Class 5A
No. 5 Valor Christian (11-1) at No. 1 Cherry Creek (11-1), 1 p.m. Saturday: For the eighth time in 11 seasons, 5A’s top two programs meet in the state playoffs in the semifinals or later. The Bruins have won the last three, all in the 5A championship round, and are now playing for their seventh straight trip to the 5A title game. The Creek offense, led by juniors Brady Vodicka (2,482 yards, 23 TDs passing) and RB Jayden Fox (1,565 yards, 17 TDs rushing), is averaging 42.0 points/game. And the defense hasn’t allowed more than 18 points in a contest since traveling to Texas in late September. Now they get a Valor program that’s rampaged through its schedule since a 62-21 humbling at Mountain Vista on Oct. 4, outscoring opponents 260-51 over six straight wins. That included a dominant 31-7 victory at Columbine in last week’s quarterfinals that saw Valor limit the Rebels to just 209 total yards.
No. 7 Fairview (12-0) at No. 6 Legend (11-1), 1 p.m. Saturday: Fairview returns to EchoPark Stadium a week after its five-hour, two-stadium, come-from-behind stunner turned out the lights on No. 2 Mountain Vista. The dramatic win sent the Knights to the state semifinals for the first time in 11 years and left them as 5A’s last unbeaten. Sophomore QB Ki Ellison (2,609 yards, 25 TDs passing) is growing more comfortable by the snap and game-breaking senior Jordan Rechel (1,782 total yards, 28 TDs) is flirting with topping 1,000 yards rushing and receiving. The challenge Saturday will be slowing down a Legend run game that left tire marks (44 carries, 302 yards) on No. 3 Ralston Valley in a 35-16 win last week. Even more impressive? The Titans defense has allowed just 5.8 points/game during its nine-game win streak. Extend that heater one more week, and they will play for their first state title.
Class 4A
No. 5 Broomfield (11-1) at No. 1 Dakota Ridge (11-1), 1 p.m. Saturday: A dream season for the Dakota Ridge Eagles has them on the doorstep of their second appearance in the state championship round in program history and first in 20 years. Standing in the way is a Broomfield program that’s only two years removed from winning its fifth state title and just eliminated last year’s 4A runner-up, Palmer Ridge, on the legs of senior RB Colin Torres (158 yards, 3TDs), arm of senior QB Darien Jackson (209 yards, 1 TD on 12-of-20 passing) and all-around brilliance of Air Force commit Mikhail Benner (106 receiving yards, five tackles, 1 TFL). The Dakota Ridge defense is coming off a 14-0 shutout of Ponderosa in the quarterfinals that saw junior Landon Kalsbeck log 10 tackles and 3.5 sacks in addition to 124 total yards on offense. The Eagles will need all of that and likely more to get past Broomfield.
No. 3 Pueblo West (11-1) at No. 2 Montrose (12-0), 1 p.m. Saturday: For the third time in four years, Montrose finds itself one win from the 4A championship game. And just like the 2021 version that came within a miraculous Erie comeback of advancing, the Red Hawks come into this one unbeaten. One of the Red Hawks’ 12 wins, of course, was a 27-24 victory over Pueblo West in Week 10 that required a TD plunge from Chris Mock with less than a minute left — and ensured Montrose would host the Cyclones in the playoffs should they meet again. Now Pueblo West gets a shot at revenge, not to mention its first state title game trip since 2007. Senior Gavin Lockett was a one-man wrecking crew in the Clones’ 42-28 quarterfinal win over Heritage, piling up 292 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries. Expect a heavy dose of the dual-threat QB yet again on Saturday.
Class 3A
No. 5 Green Mountain (9-3) at No. 1 Thompson Valley (12-0), 1 p.m. Saturday: Back in the state semifinals for the third straight season, the Green Mountain Rams look to finish what the two teams that preceded them started. That won’t come easy against a stingy Thompson Valley defense that nearly shut out Discovery Canton in last week’s 3A quarterfinal win and has allowed just 72 points all season. If there’s an offense that can crack the code, it’s a Rams attack that’s come into its own with Simon Lunsford at the controls. The senior QB has thrown for 1,322 yards and 19 TDs on 76.8% passing over the last six games, including an 18-for-22 night for 283 yards and four TDs against Severance last week.
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No. 3 Pomona (9-3) at No. 2 Mead (10-1), 1 p.m. Saturday: The resurrection of Pomona football at the 3A level is already complete. Now it’s time to get greedy. A week after surviving a back-and-forth slugfest with Windsor in the quarterfinals behind junior Emmitt Munson’s second straight 100-yard game on the ground, the Panthers head north to take on a rugged Mavericks squad that’s allowing just 9.5 points/game. Jason Klatt’s Mavs are in the semifinals for the second time in four seasons. And the recipe for success is simple: Control the ball with a grinding run game and make the opponent earn everything they get.
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