Kent Denver senior Jaden Franklin, left, has written his name in the state record books, but would like nothing more than to finish his senior season with a Class 2A state championship.
File photo by Alan Hart
The first of three state championship football weekends in Colorado generated a buzz that will only increase this weekend.
Arickaree/Woodlin became the first state champion, earning the Class A 6-Man state title with a 44-26 victory against Eads last Saturday and setting the stage for three more title games on each of the next two weekends.
On Saturday, Class 2A, 1A and 8-Man share the spotlight.
In 2A and 1A, the top two seeds – all four of which are undefeated – will clash for ultimate bragging rights, while a pair of one-loss teams in 8-Man try to end a string of unsuccessful bids in recent years.
Here are 10 things to keep an eye on Saturday in the three championship contests:
Class 2A
No. 2 Kent Denver (Englewood) (12-0) at No. 1 Brush (12-0), 1 p.m.• In a game featuring two of the best ground games in the state, Brush presents a 1-2 senior punch that opponents have struggled to shut down.
Kyle Rosenbrock rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season, and
Michael Gutierrez added 814 yards and 14 TDs during the first nine games. The Beetdiggers went for 2,500 yards as a squad headed into the playoffs.
• The Brush defense has been a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. Through three games, the Beetdiggers have allowed only 21 points and shut out Faith Christian (Arvada) in the quarterfinals. It will take a strong defensive performance to thwart Kent Denver and lead Brush to its first state title since 1994. The team most recently fell to Olathe by one point in the 2010 championship game.
• Kent Denver's
Jaden Franklin has been one of the state's all-time greats over the past four years, and he's poised to help lead the Sun Devils to their second title in three years. Franklin, who ranks in the top 10 in the state record books, has 1,835 yards and 35 touchdowns to his credit this season.
• It wasn't Franklin's legs, though, that led Kent Denver past defending state champion Platte Valley (Kersey) in the semifinals. That nod goes to senior quarterback
Gordon Ellis, who tossed three touchdown passes, including the winning score in the fourth quarter. Granted, two of those scores went to Franklin, but Ellis has 19 touchdown passes to only four interceptions this season. He could prove the difference if Brush commits to stopping Franklin.
Class 1A
No. 2 Buena Vista (12-0) at No. 1 Paonia (12-0), 1 p.m.• Paonia is the only team looking to defend its state championship this weekend, and the key to stopping the Eagles isn't a secret at all. Senior
Taylor Walters is one of the most dangerous threats in the state, having rushed for 2,146 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. In a 35-15 semifinal victory against Resurrection Christian (Loveland), Walters went off for a season-high 316 yards to go along with five total touchdowns.
• A year ago these same two teams met in the 1A semifinals, with Paonia winning by two touchdowns on its way to the championship. Now-graduated running back Will Austin rushed for 252 yards that day, but it was Paonia's defense that caused some of the biggest headaches for the Demons.
Keegan Wentz was intercepted three times, and Walters scored all four touchdowns on the ground.
• Speaking of Wentz, if anyone is going to give Paonia fits, it is the junior quarterback. Wentz is a dual-threat like Walters (1,230 yards and 18 touchdowns rushing, 1,155 yards and 22 passing touchdowns). In the 48-18 semifinal win against Meeker, the junior tossed three TD passes and rushed for 173 yards and two scores.
• Buena Vista hasn't allowed more than 24 points in a game all season. Senior
Michael Wilcoxson leads the team with 136 tackles, while junior
Sabyn Diamond has 97 tackles – 13.5 of which have gone for a loss. With 23 sacks and 19 interceptions to their credit, the Demons could have the right mix to slow down Paonia's potent offense. Buena Vista hasn't won a state title since taking the 2A crown in 1999.
Class A 8-Man
No. 3 Caliche (Iliff) (11-1) at No. 4 Granada (11-1), 1 p.m.• Can Granada keep its run going? The Bobcats did what no other team has been able to do, and that's stop the juggernaut that is Dayspring Christian Academy (Greeley). Granada used a second-quarter blitz and a stifling defense to upset the Eagles 22-6 in the semifinals, ending the team's 24-game winning streak. The previous loss for Dayspring Christian came in the first round of the 2012 season, also to Granada, which advanced to the title game that year before falling to Hoehne. The team's last title came back in 2006.
• Speaking of enduring tough times in title games, Caliche has had its fair share of struggles. The Buffaloes won the 1A title in 1994, but since moving down to 8-Man have gone 0-3 – including a seven-point loss to Dayspring Christian last season. Caliche is coming off a 36-22 victory against Simla in the semifinals. The Buffaloes are hoping this is the year they get over the hump.
