Colorado high school football playoffs reach boiling point

Class 5A // Brackets
The last time Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) and Columbine (Littleton) met in the state quarterfinals, it was Columbine coach Andy Lowry getting the better of counterpart Ed McCaffrey. This is a much different Valor team, as it has yet to be beaten this season. Gavin Sawchuk might be the best player in the state, rushing for 1,576 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Giving Lowry a second chance to play a team within a season has to be a concern for the Eagles. Columbine already proved that point with last week's win over Arvada West. Seth Cromwell rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns, and the Rebels attempted just three passes in the win. The Rebels defense also feasted with four different players tallying interceptions. Valor Christian beat Columbine 35-21 on Sept. 24 in the closest game the Eagles played this season.

Grandview (Aurora) taking on Ralston Valley (Arvada) and Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) playing Regis Jesuit (Aurora) are two more rematches of games played in the regular season.

In Ralston Valley's earlier win over Grandview, the Mustangs did a great job at disrupting the Wolves' offensive flow. Grandview was limited to just 212 yards of offense, the bulk of which came on the ground. Moosah Alsaffar led the way with 68 rushing yards, and Liam Szarka scored the lone offensive touchdown. Ralston Valley quarterback Zach Friedman threw for 158 yards and one touchdown, but it was the collective defense that kept Grandview at bay.

Cherry Creek quarterback Christian Hammond had one of his best games of the season against Regis Jesuit. He went 14-for-17 for 243 yards and a touchdown. That helped offset a tough day for the running game as the Bruins totaled just 69 yards on the ground. The Creek defense stepped up big time as it limited Exander Carroll to 121 passing yards and Zavier Carroll to 70 rushing yards. The Raiders will try to be more productive on offense while trying to limit Hammond's ability to produce points with his arm.

Legend (Parker) and Arapahoe (Centennial) is the only 5A game to feature teams meeting for the first time this season. The Titans come in as tough No. 3 seed ,with only a loss to Mullen tripping them up this season. Bryce Vaz will try to pace the offense like he did last week, running for 150 yards and three scores in a win over Rock Canyon (Castle View). Arapahoe came away with a big win over ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) and has the confidence that it can beat anyone on the bracket, especially considered it toppled Cherry Creek in the regular season.

Class 4A // Brackets
Arguably, the best game on the docket across all classifications might be defending 4A champion Loveland heading to Pine Creek (Colorado Springs). The Eagles went through the regular season playing a 5A league and looked solid in their playoff opener, beating Bear Creek (Lakewood) 41-7. Over the course of the season, Zion Hill has rushed for 993 yards and 10 touchdowns. Josiah Roy has been a solid dual-threat quarterback, throwing for 1,395 yards and running for 862 yards.

Despite a coaching staff change, Loveland has stayed true to its traditions and been one of the best running teams in the entire state. It was the running game that led the Red Wolves to the 4A crown last fall, and it has been more ot the same this season. Garrett Harstad leads the team with 1,110 rushing yards, while Drew Foley has 928. The team has scored a staggering 43 rushing touchdowns this season. If the Wolves can keep the Pine Creek offense off the field, they can get themselves into position to score the upset and advance to the semifinals.

Elsewhere around the classification, Palmer Ridge (Monument) survived a two-overtime scare from Pueblo West and hopes it can have an easier time with No. 5 Erie at Don Breese Stadium. Connor Cook figures to have to put the offensive burden on his shoulders, and he has rushed for 801 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Erie has yet to drop a game and will rely on the running attack from senior Caleb Theisen, who has amassed 1,324 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.

Dakota Ridge (Littleton) and Chatfield (Littleton) will get a much-anticipated rematch after putting on a show in the regular season-finale on Oct. 29. The Eagles came back in the fourth quarter to win 29-28, and quarterback Adam Graves had a big hand in that win. He threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns and added 71 yards and two scores on the ground. Jake Marschall was a workhorse for the Chargers, rushing for 165 yards and two scores and will need another big game if Chatfield is going to be on the winning side of things this time around.

Montrose jumped to an early lead against Denver South last weekend and never looked back. It now has the unenviable task of slowing down Fountain-Fort Carson running back Dezmen Oliver. His 1,559 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns are a clear indication the Trojans have the tools to score an upset over the No. 1 seed on the bracket.

