Two days are left in the football regular season for Classes 3A-4A-5A and we look at the most important games remaining in each division. Most of the conference champions have been crowned so much of the focus is on the RPI and which teams will grab the final few playoff spots available.
Colorado Preps will recap the action tonight during the Friday Night Scoreboard Show. It airs from 9:30-11:00pm tonight on the Colorado Preps Radio Network. We’ll also recap Saturday football with a special playoff edition of the Scoreboard Show. It’s available from 3:30-5:00pm.
CLASS 5A
Bear Creek (5-4) at Regis (8-1)
Eaglecrest (9-0) at Arvada West (5-4)
Northglenn (5-4) at Mullen (4-5)
Valor Christian (9-0) at Fountain Fort Carson (4-5)
Legend (5-4) at Lakewood (7-2)
Doherty (6-3) at Boulder (3-6)
Bear Creek and Regis are both unbeaten in the Antero conference so the winner lands the league championship and gets the guaranteed home game in round one. The Bears are also 18th in RPI so they may need a win just to get into the playoff bracket. Eaglecrest can clinch the Wilson championship by beating Arvada West but the Wildcats set up a three-way tie with Ralston Valley if they score the upset. Both teams are safely in the tournament as Eaglecrest is #3 and A-West #10 in RPI going in.
Mullen is 14th in RPI so a win over Northglenn should keep them in the playoffs. Valor Christian has secured the number one playoff seed and can finish the season unbeaten. Fountain Fort Carson is 17th in RPI and playing the Eagles will boost their opponents winning percentage which is already .628. Legend is 16th in RPI points so a win over Lakewood puts them in better shape for the bracket. Lakewood is 7th. Doherty is 19th in RPI and may be too far back if they get by Boulder on the road tonight.
Poudre scored a huge win over Highlands Ranch on Thursday night and the Impalas bumped up to 15th in RPI after the win. Highlands Ranch is now 12th. Another key game on Saturday has Cherry Creek at Far Northeast. The Bruins are heavily favored but still need a win to secure their conference championship.
CLASS 4A
Vista Ridge (6-3) at Rampart (7-2)
Brighton (6-3) at Broomfield (5-4)
Pueblo West (8-1) at Widefield (6-3)
The Pikes Peak is the only 4A league that has not crowned a champion but the outcome between Vista Ridge and Rampart will do just that. Rampart has a one game edge on Vista Ridge and Montrose so they win the title outright with a victory tonight. If Vista Ridge gets the win and Montrose also beats Palmer as expected, then all three teams end up with one conference loss. A tiebreaker through a points system will then be needed to determine which club is the champion as that team will play at home next week. Montrose is 10th in RPI and is safely in the bracket but Rampart is 13th and Vista Ridge is 14th so both could use another win.
Brighton is 15th and Broomfield is 19th in RPI so their game could determine the final two or three berths in the playoff bracket. Widefield is also 16th so they’re still in that mix as well. The Gladiators likely wrap up a post-season bid if they knock off Pueblo West. The Cyclones are second to Pine Creek in the Southern chase but remain in the running for the one wildcard team that gets to play at home next week. They’re currently lead Monarch by .021 in that race.
Dakota Ridge moved up to 18th in RPI with their win over Adams City on Thursday. Golden is 17th and goes to Gateway on Saturday.
CLASS 3A
Palisade (7-2) at Rifle (8-1)
Longmont (6-3) at Fort Morgan (6-3)
Thomas Jefferson (7-2) at Denver North (7-2)
Harrison (8-1) at Durango (6-3)
Pueblo East (4-5) at Pueblo Central (2-7)
Erie (7-2) at Frederick (6-3)
The top two games are on our list are both conference championship games but the outcomes will impact the playoff bracket in different ways. Rifle is 8th and Palisade is 9th in the RPI so regardless of the outcome, both teams are in the post-season with the winner guaranteed to play at home next week. Longmont is 13th and Fort Morgan 18th in RPI so it could be an elimination game with only the winner moving on to the post-season.
A league championship is not on the line but the game between Thomas Jefferson and Denver North has a similar playoff setup. The Spartans are 14th in RPI and Denver North 17th so there’s a good chance only the winner advances.
Harrison and Durango are playing for second behind Pueblo East in the South Central. Durango sits 16th in RPI so the Demons are right on the bubble and could be impacted by Pueblo East as well. The Eagles are 19th in RPI but get into the bracket as the league champion so if the Demons stay at #16, they may not make the playoffs if Pueblo East stays behind them.
Erie and Frederick are playing for third in the Tri Valley and the game has plenty of meaning for the Warriors and their playoff chances. They’re 15th in RPI and will get a boost on strength of schedule by facing Erie as the Tigers are 7-2 and ranked 6th in the RPI. If Frederick qualifies, the Tri Valley will likely grab five of the 16 playoff bids in Class 3A.
