For some 11-man football teams in Colorado this weekend marks their final non-conference game and final tune-up before league play and the playoff run that will dominate play in October.  Other clubs still have this week and next for non-conference play but eague action meantime continues in the six and eight-man divisions and in a few cases, championships could be decided through results this weekend.
Our Game Day report looks at the top matchups in each classification and a brief explanation of their importance.  We narrow the schedule to the best and most important four games in each classification and contests listed in bold are feature matchups where we hope to visit with the winning coach live on our Scoreboard Show this evening.
We also preview the weekend in-depth with our latest Colorado Preps Cast edition.
Please note that the games we select are Friday games only.   We produce a similar report each Saturday for contests slated for that day.
The Scoreboard Show is again presented by Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance and airs from 9:30-11:00pm on radio affiliates across the state.  A complete list can be seen here.
You may also follow along with our Daily Scoreboard as we will provide in-progress updates of nearly every game in Colorado.
Enjoy the games tonight and then catch our statewide recap on the way home.
 

SIX MAN

  1. Stratton/Liberty (3-0) at Otis (3-0)
  2. Flagler/Hi Plains (2-1) at Idalia (2-1)
  3. Mountain Valley (2-0) at Sierra Grande (2-1)
  4. Cheyenne Wells (3-0) at Granada (1-2)

Notes:  Positioning in the rugged East Central conference will start to fall in line with results from the top two games.  All four games involved are ranked in the top 10 and the meeting between Stratton/Liberty and Otis pits the top two teams in the rankings head-to-head.  Otis rallied to beat Flagler/Hi Plains last week so a win over the Knighted Eagles tonight give them the inside track to the league title.  Both teams have scored at least 58 points in every game this year.  The winner between Flagler/Hi Plains and Idalia remains in contention for the title or at least a top two league finish.  Arickaree/Woodlin is a fifth top 10 team in the conference.  Mountain Valley slammed Cotopaxi last week so a win over Sierra Grande should give them the Southwest championship.  They’re ranked for the first time since becoming a six-man program.  The Cheyenne Wells- Granada pairing resumes a good rivalry as the teams are playing for the first time since Cheyenne Wells moved into the six man division for the 2014 season.
 

EIGHT MAN

  1. Holly (3-1) at Fowler (2-1)
  2. Sanford (3-0) at Norwood (3-1)
  3. Haxtun (2-2) at Merino (2-1)
  4. West Grand (4-0) at Vail Christian (2-1)

Notes:  The Ark Valley division features three top-10 clubs and two of them collide tonight when #6 Holly faces #8 Fowler.  Both teams are battling #5 Hoehne for the conference championship and since Holly meets the Farmers next week, their league championship hopes could be dictated over the next eight days.  The teams have a common opponent in Akron.  Holly fell 8-6 while Fowler picked up a 28-20 win. Both were easy winners in league openers last week.  Sanford and Norwood both Mountain league openers last week and they collide this week with the winner staying in the championship race.  Mancos is ranked 3rd and became the favorite with last week’s win over Sargent.  Sedgwick County is the likely winner of the Plains conference but that league routinely sends 4-5 teams to the playoffs.  Haxtun and Merino are playing to improve their league standing and RPI position.  West Grand rolled Plateau Valley 60-14 in their league opener last week while Vail Christian came up short to Rangely.  West Grand and Rangely face off next week.
 

CLASS 1A

  1. Limon (3-0) at Strasburg (3-0)
  2. Basalt (3-0) at Paonia (2-1)
  3. Holyoke (3-0) at Highland (2-1)
  4. Buena Vista (2-1) at Centauri (2-1)

Notes:  Nearly all the attention for Class 1A is along I-70 tonight as Strasburg hosts Limon.  The Indians are ranked #1 with Limon right behind at #2 and even though it’s a non-conference game, there is plenty on the line.  The winner of course stays number one in the rankings but more importantly, that club gains some traction as the number one overall playoff seed.  That of course is also dependent if tonight’s winner lands their league championship.  Strasburg won a tight battle (14-12) last year and has dropped just one game since joining Class 1A in 2016.  Paonia has won two straight and should get into the rankings next week if they hand Basalt their first loss of the season.  The Longhorns though are ranked 5th in Class 2A.  Holyoke and Highland could both contend for league titles but realistically will probably need a wildcard bid to make the playoffs.  Tonight’s winner gets a leg up over the other in that race.  Buena Vista and Centauri look for momentum going into league play next week; especially the Demons are their lopsided loss at Salida last week.
 

