Ten Colorado high school football games to watch for September

Maintaining the momentum of a Week One victory over the next two-plus months is a study in patience and perseverance. A win in the first week does not a season make – likewise, a loss in the season-opener does not a season break.
In 8-Man ball, Rene Dominguez of West Grand (Kremmling) went for 229 yards and seven touchdowns in the team's 66-18 victory over Calhan. Mancos' Chase Moore had 255 rushing yards and three scores in a 68-0 shutout of Plateau Valley (Collbran). Not to be outdone, Eads' Damien Barnes led all rushers with 280 yards and six touchdowns in a 68-37 6-Man victory over Genoa-Hugo.

Class 5A
• No. 9 Pomona (0-1) at No. 2 Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) (1-0), 7 p.m., Sept. 20, Stutler Bowl
The afore-mentioned Panthers saw their season get off to a rocky start against a Regis Jesuit team that is on the rise. A young Pomona offense struggled to get its footing, but the team has a chance to establish itself this week against Bear Creek (Lakewood). From there it's a tough road, with non-league contests against top-ranked Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch), the Bruins and then Highlands Ranch. Strickland gave the team a lift on defense and offense (two touchdown runs), and the Pomona defense had six sacks and 12 tackles for a loss last weekend. … Cherry Creek, the state runner-up last fall, opened with a 43-6 rout of Doherty (Colorado Springs). That came after the team reportedly lost running back Seamus Henderson for the season to a torn ACL during practice. The Bruins' offense still put on a clinic against Doherty, with quarterback Julian Hammond III tossing four touchdown passes while putting up 251 yards. Jayle Stacks and James Walker II combined for 201 yards on the ground, and the defense allowed only a fourth-quarter score. Cherry Creek hosts Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) this week before going back-to-back with Mullen (Denver) and Pomona.

Class 5A/4A
• 5A No. 1 Valor Christian (1-0) at 4A No. 1 Pine Creek (Colorado Springs) (1-0), 6 p.m., Sept. 19
Two of the state's elite programs match up early in the season when 5A's top-ranked and defending state champion Eagles visit Colorado Springs to tangle with 4A's No. 1 Pine Creek.
Valor went to North Carolina for its opener and crushed Charlotte Christian 56-6 behind three touchdown passes from Cole Bott and 262 yards on the ground. Valor Christian hosts Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Ga.) this weekend before turning its attention to Pomona and then Pine Creek. … Speaking of the 4A Eagles, they kicked off the season with a 62-32 triumph over Rio Rancho, N.M. Senior quarterback Gavin Herberg threw five touchdown passes, and David Moore III rushed for 172 yards and two scores and also caught a 65-yard scoring pass. No. 5 Pueblo West awaits after the clash with Valor Christian.

Class 4A
• No. 2 Loveland (0-0) at No. 4 Broomfield (1-0), 7 p.m., Sept. 6
It doesn't get much tougher for a defending state champion than to start the season with the state's fourth-ranked team, but that's exactly what awaits Loveland on Friday. The Indians pay a visit to Broomfield, a game that the Indians won 47-0 a year ago. Loveland ran the table in 2018, scoring more than 600 points on its way to the 4A crown. The team graduated 2,000-yard rusher Zach Weinmaster along the way, along with a host of other talented seniors. Jeff Mauck takes over the reins of the program this fall, with the Eagles providing an early test. … Broomfield opened its season with a 34-13 victory over Legacy (Broomfield) last weekend. Quarterback Zachary Kapushion tossed three touchdowns and had 266 yards passing, according to BoCoPreps.com. Like Loveland, the Eagles were hit hard by graduation, but the next wave of players got the season off on the right foot. Caden Peters takes over the rushing load for Dylan Torres.

Class 4A/3A
• 4A No. 3 Montrose (1-0) at 3A No. 2 Palisade (0-0), 7 p.m., Sept. 26, Stocker Stadium
A Western Slope rivalry writes its next chapter in late September, as 4A's third-ranked Montrose heads north to take on 3A's No. 2 Palisade. The Indians, who won the 2018 meeting 21-17, opened their season with a 44-20 victory over Grand Junction Central behind two rushing touchdowns each from Cole Simmons and Emmert Kastendieck, according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Kastendieck was the team's second-leading rusher a year ago as Montrose won 11 games before falling to Loveland in the semifinals. … Palisade made its own run to the semifinals in 3A before falling to eventual champion Palmer Ridge (Monument). Quarterback Cam Tucker, who led the Bulldogs with more than 1,600 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns as a junior, returns to pace a Palisade ground game that is typically among the state's best.

