Coach Brent Vieselmeyer is the first to say that it’s "been a whirlwind of a season" for his Valor Christian football team.
Valor Christian, located in Highlands Ranch, is in its second year of varsity competition, but heads into the first round in the Class 3A state playoffs as the No. 2 seed. The Eagles won the Metro League title with a 10-0 record and will host Canon City (6-4), the No. 15 seed. To win that title, the Eagles needed a hard fought 22-20 victory against D’Evelyn last week.
"We had 29 kids when we started and now we are up to 90," Vieselmeyer said. "We have had a great growth process and a lot is based on what we do at school. We really value teaching the students about being leaders in spiritual and academic growth. Our athletics have been a very fine byproduct. We only have seven seniors this year and they have all done an incredible job."
Indeed. Valor Christian has been strong on both sides of the football, scoring 378 points this season while giving up only 105.
Junior quarterback Brock Berglund (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) has had a sterling season, passing for 1,400 yards and 20 touchdowns. He is also the team’s leading rusher with 536 yards. He missed the D’Evelyn game because of injury, though, and hopes are high he will be back in the lineup against Canon City. Vieselmeyer moved receiver Mike Miller into the quarterback slot.
"Brock is certainly a leader and a big part of the offense," Vieselmeyer said. "He can run, throw and makes the good decisions out there, but we're pleased that a quality player like Mike can step in and get the job done, too. He is very capable and can actually play anywhere on the field."
Miller has accounted for 15 touchdowns, and he was more than ready to step in and take the snaps when Berglund went down.
"We have all worked hard to attain our goals and the teammates around me have been very supportive," Miller said. "We just want to play well and hope to be champions. It’s been a great year and it‘s great to be in the playoffs. But we know we have to just take it one game at a time and not look ahead."
Dan Ramirez, a bulky 6-foot-3, 275-pound two-way lineman, has been one of the key performers up front. At linebacker, sophomores A.J. Isenberg and Andrew Pint have had a banner seasons.
"It’s a Sunday-school answer, but I want to play well for Jesus and the team," Ramirez said. "I just want to give all I’ve got on each play. It’s mostly mental, but we’re all in this to play hard and win. Up front, the guys want to win the battles."
Isenberg (5-8, 175), the No. 3 tackler on the team with 71 stops, gives a lot of credit to the defensive line and to assistant coach and former Regis Jesuit all-stater Shaun Coleman. Pint is the No. 2 tackler for the Eagles with 72. The leader is Josh Kamrass with 75.
"We’ve had a great defensive line that gets a good push," Isenberg said. "Work in the weight room has been key and we’ve had a lot of help and gain confidence from coach Coleman, too. He’s done a lot for us, just a wonderful job and gives us a lot of confidence. Game-by-game, that’s the only way we can go."
Eaglecrest shakes up 5A brackets
Eaglecrest pulled off what might be considered the biggest upset of the first round in the Class 5A playoffs last week. Unexpected, or was it really?
Devin Murphy, Eaglecrest
File photo by Patrick Miller
Eaglecrest, coached by Tom Doherty, knocked out No. 4-seeded Fort Collins, 32-26. With the victory, the Raptors made some history in the large-school playoffs as the lowest-seeded team to beat a top-five team since the 32-team format was introduced by the Colorado High School Activities Association.
Eaglecrest, 5-5, came into the playoffs as the 29th seed. But Doherty was quick to point out that his Raptors play in the Centennial League, and that‘s pretty tough competition each week. Now, they will face Regis (6-4), a team seeded No. 20 that knocked off No. 11 Ponderosa 34-13.
"I’m a history teacher so that’s good to know," Doherty said. "I can’t say I was really surprised by the way we played against Fort Collins. We play in the Centennial and that’s a league with tough teams throughout. Regis will be a challenge and we won‘t be looking past them. They were a lower seed, too. We’re excited and happy to be moving on."
What might be one of the biggest keys to success for the Raptors is the return of Marquis Coleman to the lineup at quarterback. For the four games before Fort Collins, Coleman had been putting in time at receiver and defensive back. Coleman rushed for 129 yards and scored two touchdowns against Fort Collins to improve his rushing yardage to 336 for the season. As a quarterback, he has passed for 491 yards.
"Marquis has been playing wide receiver and defensive back and doing a good job," Doherty said. "But we realized the need for him to have the ball in his hands every single snap. He didn’t miss any games; he just didn’t play at quarterback. He is an impact player at quarterback."
Eaglecrest has also been getting good play at tailback from Devin Murphy, and C.J. Morgan has been productive in the slot. Murphy has rushed for 601 yards, while Morgan has accounted for 311 yards on the ground. Morgan leads the team in receiving with 16 receptions for 463 yards and four touchdowns.
"Devin is a good strong runner and blocker," Doherty said. "C.J. is one of the fastest players on the team and has a high ratio of touchdown catches to receptions. He had the winning catch against Fort Collins."
Defensively, Doherty points to defensive backs Aaron Swift, a three-year starter, and Corey Johnson, as players with speed who can cover a lot of ground quickly. Johnson is the leading tackler on the team. Yet, one of the biggest surprises has been the play of Aramari Jackson at middle linebacker.
