No doubt, Jack Elway will be a special quarterback for Cherry Creek for two years.
In fact, Elway was close to special in his first high school start Thursday night at All-City Stadium. The son of former Broncos great John Elway passed for 114 yards and a touchdown and rushed nine times for 39 yards and a touchdown against Montbello.
But it was Cherry Creek’s special teams that were especially special as the No. 4-ranked Bruins rolled to a 56-20 victory in the season opener for both teams.
“We always try to get 16 points off special teams and get big plays,” Cherry Creek coach Greg Critchett said.
Creek’s kicking game provided that, and more.
The Bruins returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns, set up two touchdowns on fumble recoveries and capitalized on the Warriors’ failure on a fake punt in their own territory late in the first half.
“Special teams … you’d think we never coached them,” first-year Montbello coach John Pounder said. “They just killed us.”
The big blow for Montbello on special teams might have come on the final play of the first half. The Warriors had pulled within 21-13 on a 29-yard pass from receiver Drew Davis to Marcus Crowder with three seconds left.
Chris Gorham dribbled the ensuing kickoff, which Cherry Creek sophomore DeVaughn Levy dropped. Levy picked up the ball, saw a clear field ahead of him and raced 89 yards untouched.
“I was really nervous,” Levy said. “It was my first touch in a varsity game. As soon as I grabbed the ball, I saw an opening and took it.
“We knew they were going to be a tough team, but we capitalized all day and came away with the W.”
Elway, with father watching from the top of the Creek stands, did all Critchett asked of him in his starting debut.
Elway completed 8-of-17 passes, including a 23-yard touchdown toss that do-it-all Karl Heimbrock muscled away from two Montbello defenders in the end zone for a 21-7 lead.
Moments earlier on the drive, which followed the fatal fake punt, Elway drew Montbello’s defense offside with a hard count on third-and-1 from the 25-yard line.
Elway also generated his version of “The Drive,” leading the Bruins 99 yards in 13 plays for their first touchdown. Running back Michael Hunter (15 carries, 128 yards) rushed six times for 69 yards, including a 3-yard score, and Elway contributed a 9-yard completion and runs of 13 and 5 yards.
Elway added a 6-yard touchdown run early in the second half, and a 9-yard scramble helped set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Cherry Creek 7 21 14 14 – 56
Montbello 0 13 0 7 – 20
CC – Hunter 3 run (Boryla kick). M – Davis 11 run (Gorman kick). CC – Randolph 71 punt return (Boryla kick). CC – Heimbrock 23 pass from Elway (Boryla kick). M – Papillion 29 pass from Davis (run failed). CC – Levy 89 kickoff return (Boryla kick). CC – Elway 6 run (Boryla kick). CC – Wilson 15 run (Boryla kick). M – Davis 25 run (Gorham kick). CC – Wilson 5 run (Boryla kick). CC – Heimbrock 74 fumble return (Boryla kick).
