Highlands Ranch cemented itself atop the 5A girls basketball rankings this week. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
It seemed like Highlands Ranch was poised to get knocked off the top spot of the Class 5A CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings.
But the Falcons had other ideas.
They trailed at halftime Friday night against ThunderRidge but rallied to take down the Grizzlies, cementing their status as the No. 1 team in state. The ThunderRidge effort only dropped them one spot, setting up a potential high-profile rematch in the state playoffs.
The 5A rankings saw only one new team join this week as Horizon comes in at No. 9.
Sand Creek remained the top team in the 4A poll, a position they have held all year. Evergreen and Windsor each jumped one spot to come in at No. 8 and No. 19 respectively. There were no new teams in the 4A rankings.
Pagosa Springs remains the top team in 3A rankings after winning both their games last week. Manitou Springs jumped one spot to land at No. 2.
Like 4A, there were no newcomers to the 3A poll.
Yuma is still the No. 1 team in 2A, getting 14 of 16 first-place votes. Highland made the biggest jump of the week by landing at No. 7, up three spots from where they were in the previous rankings. No new teams made 2A poll this week.
Although three teams remain undefeated in 1A, Sangre de Cristo is still the team holding the top spot in 1A. McClave is the only newly ranked team this week, coming in at No. 10.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
It seems that the top girls basketball teams in the state have no desire to relinquish their spots in the CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings.
After very few changes to last week’s rankings, things are looking just as — if not more — consistent this week.
Highlands Ranch, Sand Creek, Pagosa Springs, Yuma and Sangre de Cristo all maintained the top spots in their respective polls and by decisive margins.
The No. 1 teams went a combined 9-0 last week.
The 5A rankings only saw two teams shift positions as Lakewood and Ralston Valley traded spots from last week. The Tigers come in at No. 5 while the Mustangs fall to No. 6.
The top four 4A teams continue to look good as they went a combined 8-0 in play last week.
Centaurus and Windsor were able to do enough to make their case as they break into the rankings at No. 8 and No. 10 respectively.
In 3A, it continues to look like a three-team race at the top with Pagosa Springs, Sterling and Manitou Springs locking up the positions they have held for pretty much the entire season.
Eaton made a two-spot jump this week to land at No. 4 and Monte Vista is the new addition as they come in at No. 9.
West Grand (No. 9) and Highland (No. 10) break into the 2A rankings this week. Cedaredge jumps one spot to take over the new spot. The Bruins remain the only undefeated team in the 2A rankings.
South Baca and Otis made up the most ground this week in the 1A poll with each team jumping two spots. Otis lands at No. 4 while Otis jumped up to No. 9.
There were no new teams in the 1A rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Highlands Ranch maintained its grip on the No. 1 spot in the 5A girls basketball poll. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
Consistency would be the best word to describe the CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings this week. While some new teams played their way into some of the polls, the overall tops teams continued to do what top teams tend to do: win.
Highlands Ranch fought off a good effort from defending Class 5A champion Broomfield to maintain their spot atop the 5A rankings.
The close game did get the attention of quite a few voters as it helped Broomfield jump two spots to land at No. 4.
No new teams were able to crack their way into this week’s 5A rankings.
For the most part, the 4A poll looks about the same as it did going into the winter break. Sand Creek remains the No. 1 team in the class and Mesa Ridge, Valor Christian, Longmont and Pueblo West all kept their spots at 2-5 respectively.
Holy Family made the biggest jump in 4A, gaining two spots to come in at No. 6.
Pueblo East broke into the 4A rankings at No. 10.
All 10 teams from the previous 3A rankings remained in this week’s poll. Pages Springs holds on to their spot at No. 1 with Sterling keeping a firm grasp on the No. 2 position.
Manitou Springs regained some first-place votes after beating a couple of top-10 teams in Lutheran and Lamar last week.
Moffat County jumped two spots to land at No. 7, the biggest jump for any team in 3A.
The 2A poll saw more changes than any other class this week. Yuma is still firmly in the No. 1 position, but Haxtun jumped two spots to land at No. 5.
There were three new teams to the rankings as Soroco (No. 7), Ignacio (No. 9) and Evangelical Christian (No. 10) all played their way into the top 10.
Despite not playing a game since Dec. 17, Sangre De Cristo maintains the top position in the 1A rankings. Kit Carson, who received a couple of first-place votes remains at No. 2.
