Round two of league play is set for this weekend in Class 2A football and two top games can be found on the Western Slope while the Colorado and Tri Peaks conferences also feature important matchups. Winners stay in line for potential league championships later this month.
There’s a good possibility that quite a few points will be scored when Rifle goes to Delta on Friday. Â The Bears have outscored their first five opponents 196-43 and Delta has scored over 40 points in two of the three games they’ve played with their starting quarterback in the lineup.
That signal caller is Nolan Bynum. After missing two straight games, the sophomore returned last week and led the Panthers to an important 49-40 win over Aspen. He threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns and has finished with at least 200 games in the three games he’s played. Without him in the lineup, Coach Ben Johnson’s club totaled just 26 points in wins over Montezuma Cortez and Bennett.
Skyler Kraai caught eight passes in last week’s win. Gauge Lockhart had two touchdown receptions and Nathan Workman 1.
Bynum’s return and his ability to throw the ball downfield also opened the Panthers running game as they totaled 339 yards and four touchdowns against Aspen. Ku Moo topped the chart with 196 yards and Cody Sauve added 163.
Defensively, the Panthers gave up 363 yards and five touchdowns to Aspen’s big play passing offense but against Rifle, the focus turns to defending the run. Rifle averages 387 yards per game there and needs just 63 yards to reach 2,000 for the season. Tanner Vines, with 953 yards, is already within reach of 1,000 yards and Levi Warfel is next with 524. Both have scored eight touchdowns.
That running game also provides the Bears with the chance to get big plays in the passing game and QB Holden Stutsman has been effective there as well; completing 12 of 27 attempts for 272 yards and six touchdowns. Warfel has three catches for 122 yards and all three have gone for scores.
Friday’s winner is not guaranteed the league championship and Basalt is also in the conference. Delta meets the Longhorns next week so including last week’s game with Aspen, they will know their league championship over these three weeks. Rifle meets Basalt on October 19th.
The Longhorns took out Moffat County 33-13 in their conference opener last week and that win pushed them to the top of the RPI standings this week. They are favored at home against Coal Ridge this week. Delta is 8th in the RPI numbers and Rifle 14th.
Unbeaten Salida was off last week so their game with Pagosa Springs this week serves as their conference opener. With Gunnison unable to field a team this year, teams in the IML have just four league games so each week is extremely important to deciding their champion.
Friday’s game is also crucial to the RPI standings as the Spartans are fourth and Pirates ninth. Salida is 5-0 so their high standing is not surprising but since the Pirates are just 3-3, their top 10 billing is noticeable. The strong support comes from a tough schedule which is ranked as the most difficult in Class 2A by the RPI numbers.
Pagosa Springs moved past Montezuma Cortez 41-28 last week in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates. The Pirates led 41-16 in the second and generated 446 yards of offense; split almost evenly between the run and pass. QB Cade Cowan tossed three touchdown passes including a 66-yarder and the Pirates defense also recovered a fumble in the end zone for another score.
Vince Deleo is a name to keep in mind both offensively and defensively for Salida. He paces the offensive unit with 554 yards rushing and 11 TD’s while averaging 9.9 yards per carry. Deleo is also the top tackler with 53 stops.
The Spartans defense has been a strong point and has come up with 12 turnovers including eight fumble recoveries. Holt Brashears has three and Hunter Clark two. The unit also has nine sacks and 23 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Defending state champion Bayfield is fifth in the RPI standings following their win over Alamosa. They have the week off. Alamosa is 18th and Montezuma Cortez 19th so their meeting this week is highly crucial for a possible at large playoff berth.
Two one loss teams face off in the Colorado as Kent Denver travels to Englewood. Machebeuf (3-2) will be in the mix but based on records, this one could turn into the league championship game. The records are the same but Kent Denver has played a much more difficult schedule and will be heavily favored to get the win. They’ve lost just one conference game since 2010 (41-1) and have captured 26 straight over league opponents.
The Sun Devils opened their league run last week in moving past Ridgeview Academy 41-6 as QB Joey Licht continued his recent strong play. The senior has 604 yards passing on the season but 331 has come over the past two weeks. He’s tossed six touchdowns in the last two games including four in the quality overtime win over Pueblo Centennial in week five.
Many of his completions have gone to Zach Schlichting who has eight of his 15 catches over the same stretch. He had seven catches and two scores against Centennial. Will Morland moved past the 100-yard mark for the second time with 177 against Ridgeview Academy.
