Cherry Creek Survives Legend In OT To Extend Current Win Streak To 30 Straight: Colorado High School Football

One of the biggest games in Colorado high school football this week occurred on Thursday night - and what a game it was.

Two-time defending Class 5A state champion Cherry Creek extended its current win streak to 30 straight games, but the Bruins had to dig deep to overcome Legend.

Cherry Creek, ranked No. 1 in the latest High School On SI Colorado Top 25 rankings, got a touchdown pass in overtime to defeat the No. 5 ranked Titans, 34-28, Thursday night at Stutler Bowl in Greenwood Village.

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The Bruins had a chance to win in regulaton with a 41-yard field goal attempt, but the hold was mishandled and they weren't able to get the kick off, sending the game into overtime. Legend got the ball first and made it down to the 1-yard line, facing a fourth-and-goal.

After taking a time out, Legend decided to go for it and tried a dive over the line, but Cherry Creek's defense came through to stop the runner, turning it over on downs. The Bruins then got a walk-off touchdown from backup quarterback Montae Johnson, who took over for starter Bentley Unruh, who left the game with an injury.

Cherry Creek (3-0) also got a big boost from receiver Alijah Landrum-Hamilton, a Wyoming commit. For the second straight week, Landrum-Hamilton caught three TD passes, with his latest effort taking place within the game's opening 14 minutes.

Despite the loss, Legend (1-2) got an incredible performance from Freddie Burke, a senior receiver/defensive back/kicker. Burke accounted for 27 of the Titans' 28 points. He scored three TDs, including a pick-six and a fourth-down catch in the final quarter, kicked two field goals and a PAT conversions, along with getting one two-point conversion.

Thursday's win continued an incredible gauntlet of opponents for Cherry Creek.

Last week, the Bruins defeated Ralston Valley in a rematch of last year’s 5A title game; then Thursday, they face Legend, ranked No. 5. Next week, Cherry Creek faces another Top 5 team in Valor Christian.

Before Thursday, the last time the Bruins faced the Titans was in the 2024 5A championship game, as Cherry Creek pulled off a 13-10 win against Legend.

Follow High School On SI correspondent Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Greenwood Village.

Scroll down for live score and game updates from kickoff to the postgame. Refresh this page for the latest.

CHERRY CREEK 34, LEGEND 28 FINAL/OVERTIME

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POSTGAME

- Cherry Creek survives in overtime against Legend, as the Bruins move to 3-0 while winning their 30th straight ballgame. Legend drops to 1-2. Cherry Creek has another huge test next week, taking on Valor Christian.

OVERTIME

- WALK-OFF TOUCHDOWN CHERRY CREEK. Wow, the Bruins survive in OT and have now won 30 straight games. Backup quarterback Montae Johnson throws a play-action pass to the right on third-and-goal from the 9 and the pass is caught in the back corner of the end zone for the game-winning score. (Cherry Creek, 34-28 | F/OT)

- Cherry Creek gets stuffed for a loss on first-and-goal. Bruins coach Dave Logan (Yes, the same Dave Logan who is the Denver Broncos' play-by-play radio announcer) calls a time out.

- Legend goes for it. A Titan player gets the snap and attempts to dive forward - BUT HE GETS STOPPED SHY OF THE GOAL LINE. Cherry Creek holds and needs to just score on its next possession to win it.

- Legend gets it down to the 1, facing a fourth-and-goal. Titans call a time out to think things over.

- Legend has the ball first at the 10-yard line, needing four downs to punch it in.

- Cherry Creek will need to find a way to win in overtime in order to make it 30 straight victories.

FOURTH QUARTER

- Good snap on the field goal attempt - BUT THE HOLD IS MISHANDLED and Legend dodges one there. We are heading to overtime. WOW. WOW. WHAT A GAME.

- Cherry Creek is about to attempt a 41-yard field goal with five seconds left.

- Another huge run from Chance Phillips gives Cherry Creek another first down near the Legend 25.

- Chance Phillips breaks off a long run that gives Cherry Creek a first down near the Legend 40 with less than two minutes to go.

- Cherry Creek forces several incomplete passes, and Legend is going to have to give the ball back by punting. Bruins take over near midfield with about two and a half minutes remaining.

- Legend forces a punt. Freddie Burke fields the kick but can't do much with it, and is taken out of bounds. Titans have the ball near their 25 with about three minutes left.

- Cherry Creek converts a first down and has the ball near its 40 with three minutes to go.

- TOUCHDOWN LEGEND. Holy mackerel, Freddie Burke does it again. This time, he grabs a fourth-and-goal pass in the back corner of the end zone to pull the TItans within one. But Burke does not stay on the field and kick as Legend uses another kicker instead; however, the kick is true and we are tied at Stutler Bowl. (28-28 | 5:30, 4th)

- Play has resumed. Legend unable to move the ball and now face a fourth-and-goal from the 11 with nearly five minutes left.

