Must-Watch Match-Ups in the 5A Championship
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The end of the football season is upon us. The state championship game for the 5A classification will be played between the top two schools in the state, the Cherry Creek Bruins and the Columbine Rebels. The two undefeated teams…
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Continue ReadingThe end of the football season is upon us. The state championship game for the 5A classification will be played between the top two schools in the state, the Cherry Creek Bruins and the Columbine Rebels. The two undefeated teams will meet at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado–home to the Colorado State Rams–on Saturday at 3:00 P.M.
What makes this game so exciting are the individual match-ups on the field between some of the top prospects in the area. With all eyes on the state final, players have a chance to show their skills on the biggest stage to fans and scouts alike.
This article will look at the key match-ups to watch in this game, especially for college coaches looking for the next class of difference-makers.
In The Trenches
This game will come down to which defensive front can win the most in the trenches. Both teams specialize in establishing the run, while Cherry Creek adds a balanced pass attack to their repertoire.
Cherry Creek’s offensive line is arguably the top-recruited line unit in the state. With guys like Hayden Treter Hayden Treter 6'7" | 325 lbs | OL Cherry Creek | 2024 State CO (2024 USC commit), Maxwell Parrott Maxwell Parrott 6'5" | 285 lbs | OL Cherry Creek | 2024 State CO (2024 Purdue commit), and Andre Burton Andre Burton 6'5" | 285 lbs | OL Cherry Creek | 2024 State CO (2024 Iowa State commit) on the roster, having a really good line is to be expected. Add Evan Godin (2024 OG), Soren Shinofield (2025 OT), and Ned Zilinskas (2025 C) to the mix, and end up with a phenomenal offensive line full of Division I talent.
Columbine’s defensive front will face its toughest challenge of the season, but they are a team built for the task. Hunter Hamilton Hunter Hamilton 6'1" | 225 lbs | LB Columbine | 2024 CO (2024 DE/TE), Spencer Houle Spencer Houle 6'3" | TE Columbine | 2024 State CO (2024 DE/TE), Alan Pham (2024 OG/DT), and Carlos Mendoza (2024 C/DT) have 20 sacks between the four of them, with Hamilton leading with seven.
Cherry Creek’s defensive front has a tough challenge of its own. Facing a polished offensive line of a generationally dominant rushing program. Mendoza, Pham, Andrew Ossola (2024 OT), Peyton Burcar Peyton Burcar 6'3" | 255 lbs | OL Columbine | 2025 State CO (2025 OT), DJ Ironshell (2025 OG), Houle, and Hamilton make up a fundamentally sound offensive line with elite techniques, paving the way for a powerful rushing attack.
The Bruins have a dangerous defensive front that consists of D1 talent in guys like Exodus Johnson Exodus Johnson 6'4" | 265 lbs | DL Cherry Creek | 2024 State CO (2024 DT/DE), Keegan Perea Keegan Perea 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Cherry Creek | 2025 State CO (2025 DE), Jack Francis Jack Francis 6'1" | 230 lbs | DL Cherry Creek | 2025 CO (2025 DT/DE), and Tufanua Ionatana “T.I.” Umu-Cais Tufanua Ionatana “T.I.” Umu-Cais 6'3" | 305 lbs | DL Cherry Creek | 2026 CO (2026 DT). In a game like this, expect the box to be stacked with linebacker help, but winning up front will be critical for Cherry Creek.
The Run Game
As mentioned, both teams do fantastic jobs of establishing a strong run game. The Bruins run a more balanced offense that is designed for both aspects of the game. The Rebels, however, have a grueling ground game that delivers clock-chewing body blows that wear down their opponents.
Columbine’s rushing trifecta of Josh Snyder Josh Snyder RB Columbine | 2024 State CO (2024), Mason Moreno (2024 ATH), and James Basinger James Basinger 5'10" | 195 lbs | RB Columbine | 2025 State CO (2025 RB/SS) make up one of the more dangerous running back groups in the state. The box for the Bruins will have Jake Howell (2024 LB), Angelo Petrides Angelo Petrides 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB Cherry Creek | 2024 State CO (2024 LB), Eli Martinez Eli Martinez 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB Cherry Creek | 2024 State CO (2024 S), and Aiden Knapke Aiden Knapke 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Cherry Creek | 2025 State CO (2025 S) to bring a lot of speed and power to help fill gaps and attack running lanes. The hits and level of physicality that will be on display from these prospects bring a whole different level of anticipation to this game.
Jordan Herron
Jordan
Herron
5'10" | 155 lbs | ATH
Cherry Creek | 2024
State
CO
(2024 RB) is Cherry Creek’s dynamic running back with electrifying skills, while Cortlen Johnson (2024 RB) is more of a downhill power runner.
James Cillessen
James
Cillessen
5'11" | 220 lbs | LB
Columbine | 2024
State
CO
(2024 LB/RB) has been a force this season, leading the Rebels in tackles. Cillessen, Titus Miranda (2024 LB), Niko Zaharas (2024 LB), and Tre Ogden (2025 LB) will play significant roles in the pace of this game, making the Rebels’ linebacker core an ideal watch for coaches.