After three seasons of coaching him, Reid Kahl knew Parker Orms' assortment of football skills put Orms a cut above. Perhaps several cuts above.

But it was what Kahl witnessed when Orms' prep career officially was over that struck the Wheat Ridge High School coach maybe more powerfully than anything Orms had done in pads.

And what he had accomplished in pads was, well, spectacular.

In the wake of their Class 4A state championship victory - a game Wheat Ridge fans might consider legendary, largely because of Orms - Farmers players, coaches and student body gathered for a school assembly to honor the champs.

Names and numbers were called, recognition bestowed. Cheers and applause followed.

"But when Parker's name was called, the student body gave him a standing ovation," Kahl recalled. "It was just a testament to the kind of person he is.

"In a student body the size of ours, there's usually a segment that won't like him - just because. There was none of that, absolutely none.

"He's incredibly humble. There's no arrogance there at all - not in words, not in body language. I've never seen any hot dog in him, never. He's never tried to humiliate anybody. This kid is so far at the other end of that spectrum.

"The respect those kids at school have for what he does on the field was obvious, but they respect him off the field, too."

Versatile skills

Orms, a three-sport player (football, basketball, baseball) who will sign a national letter of intent Wednesday with the University of Colorado, seems easy enough to like, to respect and - for the Buffaloes - to recruit. Though Orms possesses offensive skills that never were more prominent than in the state title game (280 rushing yards, five touchdowns), CU wants him primarily as a safety/kick return specialist.

Kahl can see Orms, a sturdy 6-foot, 180-pounder, excelling in either role. When Orms was a sophomore on a Wheat Ridge team that also won the state championship and was quarterbacked by Orms' older brother, Dylan (now at Northern Colorado), Kahl wasn't sure where to play him.

So Kahl auditioned him at cornerback and receiver. Soon, though, it became apparent Orms' ball instincts might best be utilized at free safety. But not long after that, Kahl realized Orms could carry the ball quite well, too, while making tacklers look lost.

"We had a really good senior class that year," Kahl said. "But I'm not sure the best player on the field in the championship game that year wasn't a sophomore."

Kahl, who also had a successful coaching tenure in Fort Morgan, wasn't sure how much Orms would grow between his sophomore and senior seasons. He didn't become, as Kahl said, "the 6-3, 210-pound kid everyone is looking for," but he did remain something even more marketable.

"He's a football player," Kahl said. "Some coaches get caught up in all the measurements. Fortunately, other coaches don't. I could have played him at nose guard and he'd make 20 tackles a game.

"I consider myself pretty darn fortunate in having coached some good players. But kids like him don't come around very often."

On a list topped by two CU recruits - defensive end Nick Kasa and offensive lineman Jack Harris - Orms was slotted at No. 10 by Rivals.com among its top 25 in-state prospects. Two other prospective signees - tight end Da Vaughn Thornton and kicker Zach Grossnickle, both of Denver East - also made the list.

Magical moment

Orms appeared on CU's radar in his sophomore season. The Buffs followed him as a junior, watched him in a day camp in pads, then were wowed by his senior season.

Most impressive were Orms' ball skills and toughness, prompting one recruiter to liken him to "a missile . . . a tough guy who'll throw his body into it. From his sophomore to his senior years, he just kept escalating to the point where we said, 'Wow, he's good.' "

Other schools Orms briefly considered were Colorado State, Nevada-Las Vegas and Wyoming. But he knew if CU dangled a scholarship, the chase was over. It ended before the Farmers got very deep into the state playoffs.

"Once they offered, I committed," Orms said. "I always wanted to play for the Buffs; all I needed was the offer."

CU's pitch to Orms partially was based on coach Dan Hawkins' desire to recruit football players - not necessarily players pegged to play one position. Hawkins generally keeps all possibilities open.

Thus, Orms believes he might get a look at running back, receiver, possibly even at H-back: "That would be fun. I like both sides of the ball, but I just want to play as soon as possible - wherever it is, I just want to get on the field and play."

That's how Kahl utilized him, but the Wheat Ridge coach still believes "free safety is his best position." Then again, he said Orms enjoyed such an "amazing year" on offense, CU might be wise to keep all options open.

"Those guys (at CU) are smart; they want to have their best guys on the field," Kahl said. "If they think he can be an asset, he'll get a shot (on offense)."

