Each of the games I put on the 4A Football watch list is a seven o’clock kick on a Friday? Weird. I can almost hear the grunt that goes with the fist-pump from the #FNL purist. You do your thing, Hank. I’m going to track these interesting Week Three match-ups.
 
#7 Rampart Rams at #10 Monarch Coyotes                                               
For the third season in-a-row and the fourth meeting in two calendar years, these two programs will run right into each other. (Each of the three previous contest were decided by 10 points or less.)
7th-ranked Rampart (1-1, 0-0) gained 477 yards on the ground in a wild loss to #4 Chatfield this past Saturday. The Rams will try to keep junior RB Chris Yoo on the fast track after his 212-yard performance. Senior RB Colin Phillips has run for triple-digits in consecutive contests. Senior LB Zach Tuggle will be one of the Rams defensive leaders attempting to clog up the signature MoHi double-wing offense.
Senior RB Ricky Stimac (19-102 yds) remains the projected primary ball-carrier for #10 Monarch after their season-opening road victory over Dixie Hollins (FL). The Coyotes will want more disruption behind the line of scrimmage from senior rugby ruffian, Mason Kreiter, in their home opener at Warrior Stadium.
 
#4 Chatfield Chargers at Brighton Bulldogs                        
The offensive line of #4 Chatfield (2-0, 0-0) seems to have figured out how to spring senior RB Hunter Barnes — 392 yards and 5 TDs in two non-conference victories for an offense that has posted a combined 94 points.
Brighton (2-0, 0-0) is receiving clicks from CHSAA pollsters and will earn more believers if they can blast some tenacious D on explosive offenses in the next two weeks — beginning with this Chargers squad. Leading tacklers for the Bulldogs are junior LB Justice Kaneta and senior LB Ty Morton. Meanwhile, senior WR Zach McCormack is following up a notable effort (9-130, 2 TD) in a win over Wheat Ridge last week.
 
#3 Windsor Wizards at Ponderosa Mustangs 
Although personnel problems pulled some hype out of their Top 10 clash last week, the multi-tooled ground machine of 3rd-ranked Windsor (1-0, 0-0) impressed in a season-launching 21-0 win over Vista Ridge. And that is a zero stamped in the scorebook by senior DL Logan Ewing, senior LB J.J. Hartwell, and the Wizards defense.
Ponderosa (0-2, 0-0) likely still gets nods because of respect for a program working from a strong 3-year run. Fair enough. But 2018 has opened in the loss column with hits from Class 5A neighbor, Legend, and powerful Valor. Can the Mustangs generate offense and will senior LB Nick Hoff and the Mustangs defense make stops against 4A contenders? Answers soon against another good squad.
 
#8 Montrose Indians at #8 Durango Demons (3A)
Crazy 8s on the West Slope.
8th-ranked Montrose (2-0, 0-0) is reportedly young-ish and re-tooling and yet the team bus is heading South for a rivalry game with a two-win momentum. As Dale Shrull (Daily Sentinel) reported, senior fullback Chris Eckerman is coming off a 120-yd, 2 TD performance following a triple-digit effort the previous week. Meanwhile, the Indians defense has been a little stingy about yielding points so far.
Durango (1-1, 0-0) is often a playoff program at the Class 3A level, are ranked in the Top 10, and are likely a bit salty after a loss to powerful Palisade the previous week.
 
Arapahoe Warriors at Heritage Eagles
Milk Can! Established 1972.
One of most theatrical rivalry games in Colorado is going down again with a little taste of fresh flavor.
Heritage (1-0, 0-0) started off their season with a 36-16 road victory over Air Academy — and earned a boost to begin 2018 after a 2-win campaign the previous year.
Their long-time Littleton neighbors, Arapahoe (2-0, 0-0), have enjoyed a successful welcoming so far under their new head coach with a championship resume, Rod Sherman.
Red here. Black there. Football party on the old dairy farm! This clash off South Broadway will be presented on FOX31 HS GameDay coverage: https://kdvr.com/colorado-high-school-sports/