Jeffco Preps With Pleuss is a monthly roundup of Jeffco prep highlights hosted by Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ sports information director. Dakota Ridge (Class 4A Jeffco League champs) and Pomona (Class 5A Jeffco League champs) opened up the football postseason with impressive offensive performances. The victories moved the Eagles and Panthers into the state semifinals for the second straight season. Chatfield’s football team rallied in the second half to grab a season-ending victory over Green Mountain. Ralston Valley rolled to a win over rival Arvada West at the NAAC. We also give a look at the renovations made at Trailblazer Stadium.
Tag: Dakota Ridge
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No. 1 Dakota Ridge football displays offensive power in win over Montrose
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) -
Football postseason preview: 5A, 4A and 3A first round games
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) 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 big-school matchups:
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Class 5A
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(8) Regis Jesuit at (1) Cherry Creek
(Theodore Stark/tstark.com) Date and time: Nov. 20, 4 p.m.
Breakdown: There has been no slowing down for Cherry Creek (6-0) since the Bruins claimed the 5A title last December. They haven’t been shy about putting up points and have only surrendered 28 total points all year. Quarterback Julian Hammond has thrown for 1,027 yards and 17 touchdowns while James Walker II has rushed for 566 yards and four touchdowns.
Regis Jesuit (5-1) has put together some impressive wins this season but fell to Legend, the only playoff team on its schedule. The Raiders have been paced all year by senior running back David Dody. Through the course of the season, he has rushed for 514 yards and nine touchdowns.
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(5) Eaglecrest at (4) Pomona
(Lance Wendt/CHSAANow.com) Date and time: Nov. 20, 5 p.m.
Breakdown: As has been tradition in recent years, Pomona (6-0) has taken care of business this season. The Panthers won a key battle with Columbine to end the regular season and officially punch their ticket to the postseason. A big reason for that is Jack Pospisil. The senior has rushed for 593 yards and 10 touchdowns this year.
A Week 1 shootout made a lot of people pay attention to Eaglecrest’s (4-1) offensive potential. The Raptors got solid games from JP Luketu (547 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns) and anything can happen when quarterback Khalil Howard finds wide receiver Ty Robinson.
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(7) Cherokee Trail at (2) Valor Christian
(Kevin McNearny) Date and time: Nov. 19, 6 p.m.
Breakdown: Under first-year head coach Donnie Yantis, Valor Christian (5-0) is looking to return to the state title game for the first time in two years. To get there, they’ll rely on Gavin Sawchuk, who has rushed for 993 yards and 16 touchdowns.
After dropping the first two games of the year, Cherokee Trail (4-2) battled its way into the 5A field. Quarterback Jayden Lavigne has been a big reason for those four straight wins as he’s totaled 1,287 passing yards and 13 touchdowns.
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(6) Fairview at (3) Legend
(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com) Date and time: Nov. 21, 2:30 p.m.
Breakdown: In the first four games of the season, Legend surrendered just seven total points to its opponents. The Titans are looking strong heading into the postseason thanks in large part to the running game of Connor Eise (798 yards, eight touchdowns) and the complementary passing attack of Kalen Shoemaker (890 yards, 14 touchdowns).
After finding its footing through the first two games of the year, Fairview found its rhythm offensively. The Knights scored at least 42 points in each of their last four games of the year. Liam O’Brien threw for a staggering 310 yards per game and 18 total scores to just one interception.
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Class 4A
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(8) Montrose at (1) Dakota Ridge
(David Harvey/ImageProPhotography.com) Date and time: Nov. 21, 3 p.m.
Breakdown: Dakota Ridge (6-0) meant business from the second the first whistle blew to start the season. The Eagles outscored their first three opponents 155-26 and haven’t looked back since. Ben Gultig is completing 69 percent of his passes and has totaled 920 yards and 14 touchdowns.
A tough schedule put Montrose (4-2) right on the bubble, but they’ll have a chance to pull off a major shocker on Saturday. The team showed it can play with the best in 4A after leading Palmer Ridge at halftime of their game back on Oct. 30.
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(5) Broomfield at (4) Loveland
(Brad Cochi) Date and time: Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Breakdown: A hard fought victory over Skyline last week kept Loveland (6-0) undefeated on the year and more importantly, battle tested heading into the postseason. Zack Rakowsky leads Loveland with 860 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
After getting to last year’s state title game, Broomfield (5-0) has every intention of making a return trip. Sophomore Cole Lacrue has shown poise at the quarterback position while throwing for 841 yards and nine touchdowns. As a team, the Eagles have forced a staggering 16 takeaways.
