Monarch is off to a sizzling start, running its record to 4-0 after its 34-7 drubbing of Centaurus last week in Class 4A action. The Coyotes will cool off this weekend as they have a bye. Heating up the offense stats for Monarch has been quarterback Riley Montemayor. The junior has thrown for 881 yards and six scores. Montemayor was nearly perfect against Centaurus completing 19 of 22 passes for 335 yards and two scores.
Sophomore QB Leland Frescaz guided Doherty to its first win, a 56-14 drubbing of Coronado on Sept. 8. Frescaz threw for 282 yards and three scores. The 5A Spartans will try and keep their momentum going against a strong 4A team in Mesa Ridge, which is trying to rebound after a 1-2 start.
Bear Creek QB Adrian Rico has powered 4A Bear Creek to a dominating 3-0 start and he has thrown for 697 yards and 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He will try to keep things rolling against Thomas Jefferson Friday.
Rushing to judgement: Fountain-Fort Carson running back Mathias Price has been a beast all season and he kept the train rolling in a 32-19 win over Pueblo West last weekend with four touchdowns and 151 rushing yards. Price, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior, has 568 yards in three games and 11 scores, including nine his last two games.
Greeley Central running back Carlos Cardoza has been turning heads this season. The speedy 5-foot-8, 155-pound junior followed up his 242-yard performance against Cheyenne Mountain (Sept. 1) with a 142-yard effort and one score in his team’s loss to Northridge. Cardoza has 474 yards rushing on 81 carries this season.
Catching up with receivers: Lutheran junior Ben Herbek had a day in his team’s big win over Discovery Canyon last week. He caught 12 passes for 184 yards and three scores.
Wheat Ridge receiver Bennett Wilkes continued his impressive season with 14 receptions for 174 yards in the 3A Farmers’ 41-21 defeat at the hands of Denver North last week. Through three games the 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior has 30 receptions for 486 yards and two scores.
Severance dropped a tough 35-31 decision last week to Mead. In the loss, Jeremiah Hoffman, a junior, caught seven passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Heading into the weekend, there are several key games among the big classifications to keep and eye on.
Class 5A
No. 4 Columbine (2-0) at No. 3 Arapahoe (3-0), (Fri. 7 p.m.)
This is an early season grudge match for sure. The Rebels has been stellar this season giving up just 13 points in three games, including a 35-7 defeat of Cherokee Trail last week. Arapahoe, meanwhile, is soaring after upsetting Regis, which is now ranked No. 6, 34-27 last week. Trajan Frazier and Andrew Smart will look to step up again for Arapahoe against the Rebels. Frazier had three touchdown runs against Regis, including one for 74 yards. Smart clinched the upset with a 54-yard touchdown with time winding down.
No. 6 Regis (2-1) at No. 5 Ralston Valley (2-1), (Fri., 7:30 p.m.)
Regis is coming off a tough loss to Arapahoe by a touchdown. The Raiders need to get things going early against RV. The Raiders had an uphill battle last week after falling behind 21-7 at halftime. All-Purpose player Jojo Hernandez and running back Albert Medina will try and get Regis back on track. The Mustangs come into this match-up with plenty of momentum as they hammered highly-touted Grandview last weekend 30-15 in a game that wasn’t that close. RV quarterback Logan Madden threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns in the win and running back Brady Weldon added two scores.
Class 4A
No. 4 Broomfield (2-1) at No. 2 Erie (2-1), (Sat., 1 p.m.)
After a tough loss to Holy Family (30-29) a week earlier, Broomfield bounced back with a 49-6 trouncing of Vista Peak Prep. The Eagles’ Joseph Larsen led the way with 215 yards and a touchdown. Erie is paced by quarterback Blake Barnett. The senior threw for 246 yards and three scores in a huge 38-28 win over Montrose. This will be a big early-season test for both teams.
Legend (2-1) at No. 9 Ponderosa (2-1), (Fri., 7 p.m.)
Ponderosa is coming off a tough setback, losing to Golden (25-14). The Mustangs were up 14-0 at half on two touchdowns by running back Luc Chevalier but were blanked for the remainder of the game. Things will not get easy for the Mustangs as they face a solid 5A Legend team. Legend saw its undefeated season vanish as it was stopped by upstart Castle View 20-7 last week.
Class 3A
4A No. 3 Loveland (3-0) at 3A No. 8 Thompson Valley (1-1), (Fri., 7 p.m.)
Loveland’s trend this season was knocking off 5A teams, including a 27-26 decision over Pomona last week. The Red Wolves are paced by Trey Olsen. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior has rushed for 547 yards and six touchdowns this season. Thompson Valley suffered a tough 16-14 loss to Berthoud this past week. The Eagles’ Riley Suarez is a dual threat as he passed for 85 yards and rushed for 55 yards in the loss. The team ran for 170 yards on the ground against Berthoud and ball control will be the key for the Eagles if they want to spring an upset.
Pueblo East (1-2) at No. 1 Lutheran, (Fri., 7 p.m.)
Lutheran is the class of 3A so far this season. Lutheran is averaging 45.3 ppg and thrashed Discovery Canyon 45-14 last week. The Lutheran charge is led by receiver Ben Herbek who is averaging 115 yards per game, and he has scored six touchdowns. He starred in his team’s win over Discovery Canyon. East, a former 3A powerhouse, will hit the road this weekend to try and shock the world or at least Lutheran. East is coming off back-to-back losses to Pueblo Central (20-14) and La Junta (26-17). Freshman QB Dolpha Lewis threw for 178 yards and one TD in the loss to La Junta.