Class 3A // Brackets
The favorites rolled through the first round of the playoffs last week. That leaves quite a few teams more than capable of making a championship run still alive, and that makes for some quality quarterfinal games.

Defending champion Durango has played very well under new coach Todd Casebier. Zach Haber has put together a good rushing season, totaling 1,277 yards and getting into the end zone 19 times. The passing attack has been very complementary with Tyler Harms throwing for 1,033 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Demons scored a 56-3 win over Evergreen last week behind a dominant defense that forced three turnovers. They will host Mead (Longmont) in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Roosevelt (Johnstown) has by far been the most dominant team in 3A this season. The Roughriders have outscored their opponents 511-61 and that includes giving up just 28 total points in their last four games. Brock Saya has thrown for 1,984 and 28 touchdowns, against just one interception. Jayden Botterill has been a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, picking off a team-high five passes. Roosevelt came into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and hosts Holy Family (Broomfield) this weekend.

If this season has been any indicator, Palisade is going to need more than two touchdowns to beat No. 2 Lutheran (Parker). The problem is that the Lions have not allowed more than 14 points in a single game all season. Clayton Jacobs threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns in Lutheran's playoff-opening win against Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs). The Lions run a fast-paced offense that has no problem putting up points, which is always a good way to keep advancing closer and closer to the state championship.

Fort Morgan is perhaps the most intriguing team left in the field because of the competitive battle it had with Roosevelt in late October. The Mustangs actually led that game going into the fourth quarter thanks to Brayden Fajardo's rushing touchdown in the second quarter. The Mustangs have proven they can adapt to whatever the game requires, winning tight contests with defense and also kicking it up a notch offensively when needed.

Class 2A // Brackets
Eaton vs. University (Greeley)
Good news just keeps getting better for Eaton. As the unbeaten Reds were cruising into the quarterfinals with a 31-7 win over Elizabeth, the other top seeds in the 2A bracket were dropping like flies. Eaton will only concern itself with its upcoming opponent in University. Ryan Dirksen rushed for 80 yards and Walker Martin added 85 against Elizabeth. The team was just as good defensively as Trent Salberg hauled in two interceptions and Morgan Tribbett recovered a fumble. Combining an opportunistic defense with a ball-control offense is the perfect formula to help Eaton repeat.

University did something that not a lot of teams have been able to do this fall: it slowed down Delta freshman quarterback Ty Reed. Kanon Padilla grabbed a pick-6 and Marcus Loma had another interception. Overall, the defense forced three turnovers which let quarterback Greg Garza go to work. He threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulldogs stunned the No. 4 team on the bracket.

Severance vs. Brush
Both teams came away with wins over opponents that had otherwise dominated the 2A landscape this fall. As a result, they get to meet for the second time this season. Brush put together an efficient offensive performance as Alejandro Maltos-Garcia threw for 116 yards and a touchdown while four players combined to rush for 183 yards and two scores in a quarterfinal win against Resurrection Christian (Loveland). Most impressively, the Beetdiggers took a team scoring nearly 37 points per game and held it just 17.

Losses to Resurrection Christian and Eaton gave Severance the appearance of a team that was good, but not quite ready for a deep playoff run. A win over The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs) put an end to that thought. The Titans seemed intent on riding running back Cade Palmer and the other backs to the semis, but fumble recoveries by Parker Gazdik, Reece Gazdik and Logan Villines stalled TCA on key drives. Quarterback Nolan Hertzke threw for a 164 yards and ran for 131 yards to pace the Silver Knights to the upset. If Severance wants to get another win over Brush, it likely will have be better on the ground. The Silver Knights ran for -12 yards in the 20-7 win over the Beetdiggers on Sept. 17.

Class 1A // Brackets
Limon vs. Wray
It almost feels like Limon's run of dominance is destined to continue. The Badgers have outscored their opponents 91-19 over two postseason games and have simply cruised into the semifinals. Jeremiah Leeper and Gabe Schubarth combined to rush for 320 yards, and Schubarth scored three touchdowns against North Fork (Hotchkiss). Trey Hines threw for two touchdowns on offense and grabbed an interception. Limon looks like the team has no interest in letting another team claim the 1A title.

