November 17th 2024.
It was a moment that Cole Wearner had been dreaming of, one that would go down in Cherry Creek's sports history. After scoring the winning goal in overtime at the Class 5A boys soccer final, all eyes were on the senior as he took his post-game interviews. And to add to the excitement, he was sporting a pair of ski goggles around his head - a rather unconventional choice, but it seemed fitting for the occasion. Cole had already ditched his jersey and was now signing autographs for young fans, who looked up at him with admiration. It was a surreal moment for Cole, who had just helped his team secure the championship title.
But Cole's success wouldn't have been possible without the help of his twin brother, Reed. In their final high school game together, Reed had assisted Cole's winning goal, making it a true Wearner Brothers production. As the two brothers basked in the glory of their victory, Reed couldn't help but express his joy at the way things had played out. "Any win would have been perfect, but it's great that it went from one brother to another," he said, as Cole was surrounded by fans wanting to congratulate him. "It's even more perfect."
The winning goal was a result of the brothers' natural instinct on the field. Reed had the ball around midfield when he saw Cole making a run towards the goal. With a perfect pass, Reed set up Cole for a stunning finish that left the Broomfield goalkeeper in awe. It was a moment that the brothers had envisioned, having played together for as long as they could remember. "Since we've played together forever, I knew if he got the ball and I raised my hand he'd get me the ball," Cole explained. "And it was a perfect ball."
But the journey to that winning goal was a long one. In regulation time, with the Bruins down a goal, they had their chances to equalize. They were facing an exceptional Broomfield goalkeeper, Evan Kulstad, who seemed to be able to stop anything that came his way. But the Bruins kept pushing, determined to find a way past Kulstad. And with just over seven minutes left on the clock, they were given a lifeline when Owen Lamphear drew a penalty in the box. Austin Hall stepped up to take the penalty kick and made no mistake, sending the ball to the right as Kulstad went the other way. The equalizer brought the Bruins back into the game and set the stage for their ultimate victory.
Before the final whistle blew, the Eagles had been in control of the game, looking like they were on their way to their sixth 5A title in 11 years. In the 44th minute, they had taken the lead thanks to a selfless play by Hayes Baucom, who passed up a good opportunity to give Adam Thresher a better chance at scoring. It was a display of unity and teamwork that was typical of the Broomfield team. "We all play for each other. We're a band of brothers," Thresher said. "At the end of the day, we want to win for the person to our right and the person to our left. But sometimes that doesn't happen. Like today."
For Cherry Creek, this was their first title win since 2010 and their seventh overall, tying them with Colorado Academy for the second-most titles in the state. It was a bittersweet moment for Broomfield, who had been hoping to add to their impressive collection of nine state titles in the sport. But as the final whistle blew, it was Cherry Creek who emerged as the champions, leaving Broomfield feeling disappointed. "Obviously right now, it's incredibly disappointing," Broomfield coach Zachary Hindman said. "It's disappointing right now." But despite the loss, the Eagles could still look back on their season with pride and know that they had given it their all.
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