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(7) Pine Creek at (2) Palmer Ridge
(Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography) Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Arguably the most anticipated matchup of the week sees two teams who both claimed state titles last year. Palmer Ridge (4-0) won the 3A title while Pine Creek enters the postseason as the defending 4A champ. Luke McAllister has paced the Bears offensively with 1,070 passing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Playing a full 5A schedule should make Pine Creek (2-2) battle tested heading into the tournament. Beau Freyler and Zion Hill have rushed for a combined 555 yards and four touchdowns this year.
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(6) Fountain-Fort Carson at (3) Ponderosa
(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com) Date and time: Nov. 21, 10:30 a.m.
Breakdown: A strong showing in the regular season saw Ponderosa (6-0) go undefeated. That included a thrilling last-minute win over Montrose on Nov. 6. Quarterback Jack Hanenburg has shown strong leadership all year as well as solid play. He has thrown for 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns this year.
Fountain-Fort Carson (5-1) got rare regular season retribution to end the year by knocking off Rampart, the very team that handed FFC its lone loss of the season just a week earlier. Q. Jones is in the conversation for 4A player of the year as he averages over 232 rushing yards per game and has scored 16 rushing touchdowns this season.
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Class 3A
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(8) Fort Morgan at (1) Roosevelt
(Barry Smith) Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Since beating Mead 21-20 in overtime on Oct. 16, Roosevelt (5-0) has been the clear No. 1 in the 3A field. Brig Hartson is the catalyst of the team’s offense as he’s thrown for 838 yards and 13 touchdowns while also rushing for 204 yards and two scores.
With just one loss in the regular season, Fort Morgan (4-1) is looking to pull off a major upset in the quarterfinals. Briggs Wheatley has thrown for 563 yards and rushed for 417 and will need to pace the Mustangs in their bid to shake up the 3A field.
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(5) Mead at (4) Pueblo South
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Date and time: N/A
Breakdown: COVID-19 concerns prompted Mead (5-2) to withdraw from the game. Pueblo South (5-0) wins via forfeit and advances to the semifinals.
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(7) Evergreen at (2) Holy Family
(Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com) Date and time: Nov. 20, 6 p.m.
Breakdown: If there is one thing Holy Family (6-0) likes to do, it’s score points. The Tigers cross the 30-point mark in all but one of their games this season. Michael White and Trevin Johnson give the offense a bit of balance as White has thrown for 903 yards while Johnson has rushed for 786.
Losses to Palisade and Durango got Evergreen (4-2) off to a 2-2 start, but the Cougars finished strong to earn a postseason berth. They’ll have to rely on Noah Martens (871 rushing yards, three touchdowns) to control the time of possession and keep Holy Family off the field.
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(6) Lutheran at (3) Durango
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: An undefeated regular season has given Durango (5-0) confidence that it can claim its first state football title since 1954. Jordan Woolverton has a cool command of the Demons offense, throwing for 629 yards and six touchdowns while adding five rushing touchdowns.
The lone loss of the year for Lutheran (4-1) came in the regular season finale against Holy Family. The Lions are hoping that a steady passing attack from Clayton Jacobs (1,082 yards, 13 touchdowns) will be too much for Durango to hang with.
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Final football coaches poll released prior to playoff seeding
(Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com) The final football coaches poll of the 2020 fall season is here.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. This poll factors into postseason seeding.
Complete rankings for all classes are below.
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CHSAANow.com Football Polls
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.
