There really are no surprises with the final eight teams still standing in the Class 5A football postseason.
With one small shuffle from the eight-nine seeds, the rest of the bracket has held true. The top seven seeds punched their tickets into the quarterfinal round, with No. 9 ThunderRidge joining the fray. But this weekend’s matchups go deeper than simple seeding.
First there are the rematches. In Quadrant 4, an all-Jeffco League quarterfinal has Columbine taking on Ralston Valley on Saturday afternoon. Those two teams met Oct. 7, with the Mustangs handing the Rebels their only loss of the season.
In Quadrant 3, Valor Christian gets another chance at a Regis Jesuit squad looking for lightning to strike twice. The Raiders defeated the Eagles in a 23-17 overtime thriller in the season opener Aug. 26.
The final eight consists of four leagues represented by two teams each: Ralston Valley and Columbine from Jeffco; Cherry Creek and Grandview from the Centennial; Valor Christian and ThunderRidge; and Regis Jesuit and Pine Creek.
The winners of the four games will face off Thanksgiving weekend, with the 5A state championship game set for Dec. 3.
Here is a quick look at the quarterfinal contests:
Quadrant 1
(9) ThunderRidge at (1) Cherry Creek, 1 p.m., Saturday, Stutler Bowl
The Grizzlies will have their hands full with the three-time defending state champions, who were highly motivated after a loss in the regular-season finale. A first-round bye didn’t slow Cherry Creek last Friday, with the Bruins rolling past Fountain-Fort Carson 42-6 in the second round. The Bruins (9-2) rushed for 203 yards, averaging nearly eight yards a carry, and Carlson Tann had a pair of touchdown runs. Aiden Knapke had 12 tackles and two interceptions, and Blake Purchase had two of the Bruins’ four sacks.
ThunderRidge (11-1) picked up its second playoff victory, going on the road to down Arapahoe 23-17. Freshman DJ Bordeaux tossed three touchdown passes to Richard Okuno, and Cole Hanchett rushed for 130 yards. Three Arapahoe turnovers backed another strong defensive effort. The victory avenged a seven-point loss to the Warriors a year ago in the second round.
Quadrant 2
(5) Pine Creek at (4) Grandview, 1 p.m., Saturday
This is a matchup between two teams that have been trending upward in recent weeks. Grandview (9-2) has won four in a row, including a triumph over Cherry Creek in that span, and the Wolves opened their postseason with a 20-0 shutout victory over Rocky Mountain. Liam Szarka connected on touchdown passes to Xay Neto and Davion Henderson, and Luke Trinrud returned an interception for a touchdown.
Pine Creek (9-2) has also won four in a row, snapping Legacy’s nine-game winning streak last Friday with a 30-24 thriller. The two teams were tied going into the fourth quarter before the Eagles pulled away. Pine Creek used a punishing ground attack to its advantage, rushing for 242 yards on 47 attempts. Cameron Cooper had touchdown passes to Jerry Lydiat and Kai Goetze, and the defense picked off Kullen Lerma three times. Lydiat also recovered a fumble.
Quadrant 3
(7) Regis Jesuit at (2) Valor Christian, 7 p.m., Friday, Valor Stadium
Plenty has changed from that Aug. 26 opener between these two teams, but the Raiders came away from that fight with a dose of confidence in knowing they can more than compete with the Eagles.
Still, Valor Christian looks much more like the team that has reached the 5A title game three out of the previous four seasons. The Eagles (9-2) rolled to a 42-14 victory over Legend last Friday, with Asher Weiner tossing three touchdown passes and the team rushing for 286 yards behind a balanced attack that saw three players score. Valor Christian has won seven in a row with an impressive run of victories in that stretch.
Regis Jesuit (7-4) has had its share of ups and downs since, with some tough defeats against top competition. But after a loss to Fountain-Fort Carson in the regular-season finale, the Raiders bounced back with a season-high in points in a 63-28 rout of Fossil Ridge last Friday. A 35-point outburst in the second quarter was the difference.
Quadrant 4
(6) Columbine at (3) Ralston Valley, 1 p.m., Saturday, NAAC
Ralston Valley is among the most battled-tested of the remaining teams, having played five of the other seven teams still in the field. The Mustangs (9-2) will go up against a league foe for the second time in as many weeks after dispatching Chatfield 22-7, the second time the two teams had met in a three-week stretch. Diano Benallo was a workhorse, carrying the ball 24 times for 162 yards and a score. Logan Madden threw for a touchdown and also rushed for a TD, and Jackson Hansen caught six balls for 92 yards and a score. Ralston Valley had four sacks in the victory.
Columbine (10-1) has won four in a row since a 16-13 loss to the Mustangs earlier this season. Rock Canyon gave the Rebels a scare though, as Columbine needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to take a 24-17 victory. Marquane Taylor and Josh Snyder combined for 308 yards on the ground and three touchdowns, and the Rebels intercepted two passes.
A missed extra point and a Ralston Valley safety was the difference in the first match-up between the two teams.
