After-Action Report: Erie at Broomfield Semifinal
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#11 Erie (9-5) at #2 Broomfield (13-0) Final Score: 36-32 Broomfield The semifinal game between the Broomfield Eagles and Erie Tigers was a clash of two rivals with an unforgettable ending. The Tigers started with the ball and drove down…
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Continue Reading#11 Erie (9-5) at #2 Broomfield (13-0)
Final Score: 36-32 Broomfield
The semifinal game between the Broomfield Eagles and Erie Tigers was a clash of two rivals with an unforgettable ending.
The Tigers started with the ball and drove down the field for a touchdown on a run by Gavin Lusk Gavin Lusk RB Erie | 2025 State CO (2025 RB) with a little over six minutes left in the first quarter. The Eagles responded immediately with a scoring drive that was capped with a rushing touchdown by Luke Francis Luke Francis RB Broomfield | 2023 State CO (2023 RB) with 2:25 left in the quarter. After a couple of possession changes, Broomfield attempted a field goal that was blocked by Southern Utah commit Caden Lettis Caden Lettis 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR Erie | 2023 State CO (2023 WR) early in the second quarter.
The Tigers used that spark to put together a drive that ended with a successful field goal by Caleb Harner Caleb Harner K Erie | 2023 CO (2023 K/P) with just over four minutes left to play in the first half. Broomfield’s following drive showed real promise until Erie’s Blake Barnett Blake Barnett 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB Erie | 2024 State CO (2024 QB/ATH) had a touchdown-saving tackle and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Tigers. With 2:41 left in the half, Erie’s offense put together a drive that ended with a touchdown pass connection between Barnett and Ronin Ward Ronin Ward ATH Erie | 2025 State CO (2025 QB/ATH) with nine seconds left on the clock.
The second half of the game is when Broomfield came alive on offense. The Eagles’ opening drive of the second quarter ended with a touchdown run by Wisconsin commit Cole LaCrue Cole LaCrue 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB Broomfield | 2023 State CO (2023 QB), bringing the score to 17-14 in favor of Erie. LaCrue would score two more unanswered rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, giving the Eagles their first lead of the game with a score of 28-25 at the end of the quarter.
The Tigers opened the fourth quarter with a touchdown connection between Barnett and Donovan O’Brien (2025 WR), followed by a two-point conversion pass caught by Kaveh Meredith Kaveh Meredith WR Erie | 2024 State CO (2024 WR) to bring the score to 28-25 in favor of the Eagles. Broomfield responded with a drive that was capped off with another rushing touchdown by LaCrue with 6:57 left to play in the game. The Eagles converted their own two-point attempt on a run by Canon Juarez Canon Juarez ATH Broomfield | 2023 State CO (2023 CB/WR), extending Broomfield’s lead to 36-25 over the Tigers. Erie only needed 42 seconds to respond with a score on a passing connection between Barnett and Lettis, cutting Broomfield’s lead down to four points.
With 6:15 seconds left in the game, the Eagles’ offense took the field intending to run out as much clock as possible to keep Erie’s explosive offense on the sideline. After a few successful runs and two first downs, Broomfield was forced to punt the ball to the Tigers with around two minutes left on the clock. A bad punt gave Barnett and company the ball with excellent field position, and the Tigers took advantage.
Erie put together what looked like an unstoppable drive that landed them just yards away from the goal line with mere seconds left to play against a defense that had struggled with stopping Barnett for most of the second half. The final play was a quarterback keeper where it looked like Barnett would punch the ball in, but Gionni Toledo Gionni Toledo 6'2" | 185 lbs | DB Broomfield | 2025 State CO (2025 S) made a devastating hit that forced the ball loose and into the arms of another Eagles defender.
Broomfield’s offense took a knee the very next play to win the game and stamp their spot in the 4A state championship game against Loveland at Empower Field at Mile High, the home to the Denver Broncos.