Class 5A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Cherry Creek (18) 6-0 189 1 W 2 Valor Christian (1) 5-0 169 2 Bye 3 Pomona 6-0 149 3 W 4 Legend 6-0 119 6 W 5 Fairview 6-0 88 7 W 6 Eaglecrest 4-1 83 4 L 7 Columbine 4-1 76 5 L 8 Regis Jesuit 5-1 67 8 W 9 Cherokee Trail 4-2 53 9 W 10 Ralston Valley 4-2 29 10 W Others receiving votes: Grandview 15, Legacy 5, Castle View 3. Dropped out None. Class 4A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Dakota Ridge (13) 6-0 171 1 W 2 Ponderosa 6-0 142 3 W 3 Palmer Ridge (4) 4-0 138 2 Bye 4 Loveland (1) 6-0 126 5 W 5 Broomfield 5-0 110 4 Bye 6 Fountain-Fort Carson 5-1 75 8 W 7 Skyline 5-1 56 6 L 8 Brighton 5-1 44 – W 9 Pine Creek 2-2 43 7 L 10 Montrose 4-2 37 10 W Others receiving votes: Windsor 16, Fruita Monument 12, Rampart 11, Vista Ridge 5, Longmont 1. Dropped out Windsor (9). Class 3A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Roosevelt (7) 5-0 122 1 W 2 Holy Family (3) 6-0 118 2 W 3 Durango (3) 5-0 108 3 W 4 Pueblo South 4-0 96 5 W 5 Mead (1) 5-1 93 4 W 6 Lutheran 4-1 70 6 Bye 7 Fort Morgan 4-1 42 8 W 8 Palisade 4-2 34 9 W 9 Evergreen 4-2 33 – W 10 Canon City 3-2 19 10 L Others receiving votes: Conifer 16, Discovery Canyon 8, Pueblo County 7, Pueblo East 4. Dropped out Conifer (7). Class 2A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Resurrection Christian (10) 5-0 136 1 Bye 2 Sterling (3) 5-0 125 2 Bye 3 Pagosa Springs (1) 5-0 106 3 Bye 4 Platte Valley 5-1 97 5 W 5 Lamar 5-1 70 6 W 6 Eaton 4-2 69 4 L 7 Delta 4-1 63 8 Bye 8 Moffat County 4-1 55 7 W 9 University 3-2 29 9 W 10 Valley 3-3 8 10 L Others receiving votes: D’Evelyn 4, La Junta 4, Severance 2, Berthoud 1, Englewood 1. Dropped out None. Class 1A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Limon (12) 4-0 144 1 Bye 2 Strasburg (1) 6-0 122 2 W 3 Florence 5-0 105 3 W T4 Centauri (1) 6-0 91 4 W T4 Hotchkiss (1) 6-0 91 6 W T4 Wray 5-1 91 5 W 7 Meeker 5-1 65 7 W 8 Holyoke 5-1 53 8 W 9 Colorado Springs Christian 3-1 31 9 Bye 10 Highland 4-2 19 10 W Others receiving votes: Peyton 5, Yuma 5, Monte Vista 2, Gunnison 1. Dropped out None. 8-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Sedgwick County (19) 6-0 190 1 W 2 Fowler 6-0 155 2 W 3 Sanford 5-0 150 3 Bye 4 Rangely 6-0 110 4 W 5 Merino 5-1 103 5 W 6 Dove Creek 4-1 83 6 Bye T7 Crowley County 3-1 59 7 Bye T7 Simla 5-1 59 9 W 9 Mancos 3-1 53 8 Bye 10 Swink 5-1 47 10 W Others receiving votes: Holly 18, Elbert 6, Dayspring Christian Academy 3, Gilpin County 3, Pikes Peak Christian 3, Vail Christian 2, Calhan 1. Dropped out None. 6-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Fleming (12) 5-0 165 1 W 2 Stratton/Liberty (4) 4-0 152 2 Bye 3 Cheyenne Wells (1) 5-0 136 3 Bye 4 Granada 5-1 122 4 L 5 Prairie 5-1 96 5 W 6 Eads 3-2 75 7 Bye 7 Briggsdale 3-1 66 8 W 8 Kit Carson 3-1 30 – W 9 Genoa-Hugo 4-2 27 – W 10 Cheraw 4-2 26 6 L Others receiving votes: Sierra Grande 12, North Park 11, Mountain Valley 5, Hi-Plains 3, Idalia 3, Manzanola 3, Branson/Kim 2, Peetz 1. Dropped out North Park (9), Mountain Valley (10). -
Football roundup: Fountain-Fort Carson takes rematch vs. Rampart
(@FFCHSAthletics/Twitter) A week after losing to Rampart, Fountain-Fort Carson got revenge with a 33-17 win on Friday night.
The eighth-ranked Trojans took a 13-10 lead just before halftime, then pushed the lead to 19-10 in the third quarter.
Rampart cut it to 19-17 midway through the third, but Fountain-Fort Carson responded to go up 26-17 on a touchdown pass from Tavian Tuli to Joshua Williams, and then scored again in the fourth quarter after to make it 33-17.
