On the eve of high school football’s kickoff day for 2026, a quick glance of games reveals that is there is a lot of action to start the season. In all, there are 68 games to be played between Thursday and Saturday, giving several teams a chance to set the tone for their 2026 season.

Below is a quick glance of key games across all three days and all seven classifciations.

Quick note ahead of time, the Colorado Preps Friday Scoreboard Show will begin airing for Week 1. Marty Cesario steps in for Kevin Shaffer this season.

All scores will still be tracked at the Colorado Preps Scoreboard.

Thursday, Aug. 20

Class 5A

Chatfield at (1) Cherry Creek, 7 p.m.

Cherry Creek will have a very new look this year after losing several key players from the 2025 title team to graduation. But that hasn’t stopped the Bruins yet. There are still several unknowns with this team, but one thing that is known is that Elijah Cromwell will have a chance to put together a breakout season as the featured running back. He already has a state title MOP honor to his name and with Jayden Fox now running the ball at Colorado State, Cromwell can stand in the center of the spotlight.

Chatfield made the playoffs as the No. 22 seed last fall. Cash Williams led the team both in passing (2,108 yards/21 touchdowns) and rushing (429 yards/7 touchdowns) and is as dynamic a player as anyone in Class 5A. The one wrinkle here is Chargers coach Kris Rosholt will not coach after being handed a one-game suspension by CHSAA for running a fully padded practice outside of the allowable window.

Class 3A

(2A No. 10) Resurrection Christian at (4) Palisade, 6 p.m.

As Resurrection Christian looks to re-assert itself in the 2A championship picture, it travels to Palisade to take on a 3A big (Bull)dog. At quarterback, the Cougars bring back sophomore Houston Davis as the only one on the 2026 roster who attempted a pass last season. They also lost Britton Walston to graduation after rushing for over 1,200 yards. The Cougars are much younger in 2026 and will get thrown in the deep end early.

Palisade is coming off a run to the 3A semifinals, where it fell to eventual champion, Pomona. While several seniors from that team moved on, Carter Hayward is back after rushing for 430 yards and six touchdowns. He also snagged two interceptions on defense. Joe Ramunno always puts together a competitive team and that trend will likely continue in 2026.

Friday, Aug. 21

Class 4A

(3A No. 2) Pomona at (2) Monarch, 7 p.m.

No. 2 vs. No. 2 is sure to be a slugfest and will perhaps provide the biggest fireworks of Week 0. Pomona lost some key players from its state title team, but the returning leadership is strong starting with quarterback Tucker Ingersoll. He’ll set the tone after throwing for 1,868 yards and 26 touchdowns last year while also rushing fr 479 yards and seven scores. But most importantly, the Panthers have championship swagger they can bring to the table.

Monarch, on the other hand, brings back a lot of its production from last year’s quarterfinal team. Nico Rizzello is back under center, hoping to build on his strong junior campaign where he threw for 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns. Malakhi Payne is coming off a Colorado Preps All-State season where he rushed for 1,533 yards and 20 scores. Abbott Lockwood will move into a big receiving role after going for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns as a junior.

(5) Mesa Ridge at (7) Vista Ridge, 7 p.m.

These two Colorado Springs area programs are hopeful for big seasons. The winner of this showdown will have a firm place in the top tier of 4A teams in the state. The Wolves have a much younger roster, but Daniel McFarland showed promise as a sophomore and could come into his own as a junior. He rushed for 491 yards and 4 touchdowns last year.

Mesa Ridge will also be much younger this season, but the Grizzlies have some strong production back on the defensive side of the ball. Tishaun Kearney, Aiden Haus and Sean Calip combined to intercept 9 passes and sack leader Tashaun Lago also comes back after getting to opposing quarterback 4.5 times.

Friday, Aug. 21

6-man

(6) Caliche at (5) Granada

A big top-10 matchup in 6-man should give some insight into how the classification will shape up this year. Sebastian Pizarro was a standout runner for the Bobcats in 2025, going for 1,354 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns (in the seven games that Granada entered stats). He was a just a sophomore, meaning he should only get better this season. He also led the team in receiving yards at 273. He’s far from the only weapon available. Of the nine players that rushed the ball or caught a pass, only two of them graduated.

Brett Breidenbach and Mason Hernandez are both back as juniors after very productive sophomore seasons. Hernandez rushed for 804 yards and 14 touchdowns while Breidenbach threw for 357 yards and 5 scores. The Buffaloes are looking to win at least nine games for the third consecutive season.