1A FOOTBALL – FIRST ROUND PREVIEW

Two unbeaten teams, Limon and Peyton, hold down the top two seeds in the Class 1A playoffs and the field also includes three teams who have combined to win the last five championships.   Our report this week takes a look at all eight first round meetings.  Games are listed in bracket order.
 

#1 Limon (9-0) vs #16 Highland (6-3)

The top seeded Badgers enter the post-season following their closest battle of the season in a 19-13 win over Holyoke.  The victory gave them the North Central championship, the top spot in the RPI and the number one overall playoff seed.  Limon played the game without starting QB Cannan Bennett and as a result threw the ball just seven times.  The running game though did not suffer as the Badgers racked up 265 yards and three scores on the ground.  Kory Tacha picked up 87 yards, Jeremiah Leeper 72 and Hauk Hubbard 66.  The Badgers overall this year outscored regular season opponents 332-66.  Highland finished second to Strasburg for the third straight year in the North Central.  They enter the post-season winners of three straight and have allowed just 14 points over their last three games.  Koby Anderson (58) and Blake Fabrizius (55) pace the defense.  Logan Stewart (710 yards) and Holden Morgan (539) lead the offense and have combined for 19 touchdowns.
 

#8 Meeker (6-2) vs #9 Holyoke (7-2)

Normally the eight-nine game in any 16-team bracket stands a chance to be the best opening round game and this one is no different.  In fact, the matchup could easily take place in the quarterfinals or semifinals as both clubs have put together solid seasons.  The teams have a common opponent in Limon.  As mentioned, the Dragons lost 19-13 last week and Meeker fell short in week three 25-16.  Both teams rely heavily on young quarterbacks.  Meeker sophomore Ryan Phelan has thrown for 1,519 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season.  Holyoke Freshman Miles Sprague has 732 yards and 10 touchdowns.  The Dragons offense is led by Blake Mosenteen with 1,219 yards rushing and 10 scores while Meeker’s attack is topped by Tannen Kennedy (595 yards).  This is the first ever playoff meeting between the schools.  Meeker is in the playoffs for a fifth straight year and reached the championship game two years ago.  Holyoke is making their first appearance since 2012 but they have just one playoff win since 1998.
 

#4 Colorado Springs Christian (8-1) vs #13 Monte Vista (5-4)

Momentum is very positive for both clubs as each enters the playoffs riding high from an important win to close the season.  Colorado Springs Christian throttled Florence 31-0 to capture the Tri Peaks championship and Monte Vista’s win at Buena Vista (20-12) got them into the bracket.  For the Pirates, it was their third straight following a 45-8 loss to Centauri.  They also lost to Florence 42-14 very early in the season.  Kaidon Wenta is the workhorse for Monte Vista with 1,272 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.  He ran for a season best 243 yards on 42 carries in last week’s win.  The Lions ran for 299 yards and allowed just 84 in last week’s shutout against Florence.  Joe Dunn paced the team with 128 yards and Peyton Brones added 117.  Brones needs just 13 yards this week to reach 1,500 for the season and also leads the Lions in tackles.  Dunn is 19 yards shy of 700 for the season and averages nearly 10 yards per carry.  Colorado Springs Christian and Monte Vista have played just once before in the playoffs with the Lions scoring a 21-20 win in 2006.  That was the last playoff win for the CSCS as they’ve dropped their last six.  Monte Vista outscored Clear Creek 39-34 in their post-season opener last year and has just three playoff wins since 2002.
 

#5 Florence (7-2) vs #12 Wray (5-4)

Which team can better establish the running game should end up on top here.  Wray averages 247 yards per game on the ground and totaled 28 touchdowns on the season.  Cade Hillman is the top rusher with 851 yards and 12 touchdowns but Emmanuel Huerta (666) has become a very good second option and has twice picked up more than 160 yards in a game.  Florence had rushed for at least 290 yards in three straight games but were held to 90 and 84 yards in their last two games against Centauri and Colorado Springs Christian.  The Huskies still average nearly six yards an attempt and get plenty of production from Ryan Swallow (894) and Owen Busetti (645) who have combined for over 15-hundred yards and 18 touchdowns.  Florence had won seven straight before last week’s loss to Colorado Springs Christian.  The Huskies are in the bracket for just the second time since 014 with their last win coming over Strasburg (26-20) in 2013.  Wray seeks their first post-season win since beating Holyoke (28-20) in 2012.  This is the first playoff meeting between the two.
 

