Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
De Beque has taken over at this week’s Class 1A boys basketball rankings, and the polls as a whole added 14 new teams.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Fairview 45, Douglas County 36, Chatfield 26, Vista PEAK 22, Rampart 21, Legend 18, Heritage 16, Silver Creek 14, Fountain-Fort Carson 14, Rock Canyon 13, Mullen 13, Grandview 13, Highlands Ranch 10, Pomona 7, Denver South 6, Columbine 4, Arapahoe 4, Poudre 4, Legacy 3, Boulder 2, Horizon 1, Skyline 1
Dropped out
Fairview (12), Grandview (13), Legend (14)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mead (22)
1-0
402
1
1-0
2
Lewis-Palmer
2-0
345
2
2-0
3
Longmont (1)
2-0
303
3
2-0
4
Golden
2-0
293
5
2-0
5
Windsor (3)
1-0
261
4
1-0
6
Erie
1-0
207
8
1-0
7
Pueblo Central (1)
2-0
204
10
2-0
8
Evergreen
1-1
165
6
1-1
9
Montrose
1-0
133
7
1-0
10
Pueblo East
1-0
123
11
1-0
11
Centaurus
1-1
117
12
1-1
12
Frederick
2-0
115
–
2-0
13
Pueblo South
2-0
95
–
2-0
14
Harrison
1-1
73
8
1-1
15
Aurora Central (1)
3-0
72
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Palmer Ridge 69, Sand Creek 57, D’Evelyn 50, Green Mountain 47, Cheyenne Mountain 44, Palisade 39, Roosevelt 35, Mountain View 35, Coronado 20, Holy Family 16, Widefield 15, Denver North 15, Canon City 13, Thomas Jefferson 12, Eagle Valley 11, Steamboat Springs 11, Lincoln 10, Thompson Valley 10, The Classical Academy 9, Mitchell 8, Discovery Canyon 8, Northfield 7, Glenwood Springs 5, Riverdale Ridge 5, Grand Junction Central 4, Weld Central 4, Severance 4, Pueblo Centennial 3, Wheat Ridge 3, Berthoud 1, Falcon 1, Pueblo County 1
Dropped out
Cheyenne Mountain (13), Holy Family (14), Green Mountain (15)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Lutheran (20)
2-0
381
1
2-0
2
St. Mary’s (4)
2-0
313
7
2-0
3
Faith Christian (2)
1-1
304
2
1-1
4
Manitou Springs
2-0
263
4
2-0
5
Centauri
1-0
228
8
1-0
6
Resurrection Christian
1-1
187
5
1-1
7
Eaton
1-1
171
8
1-1
8
Sterling
0-1
169
3
0-1
9
Coal Ridge
1-0
159
10
1-0
10
Colorado Academy
2-0
141
–
2-0
11
Manual
0-1
110
6
0-1
12
Highland
2-1
84
–
2-1
13
University
0-2
63
11
0-2
14
Englewood
2-1
61
–
2-1
15
Bishop Machebeuf
2-0
49
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Alamosa 46, Colorado Springs Christian 45, DSST: Byers 37, The Vanguard School 37, Strasburg 35, Kent Denver 32, Estes Park 24, Platte Valley 22, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 22, Gunnison 19, Salida 17, Bennett 14, DSST: College View 13, Roaring Fork 9, Brush 9, Lamar 8, Liberty Common 8, Moffat County 7, Woodland Park 7, Buena Vista 5, Aspen 4, Basalt 3, DSST: Montview 3, Grand Valley 3, DSST: Conservatory Green 2, Pagosa Springs 2, Fort Lupton 2, Montezuma-Cortez 2
Dropped out
Alamosa (12), Gunnison (13), DSST: Byers (14), The Vanguard School (15)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Limon (20)
2-0
326
1
2-0
2
Wray (1)
2-0
280
4
2-0
3
Fowler
1-1
230
3
1-1
4
Yuma (1)
0-2
226
2
0-2
5
Mancos
2-0
202
11
2-0
6
Sanford
2-1
174
5
2-1
7
Sedgwick County
2-0
166
10
2-0
8
Denver Christian
1-1
140
6
1-1
9
Holly
1-0
122
8
1-0
10
Ignacio
0-1
117
8
0-1
11
Meeker
2-0
95
13
2-0
12
