This foursome has eyes only for prize
Creek-Valor rematch highlights championship Saturday
While most of us are looking forward to a feast Thursday, four football teams have jumped ahead to Saturday, when state championships will be on the line at SportsAuthority Field at Mile High.
First up, top-seeded Pine Creek will look to defend its Class 4A title against No. 7 Longmont at 11 a.m.
Then, in a battle of Colorado prep titans, Valor Christian will try to make it six championships in a row when it faces Cherry Creek for the Class 5A crown at 2:30 p.m.
“It’s a great feeling just knowing that I’m going to play my last high school game at the biggest stage,” Cherry Creek senior running back Milo Hall said.
Cherry Creek (10-3), which is in the powerful Centennial League along with Valor Christian (10-3), beat the Eagles 33-17 in October.
But Bruins coach Dave Logan knows his team is in for a battle.
Said Logan: “Valor is an extremely talented team. … We’ll have to play the best gameof the season on Saturday.”
In Class 4A, Longmont (10-3) coach Doug Johnson, who grew up just blocks away from the high school, said the city is excited about what his team has already accomplished.
“There’s something special for the community to come out and root for these guys,” Johnson said.
Pine Creek (13-0) coach Todd Miller has led his team to three of the past four 4A title games — it lost in the 2011 4A game to Valor Christian in the Eagles’ fi- nal season at that level.
“It’s been fun to get on this ride for the last two years and see them grow,” said Miller, the 2013 Denver Post All-Colorado coach of the year.
Senior defensive back Avery Anderson, who has been coached by Miller for four years, said he’s looking forward to stepping back on the field one final time before his high school career ends.
“It’s different being a senior, obviously—(you’re) the oldest guys on the team, the younger guys looking up to you,” said Anderson, who committed to play for Nebraska. “They know you’ve been here before. … We’re excited to get on the field.”