Round One Rewatch: Eaglecrest vs Legacy
With the first round of the 5A state championship playoffs in the books, now is a great time to review the matchups that determined the second-round challengers. The 17th-ranked Legacy Lightning traveled to Greenwood Village to take on the 16th-ranked…
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Continue ReadingWith the first round of the 5A state championship playoffs in the books, now is a great time to review the matchups that determined the second-round challengers.
The 17th-ranked Legacy Lightning traveled to Greenwood Village to take on the 16th-ranked Eaglecrest Raptors and left with a 28-14 victory. Legacy will return to the Stutler Bowl on Friday to challenge top-ranked Cherry Creek in the second round.
This report will briefly recap the game while highlighting the difference-makers who stood out from both teams during the rewatch of the first week of the postseason.
Legacy started the game on defense and forced a quick three-and-out with an outstanding performance that would continue all night. The Lightning capitalized on the defense’s success by putting together an offensive drive that was capped off with an easy touchdown run by Tyler Anderson (2025 RB/LB) early in the first quarter.
Legacy’s offense scored two more unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter. Omari Bursey (2024 LB/RB) caught a swing pass from Devan Kirchhevel (2026 QB) in the red zone and finished the play with a touchdown. After a couple of defensive stands from both teams, the Lightning defense put points on the board after Bursey secured a fumble and took it 69 yards to the house and extended the lead to 21-0 for Legacy, which was the score at the start of the second half.
The Raptors started to click on both sides of the ball in the third quarter, scoring twice while keeping Legacy out of the end zone all quarter. Joshua Wiley II (2025 RB) punched in the first touchdown for Eaglecrest on a play that was set up by an electrifying 73-yard pass from Joe Steiner (2025 QB) to Shawn Otero-Tapia (2024 WR), who ran about 48 yards after the catch.
Steiner and Otero-Tapia would connect on another show-stopping play, this time being a quick wide receiver screen that Otero-Tapia took 68 yards to the house, bringing the score to 21-14 in favor of the Lightning.
Legacy’s offense was driving down the field when the third quarter ended, completing the series with a touchdown on the very first play of the fourth quarter. Bursey scored his third touchdown of the night with a six-yard run that extended Legacy’s lead to 28-14 over Eaglecrest, which was the final score of the contest.
Player of the Game
Bursey has been a start in the making since the first time he laced up his cleats. The 6-foot-1, 227lbs linebacker is the prime example of what a Division I prospect looks like on and off the field. His explosiveness and elite speed give him a significant advantage over his opponents, while his competitive playing style and limitless motor are unparalleled. Bursey is arguably one of the best football players in Colorado, making him a player to recruit immediately.
Highlights
Other Standout Players
There were a lot of players who stood out during this contest, making the game worthy of rewatching by college scouts and football fans. The names listed below are six of the many players who made the game exciting to watch while proving that both programs are worthy of being added as recruiting destinations by college coaches.
Sawyer Repphun | Legacy | 2024 C
Kylan Studebaker | Legacy | 2024 WR/DB
Koa Hewlett | Legacy | 2025 DB/ATH
Cam Chapa | Eaglecrest | 2024 DB
Ronald Taylor | Eaglecrest | 2025 DE
Elvin Ampofo | Eaglecrest | 2025 DB