In the span of a couple of hours, Valor Christian reminded the state it might be capable of toppling a dynasty this fall.
Two Eagles announced their commitments to top-tier college football programs on Monday morning. Wideout Jackson Coleman is and shortly after Coleman’s recruiting news broke, offensive lineman Reis Russell
The duo is two of the top five recruits in Colorado in the Class of 2027, They are also major reasons why Valor Christian could have the firepower and depth to topple Cherry Creek, the two-time defending big-school champion that has won six of the last seven crowns and has appeared in eight straight title games.
Valor Christian lost to Cherry Creek in the semifinals each of the last two years, including a narrow 21-13 defeat in 2025. Following that loss in which the Eagles led early in the fourth but couldn’t finish off the upset despite four Cherry Creek turnovers, Valor Christian head coach Mike Sanford declared his program had “closed the gap” between themselves and the vaunted Bruins after the latter smoked them in the semifinals in ’24, 42-17.
“Our 2026 schedule is not for the faint of heart, and that’s by design,” Sanford said. “We have a special core of players, our seniors next year are fantastic in so many ways, and our (junior-to-be) class has a bunch of depth. I really like our team for this upcoming season.”
Valor Christian no doubt to prepare the Eagles for an inevitable clash with Cherry Creek late in the playoffs. The Eagles open their season at home on Aug. 21 against Kinkaid, a private-school powerhouse in Houston, then host Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas) the next week.
After that, the Eagles travel to take on California juggernaut Mater Dei on Sept. 4, and following a bye, host Cherry Creek on Sept. 18. Valor Christian could also be tested in its league by Legend (Oct. 2 at home), Pine Creek (Oct. 17 in Colorado Springs) and Regis Jesuit (Oct. 30 in Aurora). Coleman’s game-breaking ability at wideout and Russell’s blocking at left tackle will be critical factors in Valor Christian’s success amid that grueling regular-season slate and into the playoffs.
Coleman, who caught 45 passes for 975 yards and nine touchdowns last season, combines speed and size that is difficult for defensive backs to cover. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder, who is also a track standout, ran 10.67 in the 100 meters as a sophomore, and Sanford says he intends to get Coleman more targets this fall.
“One significant mistake I made in 2025 is (Coleman) probably should’ve touched the ball a little bit more,” Sanford said. “His volume was OK, but when you realize he essentially averaged nearly one-fourth of a football field (at 21.7 yards per catch) every time he touched the ball, it goes to show he’s got incredible explosiveness, top-end speed, big-play playmaking ability. So he’s got to be a huge focal point to what we do offensively this year.”
Russell boasts a strong football pedigree
Meanwhile, Russell will start at left tackle in 2026 after playing right tackle as a junior, center as a sophomore and all across the line as a freshman. Russell had 35 Division I offers, but chose Washington over other finalists in USC, Miami and Georgia.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pounder is the second notable blue-chip Valor Christian offensive lineman to head to Seattle in recent years, following Roger Rosengarten, who starred for the Huskies and now plays for the Baltimore Ravens. Russell’s storied family athletic legacy was a driving factor in the lineman’s development.
Russell’s dad, Matt Russell, is a CU Hall of Famer who won the 1996 Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. After a brief NFL career, Matt Russell was a scout for the Patriots and Eagles, then worked for 12 years as a Broncos’ front-office executive. He’s been a senior personnel director/advisor to the GM for the Eagles .
Russell’s mom, Sonja Russell (née Nielsen), was a first-team All-Big 12 volleyball player for the Buffs at the turn of the century. The lineman’s sister, Delaney Russell, was a volleyball star at Valor Christian, where she was the 2023-24 state Gatorade player of the year . And the lineman’s cousin, Brady Russell, just won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks as one of Seattle’s
“Growing up having all those mentors in sports really impacted me a lot,” Reis Russell said. “That was the main driver to me being able to get this far in the game. I’ve got a long way to go, but having people who’ve done it before me at a high level has really helped me throughout this process.
“Leaning on my dad and what he’s done through football, and my mom and my sister’s successes in volleyball, it’s always showed me the way, especially with their work ethic. It’s really created a picture of what it takes to be able to perform at that level.”
Loaded for a state title run
Russell will be key in protecting the blind side of Valor Christian QB Titus Huard, who already has heading into his junior season. Other critical returners for the Eagles include junior-to-be offensive lineman Davis Moon, junior-to-be linebacker Evan Ingalls, senior-to-be defensive back Brandon Wright, and senior-to-be tight end Noah Pacheco.
Plus, Valor Christian is also getting a boost via the pending transfer of running back Kashus Clarvoe, who starred for Broomfield as a freshman. Clarvoe announced last month.
The running back has yet to be cleared in the transfer waiver process, but Sanford says Clarvoe has already been admitted to Valor Christian as a student for the 2026-27 school year and that he expects Clarvoe to receive full eligibility from CHSAA via a bona fide move.
Clarvoe, the lone freshman to earn CHSAA last year, burst onto the high school scene by rushing for 1,815 yards and 18 TDs. He averaged 9.6 yards per carry and posted nine games with 100 yards or more on the ground. If he’s cleared, Clarvoe will fill an immediate need for Valor Christian, which graduated its two top tailbacks from last season in Chase Hanosh and Channing Fox.
Considering the aforementioned talent across both the line and skill positions, Russell believes Valor Christian is in a strong position to pursue the program’s ninth title, its Cherry Creek remains loaded, with four of the top recruits in the Class of 2027, headlined by the state’s No. 1-ranked player in offensive lineman and UCLA commit
“We came up one possession short of beating Creek last year,” Russell said. “This year, coming in with that motivation is huge for us. And we’re going to hopefully be able to flip things around and go for it all this year and get that ring.”
