VIDEO: Top 10 Football Plays of the Week, Week 6
Something is about to give in the Class 5A Metro East League.
That will all change starting Thursday. It begins with fourth-ranked Grandview taking on No. 7 Eaglecrest at Legacy Stadium. It continues as Cherokee Trail and Arapahoe tangle one night later, also at Legacy.
The No. 2 Bruins close out the regular season with Eaglecrest, Cherokee Trail and Grandview.
It's a similar dynamic to last year when the Bruins, Wolves and Raptors all finished tied in the Metro East with identical 4-1 marks. Those three teams received seeds Nos. 3-5 in the 5A playoffs, with each squad making a deep run.
Not to be outdone, the 2A Western Slope League is in for a fun race to the finish as well. Four teams –
Basalt,
Delta,
Moffat County (Craig) and
Rifle – have posted 4-0 marks to start the season. Basalt and Moffat County square off Friday night, and Rifle and Delta – currently ranked in the top two spots in 2A in the CHSAANow.com poll – go toe-to-toe Oct. 11.
These are just some of the highlights of what is sure to be a fantastic month for football. From a 1-2 matchup in 2A between the Bears and Panthers, to a cross-classification 1 vs. 1 contest between 4A's top-ranked
Pine Creek (Colorado Springs) and 3A No. 1
Palmer Ridge (Monument), there is a little something for everyone this month.
Here is a quick look at 10 games to watch in October across the state's seven classifications, nearly all of which have major league implications:
Class 5A
• No. 4 Grandview (5-0) at No. 7 Eaglecrest (5-0), 7 p.m., Oct. 3, Legacy StadiumThese two teams know each other all too well. A year ago the Raptors edged Grandview 36-35 in a thrilling regular-season contest, only for the Wolves to get revenge in the 5A quarterfinals with a 26-22 triumph. Grandview has lit up the scoreboard through five games to the tune of nearly 45 points a game. Junior
Noah Schmidt has already topped 1,000 yards rushing and has 13 touchdowns to his credit. … Eaglecrest has had a few close nail-biters this season, but roughed up Arvada West with 55 points last weekend.
Max Marsh has passed for more than 1,000 yards and has seven touchdowns, and owns six more on the ground.
• No. 6 Regis Jesuit (Aurora) (5-0) at No. 10 Legend (Parker) (5-0), 7 p.m., Oct. 11
Nicco Marchiol, Regis Jesuit
File photo by Tim Bourke
Legend's strong start is generating excitement, especially given that the Titans won only five games in each of the three previous seasons. The team handed Castle View (Highlands Ranch) its first loss last weekend, rushing for 233 yards and four scores. Senior
Blake Rarog has rushed for 12 touchdowns. … Regis Jesuit kicked off the season with a victory over Pomona (Arvada), and hasn't slowed down. Sophomore quarterback
Nicco Marchiol has 1,176 yards through the air through five games to go with nine touchdowns, and junior
Matthew Baer has 8.5 sacks.
• No. 5 Ralston Valley (Arvada) (5-0) at No. 1 Columbine (Littleton) (5-0), 7:30 p.m., Oct. 18, Jeffco StadiumThe Metro West will see some classic rivalries this month, with No. 8 Pomona set to face both Ralston Valley and Columbine. But before that can happen, the league's two unbeatens face off at Jeffco Stadium. The Rebels downed the Mustangs last year to win the league crown, and Columbine hasn't missed much of a beat in 2019. The team had allowed only 10 points through its first four games before receiving a stiff test against Olathe North in Kansas last weekend, prevailing 24-21. … Ralston Valley has allowed only 20 points over its previous four games, and has outscored opponents 216-46 this fall. Senior
Walker Brickle has the Mustangs getting it done through the air, passing for more than 1,000 yards and tossing 13 touchdowns.
