CLASS 2A:  Florence blanked Bayfield 34-0

The Wolverines lost starting quarterback Colt Walker to a broken leg early in the first quarter and their offense could not muster any momentum against a very stout Florence defense.  Meantime Johnnie Krien ran for 122 yards and the Huskies 261 as a team as they collected their first state championship since 2005 and fifth in school history

CLASS 3A:  Windsor downed Silver Creek 14-7

The Wizards avenged their only regular season by using a strong defensive effort to knock off the Raptors.  Windsor forced four turnovers in the win with the most important coming in the final five minutes.  With the Raptors trailing 14-7 but inside the Windsor five yard line, the Wizards recovered a fumble and then allowed their offense to run off the remaining minutes to win their third state title in school history.  Windsor also used a long touchdown pass from Joe Sanger to Jacob Molina with six seconds remaining in the first half for the first score of the game.

CLASS 4A:  Valor Christian hammered Pine Creek 66-10

In a battle of unbeatens, the game was close in the first quarter but Valor blew it open with 31 quick points in the second quarter.  They cruised from there to capture a second straight 4A state title and third consecutive overall.  Valor Christian is 12-0 in playoff games in their history and have won three state crowns while playing just four years of varsity football.

CLASS 5A:  Columbine outscored Lakewood 41-31

The Rebels used a big play offense featuring Cameron McDondle to capture a fifth big school crown since 1999.  Lakewood was playing in their first state final since winning the crown in 1985 but suffered their first loss to a Colorado opponent this season.

Statistically speaking, the Class 4A state football championships game Saturday between Valor Christian and Pine Creek indicates the proverbial toss-up.

After all, consider that both senior-driven teams are a gudy 13-0 after having dispatched opponents at will, and each has scored and allowed roughly the same amount of points as the other.

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The Colorado Class 5A state football championship game features so many storylines, it could be a miniseries.

The question is where to start when discussing the Columbine (Littleton) vs. Lakewood matchup before the teams take the field at 2:30 p.m. Saturday to decide the big-school title.

Consider these nuggets ahead of the matchup slated for Sports Authority Stadium at Mile High:

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Silver Creek could be considered fortunate to still be playing.  The Raptors barely escaped the first round scoring in the final minute to avoid the upset against Palmer Ridge.  They’ve been dominant since, blowing past Lewis Palmer 42-20 and Palisade 55-37.  They’ve won 12 straight overall since a one point season opening loss to Kent Denver.  Windsor has won eight in a row since the loss to Silver Creek and has won each playoff game by at least 19 points.  Both teams enter the state finals with records of 12-1.

In preparation of the showdown on Saturday, our guess is that the two coaches have reviewed two different sets of game tapes.  Silver Creek Coach Mike Apodaca has probably watched his team’s win over the Wizards several times while Windsor boss Chris Jones has likely been reviewing their 23-21 victory over the Raptors from last season.   Each coach prefers a repeat of their winning strategy on Saturday.

A strong first half pushed Silver Creek to their 20 point win over Windsor.  Austin Apodaca passed for two first quarter touchdowns and ran for two scores in the second period as the Raptors built a commanding 27-7 advantage.  Apodaca threw for 262 yards in the first half and finished with 308 for the night.  Ryan Rankin was shutout in the second half but latched onto ten passes in the decisive first half for 182 yards.  KC Lord and Greg Reynolds also combined for eight catches and 121 yards in the win.  Defensively, Silver Creek limited a Windsor team averaging 290 yards a game on the ground to a season low 69 yards on just 33 attempts.

Last season, the roles were reversed as Windsor was able to move the football while slowing down the Silver Creek passing attack.  Apodaca a year ago completed only 12 of 26 attempts for 161 yards and a touchdown.  The Wizards managed only 118 yards rushing but did throw the football for 219 yards which helped them to the victory.

Controlling Apodaca on Saturday may be a difficult chore.  The senior quarterback is coming off one of the best single game performances by any player in any class in recent memory and he did it with a berth in the state championship game on the line.  In the crazy 55-37 win over Palisade, Apodaca hit on 33 of 38 attempts for 458 yards and a school record seven touchdowns.  Both the yardage and TD numbers were season highs.  Apodaca threw for 396 yards in the season opening loss to Kent Denver and had thrown four touchdowns in a game six times this season.  Overall, the Washington state bound signal caller has thrown for 3,524 yards and 43 touchdowns against just eight interceptions.  A win on Saturday should sew up the Player of the Year award.

Despite those numbers, the Windsor defense feels they have a score to settle.  Other than the loss to Silver Creek, the Wizards surrendered only 75 points all season and held nine opponents to a touchdown or less.  They’ve given up only 29 points in three playoff wins and are coming off a 19-0 shutout of Frederick in the semi-finals.

Defending Silver Creek is much more than controlling Apodaca.  If the Wizards cannot pressure the senior, then the secondary must do a great job of covering at least four talented receivers all of who have at least 52 catches on the season.  Ryan Rankin leads the group with 71 catches for 1,200 yards and 17 TD’s but close behind are Greg Reynolds (58 catches and 13 TD’s), KC Lord (52 and 5) and Wyatt Knechtel (57 and 6).  Those four combined for 32 catches and seven scores in last week’s win over Palisade.  Rankin, Lord and Reynolds caught a total of 18 passes in the regular season win over Windsor.

Even though it was not effective in the first matchup this season, look for the Wizards to try and establish the running game to keep Apodaca and his receivers on the sidelines.  The balanced Windsor attack has picked up at least 244 yards in every game since the Silver Creek loss and has been over 300 yards in six of their last seven.  In the playoffs, the Wizards have churned out 458 yards against Holy Family, 319 against Rifle and 306 against Rifle.  They’ve ran the ball at least 57 times in all three wins and if they reach that total again on Saturday, they’ll likely be rewarded with the Gold Ball.

Joey Porterfield (682 yards), Will Dressor (669), Vance Hooley (547) and Aaron Schmidt (546) can all carry the load but quarterback Joe Sanger could be the difference between a win and a loss.  Sanger leads the team with 1,204 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground but we expect him to throw the football a bit more than usual on Saturday.  Sanger has thrown for 653 yards and ten scores this season and was effective in the air in game one against Silver Creek finishing with 127 yards and two scores.   Sanger was not the quarterback in last year’s win over Silver Creek but as mentioned the Wizards threw for 219 yards and because of the recent success, don’t be surprised if the Wizards turn to the air more often.

