Mountain Vista dominates Legend for second straight 5A flag football title

Colorado flag football has begun with a mini-dynasty.

Mountain Vista, supercharged by the talents of senior quarterback Ariana Akey, beat Legend 48-26 Saturday night at Trailblazer Stadium to win its second straight Class 5A championship.

Flag football has been a sanctioned CHSAA sport for only two years, but in that time, the Golden Eagles have posted a perfect 38-0 record. Akey has been a huge reason for that unbeaten run, and was again Saturday night when she ran for five touchdowns and threw for two more.

Last year, she was CHSAA’s player of the year and one of 32 players nationwide nominated for the Maxwell National Flag Football Player of the Year Award. Sports Illustrated named her its national girls’ athlete of the week after the Golden Eagles won their first state title.

Fittingly, the Golden Eagles’ final TD was a long pass from Akey to senior center/linebacker Braelynn Looney, one of the state’s most prolific receivers.

A frenetic first half ended with the Golden Eagles leading 20-13, but with Legend having sent a message that it was not intimidated by Vista’s gaudy record.

Akey, dogged all night by Legend’s pass rushers, used her pure speed to score the game’s first touchdown, sprinting into the end zone from 7 yards out.

Legend quickly answered with its magical connection of senior quarterback Madi Smolen and senior wide receiver Lucy Thompson. Smolen scrambled and threw a high pass into the end zone, where Thompson was smothered by three defenders. But Thompson, who’s headed to Nebraska on a softball scholarship, somehow made a diving, fingertip catch to tie the game with 8:15 left in the first quarter.

Vista responded, with Akey displaying her fast feed and her accurate, powerful right arm. She scambled out of the pocket and then threw a running, cross-fire pass to freshman Harper Hofmeir for the score and a 13-7 lead.

But back came Legend on the strength of two huge passes by Smolen. First, she hooked up with Tori Curdie for a 35-yard gain, and then she threw a 19-yard TD pass to sophomore Presli Easley. The game was knotted 13-13.

Akey’s second rushing touchdown, a 5-yard sprint just inside the corner of the end zone, put Vista ahead near the end of the second quarter. Legend’s Smolen put up a Hail Mary pass at the end of the half, but it was picked off in the end zone by junior Lauren Culebro.

The Titans finished their season 17-2, with both losses coming at the hands of the Golden Eagles, who beat them 40-13 earlier this season.

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