Crested Butte
1-0
91
12
1-0
13
Peyton
0-1
90
7
0-1
14
Holyoke
2-1
84
14
2-1
15
Monte Vista
1-1
44
–
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Vail Mountain 33, Vail Christian 28, Wiggins 25, Clear Creek 22, West Grand 14, Dayspring Christian Academy 13, Sargent 12, Center 10, Soroco 10, Gilpin County 10, Golden View Classical 8, Del Norte 8, Cedaredge 7, Lotus School for Excellence 6, Thomas MacLaren 6, Swink 6, Olathe 6, Telluride 5, Akron 4, Byers 4, Dolores 3, Front Range Christian 3, Rye 2, Calhan 2, Heritage Christian 2, Crowley County 1, John Mall 1, Dawson School 1, Lyons 1
Dropped out
Vail Mountain (15)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
De Beque (10)
2-0
280
2
2-0
2
Mile High Academy (6)
0-0
258
1
0-0
3
Belleview Christian (3)
3-0
206
8
3-0
4
Kit Carson
2-0
189
4
2-0
5
Briggsdale
2-0
185
5
2-0
6
Merino (1)
1-0
184
3
1-0
7
Primero
2-0
159
6
2-0
8
Haxtun
2-0
122
10
2-0
9
Sangre de Cristo
1-0
100
8
1-0
10
Cheraw
2-0
87
–
2-0
11
Granada
2-0
75
13
2-0
12
Evangelical Christian
1-1
71
12
1-1
13
Denver Jewish Day
1-1
60
–
1-1
14
Flatirons Academy
2-0
58
–
2-0
15
Genoa-Hugo
1-1
54
7
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Mountain Lutheran 40, Cheyenne Wells 32, McClave 32, Denver Waldorf 31, Kim/Branson 23, Longmont Christian 23, Pikes Peak Christian 22, Eads 21, Fleming 20, Springfield 11, Sierra Grande 8, Cotopaxi 8, Walsh 8, Arickaree/Woodlin 7, Caliche 6, Flagler 3, Prairie 2, Ouray 2, Caprock Academy 1, Simla 1
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
The preseason girls basketball rankings are led by Grandview (5A), Mullen (4A), University (3A), Rye (2A), and Briggsdale (1A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Fruita Monument 34, Mountain Vista 32, Columbine 29, Denver South 28, ThunderRidge 27, Horizon 26, Cherokee Trail 25, Pueblo West 24, Fairview 24, Eaglecrest 19, Air Academy 13, Castle View 12, Chatfield 11, Doherty 10, Ponderosa 3, Vista Ridge 3, Pine Creek 2, Arvada West 2, Monarch 2, Rocky Mountain 1, Liberty 1
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Mullen (15)
0-0
276
2
Holy Family (2)
0-0
267
3
Green Mountain
0-0
196
4
Erie (1)
0-0
185
5
Berthoud
0-0
158
6
Sand Creek
0-0
155
7
George Washington (1)
0-0
150
8
Falcon
0-0
102
9
Severance
0-0
78
10
Sierra
0-0
76
11
Durango
0-0
75
12
Evergreen (1)
0-0
69
13
Canon City
0-0
65
14
Mead
0-0
63
15
Thompson Valley
0-0
54
Others receiving votes:
Montrose 47, Glenwood Springs 39, Windsor 37, D’Evelyn 28, Lewis-Palmer 22, Northridge 20, Palmer Ridge 18, Northfield 17, Thomas Jefferson 17, Greeley West 17, Golden 16, Centaurus 14, The Classical Academy 13, Pueblo County 13, Grand Junction Central 13, Fort Morgan 11, Alameda 9, Roosevelt 9, Riverdale Ridge 8, Mesa Ridge 8, Pueblo South 8, Aurora Central 6, Littleton 5, Discovery Canyon 5, Coronado 4, Frederick 4, Battle Mountain 4, Conifer 3, Weld Central 2, Harrison 1, Thornton 1
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
University (3)
0-0
197
2
Centauri (4)
0-0
184
3
The Academy (1)
0-0
178
4
Lutheran (1)
0-0
169
5
The Vanguard School (2)
0-0
167
6
Delta
0-0
151
7
Platte Valley
0-0
133
8
St. Mary’s (3)
0-0
117
9
