DENVER BRONCOS HIGH SCHOOL COACH OF THE WEEK
Wayne Voorhees
School: Legacy Lightning in Broomfield, Class 5A Front Range League.
Record: 5-2 overall and 4-1 in league play in 2014; 74-50 overall.
Coaching résumé: Assistant at Horizon from 1993-99 and at Legacy from 2000-02. Head coach at Legacy since 2003.
Life lines: Age 41. Native of Thornton. Graduated from Horizon in 1991 and from Metro State in 1996. Has degrees in history and secondary education. Received master’s degrees from Grand Canyon University in 1999 in the art of teaching and from the University of Phoenix in 2004 in education administration. Teaches physical education at Legacy.
Back in his day: Linebacker at Horizon from 1987-90.
Last week: After five consecutive seasons of playing mediocre football, Legacy has turned into a title threat in the Front Range and perhaps across all of Class 5A.The Lightning jumped all over visiting Fossil Ridge on Friday and rolled to a 52-20 victory. Having piled up 143 points the past four weeks, Legacy clearly is in gear.
“We knew going into the season that we had a good senior class and a good junior class,” Voorhees said. “The kids have bought into it. They’ve been doing a great job of executing.”
Junior quarterback Matt Lynch has been superb.
“Before it’s all said and done, he’ll be the real deal,” Voorhees said.
Connor Connolly had 79 yards rushing and three touchdowns against Fossil Ridge. Khamel Robinson contributed 79 yards on the ground and one touchdown. Evan Baugh turned in two quick interceptions, sparking the rout.
Legacy, which has won four games in a row, has been underrated defensively. The Lightning has allowed only 82 points. The losses were to Fountain-Fort Carson (20-14 in overtime) in Week 2 and to Rocky Mountain (10-6) in Week 3. Both teams are 6-1.
Next up for the Lightning is a Friday game at Monarch in Lafayette, then a regular season-ending game against undefeated Fairview of Boulder, possibly to create a three-way tie for the league championship and create even more excitement.
“The whole school has given us great school spirit, which our kids feed off,” Voorhees said. “And we’ve said all along that we want to play for a league championship.”
The Denver Broncos high school coach of the week award will have 10 honorees during the regular season and a coach of the year at season’s end. It is presented by the Colorado National Guard, with a selection committee led by The Denver Post’s Neil H. Devlin and including Ring of Fame member Billy Thompson and 850 KOA’s Andy Lindahl. Each weekly winner will receive a $2,000 donation to his school in his name made possible by the NFL Foundation and the Colorado National Guard, and the coach of the year will receive a $4,000 grant. The coach of the year will be honored at the Broncos’ Dec. 28 game against Oakland at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