Heritage Christian jumped into the 1A poll at No. 8 this week.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Rampart 20, Fairview 5, Loveland 5, Dakota Ridge 3, George Washington 2, Pine Creek 2, Fossil Ridge 1, Horizon 1, Mountain Vista 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sand Creek (12)
7-1
179
1
2-0
2
Mesa Ridge (4)
9-1
157
2
2-0
3
Valor Christian (2)
8-1
149
3
2-0
4
Longmont (1)
9-1
118
4
3-0
5
Pueblo West
10-2
91
5
3-1
6
Holy Family
6-3
63
8
2-0
7
Evergreen
9-1
44
7
3-1
8
Golden
8-2
34
6
1-1
9
Berthoud
10-1
33
10
2-0
10
Pueblo East
7-4
29
–
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Centaurus 27, D’Evelyn 26, Mullen 23, Windsor 22, Durango 17, Green Mountain 16, Pueblo South 8, Thomas Jefferson 4, Montrose 3, Greeley Central 1, Palmer Ridge 1.
Dropped out
Centaurus (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Pagosa Springs (6)
7-0
111
1
1-0
2
Sterling (3)
7-0
97
2
2-0
3
Manitou Springs (3)
9-0
94
3
3-0
4
Centauri
8-0
62
4
1-0
5
St. Mary’s
8-1
56
5
2-0
6
Eaton
7-1
49
7
2-0
7
Moffat County
6-1
47
9
2-0
8
Lamar
8-2
42
8
1-1
9
Trinidad
8-2
31
10
2-0
10
Lutheran
6-4
25
6
2-3
Others receiving votes:
Grand Valley 10, Faith Christian 8, Liberty Common 7, Monte Vista 7, Alamosa 5, La Junta 5, Olathe 4.
Dropped out
None.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Yuma (13)
7-1
173
1
1-0
2
Akron (3)
8-0
157
2
3-0
3
Cedaredge (1)
8-0
136
3
2-0
4
Paonia (1)
7-1
128
4
1-0
5
Haxtun
7-0
78
7
2-0
6
Wray
4-3
61
6
0-1
7
Soroco
7-1
38
–
2-0
8
Simla
3-3
33
5
0-3
9
Ignacio
4-2
27
–
0-0
10
Evangelical Christian
7-1
26
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Peyton 21, Highland 19, West Grand 15, Kiowa 13, Union Colony 13, Calhan 11, Sanford 10, Del Norte 8, Ellicott 6, Hoehne 6, Rye 4, Clear Creek 2, Fowler 2, Lyons 1, Sargent 1.
Although the Class 3A CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings are loaded with talent at the top, breaking into those ranks is not impossible and Centauri is proving just that.
After sitting at No. 8 last week, the undefeated Falcons leapt to No. 4 after a 62-33 win over Buena Vista. They now sit right behind Pagosa Springs, Sterling and Manitou Springs, the three preseason favorites to take the state title. Pagosa Springs held on to the top spot that they grabbed from Manitou only a week ago.
The only new addition to the 3A poll this week is Trinidad who gave Manitou Springs its toughest test of the year Friday night.
In 5A, Highlands Ranch remains the top team, while nine teams from last week’s rankings remained in the top 10 this week.
The only team to break in is Rocky Mountain, who comes in at No. 10.
Sand Creek remains ranked No. 1 in 4A. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Sand Creek remains  the top-ranked team in 4A and are looking every bit the part. Like 3A, the 4A rankings are top-heavy with talented teams as Mesa Ridge (No. 2), Valor Christian (No. 3) and Longmont (No. 4) all look like contenders early in the season.
Centaurus is the only new team to the 4A poll as they land at No. 9 this week.
Yuma still has a grasp on the No. 1 ranking in the 2A polls, although Akron and Cedaredge are both undefeated and getting first-place recognition.
Hasten makes a splash this week as they land at No. 7 after being unranked only a week ago.
Sangre de Cristo edged out Kit Carson by one point to remain the No. 1 team in 1A this week.
The 1A rankings added the most teams this week as Prairie (No. 7) and Jim Elliot (No. 9) break into the poll.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
The 2015 football players of the year. From left: Dylan Dixon of Eads; Keegan Wentz of Buena Vista; JoJo Domann of Pine Creek; Dylan McCaffrey of Valor Christian; Daniel Martin of Pueblo East; Kelton McCoy of Bayfield; Trey Walter of Sedgwick County. (Photos: Jack Eberhard/JacksActoinShots.com; Bill Cronin; Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com; Jeff Tucker; and Sedgwick County HS)
The 2015 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 coaches.
