The final weekend of the high school football season is upon us, with championships in four classifications being competed Saturday. Among the field, only one defending champion remains – Mullen.
There will be doubleheaders at two sites in the metro area. In the 11 a.m. game at Invesco Field at Mile High, Longmont (11-2) and Heritage (12-1) will meet for the Class 4A title, with Mullen (13-0) and Pomona (12-1) to follow at 2:30 p.m. for the 5A crown.
At Legacy Stadium in Aurora (located on the campus of Cherokee Trail High School), Faith Christian (13-0) and Kent Denver (11-2) will settle matters in Class 2A, beginning at 11 a.m. Steamboat Springs and Valor Christian will each put their 13-0 mark on the line to decide the 3A championship, which is set for 2:30 p.m.
Here’s a look at each title game:
Class 5A
This marks Mullen’s ninth appearance in the championship, while this will be the fifth for Pomona. The Mustangs beat Cherry Creek 20-16 last year, winning their fifth title. Mullen, coached by Dave Logan, is in the title game for the fifth time in six seasons.
Pomona has one title to its credit, beating Montbello in 1988. They have lost twice to Cherry Creek in the championship games, 1983 and 1986. Their other loss was to Boulder in 1992.
Pomona, coached by Jay Madden, was at full speed in the semifinals, as the Panthers completely overwhelmed previously unbeaten Fairview 42-26. Quarterback Nathan Grimes passed for 178 yards and a TD and rushed for 167 yards and two more scores. Tyler Pace added 120 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
“We’re clicking and we are mixing it up offensively, running and throwing, and we can play pass defense,” Madden said. “Over the last four or five weeks, we have really gotten better at it. That makes it a lot harder to beat us.
“I don’t know if (Mullen’s) experience makes a big advantage as their kids are pretty used to this,” Madden added. “They have been here a lot. Our kids obviously are not used to this, but glad for the excitement and opportunity. We will probably play harder and better than we have ever played. It’s exciting. Mullen will also play hard, too.”
Grimes (1,751 passing yards, 12 touchdowns; 714 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns) and Pace (1,858 yards, 26 touchdowns) have played key roles all season. They will again have to excel if the Panthers are to stop Mullen. Pace has rushed for 689 yards and eight TDs in the playoffs.
The Panthers have a solid passing attack as Grimes yardage shows. He has connected 45 times for 876 yards to Drew Ebner, who caught seven passes for 120 yards against Fairview. Cody Morton (20 receptions, 519 yards) also is a threat.
“We just have to work hard in practice this week and show it on the field,” Grimes said. “It’s going to be the best experience of our whole lives right now. The key is staying focused, don’t get our minds rattled, don’t get uptight, stay relaxed and have fun.”
The Pomona offense will be severely tested by a Mullen defense that has allowed 56 points all season. The Mustangs also had little trouble beating Arvada West 27-0 in the semifinals, a team that defeated Pomona 31-14 earlier in the season.
Mullen’s defense has been led by Beau Martin (12 sacks) and All-Colorado Nduka Onyeali (6 sacks). The unit has yielded only three touchdowns in the past six games, two in the playoffs.
“We have worked hard since the beginning of the season and hard before in the summer,” said Onyeali, who has narrowed his college choices to Arizona State, Texas Christian, Syracuse and Minnesota. “Pomona is going to be a test. They come at you so many ways.”
The Mullen offense has produced in the postseason, too, particularly junior running back Adonis Ameen Moore. After sitting out the second half in many blowout wins during the regular season, nearly half of his yards (1,498, 21 TDs) have come in four postseason games. Ameen Moore has totaled 735 yards (eight TDs) in the playoffs, including a 256-yard effort against Arvada West.
“I’m glad to be back, we’re all glad to be back,” Ameen Moore said of returning to the championship game. “All the hard work we have put in since June makes it worthwhile. The mentality at Mullen is that we believe we are going to be here every year.”
In addition, starting quarterback Jonny Miller has thrown for 1,164 yards, 12 touchdowns and only three interceptions, while reserve Cyler Miles has passed for an additional 551 yards and eight TDs. No matter who is throwing the ball, the top target is standout Rayshon Williams.
Williams is as good as they come, having caught 41 passes for 692 yards and nine touchdowns. He also is also a solid runner, tacking on an additional six touchdowns on the ground.
“Rayshon is amazing,” Miller said. “He’ll take a simple 6-yard hitch and take it 80 yards, something that every quarterback likes. He kind of pads my stats.”
Pomona will be the decided underdog given Mullen’s performance and stature, but don’t tell that to coach Logan.