Weather of course could play a factor on Saturday and we’re unsure which side would benefit more from sloppy conditions.  Windsor is a bit bigger up front and could control a weather-related game with their running game.  On the other hand, Silver Creek receivers would have the advantage of knowing their routes while Windsor defenders could be slipping and sliding while reacting.  Silver Creek has also proven they’re not completely one dimensional as they ran for 314 yards against Lewis Palmer two weeks ago.

Win or lose, the Raptors have already put together the most successful season in school history.  Before this season, they had registered only one playoff win.  Windsor is 2-1 all-time in state finals and have won their last two beating Cheyenne Mountain 41-7 for the 1993 4A state championship and Brush 14-13 for the 1981 2A championship.  The Wizards lost to Paonia 7-0 in the 1959 1A state finals.

Complete coverage of the 3A finals will be available with live video streaming at www.chsaa.tv.  Kickoff is slated for 2:30pm at Legacy Stadium in Aurora.

Bayfield has had the much tougher time in the playoffs winning three games against Patriot league members by a combined nine points.  Florence is averaging 43 points a game in the playoffs and has been held below 32 points only twice all season.  Their margins of victory in the playoffs are 35, 28 and 17.

At this time of year, it’s no surprise that the championship will be won by the guys up front.  The first option for both teams is to run the football and each club wants to control the clock and limit offensive possessions for the opponent.  While Florence has the ability to throw the football and can move the football in that manner, Bayfield takes the ball control strategy to another level.  They’ve attempted only four passes in the playoffs and last completed a pass against Strasburg in the playoff opener.  On the season, the Wolverines have thrown only 32 passes with 14 completions for 313 yards.

With those numbers in mind, Bayfield is amazingly able to run the football even though the opponent stacks nine or ten in the box.  Defenses in every game know a running play is coming but they’ve been unable to stop it consistently.  Give credit to the offensive line and the physical running of fullback Aaron Velasquez.  A three-time state placer for the Wolverines wrestling team, Velasquez has been a workhorse in the playoffs running 90 times in the three wins for 592 yards and six touchdowns.  That effort has pushed his season total to 1,732 yards and 21 scores.  Quarterback Colt Walker is also dangerous in the option attack.  He finished the season with at least 100 yards in four of the last five games and then added 114 yards on 25 carries in the first round win over Strasburg.  He was limited to just 46 yards in last week’s road win at Brush but was able to grind out tough yards in key situations.

Florence is coming off maybe their best offensive showing of the season in their wild 52-35 semifinal win over Kent Denver.  The Huskies actually trailed 35-33 in the third quarter before reeling off the final 19 points of the game to win in comfortable fashion.  On the day, Coach Mark Buderus’ club ran for a whopping 463 yards and had three players register at least 135 yards.  Tyler Faoro led the way with 166 yards while Cody Nichols and Johnnie Krien combined for six touchdowns and 397 yards.

Faoro has 226 yards rushing in the last two weeks and Krein has 328 in the playoffs but Nichols is the key to the offense and he’ll get a chance to showcase his skills to statewide offense.  With both teams wanting to establish a running game, his ability to throw the football may turn out to be the difference in the game.  Nichols only threw for 39 yards against Kent Denver but wasn’t called upon to throw the football very often but he was effective in the passing game in the first two rounds.  Against Buena Vista in round one, Nichols was 7 of 12 for 197 yards and a score and then against Bennett in the quarterfinals, the senior completed six of 10 for 135 yards and a touchdown.  The Huskies have a knack of knowing when to call the play action pass and Nichols has the talent to turn in the big play in those situations.

Defensively in the playoffs, Bayfield is also prone to giving up points in the passing game.  In the semifinals, Brush scored all three touchdowns through the air and Strasburg also used three touchdown passes to mount their second half rally that fell short in round one.  Still, the Wolverines defense has stepped up in key situations and made big plays when called upon.  They stopped a potential game tying two point conversion by Brush last week and then also held the Beetdiggers off the scoreboard when they recovered an onside kick for one final chance.  Against Eaton in the quarterfinals, the Wolverines trailed by eight points in the fourth quarter and stopped the Reds on two straight possessions to set up a touchdown and the game winning field goal.  The Wolverines defense in the playoffs has been led by the tandem of Seth Posey, TJ Pazell and Derek MacGuffie.  Posey has been in double figures in tackles in all three post-season wins and MacGuffie has 19 in the past two weeks.  Pazell had eight stops against Eaton and added ten vs. Strasburg.

The Huskies defense came up big in the fourth quarter to help the team get by Kent Denver.  The Sun Devils amassed 425 yards of offense on the day and as mentioned, totaled 33 points through three quarters but in the decisive fourth quarter, Florence held them off the scoreboard.  The Huskies also forced two fumbles and registered two interceptions.  With 13 sacks in the playoffs, the Huskies also pressure the quarterback very well but that group may not be a factor against the run dominated Bayfield offense.  Faoro is a key player defensively as well with a team best 15 tackles in the quarterfinal win over Bennett.  James Brown is also one to watch on that side of the ball as are Kenny Roberts, Austin Braun and Ryan Hobgood.

Playoff wise, Florence has much more tradition.  The Huskies are in the finals for the seventh time and a win gives them a fifth championship.  This is their first finals appearance since they toppled Rifle 35-14 to win the 2005 3A crown.  Bayfield had only eight playoff wins in school history before this year with four of them coming in 1996 when they captured their only state title by beating Meeker 14-0.  As we mentioned in last week’s preview, Bayfield Coach Marshall Hahn was the quarterback on that team so he’s seeking a second state championship as well.  The Wolverines had lost eight straight in the first round before winning last year and this season.  Florence is 38-20 all-time in the post-season with Bayfield compiling an 11-14 mark.  This is the first ever playoff meeting between the two. 

The contest kicks off at 11:00am on Saturday at Legacy Stadium in Aurora.  It will be available online with video streaming at www.chsaa.tv.

FLORENCE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2005:  beat Rifle 35-14 (3A)

2003:  Lost to Palisade 24-6 (3A)

2002:  Beat Palisade 27-21 (3A)

1996:  Lost to Palisade 30-21 (3A)

1983:  Beat Brush 21-14 (2A)

1957:  Beat Fruita Monument 20-19 (A)

BAYFIELD STATE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

1996:  Beat Meeker 14-0 (2A)

CLASS 5A – STATE SEMIFINALS

FINAL:  #1 Columbine beat #5 Grandview 35-7

FINAL:  #10 Lakewood beat #3 Pomona 29-23

NOTES:  Lakewood is in the state championship game for the first time since 1985 when they beat Cherry Creek 47-8 for the state championship. This is also the first year since that title run the Tigers have won more than two playoff games in any season.  Columbine is seeking their fifth state championship since 1999 and the first since 2006.  Both teams are unbeaten against Colorado opponents.  Columbine enters the finals at 13-0 overall with Lakewood at 12-1 and winners of 12 straight since dropping their opener to a team from Florida.

