Week four of the spring football season will start the separation process as each division must whittle down to eight playoff teams before the end of the month. Several games on the schedule will do just that and Colorado Preps previews the most important nine contests.
Photo provided by Ron Riker / Classical Academy.
Glenwood Springs (3-0) at Basalt (3-0)
Probably a fair statement to say that Basalt, Rifle and Glenwood Springs are the top three teams in the 3A West so this is the middle of a critical three week stretch for all three. Basalt took care of round one last week as they handled Rifle 38-7. A win over Glenwood Springs should give them the top seed in the playoffs later this month. Glenwood Springs meets Rifle next week so wins in their next two likely lift them to the top of the playoff bracket.
Offense draws headlines but it’s the Basalt’s defense that pushed them to 3-0. That group has allowed just 21 points over three games and limited Rifle to just 178 yards rushing; about half their season average going into the game. Peter Zimmer had 11 tackles and Clayton Daniel 10 in the win. The Longhorns forced four turnovers including two interceptions from Rulbe Alvarado.
On offense, the Longhorns ran for 331 yards and four touchdowns. Gavin Webb led the way with 170 yards and two scores and Trevin Beckman added 79 yards and a third score. QB Matty Gillis provided 51 yards rushing and also threw for 80.
Glenwood Springs also ran for 331 yards last week as they powered past Coal Ridge 42-12. Running the football is their first option as Blake Nieslanik and Garrett Dollahan have combined for over 800 yards on the year. Last week, Nieslanik gained 174 yards just 11 carries and Dollahan totaled 61 on just five attempts.
John Mall (2-0) at Hoehne (2-0)
Another contest where the eventual top seed in the playoff bracket could be on the line. Both teams are unbeaten through two games and each has spent some time atop the eight-man statewide rankings. Hoehne is also coming off a win over Front Range Christian so another this week puts them in control of the chase for the number one playoff spot.
The Farmers won a crazy game with Front Range last week; outscoring the Falcons 100-64. Coach Gabe Dasko’s club only suited a dozen players as they were missing four players to COVID tracing. Still, they put up nearly 700 yards of offense while reaching the century mark on the scoreboard. Grant Arellanas ended up with 317 yards rushing and six TD’s; but only carried the ball 18 times. Weston Hill ran for 219 yards and three scores and also found time to throw for 116 yards and two more touchdowns.
Defensively, the Farmers may have a few concerns as they surrendered a whopping 566 yards passing to Front Range. The Falcons threw it 49 times with Luke Hiltman throwing for seven touchdowns. He also ran for 101 yards.
While John Mall could maybe find some space down field, they’re built to run the football. They’ve gained 608 yards through two games played; including 253 from DJ VanMatre, 159 from Ricardo Bobian and 122 from Anthony Aldretti. Aldretti is also a big play athlete on defense as he has both an interception and fumble recovery this year. The Panthers defense has created six turnovers and will look to increase that number against the high powered Hoehne offense.
Academy (3-0) at Classical Academy (2-0)
After outscoring their first two opponents 104-7, Classical Academy was excited about their week three matchup with Faith Christian to get their first test of the season. But that game was cancelled due to COVID issues within the Eagles camp leaving the Titans with an off week. Their much-needed challenge may come this week against Academy which is coming off a tight 30-28 victory over Sand Creek last Saturday. It was the Wildcats’ second single-digit win of the campaign as they also bested Kent Denver 19-13 in their opener.
In last week’s win, Academy had great balance with 180 yards rushing and 213 through the air but they were much more explosive in the passing game. Isaiah Elliott connected on 16 of 21 attempts and tossed four touchdowns. Two of them went to Gabriel Espinosa who leads the team with 23 catches overall. Defensively, the Wildcats gave up 269 yards and three touchdowns through the air but they did record three sacks and Espinosa collected an interception.
Classical Academy will look to establish their running game. That attack averages 288 yards per game but no running back has more than eight carries for the season. Cade Palmer is averaging 18.6 yards an attempt and has scored five times on just eight attempts. He will be their first option on that side of the ball.
George Washington (3-0) at Thomas Jefferson (3-0)
It’s been a while since this matchup had so much on the line. Thomas Jefferson is #1 and George Washington #2 in Class 4A this week and together join Harrison as the last three unbeaten teams in the division. The winner improves their chances of landing a top two playoff seed.
George Washington has a quick turnaround. They blitzed Skyview 52-16 in week three but that game was played on Monday so they have a bit less prep time. Their offense is in full gear as the group has generated 112 points over the last eight quarters. Against Skyview, they were virtually split 50-50 in numbers as they finished with 229 passing and just two more (231) on the ground. Daniel Ameyaw ran for 180 yards and three scores and Marcellus Honeycutt caught three passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Owen Thornton scored on both rushing attempts and also topped the defense with 12 tackles including three behind the line of scrimmage.
Thomas Jefferson has had a tougher time in getting to 3-0. They have two narrow wins; topping Falcon 32-29 in week one and then holding off Centaurus 20-13 last week. Avery Shunneson (108) and Jordan Sandoval (104) both went over 100 yards rushing in the win and combined for three touchdowns. The defense was also solid; limiting Centaurus to 94 yards rushing and 118 passing on 57 overall plays.