“I do not for a minute buy into the David and Goliath thing,” said Logan, who also coached Arvada West and Chatfield to 5A titles. “I know exactly what we are getting into, our kids know, our staff does. They are a very physical team. They can run it, they can throw it and they stop people on defense. I honestly think this will be the toughest team we have faced all year.”
Class 4A
Longmont assured there will be a new champion when it knocked off Wheat Ridge 36-20 in the semifinals. The 11th seed in the brackets, the Trojans fittingly will be playing in their 11th title game. They have won five times, including a three-year run from 1989-91.
Longmont quarterback Jake Johnson, no relation to coach Doug Johnson, has excelled offensively, passing for 2,007 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for 882 yards and 17 touchdowns. His versatility makes him very similar to Heritage quarterback Mitch Griebel, and he figures to be the key to Longmont’s chances.
Running back Jay Knaus has rushed for 859 yards and eight touchdowns, and he also is a top-flight receiver with 32 catches for 324 yards. Daulton Cole leads the receiving corps with 24 catches for 500 yards. Defensively, Matt Cirbo and Matt Thompson have been standouts with six sacks apiece.
“It takes all 11 out on the field to perform, and that does takes some of the pressure off me,” Jake Johnson said. “We rely on each other and I think we’ve had a great team performance. Our tradition is so rich at Longmont, we just what to be able to add to it. The last time Longmont was in the playoffs was1991, and that was the year several of us were born. It’s crazy when you think about it.”
Heritage, coached by Mike Griebel, lost to 5A Columbine in its opener, but has rolled ever since. The Eagles are making their first appearance in the title game.
Heritage is led by quarterback Mitch Griebel (the coach’s son), an All-Colorado selection last year and a two-year all-state product. He has passed for 1,799 yards and 29 touchdowns and has rushed for 1,028 yards and 13 TDs.
“It’s definitely a challenge to stop their passing attack and to contain Griebel when he wants to run,” coach Johnson said. “But the kids have become pretty solid on defense over the past few weeks and I think we’re ready.”
Heritage also has two good running backs in Josh Meyers (843 yards, nine touchdowns) and Blair Zimmerman (538 yards, nine touchdowns). Most important, though, the Eagles have 4A’s top receiver in Shane Opitz, who has 45 receptions for a whopping 938 yards and 22 touchdowns.
The defense has given up a few more points than anticipated this season, but Heritage has been able to call on Zimmerman (106 tackles), Marcus Neal (103 tackles) and Blake Shaffer (98 tackles) to help lead the way. The challenge the Heritage defense faces will be much like its counterparts – find a way to contain an exceptionally versatile quarterback.
“Longmont is a team on the roll and the impression we give them right off the bat is going to be huge,” coach Griebel said. “They are going to come out loaded and ready to go. A fast start on our part, like we have had in our last couple of games, will be important. We have got out of the blocks early and we have do that again.”
Class 3A
This one is going to be interesting, as neither Steamboat Springs, coached by Aaron Finch, nor Valor Christian, coached by Brent Vieselmeyer, have been seriously pressured this season.
This marks only the second appearance by Steamboat Springs in a championship game, while Valor Christian, in only its second season of varsity competition, is in for the first time. Steamboat Springs defeated Buena Vista, 12-0 in 1979.
Steamboat Springs quarterback Austin Hinder and running back Joe Dover have provided one of the finest 1-2 punches in the classification this season. Hinder has passed for 1,777 yards, 23 touchdowns and has rushed for an additional 782 yards, 12 touchdowns. Dover has responded this season with 1,290 yards on the ground and 20 touchdowns. He also has 37 catches out of the backfield for 423 yards.
Jack Spady has been the top receiver for Steamboat, pulling in 49 catches for 868 yards and 11 touchdowns. And when it comes to defense, look no further than Mitch Lekarczyk (112 tackles), Cody Harris (88 tackles), Bryce Mayo (82 stops) and Mitchell Savory (81 tackles) as standouts.
“Our kids bought in to what it takes to win, and they understand this is more than one individual,” Finch said. “We have good athletes this year. We saw that in eighth grade they were going to be pretty good. I watched Joe Dover score in just about every way possible and along with the others, we were excited to see them coming in.
“Austin has been steady in all that he does and together, they make a fine 1-2 punch,” Finch said. “But it’s all the kids. They believe in themselves and want to succeed. Valor’s quarterback, Brock Berglund, is a lot like Austin, just a fine athlete in all he does and he’s only a junior. What coach Vieselmeyer and his staff have done over the past three years is pretty admirable. They are solid and a complete group of athletes.”
Indeed, Berglund has been solid calling the signals for the Eagles. He has passed for 1,889 yards and 26 touchdowns. He has rushed for 794 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.
