Colorado Class 1A Way to Early Top 15
#1 Bennett: Last season 10-2, lost in Semifinals to Meeker, Graduating 15 seniors
Bennett first season in 1A went really well and they fell just short of the State Championship losing to runner up Meeker 34-24. Bennett is losing quite a few key pieces from that team. They are losing 4 offensive lineman 3 of which are over 200 pounds. Losing offensive lineman is a really big deal for a VERY run heaving offense. Bennett is also losing their top 3 tacklers and 5 of their 6 top tacklers. Bennett though will not be having a rebuilding season and I expect just as big of a season from Bennett. Bennett is returning plenty of lineman. They have 5 upcoming seniors that are offensive lineman 4 of which are over 215 pounds so plenty of beef is returning for this team. Bennett after this year might have trouble with size but not this year. Bennett is also returning their starting QB Rocky Lechman 432 yards passing, 1,281 yards rushing & 26 total touchdowns and Bennett is also returning their starting RB Jesse Rodriquez 1,317 yards rushing 21 touchdowns. What Bennett will need to do is develop some other running backs because of the offense they use. What I think Bennett biggest priority will be getting the offensive line chemistry and getting their defense figured out. Bennett will be the big favorite to win the Foothills league and a major contender for a State Championship.
#2 Meeker: Last season 12-1, lost in State Championship to Strasburg, Graduating 9 seniors
Meeker fell just short of the perfect season falling in the state championship to Strasburg. Meeker will quickly look to reload and try and finish a state championship run off. Meeker is losing 9 total seniors but are returning the main core of their team. Meeker is losing 3 offensive lineman and 2 defensive lineman. The biggest whole to fill on the line will be replacing Tyler Ilgen 255 pound lineman so replacing him will be a huge necessity. Meeker is also losing its top 5 tacklers two of which had over 100 tackles. What is returning for Meeker is a lot of talent though. They are returning their starting QB Logan Hughes 2,529 yards passing 31 TD’s and 10 INT’s and RB Doak Mantle 1,058 yards rushing 11 touchdowns. Meeker will need to find some WR’s to replace the 3 that are graduating each of the 3 had over 600 yards receiving. In terms of lineman coming up they do have some underclass man who will need to step up. For Meeker to return to the championship they will need to replace their WR’s and find some defensive replacements but I expect this team to win the rugged Western Slope again and be a State Championship contender.
#3 Strasburg: Last season 13-0, Defending State Champion, Graduating 13 seniors
Strasburg capped off the perfect season beating Meeker in the State Championship. Strasburg will be looking to defend their title but they are losing some key pieces from their title run. Strasburg is losing 6 offensive & 5 defensive lineman to graduation. They are also losing 2 of their top 4 tacklers. But the biggest loss for Strasburg will be losing their starting QB Conner Martin 1,478 yards passing 23 TD’s & 0 INT’s. Finding a replacement will be the biggest whole for Strasburg this offseason. Strasburg does have their starting RB to lean on until a QB develops. They are returning Hunter Bergstorm 1,110 yards rushing 15 TD’s but they will need to find quality backups because they are losing two other RB’s with over 500 yards rushing. Strasburg looks to have 5 upcoming seniors that are offensive and defensive lineman and a couple sophomores over the 200 pound mark as well. Strasburg must get their lineman some experience but still finding a QB is what I think will make or break Strasburg season if they plan on defending their State Championship. They are still the hands down favorite to win the Northern League but if they want the State Title they must find a QB.
