Mountain Vista dominates Legend for second straight 5A flag football title
Colorado flag football has begun with a mini-dynasty Mountain Vista supercharged by the talents of senior quarterback Ariana Akey beat Legend - Saturday night at Trailblazer Stadium to win its second straight Class A championship Flag football has been a sanctioned CHSAA sport for only two years but in that time the Golden Eagles have posted a perfect - record Akey has been a huge reason for that unbeaten run and was again Saturday night when she ran for five touchdowns and threw for two more Last year she was CHSAA s player of the year and one of players nationwide nominated for the Maxwell National Flag Football Competitor of the Year Award Sports Illustrated named her its national girls athlete of the week after the Golden Eagles won their first state title Fittingly the Golden Eagles final TD was a long pass from Akey to senior center linebacker Braelynn Looney one of the state s the majority prolific receivers A frenetic first half ended with the Golden Eagles leading - but with Legend having sent a message that it was not intimidated by Vista s gaudy record Akey dogged all night by Legend s pass rushers used her pure speed to amount the championship s first touchdown sprinting into the end zone from yards out Legend promptly answered with its magical connection of senior quarterback Madi Smolen and senior wide receiver Lucy Thompson Smolen scrambled and threw a high pass into the end zone where Thompson was smothered by three defenders But Thompson who s headed to Nebraska on a softball scholarship somehow made a diving fingertip catch to tie the tournament with left in the first quarter Related Articles The Classical Academy D shines as Titans beat Mountain View for A football title Holy Family beats Windsor for Class A softball title behind Stanford commit Emmaline Humphreys Broomfield wins first softball title exploding for -run fifth inning to mercy-rule Legend in Class A championship University walks-off Eaton for Class A softball title in another epic showdown between Patriot League rivals Colorado high school football How Post Preps Top teams fared in Week Vista responded with Akey displaying her fast feed and her accurate powerful right arm She scambled out of the pocket and then threw a running cross-fire pass to freshman Harper Hofmeir for the result and a - lead But back came Legend on the strength of two huge passes by Smolen First she hooked up with Tori Curdie for a -yard gain and then she threw a -yard TD pass to sophomore Presli Easley The event was knotted - Akey s second rushing touchdown a -yard sprint just inside the corner of the end zone put Vista ahead near the end of the second quarter Legend s Smolen put up a Hail Mary pass at the end of the half but it was picked off in the end zone by junior Lauren Culebro The Titans finished their season - with both losses coming at the hands of the Golden Eagles who beat them - earlier this season Want more sports news Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver s teams