No. 1 Cherry Creek begins its quest for four in a row (2025)

Football Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Sports Information

No. 6 Ralston Valley gives Bruins a good test in season opener

ARVADA —Cherry Creek got off on the right foot Friday night in its journey to make history in its 2022 football campaign.

The Bruins took a 35-21 road victory in their season opener against No. 6-ranked Ralston Valley at the North Area Athletic Complex.

“I can’t ever remember having a Week 1 where everything went smoothly,” said Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan, who is starting his 30th year as a head high school football coach in Colorado. “Tonight would be exactly that.”

The Bruins —CHSAANow.com's Class 5A coaches’ poll unanimous No. 1 team in the preseason rankings —are attempting to do something that has never been done during the Bruins’ tradition rich football history.

No. 1 Cherry Creek begins its quest for four in a row (17)

Cherry Creek has never captured four straight football titles in a row. The Bruins won three consecutive — 1994, 1995 and 1996 — 5A championships nearly 30 years ago. Cherry Creek has won a dozen state football championships since 1982.

While that fourth straight title in on the table. There is a long road for the Bruins and many hurdles to manage before even thinking about what would be a historic achievement.

“It’s back to the grind and we get ready for Week 2,” Logan said. “We want to continually improve every week. I told the kids we wouldn’t play our best game Friday night. Our best football historically is when we get into October and early November.”

Ralston Valley and Cherry Creek were locked in a low scoring defensive battle early.

The lone first-half scoring came on a 37-yard scoring drive that took 10 plays in the first quarter. The Bruins were able to convert a key 4th-down and 6 from Ralston Valley’s 10-yard line. Senior quarterback Brian Rudden hit receiver Ismael Cisse for a 9-yard gain. Three plays later senior Bubba Tann scored on a 1-yard touchdown with 4:22 left in the first quarter to give the Bruins a 7-0 lead.

Ralston Valley had a 17-play drive that chewed up most of the second quarter. However, the drive eventually stalled and a long field goal came up well short.

Things opened up in the second half.

Rudden and Cisse hooked up to end the opening second-half drive for the Bruins with a touchdown. Cisse caught a 30-yard touchdown on a corner route to give Cherry Creek a 14-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

“For his first game I thought he made some plays,” Logan said of Rudden in his first varsity start at quarterback.

When it looked like Cherry Creek would start to roll to a comfortable win, Ralston Valley scored back-to-back touchdowns in less than a minute to tie the game up 14-14 lead in the third quarter.

Senior running back Diano Benallo finished off a nice drive with a 4-yard touchdowns run. On the next Bruin drive, Ralston Valley junior Jackson Hansen intercepted Rudden and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.

“When the defense gets a pick-6 that changes the momentum and energy,” Ralston Valley coach Yannacito said. “That was a game changing play.”

Cherry Creek and Ralston Valley traded touchdowns. Tann had a 10-yard scoring run for the Bruins, but Ralston Valley junior quarterback Logan Madden answered with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Hansen, tying the game up at 21-21 midway through the fourth quarter.

“The positives are we hung in there and when we tried to give the game away we found away to bounce back to make enough plays,” Logan said.

Rudden hit a wide-open Cisse for a 45-yard touchdown with 6:25 left to give the Bruins the lead back at 28-21. Less than two minutes later senior Marte Russell sealed the victory with a pick-6 to make the final score 35-21.

“We have a lot of work to do,” said Logan, who will take his Bruins to Ohio for a game next week against St. Edward’s. “We’ve got some guys back from last year, but we’ve got some inexperienced guys thrown in as well. It’s a long journey.”

Ralston Valley also goes out-of-state next week for it’s Week 2 game.

“The biggest thing is we have to stay humble and hungry,” Yannacito said about having a gauntlet of a non-league schedule that still includes Grandview, Regis and Valor after a trip to Orlando. “We have to keep getting better.”

