Football Peak Performer of the Year: Brayden Dorman leads state in passing, Vista Ridge's program to new space

Dec. 25—When construction starts soon on the new Vista Ridge turf field, it will be to the benefit of the future football, soccer, track and other programs.

Quarterback Brayden Dorman, whose efforts on and off the field helped spur the project forward, won't have the opportunity to play on it. But that was part of his plan all along, leaving his school a better place than when he arrived.

"We wanted to build it up and change the culture," said Dorman, whose 3,783 passing yards and 54 total touchdowns led the state and helped make him The Gazette's Football Peak Performer of the Year. "Becoming leaders and becoming a part of Vista Ridge was so important. That was the biggest piece."

So, football aside, Dorman set out to affect change.

He, along with teammates, attended the cheerleader-led dance before the season. The football team made a point to go to boys' soccer, softball and other sport's events. Even now, with the season over, they'll be seen regularly at basketball games.

Cliques were in place before Dorman made it to Vista Ridge, and the football team was seen as its own, outside of the other sports on campus.

"When those guys first showed up, I thought about how good this could be for the school and the program," coach Mike Vrana said. "These guys bought in right away to us being part of the school and it being a part of us. They worked really hard at it because that's how this experience should be."

The return on investment, even if it wasn't the goal, was hefty too.

Vista Ridge's stands filled up each game day in revenue-generating fashion, fans even sprawling up the hill behind the field in lawn chairs and sitting atop trunks of cars to watch this team led by a passing game fueled by Dorman and receivers Brandon Hills and Keyshawn Dooley.

A 56-20 home playoff win against Fruita Monument will go down as the biggest on-field win of the year.

And even that success wasn't the product of simply showing up, but in the case of Dorman, it was the product of making sure he could show up with regularity.

He committed early to Arizona, freeing his senior-season summer for Vista Ridge. Workouts, 7-on-7 tournaments and being together outside of practices was a priority for the quarterback and the Wolves.

But when the group graduates, and the Wolves' pack is split up, their goals and aspirations will be seen still in the impact they made during their four-year stay.

"When they're gone, the impact will continue," Vrana said. "Being Wolves means something. You walk through the halls and everyone talks and wants to be a part of it, too."