The football playoffs have arrived and are back to normal after a restricted field last year. The Class 2A postseason begins this week with games scattered all around the state.
Eaton looks to be the favorite to come away with the 2A crown which would mark a successful title defense, but there are certainly challenges ahead in many forms.
Colorado Preps previews the matchups and will recap the action during a special Saturday playoff edition of the Bank of Colorado Scoreboard Show which airs from 3:30-5:00pm.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CLASSICAL ACADEMY SCHOOLS
#16 Kent Denver (5-3) at #1 Eaton (9-0)
This will be the fourth postseason matchup between the Reds and the Sun Devils. Kent Denver leads the series 2-1 with wins in 2015 and 2008. Eaton won the first-ever playoff game between the programs, getting a 28-26 win back in 2002. The Reds have a great chance to snap their two-game postseason skid as they enter the postseason as the top overall seed and have looked like the best team in 2A since the playoffs began last year. They total 254.2 rushing yards as a team and Ethan Florez leads the way with 804 total rushing yards on the season. He, Walker Martin and Ryan Dirksen have each scored seven rushing touchdowns.
The Sun Devils will try to counter with their own rushing attack as Finn Cooper has 1,016 and 13 touchdowns on the year. Perhaps their best chance to score the upset over Eaton is to force turnovers (they’ve forced 17 this year) and score points. This game overall could come down to who takes care of the ball and wins the time of possession battle.
#9 Elizabeth (7-2) at #8 Bayfield (7-1)
The Wolverines are back in the playoffs after a disappointing 0-4 season a year ago. These programs have recent playoff history against each other as they faced off in the first round of the 2017 postseason. Bayfield rolled to a 51-0 win and went on to win the 2A state championship. Quarterback Isaac Ross has led the Wolverines offense with 1,845 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. Defensively, they’ve recovered 10 fumbles which could prove to be a major factor in this game.
Elizabeth has a much different style as the Cardinals try to stay on the ground and do it by committee. Jace Perez and Cooper Connelley have each rushed for over 600 yards and have scored a combined 20 runs. Elizabeth has lost its last four first-round playoff games and despite a long road trip ahead, would love to snap that postseason losing streak.
#13 Alamosa (6-3) at #4 Delta (8-1)
This is the third postseason meeting between the Mean Moose and the Panthers. Alamosa was on the winning end of the previous two games, winning 48-0 in 1993 and then edging out the Delta 15-12 in 1997. It would be hard for any Delta players to hold a grudge as none of them had been born the last time these teams met in the postseason, but that won’t stop them from trying to get their first playoff win against Alamosa. Freshman quarterback Ty Reed has put together a nice season with 839 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also thrown just three interceptions. Timothy Horn has helped that cause by going for 1,034 yards on the ground with eight rushing touchdowns.
The Mean Moose secondary will try to rattle the freshman, however. Kade Jones leads the team with three interceptions and the team overall has 11, showing a knack for defending an air attack. Offensively, it’s Kasey Jones leading the way as he has thrown for over 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns. The heavy passing attacks by both teams could turn this game into a fun shootout on the Western Slope.
#12 University (5-4) at #5 Moffat County (8-1)
This battle of the Bulldogs is a first for Colorado high school football playoffs. The two programs have never seen each other in the postseason and the first meeting could turn out to be one of the most exciting games this weekend. Moffat County has lost five straight playoff games dating back to 2006. The school is looking to end that streak and do so using the stout running game that has led them to an 8-1 record this year. Evan Atkin has rushed for 1,256 yards this year and has scored 28 touchdowns. Ryan Peck has been reliable through the air when he’s had to go there as he has thrown for 996 yards and 12 touchdowns. Moffat’s lone loss this season was to Delta so there is a lot of confidence that there can be a deep playoff run.
University is a very dangerous 12 seed on the bracket. Three of its four losses have come to teams seeded in the top six of the playoffs. That includes a narrow 27-20 loss to defending state champion Eaton. Greg Garza has led a steady passing attack by throwing for 1,855 yards and 20 touchdowns. His two favorite targets are Tayt Chacon and Kanon Padilla. They each have over 500 receiving yards and have combined to catch 13 of Garza’s 20 touchdown passes. University is just 2-7 all-time in the postseason and hasn’t won a playoff game since 1985.