CLASS 2A

  1. Lamar (1-2) at Alamosa (2-1)
  2. Delta (2-1) at Bennett (2-1)
  3. Eaton (2-1) at Machebeuf (2-1)
  4. Faith Christian (1-2) at University (2-1)

Notes:  All games on our list involve eight teams looking to improve their RPI standing and also gain some consistency going into league play.  Lamar played well in a tough loss to Burlington last week while Alamosa must avoid looking ahead to their league showdown with Bayfield next week.  Delta and Bennett are both coming off narrow wins last week; the Panthers edged Montezuma Cortez 19-14 and the Tigers worked past Ridgeview Academy 23-16.  Eaton and Machebeuf both suffered their first losses last week as the Reds came up short to Platte Valley and the Buffs to Elizabeth.  Both have tough roads to league championships.  Machebeuf must get by Kent Denver and Eaton will contend with both Resurrection Christian and Berthoud.  Faith Christian looks to reach 500 for the first time this season while University needs a signature win as they continue to build their program.
 

CLASS 3A

  1. Pueblo Central (3-0) at Harrison (3-0)
  2. Pueblo South (0-3) at Palmer Ridge (2-2)
  3. Eagle Valley (2-1) at Evergreen (1-2)
  4. Conifer (2-1) at Fort Morgan (2-1)

Notes:  Harrison continues to move up the rankings and picked up a solid win over Pueblo Centennial last week.  The Panthers have allowed just 20 points in the past two weeks.  Pueblo Central has scored 100 points through three games but this will be their most difficult test of the season.  They’ve already surpassed their win total for the last two years combined (2-18).  Eagle Valley is another program back on the rise.  After suffering through a winless 2017 campaign, the Devils are 2-1 including a nice win over Northridge last week.  Evergreen will be their best test as the Cougars are coming off a 8-7 win over Mead.  Conifer and Fort Morgan both enter week five off their first loss.  The Lobos lost to Glenwood Springs while the Mustangs were beaten by Thomas Jefferson.
 

CLASS 4A

  1. Skyline (3-0) at Longmont (2-1)
  2. Pueblo West (3-1) at Pine Creek (3-1)
  3. Palisade (3-0) at Montrose (3-0)
  4. Grand Junction (2-2) at Fruita Monument (2-1)

Notes:  It’s a very good schedule as the division concludes non-league play this weekend.  Record wise the best matchup has Western Slope unbeatens Palisade and Montrose facing off.  Palisade jumps in from 3A where they’re ranked 2nd this week.  Montrose is up to fourth in 4A and is coming off a bye week after rallying past Durango 41-36 in week three.  Both teams want to establish the run so it should be a physical game.  It’s the same story for Pueblo West and Pine Creek as each prefers to run the football.  The rivalry series has seen many tight games in the past but Pine Creek has grabbed the win in most cases.  Hard to believe due to proximity but the meeting between Longmont and Skyline is their first since the 2011 season opener won by the Trojans 47-13.  The local rivals have been in different divisions most of the time but both are in 4A this year.  Grand Junction and Fruita Monument finish off the Stocker Stadium series of Western Slope rivalries as both teams head into league play next week.
 

CLASS 5A

  1. Arvada West (4-0) at Eaglecrest (4-0)
  2. Grandview (4-0) at Mullen (3-1)
  3. Castle View (3-1) at Legend (3-1)
  4. Horizon (0-4) at Regis (1-3)

Notes:  Two different offenses face off when unbeatens Arvada West and Eaglecrest meet tonight.  The Wildcats feature an effective passing game but their defense must slow down the Raptors physical running game to give their offense enough chances.  Grandview has held three of their first four opponents to one touchdown and has given up only 41 points all season.  Mullen is coming off a gutsy win over local rival Regis.  Regis and Horizon are regular playoff teams but have combined for just one win through four weeks so both are looking for something positive going into conference play.  Castle View won just one game last year and has not had a winning season since 2011 but a win gets them to 4-1.  Legend won last year’s matchup 42-6 and coming off a win over Emporia KS scored in Scott City last Saturday.