Pagosa Springs
0-0
116
10
Eaton (1)
0-0
102
11
Manitou Springs
0-0
87
12
Brush
0-0
71
13
Alamosa
0-0
45
14
St. Mary’s Academy (2)
0-0
43
15
Moffat County
0-0
41
Others receiving votes:
Coal Ridge 28, Faith Christian 26, Sterling 23, Colorado Springs Christian 21, Valley 21, Machebeuf 20, Grand Valley 18, DSST: Byers 17, Manual 14, Bayfield 14, Kent Denver 13, Ellicott 13, The Pinnacle 13, Resurrection Christian 12, Middle Park 11, Florence 10, KIPP Collegiate 7, Jefferson Academy 6, Estes Park 6, Buena Vista 5, Lamar 5, Colorado Academy 4, Strasburg 4, SkyView Academy 4, Liberty Common 2, Bennett 2, Gunnison 2, Peak to Peak 2, La Junta 1, Salida 1, Roaring Fork 1, Stargate School 1
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Rye (3)
0-0
206
2
Limon (7)
0-0
191
3
Sanford (1)
0-0
189
4
Holyoke (3)
0-0
170
5
Wray
0-0
124
6
Rocky Ford
0-0
122
7
Ignacio
0-0
121
8
Del Norte
0-0
117
9
Meeker
0-0
94
10
Cedaredge (1)
0-0
78
11
Yuma
0-0
61
12
Heritage Christian
0-0
53
13
Holly
0-0
48
14
Soroco
0-0
47
15
Peyton
0-0
41
Others receiving votes:
Colorado Springs School 33, Hotchkiss 27, Swink 26, Sedgwick County 25, Plateau Valley 22, Custer County 17, Dawson 16, Denver Christian 15, Fowler 15, Monte Vista 15, Center 14, Hayden 12, Burlington 11, Sargent 10, Swallows Charter 10, Akron 10, Crowley County 9, Calhan 8, Addenbrooke Classical 8, Crested Butte 8, Rangely 8, Trinidad 7, Olathe 6, Hoehne 6, Lotus School for Excellence 5, Byers 4, Dolores Huerta 4, Dayspring Christian 3, Front Range Christian 2, Loveland Classical 1, South Park 1
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Briggsdale (12)
0-0
231
2
Fleming (1)
0-0
226
3
Sangre de Cristo
0-0
171
4
South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett] (2)
0-0
146
5
McClave
0-0
134
6
Kit Carson
0-0
133
7
Lone Star
0-0
129
8
Cotopaxi (1)
0-0
127
9
Simla
0-0
107
10
Flatirons Academy
0-0
96
11
Springfield
0-0
94
12
Shining Mountain
0-0
86
13
Genoa-Hugo
0-0
66
14
Merino
0-0
63
15
Elbert (1)
0-0
42
Others receiving votes:
Kim/Branson 29, Wiley 25, De Beque 23, Dove Creek 22, Sierra Grande 12, La Veta 11, Longmont Christian 10, Idalia 9, Cheraw 7, Haxtun 7, Liberty/Stratton 6, Granada 6, Mile High Academy 5, Evangelical Christian 4, Kiowa 3, Moffat 2, Prairie 1
The preseason boys basketball rankings are out. Leading the way are Cherry Creek (5A), Mead (4A), Lutheran (3A), Limon (2A), and Mile High Academy (1A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Fossil Ridge 40, Douglas County 40, Ralston Valley 37, Vista PEAK 26, Horizon 25, Boulder 22, Doherty 20, Arapahoe 19, Rock Canyon 19, Columbine 18, Adams City 15, Chatfield 12, Rocky Mountain 6, Pine Creek 5, Mullen 4, Broomfield 4, Rampart 4, Silver Creek 3, Hinkley 3, Dakota Ridge 2, Cherokee Trail 2, Arvada West 2, Brighton 1, Far Northeast Warriors 1
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Mead (10)
0-0
238
2
Lewis-Palmer (4)
0-0
192
3
Longmont
0-0
169
4
Windsor (1)
0-0
115
5
Golden
0-0
111
6
Evergreen
0-0
109
7
Montrose (1)
0-0
87
8
Harrison
0-0
86
9
Erie
0-0
82
10
Pueblo Central
0-0
81
11
Pueblo East
0-0
80
12
Centaurus
0-0
77
13
Cheyenne Mountain
0-0
70
14
Holy Family
0-0
