Tanner Ottenbreit got to do something special at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on April 27 — be part of a win.
The Regis Jesuit grad suffered two losses at the stadium in his prep days, in the state championship football and lacrosse games in 2010, but he and fellow Raider Rhody Heller were in uniform for the University of Virginia’s 10-8 win over Penn in the Mile High Classic showcase.
There was an Aurora flavor on both sides of the powerful showcase — which also included Denver against Duke — as Grandview graduations and brothers Jacob and Isaac Bock were part of the Penn program.
“It’s always fun coming back home and the guys love to play in Denver,” said Ottenbreit, signed autographs for kids in the stands following the defending national champion’s win against the Quakers. “It’ll be great to come home and this was a nice preview.”
Ottenbreit and Heller — who have both played as freshmen, but not in the Penn game — are the only Colorado players on the roster of the powerhouse Cavaliers, but more are on the way. Current Regis Jesuit senior defenseman Tanner Scales and Kent Denver midfielder Matt Florence will join them next year.
“It’s rare for three kids from one school to come into one program, especially from a Colorado school, but a bunch of Colorado guys coming to play DI out here is great,” Ottenbreit said.
The loss to Virginia capped a frustrating 3-10 season for Penn, but the Bocks continued a family tradition with the storied program that stretched back to their father, Jon, in the 1970s.
Jacob Bock, a senior who has another year of eligibility because of a medical redshirt, wears the No. 44 in honor of his father, who was the Quakers’ captain and leading scorer in 1974 and also briefly served as an assistant coach.
“It’s an honor to wear my dad’s number and attend the university he spent so much time at,” said Bock, whose father was in the stands to watch the game.
Isaac Bock was the only one of the four Aurora graduates to get on the field, playing on a couple of possessions in each half. He scored his first career goal against Harvard a few weeks earlier.
“I love having him here; he’s my best friend and it’s great playing with him,” Jacob Bock said.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
