Class 3A Football teams that struggled through the non-conference schedule and sit outside the top 20 in RPI get new life this week as league play begins and each team can gain an automatic berth by claiming the championship. Several important games can be found on the schedule.
Concerning state rankings, the Central conference may be the best in Class 3A as it’s home to #2 Discovery Canyon, #3 Palmer Ridge and #6 Thomas Jefferson. Of those three, TJ has the most difficult test as they meet Lewis Palmer (3-2). The Rangers had won three straight before falling short against Pueblo South (20-12) last week. They also own a solid win over Evergreen.
Lewis Palmer does most of their damage offensively on the ground. Evan Walsh tops the rushing chats with 620 yards and nine touchdowns. He put together 252 yards and six scores in a win over Canon City two weeks ago but was limited to just 32 yards on 11 attempts in the loss to Pueblo South. He will be the focus of the Thomas Jefferson defense.
Having forced 17 turnovers, the Spartans defense is a big play unit. Daveon Hunter, James Abbey and Keshaun Taylor each have two interceptions and eight different players have recovered a fumble including two from Treshawn Smith.
The Spartans defense can get after it because their high-powered offense often gives them the early lead. The group is very close to producing a 1,000-yard passer and rusher. Trenton Koser has thrown for 952 yard and eight scores with five different receivers catching a touchdown pass. Four of them are over 100 yards on the season. Hunter sits at 952 yards with 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Roosevelt (1-4) is one of those teams that will play with a little desperation this week. The Riders played the 11th most difficult schedule through the first six weeks but with only one win, they sit just 25th in RPI. So, they may have to win the North Valley championship to get back into the playoffs. Top ranked Erie is in the same league but first up Coach Lane Wasinger’s team must get by 10th ranked Fort Morgan on Friday.
The Mustangs (4-1) have a lone loss to Thomas Jefferson and a quality win over Conifer (34-14). They were not pushed in their final pre-conference tune-up last week as they rolled past Northfield 51-3. Isaac Linker directs the spread offense; throwing for 635 yards and 10 TD’s against just one interception. He’s also added 255 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Jacob Ortega and JP Hamer are two other offensive threats. Ortega is one of eight players with at least one reception and he leads the team with 10 for 282 yards and six touchdowns. Hamer leads the ground game; churning out 591 yard and seven scores.
QB play has been inconsistent for Roosevelt this year. Returning starter Trevor Beall has been in and out of the lineup; playing just three games. Brig Hartson has seen action in all five games and each player has attempted 44 passes. Hartson hit seven of 10 for 76 yards last week in pushing Roosevelt to their first win; beating Glenwood Springs 16-10 in overtime.
Returning playoff teams Skyview and Mead collide to open the North Metro schedule but each club sits at 2-3 and needing some wins to climb back into the playoff chase. Mead is 19th in RPI and Skyview is 30th.
Mead lead top ranked Erie last week but couldn’t control Noah Roper (who has?) and fell short 41-27. The Mavericks defense gave up 291 yards and four touchdowns to Roper as the Tigers ran for 343 on the game. This week, Mead must contend with the passing game of Skyview which is led by freshman QB Brandon Gutierrez. He threw for 221 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss to Conifer (27-20). The Wolverines scored a touchdown near the two-minute mark and then recovered an onside kick but couldn’t punch it in from there.
Cory Musch is the favorite target for Gutierrez. The senior has 15 catches and two touchdowns. Issac Madrid has also been on the receiving end of two scoring passes.
The Mavericks enter league play having dropped three of their last four games. They opened the season by beating Lewis Palmer and added a win over Roosevelt two weeks ago. Losses have come against Skyline, Evergreen and as mentioned Erie.
Fans should consider the Mt Metro race wide open. There’s no dominant team as all squads are either 3-2 or 2-3. Two games draw attention this week as Conifer goes to Green Mountain and George Washington heads up to Evergreen.
George Washington (3-2) gained some statewide attention this week when they moved into the seventh spot in RPI. The Patriots opened with two wins and then lost two straight before beating Hinkley 24-8 last week. It was a big win for RPI points as the Thunderbirds entered the game unbeaten.
The offense has relied heavily on the big play combination of Jaydon Green and Jahvell Johnson-Humphrey. They’ve connected 19 times for 539 yards and seven touchdowns with Johnson-Humphrey averaging over 28 yards per catch. The running game meantime has generated just 338 yards on the season.
Evergreen had won two straight and nearly made it three-in-a-row before giving up a late touchdown in a frustrating 21-20 loss to Palisade last week. The game was tied at 14 to start the fourth quarter and Evergreen’s twice forced turnovers inside their own red zone. The Cougars then scored with four minutes left but missed the extra point. Palisade then responded with a touchdown in the final minute and added the game winning PAT.
With two one-point games and another decided by five points, the Cougars are battle tested and their tough schedule should have them ready to make a league championship push.
Conifer and Green Mountain both enter their contest off a win from last week. The Lobos snapped a two-game slide by downing Skyview 27-20. The Rams opened 0-2 but have responded with wins over Lutheran, Standley Lake and Falcon.
Both teams feature talented QB’s. Conifer gets a good share of their offense from JR Hart who has thrown for 520 yards and six touchdowns including two apiece to Sam Horneck and Ray Gordon. Rams signal caller Trey Towndrow leads Green Mountain in both passing (763 yards) and rushing (473). He’s been involved in 11 touchdowns overall.
Quinn Meinert (393 yards rushing) and Trey Corkin (21 receptions — 361 yards) are two other threats for the Rams.
One of the more fun races in 3A this year will be the South Central. The league consists of all five Pueblo schools in the division and a quality Durango ballclub. So each week the schedule will be filled with two rivalry games in the Steel City and either a long road trip to Durango or a visit to Pueblo by the Demons. This week, Pueblo East goes to Pueblo South and Pueblo Central meets Pueblo County. Durango takes on Pueblo Centennial.
The East-South matchup features two teams that have combined to win four state championships in the past four years. Pueblo South claimed the 4A title last Fall while East won three straight in 3A from 2014-16. South (1-4) got off the snide with the win over Lewis Palmer last week. East enters the conference fray coming off a bye week. The Eagles have lost two straight falling to 4A Pueblo West 15-7 and #2 ranked Discovery Canyon 52-24.
Pueblo Central (4-1) is one of the better stories statewide this year. The Wildcats have not had a winning season since 2012 and a win on Friday gives them their most wins since going 5-5 in 2015. They had won just two games in two years before opening with four wins in five games this year.
Both teams will run the football. The Wildcats have generated 1,148 yards rushing in five games. Nico Martin leads the club with 569 yards and six scores.
Harrison (5-0) is the only member of the Southern conference with a winning record so the Panthers are heavily favored to land that title. Sierra (2-3) is the only other team with more than one win and two clubs; Sand Creek and Canon City, have yet to taste a victory. The Panthers open with Falcon on Saturday.
With Rifle dropping into Class 2A this year, Palisade becomes the overwhelming favorite to win another Western Slope championship. The Bulldogs are 4-1 and have momentum from that last second win over Evergreen last week. They gave up a late score in a loss to Montrose earlier this season and that score is the only thing keeping Coach Joe Ramunno’s club from a perfect record.
The Bulldogs meet Steamboat Springs on Thursday. The Sailors are 2-3 but wins are against 1A rivals Hotchkiss and Manual. Battle Mountain (4-1) matches Palisade’s record and could be their top challenger. The Huskies are favored against Summit in their league opener.
