League overview: For the most part, the makeup of this football looks intact from the previous cycle. The only big difference is that The Classical Academy has been shifted into the league after departing the Tri-Peaks. Elizabeth enters the year as the defending league champion and now has to contend with the Titans as well as a consistently talented Kent Denver team. The race to the top of the standing should be a three-horse battle and provide some entertaining matchups through the course of the season. Englewood, Denver West and Alameda had their struggles in 2020 and will all look to take steps forward this fall.
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Alameda
Head coach: Ricky Noble
2021 Record: 3-6 (0-4 Colorado)
Returning All-State Players: None
Alameda put together a successful non-league schedule, going 3-2 with wins over Jefferson, Valley and the Pinnacle. They’re looking to take those successful moments and duplicate them in 2022. Most of the returning production is on the defensive side of the ball. Erick Quintanilla totaled 1.5 sacks and 23 total tackles. In fact, the top five tacklers for the Pirates were freshmen or sophomores, a very encouraging fact heading into the season. Tez Glover led the team with 48, 27 of them being solo tackles. Glover also picked off two passes which was a team high as well. The Pirates will see Denver North, Littleton, Lincoln and D’Evelyn in non-league play this year.
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The Classical Academy
Head coach: Justin Rich
2021 Record: 9-1 (4-0 Tri-Peaks)
Returning All-State Players: Tanner Eide (Second Team), Josh Snyder (Honorable Mention)
The newcomer to the league will find itself right in the mix of winning the league title. TCA is a talented team year after year and this season should be no different. There will be holes to fill for sure, especially at running back as Cade Palmer departs the program after concluding a remarkable career last fall. Ethan Aragundi will probably take the bulk of that production over as he ran for 421 yards and scored eight touchdowns last year. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry so he will be vital to the Titans ground game. Coach Rich has identified Drew Brown as an underclassman that everyone should keep their eye on this season. He was limited in action last year but should make his way into the rotation with so many seniors departing the program following the 2021 campaign. Rich isn’t messing around this season as his team opens against defending 2A champion Eaton. He also points to the game against Elizabeth as a crucial one because it’s always a competitive battle.
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Denver West
Head coach: Leon Garcia
2021 Record: 3-6 (1-3 Colorado League)
Returning All-State Players: None
The Cowboys experienced both highs and lows in 2021 and are looking to build on the highs heading into this season. A part of that will rely on the returning junior class which should provide the team with a mixture of talent and experience. As a sophomore last year, Tyzell Ausler threw for 531 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns while adding 367 rushing yards to his stat line. He gets back good run support in Ahmed Hussein, who ran for 384 yards and scored a team-high four rushing touchdowns. Hussein is also the team’s leading returning tackler, totaling 46 last year. Sophomore Damian Montanez should give the Cowboys a solid pass rush as he racked up 3.5 sacks as a freshman. West will see other DPS teams in three of its four non-league games and will open up league play against Kent Denver on Sept. 29.
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Elizabeth
Head coach: Michael Zoesch
2021 Record: 8-3 (4-0 Colorado League)
Returning All-State Players: Cooper Connelley (Honorable Mention)
Like three other teams in the 2021 2A playoffs, Elizabeth was sent home by eventual state champion Eaton. But that doesn’t mean the Cardinals had a bad season. They put together some good wins and their only losses came to Eaton (twice) and TCA. With TCA now being a league game, that matchup should be much more exciting this fall. It helps that they get some vital offensive pieces back. Cooper Connelley led the team in rushing with 656 yards and 11 touchdowns. Quarterback Jason Weber added 357 rushing yards himself and also found the end zone eight times. The Cardinals weren’t much of a passing team, but Ethan Stone is back after catching 11 passes for 142 yards and a team-high three touchdowns. Connelley and Stone were both big defensively as well. Connelley shared the team lead in interceptions with three while Stone recovered four fumbles. The Cardinals open the season at home against D’Evelyn.
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Englewood
Head coach: Mike Campbell
2021 Record: 3-5-1 (2-2 Colorado League)
Returning All-State Players: None
A tough stretch saw the Pirates drop four of five games in 2021, but a big win over Denver West in their final regular season game (they beat Alameda via forfeit a week later) was a good way to head into this fall with some positive vibes. Isaiah Segoviano and Logan Owens should evolve into major factors in the offensive game. They each averaged over 10 yards per catch last year and should provide some playmaking ability for the Pirates. Jayce Prante will prove himself a solid anchor on the defensive line and is one of several underclassmen that Coach Campbell is excited about this season. He knows that success for this team will be dictated by what happens in the trenches. If they can win that battle, the Pirates should take a major leap forward in 2022. “Having our OL and DL play really well while our youthful skill players come along (is crucial for us),” Campbell said.
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Kent Denver
Head coach: Riley Newcomer
2021 Record: 5-4 (3-1 Colorado League)
Returning All-State Players: None
Kent Denver always has a chance to be competitive and the 2022 season will be no different. The Sun Devils snuck into the 2A playoffs before being ousted by Eaton, but there is no reason to think that Scott Yates can’t coach up the crew he has in front of him. Charlie Walker will likely take a huge step forward in his development after rushing for 116 yards in very limited action a year ago. The Sun Devils lost over 1,500 of production the ground so he will be a big piece for Kent as it tries to maintain pace in that aspect of the game. The Sun Devils make look to win on defense and junior Rowdy Yates is a big reason for that. He totaled 47 tackles last year (second on the team) and also had two sacks and a fumble recovery. Many will look for either TCA or Elizabeth to win this league, but Kent Denver has a nasty habit of building itself into a competitive team year after year.
