There were few upsets in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs last weekend, with the higher seed winning seven out of eight games. Now, the top eight teams join the action as the field narrows to 16 teams in the second round. 

PHOTO BY LANCE WENDT

 

No. 17 Denver South at No. 1 Montrose

The only upset of the opening round came when No. 17 Denver South topped No. 16 Mesa Ridge 24-21. The Ravens held off a second-half push from the Grizzlies to secure the win. South quarterback Joseph Capra had a standout day with 216 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-27 passing. The junior added another 53 yards on the ground to compliment running back Chevelle Early, who cruised to 90 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

They’ll square off against top-seeded Montrose, who brings one of the classification’s top defense to the proceedings. The Indians allow only 13.1 points per game and have held all but one opponent under 20 points in the friendly confines of Montrose High School. 

On offense, the Indians feature two strong running backs — Blake Griffin and Ethan Hartman — as well as sophomore quarterback Gage Wareham. It’s unclear whether leading rusher Austin Griffin, who exited with an injury during the final game of the regular season, will return for the playoffs.

 

No. 15 Longmont at No. 2 Dakota Ridge

Keegan Patterson turned in a massive day for No. 15 Longmont during their 38-29 win over No. 18 Broomfield. The senior quarterback threw for 316 yards and ran for 140 yards to send the Eagles packing. It was an effort to bounce back from a loss to Chatfield at the end of the regular season.

Patterson and the Trojans will battle another explosive offense against second-seeded Dakota Ridge. These Eagles average 45.1 points per game with a balanced offense. Quarterback Adam Graves has thrown for 1,603 yards with 18 touchdowns and only five picks. He’s averaging more than 17 yards per completion and spreading the ball pretty evenly between three receivers and a running back. A pair of wideouts have five touchdowns apiece: Connor Fitzhugh leads the team with 481 yards receiving and Dante Capolungo has 460 yards. Running back Noah Triplett has 358 and Jacob LaFave rounds out the corps with 10 receptions for 139 yards. 

Triplett anchors the rushing attack with 1,069 yards and 24 touchdowns, the most in Class 4A.

 

No. 14 Bear Creek at No. 3 Pine Creek

The Bears’ electric passing attack took a backseat to a more balanced approach against No. 19 Windsor. Caleb Sauseda led the way with 75 yards rushing and one touchdown, while Ryan Segovia also scored with 63 yards. Quarterback Jaedon Minter ran for 61 yards, complimenting his 122 yards through the air. On defense, the Bears had 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. It was their first playoff victory since 2014.

The Bears roll into Colorado Springs to face perennial power Pine Creek.

The third-seeded Eagles feature a strong dual-threat quarterback in Josiah Roy. The senior has 15 touchdowns through the air, another 16 on the ground and more than 2,000 yards of total offense. Pine Creek has lost to only 5A teams this season, with defeats at the hands of Regis Jesuit and Legend. 

 

No. 13 Pueblo West at No. 4 Palmer Ridge

The No. 13 Cyclones had the most convincing first-round win of the bracket, dismantling No. 20 Vista PEAK Prep 52-0. Pueblo West had two interceptions and a fumble recovery returned the length of the field for a touchdown by Jacob Trader.

On offense, the Cyclones rushed for 262 yards as a team and four different players scored touchdowns. Quarterback Cole Brinkley rushed for three scores, while Jeremiah Sanchez, Gavin Henderson and Malaki Daniels each scored once. They’re fighting for respect in the playoffs after missing out on the postseason in last year’s COVID-shortened season.

Meanwhile, Palmer Ridge is rolling with a balanced offense littered with seniors. Both the team’s leading rusher and receiver are in their final year: Connor Cook has 801 yards rushing with 13 touchdowns and Anthony Costanzo has 561 yards receiving with 12 scores. Sophomore quarterback Derek Hester is spreading the wealth with almost 2,000 yards passing, 24 TDs and only eight picks.

The Bears average almost three sacks and one interception per game, playing havoc on opposing passing attacks.

 

No. 12 Fruita Monument at No. 5 Erie

The No. 12 Wildcats scored on every possession of their 63-26 win over No. 21 Brighton. A pair of Fruita Monument rushers crossed the 100-yard mark as the team rumbled for 443 yards on the ground. Wyatt Sharpe scored three times and tallied 139 yards on a team-high 21 carries. Kaison Stegelmeier had 118 yards on the ground with one touchdown, joining Corben Rowell, Armony Trujillo, Sam Ontiveros and Amari Wilson with singles scores.

Fruita coach Cameron Ross said the team is focused on shoring up the defense for the game against Erie. 

The Tigers open their playoff campaign with an undefeated record. They’re led by a two-pronged offense in sophomore quarterback Blake Barnett and senior running back Caleb Theisen. Barnett has more than 2,400 yards of total offense with 23 passing touchdowns and 16 rushing scores. Theisen has 19 rushing TDs with 1,324 yards.

On defense, the Tigers have allowed only 12.4 points per game, with 11 picks and 14 fumble recoveries, good for 2.5 turnovers per game.

 

No. 11 Vista Ridge at No. 6 Loveland

It’ll be a clash of styles when the No. 11 Wolves travel to face the No. 6 Red Wolves. Vista Ridge made it through their 43-14 win over No. 22 Skyline with their signature passing attack. Quarterback Brayden Dorman threw for four touchdowns and 270 yards on 77% passing. 

This week, they’ll face one of the top rushing attacks in Class 4A. Loveland averages only 5.1 passing attempts per game and has 3,341 rushing yards as a team.

Garrett Harstad leads the way with 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns, while Drew Foley had 928 yards and 13 touchdowns. 

Loveland coach Allan Jeffries said the team is aiming for longer, more impactful plays on offense.

 

No. 10 Ponderosa at No. 7 Chatfield

The No. 10 Roughriders got some help from their stifling defense during their 29-14 win over No. 23 Aurora Central. Dawson Hadwiger returned an interception for a touchdown, while freshman quarterback Andrew Heidel connected on three touchdown passes, two to Karter Johnson.

Chatfield is led by senior running back Jake Marschall, who has tallied 1,370 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Junior Cade Thomas with 97 tackles, while senior Elijah Rodriguez has a team-high seven sacks. 

 

No. 9 Golden at No. 8 Fountain-Fort Carson

The No. 9 Demons handled No. 24 Cheyenne Mountain 47-6 thanks to a five-touchdown day from quarterback Jazel Riley IV. The junior accounted for 283 yards of total offense and the team had 448 as a group. 

Fountain-Fort Carson had a dominant regular season, out-scoring opponents 328-112. The defense is one of the strongest in 4A at 11.2 points per game and the offense has powered the team to a seven-game winning streak. 

Senior running back Dezmen Oliver is averaging 8.6 yards per carry with 1,339 yards and 23 touchdowns. His backfield partner is quarterback Tavian Tuli, who has been efficient with 10 touchdowns and only three picks.