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CLASS 4A – STATE SEMIFINALS

FINAL:  #1 Valor Christian beat #4 Castle View 54-7

FINAL:  #3 Pine Creek beat #2 Monarch 20-0

NOTES:  Valor Christian advanced to the state finals for the third straight year and kept their all-time playoff record unbeaten at 11-0.  The Eagles handed Castle View both of their losses on the season winning the two games by a combined 109-13.  Castle View was competing in the semi-finals for the first time in school history.  Valor Christian is now one win away from grabbing a second straight 4A championship and third straight overall (won 3A in 2009).  Pine Creek advanced to 13-0 with their shutout of Monarch and the win put the Eagles into the state championship game for the first time in school history.  Valor Christian beat Pine Creek 41-13 in the second round of the playoffs a year ago.

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CLASS 3A – STATE SEMIFINALS

FINAL:  #5 Windsor beat #16 Frederick (9-3) 19-0

FINAL:  #3 Silver Creek beat #10 Palisade 55-37

NOTES:  Windsor beat Frederick for a second time this season and the second win puts them in the state championship game in what may be their final year in Class 3A.  The Wizards are scheduled to make the jump to 4A for the 2012 enrollment cycle but they first have a chance to collect the state championship next week.  Windsor’s last state football championship came in 1993 when they beat Cheyenne Mountain.  They outscored Frederick 59-0 in their two meetings this year.  Frederick was the 16th seed in the bracket and registered wins over top ranked Canon City and D’Evelyn before seeing their run come to an end in their first ever semi-final visit.  Silver Creek is in the championship game for the first time in school history.  This is the first year they’ve won more than one playoff game.  The Raptors beat Windsor 41-21 in non-league play in week five.  Silver Creek has won 12 straight since losing to 2A Kent Denver in their opener.  Windsor has not lost since the Silver Creek loss.  Palisade was shooting for the first state championship since 2003.

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CLASS 2A – STATE SEMIFINALS

FINAL:  #4 Bayfield beat #1 Brush 21-19

FINAL:  #2 Florence beat #3 Kent Denver 52-35

NOTES:  Bayfield is in the state finals for the first time since winning the state championship in 1986.  Head Coach Marshall Hahn was the quarterback of that team and he’s directed the Wolverines back into the finals.  They’ve won just four playoff games since the 1986 season with three of them coming this season.  Brush missed by one game of making a second straight appearance in the state championship game.  Brush is also the third Patriot league team to lose to Bayfield in the playoffs this year as the Wolverines beat Strasburg in round one and Eaton in round two.  Florence and Kent Denver went back and forth almost the entire game before Florence took the lead for good at 39-35 after three quarters.  They added two more scores in the fourth quarter to keep alive their hopes of a state title.  The last Huskies crown came in 2005 and their last in 2A was 12 years before that in 1993.

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CLASS 1A – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL:  #1 Burlington beat #11 Wiggins 23-0

NOTES:  Make it two straight titles and ten overall for the Burlington Cougars as they blanked Wiggins in the state finals.  The Cougars beat Wray to win the 2010 championship.  Wiggins was seeking their second state title in school history and first since 1999. 

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EIGHT MAN – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL:  #2 Dayspring Christian beat #1 Hoehne 29-22

NOTES:  Dayspring Christian earns their second title in four years as they scored the final 22 points of the game to rally from a 22-7 deficit.  The Eagles recorded a big goal line stand in the second quarter while the Farmers lost standout running Martin Waln to injury on the same drive.  Hoehne won the title in 2010 and the loss on Saturday ended their 25-game winning streak.

Overcoming that 46 point deficit to post a win in their first ever semi-final is a huge chore for Castle View.  Other than that loss, the Sabercats have been dominant throughout the season outscoring the remaining opponents 457-184.  There are many chores when playing Valor Christian but the first involves surviving the initial onslaught.  In the first matchup, the Eagles roared to a 21 point first quarter lead and then blew it open with 27 points in quarter number two.  That’s been their strategy throughout the season; jump on an opponent quickly to eliminate any hope and then get to a 40 point margin to establish a running clock and then move on to the next week.

Numbers back it up.  No opponent has scored in the first quarter against the Valor Christian defense while the Eagle offense has racked up 257 points.  Only one 4A opponent has reached the end zone in the first half against Valor but at that time, the Eagles led Rock Canyon 44-7.  Regis is the only team to play Valor Christian within 17 points at halftime as the 5A Raiders trailed 14-13 in week one.  The Eagles managed a 20-16 win but have been unchallenged since.  Overall, they’ve outscored opponents 514-73 and that includes a 2-0 forfeit over Littleton.

That’s the challenge ahead for Castle View.  For them to spring the upset they must establish a ground game and that’s something they were unable to do in the first meeting.  The Sabercats attempted 38 running plays but generated only 79 yards as a team.  Bryce Lich was held to 29 yards on nine carries.  He’s not been held under 99 yards in any game since and leads the Sabercats with 1,456 yards.

Another concern is pass defense.  In the 55-9 loss midway through the season, Valor Christian quarterbacks Cody Thibault and Wes Tabor combined to complete 12 of 13 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns.  Splitting time throughout the season, the two have been very effective throwing for 1,920 yards and 19 touchdowns while missing only 41 of 144 attempts.

Valor Christian ran their playoff winning streak to 11 with their 42-0 win over Wheat Ridge.  That game as a rematch of last year’s state championship game.  The Sabercats are in the semi-finals for the first time in school history and playoff wins over Longmont and Green Mountain this year are the first for the Sabercats in their short history.

The unbeaten battle between Monarch and Pine Creek shapes up to be a great battle.  Monarch survived a wild quarterfinal affair beating Broomfield 23-21 on a last minute field goal.  It may have been the most exciting game in Class 4A this year.  The Eagles scored on a 95 yard touchdown pass for a 21-20 lead with two minutes left but Monarch then moved down the field for the game winning 25-yard field goal.  The win pushed the Coyotes into the semifinals for the second time in three years.  They lost to eventual state champion Heritage 36-35 in a 2009 semifinal affair.  Their last win in this round came against Cherokee Trail (6-0) in 2007.

Pine Creek is in the Final Four for just the second time in school history and we expect a much better showing this time around.  They were handled by Greeley West 49-6 in 2008.  That year they were also unbeaten and had their sights set on a state championship game appearance.  The Eagles are unbeaten this year but by all indications, are even better than three years ago.