#4 Limon: Last season 6-4, lost in first round to Peyton, Graduating 6 seniors
Limon once again made the playoffs but fell in the first round. They are only graduating 6 seniors so they will be looking to reload and make a deeper run in the playoffs. Limon finished second in the North Central league in a tie with Wray so they will look to improve on that as well. Limon is losing 1 offensive lineman to graduation. They got plenty of experience to the underclassman last year and will be looking to take that next step. Limon is losing their starting RB Braden Kappel 1,104 yards rushing 12 TD’s. Defensively they are losing 3 of their top 5 tacklers so replacing them this offseason will be a huge key. Which of course they had plenty of experience to go around with only 6 seniors graduating. Limon is returning their starting QB Cannan Bennett 407 yards passing and also returning a huge weapon at RB in Hauk Hubbard 787 yards rushing 6 TD’s. Limon will need to find another running back to complement Hubbard this offseason. Limon biggest hole will be replacing defensive players but Limon is primed to have a great season. Limon is slightly the favorite to win the North Central over Wray.
#5 Grand Valley: Last season 5-5, lost in first round to Strasburg, Graduating 5 seniors
A team on the rise and returning a ton of talent is Grand Valley. They took a huge step last year making the playoffs and finishing fourth in the Western Slope league. They are only losing 5 seniors but they made a difference so finding replacement for them is a must. Grand Valley has a monster upcoming junior class that must step up this year. Grand Valley is losing 4 offensive line all of them over 190 pounds and all of them were probably starters and the final senior was a WR/DB. Grand Valley must develop offensive lineman and if they can watch out for this team. Grand Valley has 6 potential lineman that could start over 190 pounds so developing them will be the key. Honestly if Grand Valley can develop an offensive line they will be dangerous. They are returning their starting QB Jeff Holbrook 1,123 yards passing 12 TD’s 9 INT’s & 784 yards rushing 11 TD’s. They are also returning their top two RB Jonathan Pena 512 yards rushing and Levi Nolan 222 yards rushing. Defensively they are losing their top tackler but plenty of underclassman got experience last year. Grand Valley should make the playoffs for a second straight year and I believe have the talent to challenge for a top 2 spot in the Western Slope.
#6 Wray: Last season 4-5, Missed the playoffs, Graduating 4 seniors
Wray is coming off an improved 4-5 season that saw them in a tie with Limon for the second spot in the North Central League and just missing the playoffs. Wray only has 4 seniors. They are a WR/QB, DE/TE, C/DL, and RB. The biggest loss from the group of 4 is RB Sam Wynkoop who ran for 1,643 15 TD’s. Replacing him will be a big key for Wray’s offense. They are returning second leading rushing Cade Hillman 436 yards rushing 4 TD’s. Also they will need to find a good answer at QB as they are losing the only player who completed a pass. Wray is a run first offense but finding some depth at places will be a huge key for this team. Defensively they are losing 2 of their top 3 tacklers but with only 4 seniors they had plenty of depth behind them and will need some players to step up into the leadership role. Wray will have some holes but with only 4 seniors graduating from the team they are going to be reloaded. Wray took a big step last year finishing tied for second and beating Holyoke to finish in that tie but this year they have to take a bigger step to compete with Limon and Burlington.
#7 Paonia: Last season 10-2, lost in Semifinals to Strasburg, Graduating 11 seniors
For the first time in a few years Paonia didn’t win the Western Slope League but were still very good and nearly made it back to the State Championship. Paonia is losing 11 seniors and they have not put position next to most of their players so in terms of what they are losing I am not sure. What I do know is that Paonia will have some big holes to fill in terms of skill positions and on defense. They are losing starting QB Dagan Rienks 1,361 yards passing 26 TD’s and 7 INT’s. They are also losing their top WR in Trevor Smith 733 yards receiving 7 TD’s. Defensively they will also have some holes losing 4 of their top 5 tacklers. Paonia will still be a threat though until they develop a QB because they are returning starting RB Jaden Miller 977 yards rushing and 7 TD’s. Paonia will still be a threat this year like always but some big holes will need to be filled. I am predicting Paonia to finish in the Top 3 in the Western Slope and will battle it out with Grand Valley for the 2nd spot.
