AURORA — He’s arguably Colorado’s best athlete on any high school football field.
So when Eric Lee Jr. scored what proved to be the game-winner, then backed it up with an interception in the end zone on the final play to seal a victory, who could argue?
Lee, who has committed to play for Nebraska, led a wave of high-end performances by the Valor Christian Eagles on an unusually warm and somewhat windy Saturday at a crowded Legacy Stadium as they fought off previously undefeated Grandview 14-7 in the Class 5A semifinals.
The Eagles (10-3) will return to Sports Authority Field at Mile High next weekend for a fifth consecutive year and are in their sixth state title game in a row. They have won the past two 5A championships, two in 4A from 2010-11 and the 3A championship in 2009.
“I just watched the quarterback,” Lee said of intercepting Grandview’s Cody Summers on fourth down.
Lee came up with the interception in traffic in the right side of the end zone when the Wolves (12-1) were attempting to tie it on fourth down from the 14-yard line after having driven from their own 6.
“We’re headed to the big field now,” Eagles defensive back Brian Dawkins Jr. said of going to Mile High next Saturday, and his team needed every play. It was that kind of struggle for teams that played in the vaunted Centennial League championship game a month ago, won by Grandview 24-21.
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With two of the top defenses in the state, yardage and scoring were at a premium. Grandview, which had only 56 yards at the half, eventually outgained Valor 233-230 but never really cashed in — the Wolves had 10 possessions and managed only a 4-yard scoring pass from Summers to Morgan Smith on their first try. It was set up after Grandview’s Gabe Hill came up with an interception on the game’s first snap.
From there, the Wolves flirted but were stymied by the likes of Lee, Dawkins, Gabe Kortz, Bubba Watkins and Brandon Biggs. Meanwhile, quarterback Dylan McCaffrey, Danny Rambo, Stone Watson and Lee fueled two second-quarter scores. McCaffrey’s 1-yarder tied it after Rambo’s 51-yard punt return.
Grandview’s chances included recovering a fumble in the end zone for what it thought was a touchdown in the second quarter, but it was ruled a touchback. Wolves coach John Schultz thought it should have gone his team’s way but said he would “watch film,” and it was “two great teams going at it.”
Said Eagles coach Rod Sherman: “Our defense didn’t play their best game last week (in a victory over Pomona) … but that’s the cool thing about high school football. We come back, the defense plays its best game of the year and really won the game for us.”
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G — Smith 4 pass from Summers (Pirrin kick). VC — McCaffrey 1 run (Kendziorski kick). VC — Lee Jr. 16 pass from McCaffrey (Kendziorski kick).
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or
