Class 1A First Round Breakdown
#1 Meeker vs #16 Ellicott
Ellicott sneaks into the playoff moving up to 16 in the RPI. They got enough from everyone they played to grab a few points and get into the playoffs. Ellicott played a tough schedule playing against 4 playoff team going 1-3 against them. They are a big play team and if you stop that their offense seems to struggle. Offensively they are averaging 27 ppg and attack you both on the ground and threw the air. They are averaging 186.6 ypg on the ground and 168.3 passing ypg. They are paced by QB Matthew Davidson who is averaging 160.1 passing ypg and a total of 228 ypg. They rushing attack is led by Jaylen Hayes who is averaging 75.4 ypg. Ellicott biggest struggle all season has been stopping the run and it shows in their record. Their defense is giving up 28.6 ppg which is high than they are scoring. Ellicott must improve their defense to stay in this game.
Meeker proved me wrong and ran the table this year with a lot of young players. They have been dominate this year and played a tough schedule. They played against 5 playoff teams running the table and winning the Western Slope league. Their offense is really good averaging 35.2 ppg. Their offense attacks you very balanced rushing for 195 ypg and throwing for 190 ypg. Their offense is paced by QB Logan Hughes who is throwing for 190.3 ypg and RB Doak Mantle who is rushing for 82.7 ypg. Defensively they have been very tough only giving up 11.7 ppg. They have held 5 opponents to under 10 points and only given up 21 points once this year. Their speed has been their greatest strength and will help them in the playoffs.
Both teams played against Monte Vista and both teams beat Monte Vista. Ellicott snuck out of Monte with a 36 to 31 victory and Meeker handled Monte Vista easily beating them 45 to 9. I don’t think Ellicott will be able to hang with Meeker. Meeker has the speed to match up with their playmakers. I am going with Meeker to win big by 31.
#8 Monte Vista vs #9 Platte Canyon
Platte Canyon lost it regular season finale to Bennett and that gave Bennett the league title. Platte Canyon is not a high scoring juggernaut and love to run the ball slowly up and down the field which could be good or bad until you run into a team that can stop the run like Bennett. Platte Canyon played against 3 playoff teams this year going 2-1. Platte Canyon will now have to quickly bounce back and be ready for this week’s game. Platte Canyon on offense is averaging 32.4 ppg and are a run first, second, and third. They are averaging 298 rushing ypg. They are paced by RB Trevor Sander who is averaging 103.9 ypg. Because of Platte Canyon slowing moving offense their defense does not have to see the field as much and that shows they are only giving up 10.1 ppg. They only posted 1 shutout but have 5 games where they held opponent to under 8 points
Monte Vista grabbed the Southern Peaks league title by upsetting Center and that gave them a playoff spot and the home game. They played a tough schedule playing against 4 playoff teams going 1-3. Offensively they struggled early on but have since woke up a bit they are averaging 28.1 ppg and also want to run the ball. They are averaging 252.7 rushing ypg and only 51.8 passing ypg. Their offense is paced by QB Keshaun Duran who is averaging 110.3 rushing ypg and 43.9 passing ypg. He is their main catalyst and must have a big game this week. Defensively they are giving up 17.7 ppg but are very good on the run. What has killed Monte Vista is passing so the team they play first goes right to their strength. Monte Vista must play the best game they have all season to pull off the win.
Monte Vista and Platte Canyon both played Center and both won. Platte Canyon won 28 to 7 and Monte Vista won 28 to 14. So this could be a good game. Monte Vista will have to be stout on the line to pull the upset. Platte Canyon must be able to run the ball or could get upset. I think this will be a very close game but I am going with Platte Canyon by 7.
#4 Bennett vs #13 Highland
Highland made a great run and got into the playoff finishing second behind Strasburg for the playoff spot. They went 6-3 on the year and now have a very tough game ahead of them. Highland played against 3 playoff teams going 0-3. Highland must be ready for a very dominate rushing attack. Highland on offense did a good job of scoring averaging 34.8 ppg. Their offense is paced by their rushing attack they are averaging 223.9 ypg. They don’t really throw the ball only averaging 57.6 ypg. Their offense is led by RB Logan Stewart who is averaging 92.5 ypg. Defensively they are pretty good only giving up 15 ppg. Their defense has been the reason for their success.
Bennett has been very dominate on offense racking up crazy numbers when it comes to rushing the ball. Bennet played against 4 playoff teams this year and went 3-1 against them. Their only loss was to Strasburg and that was a shootout. Bennett offense clicks a lot on the big plays. Their offense is averaging 49.2 ppg which is the highest in 1A. Their offense is paced by their rushing attack which is averaging a staggering 391.6 ypg. They rarely throw the ball. Bennett on offense is led by QB Rocky Lechman who is averaging 117.7 rushing ypg and a total of 159.3 ypg. Bennett on defense is giving up 15.9 ppg and have only one game where they allowed over 21 points. Their defense will have to improve the most to get them a state championship.