But Valor doesn’t have the one running back that puts up numbers like Dover. They counter with balance in George Talanoa (391 yards, six touchdowns), Matt Corral (376 yards, one touchdown) and Jared Ward (349 yards, five touchdowns). That nearly equals Dover’s stats.
Defensively, Evan Mori (87 tackles), Andrew Pint (86 tackles), Josh Kamrass (82 tackles) and AJ Isenberg (79 stops) have been difficult to hold back by opposing offensive lines.
“We’ve only seen Steamboat on film and they are worth all the hype,” Vieselmeyer said. “Hinder does a lot well and they have a line that knows how to protect him. Dover is a phenomenal athlete; he just makes plays, and they have that fine receiver in Spady. He’s just a real talent, too.
A key for us is that we have a lot of kids that make us multi-dimensional and a lot of kids we can get the ball into their hands,” Vieselmeyer said. “Our O-line is not that big, but they have outplayed our opponents. These kids get off the ball and open up the holes.”
Berglund said the Eagles are ready for the challenge.
“It just feels great,” Berglund said. “We came together early this season and we’ve been able to run and throw behind our fine line. It makes life a whole lot easier in the backfield with the guys we have up front. I know Austin. I was at (University of Colorado) with him on a visit. He’s a fine guy and a tough opponent. I don’t think either of us had an idea we would be playing against each other this week, but it’s going to be fun and I know we are both looking forward to the game.”
Class 2A
Kent Denver, the seventh seed, certainly has earned its place in the championship game, knocking off two previously undefeated teams (Platte Canyon and 2008 champion Olathe) and the 2008 state runner-up (Erie) to advance. The reward for the Sun Devils is undefeated Faith Christian.
“Faith has one of the best teams they have ever had,” Kent Denver coach Scott Yates said. “They’ve been bigger in the past, but this year very physical for their size. They are a well-oiled machine, not 13-0 for nothing. And, it does make it all the more exciting we are playing for the title this year.”
Kent Denver has won two state titles (1986, 1991), while Faith Christian won its championship in 1998.
“We’ve been knocking on the door to get back in the championship for some time as we‘ve been in the semis six times,” Yates said. “We‘re thankful, we‘re pretty athletic and the kids have come a long ways. At the beginning of the year we might not have believed we would have come this far with not a lot of depth.”
In fact, the preseason didn’t start well for the Sun Devils, when projected starting quarterback Richard Yates (the coach’s son) hurt his knee during the summer basketball season. Yates, only a junior, has played sparingly and could see some action against Faith Christian.
Yates’ injury thrust Matt Florence into the starting role, and he has performed well in passing for 714 yards and 15 TDs. The transition was aided considerably by senior running back Tyler Jackson. All Jackson has done this season is rush for a state-leading 2,771 yards and 34 TDs.
“Tyler does lead all classes in rushing this season, but it’s the whole team who has helped him out,” Yates said. “He would not be an outstanding back if it were not for the holes created by the offensive line. Edwin LeMair at tackle and tight end Cody Autterson have helped lead the guys up front. But they have all done what is necessary to succeed.”
Jackson is excited about the season the Sun Devils have fashioned, coupled with his breakout performance.
“To lead the state in rushing, that’s cool,” Jackson said. “But my teammates are the ones who got me here, so give it to all of us. But leading the state is icing on the cake for me. We’re not in the same league with Faith anymore, and this is the first year we haven’t played them in the regular season, so this is cool we are playing them for the title. Beating Olathe (defending state champions in the quarterfinals) was a real boost to our confidence and a great win for us.”
Faith Christian coach Blair Hubbard said the Eagles are keenly aware of Jackson.
“Jackson will certainly draw the focus of our attention,” Hubbard said. “He is such a fine runner and it takes more than one or two guys to bring him down."
The next challenge figures to be the biggest for Kent Denver, facing a Faith Christian defense that has allowed on 84 points this season (14 in the playoffs). Richard Rush and Andy Anderson have been the leaders as linebackers.
“These young men were only one tackle apart this season and we like to funnel opposing runners in their directions,” Hubbard said. “Up front, we have Micah Applegate, who was all-state on the defensive line last year, as our leader.”
The Faith Christian offense also has been operating at peak efficiency behind quarterback Micah Twedell, who has passed for 1,412 yards and 19 touchdowns. Twedell also has 521 yards rushing. The Eagles manage their spread attack with a balanced running game, led by Derek LePore (651 yards, 11 touchdowns)
and Garrett Bundick (325 yards, five touchdowns).
“We’ve kept (Twedell's) running in our hip pocket,” Hubbard said. “Overall, the kids have risen to the challenge and I think we’re ready to go.”
MaxPreps Colorado editor Gerry Valerio contributed to this report. Follow Valerio on Twitter for Colorado high school sports updates.
