It was a thrilling and somewhat chaotic day of football in Colorado. For the smaller classifications, state championship matchups were determined while the larger classes whittled their field down to semifinalists.
With just two weekends remaining for the entire high school football season, Saturday showed that there is still plenty of action to be had before we move into the winter.
Class 5A
(1) Cherry Creek 42, (9) ThunderRidge 7
The Bruins scored 42 points for the second straight week to roll into the 5A semifinals. They started relatively slow, leading just 14-0 at halftime before putting up 28 points in the third quarter to pull away from the Grizzlies.
(5) Pine Creek 24, (4) Grandview 3
In their first season playing in 5A, the Eagles reach the semifinals. Mason Miller led the way, scoring three touchdowns to help Pine Creek advance to the semis.
The Eagles will travel to Stutler Bowl next week to take on Cherry Creek.
(3) Ralston Valley 28, (6) Columbine 7
The Mustangs continued their impressive season by knocking off a league rival to get to the semifinals. They’ll get a second shot at Valor Christian, who advanced to the semis with a win over Regis Jesuit on Friday.
Class 4A
(1) Palmer Ridge 35, (8) Vista Ridge 21
The last time these two teams faced off, just seven points separated them. Palmer Ridge put a bit more distance between them as it outscored Vista Ridge 21-0 in the second half. Derek Hester threw for two touchdowns and Gator Robinson ran for two scores to pace the Bears offense.
(2) Broomfield 46, (7) Heritage 0
If there was a single team that put everyone on notice, it was Broomfield. Cole LaCrue led his team to a 19-0 lead at halftime and not once did he or his Eagles look back. Broomfield will face Erie in the semifinals after the Tigers battled back to beat Ponderosa on Saturday.
Class 3A
(1) Roosevelt 48, (9) Evergreen 20
The Roughriders put together strong efforts in the second and fourth quarters to pull away from the Cougars and punch their ticket to the semifinals.
(2) Durango 56, (10) George Washington 28
Jeric Baruch led the way with 208 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Zachary Haber added 152 rushing yards and three scores as the Demons rolled into the 3A semifinals.
The loss ends a remarkable season for George Washington who emerged as the top DPS team in 2022.
(3) Lutheran 21, (11) Frederick 6
The Lions held a 7-0 lead for most of the game but scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away from Frederick.
(5) Green Mountain 31, (13) Palisade 6
The Rams held Palisade scoreless in the second half to keep its undefeated season alive. Green Mountain will see its toughest test of the year as it heads to Roosevelt for the semifinals.
Class 2A
(1) Delta 24, (4) TCA 17
A Ty Reed touchdown pass in the fourth quarter put the Panthers out of reach of the Titans. TCA attempted to battle back but was unable to knock off 2A’s top seed. Delta now gets back to the state title game for the first time since 2019.
(2) Eaton 47, (11) Montezuma-Cortez 8
The defending 2A champion had little trouble getting back into the state title game as it cruised to a win over the Panthers on Saturday. This will be the third straight state title game appearance for Eaton and it has won the previous two so it is also looking for a three-peat.
Class 1A
(1) Limon 41, (13) CSCS 0
The Badgers are back in the 1A title game after marching through CSCS in the semifinals. Lohgan Bottjer and Gabe Schubarth each ran for over 100 yards and combined to score three touchdowns to pace Limon on offense. This is the fifth straight 1A title game appearance for Limon.
(6) Wray 28, (2) Strasburg 0
The Eagles nearly beat Limon during the regular season and they’ll get another shot after an impressive win over Strasburg. This is the first state title game for Wray since 2010. The Eagles haven’t won a state title since 1993.
8-Man
(4) Simla 27, (1) Haxtun 20
In a stunning upset, Simla knocked off the 8-man defending champion (and No. 1 seed) get reach the state championship game for the first time since 1995.
(2) Dove Creek 44, (3) Mancos 14
The Bulldogs are playing for their first state championship after cruising to a win over Mancos in the semifinals. They jumped out to a 28-0 lead at halftime and were able to coast in cruise control the rest of the way.
6-Man
(1) Stratton 46, (5) Otis 13
The Eagles put up 38 points in the first quarter en route to a big win over Otis in the 6-man semifinals. This is the sixth straight appearance in the 6-man championship game for Stratton – including when they were a co-op as Stratton/Liberty.
In the five previous state title games, the Eagles have wins in two of them.
(2) Fleming 68, (3) Granada 60
Fleming gets another shot at Stratton after winning a high-scoring affair with Granada. Fleming won back-to-back state titles in 2019 and 2020, beating Stratton/Liberty each time.