Wray, however, might have a way to counter what the Badgers are good at. The Eagles completely shut down a dominant running attack in Florence. Not only did they shut them down, but they actually pushed them backwards. The Huskies totaled -33 rushing yards in the quarterfinals. If Wray can keep the Badgers from finding rhythm in the running game and counter them with a solid running attack of their own, they have a shot at the upset. Caeden Bauer and Brady Collins ran for more than 100 yards each and Collins found the end zone twice in the Eagles win over Florence.

Centauri (La Jara) vs. Buena Vista
After missing a stretch of games, Mason Claunch returned to the field in Centauri's playoff win over Yuma and looked true to form. He rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown and wasn't overworked as the Falcons won the game 40-7. Claunch has been one of the top backs in the state for the last two seasons and will be a big reason in Centauri's push for a state title.

Buena Vista has stuck with a winning formula of running the ball as often as possible. Haden Camp and Jacob Phelps each ran for better than 100 yards and combined for three touchdowns as the Demons beat Gunnison 42-14 in the quarterfinals. Camp also threw for a pair of touchdowns, but it has been the rushing attack that has powered Buena Vista into the semifinals.

Class A 8-Man // Brackets
Haxtun vs. Holly
Haxtun had a lot going for it in the quarterfinal win over Akron. The Bulldogs took a 22-12 lead at halftime then continued to just pound the football the remainder of the game. Michael Gerk and Isaac Andersen combined to run for 416 yards and four touchdowns. The defense forced three turnovers and put together an overall solid performance to cruise to the state semifinals.

The task now is slowing down a Holly team that has been unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball. In last week's win over Dove Creek, the Wildcats put up over 700 yards of offense. Dakota Eaton put on an air show, completing 74 percent of his passes 348 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Daunte Maldonado and Donovan Pecina combined to add 169 rushing yards and three more touchdowns. Haxtun might be the No. 1 seed, but Holly has the firepower to score an upset.

Sanford vs. Mancos
Sanford got a taste of revenge early in the playoffs after getting a 36-18 win over Sedgwick County (Julesburg) in the first round of the 8-Man tournament. The Cougars had won the regular-season showdown 42-0 and the Cougars also won the 2020 8-Man title game 72-32. A win over the team that had six straight state title wins is a huge confidence boost for a team looking for a title of its own.

Mancos jumped out to a big lead over Dayspring Christian (Greeley) in the quarterfinals and held steady in the fourth quarter to remain alive in the playoffs. The Bluejays leaned on the ground game as Chase Moore ran for 125 yards and a touchdown. Ayden Mathews completed just six passes but they were good for 107 yards and a score. When Dayspring Christian needed to get back into the game, Mason Goodwin wasn't allowing it as he went for 2.5 sacks.

Class A 6-Man // Brackets
Cheyenne Wells vs. Idalia
Cheyenne Wells certainly looks the part of the No. 1 team on the bracket, having outscored its two playoff opponents 149-46. Last week's 76-32 win over Prairie was yet another display of technically sound football. Cade Mitchek ran for 179 yards and four touchdowns, and Blake Gilmore threw for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Each of those players also picked off a pass to cap an overall dominant performance.

Idalia scored 29 points in the first quarter and cruised to a 64-28 win over defending state champion Fleming to reach the semis. The Wolves just might have the firepower to keep up with the Tigers after putting up 453 yards on offense. Of that total, 424 came on the ground, and Yahir Enriquez had 233 of those and also found the end zone six times. A strong running game that can put up points might be the formula to make for an exciting game this weekend.

Stratton vs. Granada
If there is one number that sticks out in Stratton's 62-0 win over Cheraw, it was 16.2 yards per carry. That's what Charlie Clapper put up on just 11 carries. He also scored four touchdowns to help the Eagles fly to a massive win over the Wolverines. Stratton has reached the state championship game the past four years in a row, winning one title in 2018, and is trying to get there for a fifth time in as many seasons.

Granada put together a balanced offensive performance, scoring multiple touchdowns both on the ground and through the air to edge Sierra Grande 48-44. Dominic Coleman completed 11 passes for 116 yards and three touchdowns while Jonus Guevara ran for 239 yards. Maddox Coleman and John Hainer each ran for a pair of touchdowns. The Bobcats will have to maintain that balance and maintain efficiency on offense to get through the No. 2 seed on the bracket and earn a trip to the ThunderBowl.