Bennett and Highland have three common opponents. Those opponents were Front Range Christian which both teams beat easily, Cornerstone Christian which both teams beat easily, and Strasburg. Highland lost to Strasburg 59 to 22 and Bennett lost to Strasburg 55 to 44. Highland will have to stop the big plays and try and keep the ball on offense. They cannot allow Bennet to break the 200 yard mark if they plan on upsetting Bennet. Bennett must get their rushing attack rolling and also be stout on defense. I am going with Bennett to win big and I have them winning by 28.
#5 Peyton vs #12 Limon
Limon is once again on the round for the first round just like last year. This year they travel to Peyton. They had a great season this year going 6-3. Limon played against 3 playoff teams this year going 0-3. Their offense has struggled this year. They are only averaging 22.4 ppg so that means a ton of very close games. Their offense is very one sided they ran for 251.8 ypg and threw for only 41 ypg. Their offense is led by RB Braden Kappel who is rushing for 113.3 ypg. The one sidedness of their offense has somewhat slowed their offense. Defensively they are giving up 16 ppg. That shows you how close some of their game are. They have struggled somewhat this year defensively only holding opponents to under seven 3 times this year. They have surrender over 14 points in 5 games.
Peyton is having a great year running the table and winning the Tri Peaks league. They are the first team to beat Buena Vista in league since they have dropped to 1A. They played against 3 playoff teams this year going 3-0. They will be tasked with the same task Monte Vista failed at and that is beating Limon in the first round. Peyton on offense was good they averaged 33 ppg and are also pretty one sided on offense rushing for 259.2 ypg and throwing for 53 ypg. Their offense is paced by RB Trystan Hank who is averaging 91.0 ypg. Defensively Peyton has been outstanding only giving up 8.4 ppg. That is third best in 1A and is a major reason why they are undefeated. Peyton has held 6 opponents to under 8 points this year and have only given up over 20 point once. This is a huge reason for their success.
These two teams have one common opponent and that is Rye. Limon beat Rye 29-16 and Peyton beat Rye 12-7. This should be a great game and it will be a very low scoring game. I don’t think either teams breaks the 21 point mark. This is also an upset alert game. Peyton has played great but I don’t think they have played a team as physical as Limon. I think Limon on the defensive side of the ball will dominate the line of scrimmage. I am going with Limon to once again upset the higher seed and move on. I am going with Limon by 14.
#3 Paonia vs #14 Buena Vista
Buena Vista is having a very tough year compared to prior years. They had not lost a regular season game in 1A till this year and they lost three of them. They lost a ton of talent off the previous year teams and it showed this year. They still played great going 6-3 and finishing second in the Tri Peaks. They bounced back nicely from their loss to Peyton by getting past Rye 20 to 14. Buena Vista with all their youth showed on both side of the ball. Offensively they are averaging 25.1 ppg but defensively they are allowing 21.4 ppg. Offensively they are running the ball pretty good rushing for 171.8 ypg and throwing for 83.4 ypg. They are paced by QB Parker Johnson who is throwing for 83.8 ypg and a total of 97.2 ypg. Like I mentioned earlier their defense has struggled this year giving up 21.4 ppg. They have allowed over 20 points scored in 5 games 3 of which were losses. They didn’t hold a single opponent to under 8 points. This must be the biggest area of improvement.
Paonia once again was near the top of the Western Slope but this year they couldn’t grab the league crown. Paonia played a tough schedule playing against 4 playoff teams going 3-1 against them. Their only loss was to #1 Meeker. Paonia offensively has been good averaging 33.4 ppg and they are paced by their power rushing attack that is averaging 207.2 ypg. They can also pass and are averaging 115.0 ypg. Their offense is paced by RB Jaden Miller who is rushing for 89 ypg and QB Dagan Rienks who has thrown for 107.8 ypg. Defensively Paonia has been great. Giving up 9.3 ppg which is fourth in 1A. They have held 6 opponents to under 8 points this year and have only giving up over 20 points 1. Their defense has been the catalyst of their offense and see if that stays true in the playoffs.
These teams have one common opponents and that is Rye. Buena Vista beat Rye 20 to 14 and Paonia beat Rye 28 to 13. Paonia on defense has been great and that is what wins playoff games. Buena Vista on defense has been very suspect and if they can’t improve this could turn into a blowout. I am going with Paonia to win by 28 points.
#6 Burlington vs #11 Center
Center is having their best season in many years and this is the first time they have made the playoff in 10+ year. This is also the first year they have beat Centauri in a long time. They finished second in the SPL losing to Monte Vista two weeks ago and that cost Center their chance at their first league title in many year. Center played against 3 playoff teams going 0-3 against them. Center on offense has struggled a bit and are more and more reliant on the big plays. They are on their third string QB and that has been the biggest hit to their team. If they were healthy they may have well been league champions. Center on offense is averaging 24.4 ppg and are led by their rushing attack. They have two very explosive running back in Bahana and Quintana. Defensively Center has been very stout on stopping the run. They are allowing a lot of point through the air. They are giving up a total of 24.3 ppg and that must improve if they want to pull the upset.