FFC finishes the regular season at 5-1, while Rampart is now 4-2.
The two teams matched up for a second-straight week due to COVID causing quarantines for their originally-scheduled opponents.
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3A/4A: (5) Pueblo South 35, Vista Ridge 28
In another matchup that spawned out of COVID quarantines, South held off Vista Ridge’s last-minute drive to secure the win.
The Colts’ defense, which gave up 21 points (Vista Ridge had a return score), was the difference.
“Our kids are just absolutely resilient and tough,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “Everything we expect out of them everything we desire out of them, that’s what they were tonight.
“It just came down to our kids made a coupe of plays, put a little pressure on the quarterback,” Goddard said. “Our secondary played lights out, our linebackers played well, and our defensive line hung in there and tried to get after a really good quarterback.”
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3A: (3) Durango 27, (10) Canon City 13
Playing without two top players due to quarantines, Durango held off a very good Canon City team to finish the regular season 5-0.
“Every week has been a struggle,” Durango coach David Vogt told the Scoreboard Show. “You never know what’s going to happen week-to-week. … For our kids to rally, it just shows the kind of kids we have here.”
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1A: (6) Hotchkiss 49, Cedaredge 7
Hotchkiss won as Mordecai White had three touchdowns and 141 yards on nine carries.
The Bulldogs are 6-0.
“We’ve been building toward this,” Hotchkiss coach Curtis Hintz told the Scoreboard Show. “Last year, we were kind of there knocking on the door. … Kids left hungry. They’ve done a good job in the weight room. And, of course, with the year that it’s been with COVID, they’ve done a good job of controlling what they can control. It’s paid off during the regular season, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the bracket unfolds.”
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Notables
More photos from the game. (David Harvey/ImageProPhotography.com) - 4A No. 1 Dakota Ridge finished the regular season with a 51-0 win over Chatfield. The Eagles are now 6-0. “I’ve been at Dakota Ridge for 25 years — it’s probably the best team we’ve ever had,” coach Ron Woitalewicz told the Scoreboard Show. His team is in contention for the top seed in the 4A playoffs — which are expected to be deep. “This is probably as deep as I’ve seen 4A in a long time, in terms of the quality of teams out there,” Woitalewicz added. A photo gallery is available here.
- In 6-man, No. 1 Fleming beat No. 4 Granada 49-44.
- Simla, No. 9 in 8-man, beat Dolores Huerta 40-0. Coletin Mazerall rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns.
- 5A No. 7 Fairview topped Castle View 49-36 in a back-and-forth game. Quarterback Liam O’Brien threw for 382 yards and five scores. Grant Page had a heck of a game at receiver: 13 catches, 224 yards, four touchdowns.
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More coverage
More photos from the game. (Brent Murphy/BrentMurphyPhoto.com) - An updated top-10 scoreboard through Friday’s games, and Saturday’s top-10 schedule.
- All scores from Friday night, and Saturday’s full slate.
- In 5A, No. 3 Pomona beat No. 5 Columbine. Photos from the game are here.
- In 4A, Brighton got a big win over No. 9 Windsor.
- Photos of 3A No. 2 Holy Family’s win over Pueblo Centennial.
- Photos of Grandview’s win over Horizon.
- Photos of No. 9 Cherokee Trail’s win over Overland in 5A.
- Photos of Heritage’s win over Silver Creek.
- Photos of 3A No. 1 Roosevelt’s win over Northridge.
- Photos of 3A No. 4 Mead’s win over Frederick.
- Photos of 4A No. 1 Dakota Ridge’s win over Chatfield.
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Photos: No. 1 Dakota Ridge football beats Chatfield to end regular season undefeated
It’s been a fun ride for Class 4A No. 1 Dakota Ridge football and it continued on Friday with a 51-0 win over Chatfield.
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Football rankings: The polls add seven new teams
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.
Complete rankings for all classes are below.
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CHSAANow.com Football Polls
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.
