Centennial Citizen > Sports
Bruins gain title game berth
 |
| Senior kicker R.C. Willenbrock delivers the game-winning 35-yard field goal with 2 seconds to play as Cherry Creek ousts Columbine 27-25 in the 5A playoff semifinals Nov. 22 in Greenwood Village. Photo by Louis Zoldy |
By Louis Zoldy
In the biggest moment of his high school football career to date, Cherry Creek senior R.C. Willenbrock took a deep breath and measured up his kick.
Everyone knew what would happen next.
Willenbrock, the Bruins’ place kicker, focused on the ball held by fellow senior Seve Romero and went through a motion he has repeated hundreds of times, delivering a 35-yard field goal at the south end of the Stutler Bowl with two seconds to play as host and ninth-seeded Cherry Creek stunned fifth-seeded Columbine 27-25 in a state semifinal held in Greenwood Village.
The victory advanced Creek into the 5A state championship against Centennial Conference rival Mullen, which defeated the Bruins 21-7 Oct. 10 in Denver. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at Invesco Field at Mile High.
“It was a team effort. It starts with the snap and then the hold and the kick; everything just worked out in my favor,” Willenbrock said. “These opportunities don’t happen a lot, and I just put faith in my team to get it down to at least the 45 yard line so I could get that opportunity.”
This was the first time Willenbrock, who has successfully kicked from 50 yards in a game and 70 yards in practice, has ever lined up for a game-winner.
“We have confidence he’s going to make that kick 10 out of 10 times, and he came through for us,” junior quarterback Kain Colter said. “R.C. is a great kicker — one of the best in the state — and we wouldn’t trade him for anyone.”
Colter also came up big for the Bruins, leading his team from the brink of defeat with a coolness and savvy reminiscent of John Elway.
Trailing 16-10 after being sacked by Columbine’s Zack Oppenneer for a safety with 6:22 left before halftime, Colter came back with an 80-yard scoring drive to close the first half, connecting with Austin Wilbers (5 catches, 34 yards) on a 13-yard touchdown with 34 seconds on the clock, giving Creek a 17-16 edge.
Columbine would get back on top to start the third quarter with a 32-yard field goal by Tyler Link, but back came Colter and the Bruins with another 80-yard scoring drive. This one was capped when Colter found TJ Shantz wide open on the left side for 24 yards, putting Creek up 24-19 with 49 seconds left in the third.
Following turnovers by both teams, Columbine had the ball with 5 minutes to play at the CCHS 47-yard line. Phillip Romero, who rushed for 174 yards on 16 carries, then broke a 22-yard run to set the Rebels up first and 10 at the 25. But the Bruin defense tightened here, with Shaun Robbins stuffing Danny Spond (17 carries, 177 yards) for a two-yard loss before a pair of incomplete passes by Spond turned the ball over on downs. Brandon Cassagnol forced the crucial incomplete pass on fourth and 10, breaking into the backfield on a blitz.
Creek, however, could do nothing with its ensuing possession and was forced to punt for the first time after going three and out.
Although Brody Leikam’s punt was a dandy, pushing the Rebels all the way back to their own 29, the Bruins could do nothing to stop Columbine. A run of 24 yards by Romero started things off and a nine-yard completion by Spond to Nathan Wiggins completed the drive with a touchdown, putting the visitors up 25-24 with just 47 seconds remaining.
Knowing the threat posed by Willenbrock, Columbine was forced to go for two. After a 5-yard penalty pushed the Rebels back to the 6-yard line, Shantz made a great defensive play by disrupting a pass in the end zone to preserve his team’s one-point advantage.
Cherry Creek then began its final drive from its own 23, where Colter hit Terrance Walker for 7 yards and Wilbers for two more before a Columbine penalty gave the Bruins a first down at the 37 with 16 seconds to play. With no time to waste and needing a huge play, Colter went to Shantz over the middle and the senior broke a 45-yard gain, going out of bounds at the Rebels’ 18 with seven seconds left.
“They were trying to play a little prevent and TJ ran a great rout to the middle and I just put some air on it and let him go get it,” Colter said. “We practice that every day in practice: the two-minute drill. We knew at some point we would have to use it, and it was just like practice. That’s how it felt.”
Colter completed 18 of 24 passes for 255 yards and rushed 19 times for 83 yards to lead the Bruins while Shantz finished the day with eight catches for 157 yards.
“That play was designed for me to be the check-down, and it just so happened I got open,” Shantz said. “Our O-line blocked great and Kain put the ball on the money and we got in field goal position. We knew R.C. would put it in.”
After Willenbrock’s field goal, Columbine had one last play from its own 20 following a touchback on the kickoff. Spond went deep, and again it was Shantz who knocked the pass down, ending the game.
