ARVADA — The first year of girls flag football playoffs began this weekend with multipole local teams competing for the inaugural state championship. Doherty competed in the 5A bracket while The Classical Academy, Air Academy, Ellicott, and Vista Ridge were all in 4A.
First Round:
Douglas County 20, Doherty 16
Doherty played from behind in this game but always stayed within striking distance. Sontee Keys caught a touchdown pass in the first half that evened the score at 7. The Spartans fell behind by two scores late in the fourth quarter but Nelah Thompson scrambled her way into the end zone to make it 20-14.
Douglas County was called for a safety with under a minute to play but Doherty was unable to drive down the field in time for a game winning touchdown.
Denver West 16, Air Academy 14
In a tightly played matchup, Air Academy got touchdowns from both Lane Reynolds and Rheyvn Wilkins. Abigail Shawver was the quarterback for the Kadets and finished with two touchdown passes.
Late in the game the Kadets were called for a safety, giving Denver West the two point advantage and just enough wiggle room to put Air Academy’s season to an end.
The Classical Academy 31, Ellicott 0
TCA entered the playoffs as the No. 1 overall team and put that on display in their first round win over Ellicott. Five different Titans scored in the shutout win and Kelsey Peterson threw for three of those five.
Ellicott was able to hang around with TCA for the first half as they did an exceptional job defending the pass and even coming up with an interception. However, the Titans began to click in the second half as they ran away with the game.
Vista Ridge 31. Manual 0
Vista Ridge used a big first half to help secure their spot in the quarterfinals. Brooklyn Kaiser scored two offensive touchdowns and added a pick-6 to give them a three-score lead.
Samira Jackson added a touchdown of her own in the second half as the Wolves kept their season alive for another game.
Quarterfinals:
TCA 40, Denver West 0
The Titans got better the closer they got to championship weekend. With another shutout victory, they secured themselves a spot in the semifinals on November 2.
Peterson threw for another five touchdowns in the quarterfinal game. TCA will take on Green Mountain on Saturday.
George Washington 26, Vista Ridge 20
Vista Ridge got out to a 13-7 half time lead after another two touchdowns and an interception from Kaiser. The Wolves had the opportunity to extend the lead at the end of the first half but fell short of the goal line.
George Washington forced Vista Ridge into two second half interceptions and capitalized on the turnovers to take a 26-13 lead. The Wolves showed a sign of life after a long touchdown from Jackson brought them back within one score at 26-20.
Late in the fourth quarter, it was the defensive heroics of Addison Vrana that came up with a big interruption and return for the Wolves. The offense took the field with under minutes to play and tried to get the go-ahead touchdown but penalties set them back and they were unable to convert on a fourth and long situation.
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