Class 4A
• No. 5 Chatfield (Littleton) (4-1) at No. 3 Dakota Ridge (Littleton) (5-0), 6 p.m., Oct. 24, Jeffco StadiumColumbine isn't the only Littleton-based team from Jeffco to create some buzz. Chatfield and Dakota Ridge are both ranked in the top five in 4A, and those two teams meet later in the month. Dakota Ridge is coming off a strong showing in a 20-6 victory over Ponderosa (Parker), though the Eagles have to get past undefeated
Vista PEAK Prep (Aurora) this weekend before turning to league play. Dakota Ridge has shown good balance on offense, and the defense is getting after the quarterback with 16 sacks in four games. … Chatfield opened the season with a loss to a team from Florida, but has overcome some tight contests to win its next four.
Matthew Canino tossed two touchdown passes last weekend in a victory over Greeley West.
Class 4A/3A
• 4A No. 1 Pine Creek (3-1) at 3A No. 1 Palmer Ridge (4-0), 1 p.m., Oct. 5
Raef Ruel, Palmer Ridge
File photo by Chris Fehrm
Just two weeks after putting a scare into defending 5A champion Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch), Pine Creek now gets its shot at the reigning 3A champs. The Eagles are coming off a 41-13 drubbing of a previously undefeated Pueblo West team, with
David Moore III rushing for 202 yards and four touchdowns. … Palmer Ridge received its first big test last weekend, eventually holding off Pueblo South 24-19. Senior
Raef Ruel rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns, and has 10 scores through four games. The Bears host No. 8 Lutheran (Parker) in the Central League opener next weekend.
Class 3A
• No. 9 Erie (2-2) at No. 2 Mead (Longmont) (4-0), 7 p.m., Oct. 3Mead closes out its non-league slate Thursday against an Erie team that has two losses against top-10 teams. The Tigers fell by one point two weeks ago to an undefeated Frederick team that faces Mead in the regular-season finale. … Mead is averaging nearly 43 points a game, with
Brady Veltien tossing eight touchdowns this season and
Jake Wachter and
Nathan Bailey shouldering the load on the ground.
Class 2A
• No. 2 Delta (4-0) at No. 1 Rifle (4-0), 7 p.m., Oct. 11The afore-mentioned 2A Western Slope League is in for a good one next weekend. Delta has shut out its first four opponents while averaging more than 50 points. Junior
Nolan Bynum has passed for 626 yards and 12 touchdowns, and seven players have at least one rushing touchdown. The Delta defense has forced 10 turnovers. … Rifle is once again getting it done with a punishing ground game that averages more than 400 yards a contest.
Levi Warfel had more than 200 yards and four scores two weeks ago in a rout of Pueblo County.
Class 1A
• No. 4 Florence (4-0) at No. 5 Centauri (La Jara) (4-1), 7 p.m., Oct. 25Florence has a big month in store, starting with a Friday contest against undefeated and ninth-ranked
Rye. Two more games against ranked opponents close out the regular season, including No. 5 Centauri. Florence is averaging 268 yards on the ground through four games, with junior
Owen Busetti going for 596 yards and 10 scores. The Huskies' defense has allowed only 25 points. … Centauri allowed 28 points in a loss to Pagosa Springs, but has shut out its other four opponents. The Falcons allowed only 111 yards of offense against a previously unbeaten Buena Vista team last weekend.
Class A 8-Man
• No. 7 Sanford (4-0) at No. 3 Mancos (4-0), 6 p.m., Oct. 11A pair of undefeated squads meet up next weekend in the Mountain League, with Sanford looking for a way to slow down
Chase Moore. The Mancos sophomore has rushed for 1,021 yards and 15 touchdowns in four games, five TDs of which came last weekend. … Sanford has allowed only three touchdowns this season, with the Indians also picking up a win via forfeit.
Class A 6-Man
• No. 1 Kit Carson (5-0) at No. 4 Cheyenne Wells (5-0), 2 p.m., Oct. 5Kit Carson has outscored its first five opponents 295-65, but could have a tougher time against Cheyenne Wells. Junior
Sullivan Farmer has thrown nine touchdown passes this fall, and
Jayden McCombs-Farmer has nine rushing scores. … Cheyenne Wells put up 76 points on a previously undefeated Granada squad last weekend.
Kyle Nelson and
Quade Pelton combined for five touchdown passes, and Pelton had two rushing scores as well.