The game may come down to whether Monarch and their power running game can move the football against a very stingy Pine Creek defense.  The Eagles have surrendered only 74 points all season and have not been scored upon in the playoffs.  They blanked Rock Canyon 41-0 in round one and then handled Greeley West 35-0 in the quarterfinals.  Neither opponent managed more than 150 yards of total offense.  Chase Stevens, Riley Whitworth and Marcus Cross are among the players to watch on that side of the football.

Monarch’s strategy won’t change regardless of the opponent.  The Coyotes want to control the clock and wear down opposing defenses with a running game focused between the tackles.  Despite the loss of leading rusher Jared Meschke to injury against Broomfield, Monarch still managed 311 yards on the night.  Sophomore Ethan Marks has provided a spark and helped the team survive the key injuries by rushing for 231 yards in the two playoff wins.

Maybe the biggest difference between Pine Creek teams of the past and this year is the ability to score points in bunches.  The Eagles have been held below 35 points only once all season (Fountain Fort Carson) and they’re averaging 259 yards rushing and 98 passing.  Josh Beacham, with 1,218 yards and 17 touchdowns, paces the ground game but Shomari Cousar (942 yards) is also a threat as he needs just 58 yards this week to join Beacham in the 1,000 yard club.  Ryan Warner is completing 52 percent of his attempts and went over 1,000 yards with his 103 yard effort against Greeley West last week.

Colorado Preps affiliate KRDO in Colorado Springs will carry the Pine Creek-Monarch contest.  The game can be heard online at www.krdo.com/newsradio.  Simply go there and click on the Listen Live banner.  Valor Christian and Castle View can be seen through the CHSAA TV network.  The link is www.chsaa.tv/valorsportsnetwork.  Colorado Preps will also provide in-game updates and of course the final score for both games on our sister network at www.coloradoscores.com which can be accessed on your smart phone at www.coloradoscores.mobi.

The Raptors scored their first ever post-season win over Palisade (14-12) last year.  That game came in the first round but the rematch takes place with a berth in the state championship game on the line.  Austin Apodaca tossed two second quarter touchdowns and then watched the Silver Creek defense hold on the rest of the way.  Apodaca finished with 190 yards passing and the Raptors ran for 117 yards in grabbing their first ever playoff victory last year.

Silver Creek threw the football experts a curve-ball with their 42-20 win over Lewis Palmer last week.  Normally a pass-happy offense, they instead won on the strength of their running game.  Apodaca went over 3,000 yards for the season but attempted a season low 11 passes connecting on four for 48 yards.  The senior had been held under 200 yards in the air just twice on the season.  He did run for a career best 134 yards and backfield mate Ian McNabb added 166 yards in the win.  McNabb also pushed past the 1,000 yard mark with that effort.

Normally the Palisade defense would spend the entire week planning for the high powered Silver Creek passing attack but because of how they won against Lewis Palmer, even more preparation will be needed.  Either way, the Bulldogs will employ a strategy of running the football, controlling the clock and then hitting the big play in the passing game.  Accomplishing all three will put Apodaca, McNabb and the talented crew of receivers on the sidelines and give them limited attempts to score points.

Palisade has used the strategy for two impressive playoff wins.  The Bulldogs generated 441 yards rushing in the first round win over Evergreen and then picked up 240 yards against Kennedy.  The numbers against the unbeaten and second seeded Commanders would have been larger but the defense and special teams set up the offense with several short fields.  A hard hitting defense was also a big factor so look for the Bulldogs to play physical again on Saturday.

Quinn Zamora led the Bulldogs last week with 113 yards and now has been over the century mark in both playoff wins.  Ronald Kuntz also went over 100 yards against Evergreen and pushed his way for 78 yards on ten carries last week.  Those two will get plenty of opportunities on Saturday.

As mentioned, Silver Creek is the Final Four for the first time in school history.  Their win over Palisade last year was their first ever in the playoffs so they have tripled their win total with the two victories this season.  Palisade is 9-3 all-time in the semi-final round but this is their first trip since 2007.  They lost to Falcon (7-6) that year and also fell to Sterling in 2004 (33-28).  Their last semi-final victory came in 2003 when they stopped Mountain View 24-21 on their way to the state championship.

In an understatement, Frederick looks for a much better showing against Windsor the second time around.  The Wizards handled the Warriors 40-0 in the regular season finale that determined the Tri Valley championship.  Now they meet just three weeks later with the winner getting into the state championship game.  For Frederick, it would be their first ever visit while Windsor hasn’t been to the finals since 1993.

Windsor controlled the regular season contest from start to finish running for 327 yards and giving up only 78 yards of total offense to the Warriors.  Joe Sanger led the ground game with 122 yards and Jordan Porterfield added 78.  The Wizards scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, added two more in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead.

Frederick has played much better football since that loss, especially on defense.  Canon City was averaging 36 points a game but the Warriors defense held them to just six in the first round playoff win.  D’Evelyn had scored at least 40 points in seven of 11 games entering last week’s quarterfinal showdown but managed just 17 against Frederick and the Warriors defense picked off four passes.  Offensively, Coach Thad Lear’s team has done just enough to advance and they’ve been opportunistic.  Against Canon City, they used a long punt return to set up their only score and last week the Warriors managed only 141 yards on the ground and 85 through the air but used the interceptions to set up scores.

To score a third consecutive playoff upset, Frederick must find a way to control the Windsor running game.  As mentioned, the Wizards ran for 327 yards in the first meeting and that unit has not slowed down in the post-season running for a whopping 458 yards against Holy Family and then 319 in last week’s snow conditions at Rifle.  What makes the running game so potent is the ability to share the wealth.  No one player dominates the carries or the yardage.  In the playoffs, Sanger has picked up 223 yards, Porterfield 180, Vince Hooley 174 and Will Dressor 99.  Aaron Schmidt also ran for 91 yards in last week’s win.  Three different players (Sanger, Porterfield & Hooley) have at least one 100-yard game.

Windsor has lost their last two semi-final games including a 21-7 loss to Woodland Park in their last appearance in 2000.  They also fell to Palisade 27-6 in 1994.  As listed above, their last semi-final win came in 1993 and they also scored a Final Four win over Olathe in 1981.  Their all-time record in the round is 2-6 and this is the first playoff meeting between the two.

The Silver Creek-Palisade game can be heard on Colorado Preps affiliate KTMM in Grand Junction.  You can listen to the game online at www.gjradio.com.  Just go to the website and click on the KTMM logo and when the new page pops up, click on the Listen Live button.  The Frederick-Silver Creek game will be available through a live feed provided by the Raptors at www.silvercreekfootball.com.  Go to the site and simply click on Friday Night Lights to watch the game.

