Heading into Week 3 of the 2021 football season, most – if not all – teams have gotten onto the field at least once. That means that the games will get more interesting every week from here on out.
Every week, Colorado Preps takes a look at some of the key games to watch across every classification. Below are the five games in Class 5A that we have highlighted for Week 3 of the regular season.
Through the weekend, scores and updates can be found at coloradopreps.com.
We have not included games for Cherry Creek and Valor Christian as they head out of state for opponents and the Bruins face a team from Arizona that has won 37 consecutive games.
Mountain Vista at Arapahoe, 7 p.m. Thursday
The Golden Eagles couldn’t follow up on their big season-opening win over Poudre and fell to Grandview 38-13. Freshman Carter Daniels has been a bright spot for the Golden Eagles and rushed for 101 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per carry in the win over Poudre. In order to hang with Arapahoe, Mountain Vista will have to control the ball on the ground and win the time of possession battle. The Warriors have a lot of balance on offense as quarterback Cole Hansen has thrown for 275 yards per game while DJ Montoya has rushed for 297 yards. Wins over Rocky Mountain and Heritage have the Warriors at No. 7 in this week’s CHSAANow.com coaches poll.
Smoky Hill at Legend, 7 p.m. Thursday
Rushing for almost 200 yards a game is a big reason why Smoky Hill is off to a 2-0 start this year. Marvin Jones III has been fantastic as he’s totaled 277 yards on 32 carries and also has five touchdowns. They’re not bad defensively either as the team has recorded 10 total sacks in just two games. Tristen Littlejohn and Zachary Brophy each account for two sacks apiece. Legend is still stinging from giving up a late lead to fall to Mullen in Week 2. Bryce Vaz has been solid for the Titans, rushing for 277 yards and two touchdowns this season. Senior quarterback Colton Warner hasn’t been so bad himself, throwing for 223 yards per game and five touchdowns. This could be a big win for either team as the playoff picture will start to clear up in the coming weeks.
Regis Jesuit at Mullen, 7 p.m. Friday
For a minute, it looked like Mullen’s slow start to the season wasn’t going to be a one-week deal. Heading into the fourth quarter against Legend, the Mustangs were down 21-10 then scored 15 points to grab the win. Kyle Krebs has been solid on the ground, rushing for 319 yards in two games. Coupled with sophomore quarterback Blake Palladino’s 279 passing yards, Mullen could be poised for the rebound season it’s hoping for. Regis Jesuit rebounded well from a Week 1 loss to Valor Christian and rolled over Highlands Ranch 52-17. The Carroll brothers stood out as Exander threw for 172 yards and three touchdowns while Zavier ran for 131 yards on 12 carries.
Chaparral at Ponderosa, 7 p.m. Friday
This will be a fun rivalry clash between two very good teams. Ponderosa rebounded from a tough loss to Legend in Week 1 and edged out Fort Collins 35-33. Zachary Pekarek ran for 84 yards and two scores in the win. Chaparral broke into the 5A rankings after a tight win over Rock Canyon. Kylan Wilson had one of the top games of the week as he ran for 173 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw for 133 yards and one touchdown. Coach Jeff Ketron is on his way to building a solid program like he was doing at Douglas County. A win over a crosstown rival will go a long way in helping the team take a major step forward.
Eaglecrest at ThunderRidge, 7 p.m. Friday
After a Week 1 loss to Chaparral, Eaglecrest bounced right back with a win over Overland. They’ll look to make it two in a row over a ThunderRidge team that has looked solid in the first two weeks of the season. Quarterback Jarod Fisher looked ok against the Wolverines, but he has to protect the ball from getting intercepted. David Torres should help if he can have another solid rushing performance like he did against Chap when he broke for 113 yards and a touchdown. ThunderRidge is off to its first 2-0 start since 2018. Seth Frasier has been the workhorse by rushing for 182 yards and a touchdown.
CLASS 5A – TOP 10 SCHEDULE
#1 Cherry Creek at Chandler AZ
#2 Valor Christian vs Eastside Catholic WA
#3 Columbine at Faith Lutheran NV
#4 Regis at Mullen
#6 Grandview at Overland
#7 Arapahoe vs Mountain Vista (THURS)
#8 Legend vs Smoky Hill (THURS)
#9 Chaparral at Ponderosa
#10 Castle View at Rangeview (SAT)
