A look at the Post Preps Top 10 for Classes 5A, 4A and 3A going into Week 6:
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Class 5A
Team
Record
Previous
Last week
1. Cherry Creek
4-1
1
W (21-14 vs. No. 7 Pine Creek)
Comment: Bruins needed fourth-quarter TD to survive Pine Creek upset bid last Friday. As always, state titles must be earned. This week: at Cherokee Trail, 6 p.m. Saturday.
2. Mountain Vista
5-0
2
W (55-6 at Overland)
Comment: No opponent has come within 30 of MV. What happens when Golden Eagles face late-game pressure? We may find out Friday. This week: vs. No. 4 Valor Christian. 7 p.m. Friday.
3. Columbine
5-0
3
W (44-7 at 4A No. 10 Heritage)
Comment: Rebels about to get serious test against salty Angels defense at All-City Stadium. This week: at Denver East, 2 p.m. Saturday.
4. Valor Christian
5-0
4
W (34-17 vs. No. 8 Ralston Valley)
Comment: Weird thing to say in first week of conference play, but Valor-MV may be 5A South Metro League title game. This week: at No. 2 Mountain Vista, 7 p.m. Friday.
5. Legend
4-1
5
W (30-0 vs. No. 10 Castle View)
Comment: Titans haven’t allowed one point since heartbreaking 16-14 loss to Columbine in Week 2. This week: at No. 7 Pine Creek, 1 p.m. Saturday.
6. Chatfield
5-0
6
W (27-24 at Douglas County)
Comment: Chargers came out of nonconference slate unbeaten, but Ralston Valley will be their first ranked 5A opponent. This week: vs. No. 8 Ralston Valley, 7 p.m. Thursday.
7. Pine Creek
3-2
8
L (21-14 at No. 1 Cherry Creek)
Comment: How does a team lose and rise up the rankings? When it takes tie game into fourth quarter of a road game at Stutler Bowl. This week: vs. No. 5 Legend, 1 p.m. Saturday.
8. Ralston Valley
4-1
6
L (34-17 at No. 4 Valor Christian)
Comment: Mustangs emerge from nonconference with just one loss. Not bad considering offseason exodus of loaded senior class. This week: at No. 6 Chatfield, 7 p.m. Thursday.
9. Fairview
5-0
10
W (56-0 vs. Smoky Hill)
Comment: Knights have posted three consecutive shutouts. Cumulative score of those three games: 161-0. This week: vs. Prairie View, 1 p.m. Saturday.
10. Castle View
4-1
9
L (30-0 at No. 5 Legend)
Comment: Humbling loss at Legend last week. How Sabercats respond on Friday night will say a lot. This week: vs. Fruita Monument, 7 p.m. Friday.
Class 4A
Team
Record
Previous
Last week
1. Pueblo West
5-0
4
W (35-7 at No. 8 Vista Ridge)
Comment: Cyclones defense, which allowed just 10 first-half points prior to last week’s rout, continues to rise to the occasion. This week: at Doherty, 6:30 p.n. Thursday.
2. Dakota Ridge
4-1
5
W (31-13 vs. Cherokee Trail)
Comment: Winners of four straight since Week 1 loss to 5A Chatfield, Eagles are rolling as conference play arrives. This week: at Ponderosa, 7 p.m. Friday
3. Montrose
5-0
3
W (35-12 at Fruita Monument)
Comment: Red Hawks’ 35-point outing at Fruita Monument constitutes their lowest scoring output of season. Yeesh. This week: at Falcon, 6 p.m. Friday.
4. Mesa Ridge
4-1
6
W (31-28 at No. 6 Palmer Ridge)
Comment: Emerging with two wins from three-game gauntlet of Dakota Ridge, Heritage and Palmer Ridge proves Grizzlies are for real. This week: at Widefield, noon Saturday.
5. Broomfield
4-1
2
L (13-3 vs. Erie)
Comment: You have to go back to 2019 4A title game to find last time Eagles were held to three points or less. This week: at Longmont, 7:30 p.m. Friday.
6. Palmer Ridge
4-1
1
L (31-28 vs. No. 4 Mesa Ridge)
Comment: One reason for optimism after last week’s loss to Mesa Ridge? Bears turned ball over three times and only lost by three. This week: vs. Air Academy, 7 p.m. Friday.
7. Riverdale Ridge
5-0
8
W (28-14 at Silver Creek)
Comment: With nonconference opponents sporting combined record of 5-22, Ravens still have much to prove. This week: at Skyline, 7 p.m. Friday.
8. Vista Ridge
3-2
7
L (35-7 vs. No. 1 Pueblo West)
Comment: Back-to-back blowout losses to Columbine (42-7) and Pueblo West (35-7) will test Wolves’ resolve. This week: at Liberty, 6 p.m. Thursday.
9. Durango
3-2
NR
W (38-7 vs. Grand Junction)
Comment: Demons’ demolition of previously undefeated Grand Junction featured 11 (!) tackles for loss. This week: at Rampart, 6 p.m. Friday
10. Heritage
2-3
10
L (44-7 vs. 5A No. 3 Columbine)
Comment: No 4A team had tougher nonconference slate than Heritage. Time for those hard knocks to start paying off. This week: vs. Golden, 6 p.m. Thursday.
Class 3A
Team
Record
Previous
Last week
1. Windsor
4-1
7
W (34-10 at No. 4 Roosevelt)
Comment: Wizards started season in No. 1 spot and are back after suffocating Roosevelt attack that had been averaging 38.7 points per game. This week: Bye.
2. Mead
4-0
3
W (31-0 vs. Lewis-Palmer)
Comment: Mavs’ sturdy defense (8.5 points allowed/game) faces biggest challenge yet against high-scoring Holy Family. This week: at No. 8 Holy Family, 7 p.m. Friday.
3. Thompson Valley
5-0
4
W (21-0 vs. Northridge)
Comment: With three shutouts in their last four games, Eagles’ blue-collar approach is paying dividends. This week: Bye.
4. Roosevelt
4-1
1
L (34-10 vs. No. 1 Windsor)
Comment: Rough Riders’ bye comes at perfect time: After humbling loss to Windsor and before knock-down, drag-out vs. Pomona. This week: Bye.
5. Lutheran
3-1
5
Bye
Comment: Junior QB Eli Abramson has thrown four TD passes in three different games. Per usual, Lions can sling it. This week: at No. 7 Green Mountain, 7:30 p.m. Friday.
6. Pomona
2-2
6
Bye
Comment: Nothing but 3A opponents from here on out for Panthers, who are unbeaten against teams in their classification. This week: vs. Wheat Ridge, 6 p.m. Friday.
7. Green Mountain
2-2
8
Bye
Comment: Rams still have best win (19-13 at Windsor) of any team in 3A ranks. This week: vs. No. 5 Lutheran, 7:30 p.m. Friday.
8. Holy Family
2-2
2
L (63-42 vs. No 10 Pueblo East)
Comment: As good as Tigers offense is, defense has some things to figure out after giving up 472 rushing yards to Pueblo East. This week: vs. No. 2 Mead, 7 p.m. Friday.
9. Pueblo Central
4-1
9
W (56-0 vs. Pueblo Centennial)
Comment: Most impressive thing about blowout of Pueblo Centennial? Wildcats did it without leading rusher Amari Brown. This week: Bye.
10. Pueblo East
3-2
NR
W (63-42 at No. 8 Holy Family)
Comment: Eagles had not one, but two players top 200 yards last week at Holy Family: sophomore QB Dolphka Lewis (211) and junior RB Justus Freeman (230). This week: Bye.
Note: All stats taken from maxpreps.com.
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