Class 3A
• No. 3 Mead (Longmont) (1-0) at No. 5 Roosevelt (Johnstown) (1-0), 7 p.m., Sept. 20
Despite three losses in its first five games of 2018, Mead overcame the odds and very nearly made it to the 3A semifinals. The Mavericks gave No. 1 Palisade all it could handle in a 27-21 quarterfinal loss. Nathan Bailey and Jake Wachter are back for Mead, which roughed up Lewis-Palmer (Monument) 47-7 in the opener. Bailey had 206 yards and two scores and the team rushed for 355 yards overall, and the defense had four sacks and forced two turnovers. Next up for Mead is 4A runner-up Skyline (Longmont) and its high-octane passing game. … On the other side, Roosevelt couldn't overcome losses in five of its first six games last fall and missed the postseason. But the Roughriders bucked that trend in the first week of the 2019 season with an impressive 38-21 victory over state runner-up Pueblo East. Brock Saya was 11-of-16 for 175 yards and two touchdowns, and three players rushed for at least 74 yards for Roosevelt. The team's defense intercepted five passes along the way. September features three more challenges for Roosevelt in Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs), the Mavericks and Holy Family (Broomfield).
• No. 1 Palmer Ridge (0-0) vs. No. 7 Pueblo South (1-0), 7 p.m., Sept. 27, CSU-Pueblo
The defending champion Bears were off opening week, but have four games awaiting them this month. That includes a rematch of the 2018 title game with Pueblo East, along with a showdown with South to end the month. Palmer Ridge has moved on without quarterback Ty Evans, who had 33 touchdown passes last fall. Luke Mcallister takes over for Evans, with star wide receiver Anthony Roberson II (937 yards and 11 touchdowns) returning, along with running back Raef Ruel (1,301 yards and 20 touchdowns). … Pueblo South opened with a 49-25 victory over Holy Family behind 212 yards passing and three touchdowns from Logan Petit, and 180 rushing yards and two scores from George Longoria. The Colts have a challenging September though, with No. 4 Erie, No. 7 Discovery Canyon and top-ranked Palmer Ridge waiting in the wings.

Class 2A
• No. 3 Faith Christian (Arvada) (0-0) at No. 6 Kent Denver (Englewood) (0-0), 1 p.m., Sept. 14
Only a handful of 2A teams played opening week, meaning the majority of the classification has a fresh start in September.
An old rivalry is renewed in the early going as Faith Christian and Kent Denver meet up in Englewood. The two teams split their two meetings in 2018, with the Eagles getting a measure of revenge in the first round of the playoffs with a 9-7 victory. Faith Christian eventually made it to the semifinals before falling to La Junta 20-14. The Eagles graduated leading rusher David Nagy, but quarterback Isaiah Kroll (19 total touchdowns) is back for his senior season. … Kent Denver had only one regular-season loss in 2018 before falling to Faith Christian. The team was senior-heavy, though a couple of big defensive pieces are back in Matthew Redmond and Justin Mayer.

Class 1A
• No. 3 Strasburg (1-0) at No. 1 Limon (0-0), 2 p.m., Sept. 28
Another September state-title game rematch comes at the end of the month as Strasburg goes up against defending champion Limon. The Indians fell short of another state title by only six points last November, but the team looks strong again in 2019. Quarterback Collin Russell had four total touchdowns in the team's 45-28 victory over University (Greeley) last weekend. The Strasburg defense also forced four turnovers. … Limon had a bye last week, but has a big September that also includes No. 6 Meeker. Quarterback Cannan Bennett (23 total touchdowns) graduated, but Kory Tacha had 22 touchdowns as a sophomore for the Badgers.

Class A 8-Man
• No. 1 Sedgwick County (Julesburg) (1-0) at No. 2 Hoehne (0-0), 7 p.m., Sept. 6
Sedgwick County has won the previous four 8-Man championships, meaning the Cougars are still the team to beat. Beau Parker rushed for 952 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, giving the team a strong returning weapon for a team that has only two losses over its past four seasons. The team shut out Simla 46-0 in the season opener. … Hoehne reached the 8-Man title game before coming up short against the Cougars. The Farmers graduated Trysten Moltrer and Kyle Rowe (46 rushing touchdowns between them) but Weston Hill had 10 passing touchdowns and eight rushing scores as a sophomore.

Class A 6-Man
• No. 4 Prairie (New Raymer) (1-0) at No. 2 Fleming (1-0), 1 p.m., Sept. 28
While Fleming and Prairie didn't make it past the quarterfinal round in 6-Man last fall, both teams are looking to make a move in 2019. Fleming opened its season with a 65-12 thumping of Idalia. Senior Brandon Williams rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns on only four carries, and the Wildcats rushed for 334 yards and eight scores as a team. Williams also had two interceptions. … Prairie used a 36-point first quarter to roll past Hanover 58-18 in its opener. A balanced offense saw touchdowns from seven different players. The Mustangs have to face off with defending champion Stratton/Liberty this Friday, though, with two more ranked opponents – Briggsdale and North Park (Walden) – waiting before Fleming.