4A Finals Review: Loveland Red Wolves vs Broomfield Eagles

A look at the three best performances from the 4A state championship.   Review   Unlike the 4A and 5A state championship games, this matchup between the 9th ranked Loveland Red Wolves and the 4th ranked Broomfield Eagles was a fairly one-sided contest for most of the game despite what the final score might show. Coming into the game, both teams had fairly similar seasons as the Red Wolves came into the contest riding a 12-game winning streak while the Eagles came in with an undefeated record and a 13-game winning streak, respectively. The Red Wolves were hoping to spring the upset and capture an unlikely state title while Broomfield was hoping to finish with an undefeated season and their first state title since 1984. The Broomfield offense would set the tone early, punching it in on the ground on their opening possession to take an early 7-0 lead. The Eagles would get the ball back quickly and would immediately add to their lead, punching it in again on the ground to extend the deficit to 14-0 early in the 2nd quarter. It looked like Loveland might mount a comeback on their ensuing possession, scoring from 2-yards out on the ground to cut the Eagles' lead to 14-7. The Red Wolves momentum was short-lived, however, as the Broomfield offense would respond with a score of their own on the ground to take a commanding 21-7 lead heading into the locker room at halftime. The 2nd half wouldn't be much better for the Red Wolves, with the Eagles adding a field goal on their opening possession of the half to extend their lead to 24-7 and while the Loveland offense was able to add another touchdown to make the score 24-14, they would be completely shut out for the rest of the game by the Broomfield defense - sealing the 24-14 victory and the Eagles' first 4A state championship since 1984. With a game this lopsided, it should come as no surprise that the three best players from this contest all came from the Broomfield sideline. With that, here are the three best players from the Eagles' win over the Red Wolves.   Players of the Game   [player_tooltip player_id='62228' first='Cole' last='LaCrue'], Broomfield Eagles (QB)(Sr.)(18) – Despite being responsible for 2 turnovers, LaCrue was still the most productive player offensively for the Eagles, with this game certainly being much tighter for Broomfield had LaCrue not been on the field. Looking at LaCrue's numbers against the Red Wolves defense, LaCrue went 15 of 25 (60%) for 232 yards passing, and a QBR of 57.4 but made his biggest contributions on the ground, accounting for 2 of the Eagles' 3 scores on the ground. When you go to the tape of LaCrue's night against the Loveland defense, you can see that LaCrue is a very gifted athlete. Highly explosive and elusive runner in the open field routinely making multiple defenders miss in the 2nd and 3rd levels. Very balanced runner that can run through arm tackles and remain physical on designed runs between the tackles. Great arm strength with the ball almost leaping out of his hand. Generates good velocity on short and intermediate throws while also having the arm strength to stretch the defense to almost any level of the field. Displays good accuracy on throws outside the pocket/on the run, showing an ability to consistently hit receivers in stride, downfield, while escaping pressure. LaCrue is currently rated the number 4 QB and the number 37 player overall for the class of 2023 and, given his showing against the Loveland defense, it's not hard to see why he's so highly regarded. LaCrue has had a very memorable prep career and in his finale as an Eagle, cemented an undefeated senior season and the programs first 4A state title in nearly 40 years.   [player_tooltip player_id='404963' first='Mikhail' last='Benner'], Broomfield Eagles (DB)(So.)(9) – Much like he's done throughout most of this season and the state playoffs, Benner was undoubtably one of the biggest contributors on the defensive side of the ball for Broomfield. Benner continued his ball-hawking ways and stellar play against the Red Wolves defense, as he accounted for a dominant 5 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a fumble recovery, a pass deflection, and a huge interception that flipped the field for the Eagles. When you turn on the film of Benner's performance against the Red Wolves offense, you can see he displays an uncanny ability to find the football, with this being the result of a combination of excellent top end foot speed, lateral agility, and tracking ability while the ball is in the air. Outstanding athlete with excellent first step explosiveness that allows him to hit top gear quickly and run stride-for-stride with most boundary receivers. Has the ideal build for a top-flight boundary corner as he has outstanding size and length (6'1, 175 lbs) that most lock down DBs have. Technically sound DB that rarely ever panics or gets handsy if he is in a less than ideal position to make a play on the ball/receiver. Prototypical ball-hawk DB that can shut down an entire quarter of the defensive backfield, routinely making opposing passers pay when they decide to test his side of the field. Benner is currently rated the number 2 DB and the number 11 player overall for the class of 2025, which isn't really a surprise at all. Benner is an tremendously talented player that will be the centerpiece of the Broomfield defense for the next two seasons of his prep career.   [player_tooltip player_id='514389' first='Canon' last='Juarez'], Broomfield Eagles (DB/WR)(Sr.)(4) – Juarez was, in my mind at least, the MVP and best all-around player for Broomfield – making his presence felt in every phase of the game. Juarez was the epitome of a star for both the Broomfield offense and Broomfield defense in his last game, accounting for 81 yards receiving on 4 receptions (20.3 YPR) as well as 38 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown on 6 carries (6.3 YPC) while also registering 3 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection, and an interception that would help the Eagles extend their lead. For the sake of this piece, we'll focus on what Juarez shows on the offensive side of the ball. Diving into the film from Juarez's performance against the Red Wolves defense, the first thing that jumps out to you is his excellent first-step explosiveness out of his stance at the line, often winning the release against the DB off of foot speed and first-step explosiveness alone. Excellent athlete with the agility and elite top-end foot speed necessary to take the top off of a defense on deeper routes and take short to intermediate routes the distance if given enough space in the open field after the catch. Highly elusive ball carrier in the open field that can find daylight in even the tightest running lanes, presenting a challenge for 2nd and 3rd level defenders to tackle in 1-on-1 situations. Displays strong, consistent hands in tight coverage when going over the middle and working through traffic on short and intermediate routes. Shows great tracking ability when working through defenders on deeper routes. Versatile receiver that can be lined up on the boundary or in the slot, but is at his best in the slot where his strengths as a player in tight spaces can be accentuated. Juarez isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards, which is surprising to see given how truly dominant he's been this season and the size of his role on a very talented Broomfield team. Regardless, he was arguably the best player on the field in his finale as a Broomfield Eagle.

A look at the three best performances from the 4A state championship.