DENVER — As Broomfield senior Canon Juarez flew down the turf of Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday, his brother River beamed with pride in the stands.
Three years earlier, when Canon was a freshman, River served as the captain for the team that fell to Pine Creek in the Class 4A state championship. Canon ensured that wouldn’t happen again.
The senior jack-of-all-trades, a captain himself now, put up 119 offensive yards and a short running touchdown to help vault his second-seeded Eagles to its 24-14 victory over No. 4 Loveland in the latest edition of the 4A state championship. In doing so, he played a heavy hand in the school’s fourth football title — its first since 1984.
He was named Most Outstanding Player of the game.
“We were 100% prepared for this game and we just came out on fire. We knew we were going to win from the start. It was definitely a battle, but we knew we were going to get it at the end of the day,” Canon said. “It feels amazing. We’re blessed to be in the position and we executed all day. There’s no greater feeling.”
He couldn’t have done it without the man who had guided him in the sport his entire life, starting with their backyard pickup games. The two embraced through tears from the field and stands after the game.
A moment of love between @canonjuarez and older brother River, who played with him in the 2019 title game that @BroomfieldEagl1 lost. Quote the turnaround in 4 years. pic.twitter.com/kZQYCWWu7V
— Alissa Noe (@crazysportgirl1) December 3, 2022
“That’s my brother and a leader on the same team. There’s no other feeling, to learn it from him and then winning in my senior year,” Canon said. “He’s my role model. He’s been my favorite football player ever since I was a young kid. I’m about to go give him a big hug and tell him I love him. Because really, I learned a lot of my leadership skills from him and I wouldn’t be here without him.”
High school football success always boils down to chemistry but Broomfield’s program — and the Juarez family especially — took it to the next level this season. From Canon and River to Cole and Ty LaCrue, the Eagles are keeping it in the family.
That’s how it should be. And now, they’ll never forget it.
“It’s the type of love you have with your brother. To see him succeed is to see our family succeed. Broomfield football is a family. It’s a brotherhood, man,” River said. “It’s something that that type of brotherhood is installed with the coaching and just all the moments and all the hours you put into this. It all binds the guys together in the brotherhood. It’s awesome that he got to go enjoy this and we’re so proud of him.”