54
15
Green Mountain
0-0
52
Others receiving votes:
Northfield 47, Lincoln 42, Widefield 37, Sand Creek 36, Thomas Jefferson 36, Glenwood Springs 35, Frederick 34, Pueblo Centennial 27, Canon City 24, D’Evelyn 20, The Classical Academy 20, Thompson Valley 19, Wheat Ridge 17, Pueblo South 16, Discovery Canyon 16, Steamboat Springs 14, Mesa Ridge 12, Berthoud 11, Aurora Central 10, Niwot 10, Coronado 9, Riverdale Ridge 9, Eagle Valley 9, Palmer Ridge 9, Palisade 7, Mountain View 7, Mitchell 5, Falcon 4, Roosevelt 4, Sierra 3, Denver North 2, Severance 2, Rifle 2, Durango 1
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Lutheran (16)
0-0
321
2
Faith Christian
0-0
231
3
Sterling (1)
0-0
223
4
Manitou Springs
0-0
205
5
Resurrection Christian (5)
0-0
194
6
Manual
0-0
182
7
St. Mary’s
0-0
180
8
Centauri
0-0
169
9
Eaton
0-0
161
10
Coal Ridge
0-0
115
11
University
0-0
103
12
Alamosa
0-0
94
13
Gunnison
0-0
92
14
DSST: Byers
0-0
76
15
The Vanguard School (1)
0-0
60
Others receiving votes:
Colorado Academy 57, Kent Denver 51, Bishop Machebeuf 46, Highland 40, Strasburg 39, Englewood 38, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 35, Florence 33, Ellicott 26, Colorado Springs Christian 21, Salida 15, Valley 15, Jefferson Academy 14, Middle Park 12, Stargate School 12, KIPP Denver Collegiate 11, DSST: Montview 10, DSST: College View 10, Aspen 10, Moffat County 10, Frontier Academy 9, DSST: Conservatory Green 8, Woodland Park 8, Estes Park 8, James Irwin 5, Grand Valley 4, Roaring Fork 4, Lamar 3, Bruce Randolph 3, Pagosa Springs 2, Banning Lewis 2, The Academy 1, Jefferson 1, Peak to Peak 1
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Limon (14)
0-0
252
2
Yuma (3)
0-0
230
3
Fowler
0-0
180
4
Wray
0-0
171
5
Sanford
0-0
165
6
Denver Christian
0-0
153
7
Peyton
0-0
149
8
Ignacio
0-0
128
9
Holly
0-0
120
10
Sedgwick County
0-0
116
11
Mancos
0-0
114
12
Crested Butte
0-0
48
13
Meeker
0-0
32
14
Holyoke
0-0
29
15
Vail Mountain
0-0
26
Others receiving votes:
Dayspring Christian Academy 23, Heritage Christian 22, Monte Vista 19, Vail Christian 11, Dawson School 10, Wiggins 8, Burlington 6, Crowley County 4, Thomas MacLaren 4, Rangely 3, Rye 3, Cedaredge 2, Hotchkiss 2, Plateau Valley 2, Dolores 2, Olathe 1, South Park 1, Dolores Huerta Prep 1, Sargent 1
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Mile High Academy (7)
0-0
228
2
De Beque (6)
0-0
226
3
Merino
0-0
157
4
Kit Carson (2)
0-0
123
5
Briggsdale
0-0
113
6
Primero
0-0
102
7
Genoa-Hugo
0-0
95
8
Belleview Christian (1)
0-0
89
9
Sangre de Cristo
0-0
87
10
Haxtun
0-0
77
11
Walsh
0-0
69
12
Evangelical Christian
0-0
68
13
Granada
0-0
61
14
Kim/Branson
0-0
59
15
Ouray (1)
0-0
55
Others receiving votes:
Cheraw 46, Denver Jewish Day 42, Cheyenne Wells 41, Simla 41, Eads 34, Edison 32, Fleming 28, Stratton/Liberty 28, Flatirons Academy 23, Denver Waldorf 19, Pikes Peak Christian 17, Springfield 14, Prairie 11, Longmont Christian 11, Sierra Grande 10, Manzanola 8, Front Range Baptist 7, Dove Creek 6, Cotopaxi 6, Wiley 3, Caprock Academy 3, McClave 1
The 2020 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created from the results of the coaches’ vote.