Highlands Ranch is the new No. 1 team in 5A girls basketball. (CHSAANow.com file photo)
The CHSAANow.com girls basketball polls saw three new No. 1 teams crowned this week, including Highlands Ranch, who takes over the No. 1 spot in Class 5A.
It is the biggest shift at the top of the polls since the start of basketball season.
The big story of the week came as ThunderRidge fell to Cherry Creek, 32-27. The Grizzlies had held the top spot in 5A since the preseason poll. But the Bruins couldn’t capitalize on the win. They turned around and lost their next game to Broomfield, which kept them firmly in the No. 7 spot this week.
Poudre and Loveland were the two new teams added to the 5A rankings as they come in at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
Sand Creek was one of two teams to hold on the top this week, as they remain No. 1 in the 4A poll. Mesa Ridge jumped from No. 3 to No. 2, continuing their climb and showing that they intend to be a force this year, much like they were in 2014 when they won the 4A title.
Joining the 4A rankings this week is Pueblo East, who comes in at No. 10. The Eagles started the season at 1-2, but have played well enough lately to earn the votes needed to crack the top 10.
Pagosa Springs takes the top spot in the 3A rankings away from Manitou Springs, despite the Mustangs starting 4-0.
In fact, the Mustangs received six first-place votes last week, only to get two this week. Manitou falls to No. 3 in this week’s poll.
Lamar made a two-spot jump this week to come in at No. 7 and Grand Valley comes in at No. 10 as the lone newcomer to the 3A rankings.
Yuma remains firmly at the top of the 2A rankings and had a nice showing last week, going 3-0. The big jump in that class was Wray leaping from No. 9 to No. 5. They got the attention of the voters by taking Yuma to the limit and only falling to the Indians 69-66. Highland and Sanford break in as the two newcomers to the 2A polls, landing at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
With Idalia’s 48-43 loss to Otis, the Wolves fell out of the top spot in the 1A rankings. That helped Otis break into the top 10 where they come in at No. 7 this week. Kim at No. 8 and Briggsdale at No. 10 also joined this week’s rankings.
Sangre de Cristo takes to the top spot this week, jumping from No. 3 to No. 1.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Ralston Valley is No. 7 in this week’s girls basketball rankings in 5A. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Just like the boys, the top teams in all five CHSAANow.com rankings all held their positions this week.
ThunderRidge, Sand Creek, Manitou Springs, Yuma and Idalia all enter the second the week of the season as the No. 1 teams in their respective classes. But with competition starting off fast and furious in Week 1, it was inevitable that some changes would indeed occur.
In Class 5A, ThunderRidge looked like a top team as they jumped out to a 3-0 start, but it was Ralston Valley that started especially hot, going 3-0 last week and capping the run with a 55-29 win over Cherry Creek, who comes in at No. 7 this week. The Mustangs jumped from No. 7 to No. 4 this week.
Dakota Ridge is the lone newcomer to the rankings on the strength of wins against Rampart and Loveland. The Eagles land at No. 9.
Despite dropping their home opener to Poudre, Sand Creek remains the No. 1 team in 4A. They rebounded nicely with a win over Sierra.
Mesa Ridge looks like they could be returning to their state championship form of 2014 as they jumped from No. 8 to No. 3 and even snagged a first place vote in the process.
Two new teams jumped in the 4A poll this week with Berthoud (No. 9) and Golden (No. 10) all join the party.
Manitou Springs sure played like 3A’s No. 1 team during their 74-34 win over Bishop Machebeuf. They followed that up with a win over Colorado Academy, jumping out to a quick 2-0 start.
The top eight teams in the 3A rankings went for a combined 13-0 last week, easily the best showing for any class.
A couple of 3-0 starts from Lamar and Trinidad helped both teams join the rankings this week, coming in at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
Like Sand Creek, Yuma held on to their spot in the 2A rankings, despite an early loss. They still garnered nine first place votes this week.
The top six spots from the preseason rankings went unchanged this week. Although there was some shifting in the bottom three spots, Wray was the only new team to the poll as they jumped in at No. 9.
Prairie and Antonio join this week’s 1A poll at No. 6 and No. 10. Idalia held on to the top spot, though not unanimously as Kit Carson took one first place vote.
Flagler made the biggest jump in 1A this week, going from No. 8 to No. 4.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Loveland 14, Fairview 10, Rocky Mountain 9, Rampart 8, Chaparral 6, Monarch 6, Mountain Vista 6, Poudre 5, Pine Creek 4, Arapahoe 3, Fruita Monument 3, Horizon 3, Brighton 1, George Washington 1.
