With four teams in the top 10 having the week off, the 2A football focus turns to teams outside the rankings fighting to get in and improve RPI numbers with wins over quality opponents in week five. Such games on the list include Delta at Bennett, Faith Christian at University and Lamar on the road to Alamosa.
Delta (2-1) has been involved in two tight games over the past two weeks and they’ve split the outings. The Panthers fell at Salida 28-22 when they lost a fumble inside the red zone in the final minutes but held on last week to beat Montezuma Cortez 19-14. Bennett (2-1) bounced back from a loss to two-time 1A state champion and arch rival Strasburg by downing Ridgeview Academy 23-16.
Defense and special teams were both strong for Delta as they beat Cortez. The defense recorded five tackles behind the line of scrimmage and two sacks. Aiden Barrios, with nine tackles, shared the team lead with Nathan Workman, but he also returned an interception for a touchdown. Felipe Bedoy also booted two field goal attempts in as many tries.
Gauge Lockhart completed just seven of 21 pass attempts but still threw for 161 yards to lead the offense. Ku Moo picked up 58 yards rushing.
Friday’s battle with Delta is a key game for Bennett. If they get the win, the Tigers could very well be 5-1 entering back-to-back conference games against Faith Christian and D’Evelyn in weeks eight and nine. Those two games will determine whether the Tigers land the conference championship or be left waiting for a wildcard berth.
University (2-1) has a better record than Faith Christian (1-2) but the Eagles have played a much more difficult schedule. They lost to top 10 rivals Resurrection Christian and Kent Denver to open the season before breaking through with 42-7 win over Manitou Springs last week. University fell to Strasburg (35-13) in their opener but has since moved past Fort Lupton and Weld Central (combined 1-6).
The Bulldogs are entering the crucial stretch of their schedule as following the matchup with Faith Chrsitian, they face Eaton and Resurrection Christian. This stretch will determine if they have improved enough to challenge for a league championship and/or playoff berth. QB Chayden Cox could be the key there. He’s thrown for 367 yards in three games but has six interceptions and that number must be reduced if the Bulldogs are to play into November.
Cox has several weapons on the outside. Mason Ewing leads the team with nine catches while Caden Measner and Tayt Chacon each have seven. All three are underclassmen.
A fast start could also help University. Last week, they jumped to a 17-0 first quarter lead in downing Weld Central 30-8.
Faith Christian got touchdown runs from Jordan Abbott and David Nagy to start the scoring against Manitou Springs. Look for the Eagles to use those two to establish the run to setup possible big plays in the passing game from QB Isaiah Kroll.
Lamar has just one win on the season and has just four victories overall since the start of the 2016 season but it appears the Savages are on the way back. They blasted Rocky Ford (46-0) in week three and then pushed 1A #3 Burlington last week before falling 34-29.
A big play defense and solid QB play from sophomore Zane Rankin have led the Savages through three games. The defense forced six turnovers in the win over Rocky Ford and added two more against Burlington. Luis Delatorre and Blake Buxton each picked off a pass against the Cougars. Rankin threw for 124 yards and ran for 37 against Rocky Ford and added 59 yards passing and 108 running against Burlington.
Another contributor has been Walker Kee. He ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns against Burlington and scored three times with 90 yards on the ground vs. Rocky Ford.
Defending the run has been the difference for Alamosa this year. They have wins over Monte Vista and Mitchell and combined to allow 152 yards on the ground in those two contests. In the loss to La Junta, the Moose defense gave up 359 yards rushing. So they will look to slow down the Lamar running game as they search for a third win in four games.
Ian Jackson was the difference in last week’s win at Mitchell. He ran for 205 yards and scored one of his two touchdowns on a 96-yard run. The Moose finished with 308 yards overall.
Two top 10 teams are involved in similar games that will impact RPI standings quite a bit and thus how the playoff bracket could layout. #9 Eaton is at Machebeuf and #10 Kent Denver plays host to 3A Pueblo Centennial. All four teams are coming off losses and each wants to regain momentum before the conference season opens next week.
Eaton lost to Platte Valley 26-7 last week. The Reds surrendered 16 second quarter points and were forced to play catchup the rest of the way. QB Scott Grable threw for 159 yards but completed just nine of 22 passes and had two interceptions. Ty Garnhart, who scored the only touchdown for the Reds, led the offense with 60 yards rushing.
The defense hung in there for the most part with two sacks and two turnovers forced.
Machebeuf is regrouping after a 41-0 loss to Elizabeth last week. The Cards averaged over nine yards a carry and finished with 367 yards and five touchdowns rushing. Eaton will look to exploit that run defense again this week.
The game is very important to Machebeuf. Not only will a win boost their RPI but it could set the stage for the Buffs to be 6-1 heading into season finales with Englewood and Kent Denver. Up after Eaton are games with Alameda, Riverdale Ridge and Ridgeview Academy and the Buffs will be favored in all three.
Kent Denver and Pueblo Centennial both opened week four unbeaten at 2-0 but ended the weekend at 2-1 following shutout losses. The Devils failed to get off the bus in a 33-0 loss to #1 La Junta while Centennial fell at #6 Harrison (3A) 21-0.
Centennial got behind by two scores from Harrison and was forced to get away from their power running game and that’s not their strength. The offense is built to generate first downs through the running game, wear down opponents and take charge in the third and fourth quarters. Last week, they attempted 17 passes and completed just three. In the first two games, both wins, the Bulldogs combined to throw just 10 passes. They also ran for 749 yards in those wins and totaled just 116 in last weeks’ loss.
Kent Denver averaged 36 points in wins over Grand Valley and Faith Christian but couldn’t find the end zone against La Junta. They ran for 155 yards but could not get the passing game going as Joey Licht hit just four of 13 passes for 20 yards.
The Sun Devils need a win to boost their RPI as they will likely lose ground in those standings during conference play. The remaining five league teams are a combined 5-12 so the Devils strength of schedule could take a hit over the next five weeks.
La Junta is the new number one team in Class 2A this week as their win over Kent Denver and Bayfield’s loss to Durango (3A) put the Tigers back in the top spot. They’re off this week and will open Tri Peaks play at Woodland Park on the 28th.
#2 Platte Valley and #3 Bayfield join the Tigers on the sideline with byes this week. The Broncos go to Weld Central for the Patriot East opener on the 28th and Bayfield begins the Intermountain schedule that same night against Alamosa.
#8 Berthoud (3-1) is the fourth ranked team to take a bye this week. The Spartans carry a three-game winning streak into the break including last week’s 36-16 win over Thompson Valley. They have two weeks to prep for a huge league contest with Resurrection Christian a week from Friday.
#4 Rifle (3-0) entertains local rival Glenwood Springs on Friday. It will be their third non-conference game against a 3A school. They begin their 2A Western Slope conference run at Coal Ridge on the 28th.
#5 Basalt (3-0) puts their unbeaten record on the line at 1A Paonia this Friday. The Eagles are never an easy out at home but the Longhorns have been dominant this year in allowed only six points through three games. We cover the game more in-depth inside our 1A report.
#6 Resurrection Christian (3-0) should stay perfect as they visit winless Weld Central. The Cougars have three quality wins over Sterling, Faith Christian and Classical Academy and have allowed only 16 points in doing so. As mentioned, the Cougars start conference action with a key game at Berthoud in week six.
#7 Salida (4-0) gets to play five non-conference games as they changed up their schedule when league rival Gunnison did not field a team this year. The Spartans crushed Buena Vista 43-0 for a fourth straight win this year and could make it five when they visit Cedaredge this Friday. Buena Vista beat the Bruins earlier this year so comparative scores give the edge to Salida.
