With all classifications set to play their championship games at a neutral site this fall, higher seeds will be the designated home teams.
In a typical year, there is a formula which determines teams that will host games and serve at designated home teams at neutral sites. But that has changed this year because all title games will be played at CSU Pueblo’s ThunderBowl Stadium.
“It’s great to be in the final stretch of this fall season of football, talking about logistics of championship weekend,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Adam Bright, who oversees football. “14 great teams will take the field for championship weekend and CHSAA will conclude Season A of the 2020-2021 calendar by crowning seven more state champions.
“It will be a weekend of great competition, sportsmanship, and celebration that is sure to create lifelong memories for these teams, schools, and communities.”
The schedule for Championship Weekend is as follows:
Thursday:
6-man, 2 p.m.
8-man, 6 p.m.
Friday:
2A, 2 p.m.
4A, 6 p.m.
Saturday:
1A, 10 a.m.
3A, 2 p.m.
5A, 6 p.m.
All games will be streamed live on the NFHS Network, and CHSAANow.com will provide live coverage each day.
PARKER — When a next-man-up philosophy is talked about at Legend in the future, everyone will point to Bryce Vaz.
It was in the middle of the week that a shoulder injury took starting running back Connor Eise out of Saturday’s Class 5A playoff game against Fairview. It was Vaz who was next in line and looking for a chance to prove himself as a standout back in his own right.
And he took advantage of that opportunity in a big way.
Vaz found the end zone six times lead No. 3 Legend to a 56-35 win over No. 6 Fairview and into next week’s 5A semifinals.
“I was just waiting for my chance,” Vaz said. “I went to Valor my freshman year. Transferred here, couldn’t play varsity as a sophomore because of transfer rules. I’ve just been waiting for my chance and I’ve been asking to get some running back reps. I got my chance tonight.”
The Titans (7-0 overall) have looked like a dangerous team all season and if possible, Vaz only makes them more formidable heading into next week.
(Brad Cochi)
In all, he carried the ball 31 times for 310 yards and six scores. The two touchdowns that didn’t come by his hand were two touchdown runs from JT Axelrod, one for three yards and the other for 56. For being fairly grounded, the Legend offense was on point for the first playoff game of the year.
“It’s the way we bond,” quarterback Kalen Shoemaker said. “If we mess up, we bounce right back. We live and learn.”
While the offense was responsible for several highlight moments, perhaps the most important plays of the game were made by the Titans defense. Fairview’s high-flying offensive attack often gets complimented by a double-wing set in 4th and short situations. But that wasn’t the case on Saturday.
Three times in the first half, the Knights (6-1) went for it on 4th and 1 and three times the Titans denied them. Legend only scored touchdowns on one of the possessions following the turnovers on downs, but the stops themselves were essential in dictating a tone for the game.
“What it really does is serve as a turnover,” Legend coach Monte Thelen said. “It’s the same thing as a turnover and in a game that’s 56-35 you just need to hold serve and not let them score. We were fortunate enough to not let them do that a few times.”
(Brad Cochi)
Thelen did point out that the Knights were able to put up 35 points. Quarterback Liam O’Brien put up numbers that would normally grab headlines and a win. He went 43-for-62 with 461 yards and five touchdowns.
But as the sun dipped behind the horizon, the light went out on the Knights’ state championship hopes.
Next up for Legend is a showdown with No. 2 Valor Christian, a showdown that Vaz is very much looking forward to.
“This is my state championship,” he said.
If he can even perform half as well as he did on Saturday, the Titans will have a fighting chance to move on to the program’s first state championship game. Considering that he hasn’t even been the starter all year, having him as an ace in the hole is something that can make the Titans and Thelen very happy.
“How good do you feel about Bryce Vaz tonight,” Thelen said. “Because we feel pretty darn good.”
After running for over 300 yards and six scores, who wouldn’t feel good about Bryce Vaz?
For the first time since 2012, Wray will head to the Class 1A football semifinals.
The Eagles, the No. 4 seed in the bracket, beat No. 5 Hotchkiss 38-13 on Saturday.
“Hats off to Hotchkiss staff and players,” Wray coach Levi Kramer said. “They have one heck of a program. I was really proud of how our boys played today. We have a ton to work on next week, but looking forward to putting in the work with this group.”
After Hotchkiss scored first, and held a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, Wray scored 24 unanswered points to lead 24-7 at halftime. Wray’s Tyler Collins paced the offense with three first-half scores.
Collins kept it up in the second half when he added a fourth touchdown, this one from 12 yards out, that made it 32-7 at the end of three quarters.
(Daniel Stoeber)
Payton Wade, a sophomore, scored in the fourth quarter to make it 38-7.
Hotchkiss’ Drayden Taylor and Blaine Peebles scored for the Bulldogs.
“Credit Coach Kramer and his kids, as they created big plays in the passing game that got them up a couple of scores,” Hotchkiss Curtis Hintz said. “They played hard for four quarters. Felt like we matched them physically in the first quarter. They hit a couple of big plays and couldn’t close the gap. Proud of this group, they had a great year. But kudos to Wray.”
