Ahead of teams diving into league play, several Class 5A football teams opted for a bye this week. That doesn’t mean the slate of games is bad by any means, but there is limited action compared to what fans are used to on a week-to-week basis.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MINDY MCCONNELL BOYLES

Starting Thursday night there are several games worth tracking as they should have big implications for the playoff picture as it starts to clear up in the coming week.

Here are a few notable games we’ll be looking at for Week 5.

  • Chaparral at Fairview
  • Pomona at Smoky Hill
  • Cherry Creek at Regis Jesuit
  • Columbine at Valor Christian
  • Horizon at Grandview
  • Rocky Mountain at Fort Collins

Chaparral hit a bit of a stumbling block after jumping into the CHSAANow.com top-10 poll a few weeks ago. Losses to Ponderosa and Lakewood have the Wolverines once again on the outside looking in, but they have a chance to impress with a few tough games ahead.

Like any team, they’ll have to slow down Fairview’s high-flying offense. One way to do that is to get Kylan Wilson almost 20 carries, which they’ve nearly done every game. Wilson has rushed for 591 yards and nine touchdowns and will have to be a big part of Chap getting what many would perceive as an upset win. It also wouldn’t hurt if Brayden Munroe could grab a pick or two from the Knights. He is tied for second in 5A with three interceptions this year.

Freshman Bekkem Krtiza has quickly emerged as a star on the 5A landscape. He has thrown for over 300 yards in each game he’s played and he’s tossed 11 touchdowns to just two interceptions. His 1,370 passing yards are tops for all quarterbacks across all classifications. Slowing down the underclassman is the key for Chap to slow down the Knights. 

Pomona and Smoky Hill are two teams going in two vastly different directions. The Panthers dropped their first two games of the year but have begun trending upward with two straight wins. Deion Maes and Marcus Talbert have been a couple of the reasons for that turnaround as they’ve combined for over 700 rushing yards and four touchdowns. CJ Kaylor has also provided a calmness at quarterback, throwing for 299 yards and five scores, but above all else, has taken care of the ball and not thrown a single interception.

Smoky Hill had a strong start to the season but has now lost two straight games and desperately needs a rebound performance in homecoming week. For that to happen, the Buffs need to get Marvin Jones III going early. The senior has rushed for 299 yards and five touchdowns but missed last week’s game against Regis Jesuit. If Jones can’t go this week, they’ll have to lean on Saul Ibrahim to carry the load. He ran for 45 yards but failed to find the end zone in the loss to the Raiders. With both teams sitting at 2-2 and heading into league play next week, it’s safe to say that it’s a must-win situation for each squad.

A showdown between a pair of top-five teams wouldn’t even classify as the best game this week. Cherry Creek has looked solid against every Colorado team it has seen this season. The Bruins sit at No. 2 in the coaches poll and will travel down the road to take on Regis Jesuit. They’re coming off perhaps their best game of the year, beating Arvada West 52-21. 

The Bruins allowed the Wildcats to rush for just 57 and limited their passing attack to 136 yards. They also shined on special teams, getting a Keegan Holles punt return for a touchdown and an Angelo Petrides blocked punt and recovery for a score.

Since dropping the season opener to Valor, the Raiders have won each game by an average margin of 28 points. The win over Smoky Hill was earned primarily on the defensive side of the ball. Five Regis defenders hauled in interceptions and Nunie Tuitele recorded two sacks. If that defensive pressure keeps up this Friday, the defending champions could find themselves in a bit of a dogfight.

If the Raiders can utilize the explosive offensive ability of Exander Carroll (613 passing yards, 223 rushing yards) then this could be the most entertaining game on the entire 5A slate.

However, across I-25 might be the most important game on the 5A slate. Top-ranked Valor Christian hosts No. 3 Columbine in a rematch that is almost two years in the making. The last time these teams clashed, the Rebels beat the Eagles 37-30 in the 5A state quarterfinals. That was back in 2019 and a few things have changed.

The Eagles have a fast-paced offensive led by Oklahoma commit Gavin Sawchuk. The senior has already rushed for 605 yards and nine touchdowns. In last week’s win over Mullen, Sawchuk carried the ball just 13 times for 98 yards and three touchdowns. Valor has yet to win a game by fewer than three scores and has solidified itself as the top team in the state.

But if there is a formula to slow the Eagles down, it might be the one that Andy Lowry has successfully executed for decades. The Rebels will run the ball often. They’ll try to sustain long drives in order to limit Valor’s ability to strike fast. Seth Cromwell has fit Lowry’s system to a tee, rushing for 501 yards and 10 touchdowns in four games. Columbine will also do everything defensively to disrupt the flow of the Eagles offense. The Rebels have forced nine turnovers this year and the season isn’t even halfway over.

Heading back to Aurora, Grandview is looking for a bounce back game after taking their first of the year last week. The 24-13 loss to Ralston Valley hurt, especially considering the Wolves spotted the Mustangs 17 points in the first half. The offense wasn’t quite what it has been this season as Moosah Alsaffar was limited to 68 yards on 14 carries, although it was the first action he has seen this year. Grandview will try to get him back to that 5.9 yards per carry number he finished with a year ago and hope that he can be the winning formula on Friday.

Horizon comes in as an interesting opponent for a couple of reasons. The Hawks have shown that they can score points, putting up at least 39 in their two wins this year. Jurrien Brooks has been a steady ball carrier, rushing for 326 yards and five touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Alex Birch has looked far more polished than his age would indicate. He completes 60% of his passes, has thrown for 635 yards and has seven touchdowns to just two interceptions.

A rivalry showdown is on slate up north as Rocky Mountain and Fort Collins will battle on French Field. The Lambkins lone loss on the season so far came against Ponderosa as the Mustangs pulled it out 35-33. Fort Collins bounced right back to win the next two games and his hoping to run the Fort Collins table.

Max Jones and Dorion McGarity have been a solid rushing combination as Jones leads the team in rushing yards with 463 while McGarity has more touchdown runs (four) than anyone else. The Lambkins have also had bright spots defensively as they have five interceptions as a team, with Dontay Johnson responsible for two of them.

Rocky Mountain is hoping to counter with a heavy passing attack as quarterback Gage Brooks has had no problem airing the ball out in four games. He’s thrown for 1,031 yards and nine touchdowns. He spreads the love amongst his receivers as he’s hit four different players for touchdown passes. Losses to Arapahoe and Lakewood have the Lobos at 2-2, but the battle on French Field should be a fun game for Fort Collins residents to check out.

 

CLASS 5A – TOP 10 SCHEDULE

#1 Valor Christian vs #3 Columbine

#2 Cherry Creek at #5 Regis

#4 Ralston Valley at Doherty (SAT)

#6 Grandview vs Horizon

#7 Legend at Westminster

#8 Cherokee Trail at Denver East (SAT)

#9 Douglas County vs Boulder

#10 Arapahoe at Rock Canyon