By Joshua Cole
WSL Special Correspondent
DENVER – The Cherry Creek boys lacrosse team doesn’t have any one particular player who strikes much fear in the competition. But the Bruins have demonstrated all season that the whole has been greater than the sum of their parts.
That trend continued in Saturday afternoon’s Colorado High School Activities Association state championship game.
Sophomore attackman Kendall Williams had a game-high six points on four goals and two assists to lead No. 6 Cherry Creek to a decisive, 11-4 victory over No. 19 Regis Jesuit at Invesco Field.
Senior middie Scott Hewitson added three goals, sophomore attackman Seyler Skudneski scored twice and senior middie Hogan Danneberg and junior middie Henri Halle and each had a goal for Cherry Creek (17-2), which won its 11th state title and first since 2006.
“Not having a bunch of superstars on our team, it allows us to play team ball,” Hewitson said. “We have so many offensive threats that they can’t focus on one guy, because another guy is going to step it up and get it done.”
Cherry Creek scored two goals in the first 3:30 of the title game and had a 6-1 lead with 6:16 remaining in the second period. When Regis Jesuit got within three at 7-4 with 11:06 left in regulation, Cherry Creek scored the game’s final four goals to put it away.
Regis Jesuit’s success this season has been based on its defense, anchored by junior goalie Rhody Heller and junior defenseman Tanner Otterbreit, both committed to the University of Virginia. Yet Cherry Creek sliced the Raiders apart.
Regis Jesuit’s defense played tight to the goal, then slid defenders over when Cherry Creek offensive players got close. With a double-team coming, Cherry Creek’s ball-handlers zipped passes around the perimeter to open players.
With Heller moving and Regis Jesuit defenders yards away from them, Cherry Creek’s players wound up and stepped into rocket shots.
“They had a good offensive game plan, and they got some good shots on us,” said Regis Jesuit head coach Jim Soran, whose team finished the season 12-7. “Once they got a few goals on the outside, we pushed them out a little more, and they got some goals on the inside.”
Meanwhile, Cherry Creek’s defense forced Regis Jesuit around the perimeter. Regis Jesuit scored three of its four goals on fortuitous circumstances: Ottenbreit scored on a surprise, slow bouncer in transition; senior midde Jimmy Eazor dodged past two Cherry Creek players after the Bruins had spent most of the game preventing the Raiders from getting past a single dodger, and senior attackman Logan Clark scored during a one-minute man-up advantage.
Sophomore midfielder Kevin Greenberg scored Regis Jesuit’s other goal.
Cherry Creek senior defenseman Kevin Arnold centered the defense, flanked by sophomore defender Ryder Clark, junior defender Dan Lewis and junior long-stick middie Kevin Rifkin. Junior goalie Chris White had eight saves in the win.
“We did what we did all season,” Arnold said. “Packed it in and didn't allow many shots.”