Week 9 is fine because it’s the one before the official end of the regular season.
Indeed, time is wasting for Class 5A playoff shuffling, getting ready to play extra football and finishing strong.
Below are a dozen matchups labelled accordingly for your viewing pleasure as big schools in Colorado are facing big games late in 2019:
Best bets …
Lakewood (5-3) vs. Ralston Valley (9-0), Thursday, 4 p.m., NAAC
The host Mustangs can clinch at least a tie for the Metro West with a victory. … Lakewood, under coach Jeff Braun, began 4-0 before hitting the difficult part of its schedule. The Tigers are 1-2 in league and 1-3 against teams with winning records. … In a 49-14 pasting of winless Arvada West last week, QB Jason Duong was 7-of-10 passing for 120 yards and a TD. … Ralston Valley arguably earned the biggest victory of 2019 last week, taking down Columbine 24-23 in a thriller. … J.J. Galbreath caught a 60-yard TD pass from Walker Brickle with 1:20 to play and Chase Wilson ran it in for a 2-point conversion to decide it. … RV is tops in 5A scoring (374 points).
Cherokee Trail (6-2) vs. Cherry Creek, (8-0), Friday, 7 p.m., Legacy Stadium
Control of the Metro East, either outright or in a tie, is at stake. … The visiting Cougars dropped their league opener, but responded with a huge victory over Grandview and last week tamed Overland. … The Bruins have been a bear on defense, permitting only a 5A-leading 50 points, bolstering their scoring differential to plus-254. … Junior QB Julian Hammond is 107-of-168 passing for 1,473 yards and 21 TDs. … Cherry Creek has passed for 24 TDs, rushed for 13. … In 10 head-to-head meetings, the Cougars are a respectable 4-6 against the Bruins, although Creek has taken five of the past six, including the past three.
Rocky Mountain (5-3) vs. Horizon (3-5), Friday, 7 p.m., Adams 12 North Stadium
The Lobos are tied for the Front Range lead and have regrouped nicely after a 2-3 nonleague schedule. … Rocky Mountain junior Sean Kid has more than the name that belongs in a movie. He also has 688 yards rushing for five TDs. … Senior Peter Krohn tops the Lobos with 25 receptions for 227 yards and seven TDs. … Heads coaches Mark Brook (Rocky Mountain) and Frank Ybarra (Horizon) don’t get a lot of attention, but have been on the scene for decades. … The Hawks, 2-1 in league, have won two of their past three games, the one blip a loss to league-leading Fairview.
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Eaglecrest (6-2) vs. Arapahoe (5-3), Thursday, 7 p.m., LPSS
In the Metro East, the visiting Raptors were rolled 41-3 by Cherry Creek and dipped to 1-2 in league, same as the Warriors, so something has to give.
Mountain Range (3-5) vs. Smoky Hill (8-0), Thursday, 7 p.m., Stutler Bowl
In the Metro 10, which is designed to help resurrect struggling programs, the host Buffaloes have won 18 consecutive games in the regular season, and last week’s 51-7 victory over Adams City was no. 200 in the career of head coach Tom Thenell.
Poudre (2-6) vs. Fairview (7-1), Thursday, 7 p.m., Recht Field
In the Front Range, where the Knights own a piece of the league lead with two games to play, 6-foot-2 sophomore Grant Page has 54 receptions for 833 yards (15.4 average) and 12 TDs.
Columbine (7-1) vs. Pomona (5-3), Thursday, 7:30 p.m., NAAC
Indeed, the Rebels are smarting from last week’s 24-23 setback to Ralston Valley in a battle of the undefeated in the Metro West, but Tanner Hollens (1,012 yards rushing, 17 TDs) have to turn around and take on the longtime-rival Panthers (Brady Ritzmann, 988 yards passing, 13 TDs).
Adams City (1-7) vs. Prairie View (5-3), Friday, 7 p.m., Prairie View
The host Thunderhawks have won four games in a row and one more in the win column will give them their first winning season since 2014, also the first in the four years under head coach Ben Startzer. It’s Metro 10 matchup.
Fountain-Fort Carson (3-5) vs. Regis Jesuit (8-0), Friday, 7 p.m., Lou Kellogg Stadium
The host Raiders and sophomore QB Nicco Marchiol (1,790 yards passing, 16 TDs) have been convincing, winning five nonleague games and three in the South by 10-or-more points.
Grandview (7-1) vs. Overland (5-3), Friday, 7 p.m., Stutler Bowl
In the Metro East, the Wolves had to struggle past Arapahoe 14-6 the past week after taking their only hit, by 26-7 to Cherokee Trail, but Noah Schmidt turned in 184 yards rushing in Week 8 and scored his first TD in three outings.
Legend (7-1) vs. Doherty (1-7), Friday, 7 p.m., District 20 Stadium
The Titans responded to their first loss by whipping Douglas County 42-0 in the South as Blake Rarog rushed for 201 yards and four TDs.
ThunderRidge (5-3) vs. Valor Christian (7-1), Friday, 7 p.m., Valor Christian
The visiting Grizzles are 0-3 against the nearby Eagles, the defending state champion who this week had talented lineman (and Washington commit) Roger Rosengarten named to the All-American Bowl.
