Six of seven football classifications will conclude regular season play this week. That means the playoffs are right around the corner and after this week teams will be looking ahead to their next matchups.
All league titles in 8-man and 6-man have been claimed and that is taken account in these projections. For each classification, here is how the first round of the playoffs would shake out should they start today.
These predictions are determined the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index the morning of Oct. 25.
Per the CHSAA football bulletin here are the qualifying and seeding criteria for the postseason:
**
Class 5A
This is a 24-team bracket with the top eight seeds getting byes in the first round.
* – Designates league champion if clinched
First round byes: (1) Cherry Creek*, (2) Arapahoe, (3) Pine Creek, (4) Columbine, (5), Ralston Valley, (6) Mountain Vista, (7) Regis Jesuit, (8) Valor Christian
First round matchups:
- (9) Legend vs. (24) ThunderRidge
- (10) Castle View vs. (23) Brighton
- (11) Grandview vs. (22) Douglas County
- (12) Eaglecrest vs. (21) Arvada West
- (13) Denver East* vs. (20) Mullen
- (14) Chatfield vs. (19) Legacy*
- (15) Fountain-Fort Carson vs. (18) Cherokee Trail
- (16) Rock Canyon vs. (17) Fairview
Class 4A
This is a 24-team bracket with the top eight seeds getting byes in the first round.
* – Designates league champion if clinched
First round byes: (1) Palmer Ridge, (2) Erie*, (3) Montrose, (4) Broomfield, (5), Heritage, (6) Mesa Ridge, (7) Dakota Ridge*, (8) Ponderosa*
First round matchups:
- (9) Golden vs. (24) Centaurus*
- (10) Fruita Monument vs. (23) Standley Lake
- (11) Pueblo West vs. (22) Bear Creek
- (12) Thomas Jefferson vs. (21) Falcon
- (13) Windsor vs. (20) Monarch
- (14) Loveland vs. (19) Longmont
- (15) Vista Ridge vs. (18) Grand Junction Central
- (16) Rampart vs. (17) Denver South
Class 3A
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes. The 3A playoffs begin a week later than the other six classifications.
* – Designates league champion if clinched
First round matchups:
- (1) Green Mountain vs. (16) Pueblo County
- (2) Holy Family vs. (15) Pueblo South
- (3) Durango vs. (14) Discovery Canyon
- (4) Lutheran vs. (13) Glenwood Springs
- (5) Roosevelt vs. (12) Mead
- (6) Riverdale Ridge vs. (11) Lewis-Palmer
- (7) Thompson Valley vs. (10) Northfield/li>
- (8) Pueblo Central vs. (9) Resurrection Christian
Class 2A
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes.
* – Designates league champion if clinched
First round matchups:
- (1) Delta vs. (16) Alamosa
- (2) Kent Denver* vs. (15) Florence
- (3) Rifle* vs. (14) Wellington*
- (4) Berthoud* vs. (13) Brush
- (5) La Junta vs. (12) Eaton
- (6) University vs. (11) Moffat County
- (7) TCA vs. (10) Pagosa Springs
- (8) Elizabeth vs. (9) Basalt
Class 1A
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes.
* – Designates league champion if clinched
First round matchups:
- (1) Limon* vs. (16) Highland
- (2) Holyoke vs. (15) Cedaredge
- (3) Gunnison vs. (14) Yuma
- (4) Meeker vs. (13) Platte Canyon
- (5) Buena Vista vs. (12) CSCS
- (6) Banning Lewis* vs. (11) Centauri
- (7) Wiggins vs. (10) North Fork
- (8) Strasburg vs. (9) Wray
8-man
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes.
* – Designates league champion if clinched
First round matchups:
- (1) Mancos* vs. (16) Fowler*
- (2) Haxtun* vs. (15) Front Range Christian
- (3) Simla* vs. (14) Vail Christian
- (4) Lyons* vs. (13) Calhan
- (5) West Grand* vs. (12) Merino
- (6) Dove Creek vs. (11) Akron
- (7) McClave* vs. (10) Byers
- (8) Sanford vs. (9) Sedgwick County
6-man
This is a 16-team bracket with no teams receiving first-round byes.
First round matchups:
- (1) Stratton* vs. (16) Hanover*
- (2) Granada* vs. (15) Genoa-Hugo
- (3) Otis vs. (14) Eads
- (4) Branson/Kim* vs. (13) Briggsdale*
- (5) Walsh vs. (12) Peetz
- (6) Idalia vs. (11) Primero
- (7) Sierra Grande vs. (10) Arickaree
- (8) Cheyenne Wells vs. (9) La Veta