#15 La Junta (5-4) at #2 Resurrection Christian (7-1)
The Tigers and Cougars have met just once in the postseason and it was Rez getting a 46-14 win back in 2019. The Cougars come into the postseason as the No. 2 seed and are trying to get past the semifinals for the first time in school history. They have advanced there each of the last four seasons but have been unable to win and get to the 2A championship game. Quarterback Eddie Lemos has taken on the heavy lifting in the run-heavy offense, totaling 1,149 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
La Junta counters with a rush-heavy offense of its own. Jeremiah Martinez and Luke Garner have each rushed for at least 745 yards and combined to score 25 touchdowns. The rushing numbers along indicate that the Tigers might be able to keep pace the Cougars. What it may come down to in each team’s ability to force a timely turnover. La Junta has picked off five passes and recovered six fumbles while the Cougars have six interceptions and seven recovered fumbles. La Junta is looking to win its first playoff game since beating Platte Valley in the 2018 state championship game.
#10 Basalt (7-2) at #7 Brush (7-2)
The Beetdiggers are back in the 2A playoffs for the first time since 2015. That year they advanced to the second round before getting bounced by Bayfield, who went on to win the state championship. This is the first time that Basalt and Brush will meet in the postseason, and it should be a heck of a showdown. Brush isn’t as explosive offensively as other teams on the bracket, but they’ve scored about 34 points per game which is good enough to reach the playoffs and come in as a top-10 seed. Alejandro Maltos-Garcia has thrown for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns while Cesar Hinojos and Ty Griffith have combined for over 1,100 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Brush has forced 18 turnovers on the defensive side of the ball.
Counting last year’s appearance in the Season C 3A playoffs, this is the sixth straight season that the Longhorns have advanced to the postseason. Their last win came in the 2019 quarterfinals when they beat Rifle 21-14. The Longhorns finished third in the 2A West league behind a steady performance from quarterback Kade Schneider who has thrown for 1,222 yards and 18 touchdowns. They also have a balanced running attack that has totaled 1,608 yards. Both Dylan Madden and Ryan Garcia have picked off three passes on defense and the Longhorns have forced 26 turnovers this season. If they can steal some possessions from Brush, they might find themselves into the second round.
#11 Platte Valley (6-3) at #6 Severance (7-2)
The first playoff game for Severance in program history comes against a very familiar opponent. The Silver Knights beat Platte Valley 17-14 earlier in the year and the two teams find themselves matched up in the first round of postseason play. It was the Broncos who found themselves with an early 7-0 lead before Severance came out of the locker room with a strong second half to secure the win. Nolan Hertzke threw for a modest 164 yards but had a key touchdown pass to Caden Donovan to help fuel the comeback. Hertzke also ran for a touchdown in that win.
The Broncos will hope their run game holds up in this rematch. Devyn Lauer ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting, but they could only find 71 more rushing yards from the rest of the team. Severance won the turnover battle 2-1 which was a pivotal state for the game. Platte Valley seems to reach the championship game in three-year increments and last got there in 2018 before losing to La Junta.
#14 Northfield (6-3) at #3 The Classical Academy (8-0)
Both Northfield and TCA played in the 3A Season C playoffs last year but did not face each other. It was the first postseason appearance for the Nighthawks in their program’s history. Northfield won the 2A Flatirons league to ensure a playoff berth. Troy Motley established himself as an offensive leader early in the year as he rushed for about 8.3 yards per carry.
TCA has been better about getting to the postseason, getting there for the 10th time in school history. The Tians have championship ambitions after losing in the Season C 3A title game last spring. Cade Palmer had a monster game and has followed it up with a monster season, rushing for 1,266 yards and 22 touchdowns. Since TCA had a game cancelled during the year, that comes out to an average of 158 yards per game. Ethan Aragundi has been a ball hawk on defense as he leads the team with three recovered fumbles. The Titans last appearance in the 2A playoffs ended with a first-round loss to Basalt.
