A dozen teams are set to battle for the championship in Class 4A spring football and they’re split up in two divisions. Harrison seems to be heavily favored in the South but could get pushed by Falcon and Skyview. The North is deeper with Thomas Jefferson, Denver North and Centaurus all in line for a division crown and playoff berths.
Eight teams will advance to the playoffs with the champion determined in Pueblo the first week of May.
Photo provided by Nancy Melo.
SOUTH
SKYVIEW (3-7): The Wolverines have a nice nucleus to keep building the program and it’s a group led by QB Brandon Gutierrez. He threw for 1,244 yards and seven touchdowns in helping the team score their three wins in 2019. Gutierrez also gets one of his top targets back in Jaybree Barry who caught 31 passes for 336 yards. On defense, the tandem of Brian Parra (51) and Haziel Adama (41) combined for 92 tackles as sophomores.
GATEWAY (2-8): Like Skyview, the Olympians return a solid signal caller as they hope to improve on a two-win season. Erick Covington is coming off a junior season where he totaled 13 touchdown passes and 1,311 yards through the air. Tony Gallegos also returns after leading the Olys with 29 catches for 225 yards. The running game is also in good shape with RJ Webster (863 yards) back in the lineup. Covington also added 869 yards from his QB spot. On defense, Webster topped the tackle sheet with 71 stops.
FALCON (5-5): Three players to watch for the Falcons this year are Strydor Sartor, Darius McFarland and Cameron Robinette. Sartor was the defensive leader in 2019; recording 61 tackles his junior season. McFarland ran for nearly 1,000 yards (966) as a sophomore and Robinette should get the starting call at QB this year. He threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns on a part-time basis his sophomore season.
SIERRA (1-9): The Stallions continue their rebuild mode but look at the spring as a chance to gain some success. They did not report stats to MaxPreps for the 2019 campaign.
AURORA CENTRAL (1-9): CaiReis Curby seems to be the key for the Trojans this year. He shared time at QB with three others but still threw for 413 yards which was second best among the group. Curby is always a threat on the ground and comes off a 2019 campaign where he led the team with 663 yards and three scores. He also managed time for 10 catches which was third best for the Trojans. Louis Villa is another offensive threat. He gained 208 yards rushing in 2019.
HARRISON (9-2): Based on their recent success, the Panthers are a good choice to maybe run the table and land the state crown in this division. The program scored their first-ever playoff win two years ago and should get more this season. A key reason why is the return of QB Jaseim Mitchell who tossed 15 touchdown passes and threw for 1,280 yards as a senior. His receiving group is also solid; led by Seth Fuller who scored 11 times on just 25 catches. Kahli Dotson caught 21 passes with four ending in touchdowns. On defense, Davonn Stevens should be one of the best in any class this Spring. He had 119 tackles as a junior.
NORTH
GEORGE WASHINGTON (1-9): The Patriots did not report statistics to MaxPreps for the 2019 season but are on the list of many teams hoping to use the spring schedule to get their program pointed back in the right direction. A playoff spot would be a good way to build that momentum.
KENNEDY (5-5): Coming off a strong 5-5 season, the Commanders can be considered another team to watch across this division. There’s excitement around sophomore QB Isaac Sisneros after he threw for 945 yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman. Shawn Salazar is a second offensive weapon; he ran for 417 yards as a junior and also led the team with 28 catches for another 654 yards. On defense, the Commanders look to Carlos Serrano for senior leadership and production. He led the club with 113 stops in 2019.
THOMAS JEFFERSON (7-4): The Spartans have been a regular visitor to the 3A playoffs of late and are coming off an appearance in 2019. They’ll be another favorite in this division. Much of that based on the return of QB Trenton Koser who finished 2019 with 1,365 yards passing and nine TDs. New receivers will need to develop as the top four, who all had at least 22 catches in 2019, have graduated. Jaden Hill totaled 189 yards rushing in 2019 but could be the top option on the ground this year. Avery Shunneson is a quality defender; collecting 103 tackles as a junior which was 43 more than any other Spartan.
CENTAURUS (2-8): It wasn’t long ago that the Warriors were in the playoff picture each year and the build back to that continues this spring. They have a talented junior class headed up by Nathan Rodriguez, Anthony Medina and Coleman Teasdale. Rodriguez is the signal caller and comes off a sophomore year of 571 yards passing and seven touchdowns. Medina led the club with 461 yards rushing and also caught 26 passes. Teasdale led the Warriors with 47 tackles and Medina was second with 40. Two other names to watch are Keenan Leonard (40 tackles) and Titus Gebhardt (42 receptions – five TDs).
DENVER NORTH (6-4): The Vikings won six games in 2019 but still barely missed the 3A playoff bracket. They could get there this spring if they find some new names to step up defensively. The Vikings lost their top five and six of their top eight tacklers from the 2019 club. On offense, leaders will be Elijah Padilla, Kenny Saiz and Izreal Garcia. Padilla threw for 625 yards and three scores his sophomore season while Saiz and Garcia both averaged between 40-50 yards rushing.
LINCOLN (1-9): The Lancers hope to build on their one-win season with a solid core returning from the 2019 season. Alfredo Romero ran for 215 yards in just six games while Uziel Tomita caught 23 passes to lead the team in receiving. Jose Saenz threw for 360 yards and three scores as a junior and is the likely starter at QB for 2021. Dominic Maestas picked up 35 tackles in 2019 to finish third on the team. He’s the expected leader on that side of the ball.