Because there will be two football seasons during the 2020-21 school year, this is the all-state football team for Season A. There will be a separate all-state football team released for Season C.
The state football playoffs are underway this week. Each bracket consists of eight teams with quarterfinals taking place this week before semifinals are played next week, ahead of the state championship games, all of which will be played at Colorado State University Pueblo.
With four games in all seven classifications, here is a breakdown of this week’s small-school matchups:
Breakdown: Scoring on Resurrection Christian (5-0) this year has been tougher than difficult. It’s been impossible. The Cougars have allowed zero points all season and scored at least 32 in each game. Will Schrotenboer has been solid under center, tossing 11 touchdown passes this year.
Despite stumbling in its season opener, Moffat County (4-1) has played solid football and rattled off four straight wins to end the regular season. Caleb Frink is responsible for 753 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns.
• • •
(5) Eaton at (4) Pagosa Springs
(@PagosaAthletics/Twitter)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: A traditionally strong slate of 2A opponents didn’t stop Pagosa Springs (5-0) from ending the regular season undefeated. Dylan Tressler averaged over 200 rushing yards per game to end with a total of 1,052. Grant Aucoin led the team with eight rushing touchdowns.
Eaton (4-2) suffered a couple of losses, but both were to 2A playoff teams. The team showed a diverse rushing attack as three players have rushed for over 400 yards and scored at least six touchdowns each.
• • •
(7) Lamar at (2) Sterling
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Sterling (5-0) begins its state championship defense after an undefeated regular season. The Tigers have been tough on defense, totaling 13 turnovers in their five games.
Lamar (5-1) had high expectations coming into the 2020 season and making the playoffs was a big part of that. Zane Rankin leads a balanced offense where he has thrown for 1,178 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 417 yards and six scores.
• • •
(6) Delta at (3) Platte Valley
(Barry Smith)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Platte Valley (5-1) missed out on the 2020 state title game after getting there back in 2019. The Broncos have looked strong this year with their only loss coming at the hands of Sterling. Kade McDaniel has thrown for 890 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 600 yards and eight touchdowns.
Delta (4-1) was last year’s runner-up, but the Panthers lost star quarterback Nolan Bynum three weeks ago. Nathan Scharnhorst, previously a receiver, has completed 14 of 23 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns in the past two games, while also rushing for three scores. Timothy Horn (436 yards rushing, two touchdowns) is also a focal point of the offense.
Breakdown: Same story, different year for the Badgers (4-0), who are looking for a third straight title. Kory Tacha and Jeremiah Leeper have been a force for Limon, combining for 1,006 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Holyoke (5-1) will head into the game with some revenge on its mind. The Dragons lost to Limon 15-7 in last year’s semifinals. Miles Sprague ended the season rushing for 10 touchdowns and throwing for four more.
• • •
(5) Hotchkiss at (4) Wray
(Photo: Matt Hall)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 12 p.m.
Breakdown: There was a lot of diversity on the schedule this year for Wray (5-1). The Eagles beat Niwot but lost to Platte Valley. They also went undefeated against the 1A teams they played. Tyler Collins threw for over 1,000 yards and nearly added 1,000 rushing yards to his offensive effort this season.
Hotchkiss (6-0) put together a list of impressive wins en route to ending the regular season undefeated. The Bulldogs average over 300 rushing yards per game as a team and Mordecai White carries the bulk of that load, averaging 102.8 yards per game. He has also scored 10 rushing touchdowns this year.
• • •
(7) Meeker at (2) Strasburg
(Austin Hogan-McCool)
Date and time: Nov. 20, 7 p.m.
Breakdown: Perhaps no one was better defensively as a team than Strasburg (6-0). Through six games, Strasburg allowed a total of zero points. The team wasn’t bad offensively either as Cam Russell threw 13 touchdown passes through the course of the season.
A lot of lopsided wins defined Meeker’s (5-1) season. The Cowboys’ lone loss was a 14-8 nailbiter against Hotchkiss. Jeremy Woodward and Kelton Turner each ran for over 500 yards and scored at least seven rushing touchdowns apiece.
