Four teams have a chance to clinch league championships this week as the 5A schedule enters the final two weeks of the regular season. RPI is also a concern for many clubs; especially those on the bubble of getting into the top 12. Teams that do so, host regional tournaments and increase their chance of making the state tournament. Regionals are the first week of November with the state tournament set for November 14-16th at the Denver Coliseum.
CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
- CS Metro: Rampart (3-0) and Coronado (4-0) remain unbeaten in league play and could easily stay that way until they square off on October 29th. Both are ranked in the top five of their respective class and both plan to be at the Denver Coliseum for state tournament play. The key match this week is set for Friday as Coronado goes to Pine Creek. The Eagles are in third (2-1) and must win to remain in contention following last week’s loss to Rampart. Rampart goes to Liberty on Tuesday and hosts Doherty on Thursday.
- East Metro: Another race that won’t be decided until the final week when Vista Peak entertains Rangeview on the 29th. The Bison and Raiders are both 6-0 and lead Westminster (4-1) by one game in the league standings. Rangeview goes to Westminster on Thursday and a win there keeps them in the league chase as they also have match with Vista Peak (30th) on their schedule. Neither leader will host a regional as Vista Peak is 22nd in RPI and Rangeview 33rd.
- Front Range: Broomfield (9-0) can move very close to the title this week if they beat Horizon on Tuesday. The Hawks enter the match tied with Fort Collins (8-1) in second place. Broomfield has already beaten Fort Collins so a win on Tuesday gives them the edge on any tiebreaker on both their top challengers. The Eagles also host Mountain Range on Thursday and can clinch the championship with wins in both. Horizon also meets Greeley West on Thursday and then closes the league schedule with Monarch next week. Fort Collins battles Legacy and Boulder this week and then Loveland on the 30th. Broomfield and Fort Collins sit 3rd and 8th in RPI respectively so both should be at home for regionals.
- Jeffco: Valor Christian (6-0) starts the week with a one game edge on Ralston Valley and Chatfield (both 5-1). The Eagles have already topped Chatfield and host Ralston Valley on Thursday. A win there basically gives the title to the Eagles provided they also beat Bear Creek on Thursday. Ralston Valley and Chatfield also collide on Tuesday and that winner should end up no worse than second. All three teams could host a regional bracket as Valor Christian is 6th, Chatfield 9th and Ralston Valley 11th in RPI this week.
- Centennial: Grandview, Eaglecrest and Cherokee Trail all closed the conference schedule at 6-1 to create a three-way tie for the regular season title. All eight league clubs are involved in league challenge matches this week with games schedule Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Cherokee Trail (4th) is the highest rated team in the RPI and will host a regional tournament. Grandview (10th) could also be at home that week. Eaglecrest (13th) and Cherry Creek (15th) also remain in contention for a top 12 finish.
- Continental: Chaparral (7-0) is alone in first and in great shape to land the league crown. The Wolverines have already beaten second place Legend (6-1) and Mountain Vista (5-2) so they control the important tiebreakers. Up next for the Wolverines are matches with Highlands Ranch and ThunderRidge this Tuesday and Thursday. Wins in both give them the title. They also have a date with Rock Canyon on the 29th so the Wolverines need three wins to roll through the conference slate without a loss. Second place should go to Tuesday’s winner between Legend and Mountain Vista. Chaparral and Legend are locks to host regionals as they sit one-two in the latest RPI standings. Mountain Vista is the next highest team in the RPI (14th).
- City: All members are involved in league cross over matches this week with the most important set for Tuesday night between Thomas Jefferson and Denver East. Both are unbeaten against conference rivals so the winner will end up with the top trophy.
TOP MATCHES
- Tuesday – Horizon at Broomfield: Horizon is tied with Fort Collins in second place and represents the last major hurdle to Broomfield and their quest for the Front Range crown. The Eagles are unbeaten in conference play (9-0) and has a win over Fort Collins. A victory this Tuesday gives them head-to-head wins over their top two challengers. A win also gives the Eagles a chance to clinch the league crown by beating Mountain Range on Thursday.
- Tuesday – Thomas Jefferson vs Denver East: Neither team has dropped a conference match through the regular season or the cross-over tournament so the winner is crowned City league champions. TJ drops into Class 4A for the post-season and its 13th in those standings so they remain the battle to host a regional tournament. Woodland Park, Erie and Glenwood Springs are 10th through 12th and are the three teams directly ahead of the Spartans. Denver East is only 47th in RPI and must win to capture the league title and get an automatic bid. A loss leaves them out of the post-season.
- Tuesday – Mountain Vista at Legend: Both teams have a loss to first place Chaparral so the winner probably settles for second place in the rugged Continental. Legend (6-1) has the spot now but will fall to third if Mountain Vista (5-2) gains the win. The Titans are also battling for a very high regional tournament seed as they enter the week second to Chaparral in RPI standings as well.
- Tuesday – Coronado at Pine Creek: The Cougars share the conference lead with Rampart and a win over the third place Eagles make this a two-team race. Pine Creel opens the night one game back due to last week’s loss to Rampart.
- Thursday – Rangeview at Westminster: It’s basically the same scenario as Coronado-Pine Creek as Rangeview shares the EMAC lead with Vista Peak with Westminster third a game back. The difference is that Westminster has yet to play Vista Peak so even with a loss they remain in position for a top two league finish. Should the Wolves upset Rangeview, then Vista Peak will be alone in first if they get by Gateway and Northglennt his week.
- Thursday – Ralston Valley at Valor Christian: It’s the second of two major contests for Ralston Valley this week and the situation on this one changes based on how the Mustangs fare against Chatfield on Tuesday. Should Ralston beat the Chargers, then they stay one game back of Valor Christian and can win the title by upsetting the Eagles. A loss to Chatfield drops them two games off the pace and the match loses much of it’s attraction as Ralston can likely not finish higher than third in the league chase.
RPI STANDINGS (As of October 22nd)
- Chaparral
- Legend
- Broomfield
- Cherokee Trail
- Rampart
- Valor Christian
- Windsor
- Fort Collins
- Chatfield
- Grandview
- Ralston Valley
- Fairview
- Eaglecrest
- Mountain Vista
- Cherry Creek
- Pine Creek
- Horizon
- Loveland
- Castle View
- Doherty
- Heritage
- Vista Peak
- Rock Canyon
- Lakewood
- Rocky Mountain
- Columbine
- Fruita Monument
- Bear Creek
- Arapahoe
- Highlands Ranch
- Greeley West
- Fossil Ridge
- Rangeview
- ThunderRidge
- Dakota Ridge
- Denver South
