Here is a quick look at some of the top events on the high school calendar this week:
TUESDAY Softball: Yes, a handful of games were played last weekend, but the season really gets going this day with a full slate of action around the state. The best offerings: Class 5A No. 5 Rocky Mountain at second-ranked Ralston Valley, which isn’t wasting any time filling its schedule with top competition, and a 4A Northern League matchup in No. 5 Frederick at No. 4 Northridge in Greeley.
WEDNESDAY Softball: Take a look at Bear Creek’s early season schedule.The Bears, ranked No. 4 in 5A, meet 4A No. 1 and defending champion Wheat Ridge, before facing 5A No. 1 and two-time defending champion Legacy on Saturday.
THURSDAY Softball: The 4A Northern League again represents, with second-ranked Windsor at Northridge.
FRIDAY Football: At last, the gridiron season is upon us. And although this week with the abbreviated schedule has become known as Zero Week, there is plenty of action to fill up the ledger. The opening-night schedule is heavy with Western Slope League teams, which is fitting considering those schools usually have the hardest time finding opponents. The top contest on the Western Slope figures to be Class 4A Montrose at defending 3A state champion Glenwood Springs. Also of interest are Ralston Valley at Fountain-Fort Carson; Littleton, which features perhaps the state’s top running back in Mister Jones, at George Washington; and a classic 8-Man matchup when Stratton faces state runner-up Merino.
Softball: It doesn’t get any better than this. Legacy will be at Ralston Valley in a rematch of last season’s 5A state title game. Don’t miss Legacy’s Shelby Babcock, the two-time player of the year who will pitch collegiately at Arizona, squaring off against the Mustangs’ Meaghan Murphy, who has committed to Indiana.
SATURDAY Football: Two Class 2A metro area powerhouses will make the trip to mountain towns, as Holy Family will travel to Steamboat Springs and the state’s top recruit in Sailors quarterback Austin Hinder, while Faith Christian heads to Gypsum to meet Eagle Valley. Also, defending 5A champion and top-ranked Mullen will be at Eaglecrest to open the season. This one was originally scheduled for Week 3, but the Mustangs had planned a trip to Kansas City to play Rockhurst. Rather than taking the forfeit, Eaglecrest agreed to move the game, and if emails from Raptors fans are any indication, they are fired up for this one.
Softball: We already mentioned Bear Creek against Legacy, but there is another top 5A contest worth noting, as No. Rocky Mountain will be at No. 3 Chaparral. Take note: with all the competition among top softball teams in the opening week, the Week 2 Colorado High School Coaches Association/MaxPreps Poll could look a lot different from the preseason rankings.
Follow Gerry Valerio on Twitter for Colorado high school sports updates.