"Aramari just seemed to come out of nowhere," Doherty said. "He was a running back last year on the junior varsity team. But now he is one of our top three tacklers. His improvement has been vast."
Regis scored three touchdowns in the second quarter for a 21-0 halftime lead against Ponderosa and then added two more in the third quarter to salt the game. Quarterback Davis Brendel threw two touchdown passes, and running back Marcus Walker scored two second-half touchdowns for the Raiders.
"I think Regis is someway similar to Fort Collins," Doherty pointed out. "They are strong on their offensive and defensive lines. They like to run the football and grind it out, then let their defense win the games for them. We are more of a big-play team, and our kids are athletic and fast."
Games of the Week
Class 5A:
Fairview (10-0) at Grandview (6-4), Friday.
Grandview beat No. 15 seed Rangeview 31-7 in its playoff opener, while Fairview advanced with a harder-than-expected 21-7 victory against No. 31 seeded Grand Junction Central. Oft-injured Ryan Tasker is coming into shape for Grandview, and his two touchdowns runs and 147 yards rushing helped pave the way for the Wolves. Defense will have to come into play when these former Centennial League foes battle. For Grandview, two of the main tasks will be stopping the Tucker Tharp, who has rushed for 1,145 yards, and quarterback Ben Schumacher, who has passed for 1,313. In addition, Knights standout Ken Bell is returning to form after missing most of the season because of injury. Bell caught two touchdown passes last week.
Class 4A:
Standley Lake (8-2) at Montrose (9-1), Saturday.
Standley Lake is making its first appearance in the playoffs in school history. The Gators have been on the cusp often over the past few years and hope to make the best of their inaugural appearance. Brandon Lechuga, who has rushed for 421 yards, Jay Sawicki (326 yards), and Jay Polachek (227-yards) have seen the most action in the team’s balanced running attack. Montrose has been paced by running back Jordan Passehl, who has rushed for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Montrose’s only loss came to Rock Canyon (40-34), while Standley Lake fell to Ralston Valley (21-7) and Monarch (35-14).
Class 3A:
Delta (8-2) at D’Evelyn (8-2), Saturday.
D’Evelyn is led by the classification’s leading passer, Caleb Flack, who has thrown for 2,444 yards and 25 touchdowns. No doubt the Delta secondary is going to be tested in this one. Connor Davis, with 52 receptions for 740 yards and six touchdowns, and Mark Neeley (45 receptions, 890 yards, seven touchdowns), have been the main targets for Flack. Quarterback Austin Watson and running back Michael Patton have had solid seasons for the Panthers.
Class 2A:
Aspen (8-2) at Pagosa Springs (7-3), Saturday.
This is the type of game that can always draw attention, as it features the classification's second-leading running back, Nicky Ufkes of Aspen going up against the classification’s leading passer, Taylor Shaffer of Pagosa Springs. Shaffer has passed for 2,175 yards and 22 touchdowns and has been intercepted only three times, while Ufkes has rushed for 2,024 yards and 22 touchdowns. Aspen’s only losses this season have been to unbeaten Hotchkiss (21-13) and undefeated and defending state champion Olathe (52-26).
Class A:
Hotchkiss (10-0) at Limon (9-1), Saturday.
It’s going to be long trip for Hotchkiss, from the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains, to play against Limon. Hotchkiss quarterback Ryan Spor has excelled this season passing and running the football. He’s accounted for 690 yards and seven touchdowns passing and an additional 630 yards and six touchdowns rushing. Tyler Hansen and Jaime Rodriguez have paced the running game rushing for 846 and 720 yards, respectively. Not be outdone, though, is Limon quarterback Matt Brown, who has thrown for 1,209 yards, 12 touchdowns and also leads the Badgers in rushing (793 yards, 15 touchdowns). Jerome King is second in rushing (690 yards), but leads the team in pass receptions. Limon’s loss was to Akron, 31-14.
Class A 8-Man:
Merino (10-0) at Caliche (8-2), Saturday.
This is a battle of next-door neighbors and it always draws attention, especially when the playoffs are in the picture. The two met in the semifinals last season, a game that Merino won 24-6. Not only that, but the Buffs also lost to Merino, 39-6, in Week 5 of this season. Caliche’s other loss was to defending champion Dayspring Christian, 48-14, following the loss to Merino. Quarterback Corey Stumpf and backs Aaron Stieb and Thyson Weingardt have helped pace Caliche. Blair Desanti, Wyatt Barber, Cody Propst and Austin Fritzler have been standouts for Merino.
Class A 6-Man:
Eads (7-2) at Hi-Plains (9-1), Saturday.
It will be a battle of state champions, so to speak, when Eads and Hi-Plains tangle. Eads won the state title in 2007, while Hi-Plains is the defending champion. This will be the second time they have played this season, with Hi-Plains winning a close encounter 48-32 during the regular season. Running back Kraig Tagtmeyer has been a sparkplug for Hi-Plains, rushing for 853 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns, while Cory Arnold has chipped in with 433 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns. Charlie Johnson leads Eads in passing with 807 yards and 12 touchdowns. Bert Gutierrez (558 yards) and Taylor Reed (467 yards) have aided the running game.