- Legend has a first-and-goal but we have an injury timeout as a Titan player is being looked at on the field.

- Legend QB Kellen Mauck completes a pass on third-and-long, and the Titans are inside the Cherry Creek 30 with less than seven minutes to go.

- TOUCHDOWN CHERRY CREEK. Bruins go back in front as Elijah Cromwell takes it in from a yard out. (Cherry Creek, 28-21 | 7:55, 4th)

- Cherry Creek converts on a fourth-and-short as Elijah Cromwell takes a handoff and surges forward. Bruins have the ball near the Legend 30.

- Legend's Freddie Burke apparently suffered a calf strain but is going back into the game. Cherry Creek, meanwhile, has the ball inside the Legend 40 with nearly nine minutes left.

THIRD QUARTER

- Now Legend standout Freddie Burke, responsible for all 21 of his team's points, has been shaken up and is out of the game. He's on the sideline being looked at as we shift into the final quarter of play.

- Legend will punt, and Cherry Creek is inside its own 20 going into the final minute of the third.

- Cherry Creek has to punt, and Legend takes over and is attempting to put together a drive to take the lead.

- Cherry Creek QB Bentley Unruh is shaken up and is being helped off the field.

SECOND QUARTER

- Cherry Creek forced to punt with time running out in the half, and the kick uses up the remainder of the clock. A very entertaining half ends in a deadlock at the Stutler Bowl.

- PICK-SIX AND 2-POINT CONVERSION LEGEND. Wow, Freddie Burke comes up huge again for the Titans, this time picking off a pass and taking it a short distance to the house for his second TD. Legend then goes for two and the tie and get it. (21-21 | 2:34, 2nd)

- Legend can't do anything with the ball, and will punt it right back to Cherry Creek, with the Bruins up eight near the two-minute point.

- Legend's defense forces a punt, and the Titans get the ball back with about three minutes to go until intermission.

- FIELD GOAL CHERRY CREEK. Freddie Burke can score touchdowns and he can also kick field goals. Connected on his second FG of the night, this one from about 48 yards out. He has been responsible for all 13 Titan points so far. (Cherry Creek, 21-13 | 6:09, 2nd)

- TOUCHDOWN CHERRY CREEK. Less than 15 minutes into the game, and Bruins WR Alijah Landrum-Hamilton has another hat trick, catching a long TD pass from QB Bentley Unruh. Landrum-Hamilton had three TDs last week and he's got three more tonight. (Cherry Creek, 21-10 | 10:21, 2nd)

- Legend gets stopped near midfield as Cherry Creek D-lineman Niko Maniatis comes up with a sack on third down, forcing the Titans to punt.

FIRST QUARTER

- Legend gets the ball out to near midfield as a highly very entertaining opening quarter comes to an end.

- TOUCHDOWN CHERRY CREEK. Back and forth we go again, as the Bruins regain the lead. And once again, it's on a TD catch from Alijah Landrum-Hamilton, who now has five TD receptions in the Bruins' past two ballgames. (Cherry Creek, 14-10 | 1:29, 1st)

- TOUCHDOWN LEGEND. Titans take the lead right back as Freddie Burke catches a long TD pass from QB Kellen Mauck, a former Cherry Creek player. (Legend, 10-7 | 5:54, 1st)

- TOUCHDOWN CHERRY CREEK. Bruins quickly answer on their opening drive, and get into the end zone as Alijah Landrum-Hamilton takes a screen pass and goes in from about 30 yards out. (Cherry Creek, 7-3 | 6:50, 1st)

- FIELD GOAL LEGEND. Drive stalls for the Titans, but they are able to kick a 46-yard field goal through the uprights to grab the early lead. (Legend, 3-0 | 8:29, 1st)

- Legend down to near the Cherry Creek 30 three minutes in.

- Cherry Creek in black jerseys and black pants. Bruins kick things off to start and the ball goes into the end zone for a touchback, and Legend will be on offense.

PREGAME

- Live from the Stutler Bowl in Greenwood Village, Cherry Creek goes for its 30th consecutive win as the Bruins welcome in Legend.

ABOUT LEGEND

The Titans began their season with a narrow 28-24 loss to Grandview before bouncing back last week, downing Chaparral, 44-14.

In last week’s game, senior running back Jayden Scaife rushed for three touchdowns while junior quarterback Kellen Mauck threw for a couple of scores.

ABOUT CHERRY CREEK

The Bruins have fended off two challengers determined to upend the defending champions.

In their season opener on Aug. 20, they trailed in the second half before rallying to defeat Chatfield, 28-15. Following a week off, the Bruins returned home and rolled past Ralston Valley, 38-7, in a rematch of last season’s 5A championship game.

Quarterback Bentley Unruh passed for 107 yards and three TDs as the Bruins extended their win streak to 29 straight.

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