#8 Peyton: Last season 10-1, lost in Quarterfinals to Bennett, Graduating 11 seniors
Peyton blew past expectations last year running the table in the regular season before falling to Bennett in the Quarterfinals. Peyton will need to retool if they plan on making another run at the playoffs and a league title. Peyton is losing 5 offensive & defensive lineman which will need to replace quickly in this run heavy offense. Peyton is also losing its 3 of its top 4 tacklers but have a ton of youth right behind them in tackles. The biggest hole to fill though will be at the RB position. They are losing their top 2 RB Trystan Hanks 966 yards rushing 14 TD’s and Wyatt Lee 641 yards rushing 8 TD’s. They do have an upcoming junior that got significant playing time rushing for 498. Peyton will be returning their starting QB Trevor Walker 533 yards passing & 438 yards rushing. They will need him to step up next year to replace some of the loss on offense. Peyton does look to have replacements for the lineman that are leaving. They have 4 upcoming seniors & 3 upcoming juniors who can fill holes of the 7 lineman 3 of them are over 200 pounds. Peyton was able to grab the Tri-Peaks crown from Buena Vista last year and will be the favorite this year to repeat as champions. Peyton must develop some running backs and get some leadership from the upcoming seniors but this team will be very good again.
#9 Centauri: Last season 6-3, Missed the Playoffs, Graduating 2 seniors
Centauri was the team hurt the most by the new RPI system missing the playoffs as the first team out sitting at #17 in RPI. Centauri is only losing 2 seniors and they are OLB/RB Jacob Gallegos and RB/CB Dustin Sowards. Centauri and Monte Vista will be the main front runners yet again for the SPL title. I think if Centauri gets things going in the right direction this coming year they are going to be very tough to beat and both they and Monte Vista could be ranked much higher come the end of the year. Centauri will need to get some more help for QB Nate Anderson who threw for 810 yards 8 TD’s and 6 INT’s and also ran for 600 yards. The next two leading rushers are graduating so they will need someone to step in and fill the hole left by the 2 seniors. Centauri struggled offensively last year so improving there is a huge need. Defensively Centauri was very good last year and look to return their top 6 tacklers and their leading tackler was only a freshman so expect be things from Adam Chacon. Centauri will be extremely tough and will be back into the playoffs and like I said earlier they and Monte Vista are the front runners for the league title.
#10 Crowley County: Last season 7-2, lost in First round to Cedaredge, Graduating 8 seniors
Crowley County was upset in the first round by #10 Cedaredge and will be looking to bounce back from that this year and also look to repeat as the Santa Fe league champs. Crowley County is losing 8 seniors of which 4 could possibly be offensive & defensive lineman. They are losing a key piece in their rushing attack in Dylan Tuma 1,073 yards rushing 14 TD’s. Defensively they are losing their top tackler but are returning a ton of talent behind them. Crowley County will be looking to find some depth on the offensive and defensive line so if they can develop that they have some player makers behind them. They are returning starting QB Bradley Clabey 451 yards passing & 415 yards rushing 15 total TD’s and also their back up RB Chris Meyer 507 yards rushing 6 TD’s. Crowley County will be looking to revenge their loss in the first round. Crowley County is the favorite to win the Santa Fe League and also should be a team to watch out for in the playoffs.
#11 Monte Vista: Last season 5-5, lost in First round to Platte Canyon, Graduating 9 seniors
Monte Vista had a little bit of a down year last year losing a very talented senior class the year prior. Monte Vista was still able to win the Southern Peaks league last year and Monte Vista is reloading heading into this year. Monte Vista is losing 9 seniors but only 6 really played of the 6 2 of them were offensive lineman. The biggest lose for Monte Vista will be losing QB/RB Keshaun Duran. Keshaun Duran didn’t play just QB this year letting upcoming Junior Zach Hindes get some very valuable experience at QB. Duran ran for 993 yards and 11 TD’s and was their best defensive back. Monte Vista will need to find a replacement for him on the defensive side but I believe have their offensive replacements already figured out. Monte Vista will need to gain some chemistry on the offensive line with 4 starters coming back. Defensively they are returning their top 3 tacklers but will need some of the underclass man to step up to fill some holes on defense. Monte Vista is reloading this year and have plenty of talent in the upcoming classes from seniors to freshman. It will be a battle once again between them and Centauri for the South Peak League.
