The sleeping giant of Cheyenne Mountain hockey is wide awake and back on top.
The Red-Tailed Hawks shut out Colorado Academy, 4-0, to claim the Class 4A state championship on Tuesday night inside Ball Arena. The storied program now has 15 state titles — the most in Colorado prep hockey history — after a nearly two-decade drought. Cheyenne Mountain last won the championship in 2004.
The Red-Tailed Hawks celebrated a new chapter of hockey history at the final buzzer with a player dogpile.
“I’m really happy for the guys,” said head coach Erik Austin, a former Cheyenne Mountain hockey player who won a 1996 state championship. “They put a really good game together on a big stage.”
Cheyenne Mountain dominated the puck with a 44-14 advantage in shots with Red-Tailed Hawks goalie Jeremy Renholm starring in net. Forward Drew Elwell got things started for Cheyenne Mountain with a first-period goal assisted by Nick Halle and Noah Bonnett. The Red-Tailed Hawks never looked back.
“The first goal is huge,” Elwell said. “We usually get going after that and it gives us some energy.”
Cheyenne Mountain forward Philip Bramble took over with a goal in the second and third periods. Bramble also provided an assist for the team’s fourth goal of the night from Wyatt Furda. A strong Cheyenne Mountain student section exploded with noise each time the team grew its lead.
“The first one just came out of nowhere. I got the backhand and I didn’t think it went in but they called it a goal,” Bramble said. “Itap good to end the drought. We haven’t got one in almost 20 years. We finally did it.”
Renholm, who allowed just one goal during the playoffs, added: “Itap easy to get in the zone when those guys are playing so well. … I’m just wanting to play for them.”
Cheyenne Mountain established itself as a prep hockey powerhouse in the 1980s and ’90s when only a handful of CHSAA programs existed across Colorado. But a growth in the sportap popularity has created new challengers to the Red-Tailed Hawks hockey dynasty.
“When there were 10 of us playing high school hockey in Colorado Springs, there was a good chance that we were going to be winning the title,” Austin said. “High school hockey is up to 40 teams now and it just keeps growing. Itap really fun to be a part of right now because itap just exploding.”
Cheyenne Mountain made its comeback with no secret sauce. Austin said: “We have really good players.” But the team was quick to point out what this championship meant to their head coach.
Austin beamed with pride as the Red-Tailed Hawks celebrated.
“It was big for him,” Renholm said. “Itap been a long time since he’s held that trophy. It was so nice to see him holding it in the hallway. It brings a smile to your face.”
Bramble added: “I bet he feels amazing. Thatap all he’s wanted.”
