Top 20 most dominant Colorado high school football programs of last decade

By Thomas Frey Jun 29, 2023, 9:30am

Valor Christian on top after reaching state championship game eight times over the past decade.

Powered by four state titles, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) is the most dominant high school football team from Colorado over the last decade.

Based on our methodology, the Eagles amassed 361 points from 2013 to 2022 to edge Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village), which finished second with 335 points.

Valor Christian won state championships in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. The Eagles appeared in four other title games, including the past three.

The winner of the past four 5A state title games has been Cherry Creek, which is right behind Valor Christian. The two schools have met after Thanksgiving, deep into the playoffs seven times over the past decade, with Cherry Creek winning four of the battles.



Our methodology includes:

• Top 25 finishes in the MaxPreps state computer rankings (25 points awarded to the No. 1 team, 24 for No. 2 and so on).

• Top 25 finishes in the MaxPreps national computer rankings (50 points for No. 1, 49 for No. 2 and so on).

• State championships (20 points).

• State championship game appearances (10 points).
Valor Christian has finished in the state top five every season over the past decade while bringing home four state championships. (Photo: Paul DiSalvo)
Valor Christian has finished in the state top five every season over the past decade while bringing home four state championships. (Photo: Paul DiSalvo)
Dominating the decade: Colorado

1. Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) (361)
State championships:
2013 (5A), 2015 (5A), 2016 (5A), 2018 (5A)
State runner-up: 2014 (5A), 2020 (5A), 2021 (5A), 2022 (5A)
State Top 25: 2013 (1), 2014 (2), 2015 (1), 2016 (1), 2017 (2), 2018 (1), 2019 (5), 2020 (2), 2021 (2), 2022 (2)
Nationally ranked: N/A

2. Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) (335)
State championships:
2014 (5A), 2019 (5A), 2020 (5A), 2021 (5A), 2022 (5A)
State runner-up: 2018 (5A)
State Top 25: 2013 (4), 2014 (1), 2015 (4), 2016 (6), 2017 (13), 2018 (3), 2019 (1), 2020 (1), 2021 (1), 2022 (1)
Nationally ranked: N/A



3. Pine Creek (Colorado Springs) (258)
State championships:
2013 (4A), 2014 (4A), 2016 (4A), 2019 (4A)
State runner-up: 2017 (4A)
State Top 25: 2013 (6), 2014 (5), 2015 (8), 2016 (9), 2017 (8), 2018 (12), 2019 (2), 2021 (10), 2022 (6)
Nationally ranked: N/A

4.
Pomona (Arvada) (211)
State championships:
2017 (5A)
State runner-up: 2015 (5A), 2016 (5A)
State Top 25: 2013 (8), 2014 (6), 2015 (6), 2016 (2), 2017 (1), 2018 (9), 2019 (6), 2020 (4), 2021 (21)
Nationally ranked: N/A

5. Columbine (Littleton) (183)
State championships:
N/A
State runner-up: 2019 (5A)
State Top 25: 2013 (7), 2014 (19), 2015 (5), 2016 (11), 2017 (7), 2018 (4), 2019 (3), 2020 (11), 2021 (12), 2022 (8)
Nationally ranked: N/A

T-6. Grandview (Aurora) (175)
State championships:
N/A
State runner-up: N/A
State Top 25: 2013 (11), 2014 (4), 2015 (9), 2016 (3), 2017 (5), 2018 (5), 2019 (11), 2020 (19), 2021 (6), 2022 (12)
Nationally ranked: N/A

T-6. Palmer Ridge (Monument) (175)
State championships:
2017 (3A), 2018 (3A), 2019 (3A)
State runner-up: 2020 (4A)
State Top 25: 2015 (19), 2017 (6), 2018 (7), 2019 (7), 2020 (10), 2021 (17), 2022 (11)
Nationally ranked: N/A

8. Regis Jesuit (Aurora) (162)
State championships:
N/A
State runner-up: N/A
State Top 25: 2013 (10), 2014 (7), 2015 (12), 2016 (5), 2017 (11), 2019 (8), 2020 (9), 2021 (5), 2022 (5)
Nationally ranked: N/A

9. Loveland (161)
State championships:
2018 (4A), 2020 (4A)
State runner-up: 2015 (4A), 2022 (4A)
State Top 25: 2013 (20), 2015 (10), 2017 (14), 2018 (2), 2020 (3), 2021 (23), 2022 (9)
Nationally ranked: N/A



10. Ralston Valley (Arvada) (158)
State championships:
N/A
State runner-up: N/A
State Top 25: 2013 (9), 2014 (3), 2015 (11), 2016 (23), 2017 (20), 2018 (6), 2019 (4), 2020 (14), 2021 (9), 2022 (3)
Nationally ranked: N/A

11. Pueblo East (Pueblo) (141)
State championships:
2014 (3A), 2015 (3A), 2016 (3A)
State runner-up: 2018 (3A)
State Top 25: 2014 (11), 2015 (7), 2016 (4), 2018 (11)
Nationally ranked: N/A

12. Limon (132)
State championships:
2018 (1A), 2019 (1A), 2020 (1A), 2022 (1A)
State runner-up: 2021 (1A)
State Top 25: 2018 (16), 2020 (6), 2021 (20), 2022 (20)
Nationally ranked: N/A

T-13. Broomfield (109)
State championships:
2022 (4A)
State runner-up: 2016 (4A), 2019 (4A)
State Top 25: 2016 (18), 2017 (17), 2018 (20), 2019 (10), 2022 (4)
Nationally ranked: N/A

T-13. Eaglecrest (Centennial) (109)
State championships:
N/A
State runner-up: 2017 (5A)
State Top 25: 2014 (10), 2016 (7), 2017 (3), 2018 (8), 2019 (14), 2020 (15)
Nationally ranked: N/A

15.
Fairview (Boulder) (101)
State championships:
N/A
State runner-up: 2013 (5A)
State Top 25: 2013 (2), 2014 (9), 2017 (10), 2018 (15), 2019 (9), 2020 (20)
Nationally ranked: N/A

16. Roosevelt (Johnstown) (98)
State championships:
2022 (3A)
State runner-up: 2015 (3A), 2020 (3A)
State Top 25: 2013 (24), 2015 (13), 2020 (12), 2021 (16), 2022 (7)
Nationally ranked: N/A



17. Strasburg (86)
State championships:
2016 (1A), 2017 (1A)
State runner-up: 2018 (1A), 2019 (1A), 2020 (1A)
State Top 25: 2016 (13), 2017 (23)
Nationally ranked: N/A

18. Eaton (82)
State championships:
2020 (2A), 2021 (2A), 2022 (2A)
State runner-up: N/A
State Top 25: 2020 (24), 2021 (14), 2022 918)
Nationally ranked: N/A

19. Chatfield (Littleton) (72)
State championships:
2021 (4A)
State runner-up: N/A
State Top 25: 2013 (13), 2016 (19), 2017 (16), 2021 (4)
Nationally ranked: N/A

20.
La Junta (71)
State championships:
2016 (2A), 2018 (2A)
State runner-up: 2017 (2A)
State Top 25: 2016 (15), 2017 (25), 2018 (17)
Nationally ranked: N/A