By Kevin Shaffer, ColoradoPreps.com
Special to MaxPreps.com
Football: Big School Football Down to Just 35 Teams
With the new conference and class alignments released by the State Activities Association, only 35 schools will be competing for the Class 5A state football championship this fall. As a result of the reshuffling, the largest class will now be 4A which has 55 members. Included in the realignment is a split of the once prestigious Denver Prep League. Six members will drop into Class 4A while three (Denver East, Montbello and Thomas Jefferson) will still compete for the Big School crown.
The Denver Prep League last won a state title in 1989 with Thomas Jefferson winning the gold ball. Since then, the conference is just 16-49 in playoff games with 14 of those wins coming from either Montbello or Thomas Jefferson.
Along with the realignment of conferences comes a new and expanded playoff format. Starting this fall, Class 5A will have 32 teams qualify for the playoffs (only three will be left out) and those teams will be seeded one through 32 based on a wildcard point system. Douglas County, which captured it's first ever football crown last fall, is the defending state champ and the Huskies carry a 13-game winning streak into this season.
Here's a look at the new conference alignments for Class 5A football:
CENTENNIAL
Boulder
Cherry Creek
Eaglecrest
Fairview
Grandview
Mullen
Overland
Smoky Hill
CONTINENTAL
Arapahoe
Chaparral
Douglas County
Gateway
Heritage
Highlands Ranch
Mountain Vista
Ponderosa
Rangeview
Regis
DENVER PREP/SWL
Denver East
Fruita Monument
Montbello
Thomas Jefferson
FRONT RANGE
Fort Collins
Horizon
Legacy
Northglenn
Poudre
Rocky Mountain
Thornton
SOUTH METRO
Arvada West
Bear Creek
Chatfield
Columbine
Doherty
Lakewood
Lewis Palmer
Palmer
Pomona
Sand Creek
Limon and ThunderRidge Look to Extend Streaks
The two most dominating football teams the last three years look to extend long winning streaks in week one this year. Three-time champion (1A) Limon has won 39-straight games, but will open the season with a new quarterback for the first time in that span. Tyson Liggett was 39-0 as the starting quarterback for the Badgers but he has since graduated. The Badgers opened camp Monday August 14 searching for his replacement. Limon's win streak is currently tied for fourth all-time in Colorado and they need to win ten more games to break the all-time mark set by Stratton (8-man) from 1992-96. The Badgers are also trying to become just the fifth team all-time to win at least four-consecutive state titles. The school also holds that record of six-straight won between 1963 and 1968.
The second longest active winning streak belongs to ThunderRidge. The Grizzlies have captured the last two 4A state titles while winning 29 in a row. Coach Joe Johnson's team opens at home against Fruita Monument, and then visits Central Grand Junction in week two before facing a state finals rematch against Grand Junction. ThunderRidge whipped the then unbeaten Tigers 51-21 in the finals. During the postseason, the Grizzlies outscored their four opponents 199-40.
Defending State Champions Open Season September 1
Here's a quick glance at how the defending state champions open their 2006 season.
Class 5A - Douglas County at Gateway
Class 4A - ThunderRidge vs Fruita Monument
Class 3A - Florence vs Eaton (2A)
Class 2A - Holy Family vs La Junta
Class 1A - Limon vs Wiggins