Burlington held on late last week to pull the victory from Limon and win the league crown. They are having a great year and played a tough schedule and now are battle tested for the playoffs. Their two losses are to the #2 and #4 seed and that is Strasburg and Bennett. They beat Limon so they went 1-2 against playoff teams. Burlington on offense has struggled only scoring 26.2 ppg and their problem has been not running the ball effectively. They are only averaging 176.6 ypg and are paced by RB Justis Marshal who is averaging 85.2 ypg. Burlington must figure out their offensive problem if they plan to advance farther into the playoff and to avoid the upset from Center. Defensively Burlington has been very tough. They have only given up 12.3 ppg and are very good at stopping the run. They held Bennet to only 15 point and Limon to only 6.
These teams do not have a common opponent but both want to run the ball and whoever is the most effective will have the advantage. Center must get their offensive problems figured out this week. They struggled to get anything going against Ignacio last week. Burlington must top the big plays from Center and they should be able to pull out the victory. I am going with Burlington here by 14.
#7 Crowley County vs #10 Cedaredge
Cedaredge once again is in the playoffs and they finished third in the Western Slope league. Their two losses were to Paonia and Meeker both of which are top teams. They played against 4 playoff teams going 2-2. They ended the season on a good winning streak winning their final two and helped catapult them into the playoffs. Cedaredge on offense is averaging 31.1 ppg and are paced by their rushing attack. They are averaging 220.1 rushing ypg and only 87.6 passing ypg. They are led by RB Isaac Swoffer who is averaging 101.8 rushing ypg and QB Pedro Madaleno who is averaging 115.1 total ypg. Defensively Cedaredge has been tough only giving up 14.1 ppg. In their two losses they gave up big points which must be corrected. They could pull the upset if their defense come to play.
Crowley County is the one team that must people are not sure about and I am on that list as well. They only played 8 games of which two were against a playoff team one of them was to Ellicott 48-20 and the other was a loss to Limon 14 to 7. Crowley County is somewhat of a mystery this year not playing against many of the biggest teams like most teams. Offensively they are scoring a ton of point averaging 37.6 ppg. They are led by their rushing attack which is averaging 287.3 ypg and only passing for 56.4 ypg. Their offense is paced by Dylan Tuma who is averaging 134.1 ypg. Defensively they are only giving up 11.8 ppg. They also played a weak schedule which has helped some of these totals. Only 3 teams on their schedule had legit playoff hopes the rest were either 3 or worse in their league.
These teams have no common opponents. Cedaredge has a very long trek to Crowley County and that could be a big factor in this game. Cedaredge must be able to stop the run to have a chance at pulling the upset. They are more than battle test coming from the Western Slope league but they must improve on their defense if they want to win. Crowley County is looking to prove that they are a top team. They did lose a lot of talent of last year team. Their defense must be ready for the rushing attack from Cedaredge. Crowley County is on upset alert here. I am going with the upset as well. I am picking Cedaredge here to win by 17 points.
#2 Strasburg vs #15 Grand Valley
Grand Valley has grown a lot this year going 5-4 and making the playoff for the first time since dropping to 1A. They a talented group of juniors coming back next year and they possibly could be making a case for a top three spot in the Western Slope league. Grand Valley couldn’t beat a playoff team from this year but was able to beat Olathe and Hotchkiss and that was enough to get them into the playoffs. Grand Valley on offense has struggled against the top teams but is averaging 25 ppg on the season. They are a run first teams but can pass if needed they are averaging 180.4 rushing ypg and 114.0 passing ypg. Their offense is led by do it all QB Jeff Holbrook who is averaging 85.3 rushing ypg and 113.2 passing ypg. He must play his best game of the season if they plan on staying in this game. Defensively they have struggled giving up 28.1 ppg. That is the biggest improvement that Grand Valley must make. If they can get their defense going they will be a tough team to stop.
Strasburg is bringing their high powered offense into the playoffs. Strasburg played against 5 playoff teams running the table. They have not played a tough teams in a four weeks which could make them a little rusty the first few drive in the playoffs. Strasburg is scoring a staggering 50.6 ppg and their offense is very high powered. Their offense is averaging 446.2 ypg of which 337.8 ypg is on the ground and 108.4 ypg is passing. Their offense is led by RB Hunter Bergstorm who is averaging 91.1 ypg and QB Conner Martin who is passing for 108.1 ypg and total of 154.0 ypg. Defensively they are very good only giving up 14.8 ppg. They have only allowed two teams to break the 20 point mark and that was Bennet and Highland. Strasburg on offense has been so effective that no team has held them to under 40 points this year.
Grand Valley has had a great year and the only way they will be able to keep up with Strasburg is to slow the game down and score every time they have the ball. I am not sure if Grand Valley can do that. Strasburg is very dominate on offense but that is because their defense get them the ball back to score quickly as well. Strasburg is definitely in contention to win the whole thing but they will get challenged on their side of the bracket. I am going with Strasburg to win big here and I am going by 35.
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