It was on offense that Orms created enduring memories at Wheat Ridge, running for the winning touchdown with 19 seconds remaining in the Class 4A championship game.

If it is a permanent mental snapshot for Farmers fans, Orms has taken it a technological step further.

"That's every player's dream - to win the championship on the last play," he said. "It's been a couple of months now since that game, but if I'm ever feeling down, I turn on TiVo and watch the last minutes.

"We had an unbelievable year. If I look back, I wouldn't change anything about it. It all just fell perfectly."

In four or five years, the Buffs are hoping Parker Orms can reflect and say the same thing.

CU commitments

Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown (school)
David Bakhtiari	OL	6-4	266	San Mateo, Calif. (Juniper Serro)
Nate Bonsu	DT	6-2	265	Allen, Texas (Allen)
Jarrod Darden	WR	6-4	211	Keller, Texas (Central)
Clark Evans	QB	6-5	225	Los Alamitos, Calif. (Los Alamitos)
Zach Grossnickle	P-PK	6-3	175	Denver (East)
Gus Handler	OL	6-4	265	Barrington, Ill. (Barrington)
Jack Harris	OL	6-6	270	Parker (Chaparral)
Nick Kasa	DE	6-7	245	Broomfield (Legacy)
Diante Jackson	WR	6-0	188	Walnut Creek, Calif. (Los Lomas)
Liloa Nobriga	LB	6-2	235	Las Vegas (Palo Verde)
Edward Nuckols	DL	6-2	290	San Marcos, Calif. (Mission Hills)
Deji Olatoye	DB	6-2	180	Dublin, Ohio (Scioto)
Parker Orms	DB	6-0	185	Wheat Ridge (Wheat Ridge)
Shaun Simon	OL	6-2	305	Tulsa, Okla. (Union)
Andre Simmons	WR	6-3	201	Blackville, S.C. (Independence, Kan. CC)
Da Vaughn Thornton	TE	6-5	217	Denver (East)
Derrick Webb	LB	6-0	214	Memphis, Tenn. (Whitehaven)
J. Forrest West	DE	6-2	230	Salisbury, Conn. (Salisbury School)

Rivals.com Colorado Top 25

Player, high school	Pos	Ht.	Wt.	College
1. Nick Kasa, Legacy	DE	6-7	245	Colorado
2. Jack Harris, Chaparral	OL	6-6	270	Colorado
3. Matthew Tucker, Grandview	ATH	6-3	187	Arizona State
4. Alex Logan, Mullen	DB	6-2	195	California
5. Terry Alletto, Ponderosa	OL	6-4	280	Brigham Young
6. Jeremiah Sirles, Bear Creek	OL	6-6	280	Nebraska
7. Kendall Gregory-McGhee, Cherokee Trail	ATH	6-4	214	Minnesota
8. Ryan Hewitt, Mullen	TE	6-4	220	Stanford
9. Clarence Bumpas, Sierra	LB	6-1	204	Kansas State
10. Parker Orms, Wheat Ridge	DB	6-0	185	Colorado
11. Taylor Paxton, Cherry Creek	OL	6-5	265	Northwestern
12. Todd Knight, Grandview	LB	6-2	200	Wyoming
13. Charles Ragland, Mullen	OL	6-8	285	California
14. Da Vaughn Thornton, East	TE	6-5	217	Colorado
15. Jevon Reynolds, South	WR	6-0	175	Uncommitted
16. Chris Nwoke, ThunderRidge	RB	5-11	205	Colorado State
17. Mike Purcell, Highlands Ranch	DE	6-4	260	Wyoming
18. Zach Grossnickle, East	K	6-3	190	Colorado
19. Turmour Battle, South	DB	5-9	165	Uncommitted
20. Bryce Schwindt, Columbine	OL	6-3	280	Northern Colorado
21. Donovan Bowens, Pomona	RB	6-1	200	South Dakota
22. Tyree Davis, Grandview	DB	5-11	170	Uncommitted
23. Tommy Flanagan, Bear Creek	RB	5-9	190	Uncommitted
24. RC Willenbrock, Cherry Creek	K	5-11	170	Dartmouth
25. Nik Pavlich, Chaparral	ATH	6-1	190	Uncommitted

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