Wray will advance to face top-seeded Limon in the semifinals.
“I’m proud of how my team played today,” Wray’s Tyler Collins said. “We aren’t satisfied. Our focus is beating Limon now.”
ENGLEWOOD — To say Dakota Ridge’s offense was impressive Saturday would be a gross understatement.
The top-seeded Eagles (7-0) scored — 10 touchdowns and two field goals — on all 12 offensive possessions in the Class 4A state quarterfinal game against No. 8 Montrose at Randy Penn Stadium on the campus of Englewood High School.
Dakota Ridge senior Ben Gultig sprints into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown run to open up the scoring Saturday at Englewood High School. Gultig also threw for three touchdowns in the Eagles’ 76-34 victory over Montrose. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“That is credit to our kids and our offensive coordinator Jeremiah Behrendsen,” Dakota Ridge coach Ron Woitalewicz said of the Eagles’ putting up 76 points in a 76-34 win. “We knew we could throw the ball on them. I didn’t know we would have that much success.”
According to ColoradoPreps.com, Dakota Ridge’s 76 points is the fourth highest team total in an 11-man playoff game in Colorado high school football history.
“We’ve always had the ability to do this,” Dakota Ridge senior quarterback Ben Gultig said as the scoreboard still showed the 76-34 final score. “Our offensive line is what has to carry us through every game. They are the foundation of this team.”
Gultig got it all started with a 53-yard touchdown run on the opening drive. It started the Eagles on putting up three touchdowns less than 5 minutes into the game.
“We script those first few plays,” Woitalewicz said. “We thought they were going to key on Charlie (Offerdahl). We thought we could pull a couple of quarterback counters out and get a big play early.”
Dakota Ridge senior Charlie Offerdahl, who verbally committed to the University of Colorado on Nov. 11, actually had a fairly quite game on the stat sheet. Offerdahl had a 2-yard touchdown run for the second score after Dakota Ridge’s defense forced it first of four Montrose turnovers.
“Part of it was getting those turnovers early and working with some short field,” Dakota Ridge coach Ron Woitalewicz said. “Our offense is hard to stop when you give them 80 yards to go. You give them 35 yards to go and it’s going to be really difficult to stop them.”
Gultig tossed his first of three touchdown passes to senior Mason Galbreath with 7:19 left in the first quarter to push the lead to 21-0. Dakota Ridge seniors Colin Stuhr and Dakota Williams had fumble recoveries to set up the Eagles’ second and third touchdowns.
“All week we were preparing for that dive and hard pounding running offense,” Stuhr said. “After we scored 21 points quick we just wanted to keep it rolling. We were scoring any way we wanted to.”
Galbreath caught a second touchdown late in the second quarter and senior Cavica Wilkerson had a touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter that pushed the Eagles’ lead to 70-34.
Dakota Ridge racked up seven touchdown on the ground. Sophomore Noah Triplett had a trio of touchdown runs. Gultig, Offerdahl, senior Max Hart and junior Dante Capoulungo each found the end zone one on the ground.
Montrose junior Tayne Ila (4) races down field as Dakota Ridge junior Dante Capoulungo (1) is able to run him down during the second quarter Saturday at Englewood High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“We are definitely unique because we sub a lot of guys in and out,” Gultig said. “There is not a weak link on this team.”
Montrose (4-3) did put up five touchdowns in the loss and actually cut the Eagles’ lead to 31-21 just before halftime. However, senior kicker Tilo Pena kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired before halftime to keep the offense scoring streak going for the Eagles. Pena also kicked a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter.
“Our kids had the attitude that we are the No. 1 seed for a reason,” Woitalewicz said. “Let’s go out and show people why.”
Dakota Ridge will likely be back at Englewood High School next week for a 4A state semifinal game against No. 4 Loveland. The Indians (7-0) defeated No. 5 Broomfield 28-7 on Friday night in another quarterfinal game.
The Eagles played their home game Saturday at Englewood High School so spectators would be allowed to watch the game in person. Currently, Jefferson County Public Health has an ordnance that doesn’t allow fans at CHSAA sporting events in Jeffco due to rising COVID-19 cases in the county.
“The fans definitely helped,” Gultig said. “I think this is a good field for us.”
Dakota Ridge is seeking its first football state championship. The Eagles made the 4A title game in 2004, but lost to ThunderRidge.
Memories of watching Broomfield kick a last-second field goal nearly a year ago to hand Dakota Ridge a heartbreaking 17-15 loss in the 4A semifinals are still fresh for the Eagles.
“We really wanted to play Broomfield next week for that revenge tour,” Stuhr said. “We’ve got Loveland next week and we have to focus on them.”
Dakota Ridge senior Charlie Offerdahl (44) dives toward the pylon during the Class 4A state quarterfinal game against Montrose on Saturday at Englewood High School. The Eagles scored 10 touchdowns and two field goals on their 12 offensive possessions in a 76-34 victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
