second quarter for Legend. The Titans held a 40-6 lead at halftime that induced a running clock for the second half.
“If we don’t make a couple of spectacular defensive plays that went for pick-6s, this probably would have been a one-possession game,” Pitzner said.
Pitzner has some close ties to Green Mountain.
“I love the (Green Mountain) community,” said Pitzner, who was Green Mountain’s girls basketball coach for a handful of years before moving on to take over the girls basketball and eventually the flag football program at Legend.
Green Mountain advanced to the 4A semifinals last season behind quarterback Savannah Plumley and one of the leading receivers in the state in Marissa VanGuilder.
VanGuilder, a junior, caught the Rams’ lone touchdown in the first half. Plumley found VanGuilder twice in the third quarter to start the scoring in the second half. The back-to-back touchdowns cut Legend’s lead to 40-22.
“We can’t worry about the mistakes. Mistakes are going to happen,” Green Mountain coach Joshua Newman said after the loss. “The effort was definitely there in the second half. Their heads were up and we fought.”
VanGuilder had 35 touchdown catches a season ago. She hauled in all three of the Rams’ touchdowns against Legend.
Legend used a hook-and-ladder trick play to open up the fourth quarter and grab the moment away from Green Mountain. Senior Tori Curdie, who opened the scoring with a short touchdown run in the first quarter, took the pitch on the trick play and run into the end zone for the final score.
“We are so lucky to have elite athletes at every spot,” Pitzner said. “It allows us to choose our spots and where we want to attack.”
Legend is coming off a 17-2 record last season with its only two losses coming to 2-time defending 5A state champion Mountain Vista.
“I do feel some pressure because we want to keep the standards high,” Law said. “With the team we’ve got we’ve got the chance to win it all.”
The Rams lost their season opener a year ago to The Classical Academy, who went on to win the 4A state championship. Green Mountain’s first week of action is tough with 5A Ralston Valley and TCA on the docket.
“I like having these tough three games right away,” Newman said. “There is no break. There is no time to sit and mope about this game. It’s time to get back to work.”
