Class 4A football is about to get four weeks deep into the intriguing proving grounds of non-league play. Although shuffled a little from their original positions, eight of the teams published in the CHSAA preseason rankings list remain within the Top 10. And that note compels some up-nods to #4 Montrose and #9 Heritage. It’s still early, but those two programs earned exactly one vote combined in the preseason polling. Each is 3-0 right now.
Week Five in 4A football! Here is a handful that must be tracked:
 
Thursday, September 20 : Greeley West Spartans at #7 Chatfield Chargers
The 2018 non-conference agenda for 7th-ranked Chatfield (3-1, 0-0) doesn’t get any less challenging and diverse this week. After outscoring Rampart and Brighton during notable road wins, the Chargers suffered a loss to visiting Fruita Monument last Friday at Jeffco Stadium. This will be the final non-league battle for Chatty football before they begin a quest for a third consecutive conference title as the Jeffco schedule commences next week.
Greeley West (2-1, 0-0) countered a season-opening loss in Florida with consecutive victories over George Washington and Monarch. The Spartans yielded merely 13 points combined in those two wins.
This is an intriguing match-up with a historically unfamiliar foe before the in-town tussle with Greeley Central eight days later.
 
Friday, September 21 : Pueblo West Cyclones at #2 Pine Creek Eagles
So we’ve done this thing before where we don’t overreact to Pine Creek (3-1, 0-0) taking an early hit during their creative and aggressive non-conference scheduling. They got muscled around on the Valor campus. Moving on now to more traditional relationships. Before the 2nd-ranked Eagles start Southern League play, they face a Cyclones program they’ve beaten six consecutive times this decade.
Pueblo West (3-1, 0-0) last earned a victory over Pine Creek in 2010. Their lone loss was four weeks ago to current #6 Fruita Monument, 10-6. Through four contests, the Cyclones have yielded a total of 17 points — including two shutouts and a well-noted, win over #4 Pueblo East (3A), 15-7.
 
Friday, September 21 : #2 Palisade Bulldogs (3A) at #4 Montrose Indians
This will be the fourth of five consecutive meetings with Western Slope programs — zero of them being conference games. 4th-ranked Montrose (3-0, 0-0) will work on Metro League adventures in a couple of weeks after they battle a pair of Top 10 teams from the Grand Valley — including perennial Class 3A power, Palisade (3-0, 0-0), this week. Indians head coach Brett Mertens shared that his offensive line is progressively improving the strength of a run game that produces 31 points per game.
 
Friday, September 21 : Longmont Trojans at #3 Skyline Falcons
Three miles apart. They haven’t met since 2011. Oh, but the awareness of each other… And consider the positive football trends on the East side of town. This could get real good.
3rd-ranked Skyline (3-0, 0-0) has been very consistent with scoring output through three victories over Westminster, Mead, and Brighton: 42, 41, and 41 on the board. And now, after a seven-year break, the Falcons get a neighborhood date with the Trojans.
In terms of head-to-head meetings and overall success, the fair reality is that Longmont (2-1, 0-0) has been the dominant program between these two teams over many years. Of course, the Trojans would like to keep it that way by earning a third consecutive victory after their season-opening loss at Dutch Clark Stadium to current #4 Pueblo East (3A).
 
Saturday, September 22 : #1 Loveland Indians at #10 Windsor Wizards
Bam! Here is the featured attraction on the 4A football marquee.
Top-ranked Loveland (3-0, 0-0) is a very popular attraction right now. They have created that buzz around the state with four straight power runs right up the grills of challenging opponents. The Indians have averaged 41 points per game and seized two shutouts during a mini-rush through #5 Broomfield, in-town rival Thompson Valley, and #10 Ralston Valley (5A).
After starting the season with a shutout of Vista Ridge, then suffering a four-point road loss to Ponderosa, 10th-ranked Windsor handled Silver Creek last week, 40-7.
Loveland averages 415 rushing yards per game. Windsor has rushed for 255 yards per contest.
Loveland has completed eight passes in 2018. Windsor has five completions.
Get it. Tick-tick-tick.
One more note: These two programs haven’t met since 2015. Windsor beat Loveland twice that season — including the championship game at Broncos Stadium.
 
Other games with reasons on the radar:
Friday, September 21 : #5 Broomfield at Monarch
Friday, September 21 : Aurora Central at Vista PEAK
Friday, September 21 : Grand Junction at #6 Fruita Monument 
Friday, September 21 : Denver South at Golden
Saturday, September 22 : Vista Ridge at #8 Rampart
Saturday, September 22 : Ponderosa at Dakota Ridge