Centaurus (2-1) at Kennedy (2-1)
The Warriors look to bounce back from the frustrating loss to Thomas Jefferson last week. As mentioned, they allowed nearly 300 yards rushing to Thomas Jefferson but this week the secondary may get more work. That group and the entire defense will look to slow Isaac Sisneros. The Kennedy signal caller enters the game with 555 yards passing. Two of his four touchdown tosses have gone to Ron Gallegos who leads the Commanders with nine receptions for 167 yards. Dominic Quintana, with 30 tackles, tops the Kennedy defense. Carlos Serrano is second with 23 including six behind the line of scrimmage.
The Warriors will again rely on QB Coleman Teasdale. He has 315 yards passing and 280 rushing through three games. He’s been involved in six touchdowns overall. It’s a key game for the Warriors as a win could sew up a playoff berth. They finish the schedule with George Washington and if both win this week, that game could be very important to playoff seeding.
St Mary’s (2-1) at Flatirons Academy (3-0)
Buena Vista has been ranked number one by coaches in Class 2A the entire season but Flatirons Academy actually enters week four number one in RPI. They lead the Demons by .07 points in the race for the top overall seed. The two clubs do not meet during the regular season.
The Bison have not been pushed since beating Estes Park 27-26 in the season opener. They’ve rolled past Manual and Clear Creek by a combined 95 points since. Jacob Dube remains their top threat with 402 yards and 10 TDs passing. Trenton Rowan, with 13 catches for 187, continues to be his top target. On the season, they’ve connected six times for touchdowns.
By comparison, St Mary’s fell to Estes Park 48-14 last week so they enter the game as the underdog. The Pirates are sixth in RPI but are hurt by their schedule as opponents have won just 17 percent of their games. A win this week will greatly improve their playoff chances and bracket placement.
To get the win, the Pirates must get good efforts from Everett Ellis (365) and Kolbe Vostatek (240) who have combined for 605 yards rushing on the season.
Estes Park (2-1) at Manual (2-1)
Collin Reetz threw for 269 yards and four touchdowns in pushing Estes Park past St Mary’s last week. Those numbers get him to 11 touchdowns and over 12-hundred yards in just three games. Last week’s effort was his first UNDER 400 yards this year as he totaled 471 against Flatirons Academy and then 502 in the win over Clear Creek.
JD McCown caught nine passes for 121 yards and two scores last week. Seven others also caught at least one pass as Reetz got quite a few receivers involved. Cole Wallace topped the running game with 165 yards and two trips to the end zone.
Manual lost to Flatirons Academy 42-6 in week two but has sandwiched that loss with wins over Clear Creek and Ellicott. Neither of those opponents have won a game this year so the Thunderbolts need a quality win to boost their playoff chances. They finish against St Mary’s and Manitou Springs so they have a chance to run the table the rest of the way if they can knock off the Bobcats this week.
Top players for the Thunderbolts include Jewel Cameron with 291 yards and three TD’s rushing and Jemir Wyatt with a team best 35 tackles. Ten others are in double figures in tackles and they will all be needed to tackle in space against the Estes Park passing game.
Gateway (2-1) at Harrison (3-0)
Harrison is unbeaten but they’re just fifth in 4A RPi this week. They’re hurt by the schedule as opponents thus far have won just 17 percent of the games, but despite that fact, the Panthers could still be the team to beat for the state championship.
Rangeview will help the opponents winning percentage. The Raiders bumped to 2-1 last week without stepping on the field as they earned a forfeit over Sierra. On the field, they’ve beaten Skyview (39-6) and lost to Kennedy (31-20). The Raiders will look to run the football with Erick Covington (349 yards) and RJ Webster (214) sharing carries. They’ve combined for five scores in just two games played.
Harrison has outscored opponents 99-12 including last week’s 33-3 win over Aurora Central. They close with Skyview and Falcon and would be in good position for a perfect 6-0 regular season if they beat the Olys.
Rangeview (2-1) at Denver South (3-0)
Four teams in Class 5A enter the week without a loss so there’s still quite a bit to decide on which teams make the playoffs and where they’re placed. This game will help sort it out as Denver South sits #2 in RPI and Rangeview #5. The Raiders fell to Vista Peak last week (33-6) but remain the highest ranked team with a loss across the division.
Rangeview’s defense had allowed just six points through two games but they ran into Ja’derris Carr and the high-powered Vista Peak offense last week. Carr ran for 271 yard and three scores in the win. The week before, the Raiders held Denver East to just 66 yards passing and 89 passing.
Denver South also meets Vista Peak next week so the Ravens are entering a critical two-game stretch. They’re unbeaten but nothing has come easy including last week’s 35-21 win over Denver East. Joseph Capra was the difference in the win; he threw for 116 yards and three touchdowns and also led the Ravens with 91 yards rushing. He scored a fourth time on the ground. Jayshawn Leyba and Rashad Caldwell each caught six passes and both caught two scoring passes.
