Jayden Bradley already has his popcorn and his front row ticket to the show that is the Centennial League football season.
“It’s going to be a movie,” the Eaglecrest star safety said Sept. 17 after an incredible opening act at Legacy Stadium.
The contest between Bradley’s Raptors and rival Cherokee Trail was absolute cinema, containing all sorts of star power and drama — including a clutch last second field goal by senior Trey Patton — in a 29-27 Eaglecrest victory that gave it a leg up in the chase for neighborhood bragging rights. The win provided a further testament to the toughness forged by the Raptors — who stand alone with Grandview as the Aurora area’s lone undefeated teams at 4-0 — in their preparation for the season.
“It comes down to their grit and the mental toughness they show,” Eaglecrest head coach Jesse German said. “Average teams are going to fold, but these guys never stopped believing. They never stopped swinging and they found a way to get it done.”
Both teams came into the game undefeated and had a lot at stake in terms of getting off to a good start in the Centennial League gauntlet, while the Raptors had even more heaped on them as the game marked its Homecoming.
Eaglecrest senior wide receiver JayAnthony Green — a thorn in the side of the Cougars (3-1, 0-1) the entire night — got on his way a near 200-yard receiving game with an opening quarter touchdown catch on a pass from junior Will Brinkman. He caught a 64-yard scoring strike later in the opening quarter, which helped neutralize the sting of a 79-yard touchdown run by Cherokee Trail junior quarterback Bryson Peterson and the game was off and running.
Coach Justin Jajczyk’s Cougars — who in the non-league portion of the season earned almost as many wins as they had all of last season (four) — generated big plays of their own to put themselves in position to win late.
A 91-yard touchdown pass from Peterson to senior Jordan Mitchell ended the first half in a big way for Cherokee Trail, which kept the momentum going in the second half.
The Cougars scored early in the third on a short run by senior Dorian Harris — though that was answered immediately by Bradley’s gut-punching 95-yard kickoff return —and a dart from Peterson to junior Evan Smith in the fourth quarter. That set up a wild final three minutes that had a little of everything.
Cherokee Trail got a big fourth-down sack from junior AB Zurigait on Brinkman, which gave the Cougars the ball with just over three minutes left and a chance to drain the clock.
Then, the first disaster struck, as shot gun snap glanced off the hands of Peterson, who could not recover because of the hunger for the ball displayed by Eaglecrest junior lineman Cooper Shaw.
“I saw it hit the outside of his hand and I tried to jump on it,” said Shaw, who had also recovered a fumble in the third quarter. “I punched his hand away and I had to turn to get the ball. I just had to keep fighting and then I heard black (Eaglecrest) ball.”
That play turned the field position battle in a way that would come into play as the rest of the final minutes played out. Eaglecrest couldn’t immediately take advantage of the prime opportunity, however, as Brinkman fumbled as he came out from under center and tried to run.
Cherokee Trail recovered and again had a chance to run time off the clock, but multiple penalties forced it deep into its own territory. The Cougars ended up all the way back at their 1-inch line after a pass interference call that negated what would have been a back-breaking 99-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell and Cherokee Trail had to punt.
Eaglecrest senior Cy White fielded the kick in his own end and instinct took over, as he reversed field and beat a host of Cougars up the sideline to get all the way down to the 3 yard-line.
“I knew we needed points,” White said. “I’m going to get in trouble when we watch film because I was supposed to take it the other way, but I was like I have to make a play over there. After that, I knew our kicker Trey was going to get it done. I had 100 percent belief.”
White wasn’t the only one who believed in Patton, who had nailed field goals of 41 and 40 yards earlier in the game. Even so close to the goal line, German ran two plays to center the ball and called on Patton, who calmly knocked through a 22-yard kick with just three seconds left.
“I want to say it was perfect, but we can always be better,” Patton said. “But kudos to the snapper (Shaw) and holder (Green), those aren’t easy jobs. I have a specific blade of grass I like when I’m out there and they got it for me. …I think kick is the hardest position mentally, but I love kicking. I get crap for it, but I love it.”
Green put the punctuation on the win with an interception on a final heave from Peterson.
“That was a great team win,” Bradley said. “We want the neighborhood, so we had to show out.”
Marquee matchups await the rest of the way out for German’s team —especially with Grandview and two-time defending Class 5A state champion Cherry Creek lurking — but he’s eager to see how his team comes through the “storms.”
“I think we’re getting forged in the fire,” he said. “We play in the SEC or the Big 10 —whichever you think is better — so we know it’s going to be a dogfight every single week. We are just callousing our minds and our bodies, so when we get in these high pressure situations, our kids are going to find a way.”
Grandview also moved to 4-0 with a conference opening victory, defeated Arapahoe 26-0 Sept. 18 at Littleton Public Schools Stadium.
Coach Tom Doherty’s Wolves — who played the Warriors without their injured star quarterback, Theo Lee — posted their second shutout in four games defensively, while senior Maddox Johnson scored two rushing touchdowns. Junior Timothy Arnold III also got into the end zone when he scooped up an offensive fumble and scored.
One more game stands between Eaglecrest and Grandview meeting Oct. 1 , as the Raptors visit Mullen Sept. 25, the same day the Wolves host Northfield. Cherokee Trail, meanwhile, draws Cherry Creek Sept. 24.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
