Week eight of the football season hits top speed tonight with a full compliment of games across each classification.  Our Friday Game Day report serves as a quick rundown of the most important games and what they mean to the conference races.  It’s basically a follow-up of our classification reports that we publish each Tuesday through Thursday.
Colorado Preps will wrap up the night with our Scoreboard Show as it airs from 9:30-11:00pm on 30 radio affiliates across the state.  You can see the list here.  If a station is not available in your area, we also have it available on Alexa Devices – simply ask your device to play the Colorado Preps Network.  And it’s available through our mobile app which can be downloaded here.
And our final invitation involves our Daily Scoreboard where we provide updates on nearly every game each night of the season.
Please note the games on the list for Friday only as we’ll include Saturday action in a separate rundown.
 

CLASS 5A

  • Far Northeast at Denver East:  winner stays tied with Prairie View (5-2) for second place in the Metro 10.  All teams trail the Buffs by at least two games and while the league is guaranteed just one playoff berth, the runner-up team should gain some consideration again this year.
  • Arapahoe at Grandview:  Both teams are 1-1 in league play and need a win to stay in the Metro East championship race.  Grandview is 7th in RPI and Arapahoe 9th so a potential first round playoff bye is also a factor.
  • Eaglecrest at Cherry Creek:  Creek leads the Metro East by one game over the Raptors and three other teams.  A win keeps them alone in first while a loss could set up a four-way tie for the top spot entering the final two weeks of the season.
  • Columbine at Ralston Valley:  Maybe the top game statewide this week as both are 7-0 and battling for a very high playoff seed.  Columbine is 3rd and Ralston Valley 6th in RPI.  The winner stays tied with Pomona atop the Metro West if the Panthers get by Mullen as well

CLASS 4A

  • Golden at Chatfield:  Dakota Ridge topped Grand Junction on Thursday so the winner of this one will move into a first place tie with the Eagles in the Jeffco.  Both teams are 5-1 overall and each carries a five-game winning streak into the game
  • Brighton at Greeley West:  Bulldogs are off to a 5-1 start and cracked the Top 10 this week.  They’ll be favored but it could be a trap game ahead of future battles with Broomfield and Longmont in the Norther conference.
  • Loveland at Fort Collins:  Both teams won Longs Peak league opener so the winner stays in first with Skyline if the Falcons also beat Monarch.  Loveland is the defending state champion and has won their last four.

CLASS 3A

  • Lewis Palmer at Lutheran:  The teams dropped tough Central league openers to Thomas Jefferson and Palmer Ridge respectively so the loser of this one is likely out of the title chase.  Lutheran though is still 8th in RPI and battling for a better post-season placement.  Lewis Palmer is 16th and squarely on the playoff bubble.
  • Pueblo Central at Durango:  Both were week one winners in the South Central and the winner will step up as the top threat to Pueblo South for the league title.  Durango has scored at least 50 points in each of their last three games.  Central is in position for their first playoff berth since 2012.
  • Palisade at Glenwood Springs:  The Bulldogs fell out of the Top 10 this week but they remain heavily favored to land the Western Slope crown.  Glenwood Springs is only 1-5 but could be the Bulldogs top challenger.
  • Harrison at Canon City:   It’s the same scenario here as Harrison is expected to win another Southern title with relative ease.  Canon City is only 1-5 but that win came last week in conference play.  The Tigers were the only team to score against the Panthers in league action last year.

CLASS 2A

  • Basalt at Delta:  Another top game out west where Basalt and Rifle begin the night sharing the top spot.  It becomes a two-team race if the Longhorns win here and the Bears also take out Aspen.  Delta is coming off their first loss of the season to Rifle last week and must win to stay in the league title chase.
  • Elizabeth at Classical Academy:  The winner becomes the outright leader in the Tri Peaks.  Both teams are 2-0 on the season and Elizabeth is coming off a big win at La Junta.  TCA also has a key league win over Lamar.
  • La Junta at Lamar:  It’s the annual Whistle Game which is the second longest rivalry in Colorado behind the Bell Game in Pueblo.  The winner moves into a second place tie in the Tri Peaks with the Elizabeth-TCA loser.  Lamar is 8th in RPI and La Junta 14th.
  • Bennett at Faith Christian:  D’Evelyn moved to 3-0 in the Flatirons by beating Arvada on Thursday.  So the winner here stays tied with the Jags atop the standings.  The clubs have combined to win nine games overall.
  • Sterling at Platte Valley:  The outcome of this one has decided first and second in the Patriot East for the past four years and this year is no different.  Both clubs are 5-1 overall but unbeaten against 2A opponents.  The Tigers are also first in RPI with Platte Valley 6th.

CLASS 1A

  • Flatirons Academy at Highland:  Strasburg is favored to land a fourth straight North title but this winner should finish no worse than second.  Flatirons (5-1) has two more wins than the Huskies (3-3) but according to RPI, Highland has played the most difficult schedule in 1A.  Their opponents have won 78 percent of their games.
  • Holyoke at Wray:  The Dragons top the 1A RPI standings and Wray is 5th so playoff positioning is very important but the lead in the North Central is also on the line.  The winner moves to 3-0 in conference play and will be tied with Limon if the Badgers also fight past Burlington.
  • Florence at Buena Vista:  Both teams would be in the playoff bracket if the pairings were released this week as Florence is 6th and Buena Vista 14th in RPI.  The Huskies are also unbeaten in the Tri Peaks (2-0) while the Demons are coming off a 56-6 loss to CS Christian where they committed eight turnovers.

EIGHT MAN

  • Sargent at Dove Creek:  Dove Creek starts the game at 3-0 and tied with Sanford atop the Mountain conference.  Sargent is 2-1 in league play and tied with Mancos in third.  The Farmers must win to stay in the title chase.  Both teams could also use a win to enhance playoff chances if they don’t win the league title.  Dove Creek is 13th and Sargent 16th in RPI.
  • Simla at Swink:  Both teams are 3-3 on the season but Swink is in much better league position as they’re 2-0 compared to the 1-2 mark of the Cubs.  A Swink win sets up a league championship showdown with Pikes Peak Christian next week.  A loss leaves PPC alone in first.
  • Soroco at Rangely:  Soroco is tied with West Grand (2-1) in second in the Northwest.  Both teams are one game back of Vail Christian and each has lost to the Saints so the race is for the runner-up spot.  Rangely is below five hundred in league play but is 4-2 overall and 10th in RPI.  Soroco is 17th in those standings.

SIX MAN

  • Idalia at Otis:  It might be surprising to see this game on the list because both teams are 1-6 on the season but there are playoff implications.  Idalia is 16th in RPI and Otis is 20th so both have a strong chance to reach the post-season.
  • Kit Carson at Granada:  Unbeaten at 7-0, Kit Carson is #1 in RPI and this game closes out their regular season very early.  A win gives them the Southeast crown and could lock up the number one overall playoff seed.  Granada is 8th in RPI and a win by the Bobcats creates a three-way tie for the conference lead with Cheyenne Wells.
  • Briggsdale at Fleming:  Fleming clinches the North title with a win.  They’re 4-0 and alone in first.  Briggsdale is tied with Prairie (both 2-1) in second place.
  • Peetz at Prairie:  Prairie has a league win over Briggsdale so a win over Peetz coupled with a Fleming wins gives the Mustangs second place in the North.