Denver East v Valor Christian - Division 1 Emerging Men State Championship Final

Colorado High School D1 EM Championship – Valor Victors

Eagles jumper rises high to snare lineout ball on the outskirts of the East business district, 10 meters from goal image: h. Richard

Valor Christian Eagles upended Denver East High Angels for the Division 1 championship Saturday returning from a 10-14 halftime deficit to record a 38 – 24 result.

Action was largely between the 22 meter lines and no score early on until an offsides penalty levied against East enable a sticksplitter by Valor flyhalf, Zach Maughan, and it was 3-nil in the 10th minute of play.

Denver East claimed advantage in the 13th on a touch down by their front rowman: 7-3 for Angels then.

Ball hacked forward by Valor and knocked on by East had an Eagles scrum 15 meters out from the Denver goaline. That set piece won and spun, and after half dozen pounding phases at the East defensive spread, ball transferred swiftly along the three-quarters line saw flyer Zach Pickett shrug off a pair of would-be stoppers and raced 40 meters to touch down for Maughan’s plus-2 and Valor made advantage, 10-7, near time in the half.

But the Angels regained favor with a grounding at the midpoint whistle and it was 14-10 for East at that halftime signal and it was lads to lockers for hydration and instruction. East had better ruck speed and were consistently making the gainline, if only just, keeping Valor rear-legged and forcing the Eagles to defend for much of the opening half hour, andValor had yet to loose their potent threequarters line to any great effect yet.

Better from Valor in the opening lines of the second stanza as they employed pick-and-goes from breakdown to great effect, and when the ball was spun from stoppage to the outside backs, gaps in Angels spread defense began to appear for exploitation by the hungry Eagles backline. A scant four minutes into the period Pickett would have his brace, breaking tackles and scoring in the corner for Maughan’s conversion and 17-10 for Valor early in the last half as an Eagles lead not to be forsaken was obtained.

Turning point in the match came when East was awarded a penalty and the ensuing kick for touch had an Angels lineout twelve meters from the Valor paint and Denver most certainly threatening to come into the lead once more. But ball bobbled into goal, and collected and cleared by Valor fullback, Sam Wilson, repulsed the Angles surge and a short time on, after a Valor won scrum at Denver’s 22, Maughan broke into space and raced to goal for his own conversion and Eagles had a two-score advantage, 24-14, in the 12th minute.

However, East returned and once again to Valor territory and on the attack. But a questionable pass in tight quarters was filched by Valor 8man, Elliot Smyth, and the big man hit the nitro after-burners for a 65-meter scamper, Maughan’s conversion, and a 31-14 Valor lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Valor extended their margin of grace to 24 at 38-14 with hard-charging scrumhalf, Noah Wildakas, busting a tackle en route to touch down for a Maughan additional deuce 22 minutes into the final period of play.

East would touch down twice more in a frantic final few minutes to make tallies of 38 and 24 to the Eagles at the field magistrate’s last blast and Valor Christian Eagles were awarded their just dessert, completing a lossless campaign in fine finishing style!