The 3A championship game will be available live at www.chsaa.tv next week.

Bayfield has not lost since the 49-24 playoff setback to Brush a year ago and because many key players for both teams return for Saturday’s rematch, we can use numbers from the game to get an idea of what might or what needs to happen for both teams to be successful.  The key for both teams is how well they run the football and Brush easily won that battle last season.  Brush rolled up 424 yards in the win and two of the three players that picked up at least 100 yards are back this year.  Fullback Connor Weisser ran for 129 yards and Eric Garcia chipped in 120.  The Bayfield duo of Aaron Velasquez and Colt Walker were held to a combined 116 yards in last year’s game and each realizes better numbers are needed for the Wolverines to avenge the loss and reach the state finals for the first time since winning their only championship in 1996.  And if they reach the state finals, Bayfield could also lay claim to the unofficial Patriot league championship.  They’ve already beaten Strasburg and Eaton in the post-season and need to get by the Patriot champs to earn a trip to the state championship game.

Velasquez leads Bayfield with 1,539 yards and 17 touchdowns this season with Walker also having over 1,000 yards overall.  Walker was limited to just 15 yards on 11 carries against Eaton last week but he led the Wolverines down the field in the closing minutes to set up the game winning field goal with 20 seconds remaining.  Velasquez rolled through the Reds defense for 190 yards on 31 carries so he’ll be the focal point of the Brush defense.  Bayfield attempted just one pass all day but managed 318 yards on the ground to advance.

In comparison, Brush also beat Eaton by one point during the regular season and they also staged a fourth quarter rally to post the win but there was much more offense as the Beetdiggers earned a 42-41 overtime win.  Brush trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter but used two touchdowns in the final five minutes to force the extra session.  The Beetdiggers did not have as much success on the ground against Eaton, running for just 180 yards but they did throw the football much better as Mitch Tormohlen connected on 13 of 21 attempts for 182 yards.

Tormohlen is the biggest change for either team from last year to this season.   Garcia was the starting QB for Brush last year and as mentioned, he ran for over 100 yards but he attempted only five passes in the win.  Garcia now splits time between running back and wide receiver and is still a factor offensively but the Bayfield defense will have to pay more attention to the pass now that Tormohlen is behind center.  He needs just 27 yards on Saturday to reach 1,400 for the season and has 19 touchdown passes.

Brush is in the semi-finals for the 22^nd time in school history and they’re one game above five hundred (11-10) overall.  Last year’s win over Kent Denver was their first in the semi-finals since 1998.  In between, they had suffered three straight losses to Faith Christian in the round (2009, 2006 and 2004).  A win on Saturday puts them in the state finals for a second straight year.  As mentioned, Bayfield is in the semi-finals for the first time since they won the championship in 1996.  Ironically, the quarterback of that championship team is now the coach of the Wolverines (Marshall Hahn) and back then he successfully directed the same triple option attack he now employs.

One could almost say the Saturday semi-final between Florence and Kent Denver is their third matchup of the season.  The Huskies and Sun Devils met on a very strange night in week three with Florence posting a 35-20 win but because of weather, it was almost two separate games.  Before severe weather hit and caused a delay, Kent Denver was in complete control leading 20-6.  After the lengthy delay, Florence was a completely different team and responded with 29 unanswered points to earn the wild win.

Cody Nichols (3) and Johnnie Krein (2) combined for five touchdowns in the win.  Nichols is among the best signal callers in the state and ran for 119 yards in game one against the Sun Devils.  He leads the Huskies in rushing on the season with 1,164 yards but is coming off a season low 35 yards in the second round win over Bennett.  He collected 138 yards in the opening round against Buena Vista and finished the regular season with 100 yard efforts against both La Junta and St Mary’s.  Krein collected only 44 yards against Kent Denver but has three 100-yard efforts since including 138 in last week’s 35-7 win over Bennett.  Nichols added 135 yards passing against Bennett and Tyler Faoro chipped in 60 on the ground.  Defensively, the Huskies held Bennett to 204 yards of total offense.

Kent Denver had good balance against Florence in the first game; rushing for 158 yards while Matt Florence tossed two TD passes and finished with 110 yards passing.  They’ll seek the same balance with maybe a bit better numbers on Saturday.   Florence is the key offensively.  The senior threw for 135 yards and added 60 on the ground in last week’s hard fought win over arch-rival Faith Christian.  Florence has thrown for over 100 yards in six games this year.  Jaden Franklin tops the ground game with 1,086 yards and last week continued a trend of having his best performances against Faith Christian.  Franklin ran for a season high 192 yards against the Eagles in the regular season and added his second best effort (185) in last week’s playoff win.

Saturday’s winner will also gain some satisfaction following difficult losses in this round a year ago. Kent Denver was stunned in the closing seconds when Brush converted a fourth and goal to post a 29-25 semi-final win and Florence was upended by eventual state champion Olathe by the same four point margin (24-20).   This year one of the two will finally make a coveted state championship appearance.

Both the Huskies and Sun Devils have long playoff tradition but surprisingly Saturday will be just the second time they’ve squared off in the post-season.  Kent Denver whipped the Huskies 49-14 in 1986 (2^nd round).  Kent is in the semi-finals for a third straight year and is 3-4 all-time in this round.  Florence is 6-5 all-time in semi-final contests.  Including the Olathe game last year, the Huskies have lost their last two in this round with their last win coming in 2005 against Alamosa (26-12).

This is the fifth straight year that the North Central and South Central have produced the two state finalists.  The North Central actually generated both finalists in 2008 (Wray-Akron) and 2009 (Yuma-Akron).  Dating back to 2001, current members of the two leagues have earned 17 of the 20 state finalist positions.  The other three spots went to Lyons who is a former member of the North Central.  Nucla, which beat Limon for the 2000 state championship, is the last team other than Lyons outside the two leagues to reach the 1A finals.

It’s no surprise that Burlington is in the finals.  The Cougars grabbed last year’s state championship by beating Wray and returned several key players from that title team.  Ranked number one by Colorado Preps to open the season, the Cougars ran the regular season table including wins over playoff teams Wray, Akron, Burlington, Peyton and Lamar to enter the post-season as the number one seed.  In the post-season, the Cougars have outscored John Mall, Wray and Lyons by a combined score of 118-26 and enter the finals as the favorite to win a second straight title.

Getting a win won’t be easy.  The Cougars face a Wiggins team that finished third in the rugged North Central but one that’s gotten hot at the perfect time.  With only 20 players on the roster, the Tigers battled some late season injuries and lost back-to-back games to Wray (36-26) and Akron (64-42).  A blowout of Highland (58-0) to close the season apparently got them back on track in time for the post-season.  Wiggins avenged a regular season loss by beating Limon (21-20) on the road in the first round of the playoffs and they really haven’t been challenged since rolling past Lutheran Parker (46-8) in the quarterfinals and Hotchkiss (47-19) in last week’s semi-finals.  Both opponents were unbeaten going into the contests.

