Week four of the football season was filled with highly anticipated matchups, great finishes and even a few upsets. We run through all of them in our best wins of the week recap. PHOTO BY DWIGHT SIVERSON
Fairview: The Knights downed Legacy 43-32 and with the win likely secured the top spot in the Front Range conference and a berth in the Class 5A playoffs. Liam O’Brien ran for 267 yards and rushed for another 134 as the Knights improved to 4-0. The defense also forced five turnovers.
Palmer Ridge: The Bears spotted Montrose an early 14-0 lead and trailed 14-7 at halftime before exploding for 28 third quarter points in a 42-20 decision. Both teams were unbeaten going in and the game was very important to the 4A playoff breakdown. Kaden Dudley caught eight passes for 115 yards; Cameron latched onto three for 123 yards and two scores while Luke McAllister threw for 309 yards.
Fountain Fort Carson: In another 4A battle of teams without a loss, the Trojans used big plays to outscore Pueblo West 35-21. Q Jones scored on an 89-yard run and finished with 294 yards and three scores on the ground. Tai Faavee also sparked the Trojans with a 68-yard touchdown run on the games first play from scrimmage. Next up is another important game as they battle 3-1 Rampart.
Brighton: In a very deep Class 4A playoff race, the Bulldogs remained alive with a convincing 30-14 win over Erie. The win moves them to 3-1 ahead of games with Silver Creek and Windsor in the final two weeks. They likely need wins in both to feel good about their post-season chances. Vershon Brooks finished with 141 yards rushing.
Palisade: Following a loss to Lutheran in week three, the Bulldogs may have been in a must win situation against Green Mountain and they responded with hard fought 31-24 decision. The Bulldogs were down 6-0 early but battled back for a halftime lead (14-6) and did not trail the rest of the game. They also handed Green Mountain their first loss of the season.
Conifer: The Lobos gained a quick 14-0 lead on Eagle Valley but then trailed 27-21 late in the game before getting the winning touchdown in the closing two minutes. Noah Wagner scored the game winner and also reached the end zone from 60 and 98 yards out earlier in the game. The win pushes the Lobos to 3-1 and into a huge clash with Palisade next week in what could be a playoff elimination game for the loser.
Moffat County: The Bulldogs also waited until the last minute to get their victory; a 27-23 decision over Woodland Park. According to the Craig Daily Press, Ryan Peck connected with Blake Juergens on a five-yard TD pass with just over 30 seconds left. The win moved the Bulldogs to 2-1 and with a game against unbeaten Delta on tap next; right in the middle of the Class 2A playoff race.
Sanford: In the first of two key battles within the Southern Peaks race, the Indians took out Dove Creek 36-12. Both clubs were 3-0 entering the game but the win does not sew up the league crown. Sanford also has Mancos on the schedule in week six and that game becomes even more important if the Bluejays beat Dove Creek this coming weekend. Kelton Gartrell scored twice and added a pick six in leading Sanford to a 18-6 halftime edge. He also reached the end zone two more times in the second half.
Dolores Huerta: The Scorpions came away with the biggest shocker of the weekend as they downed Pikes Peak Christian 12-6. The two teams were separated by 29 positions in 8man RPI standings before the game with PPC #1 and the Scorpions #30. The win also snapped the Scorpions two-game losing skid and got them back to five hundred on the year (2-2).
Simla: The Cubs moved past Calhan 28-20 in a battle of two teams trying to crack into the eight-man playoff bracket. They were ranked 10-11th in the Colorado Preps consensus poll last week. Simla was also number three in RPI. The Cubs also gained a bonus with the Dolores Huerta win over Pikes Peak Christian. Coletin Mazerall finished with 203 yards rushing and four scores for the winners.
Granada: Crazy is not a strong enough term to describe the Bobcats 67-60 win over Cheraw on Friday. The Bobcats scored 30 points in the second quarter, allowed 34 in the third and then rallied from 15 down with a 22-point fourth quarter. The win moved the Bobcats to 4-0 and very close to a playoff berth.
Severance: The Silver Knights easily handled Berthoud 42-6 to grab their third win in four games this season. The win keeps the Knights in the post-season chase as several other teams in the same position; Woodland Park, Brush, Valley and University all lost over the weekend. Severance though finishes with Eaton and Resurrection Christian and likely needs to beat one of them to remain a playoff contender. Against Berthoud, Nolan Hertzke threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns.
Pagosa Springs: Defense carried the Pirates to win a 22-8 win over Lamar. Both teams were 3-0 at kickoff so the win should give the Pirates the conference crown and possibly a top four playoff seed; provided they win their remaining two games. Lamar scored on their first drive of the game but could not dent the scoreboard again. Grant Aucoin’s scoop and score late in the second quarter may have been the biggest play.
Wray: The 27-7 decision over Holyoke will play an important role in the Class 1A playoff bracket. The Eagles moved to 4-0 with the win and likely clinched a playoff berth. The decision also sets up a huge game with Limon in week six. Tyler Collins ran for two scores and threw for a third. Junior Arambula finished off the Wray scoring with a short TD run in the fourth.
Merino: Another physical effort by the Rams as they downed Haxtun 44-12. The Rams are now 4-0 and begin preparations for a showdown with five-time defending state champion Sedgwick County this week. According to Ben Blecha of 94.5 the Ranch Radio, the Rams rushed for 441 yards and Derrick Alberts tied a state record with four interceptions.
NOTES: Pueblo South and Durango both collected hard earned victories in Class 3A. The Colts won the Cannon Game with Pueblo East 28-7; improving to 2-0. Durango led Evergreen just 3-0 at halftime before scoring a 17-8 decision. The Demons are now 3-0. Delta overcame an injury to QB Nolan Bynum in the second quarter to fight past Englewood 28-10. The Panthers suddenly have a big game with Moffat County this week following the Bulldogs big win over Woodland Park. Eaglecrest survived Arapahoe 23-13 as the Raptors offense was held below 43 points for the first time this season. The win keeps the Raptors in line for a week six showdown with Cherry Creek. Both teams are 4-0 after the weekend. Grandview got back to five hundred (2-2) by downing Smoky Hill 49-21. The Wolves remain in the playoff chase with the win. Mountain Valley was back on the field after two weeks off and they drilled La Veta 74-14. The Indians are just 2-0 but they are in six-man playoff chase because of a strong RPI number. Prairie likely wrapped up second place in the Northern conference and a post-season berth by winning at North Park 63-22. The Mustangs are 3-1 with a loss to top ranked Fleming. They also have a win over Briggsdale.
