LITTLETON — Adam Clary was a running back in sixth grade when he dashed to the end zone for his first touchdown. There wasn’t a chance the closest defensive player, about 20 yards behind, could stop him. And just as Clary was on the verge of the first major play in his football career, a wide receiver on his South Jeffco Falcons team, Jeremy Lujan, went after the defender chasing Clary and hit him right in the back.
Penalty.
No touchdown.
“Because he (Lujan) wanted to get the first touchdown of the year!” Clary, now a quarterback at Dakota Ridge, said of the play.
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Lujan, now a running back and kick returner at Dakota Ridge, interjected: “I took it away! It’s OK, though, because I did score the first real touchdown.”
Sure, Clary got robbed of his first touchdown. But it was by a person who would become his best friend for many years to come.
Now they are seniors — two of the best players on the Eagles’ roster, and working through the process of college recruiting.
“They’re like brothers,” said of the duo. “They’ll end up playing in college together somewhere.”
And that’s exactly what they hope to do — be a packaged deal for a college team.
“The goal is to end up at the same place,” Clary said.
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They attended summer camps at Colorado State and Drake together. Individually, Lujan visited Northern Colorado, while Clary went to Grand Valley State in Michigan.
“The only issues (with recruitment) I see are maybe Adam’s height, 5-foot-11, because college coaches want a taller QB, like 6-3, 6-4. And probably Jeremy’s height and weight (5-6, 160) as well,” Woitalewicz said.
junior, and he set a school record with 331 yards rushing (including four touchdowns, on 24 carries) in one game.
“The week before, we played Pine Creek — you know, ,” Woitalewicz said. “They held Jeremy to 56 yards, and he didn’t talk all week. We thought he was hurt or something happened.
“Then against Wheat Ridge, he went off and set a school record. Jeremy said, ‘No one will ever hold me to 56 yards again.’ “
Dakota Ridge special-teams and running backs coach Dennis Majewski described watching Lujan play football as “like a computer game. He does these crazy, superhuman things.”
and 19 touchdowns as a junior. Both ranked fourth in Class 4A.
“Prepare for some offensive firepower,” Lujan said.
The Clary-Lujan connection isn’t the only thing other teams should expect from the Eagles this season.
“We’re not a one-dimensional team by any stretch of the imagination,” Woitalewicz said.
Last year, Dakota Ridge’s defense set a school record by creating 44 turnovers in 11 games.
open their season Friday night against Monarch at Centaurus High School.
Morgan Dzakowic: mdzakowic@denverpost.com or twitter.com/morgandzak
4A players to watch
Conlan Berger, Longmont, Sr., RB
It will be challenging for defenses to stop this tailback from racking up the yardage — and touchdowns — every game.
Adam Clary, Dakota Ridge, Sr., QB
Ranked fourth in passing yards (2,179) and touchdowns (19) in 4A last season.
JoJo Domann, Pine Creek, Sr., ATH
“The Domannator” was a crucial part of the Eagles’ back-to-back state championships. He has committed to Nebraska.
Isaiah Fields, Falcon, Sr., DB
Fields is one of 4A’s top defensive backs. He had 138 return yards on eight interceptions in 10 games last season.
Logan Goodner, Longmont, Sr., LB-RB
Goodner will be an asset to a championship- contending Trojans team. Last season he recorded 86 solo tackles, which ranked No. 2 in 4A.
Jeremy Lujan, Dakota Ridge, Sr., RB-KR
Though he is on the smaller side, Lujan is tough to stop. He’s on track to rush for more than 2,000 yards this season.
Isiah Pannunzio, Pueblo South, Sr., TE-DE
CSU almost missed out on this in-state recruit after the departure of coach Jim McElwain to Florida. But one of the Colts’ best will stay with CSU, now led by Mike Bobo.
Terriek Roberts, Denver South, Sr., OT
This 6-foot-6, 255-pound tackle will be lethal on the Rebels’ already dominant offensive line. He has committed to CU.
Cooper Rothe, Longmont, Sr., CB-PR
Another elite secondary player, Rothe led 4A in interceptions as a junior with nine.
Corte Tapia, Windsor, Jr., OLB
This linebacker recorded 14.5 sacks his sophomore season — the second-most in 4A. He will need to step up as a leader on an inexperienced team this year.
Elway Tubbs, Vista Ridge, Sr., QB
Tubbs was one of 4A’s top passers last season, passing for 2,221 yards and throwing 26 TDs — the second-most in 4A.
Jack Wibbels, Pine Creek, Sr., DE
A top defensive lineman, Wibbels racked up 11.5 sacks last season for the state champion Eagles.
Five questions about 4A
1. Can Pine Creek three-peat this year?
Maybe. Coach Todd Miller’s Eagles have a 26-2 record the past two seasons, but lost five key players from those state championship teams. The Eagles return Nebraska commit JoJo Domann and top defensive lineman Jack Wibbels.
2. Does Longmont have another state title-contending team?
Absolutely. The Trojans return seven offensive starters, and eight on defense. It’s another tough schedule ahead for coach Doug Johnson’s club. But with stars Conlan Berger, Logan Goodner and Cooper Rothe, this team is stacked.
3. How will Adams City perform with a new first-year head coach?
Adams City is a program that has always struggled. In order for the Eagles to succeed, they need strong and positive leadership. The team returns 10 starters on each side of the ball, and coach Julian Banks said he will hold everyone accountable for their actions.
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4. Can Fort Collins clinch back-to-back outright league championships?
We’ll see. Enrollment and numbers are down for the Lambkins, but longtime head coach Eric Rice is on a mission. He also added brother Kevin Rice as his assistant, who is a former Skyline coach. They now attempt to win the school’s first back-to-back outright league titles.
5. Is Dakota Ridge going to have another record-setting year?
There’s a good chance. Last season, the Dakota Ridge defense set a school record by forcing 44 turnovers in 11 games. Star running back Jeremy Lujan also set a record, rushing for 331 yards in one game. And he has his best friend, QB Adam Clary, feeding him the ball.