Former Arapahoe Coach Mike Campbell is now leading the Englewood program and the results have been immediate. One more win this year and the Pirates have their most since going 8-3 in 2010. With wins over Weld Central, Denver West, Arvada and Riverdale Ridge, the schedule has not been high level but remember the Pirates have been losing against such opponents in the recent past.
The defense has been strong as the Pirates have posted a shutout in every win. They did surrender 56 points in their only loss to Denver North. The group has intercepted six passes and recovered nine fumbles including three from Julian Galvan. Yakez Daughtry tops the defense with 37 tackles.
Offensively, the Pirates running game is paced by Ikaika Gonzalez-Bentosino with 573 yards and the passing game by Mason Robertson with 618. Robertson has also tossed nine touchdown passes.
Despite the 4-1 start, Englewood is 25th in RPI and may need to land a league championship to earn a spot in the bracket. Machebeuf is 26th and in the same boat. Kent Denver is 10th this week.
La Junta has won 16 straight games inside the Tri Peaks including last week’s 40-0 win over Woodland Park. During that streak, Classical Academy is the only league opponent to play the Tigers within 21 points. La Junta beat the Titans 21-11 last year and 24-21 in 2016.
Up this week is a road trip to Elizabeth where the Cardinals are hoping to supplant Classical Academy as the top league challenger to La Junta’s dominance. The Cardinals opened 0-2 but have won their last three in moving past Machebeuf, Summit and Manitou Springs by a combined 101 points.
Elizabeth though has not fared very well against highly ranked teams. Losses are against Berthoud and Platte Valley and the Cardinals have been outscored 105-27 in those two games. La Junta enters the game #3 in RPI and #1 in the latest 2A statewide rankings.
To be successful, the Cardinals will need to run the football effectively. They feature four running backs with at least 200 yards this year but the main ball-carrier is Reece Ullery. Stats from last week’s win are not posted on MaxPreps but Ullery picked up at least 98 yards in each of the first four contests.
Moving the football against La Junta has proven difficult. The Tigers haven’t allowed a point since beating Pagosa Springs 24-14 in week two and have four shutouts on the season. Kyle Keck tops the tackling charts with 28 stops. Mitch Peabody and Jon Nuschy each have 23. The Tigers have forced 10 turnovers including two interceptions apiece from Keck, Nuschy and Noah Barrett.
Elizabeth is 15th in RPI so a win over La Junta puts them in control of the Tri Peaks chase and solidifies a spot in the playoff bracket. Classical Academy is 24th with Manitou Springs 28th. The Titans and Mustangs meet in Colorado Springs this week.
Another strong defense can be found at Resurrection Christian. The Cougars have given up 24 points through five games and the eight points they allowed to Berthoud in last week’s win (28-8) marked the most they’ve allowed in any game this year. Resurrection Christian recorded four sacks including two from Peter Kuppinger and Kyle Heck intercepted two passes. The group limited Berthoud’s offense to 152 yards on the night.
University put together a good showing in their league opener but fell to Eaton 20-7. The game was scoreless in the third quarter but Eaton was stronger down the stretch. Three turnovers also hurt the Bulldogs’ offense. Chayden Cox ran for 74 yards but completed just five of 17 pass attempts for 30 yards. He will need more consistency this week for the Bulldogs to upset Resurrection Christian.
If Resurrection Christian gains the win, then their matchup with Eaton next week should determine the Patriot West championship. The Reds host Academy on Friday.
Platte Valley, Sterling and Brush were week one winners in the Patriot East but at least one of the squads will drop out of first place as Sterling meets Brush this week. Both teams are 2-3 but the Tigers have played the more strenuous schedule and will be favored. Platte Valley entertains Fort Lupton. The Broncos are the only league member in the top 16 of RPI as they sit 2nd this week. Sterling is 22nd and Brush 31st.
Faith Christian, Bennett and D’Evelyn share the Flatirons lead after posting wins last week. They could stay tied as none of the three meet this week. Bennett has the most difficult test as they battle Middle Park. The Panthers played well defensively last week but couldn’t generate enough offense in a 14-0 loss to D’Evelyn.
The win by D’Evelyn was important as it pushed them to 11th in the RPI standings and more comfortable for a playoff bid. The remaining three contenders are on the RPI bubble as Middle Park is 16th, Faith Christian 17th and Bennett 21st.