It’s hard to imagine that the Tigers can play much better offensively than in the first half against Hotchkiss.  Wiggins had the ball for five possessions and scored a touchdown on each to build a commanding 34-0 halftime advantage against the second seeded Bulldogs.  Taylor Risner continues to push for Player of the Year as he passed for 289 yards and four touchdowns against Hotchkiss and added another 110 and two TD’s on the ground.  Overall, the senior has thrown for 2,863 yards and ran for 808 this year and has been involved in a whopping 41 touchdowns.

Risner of course has plenty of help. Against Hotchkiss, Dalton Marini caught eight passes, Travis Groves seven and Thayer Sauter five.  All three had at least 81 yards receiving on the day and all are threats to score from anywhere on the field.  Sauter caught two TD passes and added a third score on the ground.  Marini and Groves also reached the end zone in the huge semi-final win.  On the season, Groves has 82 catches with 12 TD’s, Marini 71 and eight and Sauter 27 and three.

On Saturday, Wiggins will need to generate yards in the passing game and put together big plays.  They will face a Burlington squad that offers up the best mix of offense and defense in Class 1A.  The Cougars has scored 504 points this season but allowed only 83.  Coach Glynn Higgs’ defense has the ability to control a game on their own but when you mix in the high scoring offense, the combination often takes an opponent out of their comfort zone.  Last week was a perfect example.  Lyons wanted to control the football with their running game but when Burlington jumped out to an early 28-0 lead, the Lions were forced to play catch-up and the end result was an easy 53-13 semi-final victory.

Like Wiggins, Burlington enters the state finals playing probably their best football of the season.  The 28-0 first quarter lead against Lyons ballooned to 47-0 at halftime as the Cougars continued their drive to back-to-back championships.  Burlington limited Lyons 71 yards on the ground and recovered three fumbles and also held the Lions to 83 yards through the air.  Offensively, Brant Rhoades rushed for a team high 178 yards helping the Cougars to 288 yards on just 27 carries as a team.  Stetson Corman only attempted five passes but completed three for 77 yards and two touchdowns.  Coley David caught all three passes and the two scores and also returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown.

On the season, Christian Ramos is the top rusher with 1,153 yards with Rhoades supplying 831.  Corman has thrown for 675 yards and 12 touchdowns with David catching 27 passes for 581 yards and ten touchdowns.  Shadd Whitmore leads a talented defense with 113 tackles including 11 in the semi-final win over Wray.  Seven other players have at least 40 tackles for the season.  Against the pass which they will face often against Wiggins, the Cougars have produced 30.5 sacks on the season with Whitmore and Cole Briegel leading with five apiece and they’ve also recorded 19 interceptions including seven from David. 

Wiggins is seeking their second state football championship.  They blanked Akron 21-0 to win the 1999 championship.  This is their first visit to the title game since that win.  Wiggins lost to Burlington 49-0 in the first round last year in their only previous meeting so they also have motivation from that loss on Saturday. 

Burlington has won ten state titles in their storied history.  Before last season’s 13-7 win over Wray, their last previous title was in 2001.  The Cougars best run came in the late 90’s when they won three titles in four years (1995, 1997 & 1998).  A win on Saturday gives them a shot to equal or better that run in the next couple of seasons.  The Cougars have also finished second six times and have an all-time record of 10-5-1 in state championship games.

BURLINGTON – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY

2010:  Beat Wray 13-7

2001:  Beat Eaton 22-21

1998:  Beat Wray 23-14

1997:  Beat Holyoke 35-20

1995:  Beat Meeker 52-22

1993:  Lost to Wray 33-18

1992:  Lost to Brush 19-7

1976:  Beat Yuma 10-7

1958:  Lost to Palisade 9-6

1947:  Beat Louisville 45-0

1946:  Beat Eaton 19-13

1945:  Tied Westwood 20-20

1943:  Lost to Lakewood 19-0

1941:  Lost to Brighton 7-0

1937:  Lost to Lafayette 13-6

WIGGINS – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY

1999:  Beat Akron 21-0

While Hoehne was dominant in winning the 2010 title and was challenged only by Caliche in the finals, the Farmers this year have been pushed by several opponents.  They earned a nine point regular season win over Norwood and then fought past a good Mavericks club 40-24 in the state semi-finals last week.  Fowler was also a tough out in the quarterfinals as the Farmers earned a 14-6 decision for their second win of the season against their conference rivals.

Dayspring Christian is also unbeaten on the season but they too have had their shares of close calls.  The Eagles went back and forth with defending runner-up Caliche before picking up a wild 32-27 win in a game that helped determine the Plains conference crown.  Dayspring was also tied with Springfield going into the fourth quarter of their quarterfinal battle before the Eagles scored two late touchdowns for a 21-6 decision.  They had a much easier time in the semi-finals by blowing past Simla 31-0.

Saturday will also be the second playoff meeting between the two.  Dayspring Christian took out Hoehne 40-24 in the semi-finals on their way to the 2008 state championship.  Freshman on those squads who probably watched from the sidelines will now play important roles as seniors in Saturday’s contests.

Statistics wise, the teams are very even.  Hoehne has scored 557 points in their 12 wins compared to 546 for Dayspring Christian.  A slight edge goes to Dayspring defensively.  They’ve surrendered only 83 points compared to 120 for Hoehne but stretching over a 12-game schedule, that’s a difference of only three points a game.

Hoehne’s Martin Waln leads the Farmers with 1,496 yards and 20 TD’s rushing plus he has big game experience.  He was held to just 46 yards in last year’s state championship win over Caliche but scored the Farmers lone TD in regulation and then dashed in from ten yards out on the first play of overtime to give Hoehne their second state title in school history.  He ran the ball only 11 times last year sharing time with standout Cody Roberts but expect him to get many more carries on Saturday.

Quarterback Mac Turner has also developed into a nice threat late in the season.  Replacing the injured Sawyer Schafer, Turner rushed for 112 yards in each of the playoff wins over Fowler and Norwood.  Has also picked up a total of 150 yards in the cross divisional win over Holly and the opening playoff victory over Kiowa.  Fullback Bryan Schafer is also an option offensively rushing for at least 105 yards in two of the three playoff wins.  He has 704 yards and 11 TD’s on the season.

