The end of March always marks the start of high school sports returning to the outdoors. March 2021 gives that situation a bit of a different look, however.
It's not baseball that's going to dominate the outdoor landscape right nowg, it's going to be the spring football season. The original plan in Colorado was for all football teams to play in the spring, but then the Colorado High School Activities Association split the seasons to allow play during both fall and spring to accommodate teams during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will be unorthodox, but the spring season should provide for some great games and some talented teams to make runs at Season C championships. Below is a list of teams to watch in each classification, along with players who could have impactful seasons:
Class 5AFort Collins: The Lambkins failed to get the ground game moving against Denver East so they just turned to the air in their opener.
Andrew Seest went 17-for-23 with 226 yards and four touchdowns in the 46-0 win over the Angels. Five different receivers caught passes with
Dontay Johnson leading the team with 78 yards, while
Dorion McGarity scored two touchdowns.
Blake Smotherman caught one pass for a 76-yard touchdown, putting the full range of the Fort Collins receiving corps on display.
Rangeview (Aurora): The Raiders might be the surprise team for this spring with the way they came out strong against Adams City (Commerce City). They did their work exclusively on the ground as
Brian Figueroa ran the ball just six times for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Rangeview was just as strong defensively as it recorded 11 tackles for loss, two of which came from
Joshua Garcia. The Raiders have a tough schedule ahead with both Vista PEAK Prep and Denver South in the weeks to come.
Vista PEAK Prep (Aurora): If there is one team in any classification that is going to be worth the price of admission, it's the Bison. A talented squad last year, they return some bona fide studs for the spring 2021 season.
Ja'derris Carr showed off his explosiveness in the 40-6 win over Westminster by running for 177 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught one pass for a 28-yard touchdown. Defensively, they have no issue getting after the quarterback as they recorded six sacks.
Tre' Tabor accounted for three of them.
Players to watch: Ja'derris Carr (Vista PEAK Prep), Brian Figuerora (Rangeview), Blake Smotherman (Fort Collins).
Class 4ACentaurus (Lafayette): A dynamic backfield duo could be the exact combination the Warriors need to make a run at a spring championship.
Coleman Teasdale and
Mike Malone each rushed for at least 100 yards to help Centaurus beat Sierra (Colorado Springs) to open the regular season. In all, the team had three players with more than 100 all-purpose yards and they scored five offensive touchdowns to lock up the win.
Kennedy (Denver): Even though he's just a sophomore,
Isaac Sisneros is not afraid to air it out. The Commanders quarterback threw 24 passes, completing 15 of them, for 194 yards and a touchdown to give them a 31-20 win over Gateway (Aurora) to open the season. The season will be anything but easy as the Commanders will see both Centaurus and Thomas Jefferson in the weeks to come.
Thomas Jefferson (Denver): There was a buzz of excitement when Thomas Jefferson announced the hiring of Mike Griebel as head coach two years ago. That excitement feels warranted heading into this spring season as the Spartans looked impressive in their 32-29 win over Falcon (Colorado Springs).
Jaden Hill is shaping up to be one of the standout running backs after rushing for 171 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 53 yards and a score. He and
Avery Shunneson each totaled more than 100 all-purpose yards in the win.
Players to watch: Jaden Hill (Thomas Jefferson),
Marcus Howard (
Aurora Central),
Darius McFarland (Falcon).
Class 3ABasalt: There is a bit of versatility with Basalt's offense that shouldn't be ignored as it makes a hopeful run at a state title. The rushing game is on-point as
Gavin Webb ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns in the Longhorns' win over Salida. The passing attack was also efficient as
Matty Gillis went 6-for-7 with 109 yards and three touchdowns. A showdown with Rifle on April 3 could be a potential playoff (or state championship) preview.
The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs): On average, the Titans ran for 14 yards per carry as a team in a season-opening win against Northfield (Denver).
TJ Herebic led the way with 117 yards and he also scored three touchdowns. The defense was also unyielding, recording four sacks and picking off one pass. The Titans have often been a strong team in 2A, but for the 3A spring season they look every bit as ready to contend for a championship.
Rifle: With coach Todd Casebier at the helm, the Bears should be a feared team this season. They beat Coal Ridge 49-0 to kick off the season and have no intention of looking back. The offense looks balanced as three players rushed for at least 80 yards and a touchdown.
Kaden Wolf led with 127 yards and
Toto Fletchall rushed for two scores. In all, the Bears rushed for more than 300 yards as a team and look to be one of the dominant squads this spring.
Players to watch: Isaiah Eliot (
The Academy (Westminster),
Greg Garnett (
Sand Creek (Colorado Springs), Kaden Wolf (Rifle).
Class 2A
Flatirons Academy (Westminster): The Bison stood up on defense when it was most needed in their season-opening 27-26 win over Estes Park.
Trevor Ryan proved to be a ball hawk, totaling 11 tackles to lead the team.
Devin Glowicki picked off two passes, while
Russell Kingery snagged one. The win might've been a bit tighter than the Bison had hoped for, but it still could serve as a springboard for a successful season.
Grand Valley (Parachute): Emilio Garcia made a statement to help Grand Valley to a season-opneing win over Ellicott. He rushed for 163 yards and four touchdowns and made the Cardinals look like a tough team for the springs. Sophomore
Steven Hicks also rushed for better than 100 yards and two touchdowns to give the team a solid one-two punch for the 2021 season.
Manual (Denver): A 34-14 win over Clear Creek was the ideal way for the Thunderbolts to start the regular season.
Jewel Cameron and
Rai-zohn Bell each rushed for at least 100 yards and they each rushed for a touchdown. Bell also picked off a pass and recovered a fumble, giving a boost to the team on defense as well. The Thunderbolts have a tough schedule ahead as they will face Flatirons Academy twice and also St. Mary's.
Players to watch: Joah Armour (
Manitou Springs), Emilio Garcia (Grand Valley),
Kolbe Vostatek (
St. Mary's (Colorado Springs).
Class A 8-ManJohn Mall (Walsenburg): Seen as the No. 1 team in the classification, the Panthers opened the season with a 60-0 win over Custer County. They proved to be efficient on the offensive side of the ball while also showing a strong defensive presence. They forced three turnovers by picking off two passes and recovering a fumble.
Ricardo Bobian Jr. carried the ball six times for 132 yards and three touchdowns.
DJ VanMatre added another 120 rushing yards, while the team as a whole rushed for seven touchdowns.
Las Animas: The Trojans are off to an impressive start. They beat Justice 48-12 to indicate they might be one of the most dangerous teams in 8-Man this spring. What was most impressive was that they attempted just a single pass, which fell in complete. Their work was done all on the ground, showing they can put up points while inflicting their will on their opponents.
Markus Vigil rushed for 131 yards while
Joseph Hawkins went for 114 and
Caden Morlan added 84, showing that they can attack defenses with a variety of weapons.
Players to watch: Ricardo Bobian Jr. (John Mall), Markus Vigil (Las Animas).
