Two days left in the football regular season and there are still a few playoff berths left to determine in almost every class. Official brackets are set for release on Sunday with the state quarterfinals slated for next Friday and Saturday.
Our Scoreboard Show tonight will focus on the playoffs and games important to the chase. The program airs from 9:30-11:00pm on the Colorado Preps Radio Network, Facebook, and YouTube.
Below is a quick breakdown of each class and what we’re watching and recapping tonight.
CLASS 5A
It appears that six teams have already clinched playoff berths with Cherry Creek, Valor Christian, Legend, Pomona, Eaglecrest and Fairview. They seem safely in the bracket. Three teams are battling for the two remaining spots and that list includes Columbine, Regis and Cherokee Trail. Columbine gets in by beating Pomona and Regis likely joins them with a win over Pine Creek. Columbine-Pomona is set for tonight while we will wait until Saturday to have the Raiders challenge Pine Creek. Cherokee Trail is favored to Overland and likely gets a berth with a win if either Columbine or Regis stumbles.
CLASS 4A
Still a very crazy race right now but we believe Loveland became the fifth team to earn a playoff berth by beating Skyline. They were fifth in the official playoff standings going in and a win in a battle of unbeatens only strengthens their position. The Indians, in our mind, join Palmer Ridge, Dakota Ridge, Ponderosa and Broomfield as playoff teams.
Pine Creek becomes the sixth qualifier by beating Regis (5A) on Saturday. Fountain Fort Carson is also a probably playoff team if they avenge last week’s loss by beating Rampart in the rematch just seven days later. If the Pine Creek and Fountain Fort Carson both win, then just one position remains and many teams have a case to grab it. Games to watch include Vista Ride at Pueblo South (3A), Windsor vs Brighton and Montrose at home against Grand Junction Central. Montrose is #9 in the official standings but will take a hit in RPI as they face an opponent without a win. Vista Ridge will be eliminated if they fall to Pueblo South and the loser between Brighton-Windsor is also out of the picture.
CLASS 3A
Just by getting a game in this week, we believe Pueblo South is the sixth qualifier to the postseason bracket. The Colts are 3-0 going into the week but had some concerns about getting a game to become playoff eligible once Pueblo Central had to bow out of the matchup. South has since lined up a good pairing with 4A Vista Ridge so just by playing, win or lose, the Colts are a likely playoff team.
Also in our bracket already are Roosevelt, Holy Family, Durango, Mead and Lutheran. A seventh playoff team should come from the Mountain Bowl on Saturday as Conifer faces Evergreen. They’re 7th and 10th in the official playoff standings so the winner should get in. If Evergreen gets the victory, there’s actually a good chance both clubs get into the bracket.
Should Conifer survive and get the win, one more berth is available and three teams are in that chase; Fort Morgan, Palisade and Canon City. Palisade already has a win as they beat Eagle Valley but at this point, we’re not sure the Bulldogs are playoff eligible as Mesa County indicated yesterday that football will not be played there again this year. Questions remain on whether Palisade would be able to play on the road outside the county if they do qualify.
Fort Morgan hosts Summit on Saturday and a win there should keep the Mustangs ahead of Palisade the playoff chase. The wildcard is Canon City. The Tigers head to Durango on Friday and an upset there could push the Tigers past both Fort Morgan and Palisade into the eighth spot. Durango is also slated to play the game without standout seniors Jordan Woolverton and Ben Finnesmith. Woolverton is the starting QB and all-state player. Finnesmith is an all-state wide receiver but has also served as the backup QB to Woolverton.
CLASS 2A
About the only suspense in our mind is seeing spots three through five and that will depend on the outcome of Saturday’s battle between Platte Valley and Eaton. Our thought is that winner will jump into third seed and the loser will drop to number five. Pagosa Springs would sit in-between but there’s also a case to be made for the Pirates to be the third seed which would drop the Eaton-Platte Valley winner to fourth and the loser likely to sixth to avoid a first round pairing of the two.