Dayspring Christian counters with the trio of Eli Miller, Ben Sanderford and Connor Morgan.  The three have combined for over 3,000 yards and 52 TD’s on the ground this season.  Sanderford went down with a knee injury midway through last year and his loss may have cost the Eagles a shot at a championship.  You can bet he will be focused and ready to go on Saturday.  With 1,272 yards this season, Sanderford is the top rusher but Miller is right behind with 1,207.  Morgan has totaled 547 yards on the season.  Miller is also a threat throwing the football with 747 yards and seven more scores and was probably the difference in the Eagles win at Springfield two weeks ago.  He threw for 79 yards and also ran for 128 while Morgan and Sanderford were limited to a combined 71 yards.  Miller also added 114 yards on the ground against Simla last week while Sanderford exploded for 173.

Defensively, the Eagles top tackler is Luke Figgs.  The 210-pound linebacker collected nine tackles against Simla and 12 against Springfield.  He has 84 stops on the season.  Justin Short is next with 69 tackles and the defensive end has also recorded seven sacks.

With 134 tackles, Bryan Schafer is the clear leader of the Hoehne defense.  He’s been in double figures in tackles in five straight games and in nine of 12 games on the season.  Howard (83) and Turner (79) are next in line on the stat sheet.  The Farmers have also recorded 36 sacks this year led by nine from Brandon Segura.

Kickoff is set for 1:00pm Saturday from the Dayspring Christian campus in Greeley.  The game can be seen live on www.chsaa.tv as Colorado Preps will provide the play-by-play and production of the game for the state activities association.  You can join us about ten minutes prior to kickoff for complete coverage.  We’ll also have score updates on our sister website at www.coloradoscores.com and on your mobile phone at www.coloradoscores.mobi.

DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

2009:  Lost to Merino 20-14

2008:  Beat Merino 28-6

2007:  Lost to Merino 26-9

HOEHNE – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY

2010:  Beat Caliche 14-8 (OT)

1980:  Beat Walsh 30-11 (1A)

PLAYOFF HISTORY BETWEEN TWO SCHOOLS

2008:  Dayspring Christian beat Hoehne 40-24 (Semi-finals)

Kickoff for both games are set for 1:00pm on Saturday from Wiggins and Greeley respectively.  Colorado Preps will again provide the play-by-play and behind the scenes production for both games.  Ben Blecha and Kerry Sherman will have the play-by-play from Wiggins with Clark Johnson providing coverage of the eight man finals from Dayspring Christian.

The six man state championship game won by Fleming over Otis last Saturday is available on-demand at www.chsaa.tv.  State football finals in the other four classes will also be available at www.chsaa.tv in doubleheaders from Legacy Stadium (2A & 3A) and Sports Authority Field at Mile High (4A & 5A).

CLASS 5A – STATE QUARTERFINALS

FINAL:  #1 Columbine beat #9 Highlands Ranch 35-14

FINAL:  #5 Grandview beat #4 Ralston Valley 17-14

FINAL:  #10 Lakewood beat #2 Grand Junction 36-24

FINAL:  #3 Pomona beat #6 Mullen 23-22

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CLASS 4A – STATE QUARTERFINALS

FINAL:  #1 Valor Christian beat #9 Wheat Ridge 42-0

FINAL:  #4 Castle View beat #5 Longmont 42-16

FINAL:  #3 Pine Creek beat #11 Greeley West 35-0

FINAL:  #2 Monarch beat #7 Broomfield 23-21

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CLASS 3A – STATE QUARTERFINALS

FINAL:  #16 Frederick beat #8 D’Evelyn 20-17

FINAL:  #5 Windsor beat #4 Rifle 36-15

FINAL:  #3 Silver Creek beat #11 Lewis Palmer 42-20

FINAL:  #10 Palisade beat #2 Kennedy 47-7

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CLASS 2A – STATE QUARTERFINALS

FINAL:  #1 Brush beat #8 Olathe 23-12

FINAL:  #4 Bayfield beat #5 Eaton 15-14

FINAL:  #3 Kent Denver beat #6 Faith Christian 31-22

FINAL:  #2 Florence beat #10 Bennett 35-7

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CLASS 1A – STATE SEMIFINALS

FINAL:  #1 Burlington beat #4 Lyons 53-13

FINAL:  #11 Wiggins beat #2 Hotchkiss 47-19

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EIGHT MAN – STATE SEMIFINALS

FINAL:  #1 Hoehne beat #4 Norwood 40-24

FINAL:  #2 Dayspring Christian beat #3 Simla 31-0

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SIX MAN – STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL:  #1 Fleming beat #3 Otis 62-28

With a late field goal, Monarch gained a 20-15 lead on their former conference rivals only to see the Eagles completed a 93 yard touchdown pass with just over a minute remaining for a 21-20 advantage.  Monarch then drove the length of the field and booted a 27 yard field goal with five seconds left to score the wild playoff win.  They next face the winner of tomorrow’s game between Pine Creek and Greeley at District Six stadium in Greeley in next week’s semi-finals.

Elsewhere, two unbeatens were eliminated as Grand Junction and Longmont both lost.  In 5A, the 2^nd seeded Tigers were bounced in the state quarterfinals for the second straight year as they were surprised by Lakewood 36-24.  It’s the first visit to the semi-finals for Lakewood since they won the state championship in 1985.  Grand Junction lost to Regis 28-24 at home in this round a year ago so they suffered a second straight frustrating loss to end their playoff run.

Longmont lost on the road to Castle View 42-16.  The Sabercats posted their first ever playoff win last week and now are in the semi-finals for the first time in school history.  They next face top ranked Valor Christian who beat them 55-9 during the regular season. 

A new champion is also assured in Class 5A as Mullen was eliminated by Pomona 23-22 in another game that wasn’t decided until the final play.  Pomona blocked a potential game tying 30 yard field goal with less than two minutes left to secure the win.  They took over at their own two yard line and then took a safety with 11 seconds left to advance into the semi-finals.  Mullen had two tries from midfield but both passes fell incomplete and time expired.  The loss snaps an 18 game playoff winning streak for the Mustangs who have won the last three big school crowns.  Pomona faces Lakewood in the semi-finals.  Grandview also reached the Final Four by holding off Ralston Valley 17-14 tonight.  The Wolves must wait until tomorrow to find out their semi-final opponent as they get the winner between Columbine and Highlands Ranch.  Those two kickoff at one o’clock.

In Class 3A, Silver Creek survived a scare from Palmer Ridge in round one but controlled Lewis Palmer from start to finish tonight posting a 42-20 win over the Rangers.  That puts the Raptors into the semi-finals for the first time in school history.  They meet the winner between Kennedy and Palisade who play at one o’clock on Saturday.

