It isn’t very often that two potentially unbeaten teams go head-to-head so late in the season.

Yet that’s exactly what will take place Thursday evening in a non-league, inter-classification heavyweight bout. Class 2A’s second-ranked Simla (16-0 going into Tuesday night) hosts 1A’s top-ranked Merino (11-0) in a rematch of last fall’s 1A championship match, won by the Rams.

That isn’t the only championship rematch on tap for this week. In 5A, No. 2 Valor Christian hosts No. 4 Fossil Ridge on Oct. 15. Those two teams met for the crown last November, with the Eagles emerging victorious.

Here is a quick overview of the state’s five classifications going into the midway point of October:

Class 5A

The top half of the Continental League saw more shuffling over the past week. No. 1 Chaparral survived a five-set battle with Legend, holding off the Titans to maintain its perfect league mark. Kai Kofoed led the way with 23 kills and 12 digs. Chiara Cristinzio had 35 digs for Legend. … No. 5 Mountain Vista handed third-ranked Rock Canyon its first league loss, moving the Jaguars and Titans into a tie for second-place. … Fossil Ridge went 1-4 in an out-of-state tournament, putting an end to the SaberCats’ unbeaten run in 2024. Fossil Ridge has a massive week ahead again – in addition to the showdown with Valor, the team also faces No. 10 Loveland on Thursday in a contest between the top teams in the Northern League. The Red Wolves are coming off a 4-0 tourney showing that included a victory over reigning 3A champion Resurrection Christian. … No. 6 Pueblo West and No. 8 Denver South have won a combined 17 consecutive games.

Game of the (last) week: Chaparral def. Legend 3-2 (27-29, 25-22, 25-23, 23-25, 15-13)
Game of the (upcoming) week: No. 4 Fossil Ridge at No. 2 Valor Christian, 6 p.m., Oct. 15

Class 4A

A top-five contest in the 5A/4A Southwestern League tops the 4A upcoming schedule, as No. 3 Palisade visits No. 6 Montrose on Thursday. The two teams met in Palisade on Sept. 12, with the Bulldogs posting the sweep. Palisade hasn’t dropped a set since a loss to Liberty back on Aug. 31. … Just five days after getting swept by Palmer Ridge, Cheyenne Mountain posted its biggest win of the season Tuesday night. The Red-Tailed Hawks rallied for a five-set upset of No. 2 Lewis-Palmer, battling back after being down 2-1. … No. 8 Lutheran, which had dropped two of three games, toppled Air Academy last Thursday and took down No. 9 Palmer Ridge in four sets Tuesday night. Lewis-Palmer is up next for the Lions on Friday. … No. 4 Battle Mountain improved to 9-0 with a sweep of Rifle on Tuesday. The Huskies have 10 more games remaining in October.

Game of the (last) week: Cheyenne Mountain def. Lewis-Palmer 3-2 (14-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 15-9)
Game of the (upcoming) week: No. 4 Palisade at No. 5 Montrose, 6 p.m., Oct. 10

Class 3A

Fifth-ranked Resurrection Christian dropped a rematch of last November’s 3A title game, falling in four sets to 4A University on Tuesday night. … Village climbed to No. 6 after going 6-1 in tournament play over the weekend. … Alamosa has clinched at least a share of the Intermountain League title. During its current 10-game winning streak, the Mean Moose (13-2, 6-0) have not dropped a set.

Game of the (last) week: University def. Resurrection Christian 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 20-25, 25-16)
Game of the (upcoming) week: No. 9 Strasburg at No. 5 Resurrection Christian, 7 p.m., Oct. 15

Class 2A

Top-ranked Sedgwick County took its fifth consecutive victory Tuesday night with a sweep of Caliche. The Cougars visit 1A’s fourth-ranked Idalia on Saturday, and 1A’s unbeaten Merino awaits Oct. 18. … Hoehne posted one of the bigger upsets of the week Tuesday night, defeating No. 5 Swink in four sets. … Ahead of a big matchup with No. 9 Heritage Christian on Oct. 15, fourth-ranked Lyons swept Dawson School on Tuesday night. Heritage Christian is riding a 14-game winning streak.

Game of the (last) week: Hoehne def. Swink 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 25-20)
Game of the (upcoming) week: 1A No. 1 Merino at 2A No. 2 Simla at, 4:30 p.m., Oct. 10

Class 1A

Fleming moved up to No. 2 in the classification after a sweep of Otis on Oct. 3. The Wildcats have won eight in a row since a five-set loss to Sedgwick County on Sept. 3. Ciana Lousberg and Ashley Bornhoft had 14 kills each.

Sargent nearly saw its unbeaten run ended before taking a five-set victory over Buena Vista on Tuesday night. The ninth-ranked Farmers (15-0) won the first two sets before dropping the next two only to roll 15-5 in the deciding set.

Game of the (last) week: Sargent def. Buena Vista 3-2 (25-14, 25-20, 21-25, 18-25, 15-5)
Game of the (upcoming) week: 1A No. 1 Merino at 2A No. 2 Simla at, 4:30 p.m., Oct. 10