“Winning a game like this is the biggest rush in the world. It’s huge,” Shantz said. “We have a ton of momentum. That’s three weeks in a row that we’ve had close, tough games and we’ve just come together.”
Everyone knew what would happen next.
Willenbrock, the Bruins’ place kicker, focused on the ball held by fellow senior Seve Romero and went through a motion he has repeated hundreds of times, delivering a 35-yard field goal at the south end of the Stutler Bowl with two seconds to play as host and ninth-seeded Cherry Creek stunned fifth-seeded Columbine 27-25 in a state semifinal held in Greenwood Village.
The victory advanced Creek into the 5A state championship against Centennial Conference rival Mullen, which defeated the Bruins 21-7 Oct. 10 in Denver. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at Invesco Field at Mile High.
“It was a team effort. It starts with the snap and then the hold and the kick; everything just worked out in my favor,” Willenbrock said. “These opportunities don’t happen a lot, and I just put faith in my team to get it down to at least the 45 yard line so I could get that opportunity.”
This was the first time Willenbrock, who has successfully kicked from 50 yards in a game and 70 yards in practice, has ever lined up for a game-winner.
“We have confidence he’s going to make that kick 10 out of 10 times, and he came through for us,” junior quarterback Kain Colter said. “R.C. is a great kicker — one of the best in the state — and we wouldn’t trade him for anyone.”
Colter also came up big for the Bruins, leading his team from the brink of defeat with a coolness and savvy reminiscent of John Elway.
Trailing 16-10 after being sacked by Columbine’s Zack Oppenneer for a safety with 6:22 left before halftime, Colter came back with an 80-yard scoring drive to close the first half, connecting with Austin Wilbers (5 catches, 34 yards) on a 13-yard touchdown with 34 seconds on the clock, giving Creek a 17-16 edge.
Columbine would get back on top to start the third quarter with a 32-yard field goal by Tyler Link, but back came Colter and the Bruins with another 80-yard scoring drive. This one was capped when Colter found TJ Shantz wide open on the left side for 24 yards, putting Creek up 24-19 with 49 seconds left in the third.
Following turnovers by both teams, Columbine had the ball with 5 minutes to play at the CCHS 47-yard line. Phillip Romero, who rushed for 174 yards on 16 carries, then broke a 22-yard run to set the Rebels up first and 10 at the 25. But the Bruin defense tightened here, with Shaun Robbins stuffing Danny Spond (17 carries, 177 yards) for a two-yard loss before a pair of incomplete passes by Spond turned the ball over on downs. Brandon Cassagnol forced the crucial incomplete pass on fourth and 10, breaking into the backfield on a blitz.
Creek, however, could do nothing with its ensuing possession and was forced to punt for the first time after going three and out.
Although Brody Leikam’s punt was a dandy, pushing the Rebels all the way back to their own 29, the Bruins could do nothing to stop Columbine. A run of 24 yards by Romero started things off and a nine-yard completion by Spond to Nathan Wiggins completed the drive with a touchdown, putting the visitors up 25-24 with just 47 seconds remaining.
Knowing the threat posed by Willenbrock, Columbine was forced to go for two. After a 5-yard penalty pushed the Rebels back to the 6-yard line, Shantz made a great defensive play by disrupting a pass in the end zone to preserve his team’s one-point advantage.
Cherry Creek then began its final drive from its own 23, where Colter hit Terrance Walker for 7 yards and Wilbers for two more before a Columbine penalty gave the Bruins a first down at the 37 with 16 seconds to play. With no time to waste and needing a huge play, Colter went to Shantz over the middle and the senior broke a 45-yard gain, going out of bounds at the Rebels’ 18 with seven seconds left.
“They were trying to play a little prevent and TJ ran a great rout to the middle and I just put some air on it and let him go get it,” Colter said. “We practice that every day in practice: the two-minute drill. We knew at some point we would have to use it, and it was just like practice. That’s how it felt.”
Colter completed 18 of 24 passes for 255 yards and rushed 19 times for 83 yards to lead the Bruins while Shantz finished the day with eight catches for 157 yards.
“That play was designed for me to be the check-down, and it just so happened I got open,” Shantz said. “Our O-line blocked great and Kain put the ball on the money and we got in field goal position. We knew R.C. would put it in.”
After Willenbrock’s field goal, Columbine had one last play from its own 20 following a touchback on the kickoff. Spond went deep, and again it was Shantz who knocked the pass down, ending the game.
“Winning a game like this is the biggest rush in the world. It’s huge,” Shantz said. “We have a ton of momentum. That’s three weeks in a row that we’ve had close, tough games and we’ve just come together.”
Copyright © 2009 - Colorado Community Newspapers Online