#12 Platte Canyon: Last season 9-2, lost in Quarterfinals to Meeker, Graduating 10 seniors
Platte Canyon broke out of the first round this season but fell to runner up Meeker 28-15. Platte Canyon system is very run heavy and seems to work year in and year out. They are losing 10 seniors and their roster does not have positions but it looks like 3 of them are lineman so replacing them will be a huge key. Platte Canyon is also losing their starting QB Otis Schmidt 392 yards passing 2 TD’s 1 INT, 412 yards rushing 10 TD’s. Platte Canyon though has a very good RB returning in Trevor Sander 1,155 yards rushing 13 TD’s. They will need to find another RB to go alongside him and Mathias Johnston 538 yards rushing. Defensively Platte Canyon is losing their top 3 tacklers but have 2 of the top 5 coming back. Platte Canyon always is a top 10 team and are looking like it again this year. They have some holes to fill and getting a QB to run their system is one of them. Also replacing their graduating Lineman is also a huge hole. I expect Platte Canyon to make the playoffs again and finish second in the Foothills league behind Bennett.
#13 Burlington: Last season 8-3, lost in Quarterfinals to Paonia, Graduating 10 seniors
Burlington nearly pulled off the huge upset in the Quarterfinals against Paonia but fell just short losing 22-20. Burlington was able to win the North Central league but will have some holes to fill if they plan on repeating. Burlington does not have positions listed on their roster but from their numbers it looks like Burlington is losing 5 offensive or defensive lineman. They are also losing their starting QB Bubba Sullivan 813 yards passing 10 TD’s 5 INT’s and their starting RB Justis Marshall 948 yards rushing 14 TD’s. Burlington will be returning some help at RB to replace Marshall with upcoming senior Case Rieber 531 yards rushing 4 TD’s. Also Burlington is returning their top 3 tacklers from last year. Burlington will have to lean heavily on their defense early on to win games until their offense gets sorted out. Burlington looks to have 3 upcoming senior offensive lineman so they will have to get some underclass to develop to replace the seniors they are losing. I am picking Burlington to finish 3rd in the North Central behind Limon and Wray.
#14 Cedaredge: Last season 8-3, lost in Quarterfinals to Strasburg, Graduating 11 seniors
Cedaredge was able to finish 3rd in the tough Western Slope league and had a good run in the playoffs pushing Strasburg in the Quarterfinals but falling short 29-11. Cedaredge is losing 11 seniors this year of which 5 were offensive & defensive lineman. They are also losing some Linebackers and some defensive backs so replacing some huge pieces on defense will be a must. Cedaredge is also losing their starting RB 1,140 yards rushing 15 TD’s and also losing 6 of their 7 top tacklers. Cedaredge is returning either one of their QB’s in Pedro Madaleno who will probably be shifted to running back and Cedaredge will probably start Jared Reynolds at QB 463 yards passing. Pedro Madaleno was second on the team in rushing 560 yards rushing 6 TD’s. Cedaredge will have some big holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball and also will need to develop their offensive line. They only have 1 upcoming senior lineman and 4 upcoming junior lineman. Cedaredge will have some work this offseason but they always seem to be a tough team come September. I am picking Cedaredge to finish 4th in the Western Slope but don’t count them out of not making the playoffs or competing for a top 3 spot in league.