• • •
(6) Centauri at (3) Florence
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: With a ground heavy attack, Florence (5-0) looks like it could make some noise in the 1A field. Owen Busetti and Jacob Kennedy have combined for over 800 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
Centauri (6-0) ran the table in the regular season and shouldn’t be counted out of any game until the buzzer sounds. Mason Claunch has rushed for 870 yards and a staggering 21 touchdowns.
Breakdown: Sedgwick County (6-0) begins its hunt for a sixth straight state title. The Cougars have been sound on both sides of the ball, outscoring their opponents 296-50 this year.
Crowley County (3-1) started the season off with three big wins before running into Flower the last game of the regular season. Senior Adam Schultz has averaged 205 rushing yards per game this year and has scored nine touchdowns.
• • •
(5) Rangely at (4) Dove Creek
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: A promising run through the regular season has made Dove Creek (4-1) a team that shouldn’t be ignored. Gage Bailey leads the Bulldogs in rushing yards (716) while Gauge Thompson leads them in rushing touchdowns (8).
Rangely (6-0) also looked impressive this year, giving up no more than 12 points in any game. Zane Varner’s 920 total rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns have been a big reason for the Panthers success on offense.
• • •
(7) Mancos at (2) Sanford
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1:30 p.m.
Breakdown: Of the five games on Sanford’s (5-0) schedule this year, only Dove Creek made the playoffs. Still, Sanford won the game 36-12, giving every indication it is ready for a state title run.
Mancos (3-1) also played Dove Creek earlier this year, but the 18-14 loss to the Bulldogs was the lone game in which the Bluejays didn’t score 50 points. Chase Moore has carried the ball 72 times for 791 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
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(6) Merino at (3) Fowler
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: After reaching the state title game in 2019, Fowler (6-0) is anxious to make another run. Both Damian Romero and Jackson Bates have rushed for at least 400 yards and five touchdowns each.
Each of Merino’s (5-1) wins this season came by at least two scores. The Rams played their regular season finale on Nov. 6 and lost to Sedgwick County 32-0.
Breakdown: Fleming (5-0) has been a wrecking ball for most of the season. The team had surrendered fewer than 20 points each game this season, at least until they had to grind out a 49-44 win over Granada last week. Chris Goss, Charles Hobbs and Nolan Japp have combined for 17 rushing touchdowns this year.
Kit Carson (3-1) rebounded from its lone loss of the season on Oct. 24 with a 40-20 win over Hi-Plains last Friday. Kit Carson was the No. 1 seed in last year’s tournament, but fell to Fleming 68-52 in the semifinals.
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(5) Eads at (4) Granada
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Despite closing the regular season with a loss to Fleming, Granada (5-1) had a strong 2020 campaign. Dominic Coleman finished the year throwing for 1,137 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Although Eads (3-2) suffered a couple of losses in the regular season, they came against two of 6-man’s top three teams. Damien Barnes leads the Eagles with 801 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
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(7) Briggsdale at (2) Stratton/Liberty
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: By the time Stratton/Liberty (4-0) takes the field on Saturday, it will have been nearly a month since it saw action on the field. In the first three games of the season, the Knighted Eagles scored at least 62 points and gave up an average of just over 15.
Briggsdale (3-1) has looked solid all year and its only loss of the year was by three points to Prairie. Malik Carlson has been a threat in passing, rushing and receiving and totaled 671 yards of total offense in just three games.
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(6) Prairie at (3) Cheyenne Wells
Date and time: Nov. 20, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: On paper, Cheyenne Wells (5-0) looks like the biggest challenger to Fleming. The Tigers scored at least 42 points each game and surrendered no more than 38 in a single contest.
Prairie (5-1) has put together a solid resumé this season with its only loss coming to Fleming. Andy Long threw for an average of 178.2 yards per game and also threw 19 touchdown passes.
Seven new teams have joined the football rankings this week: Cherokee Trail (5A), Conifer (3A), Valley (2A), Simla (8-man), Swink (8-man), North Park (6-man), and Mountain Valley (6-man).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.
These are the final polls of the regular season. The next poll will come ahead of the seeding meeting.