Valor Christian running back Gavin Sawchuk is the winner of the 2021 Denver Post Gold Helmet Award, edging six other worthy senior finalists. Here’s a look at each of them:
Bryce Johnson
School: Lutheran
On the field: A four-year varsity letterman, three-year starter and two-year captain, Johnson was a two-way force for a Lions team that narrowly lost in the 3A semifinals to eventual champion Fort Morgan. The CSU commit was a defensive leader at safety registering 67 tackles (14 for loss), 1 1/2 sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. And on offense, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound receiver was a big play waiting to happen with 19 catches for 492 yards and seven touchdowns.
Off the field: A National Honors Society president and student ambassador, Johnson has maintained a 4.43 cumulative GPA while also participating in numerous volunteer projects. During his time at Lutheran, he has provided outreach through Touching Africa Ministries, Children’s Hospital of Colorado, Parker Fast Force (food collection), Lifeline Christian Missions (meal prep), Project CURE (medical supply packing) and SECOR. He has also chipped in at various youth football camps, worked lunch duty, helped with clean-up around the school and served the senior community.
Connor Jones
School: Palmer Ridge
On the field: The 6-foot-7, 290-pound left tackle started three years on varsity for teams that won the 3A state title in 2019 and reached the 4A championship game in 2020 and the 4A semifinals this fall. , the two-time all-state selection chose a full-ride scholarship from Michigan over offers from Virginia, Northwestern, West Virginia, Colorado State and Oregon State.
Off the field: Jones has been an active member of the community in the Colorado Springs area while carrying a 3.375 cumulative GPA. In addition to coaching the Pop Warner Colorado Springs Wardogs, he was a guest speaker for the Rocky Mountain Classical Academy and Colorado All Stars youth football teams and served as a volunteer/coach for the Monument Bullets in the spring. He also assisted a local financial services company by going to parks around Colorado Springs and providing food to people experiencing homelessness and prepared boxes of food for the Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado.
Dallas Macias
School: Regis Jesuit
On the field: An Oregon State baseball commit, the 6-foot, 190-pound senior was an all-around force on the football field as well. On defense, he led the Raiders in tackles (121) from the safety position while recording two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), one sack and one forced a fumble. On offense, he compiled 347 total yards with one touchdown reception. And on special teams, he returned two punts for touchdowns and averaged 13.7 yards per return.
Off the field: In the classroom, Macias has maintained a 3.71 GPA while splitting time between athletics and volunteer activities. While at Regis, he has worked with Extreme Community Makeover (Denver neighborhood clean-ups), Parker Task Force and Volunteers of America (meals for those in need), and Make A Wish Foundation, where he helped construct a skate ramp in the backyard of a boy recovering from cancer. In addition, he participated with the Susan G. Komen Foundation both as a walker immediately after his grandma’s breast cancer diagnosis and later as a volunteer.
Cade Palmer
School: The Classical Academy
On the field: The Air Force Academy commit submitted the last of three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons as a senior captain, compiling 1,541 yards and 23 touchdowns on 123 carries. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound back closed out his prep career with 18 consecutive games topping 100 yards on the ground, 4,018 rushing yards, 56 TDs, 95 tackles and two Class 2A all-state selections.
Off the field: Palmer has touched numerous communities and organizations while also maintaining a 3.5 cumulative GPA as a TCA student. He’s helped provide food assistance to families in need, given time and labor to fundraising events for an organization that serves children with Downs syndrome, assembled and delivered care packages for seniors, run a program for first- and second-graders at New Life Church and even traveled to Los Angeles to help Dream Centers distribute food to the homeless. In addition, he’s volunteered as a coach and mentor at youth football camps and routinely served as a guest speaker for TCA’s various youth teams.
Keegan Patterson
School: Longmont
On the field: Bound for Colorado School of Mines next fall, the three-year varsity starting quarterback put together a prolific prep career with 7,053 yards and 52 touchdowns passing to go along with 1,816 yards and 38 touchdowns rushing. That culminated with an all-state senior season that saw him accumulate 4,455 total yards (3,609 passing, 846 running) and 48 total TDs (28/20) and play a vital role on defense with 44 tackles and one fumble recovery.
Off the field: Patterson has maintained a 4.42 GPA during his time at Longmont while also working in the community and helping with youth camps as part of the team’s service project. In addition, he has gone on a number of mission trips with his church, Faith Community Lutheran Church.
Luke Zana
School: Boulder
On the field: A team leader who can consistently bench press 225 pounds more than 15 times, the Panthers’ undersized linebacker was the quarterback of the defense while accumulating 100 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery. He also scored three touchdowns on offense and was a special teams dynamo with one blocked punt and one blocked field goal.
Off the field: Between a 4.63 cumulative GPA and perfect ACT score of 36, Zana’s academic credentials are impeccable. What’s even more impressive is that he achieved those marks while also giving so much of his time, whether it was through participating in the school’s Chance to Dance Program for disabled students, serving as student body president, reading books to children at the Boulder Public Library or helping put together care packages for underprivileged children around the holidays. He’s also helped run swim and football clinics at the school and organized the trick or treat street program at Whittier Elementary School.
