AURORA | A capsule preview of the 2023 Class 5A state football first round playoff contest between Eaglecrest and Legacy scheduled for Nov. 3, 2023:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com.Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 CLASS 5A 1ST ROUND STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GAME
No. 17 Legacy (6-4) vs. No. 16 Eaglecrest (7-3)
Nov. 3, 7 p.m. at Stutler Bowl (Cherry Creek H.S.)
BREAKDOWN: Eaglecrest and Legacy have become somewhat familiar opponents in recent seasons in the Class 5A state playoffs, the two programs will battle for the third time in the past eight seasons, with all three meetings coming in the first round. The Raptors won both of the two previous meetings, prevailing 49-24 in 2014 and 34-31 in 2019. The teams have not met in the regular season since the 2019 playoff contest. …Legacy has made the playoffs for three straight seasons and eight of the last 11, but has not advanced past the second round and has never won a state football championship. …Eaglecrest is in the postseason for a second straight season after missing out in 2021 and has made 16 appearances since 2000, with its deepest recent run coming when it made the state championship game in 2017. The program won the state title in 1993 when it defeated Hinkley in an all-area championship game.
LEGACY: Coach Jay Madden’s Lightning played a difficult non-league schedule and went 1-4 until they started Front Range League South play, in which won all five of their games by an average margin of 33 points. Half of Legacy’s 10 regular season opponents made it to the playoffs in No. 1 Cherry Creek, No. 3 Arapahoe, No. 8 Mountain Vista, No. 10 Legend and No. 20 Mullen. …Offensively, Legacy has averaged a little over 31 points per game, with six games in which it has put up 35 or more. Conversely, the Lightning have ceded a little over 21 points per contest, while it had two shutouts and held another opponent in single digits. …Legacy began the season with senior QB Kullen Lerma under center, but he hasn’t played since Sept. 22. Sophomore QB Devan Kirchhevel has thrown for a team-high 809 yards and 14 touchdowns against just one interception. Junior RB Tyler Anderson has the majority of the team’s rushing yards with 1,081 to go with nine touchdowns, while senior WR Kylan Studebaker paces the team in catches (28), receiving yards (616) and receiving touchdowns with eight. Three other players have more than 212 yards and three touchdowns receiving, however. …Senior LB Omari Bursey has been a defensive force as he leads the team with 72 tackles, has recorded a team-high five sacks and owns three of the team’s 14 forced turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble recovery). …Studebaker has been an effect special teams weapon with nearly 700 yards of returns, while the Lightning have only two made field goals for the whole season.
EAGLECREST: Coach Mike Schmitt’s Raptors won all five of their non-league games for a second straight season, then finished 2-3 in the Centennial League, capped by a 31-27 loss to No. 3 Arapahoe to end the regular season. Of Eaglecrest’s 10 opponents, five of them qualified for the postseason in No. 1 Cherry Creek, No. 3 Arapahoe, No. 11 Grandview, No. 19 Cherokee Trail and No. 23 Brighton. …Offensively, Eaglecrest averaged 33 points per game in the regular season and were held off the scoreboard only one time (by No. 1 Cherry Creek). The Raptors amassed 32 points or more in their first six games. On the defensive side, Eaglecrest limited opponents to 15 points per game, as it limited five opponents in single digits. …In his first season as a starter, junior QB Joe Steiner has settled in and threw for 1,876 yards and 23 touchdowns against six interceptions, while he also is second on the team in rushing with 233 yards and two more scores. Junior RB Josh Wiley paces the team with 688 yards rushing and joins senior RB/S Cam Chapa with five touchdowns apiece, while sophomore RB Sterling Dufour has averaged nearly eight yards per carry. Senior TE Logan Ryan has been a major weapon as he has pulled in 50 passes for 690 yards and 12 touchdowns, while junior WR Xavier Waldron (447 yards, five touchdowns) and junior WR Zavion Gamble (338 yards, four touchdowns) have also been very effective and junior WR Kota Becker as well. …Defensively, senior LB Tristan Minty has 67 tackles (including 11 tackles for loss), which is three more than Chapa, while junior DE T’Mario Walters has piled up 9.5 sacks. Chapa accounts for six of the Raptors’ 15 forced turnovers with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries and has taken back one of each to the end zone.
WINNER GETS: The Eaglecrest-Legacy winner advances to play No. 1 Cherry Creek (10-0) in a second round game scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Stutler Bowl.