#3 Strasburg (8-1) vs #14 Buena Vista (4-5)

The two teams have combined to win the last three Class 1A state championships with Strasburg winning the last two and Buena Vista capturing the crown in 2015.  The Demons beat Paonia 27-20 in the finals that year but has played just one playoff game since; falling to Paonia 51-6 in 2016.   The Indians are in the 1A playoff bracket for the sixth time in school history and they have won titles in three of the previous five.  Buena Vista has lost three of four but two wins to open the season helped in their playoff push.  QB Parker Johnson is a threat to throw and run the football and will be the focus of a Strasburg defense that’s given up only 82 points all season including 19 over their last five.  The Indians’ only loss came against Limon and they also have a quality win over Burlington.  Trystan Graff was the top returning rusher for the defending champs but has played just two games due to injury and the Indians have eased him into the lineup with just six carries for 54 yards.  Michael Spence is the top passer (420 yards) and rusher (563) with a combined 19 touchdowns.
 

#6 Burlington (7-2) vs #11 Paonia (6-3)

Saturday marks the third time in four years the Cougars and Eagles have paired up in the playoffs.  Paonia won the previous two; beating Burlington 22-20 in 2016 and 47-7 in 2015.  Both were quarterfinal meetings.  Paonia has won six straight openers; the Cougars eight of their last nine.  The Eagles won back-to-back crowns in 2013-14 and Burlington also won two straight crowns in 2010-11.  Expect a physical game in this one as both teams want to establish their power running game and shorten the game with time consuming drives.  Burlington averages 177 yards rushing per game with 27 touchdowns on the season.  Taylor Scott (483) and Kaden Meurisse (473) lead a balanced attack.  Paonia picks up 211 yards each game with 23 rushing touchdowns.  Anthony Felice, with 739 yards and eight touchdowns, is the first option but Jesse Burns (492), Sackett Chesnik (355) and Garret Neal (263) also get carries.  Neal has attempted 56 passes completing 24 for 395 yards and four touchdowns.  Burlington has thrown it about twice as often as Braden Witzel has 104 attempts.  He’s completed 36 for 775 yards and nine touchdowns.  Six of those scores have gone to Andrew Burton and three to Micah Hanson.
 

#7 Centauri (7-2) vs #10 Crowley County (7-2)

Centauri is easily the most rested team in the 1A field as the Falcons have been on the field only once since beating Monte Vista 45-8 on October 5^th.  Two of their last three games were forfeits so the Falcons have “played” just seven games all season.  Their last on field action resulted in a hard fought 12-7 loss to Florence.  Crowley County also went through a forfeit against Trinidad at mid-season and suffered a loss two weeks ago as well; falling to Peyton 30-14 in the Santa Fe league championship game.  Centauri has reached the state championship twice in the past five years and has won three of their last four first round games.  Crowley County was a state semifinalist in 2015 but has dropped their last two playoff openers.  This will be the first playoff meeting between the two.  Eric Maez has 571 yards passing and Taj Cornum 413 yards rushing for Centauri.  The defensive leaders are Adam (55 tackles) and Bennie Chacon (49).  Tyler Schwartz tops Crowley County with 617 yards rushing and Adam Schulz has thrown for 511 yards.  Together they have 16 touchdowns.
 

#2 Peyton (9-0) vs #15 Platte Canyon (6-3)

Peyton is unbeaten on the season with four wins coming against teams in the playoff bracket.  Included on the list is a 42-6 win over Platte Canyon on September 22^nd.  The game was tight through the first quarter with Peyton leading 8-0 but the Panthers then scored 22 second quarter points to take a commanding 30-point halftime lead.  They rushed for 339 yards including 189 and three touchdowns from JD Hart.  The senior totaled 1,251 yards with 20 touchdowns on the season and rushed for at least 100 yards in all but two games.  Platte Canyon was held to a season low 57 yards rushing but Liam Murphy did complete nine of 11 passes for 101 yards.  Murphy has 569 yards on the season and may throw more again this week.  Other than Peyton, he attempted just 43 passes all season.  Trevor Tinajera is the key on the ground with 1,098 yards and 12 touchdowns.  The Huskies are 0-3 this year against teams that made the playoffs with other losses coming against Colorado Springs Christian and Buena Vista.  Still they’re making a seventh straight trip to the playoffs and have first round wins in 2016 and 2014.  Peyton is in the bracket for the fourth straight year.  Their lone win in the stretch came against Limon (16-7) two years ago.