Resurrection Christian and Sterling have locked up the top two seeds and it appears Delta and Lamar will be in spots seven and eight. Moffat County should end up either fifth or sixth based on the Platte Valley-Eaton outcome.
Those eight clubs appear to be locks for the playoffs because the gap between 8th and 9th is quite large. If Lamar is upset by Alamosa tonight, then possibly Valley or University could get some consideration. They’re 9th and 10th in the official standings. Valley meets 4A Monarch and University has picked up a game with Berthoud tonight.
CLASS 1A
Most likely seven of the playoff teams have been determined. Limon should be the #1 seed with Strasburg at #2. Meeker is probably locked into the #7 spot but Florence, Wray, Centauri and Hotchkiss continue to battle for spots three through six. That order won’t be determined until all the games are played. Florence has a win posted as they’ve gotten a forfeit from Trinidad but since the Miners are winless, the Huskies may actually lose some ground in the overall standings. And Wray, Centauri and Hotchkiss could pick up some points by beating opponents with winning records. Wray tangles with Yuma, Centauri meets Monte Vista and Hotchkiss deals with Cedaredge. Wins by all will cause the race to tighten even more but if one team stumbles, they likely end up in the sixth spot.
The last playoff berth is up in the air and an announcement just made could impact the standings. Holyoke has picked up a game with Rye on Saturday at Wiggins High School. The Dragons are 8th in playoff standings with Colorado Springs Christian and Highland close behind. Holyoke may have lost ground by not playing but a game with Rye, especially a win, may be what they need to break into the bracket. Colorado Springs Christian is off this week. Highland remains in contention after moving past Wiggins on Thursday night. The Huskies (.610) trailed Holyoke (.648) by .038 points and Colorado Springs Christian (.622) by .012 entering the weekend.
EIGHT MAN
Six teams are locks for the playoff bracket. That list includes Sedgwick County, Sanford, Fowler, Dove Creek, Rangely and Merino. Sedgwick County nailed down the top seed with their lopsided win over Dayspring Christian on Thursday night. The Cougars remain heavily favored to land a record sixth consecutive state championship.
Sanford and Dove Creek are off this week. Fowler could get pushed by Holly and Rangely expects a tight battle with Gilpin County on Saturday. Both want to win to improve their seed placement. Merino should get to 5-1 by beating Akron.
Mancos probably has at least one foot in the bracket. The Bluejays are 7th in official playoff standings and took a tough hit by having a game with Sanford cancelled. Still we believe Mancos has enough of a cushion over all the other contenders to make the playoffs.
Spot number eight is a very tight race. Crowley County starts the weekend with .04 lead on Simla but the Chargers had their game with Wiley cancelled. They finish the season at 3-1. Simla has a tough date with Dolores Huerta on Friday but a win could be enough to move past Crowley County.
Swink blew past Calhan on Thursday night to finish at 5-1. The Lions are in 9th place and now must wait for Sunday to know their fate. Holly is 10th in the playoff standings but may get the biggest move up the ladder if they upset Fowler. Because of their opponent, the Wildcats remain in the discussion tonight.
SIX MAN
Again it seems that most of the playoff qualifiers have been determined and the final games will help decide where teams will be placed in the bracket. Our projections have seven teams in the pairings; Fleming, Stratton/Liberty, Cheyenne Wells, Prairie, Granada, Eads and Cheraw.
That would leave one open position with a battle brewing between Briggsdale, Mountain Valley, Kit Carson, Genoa Hugo and possibly North Park still in the mix. Briggsdale likely clinches the spot if they beat North Park on Saturday but a loss could eliminate them and move the Wildcats up in the discussion. If Briggsdale falls, then Mountain Valley probably gets the final berth by beating Sierra Grande. Kit Carson plays Hi Plains and Genoa Hugo meets Miami Yoder. Both need wins and help from others to get consideration.