Colorado Preps follows every playoff game in progress on our sister websites at www.coloradoscores.com and www.coloradoscores.mobi.  We’ll also provide a recap of the wild weekend with a special playoff edition of the Scoreboard Show Saturday afternoon from 3:30-5:00pm on the Colorado Preps Radio Network.

Mullen this year is the sixth seed and will face third seeded Pomona on the road this Friday.  It’s a rematch of the 2009 state championship game won by the Mustangs 27-24.  Pomona has not been tested in the playoffs beating Thornton (47-0) and Northglenn (41-7) with relative ease.  Because of those easy wins there might normally be concerns about focus in the Pomona camp but with the three-time defending state champions on the schedule and a semi-final berth up for grabs, concentration should not be an issue for the Panthers.

With star running back Dylan Carter only kicking extra points because of an injury, Pomona turned to the passing game last week and QB Alec Feland responded with six touchdown passes.  He missed only four of his 16 attempts on the night and finished with 207 yards.  Dominic Martinez caught three of the scoring tosses, Mitch Colin two and Brendan Ryan one.  That trio caught 11 passes for 203 yards.

Carter is expected back in the lineup this week and the Mustangs will certainly have a game plan to slow him down but with last week’s aerial display by Feland, it gives Mullen one more area to think about on the defensive end.  Mullen’s defense surrendered only 14 points to the pass happy Bear Creek offense a week ago and held the Bears out of the end zone on three pass attempts to finish the game.

Mullen has been to the semi-finals each of the last seven years and a win at Pomona will make it eight straight.  The Mustangs have won their last four third round games by at least 16 points and have won 18 straight in the post-season overall.  One of those wins as mentioned came against Pomona in the 2009 state finals.  Pomona topped the Mustangs 49-7 in the only other playoff matchup between the two.  It came in the 1986 4A semi-finals. 

The winner between Mullen and Pomona will face the Tigers in the semi-finals and on Friday night we’ll find out which set.  The 10^th seeded Lakewood Tigers are on the road to face the 2^nd ranked Grand Junction Tigers.  Both teams go into the game seeking more respect on the statewide level but we’re not sure why.  Both won conference championships during the regular season and each has already won two playoff games.  We guess the respect card comes from the leagues they play in and the lack of playoff success in 5A by both programs.

This is the first year that Lakewood has won at least two playoff games since 2006.  They have not made the semi-finals since they won it all in 1985.  Grand Junction last reached the semi-finals in 2005 when they reached the 4A state championship game but they’ve never played for the big school crown.  They’re also looking to put out of their minds last year’s difficult 24-21 home loss to Regis in this round a year ago.

The game could be high scoring.  Lakewood is putting up 38.5 points per game with Grand Junction a step better at 43.5 points a night.  Grand Junction has been better in the playoffs; totaling 51 points against Chatfield in round one and then exploding for 35 against a very good Chaparral defense last week.  Lakewood did score 39 points against Gateway in their opener but was held to just ten in a shutout victory over Horizon last week.

The offensive story on Grand Junction continues to surround the tandem of Jerreon Dennis and Sean Rubalcaba.  Dennis went over the 2,000 yard mark rushing with 238 yards against Chaparral last week.  He already has 502 yards rushing in the playoffs.  Rubalcaba has thrown for 1,207 yards and 16 touchdowns and is also over 1,000 yards rushing (1,187) and 11 TD’s on the ground.  He combined for 233 yards against Chaparral last week.

Lakewood’s defense hopes to be ready for that onslaught.  Horizon was averaging 32 points a game going into their second round game last week but the Tigers kept them off the scoreboard.  It was their fifth shutout of the season but the first against a team that qualified for the playoffs.  Offensively, Lakewood ran for 197 yards led by John Greer with 132 yards on 17 carries.

Grand Junction and Lakewood have met twice before in the post-season but the most recent matchup came in 1968 when Lakewood scored a 33-13 victory.  Grand Junction topped Lakewood 22-0 to win the 1957 state championship.

When they venture to Grandview this Friday, Ralston Valley will be seeking their first ever semi-final visit in Class 5A.  The Mustangs lost to Cherokee Trail 14-2 in this round a year ago.  They do have one semi-final visit on their resume but that came on the 4A level in 2006 when they lost to Wheat Ridge.  Grandview meantime is a returning semi-finalist and also won the state crown in 2007.  They’re a regular visitor to the 5A playoffs but this is the first time they’ve faced Ralston Valley.

After averaging 29.8 points a game in the regular season, Grandview has suddenly found their stride in the playoffs.  They rolled up 38 points in a solid first round win over Legacy and then reeled off 51 in a wild 20 point win over Cherry Creek last week.  The Wolves led their conference rivals only 24-17 at halftime but then exploded for 27 in the third quarter to blow it open.  The Grandview defense forced five turnovers and Jordan Schlehuber (139 yards passing / 2 TD’s) and Isaiah Jackson (159 yards rushing) both had big days on the offensive end.

Ralston Valley had a much more difficult time last week as they held off a talented Fountain Fort Carson club 14-12.  The Mustangs surrendered 228 yards on the ground but stiffened when they had to.  Fountain Fort Carson scored a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter but couldn’t get into the end zone on a potential game tying two point conversion.  They also made a key stop at midfield when the Trojans were driving again in the final minutes.

Columbine is the number one seed in the bracket but they also face a tough assignment when they host red hot Highlands Ranch on Saturday.  The Falcons have been very impressive down the stretch and they’re just one win from reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 1998.  Columbine has great playoff tradition but this is their first visit to the third round in three years.  They fell to Cherry Creek 27-25 in a controversial finish that season.

Line play will determine this one.  Both teams have skilled running backs with big play ability so the team that opens more holes and dominates up front should advance.  Highlands Ranch tailback Joe Hansley is a strong candidate for Player of the Year and he’s stepped up his game even more in the final post-season.  He ran for 189 yards and three TD’s in last week’s easier than expected 28-14 win over ThunderRidge.  Highlands Ranch led 21-0 in the second quarter.  Hansley registered 180 yards and five scores in limited time in the first round win over Mountain Range.  In that one, the Falcons led 34-0 in the first quarter.

Columbine counters with the McDondle brothers.  Cameron has 1,794 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season while Bernard has totaled 682 yards with 12 scores.  Cameron has 343 yards and two TD’s in the post-season and enters the Highlands Ranch contest with seven straight 100 yard games.  Bernard ran for 157 yards and a season best five touchdowns against Fairview last week so both are at full speed in the post-season.  The Rebels will also be boosted by the return of quarterback Justin Brown who hasn’t played since being hurt in the season closing win over Mullen.