Dropped out
Monarch (8).
Note: The 4A rankings have been updated to correct a mistake where votes for D’Evelyn were incorrectly tabulated for Delta.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sand Creek (7)
1-1
130
1
1-1
2
Longmont (4)
1-0
105
4
1-0
3
Mesa Ridge (1)
3-0
102
8
3-0
4
Valor Christian (1)
2-1
96
2
2-1
5
Holy Family
1-2
70
5
1-2
6
Pueblo West
3-1
62
7
3-1
7
Evergreen
2-0
43
9
2-0
8
D’Evelyn (1)
1-3
41
3
1-3
9
Berthoud
4-0
32
–
4-0
10
Golden
4-0
31
–
4-0
Others receiving votes:
Pueblo East 28, Falcon 22, Windsor 16, Montrose 15, Pueblo South 9, Green Mountain 5, Mullen 5, Canon City 4, Palisade 3, Air Academy 2, The Classical Academy 2, Thomas Jefferson 1, Vista Ridge 1.
Dropped out
Pueblo East (6), Montrose (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Manitou Springs (6)
2-0
100
1
2-0
2
Sterling (2)
2-0
97
2
2-0
3
Pagosa Springs (3)
3-0
96
3
3-0
4
St. Mary’s
3-0
76
6
3-0
5
Lutheran
0-0
46
5
0-0
6
Eaton
0-0
42
4
0-0
7
Centauri
3-0
30
7
3-0
8
Moffat County
0-0
27
8
0-0
9
Lamar
3-0
26
–
3-0
10
Trinidad
3-0
19
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Liberty Common 13, Faith Christian 12, Colorado Springs Christian 7, La Junta 4, Olathe 4, Alamosa 2, Strasburg 2, Grand Valley 1, Platte Valley 1.
Dropped out
Liberty Common (9), Faith Christian (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Yuma (9)
1-1
129
1
1-1
2
Paonia (5)
3-0
128
2
3-0
3
Akron
2-0
107
3
2-0
4
Cedaredge
3-0
97
4
3-0
5
Del Norte
2-0
79
5
2-0
6
Peyton
1-0
62
6
1-0
7
Simla
2-0
39
10
2-0
8
Hoehne
2-1
30
7
2-1
9
Wray
2-0
29
–
2-0
10
Ellicott
1-0
25
9
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Calhan 10, Ignacio 9, Sanford 8, Caliche 4, Kiowa 4, Highland 3, Resurrection Christian 2, Union Colony 2, Dayspring Christian 1, Haxtun 1, Swink 1.
Dropped out
Ignacio (8).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Idalia (7)
2-0
79
1
2-0
2
Kit Carson (1)
2-0
70
2
2-0
3
Sangre De Cristo
3-0
51
3
3-0
4
Flagler
2-0
39
8
2-0
5
South Baca
2-0
36
4
2-0
6
Prairie
3-0
29
–
3-0
7
Fleming
2-0
23
10
2-0
8
Norwood
1-1
21
5
1-1
9
Genoa-Hugo
1-1
15
6
1-1
10
Antonito
2-1
14
–
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Kim 13, Jim Elliot 10, La Veta 8, Sierra Grande 8, Briggsdale 7, Eads 7, Springfield 5, Wiley 2, Cheraw 1, Cornerstone Christian 1, Walsh 1.
Sedgwick County celebrates winning the 8-man football championship. (Kent Mincer/CHSAANow.com)
AKRON — It had been 17 years since a school in Sedgwick County had been able to put a state football plaque in its trophy case.
Now two schools in the county can brag about splitting one.
Sedgwick County, a combined athletic program featuring athletes from Julesburg and Revere schools, capped an undefeated season by winning the Class A 8-man state title Saturday, defeating Akron 36-6.
It was a rematch of teams that played in week 9. The Cougars won that one 22-3, also in Akron.
Sedgwick County was leery of what the Rams would bring this time.
“They’re a good team,” Cougars coach Chris Michel said. “I knew they had something ready.”
Actually, both teams threw a new wrinkle or two into their game plan. Ironically, said Michel, they were similar game plans.
Still, both stuck primarily to what had helped them reach the state championship.
“We rode the horse that got us here,” Michel said of a game plan that produced a balanced 173 yards rushing and 174 passing.