The first-year coach for the Mustangs who came over from Golden High School was pleased with how his new squad performance against the three-time defending state champions.

“These kids showed me they are a family,” Yannacito said. “They played so resilient and so tough. I can’t be more proud of the effort they gave tonight. It was awesome.”

No. 1 Cherry Creek begins its quest for four in a row (2025)

FAQs

Who is Cherry Creek High School football coach? ›

Dave Logan

What is the score of the Cherry Creek Columbine football game? ›

Synder scored a trio of touchdowns to propel Columbine to a 28-14 victory over the top-seeded and previously undefeated Bruins at Canvas Stadium on the Colorado State University campus. “It feels extremely good to end a possible 5-peat,” Snyder said.

What division is Cherry Creek High School football? ›

Our staff will train 180-200 student athletes annually as we prepare for a strong season of football in the Colorado Class 5A League.

What NFL players went to Cherry Creek high school? ›

All Players
PlayerPosTeams
Jaeden GrahamTEATL
Tyler PolumbusGDEN,SEA,WAS,ATL
Tom AshworthTNWE,SEA
Sean TuftsLBCAR
3 more rows

Where did Mike Tomlin go to college? ›

Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers

He credits his experiences at William & Mary with helping get him there. Mike chose the university because of its academic and athletic reputation. The sociology major says that W&M's high academic standards helped push him and his fellow students to a higher level of success.

Is Cherry Creek a 5A school? ›

The Denver Post: As Cherry Creek primes for Class 5A five-peat, who can dethrone Colorado's prep football dynasty? Forget about the five-peat.

How many state championships does Columbine High School have? ›

It is the sixth title in program history for Columbine, and first since 2011. The win also caps off a perfect season for the Rebels, who went an undefeated 14-0 overall in route to the championship.

What is the score of the Cherry Creek vs Chatfield game? ›

Q1Final
CCHS034
CHS317
Sep 8, 2023

Where does Cherry Creek High School rank? ›

Cherry Creek High School 2024 Rankings

Cherry Creek High School is ranked #716 in the National Rankings.

How many high schools are in Cherry Creek? ›

Cherry Creek School District No. 5 In The County of Arapah contains 9 high schools.

What is the score of the Arapahoe vs Cherry Creek football game? ›

The Bruins rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit to beat No. 3 Arapahoe, 24-14, at an electrified Stutler Bowl. Don't be surprised if these two rivals meet up in the state title game. “Arapahoe is a very, very good team,” Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan said.

Where did Mike Shula go to high school? ›

Shula attended high school at Christopher Columbus High School, in Miami, Florida, where he won all-state honors and led his team to the state championship game in December 1982, where they lost to a powerful Pensacola Woodham High team that finished ranked No 2 in the Nation.

Where did coach Mike McCarthy go to college? ›

Playing career and education

In 1984, McCarthy attended Scottsdale Community College in Arizona, playing one season for the Fighting Artichokes football team. He then transferred to Baker University, an NAIA school located in Baldwin City, Kansas. McCarthy was a two-time all-conference tight end.

Where did Mike Tomlin play high school football? ›

Tomlin is a graduate and former football player at Denbigh High School and the College of William and Mary. After stops as an assistant coach at several colleges (including VMI and Arkansas State University), Tomlin moved on to the NFL with Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and later, the Minnesota Vikings. On Jan.

Is Peyton Manning a coach? ›

Manning will be an assistant coach for Shannon Sharpe's celebrity team. Fresh off coaching the AFC in the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, Peyton Manning will return to Indianapolis as an assistant coach in the 2024 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game later this month.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Manual Maggio

Last Updated:

Views: 6091

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Manual Maggio

Birthday: 1998-01-20

Address: 359 Kelvin Stream, Lake Eldonview, MT 33517-1242

Phone: +577037762465

Job: Product Hospitality Supervisor

Hobby: Gardening, Web surfing, Video gaming, Amateur radio, Flag Football, Reading, Table tennis

Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.