Englewood football is walking on thin ice. So too are Holyoke and Fowler.
Those are the teams sitting at No. 16 in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index as of Thursday morning in their respective classifications. One slipup over the next couple of weeks, and there’s a world of ‘what-ifs’ on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the ‘chasers’ are aplenty with two weeks left in the regular season. Several 5-2 teams are sitting right behind the Pirates in Class 2A; likewise, good teams with solid marks lurk in 8-man. A deep dive would show other sub-.500 teams that might be on a roll after getting off to a slow start.
Let’s take that deep dive. Which teams are hot? Which teams have favorable schedules that might help their cause?
Class 2A
The case for Englewood (4-3): The Pirates have lost two straight and host 5-2 Elizabeth on Friday night. A season finale against 1A Platte Canyon (1-6) won’t exactly help much in the Index. It’s time for the EHS defense to step up to the plate and wreak some havoc.
The case for Basalt (5-3): The Longhorns have this week off and will hit the road to Aspen on Halloween night looking for their biggest win of the season. With wins against Delta and Coal Ridge, BHS is actually in the driver’s seat in the 2A West league. A league title, obviously, guarantees a playoff berth. The Skiers want to play spoiler, but Basalt has won the past 11 meetings in the series.
The case for Coal Ridge (5-2): The Titans have two good teams ahead in playing Aspen this week and Delta next week. Victories in both would prove worthy of playoff qualification, especially since the two losses are against Basalt and 3A Steamboat Springs.
The case for Weld Central (5-2): The Rebels will likely need to win the league to get in, and that means beating Brush on Friday night at home. A home game against Sterling to end the season is no gimme, either.
Class 1A
The case for Holyoke (3-4): The Dragons have the strength of schedule that are keeping them afloat, and last week’s win against Yuma was nice. This week’s game against Wiggins (1-6) is one HHS cannot overlook, but the Dragons have defeated WHS each of the past two seasons and seven of the past eight. Holyoke then faces 6-1 Burlington — the Cougars ended a five-game losing streak against HHS last year, 35-21.
The case for Manual (4-3): The Thunderbolts have already played the top-tier teams in their league, so winnable games against Estes Park and Jefferson could mean a six-win regular season. Then it’s a matter of whether the strength of schedule is enough for MHS to break a long playoff drought. It lost by just five points to Highland on Oct. 4.
Longshots: Denver Christian (3-4) and Wiggins are within striking distance. The Thunder do face two tough opponents in Flatirons Academy and Forge Christian to end the season. For the Tigers, upsets of Holyoke and Wray are the only route to take — but a three-win playoff team in this system is not unheard of.
8-man
The case for Fowler (4-3): Fowler faces a struggling Walsenburg this week ahead of the league championship showdown with Crowley County on Halloween. The Grizzlies have a much better strength of schedule than the Chargers (No. 23 despite equal 4-3 records), so Crowley could also shake things up by winning league.
The case for Springfield (5-2): A league championship is still in play if SHS can beat McClave on Nov. 1. Otherwise, the Longhorns should be able to get past Swink this week, and if Fowler stumbles, a good game against the Cardinals could prove enough to pull them up into the top 16.
The case for Hayden (5-2): Hayden is in the mix for a league title, with a matchup against frontrunner West Grand set for Halloween night in Kremmling. First, the Tigers can get a small boost with a win against 3-4 Vail Christian (No. 26 Index) this week. It would extend HHS’ win streak to five.
6-man
The case for Deer Trail (4-4): The Eagles are hoping to get to 6-4 and see another team above them in the Index take a tumble. Deer Trail has won three straight and has two winnable games left as it faces Kiowa (3-5) at home and nonleague Briggsdale (2-5) on the road.
The case for Primero (5-3): The Bulldogs probably need a lot more help than most teams to sneak in, but they can definitely make it interesting with a win this week against No. 14 Branson/Kim.
The case for Wiley (2-6): In facing 1-6 Genoa-Hugo (No. 21 Index) and 3-5 Manzanola (No. 27), even a pair of wins for the Panthers probably won’t be enough to overcome playing a tough schedule and not pulling off any upsets.
Of note, Hanover is No. 16 in the 6-man Index but has already clinched a playoff spot with a league title.