The key to Sedgwick County’s domination was its defense. It held Akron quarterback Levi Basler to just 14 yards on 13 carries and intercepted him twice.
The Cougars scored on their first possession, a 14-play drive culminating in Cole McKinley’s 5-yard run.
They must have liked opening drives of the half because they scored on their first possession of the third quarter. That one took just three plays, Chad Mikelson hauling in a pass from Trey Walter good for 42 yards.
The Cougars found some success over the top late in the game, scoring three times in the fourth quarter, two on long passes to Tyler Woodhems, to seal the victory.
“To close it out like we did is something special,” said Woodhems, who caught just three passes but amassed 92 yards.
“My receivers can catch anything I throw at them,” said quarterback Tyler Walter, who passed for 174 yards and three scores.
The workhorse of the offense, however, was McKinley, who carried 24 times for 90 yards.
The team had struggled the previous four seasons, but Michel knew he had something special at the start of preseason workouts in August.
“We set a goal to be right here (in the championship game),” he said.
It was the first championship trophy for Sedgwick County since Revere won in 1997, before the schools consolidated their athletic programs. Julesburg won its last state title in 1970.
Saturday, the league rivals will meet once again, but unlike last season, this game is not the end of the road for both teams. The winner advances to the state title game on Dec. 5 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The loser can only watch as a spectator, either in the stands or on the Altitude television network.
One must survive to advance.
“Our mindset is no different,” Valor coach Rod Sherman said. “Every week is a new challenge and a new opportunity. It’s another chance to go play and showcase the skills that have been given to you.”
The Eagles (10-2 overall, 5-0 5A Centennial) beat Cherry Creek 10-0 on Oct. 23, their first win over the Bruins (10-2, 3-2) in program history.
In order to keep that same result from happening again, Bruins coach Dave Logan knows his offense has make plays when possible and get on the scoreboard.
“We’re going to try and score; that would be different,” Logan said. “(Valor is) a really talented team on both sides of the ball. They’re well schooled, they’ve played in big games, so we have to play a game where we limit our mistakes and we have to have ball security.
It comes down to what it usually does, when there are plays available to be made, we have to make plays.”
Cherry Creek’s best opportunity to put points on the board came when they drove down inside the Valor four-yard line. But the Eagles’ defense held and when Curtis Appleton got the ball on 4th-and-goal at the 2, the Eagles swarmed him and prevented him from getting into the end zone. In a game in which only one touchdown was scored, failing to convert proved to be costly for the Bruins.
It was late in the game that Dylan McCaffrey found Ben Waters for a 97-yard touchdown pass, putting the game out of reach in favor of Valor.
“They’re a multiple-formation and multiple-personnel team,” Logan said. “It requires constant communication defensively in terms of who’s in the game and what set they’re in. They give us more sets, honestly, than the rest of the teams that we play combined.”
Sherman and his guys won’t be lacking in the preparation aspect of the game either. While they still have the game tape from they Oct. 23 showdown, Sherman has spent a lot of time trying to study what the Bruins do against other teams, hoping he can be as prepared as possible.
After all, a shot at the state championship is on the line.
“They’ve played a couple of good teams, Jordan from Utah, Grandview,” Sherman said. “So we try to be pretty thorough. I think we have 15 games that are in our scouting plan.”
Pomona and Columbine play in the 5A semifinals. (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)
The first matchup between Pomona and Columbine this year was anything but boring. The Rebels came away with the win 42-35 in game that the Panthers easily could have won.
Saturday, they get another chance. With a trip to the 5A state title game on the line, the league rivals will square off once again.
“We saw just about everything from (Pomona) the first time,” Rebels coach Andy Lowry said. “Both teams played tough and Mikey Griebel just ended up picking off a pass and we ended up scoring on it. That was the first time either of us held the other (on defense).”
With only seven points the difference in the final score, Pomona came closer than any team to beating Columbine this season. The Rebels finished the year as the No. 1 team in the CHSAANow.com rankings.
With the close win along with storming through the first three rounds of the playoffs, the Panthers still believe they can be the first team to knock off Columbine this year.
“We just have to take care of every little detail because if you make a mistake, they’ll make you pay for it,” Panthers coach Jay Madden said. “Obviously they did that last time.”
But the key to victory is slowing down Griebel. The junior back has amassed 1,801 yards from scrimmage and found the end zone 15 times this season.
In the first game agains the Panthers, Griebel ran for 225 and three touchdowns. Every touchdown run went for longer than 40 yards.
