Cherry Creek wide receiver Ismael Cisse made a statement in his junior season football .
The first route shows the 6-foot-1, 180-pound standout leaping for a touchdown grab with a defensive back draped on him. The next clip shows Cisse crossing the middle from the slot. He breaks three tackles before charging into the end zone. Sensing a pattern here?
“You’ve got to be physical and not scared of contact,” Cisse said. “What I can’t wait for everybody to see this year is my route running.”
There are four months left until practices begin for the next Colorado high school football season. But the recruiting calendar is in full swing for many of the state’s elite 2023 prospects. Cisse made recent visits to Colorado and California — — with future trips to Florida, Oregon and USC on his wish list.
Cisse caught 39 passes for 652 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. In the Bruins’ three-peat state Class 5A championship win over Valor Christian he had a 39-yard touchdown reception.
Itap more impressive when you consider that Cisse was a first-year player at Dave Logan’s powerhouse program. Cisse spent his freshman and sophomore years at Overland High School and said a family move brought him to Cherry Creek.
“I just had to be me. Go out every practice and show who I am,” Cisse said. “Keep pushing to let the coaches and everybody know that I am one of the top players in the state. That competitive mindset that anybody’s job can get taken. Be the hardest worker out there.”
Cisse grew his national recruiting profile with a strong showing at a recent national invite 7-on-7 tournament in Dallas. Cisse was named on March 20.
Mike Roach, , wrote in his player analysis: “Cisse is built with a solid base and attacks the ball in the air ferociously. Cisse lined up inside and outside as teams struggled to cover him all weekend. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound prospect holds 7 offers and could heat up with more this spring.”
Add confidence to the list of strengths.
“I have strong hands,” Cisse said. “When the ball is in the air, I’m going to get it every time.”
His next priority is winning another state championship and the Bruins’ roster is once again loaded with Division I talent. Cherry Creek’s only real blemish a year ago was a rare in-state loss to Arapahoe. That defeat still fuels Cisse entering his final high school season.
“We’ve got to lock in and stay humble,” Cisse said. “Continue to keep the mindset we had after that Arapahoe game. We can be beaten. We can’t take any team for granted. … I feel good about a four-peat.”