Class 5A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Cherry Creek (16) 5-0 169 1 W 2 Valor Christian (1) 5-0 151 2 W 3 Pomona 5-0 130 4 W 4 Eaglecrest 4-0 99 5 Bye 5 Columbine 4-0 96 3 Bye 6 Legend 5-0 90 7 W 7 Fairview 5-0 81 6 W 8 Regis Jesuit 4-1 44 10 W 9 Cherokee Trail 3-2 31 – W 10 Ralston Valley 3-2 26 8 L Others receiving votes: Grandview 8, Castle View 4, Legacy 4, Highlands Ranch 2. Dropped out Grandview (9). Class 4A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Dakota Ridge (15) 5-0 210 1 W 2 Palmer Ridge (8) 4-0 172 2 Bye 3 Ponderosa 5-0 163 4 W 4 Broomfield 5-0 147 6 W 5 Loveland (1) 5-0 138 7 W 6 Skyline (1) 5-0 101 8 W 7 Pine Creek 2-1 78 3 L 8 Fountain-Fort Carson 4-1 61 5 L 9 Windsor 4-1 31 9 L 10 Montrose 3-2 26 10 L Others receiving votes: Rampart 25, Pueblo West 22, Brighton 17, Vista Ridge 6, Fruita Monument 4, Erie 3, Longmont 3, Chatfield 2, Monarch 1. Dropped out None. Class 3A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Roosevelt (8) 4-0 147 1 Bye 2 Holy Family (4) 5-0 129 6 W 3 Durango (3) 4-0 123 3 W 4 Mead (1) 4-1 114 4 W 5 Pueblo South 3-0 109 5 W 6 Lutheran 4-1 74 2 L 7 Conifer 4-1 49 – W 8 Fort Morgan 3-1 43 8 Bye 9 Palisade 3-2 31 7 L 10 Canon City 3-1 22 10 L Others receiving votes: Evergreen 21, Green Mountain 7, Pueblo County 6, Pueblo East 3, Eagle Valley 2. Dropped out Green Mountain (9). Class 2A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Resurrection Christian (15) 5-0 177 1 W 2 Sterling (2) 5-0 153 3 W 3 Pagosa Springs (1) 5-0 139 4 W 4 Eaton 4-1 107 5 W 5 Platte Valley 4-1 105 6 W 6 Lamar 4-1 88 7 W 7 Moffat County 3-1 84 10 W 8 Delta 4-1 76 2 L 9 University 2-2 31 9 Bye 10 Valley 3-2 13 – W Others receiving votes: La Junta 10, D’Evelyn 2, Severance 2, Alamosa 1, Berthoud 1, Woodland Park 1. Dropped out Severance (8). Class 1A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Limon (15) 4-0 165 1 Bye 2 Strasburg (1) 5-0 136 2 W 3 Florence 4-0 119 3 Bye 4 Centauri 5-0 108 5 W 5 Wray 4-1 107 4 L 6 Hotchkiss (1) 5-0 91 6 W 7 Meeker 4-1 65 7 W 8 Holyoke 4-1 57 8 Bye 9 Colorado Springs Christian 3-1 36 9 Bye 10 Highland 3-2 22 10 W Others receiving votes: Wiggins 8, Peyton 7, Yuma 6, Gunnison 4, Monte Vista 4. Dropped out None. 8-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Sedgwick County (22) 5-0 229 1 W 2 Fowler (1) 5-0 197 2 W 3 Sanford 5-0 167 4 W 4 Rangely 5-0 132 6 W 5 Merino 4-1 118 3 L 6 Dove Creek 4-1 101 9 W 7 Crowley County 3-1 90 7 L 8 Mancos 4-1 70 5 L 9 Simla 4-1 50 – W 10 Swink 4-1 37 – W Others receiving votes: Holly 24, West Grand 13, Dayspring Christian Academy 10, Calhan 9, Elbert 4, Haxtun 4, Gilpin County 3, Vail Christian 2, Pikes Peak Christian 1. Dropped out Holly (8), West Grand (10). 6-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Fleming (14) 4-0 185 1 Bye 2 Stratton/Liberty (4) 4-0 169 2 Bye 3 Cheyenne Wells 5-0 144 3 W 4 Granada (1) 5-0 126 4 W 5 Prairie 4-1 106 5 W 6 Cheraw 4-1 88 7 W 7 Eads 3-2 84 6 L 8 Briggsdale 2-1 54 8 Bye 9 North Park 3-2 27 – W 10 Mountain Valley 3-0 21 – W Others receiving votes: Kit Carson 18, Genoa-Hugo 10, Sierra Grande 6, Idalia 5, Hi-Plains 1, Weldon Valley 1. Dropped out Kit Carson (9), Hi-Plains (10). -
Photos: 4A No. 1 Dakota Ridge football beats Golden
Dakota Ridge, No. 1 in 4A football, beat Golden 45-3 on Saturday.
