There are at least five good reasons why Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) could repeat its 2019 5A state championship high school football season. The Bruins are the No. 1 team in the MaxPreps Colorado 2020 preseason rankings.
After a tumultuous offseason due to the coronavirus pandemic, the season finally gets going this week throughout the state.
Cherry Creek boasts at least five Division I college prospect in 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end
Gunnar Helm; wide receiver
Chase Penry (6-1, 185); defensive end
Arden Walker (6-4, 245); cornerback
Al Ashford III (6-1, 170); and center
Gus Zilinskas (6-3, 265).
Almost one-third of Helm's 25 catches last season went for touchdowns as he hauled in eight with a 14.8 yards-per-catch average. A terrific all-around athlete, Helm also filled in at quarterback. He has 28 offers, but on July 27 committed to the University of Texas.
Also a standout basketball player, Walker has piled up 126 career tackles with eight sacks. He has 19 offers and appears to be choosing between Colorado, Michigan, Texas, Texas A&M and UCLA.
The Bruins also return quarterback
Julian Hammond, who threw for 2,354 yards last season and 28 touchdowns. He led an offense that averaged 36.3 points per game last season. Cherry Creek was even better on defense, giving up 9.3 points per game.
Other defending state champions that made the Top 25 rankings are No. 5 Pine Creek-Colorado Springs (4A), No. 6 Palmer Ridge-Monument (3A) and No. 14 Limon (1A).
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch), the most dominant program over the last decade, begins the season at No. 4. The Eagles, 10-2 a year ago, have won seven state crowns since 2010.
Pine Creek, led by Iowa State-bound safety
Beau Freyler, has won four state titles in the last decade.
The state's top senior recruit, quarterback
Jake Rubley, plays for No. 10 Highlands Ranch
. The Kansas State-bound standout completed 318-for-574 for 3,892 yards and 39
touchdowns with just 14 interceptions in 26 career games.
Colorado high school football rankings1.
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village), 14-0 in 2019
2.
Pomona (Arvada), 8-5
3.
Regis Jesuit (Aurora), 11-1
4.
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch), 10-2
5.
Pine Creek (Colorado Springs), 13-1
6.
Palmer Ridge (Monument), 12-2
7.
Grandview (Aurora), 8-3
8.
Ralston Valley (Arvada), 12-1
9.
Fairview (Boulder), 10-2
10.
Highlands Ranch, 5-7
11.
Broomfield, 13-1
12.
Columbine (Littleton), 11-3
13.
Cherokee Trail (Aurora), 8-4
14.
Limon, 11-2
15.
Pueblo South (Pueblo), 12-2
16.
Dakota Ridge (Littleton), 10-3
17.
Ponderosa (Parker), 8-4
18.
Legend (Parker), 9-3
19.
Montrose, 10-2
20.
Durango, 8-4
21.
Pueblo West (Pueblo West, Colo.), 11-2
22.
ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch), 7-5
23.
Skyline (Longmont), 8-3
24.
Strasburg, 12-1
25.
Vista PEAK Prep (Aurora), 10-1
Texas-bound tight end Gunnar Helm, of Cherry Creek, in last year's 5A state championship game against Columbine.
File photo by Theodore Stark
