GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Cherry Creek played like they had been there before -- because they had, three-consecutive years prior. All of that experience in 5A state semifinal games paid off, when the Bruins rattled off 38 unanswered points through three quarters of work, en route to a 48-14 rout of the Legend Titans and a ticket to their fourth-consecutive 5A state championship game.
Ky Oday started his big day for the Bruins with a 45-yard touchdown off of a screen pass from Christian Hammond on Cherry Creek's first drive of the game.
Carlson Tann, the junior running back, got plenty of work on the Saturday matinee. With four minutes remaining in the 1st quarter, he punched in a short rushing touchdown from three yards out to give Cherry Creek a 14-0 lead.
One of the highlights of the game came from an averted disaster in the second quarter. Creek's Arion Boyd fumbled the football on the two-yard-line, but it landed right in the hands of his offensive tackle George Fitzpatrick. The Ohio State commit cashed in on the play, putting his Bruins up 21-0.
Hammond showed off his big arm later in the second quarter, when he stood on his own 20-yard-line and launched a pass 55-yards through the air. He hit Oday in stride, burning the Titan cornerback, and turning it into an 80-yard touchdown pass. The pass-and-catch was Hammond and Oday's second of the game, giving the Bruins a gigantic 28-0 lead at the half.
Cherry Creek started with the football to begin the third quarter, but only put a field goal on the board. Boden Page connected from 40 yards out to extend the lead to 31-0.
If that wasn't enough, Tann took care of business with an 82-yard touchdown run to cap off the third quarter at 38-0.
Legend finally fired back in the fourth quarter with a trick play. Quarterback Colton Warner pitched it back to the senior running back star Bryce Vaz, who showed off his arm on the play. Vaz tossed it up to Brecken Reiser, who brought it in for the touchdown, taking away the shutout at 38-7. It was the only touchdown for Vaz on the day.
On the ensuing kickoff, Oday fielded the kick at his own goal line and returned it 100 yards for his third and final touchdown.
After the 45-7 silencer, Legend quarterback Warner put one more score on the board with a touchdown pass to Carter Helfrich.
Page added one more field goal, as the Cherry Creek bruins won 48-14.
Cherry Creek will match up with Valor Christian for the third time in four years. Valor won the 2018 5A State Championship 24-14, Cherry Creek won the ensuing year with a victory over Columbine 35-10, and then subsequently beat Valor 21-0 in Pueblo in 2020.
The CHSAA 5A State Football Championship kicks off at 2:30 December 4 at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.
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