“It starts up front with the offensive line,” Lowry said. “That’s the key for both teams. We go as far as our linemen take us.”
The Panthers are certainly not lacking in the trenches. Left tackle Jake Morietti has committed to Ohio State and he and the rest of the line have helped running back Cameron Gonzales run for over 112 yards a game. Gonzales has also scored 27 touchdowns this year.
“Cam’s done a great job and we also have Max Borghi who has the exact same amount of yards from scrimmage,” Madden said. “We’re a little more balanced so hopefully we can keep them off balance a little bit.”
The next step for Loveland’s Cinderella run through the 4A playoffs is getting through two-time defending state champion Pine Creek.
That will be no easy task as the Eagles are outscoring their opponents 80-16 this postseason. The Indians will need a big game from their senior combination of quarterback Ayden Eberhardt and running back Charles Dunkelman. The duo combine for 183 yards per game and their production will be essential in keeping the Eagles’ offense off the field.
For Pine Creek, Brock Domann looks to send big brother JoJo off to Nebraska with another state title.
In what is easily the most anticipated rematch in 4A, Windsor travels to Longmont with the winner advancing to the title game at Sports Authority Field.
A Hail Mary pass, followed by a two-point conversion, gave the Trojans an 8-7 win over the Wizards, solidifying Longmont’s spot as the No. 2 team in the class.
Longmont’s offense has been cruising this postseason as the Trojans scored 58 points against Pueblo South in the first round and 48 against Denver South in the second round.
The Wizards a tougher road to the semifinals as it took overtime for them to beat Palmer Ridge and advance.
Kick off for Windsor and Longmont is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Longmont High School.
[divider]
Class 3A semifinals
(4) Fort Morgan at (1) Pueblo East
To be the man, you’ve gotta beat the man. That’s exactly what For Morgan is looking to do as they travel to Dutch Clark Stadium Saturday with hopes of advancing to the 3A title game.
Fort Morgan is the only remaining unbeaten team in 3A. The Mustangs have a great chance to show they belong with the top teams as they draw the defending 3A champs in the Eagles.
Led by Bryson Torres and Daniel Martin, the Eagles have firmly sat atop the 3A rankings all season and have no desire to give up the top spot now.
But the Eagles’ offense will have to be on point. The Mustangs haven’t surrendered more than 14 points in any game this year.
Kick off at Dutch Clark will be at 1 p.m. Saturday.
(3) Delta at (2) Roosevelt
While Roosevelt isn’t technically unbeaten, the lone blemish on its record came from Windsor, a 4A semifinalist.
Beyond that, the Roughriders have played very good football in 2015. They topped Holy Family 64-63 during a stretch in which Chris Helbig was setting state passing records ablaze.
Delta was no slouch either as they had to face The Classical Academy early in the regular season before having to face them once again in the playoffs. The Panthers are getting 145 rushing yards per game from Jonny Ponce which they will need to control the clock and keep the Roosevelt offense off the field.
The Roughriders are scoring 45 points per game in the playoffs.
Delta and Roosevelt kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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Class 2A championship
(1) Bayfield at (3) Platte Valley
The only thing that is a certainty in the 2A title game is that neither team will be a repeat champion. Bayfield dispatched dispatched defending 2A champion Brush in the second round of the tournament and will look to complete a state title run on Saturday.
But to do so, they’ll have to get through Platte Valley. Like in 2014, the Broncos met Kent Denver in the semifinals, but this time they were able to get the win to advance to the title game.
Hayfield looked impressive in their semifinal game against La Junta, putting up 47 points against a defense that had only allowed 63 points all season.
In a rematch of last year’s 1A title game, the Demons hope they can overcome Paonia at home. The Eagles are winners of the last two 1A titles.
The Demons have not won a state championship since dropping down to 1A, but did win a 2A title back in 1999. Both teams rely heavily on a running attack, but it’s the Eagles who have put up better numbers.
They lead all of 1A with 3,905 yards on the ground.
Sedgwick County didn’t make it out of the first round of last year’s playoffs. Akron made it to the second round before their season ended.
Saturday, one of them will be 8-man state champion.
Junior quarterback Trey Walter leads a juggernaut of an offense for the Cougars. He’s found the end zone 12 times on the ground while throwing for 24 more. He’s flanked by senior running back Cole McKinley who has run for 1,326 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns on his own.
The Rams counter the Walter/McKinley combination with three 1,000-yard rushers in Darrion Gibbs, Austin Couch and Levi Basler.
