There may not be a more impactful week of Class 4A football games than Week 9 of the regular season. Thursday will see a big clash between Mesa Ridge and Montrose while Fruita Monument will give Broomfield its best shot on Friday.
Each game will be crucial in the makeup of the 4A playoff seedings, as will the other games involving top-10 teams this week.
**
(1) Palmer Ridge at Cheyenne Mountain
Ahead of the potential league championship showdown with Vista Ridge, Palmer Ridge heads to Cheyenne Mountain looking to remain undefeated. In last week’s win over Air Academy, Derek Hester threw for 135 yards and two touchdowns while the team overall rushed for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. Perhaps most impressive, though, was the defensive effort in which the Bears held Air Academy running back Sam Beers to just 47 rushing yards.
(8) Fruita Monument at (2) Broomfield
The Eagles flew to yet another win last week as they beat Adams City 56-0. Cole LaCrue completed just eight passes in the win, although five of them went for touchdowns. As they try to cement their status as a state championship contender, Friday is an all-important game for them.
The Wildcats are coming off their own big win as they rolled against Aurora Central last week. Corben Rowell threw for 132 yards and two touchdowns while Wyatt Sharpe ran for 135 yards and two scores. The Wildcats were considered a top 4A team after taking Grandview to overtime and would love to regain that status with a win over the Eagles.
(3) Loveland at Windsor (Thursday)
The Red Wolves are going for their eighth straight win as they hit the road this week. Garrett Harstad had a solid passing performance last week, throwing for 137 yards and three touchdowns. That led Loveland to a 57-0 win over Skyline. In their last two games, the Red Wolves have outscored opponents 98-0 and overall they haven’t allowed a point in the last 10 quarters.
(4) Montrose at (10) Mesa Ridge (Thursday)
On a short week, the Red Hawks head back to the Front Range for another big league contest. They beat Coronado 61-6 on Saturday but face a much tougher task this week.
In last week’s win over Rampart, Bryce Riehl threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns. The Grizzlies already have a win over a top-10 team this season adn would love to climb the rankings with another one.
(5) Ponderosa at Thomas Jefferson
The Mustangs are trying to regain the form they had earlier in the season when they were getting wins over Erie and Legend. Last week was a good start as they stayed ground heavy, allowing Zach Stryker, Ethan Rodriguez and Sean Davis all rushed for over 100 yards and scored a combined five touchdowns in a 55-27 win over Far Northeast.
TJ currently sits at No. 26 of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index. The top 24 teams advance to the 4A playoffs so at least one win in the next two weeks is crucial.
(6) Denver South at Far Northeast (Saturday)
The Ravens continue to look like a dangerous team in the 4A field. The 45-14 win over Vista PEAK last week was highlighted by Joseph Capra’s 237 passing yards and five passing touchdowns. Rashad Caldwell finished the day with 121 receiving yards and three scores.
(7) Vista Ridge at Rampart
Brayden Dorman continues to shine in his senior year. In last week’s win over Cheyenne Mountain, he threw for 508 yards and eight touchdowns. He has thrown for over 500 yards in each of his last two games.
(9) Heritage at Aurora Central
Ahead of its regular season finale against Broomfield, Heritage will try to keep its momentum rolling with a trip to Aurora Central. In last week’s win over Standley Lake, Noah Shoen rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown while Zyriq Siegler added 108 yards and two scores.
