Colorado big-school state football semifinals set

The old adage that defense wins championships might hold some weight. But healthy quarterbacks don't hurt, either.

ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) spectators held their breath last week in the quarterfinals, when QB Brody Westmoreland went down with a back injury against Grandview (Aurora). He missed most of the contest, as backup Branden Brenning helped the Grizzlies eke out just enough offense in a grind-it-out, 13-9 win.

Grizzlies coach Joe Johnson expects Westmoreland back this week, with his fifth-seeded squad set to play host to No. 1 Fairview (Boulder) in the Class 5A semifinals (all semifinal games will be played at 1 p.m. on Saturday this week).

"I think he'll play," Johnson said of Westmoreland, who has thrown 16 touchdowns and only two interceptions. "He got hit in the back and lost some feeling in his legs temporarily. I think a lot of it was that he'd never experienced something like that."

Westmoreland has committed to San Diego State to play baseball. He and the rest of the Grizzlies (11-1) were thankful for a stout defense that kept Grandview to single figures, and they'll need that defense to continue to play well with the high-flying Knights (11-0) coming to town.

"I don't know if it gives me confidence, but it makes me feel a little better I guess," Johnson said. "We have to stop 83, the receiver (Sam Martin), and their quarterback (Anders Hill) is a good runner and passer, and he's a problem, too. They get you all spread out when they pass it, and they have another little back (Jason Harvey) that's pretty good.

"We'll have to be sharp against the pass, that's for sure, and not be so worried about it that we give up easy runs and give them an easy box that they just run through us."

Martin set the state's all-time receiving yardage total for a single-season in a 35-24 win against Pomona (Arvada) in the quarterfinals. He enters the semis with 92 catches for 1,604 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The other semifinal is a rematch of last season's state championship game, in which Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) held off Cherokee Trail 9-0. It is the final hurrah for Valor running back Christian McCaffrey, a Stanford-bound senior whose four-year career matches up against virtually anyone in the state's big-school history.

McCaffrey has a spellbinding 38 touchdowns this season, including 22 on the ground. He has rushed for 1,500 yards and added another 570 on 28 receptions. The Eagles (11-1) walloped Columbine (Littleton) 49-13 in the quarterfinals.

Cherokee Trail (Aurora)(10-2) has the luxury of welcoming the Eagles to their home turf of Legacy Stadium, but Monte Thelen's group will have to come up with a keynote performance to reach the title game for a second straight season.

The Cougars, who beat Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) 27-14 in the quarterfinals, have gotten 1,554 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns from Cameron Smith.

MaxPreps Colorado state football brackets

In 4A, top-seeded Montrose might soon have to share some credit with the school's bus driver. The Indians (11-1) will travel all the way to No. 5 Pueblo South this week (about 10 hours round-trip). If they win, they'll travel to Sports Authority Field at Mile High the following week for the state title game.

"This will be our fifth trip to the Front Range," said Montrose coach Todd Casebier, who has led the team to an 11-1 mark this season. "When you're a Western Slope team you better figure out how to get on a bus and go win.

"We've been at home for two weeks and we're rested. We know this is going to take our best football game. At home or on the road, we know this is going to be tough and it's a challenge were ready to take because it's what we have to do."

The Indians have proven they're up for any challenge, as the went on the road to hand defending champion Monarch (Louisville) its only loss of the season, 39-34 on Sept. 27. Montrose's only blemish was a 36-33 defeat at the hands of Grand Junction, a 5A team.

"What they've done this year is very impressive," Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard said. "They're a quality football team and I don't think the state was wrong when they had them ranked No. 1 for most of the year."

The Indians were also bolstered at the outset of the playoffs by the return of senior running back Angelo Youngren after a broken collarbone kept him out of the final four games of the regular season. Youngren racked up more than 300 yards and found the end zone three times in Montrose's two playoff games.

"It's been huge," Casebier said. "He's a three-year starter, all-conference kid that whole time and the MVP of our league. He's a difference-maker and in order for us to pull this off, we need him on the field."