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No. 1 Dakota Ridge football turns it on in the 2nd half against Golden
LAKEWOOD — Dakota Ridge senior Max Hart was able to get back into an old position on the football field Saturday afternoon at Jeffco Stadium.
“I just don’t like being off the field too much,” Hart said. “I love playing offense and defense.”
The wide receiver hadn’t played cornerback this season, but was pressed into the defensive backfield against Golden. Hart came up big for the lone touchdown in the first half with a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown during Dakota Ridge’s eventual 45-3 victory over Golden.
Dakota Ridge senior Spencer Hardy (37) closes in on Golden quarterback Joey Mancuso during the first half Saturday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “There was huge pressure up front and that helps out big time,” Hart said. “It makes our job easy when there is pressure up front. The ball was right in my hands and I was gone.”
The pick-6 by Hart was one of the few things the Eagles — No. 1 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A football rankings — could celebrate in the first half. Dakota Ridge held just a 11-3 lead over Golden (1-4, 1-3 in 4A Jeffco) at halftime.
“We haven’t been challenged and I think our kids are complacent. They expect to show up and turn the switch on and off,” Dakota Ridge coach Ron Woitalewicz said. “We just can’t be complacent. It’s going to get tougher from here on out.”
Dakota Ridge (5-0, 4-0) has outscored its opponents 257-32 through the first five weeks. However, the Eagles know that a first-half effort like Saturday’s could spell doom down the road.
“We started the game slow. We can’t do that against big teams,” Hart said. “They will put 30 points on us in a blink of an eye.”
Dakota Ridge did get things going offensively in the second half after turning the ball over three times before halftime. The Eagles took advantage of short fields on three straight possessions to start the second half.
Quarterback Ben Gultig connected with Hart for a 29-yard touchdown in the first minute of the third quarter. Sophomore Noah Triplett had his first of two touchdown runs midway through the third quarter and Gultig hit senior Luke Loehding for a 2-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of the third quarter to push the Eagles’ lead to 31-3.
Golden senior Hayden English (25) eyes a loose ball after Dakota Ridge miss played a kickoff in the first quarter Saturday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “We just came out kind of flat,” Dakota Ridge senior linebacker Steve Reyes said. “I knew our defense had to do something because it was a defensive game. We also knew the offense would get going in the second half.”
The Eagles eventually scored 34 unanswered points and shut out Golden in the second half.
“When we play aggressive, fly around and tackle we are pretty good,” Woitalewicz said of the Eagles’ defense.
The Demons shocked the Eagles last year with a 14-0 victory in the regular-season finale for both teams. Golden could only muster up a 29-yard field goal by sophomore Chase Brion offensively against Dakota Ridge.
Golden hosts Bear Creek (2-3, 2-2) at the North Area Athletic Complex next Friday night.
Dakota Ridge has one final hurdle to complete its undefeated regular season. The Eagles face rival Chatfield at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at Trailblazer Stadium. The Chargers (3-2, 3-1) defeated Standley Lake 17-7 on Saturday afternoon at NAAC.
“We just have to practice every practice like it’s your last. Play every game like it’s your last,” Hart said. “We have really been pounding and focusing on that this year.”
Dakota Ridge’s defense was dominate against Golden on Saturday afternoon at Jeffco Stadium. The Eagles sacked Golden quarterback Joey Mancuso a number of times. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
Football rankings: Four newcomers hop into the polls
(Lance Wendt/Wendt5280.com) Four newcomers joined the football rankings this week: West Grand (8-man), Severance (2A), Moffat County (2A), and Windsor (4A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.
Complete rankings for all classes are below.
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CHSAANow.com Football Polls
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.
