Luke McCaffrey completed seven of 16 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns and churned out nine mostly by-design rushes for an additional 77 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown scamper in which he dodged four defenders to put Valor up, 28-16, with 3:19 left in the third. It’s going to be a battle in the trenches, but as long as we play hard, we can come out with the win.”Īnchored by McCaffrey’s son, senior quarterback Luke McCaffrey, the Eagles’ offense showed why they can be the state’s most imposing, and gave conviction as to why it’s reached this point. We went into halftime saying we know that this team is going to be good. “We came out with a bang,” Valor junior offensive and defensive lineman Roger Rosengarten said. “We had all four seasons wrapped up into one football game.” “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the weather conditions change as much as today,” McCaffrey said. It flexed its offensive versatility, played stingy defense against one of the state’s best rush attacks and created gut punches when they manifested. Saturday’s game began in the high-50s with winds gusting near 30 mph from the northwest, which greatly affected passing and punting conditions, and ended in a snowy tundra, which forced both teams to go almost exclusively to the run. The conditions were described by many as an incredibly challenging environment - physically, given the weather, and emotionally, for Valor, against a Grandview team that upset them in the 5A quarterfinals last year. It marked Valor’s narrowest margin of victory in its 13-0 season.ĭespite Valor building a 21-0 first-quarter lead and seemingly answering every comeback Grandview created, the game came down to the Wolves’ final drive. The Eagles narrowly held on to a victory that was sealed only after junior defensive back Chase Lopez made a game-saving interception on a would-be-tying two-point conversion with 32 seconds remaining. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close MenuĪURORA - When Valor Christian made a bold coaching change in February, hiring former Broncos great Ed McCaffrey and a throng of NFL alumni to his staff, it was with the objective of returning to the pinnacle of 5A football in Colorado.Īnd after a slushy slugfest against fifth-seeded Grandview in Saturday’s state semifinal at Legacy Stadium - a 31-29 win - the top-ranked Eagles are headed back to the 5A title game, where they will take on No.
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