The Colts (11-1) also have a dangerous rushing attack, headed by senior Garrett Krage (1,274 yards and 30 scores), while quarterback Nathan Spinuzzi has done a good job when asked to put the ball in the air, with 16 TDs to his credit.

Goddard said one of the big keys for Pueblo South to advance will be the play of the defensive line and how it is able to handle the Montrose attack.

"They're going to have to play tremendously well," said Goddard, whose team has won 10 straight games. "We're going to rotate guys and try to keep them as fresh as possible. That's going to be key this week, because those big ol' dudes will wear you down."

The other semifinal features a bruising battle of No. 3 Pine Creek (Colorado Springs) at No. 2 Monarch. It is a rematch of the 2011 semifinal, in which Pine Creek, then at home, defeated Monarch 20-0.

Monarch hasn't had much discontent since then, as the Coyotes (10-1) won state last season and have endured only the Montrose loss this season.

"The only thing that has slowed them down is the floods," said Pine Creek coach Todd Miller, referring to a Coyotes' canceled game against Niwot.

Miller said that even though you know exactly what Monarch is going to do with its double-wing attack, it's almost impossible to stop. The Coyotes blew out Loveland 42-8 in the semifinals and, behind running back Ethan Marks and QB Jay MacIntyre, have instituted a running clock on seven straight opponents.

"It's perfection. They perfect what they do," Miller said. "They have a staff that believes in it, and more importantly kids that believe and trust that staff. When you win as many games as they have over the last 15 to 20 years, you're doing something right."

While Pine Creek (10-2) again is a strong running team and spreads it out to several ball carriers — Scotty Savage scored two touchdowns in a 25-0 blanking of Windsor in the quarterfinals — quarterback Tommy Lazzaro has allowed the Eagles to be a bit more dynamic. He has thrown for 21 TDs and only seven interceptions.

If anyone filled out the Class 3A bracket prior to the opening week of the playoffs and got more than one team correct, pat yourself on the back. The surviving seeds are Nos. 6, 7, 9 and 13.

Does that make No. 6 Coronado (Colorado Springs) the favorite? Not the way this postseason has unraveled, but the Cougars (11-1) are an amazing story no matter how it's sliced. Coach Bobby Lizarraga's group was 0-10 two seasons ago, 5-5 last season, and now, after outlasting No. 3 Roosevelt (Johnstown) 29-27 in the quarterfinals, will take on No. 7 The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs) in the semifinals.

"It's taken a bit of time to get things turned around, but ultimately we're experiencing a change in our football culture, commitment, expectations, and goals," Lizarraga said. "Our players expect to begin working in January and continue through the end of the season."

The Cougars have a pair of 1,000-yard backs — well, almost — with Austin Micci having produced 1,255 yards on the ground and Isaah Duvall sitting at 994.

"We're very fortunate to have two tailbacks with the skills displayed by Austin Micci and Isaah Duvall, both juniors I might add, but if it wasn't for the great work from our linemen we would not have the success we are experiencing right now," Lizarraga said. "We have a fullback (Zeb Foster) that could very well be on the tails of both these running backs, but we haven't featured the fullback as much as we probably could."

TCA (10-2) counters with a slew of backs, including Andrew Register. The senior rushed for 127 yards as the Titans pulled off a 24-21 upset of second-seeded Palisade in the semifinals. The Titans' Kyle Jacobs has picked off six passes this season.

Defending champion Silver Creek (Longmont) will travel to No.13 Delta in the other semifinal, as quarterback Ben Sjobakken and company will aim to lead the ninth-seeded Raptors to a third straight title-game appearance.

Sjobakken has led Silver Creek (9-2) with 28 touchdown passes to go with a mere five interceptions, with the 11 of the TD strikes to tight end Zane Lindsey. The Raptors knocked off Pueblo East 34-17 in the quarterfinals.

Delta (9-3) kept its storybook season alive by ousting Western Slope League-rival Glenwood Springs 13-9 in the quarterfinals. Coach Ben Johnson's Panthers held on after scoring all 13 of their points in the opening quarter.