Press play on the football game highlight tape for Cherry Creek junior Blake Purchase.
Watch No. 12 — a physical 6-foot-4, 220-pound outside linebacker with blazing speed — create nightmares for opposing quarterbacks.
“I’m pretty fast off the edge,” Purchase said. “That’s probably what I pride myself on the most.”
That also helped produce four sacks and three tackles for loss through the first five weeks of this season. College football coaches across the country are paying attention.
Purchase is Colorado’s most sought-after edge rusher as a 2023 four-star prospect (247Sports) with nine scholarship offers that include Colorado, Iowa State and Southern California. Purchase doesn’t plan to commit until the summer before his senior year. His list of schools is certain to grow before then.
However, as of right now, Purchase is considering the Buffs.
“CU is definitely a top school,” he said. “I really like it in Boulder.”
Expectations were always high that Purchase would develop into a blue-chip recruit. His older brother, Myles, was a star Cherry Creek RB/DB — named MVP of the 2020 Class 5A state football title game — who later signed at ISU. Blake said: “I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself coming into high school just because of what (Myles) was already doing.”
But it didn’t take long for the younger Purchase to establish his own identity within the program as a sophomore playing varsity.
“He was a guy who was plugged into a senior-dominated box on defense,” Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan said. “We let him get his feet underneath him and figure out the speed. For a sophomore, he played really well last year. This year is a little bit different because we’re asking him to do more. He’s certainly capable of that.”
Purchase has emerged as one of several leaders this season amid rare Cherry Creek adversity. The Bruins had their 25-game win streak snapped last month in a road loss, 17-7, at Arizona powerhouse Chandler High School. Cherry Creek’s defense allowed zero points in the second half but its offense floundered with five overall turnovers.
Logan gathered the Bruins after their first defeat since 2018.
“Coach Logan told everybody that we’ve got to bounce back,” Purchase said. “That was definitely tough going out there and losing the way we did. That was definitely a hard thing for us. But coach said the leaders have to show up. We can still keep going and win a state championship.”
The Bruins (5-1) have responded well with consecutive victories over Arvada West, Regis Jesuit and Cherokee Trail as the No. 2 ranked team in 5A, per CHSAANow.com, behind No. 1 Valor Christian (6-0). Purchase is a big reason why as a constant disruptor off the edge with the ability to drop back in coverage.
“One of the things that’s impressed me most about Blake this season is his football acumen,” Logan said. “He’s got a high football IQ for a young kid. You can do a lot of different things with players like that.”
There is a strong history of major college football prospects developed at Cherry Creek dating back to Logan’s arrival in 2012. Purchase has all the tools to join that list. Opposing quarterbacks beware.
“We take pride in getting people to the next level,” Purchase said. “I’m really proud to say I can continue the legacy.”
Leave a Reply