Football Game Preview: Cherokee Trail Cougars vs. Arapahoe Warriors + How To Watch

The Cherokee Trail Cougars will face off against the Arapahoe Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Cherokee Trail is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Grandview, who was ranked 18th at the time (Cherokee Trail was ranked 19th). The Cougars came out on top against the Wolves by a score of 14-7 on Friday. The win was some much needed relief for the Cougars as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

Logan Posey had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 129 yards and one TD.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Arapahoe). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Smoky Hill 44-7. The victory continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Buffaloes: they've now won nine in a row.

Arapahoe found their leader in sophomore Marcello Jaramillo, who rushed for 79 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only five carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Arapahoe was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 226 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.

One reason for the win was Arapahoe's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Brody Sieck, Eli Sieck, and Liam McInally, who each picked up one sack apiece.

The win got Arapahoe back to even at 4-4. As for Cherokee Trail, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 3-5.

Cherokee Trail lost to Arapahoe at home by a decisive 24-7 margin when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.