Class 5A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Cherry Creek (20) 4-0 200 1 W 2 Valor Christian 4-0 163 2 W 3 Columbine 4-0 152 3 W 4 Pomona 4-0 144 4 W 5 Eaglecrest 4-0 128 5 W 6 Fairview 4-0 82 6 W 7 Legend 4-0 72 7 W 8 Ralston Valley 3-1 68 8 W 9 Grandview 2-2 40 9 W 10 Regis Jesuit 3-1 36 10 W Others receiving votes: Cherokee Trail 8, Arapahoe 2, Castle View 2, Legacy 2, Highlands Ranch 1. Dropped out None. Class 4A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Dakota Ridge (12) 4-0 241 1 W 2 Palmer Ridge (7) 4-0 228 2 W 3 Pine Creek (4) 2-0 176 3 W 4 Ponderosa 4-0 161 4 W 5 Fountain-Fort Carson (1) 4-0 148 9 W 6 Broomfield 4-0 138 6 W 7 Loveland (1) 4-0 135 5 W 8 Skyline (1) 4-0 78 10 W 9 Windsor 4-0 60 – W 10 Montrose 3-1 48 7 L Others receiving votes: Pueblo West 27, Fruita Monument 17, Brighton 10, Erie 7, Longmont 5, Vista Ridge 3, Air Academy 1, Monarch 1, Rampart 1. Dropped out Pueblo West (8). Class 3A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Roosevelt (8) 4-0 148 1 W 2 Lutheran (4) 4-0 136 2 W 3 Durango (3) 3-0 116 3 W 4 Mead (1) 3-1 106 5 W 5 Pueblo South 2-0 105 4 W 6 Holy Family 4-0 84 6 W 7 Palisade 3-1 63 8 W 8 Fort Morgan 3-1 36 9 W 9 Green Mountain 3-1 28 7 L 10 Canon City 2-0 23 10 Monday Others receiving votes: Conifer 12, Pueblo East 8, Evergreen 6, Pueblo County 6, Eagle Valley 2, Frederick 1. Dropped out None. Class 2A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Resurrection Christian (14) 4-0 202 1 W 2 Delta (4) 4-0 178 2 W 3 Sterling (2) 4-0 171 3 W 4 Pagosa Springs (1) 4-0 148 5 W 5 Eaton 3-1 109 6 W 6 Platte Valley 3-1 107 7 W 7 Lamar 3-1 97 4 L 8 Severance 3-1 45 – W 9 University 2-2 32 8 L 10 Moffat County 2-1 16 – W Others receiving votes: La Junta 13, Woodland Park 13, Berthoud 7, Brush 6, Valley 6, D’Evelyn 5. Dropped out Woodland Park (9), Brush (10). Class 1A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Limon (16) 4-0 184 1 W 2 Strasburg (2) 4-0 161 2 W 3 Florence 4-0 134 3 W 4 Wray 4-0 127 5 W 5 Centauri 4-0 114 4 W 6 Hotchkiss (1) 4-0 99 6 W 7 Meeker 3-1 63 8 W 8 Holyoke 2-1 62 7 L 9 Colorado Springs Christian 3-1 45 9 W 10 Highland 2-2 29 10 W Others receiving votes: Wiggins 7, Gunnison 6, Peyton 6, Yuma 4, Monte Vista 2, Bennett 1, Cedaredge 1. Dropped out None. 8-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Sedgwick County (18) 3-0 195 1 Monday 2 Fowler (2) 4-0 168 2 W 3 Merino 4-0 137 5 W 4 Sanford 4-0 132 3 W 5 Mancos 4-0 116 4 W 6 Rangely 4-0 96 8 W 7 Crowley County 2-0 83 7 Bye 8 Holly 2-0 43 10 W 9 Dove Creek 3-1 29 6 L 10 West Grand 2-1 28 – W Others receiving votes: Simla 23, Pikes Peak Christian 18, Dayspring Christian Academy 7, Swink 7, Vail Christian 7, Haxtun 3, Norwood 3, Elbert 2, Gilpin County 2, Byers 1. Dropped out Pikes Peak Christian (9). 6-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Fleming (18) 4-0 216 1 W 2 Stratton/Liberty (4) 3-0 198 2 Monday 3 Cheyenne Wells 4-0 160 3 W 4 Granada 4-0 132 4 W 5 Prairie 3-1 122 6 W 6 Eads 3-1 120 5 W 7 Cheraw 3-1 81 7 L 8 Briggsdale 2-1 63 8 Bye 9 Kit Carson 2-1 40 9 Bye 10 Hi-Plains 1-1 30 10 Monday Others receiving votes: Mountain Valley 15, North Park 12, Sierra Grande 6, Idalia 5, Peetz 4, Genoa-Hugo 3, Walsh 3. Dropped out None.