How semifinals played out in Class 5A, 4A and 3A
CLASS 5A
No. 1 Valor beat No. 4 Grandview, 37-6. The Eagles (13-0) advanced to a championship game rematch with Cherry Creek, the programs’ third title game meeting in four years, behind the legs of four-star running back Gavin Sawchuk and a secret weapon on offense.
Sawchuk had touchdown runs of 8, 10 and 2 yards in the first half, and Jordan Norwood added rushing scores of 2 and 3 yards in the runaway victory. Norwood, a Liberty recruit, entered the game with just one carry on the season, but now appears to be another offensive threat for an Eagles team that’s had little trouble scoring. QB Liam Szarka gave Grandview a glimmer of hope in the second quarter with a 29-yard scoring run that pulled the Wolves (10-3) within eight points, but that was all they could muster.
No. 2 Cherry Creek beat No. 3 Legend, 48-14 . The two-time defending 5A champion Bruins (11-2) clinched their fourth straight trip to the title game with a command performance against the Titans. QB Christian Hammond connected on two touchdown passes to Ky Oday, who also had a 99-yard kick return TD, and future Ohio State offensive lineman George Fitzpatrick even got in on the act with a 2-yard TD after recovering a fumble. A Titans offense that came into Saturday averaging 37.3 points per game was held scoreless until the fourth quarter, when Bryce Vaz found Brecken Reiser on a halfback pass. Legend (11-2), which tacked one one more score after that, fell in the 5A semifinals for the second straight season.
CLASS 4A
No. 5 Erie beat No. 1 Montrose, 2928. Blake Barnett ran for a touchdown, threw for another and scored on a two-point conversion in the final five minutes to send Erie (13-0) to the 4A title game for the second time in five seasons. The sophomore quarterback got the Tigers on board early with a 15-yard TD pass to Aidan Achtziger before Montrose (12-1) took control with four of the game’s next five TDS.
Running back Blake Griffin scored the last two on 1- and 5-yard runs to give Montrose a 28-14 lead early in the fourth. But Barnett kick-started the improbable comeback after he found the end zone from a yard out with just 4:02 remaining. The Tigers then recovered the subsequent onside kick, Jaylen Klickna hauled in a 10yard TD pass to pull Erie within a point, and Barnett ran in the gamewinning conversion. Montrose’s desperation drive was squelched
when Caleb Theisen recovered a fumble on the next possession.
No. 7 Chatfield beat No. 3 Pine Creek, 28-21.
Jake Marschall scored from 2 yards out with 33 seconds remaining, his second touchdown of the game, to lift the Chargers (10-3) to their first 4A title game trip in 20 years. Running back Zion Hill put Pine Creek ahead 21-14 with 41 seconds left in the first half on the second of his two rushing touchdowns. But the Chatfield defense held the Eagles (10-3) scoreless in the final two quarters. Freshman Brock Narva found the end zone on a 15-yard run with 8:31 left in the third quarter as the Chargers knotted the score at 21, where it remained until Marschall’s heroics secured Chatfield’s second straight upset of a top-three seed.
CLASS 3A
No. 5 Mead beat No. 1 Roosevelt, 38-20. The Mavericks scored 31 straight points between the second and fourth quarters to turn a 14-7 deficit into a stunning upset for the program’s first-ever trip to the 3A title game. Gavin Garrettson got the run started with a touchdown pass to Sean Medlock that tied the game at 14-all just before the halftime break. Medlock put the Mavs (10-2) ahead with a long scoring run early in the third quarter, and Evan Morris and Garrettson sandwiched TD runs around a field goal as Mead avenged a 37-7 loss to Roosevelt (12-1) on Oct. 8 and denied the Roughriders’ bid for a second straight 3A championship game appearance.
No. 3 Fort Morgan beat No. 2 Lutheran, 23-21.
Brandon Marquez kicked three field goals, including the game-winner with 1:03 to go, and Frank Ortega’s interception on the ensuing Lutheran drive sealed it, as the Mustangs secured their first title game trip in 13 years. Ortega and Briggs Wheatley scored touchdowns to give Fort Morgan (111) a 14-7 lead after one quarter. Lutheran QB Clayton Jacobs ran in a touchdown with 7:50 left in the third quarter, then found Ryan Allen for a TD to put the Lions (12-1) ahead 2120 just before the fourth. But the Fort Morgan defense stood tall after that, holding Lutheran under 35 points for the first time all season.