Road to State: 5A Finals Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>#1 Cherry Creek (11-2) vs. #2 Valor Christian (11-2) | Saturday, December 3rd | 2:30 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The road to the 5A state championship game for the 2022 season had its fair share of twists, turns, and speedbumps, but the final destination looks all too familiar. For the third consecutive year, the battle for the championship title will be fought between the Valor Christian Eagles and the Cherry Creek Bruins, the three-time reigning state champions. The Bruins defeated the Eagles 21-0 in both of their most recent encounters, but this will be a different Valor Christian team than Cherry Creek has seen in the past.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Valor Christian entered this season with a new head coach, making him the third coach to take the Eagles to the championship game in the last five seasons. Coach Bret McGatlin took over the program following the 2021 season, where he led the Chatfield Chargers to a 4A state championship. Chatfield's 2021 state title win under Coach McGatlin is the first championship the program has won since 2001 under Coach Dave Logan, Cherry Creek's current head coach. There was a strong belief among many that Coach McGatlin and the Eagles would not reach the championship game in his first year, a belief that Valor Christian never bought into themselves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The trip to Empower Field at Mile High will be the Bruins' fifth-straight appearance in the state final and fourth time competing against the Eagles. The Bruins have a winning record of 2-1 against the Eagles in the finals, and they will be looking to add another to the win column on Saturday en route to a fourth-straight championship win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>Top Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both programs have a history of producing top-tier talent who have gone on to play at the highest levels in college. This year's rosters are no different, meaning there will be no shortage of players with elite potential taking the field on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Cherry Creek Bruins:</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='62241' first='Blake' last='Purchase'] </strong>| 2023 EDGE | Oregon commit | <a href="https://twitter.com/BlakePurchase?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@BlakePurchase</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150256' first='Chase' last='Brackney']</strong> | 2023 DT | Iowa commit | <a href="https://twitter.com/ChaseBrackney2?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@ChaseBrackney2</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='62213' first='Logan' last='Brantley']</strong> | 2023 OLB/SS | Kansas commit | <a href="https://twitter.com/LoganBrantley4?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@LoganBrantley4</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='149311' first='Hank' last='Zilinskas'] </strong>| 2023 C/IOL | Colorado commit | <a href="https://twitter.com/HankZilinskas?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@HankZilinskas</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='22761' first='Ismael' last='Cisse']</strong> | 2023 WR | <a href="https://twitter.com/IsmaelCisse_?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@IsmaelCisse_</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='376559' first='Javion' last='Smith-Combs']</strong> | 2023 DE/EDGE | <a href="https://twitter.com/combs_javion?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@Combs_Javion</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='22757' first='Carlson' last='Tann']</strong> | 2023 RB | <a href="https://twitter.com/TannBubba?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@TannBubba</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150151' first='Ben' last='Lastrella'] </strong>| 2023 OL | <a href="https://twitter.com/BenLastrella?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@BenLastrella</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150149' first='Taki' last='Dadiotis']</strong> | 2023 OL | <a href="https://twitter.com/TakiDadiotis?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@TakiDadiotis</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='289492' first='Braylen' last='Warren']</strong> | 2023 DB | <a href="https://twitter.com/braylen_warren_?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@Braylen_Warren_</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='246905' first='Max' last='Rodriguez']</strong> | 2023 TE | <a href="https://twitter.com/maxrxdriguez?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@maxrxdriguez</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='323104' first='Maxwell' last='Parrott'] </strong>| 2024 OT | <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxParrott1?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@MaxParrott1</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251220' first='Angelo' last='Petrides']</strong> | 2024 LB | <a href="https://twitter.com/AngeloPetrides2?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@AngeloPetrides2</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='259298' first='Jordan' last='Herron']</strong> | 2024 RB | <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanHerron_?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@JordanHerron_</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232189' first='Aiden' last='Knapke']</strong> | 2025 FS | <a href="https://twitter.com/AidenKnapke?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@AidenKnapke</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='212239' first='Brady' last='Vodicka']</strong> | 2026 QB | <a href="https://twitter.com/BradyVodicka07?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@BradyVodicka07</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>Valor Christian Eagles:</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='62247' first='Trey' last='Stott']</strong> | 2023 FS/RB | <a href="https://twitter.com/treystott?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@TreyStott</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='189119' first='Brody' last='Bliek']</strong> | 2023 DT | <a href="https://twitter.com/BliekBrody?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@bliekbrody</a><br><strong>Rowdy Beers</strong> | 2023 TE/DE | <a href="https://twitter.com/RowdyBeers_88?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@RowdyBeers_88</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='490116' first='Ty' last='Barwind']</strong> | 2023 OL | <a href="https://twitter.com/BarwindTy?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@BarwindTy</a> <br><strong>Gavin Bibik</strong> | 2023 FS | <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinBibik?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@GavinBibik</a><br><strong>Winston McBride</strong> | 2023 OL/DL | <a href="https://twitter.com/Winstonmcbride5?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@WinstonMcBride5</a><br><strong>Roman Bradley</strong> | 2023 MLB | <a href="https://twitter.com/romanbradley241?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@RomanBradley241</a><br><strong>Owen Downing</strong> | 2023 DL | <a href="https://twitter.com/OwenDowning5?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@OwenDowning5</a><br><strong>Jeremy Claycamp</strong> | 2023 K | Grove City College commit | <a href="https://twitter.com/jclaycamp10?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@jclaycamp10</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='146073' first='Alexander' last='Jordan']</strong> | 2024 DE/TE | <a href="https://twitter.com/Alex_Jordan87?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@Alex_Jordan87</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143630' first='Gabe' last='Sawchuk']</strong> | 2024 RB/ATH | <a href="https://twitter.com/gsawchuk25?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@gsawchuk25</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='381192' first='Asher' last='Weiner']</strong> | 2024 QB | <a href="https://twitter.com/AsherWeiner?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@AsherWeiner</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='146072' first='Jake' last='Krekeler']</strong> | 2024 WR/ATH | <a href="https://twitter.com/kr2ky?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@kr2ky</a><br><strong>Maddox Broughton </strong>| 2024 LS | <a href="https://twitter.com/mbroughton76?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@mbroughton76</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401303' first='Breck' last='Kolojay']</strong> | 2026 OL | <a href="https://twitter.com/breck_kolojay?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@Breck_Kolojay</a><br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='491969' first='Cash' last='Spence']</strong> | 2026 WR/ATH | <a href="https://twitter.com/cash_spence1?s=20&amp;t=JhXPkhtlB5eBL2S-GvXpEA">@Cash_Spence1</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->