Based on records from 2019, it appears the Southern division is the strongest of the two in Class 5A spring football. That group includes preseason number one Vista Peak as the Bison won 10 games a year ago. Other challengers could include Denver East, Far Northeast, Denver South and Rangeview. The North is wide open as almost every team needs to find a new quarterback to direct the offense.
Eight of the 12 clubs advance to the Class 5A playoffs in late April. Survivors battle for the championship in Pueblo in early May.
SOUTH
DENVER SOUTH (4-6): Julian Buerk will again be the triggerman for the Ravens offense and he’s an excellent first option. As a junior in 2019, Buerk threw for 1,815 yards and 17 yards and also added another 485 yards on the ground. His backfield mate, Ethan Micelli also returns after picking up a team best 601 yards on the ground. On the perimeter, Jayshawn Leyba (48 catches) and Jaden Phare (38) are also back for what should be an explosive offense. Defensively, the top three tacklers graduated but Garrett Manning (54) ended up fourth and is back.
VISTA PEAK (10-1): Most folks expect the Bison to be the best team in the big school ranks this spring. They return quite a few standouts from the 2019 squad that won all 10 regular season games before being upset in round one of the playoffs. Leading that list is Ja’Darris Carr-Kersh who ran for 1,445 yards and 23 TDs as a junior. He also latched onto a Bison-best 26 passes for 510 yards and five more scores. QB Victor Owens is also back. He combined for over 16-hundred yards of offense and 19 TDs as a junior. Monty Hamrick and Christopher Marquez also return. Hamrick picked up 609 yards and 10 TDs on the ground with Marquez catching 15 passes as a sophomore. The defense lost their top tackler but the next five return.
DENVER EAST (6-4): Coming off a very good 2019, the Angels have even more expectations this Spring. They return QB Dylan Wigglesworth (1,862 yards – 15 TDs) and his top three targets in Jay Barry, Berto Zepeda and Isaiah Davis. Barry led the way with 36 receptions for 533 yards and five scores. Zepeda finished 22-284-2 and Davis 17-128-1. Davis also led the team with 389 yards and a TD on the ground. There is also depth on defense with the return of Finn O’Donnell (69) and Marcelo Aguilar (55) who were 3-4 in tackles last season.
FAR NORTHEAST (6-4): The Warriors are the third of four teams in the South that finished 2019 above five hundred as they collected six wins. They could play two quarterbacks as both Jaylen Boyd and James Aryeetey both return. They combined for over 800 yards passing and seven scores in 2019. Charlie Brown is the top returnee on the outside with 13 receptions for 167 yards. On the ground, Jaheim Andrews may get the most carries as was second for the Warriors with 337 yards and three scores last year. On defense, Emmanuel Nwanteo is the only returnee among the top four tackles. He recorded 68.
RANGEVIEW (4-6): The Raiders return a nice one-two punch in Reece Berkley and Trevonta Rogers. Berkley totaled 1,060 yards and six TDs through the air and also chipped in 140 yards and three scores in the run game. Rogers ran for 606 yards and three scores last season. The defense was solid last year and could be even better with the return of Angel Rodriguez who led the team with 74 tackles. Also returning are Jaylen Bennett, Jaden Clary and Elijah Jamison; all of which finished in the top five.
HINKLEY (7-3): Might be difficult for the Thunderbirds to match their 70 percent win number from last year as they graduated their top two quarterbacks, their best receiver and top three tacklers. The cupboard though is not bare as 15-hundred-yard rusher Tyren Draher is back for another run. He scored 14 TDs as a junior. On defense, the top returnee is Keenan Starks who compiled 78 tackles.
NORTH
BOULDER (3-7): The Panthers graduated a starting QB who threw for 1,800 yards and 12 scores last season so that’s a big hole to fill. The job could go to Alvin Rodriguez but he attempted just 16 passes last season. The top returnee on both sides of the ball is Parker Patchett. He topped the Panthers with 659 yards rushing as a junior and also recorded 48 tackles, the most of any player back on the roster. Drake Arthur, with 25 catches in 2019, is also a quality receiver.
MOUNTAIN RANGE (4-6): Could be a rebuilding year for the Mustangs as their top eight tacklers from last year’s defense graduated. A new quarterback must also be developed so that may mean more changes for Anthony Vieth. He rushed for a club-best 560 yards as a sophomore.
FORT COLLINS (2-8): With the graduation of Hayden Iverson, there’s a huge hole to fill on the Fort Collins roster. He attempted all but two of the Lambkins passes last year; throwing for 1,733 yards and 15 TDs and Iverson also generated nearly 1,000 yards on the ground (968) with 12 more scores. Once a new quarterback is developed, the Lambkins can get the ball to standout wideout Dorian McGarity who caught 47 passes as a sophomore. Max Jones also gained 353 yards rushing and returns. On defense, four of the top six tacklers graduated but Joe Conner, the team leader with 74, is back on the field.
WESTMINSTER (5-5): The Wolves lost their top quarterback and top rusher but may have successors already in place. Robert Barron may get the job at QB. He attempted 16 passes as a junior; completing nine for 159 yards and a TD. Guillermo Macias was second in rushing with 354 yards so he’ll likely get more touches this Spring. Gilbert Bujanda is a top wide receiver; catching 32 passes for six scores in 2019. He was also third in tackles with 76. Barron led that group with 100.
NORTHGLENN (1-9): With D’Angelo Montoya back on the field, the Norse have a chance to improve their win total. The senior threw for 911 yards, ran for another 492 and reached the end zone a combined eight times. He has some weapons on the outside with the return of Nathan Alvidrez (14) and Antonio Gomez (12) who combined for 26 catches last season. Gomez is also the top returnee on defense with 50 tackles. That was sixth-best on the Norse a year ago.
ADAMS CITY (1-9): The Eagles did not produce any statistics to MaxPreps for the 2019 season. Their lone win came against Skyview in the season opener.