#15 Clear Creek: Last season 7-2, missed the Playoffs, Graduating 6 seniors
Clear Creek missed the playoffs after finishing third in the Foothills league. They had a low RPI due to a weak schedule but they are returning some very good talent this year and will be hoping to grab a playoff spot. Clear Creek is losing 1 lineman and 5 skill position players. Offensively they are returning QB Ty Judge 1,973 yards passing 19 TD’s and 10 INT’s. Clear Creek will need him to be just as big this year and lower the INT’s if they plan making the playoffs. Clear Creek is also returning starting RB Noah Sarria 703 yards rushing 7 TD’s & 827 yards receiving 10 TD’s. Clear Creek will be returning their main WR as well. Defensively Clear Creek is losing top tackler Isaiah Mercer 111 total tackles but they return their next 4 tacklers. Clear Creek does not look like they are losing as much talent but they will be looking to take a huge step next year. They will be looking for an automatic berth and I think they will be gunning for Platte Canyon but this will require them to take a monster step this next year. Clear Creek will need some more depth at RB this year and someone to fill a big void on defense but if they can I expect Clear Creek to make the playoffs.
Next five
#16 Highland: Last season 6-4, lost in First Round to Bennett, Graduating 11 seniors
Highland finally broke into the playoffs finishing second in the Northern League behind Strasburg. They will be looking to repeat that feat but will have some big holes to fill. Highland is losing 3 offensive & defensive lineman. They are also losing their starting QB Cole Rouse 499 yards passing. Defensively they are returning their top 2 tacklers but losing their next 5 tacklers. Highland will have some talent returning at the RB position. They are returning their top two runners in Logan Stewart 763 yards rushing 8 TD’s and Trey Allmon 596 yards rushing 6 TD’s. Highland has some big bodies coming up in the senior class so developing them will be the key. Highland also must get some experience to the defense and find a QB. Highland should finish second in the weak Northern League behind Strasburg so the playoffs are well in their sight.
#17 Rocky Ford: Last season 6-3, Missed the playoffs, Graduating 6 seniors
They will need to replace 3 offensive/defensive lineman this offseason but the biggest hole to fill will be QB. They are losing Cody Venem 1,894 yards passing. If they can find a good replacement at QB they could be a force to reckon with especially only losing 6 seniors. Rocky Ford also has a really good chance at finishing second in the Santa Fe League this year but getting replacements at the QB position is a must!
#18 Colorado Springs Christian: Last season 5-4, Missed the playoffs, Graduating 8 seniors
They are losing a huge player in Justin Engesser 1,988 yards passing 27 TD’s & 15 INT’s. They must find a replacement for him if they plan on being successful. They are also losing 2 lineman as well. CSSC will return their starting RB 576 yards rushing but offensively I think they will struggle early on. CSSC will return most of their defensive players but offensively they will need to quickly get up to speed.
#19 Wiggins: Last season 4-5, missed the playoffs, Graduating 7 seniors
Wiggins missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season but they are returning some talent. Wiggins is losing 2 lineman and they are losing their starting RB Shane Finegan 1,010 yards rushing 15 TD’s. They do have a depth behind him with their backup RB Teggan Freauff 617 yards rushing. Also Wiggins is returning their starting QB and he will need to step up this coming year only throwing for 203 yards. Wiggins looks to have plenty of depth at the OL/DL position so getting experience is the key for this team heading into the future and I expect big things in the 2018 year.
#20 Ellicott: Last season 5-5, lost in First round to Meeker, Graduating 7 seniors
Ellicott is losing only 7 seniors but they are some key contributors. They are losing two very big offensive & defensive lineman. Those two will be essential to replace this offseason. Also Ellicott is losing starting QB Matthew Davidson 1,487 yards passing 13 TD’s and 10 INT’s and they are also losing both their starting RB Jaylen Hayes 703 yards rushing 8 TD’s. Defensively they are returning 3 of their top 5 tacklers and have plenty of youth that had big experience on defense. Ellicott will need to develop 2 offensive lineman from the upcoming junior class to fill the holes left by the seniors. Ellicott does have a huge weapon returning in WR/RB Chiante’ Stewart 465 yards rushing 11 TD’s & 719 yards receiving 7 TD’s. For Ellicott to be successful they need to develop a QB for their spread style offense or adjust their style.
MileHigh Prep Report 