2025 Gold Helmet Award finalists: Six players who embody excellence on and off the field

The Gold Helmet Award has been presented annually by The Denver Post to the state s top senior football sportsman scholar and citizen since Here the six finalists for this year s honor with the winner to be released Sunday Candidates listed in alphabetical order were evaluated based on their on-field performance their GPA and their district institution A committee of former Gold Helmet winners Denver Post staffers and other Colorado high school sports media votes on the candidates from a pool of players nominated by coaches and athletic directors The winner gets recognized at Sunday s Broncos encounter at Empower Field plus the Gold Helmet trophy an honorary banquet and a scholarship Zeke Andrews Ralston Valley QB The Mustangs signal caller was the heart and soul of the Class A state finalist as Ralston Valley advanced to the first championship tournament in scheme history The dual-threat QB threw for yards with TDs to three interceptions and a rating while also rushing for yards and TDs He set the project s record for career all-purpose yards with He has a GPA and serves in the Ralston Valley novice authorities coaches youth flag football and is on two school committees Kellen Behrendsen Dakota Ridge QB Behrendsen led the Eagles to their first title and earned the Class A championship MVP honors after throwing for yards on of passing with five TDs in a - win over Palmer Ridge On the season he threw for yards with TDs to three interceptions and a rating for undefeated Dakota Ridge He has a GPA and has accumulated over hours of group function including time at cancer remedy centers field day events at elementary schools and youth coaching Tanner Gray Wellington QB DE Wellington s Mr Do-Everything keyed the Eagles to a dominant - season and the initiative s first title the Class A championship Gray a Nevada signee threw for yards rushed for yards and accounted for touchdowns He also had tackles for loss and nine sacks as a game-wrecker on defense He has a GPA and rescued horses during the Alexander Mountain fire helped fundraise for individuals battling terminal illnesses and worked with elementary schoolers Landon Kalsbeck Dakota Ridge RB LB A two-way force Kalsbeck was the other main reason besides Behrendsen for Dakota Ridge s dominant season The Washington State signee set a bruising tone in the backfield where he ran for yards with TDs and averaged an eye-popping yards per carry He also had receiving TDs And on defense he racked up tackles for loss with seven sacks He has a GPA and serves as a mentor to young athletes as well as participates in the Down Syndrome Walk Elian Oliva Northfield LB S The Nighthawks star propelled the venture to the Class A playoffs as one of the the majority dynamic defenders in all of Colorado Oliva an Air Force commit had tackles including for loss six sacks two forced fumbles three interceptions and a defensive TD In his career he had tackles while bursting onto the scene over the past two seasons He has a weighted GPA co-founded the UNICEF chapter at Northfield and served as a youth flag football coach and summer camp counselor Elijah Womack Montrose RB The dynamic tailback was the centerpiece of Montrose s deep playoff runs the past two seasons He led the state with rushing yards in then followed that up this fall with yards second in the state He racked up yards per carry in with rushing TDs and games with at least yards Even when the other unit knew he was getting the ball he was near-impossible to stop He has a GPA has helped lead Montrose s youth football camp and reads to elementary students Related Articles The Denver Post s Gold Helmet Award nomination form Others receiving votes Arvada West LB Jaxon Pyatt Kent Denver QB Yianni Balafas Coronado QB Thomas Buckmiller Valor Christian RB S Channing Fox Pueblo County DE Luca Tucci Silver Creek QB Nolan Gaccetta