LAKEWOOD – In a landmark game, Mountain Vista’s senior quarterback, Ariana Akey, led the Golden Eagles to victory in the inaugural CHSAA-sanctioned Class 5A girls flag football state championship with a 32-21 win over Arvada West. This capped an undefeated 19-0 season for the Golden Eagles, who celebrated the historic achievement surrounded by a cheering crowd of students and fans.

Akey delivered an impressive performance, scoring touchdowns on the run and throwing. She also was the x-factor on defense with a sack, two interceptions, including the game-ending pick in the end zone with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“Today was really the first day I played defense, like full-time. I mean, I went in a couple of drives for the first few games of the season. So I just really had to trust myself to go get the ball.” Ariana said.

Mountain Vista began and ended their season against Arvada West, having first faced them in their opener on August 17 at Trailblazer Stadium, where they secured a 25-13 victory. This matchup was highly anticipated, with both teams coming in strong: Arvada West returned most of last year’s state title-winning squad, determined to reclaim their crown.

The Golden Eagles wasted no time establishing dominance in the rematch. Akey connected with senior Isabel Vaillant for a 13-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and after intercepting Arvada West quarterback Saylor Swanson, Akey added a 2-yard rushing touchdown, giving Mountain Vista an early 13-0 lead. Arvada West soon responded as Swanson threw a touchdown pass to Sara Walker, narrowing the gap, but Akey’s second rushing touchdown secured a 20-7 halftime lead for Mountain Vista.

In a fierce third quarter, the Wildcats rallied with consecutive touchdown passes from Swanson to Walker, briefly taking a 21-20 lead. But Akey and her teammates remained composed, crediting coach Garrett Looney’s unwavering confidence in them.

“He wasn’t worried. He had confidence in us,” Akey said. “We just had to go down and score. That is all we had to do. I think our team executed great.”

Akey’s third touchdown run reclaimed the lead for Mountain Vista, and shortly after, her second touchdown pass to Vaillant clinched the 32-21 win. Reflecting on the game’s final moments, Akey shared a personal promise she made: “I made a promise to Leanna Rivera that I would hug her,” she said with a laugh. “I really don’t like hugs, so I hugged Leanna.”