Week 6 Class 2A League Breakdown
All breakdowns this week will be much shorter as I will be out of town on Thursday and Friday and want to make sure every class gets their League Breakdown in. Last week went on nearly as planned but #5 La Junta still showed us why they are kings of the Tri-Peaks with a 21-11 victory over Classical Academy, both still have to play Salida but I believe La Junta is now in the driver seat. A few games outside the top ten were more intriguing. Eaton grabbed an important win over University 33-6, Valley beat Weld Central 35-8, and a very important game was Pagosa Springs beat Delta and now I believe are a Top 3 team in the Intermountain League. Week 6 offers more important games in every league.
Colorado League
Kent Denver opened league play with a huge 35-0 victory over Elizabeth and that sets up the October 20th game between them and Machebeuf as the League championship unless Machebeuf slips up twice before that. Also victorious was Machebeuf over Ridgeview Academy 46-0 & Englewood over Sheridan 58-0. RPI number still look pretty good for the Colorado League. Currently if the playoffs started today 3 teams would get in from the Colorado League. Machebeuf and Elizabeth are still very much on the bubble. #2 Kent Denver travels to Ridgeview Academy this week and should walk away victorious and move to 2-0. Elizabeth is in the same boat as they travel to Sheridan and also should get to 1-1 in league and back on the winning side of things. The big game in the Colorado League features Machebeuf at Englewood. Both teams come into this match up at 1-0 in league and the winner keeps pace with Kent Denver. Englewood opened the league schedule by slamming Sheridan 58-0. Englewood ran the ball extremely well rushing for 364 yards and 3 TDs. They were led by junior RB Ikaika Gonzalez 266 yards rushing and 2 TDs. Defensively they shut down Sheridan holding them to just 100 yards of total offense and now they must be ready for a power running attack from Machebeuf. Machebeuf got the mercy rule going in the 3rd quarter and got some good rest for their starters. Offensively they ran the ball well rushing for 324 yards and 3 TDs. Defensively that was Machebeuf second shutout of the season and 5th game of holding an opponent to under 12 points. Machebeuf must be ready for a run first offense and must be explosive with their rushing attack. Englewood will need their best effort on defense and must win at the line of scrimmage. I believe Machebeuf keeps pace with Kent Denver and sets up the league title match on October 20th.
#2 Kent Denver at Ridgeview Academy Machebeuf at Englewood
Elizabeth at Sheridan
RPI: #1 Kent Denver, #12 Machebeuf, #14 Elizabeth, #24 Englewood, #33 Sheridan, #40 Ridgeview Academy
Flatirons League
The Flatirons league kicked off like normal all the favorites were victorious. Faith Christian hammered Jefferson 46-8, D’Evelyn beat Arvada 41-6, and Middle Park got by Denver West 42-27. The three victorious teams in week 1 are your top 3 teams in league and are the only 3 teams with a real chance at making the playoffs. Faith Christian is nearly a lock sitting at #7 in the RPI but their seed will continue to slip due to their league schedule. D’Evelyn and Middle Park are sitting at #20 and #27 and have their playoff hopes on the line this week. Faith Christian hosts Arvada and should move to 5-1 on the season and 2-0 in league. Jefferson hosts Denver West and neither team has a hope right now of making the playoffs sitting at #37 & #38 out of 42. One of them will need to win out to even come close to a playoff berth. The big game this week features Middle Park traveling to D’Evelyn. Middle Park picked up a close 42-27 victory over Denver West. They were balanced in their offensive attack passing for 156 and rushing for 283. Their offense was paced by Blake Weimer 192 yards and 4 TDs. Defensively Middle Park has struggled all year they are giving up 39 ppg and have only held one team to less than 10 points all year. They will either need to be able to slow down D’Evelyn or outscore them. D’Evelyn got back to their winning ways blasting Arvada 48-6. The win moved them up to #20 in the RPI and D’Evelyn must win 3 of their last 4 to have a chances at the playoffs. D’Evelyn has been in their fair share of close games and this was their biggest win of the year. D’Evelyn is a pass first team and senior QB Chad Dines has 1201 yards passing on 85 of 140 attempts. He has 9 TDs and 10 INTs which must be improved upon if D’Evelyn wants a chance against Middle Park and Faith Christian. D’Evelyn must slow Middle Park offense and if they can they will walk away with the victory. I have D’Evelyn winning big and setting up the League Championship game next week against Faith Christian.
#7 Faith Christian vs Arvada Middle Park at D’Evelyn
Jefferson vs Denver West
RPI: #11 Faith Christian, #20 D’Evelyn, #27 Middle Park, #34 Arvada, #37 Denver West, #38 Jefferson
Intermountain League
The Intermountain league took an interesting turn on Friday. Both Bayfield and Alamosa took care of business like planned but Pagosa Springs upset Delta and now are my pick to finish 3rd in the Intermountain League. Pagosa Springs beat Delta 26-7 and now will challenge Alamosa and Bayfield for a Top 2 spot. RPI number wise it is interesting. #4 Bayfield is a lock for the playoffs but Alamosa is still very much on the bubble but control their own destiny. Pagosa Springs is sitting on the outside at #17 but winning against Gunnison & Montezuma Cortez should give them enough to get in. Pagosa Springs hosts Gunnison this week and should easily walk away with the victory and keep pace with both Bayfield and Alamosa. #1 Bayfield travels to Montezuma-Cortez on Saturday. Bayfield had some injury problems but with plenty of experience they are still the hands down favorite. They should cruise past Montezuma-Cortez and keep gaining experience to some players that are stepping in. The big game of the Intermountain League features #9 Alamosa hosting Delta. For Delta this is a must win game. Delta is 1-4 and cannot afford to go 1-5. With their RPI of #29 a loss will essentially eliminate them from the playoffs. Delta has struggled on defense as of late which is their biggest strength was coming into this year. For three straight weeks Delta has given up 33 ppg while only scoring 16 ppg. Delta has a lot of youth so this is huge experience but they must get their defensive problems sorted out and won’t be easy against Alamosa. #9 Alamosa continues to impress with a 38-0 victory over Montezuma Cortez last week. They currently sit at #13 in the RPI which is square on the bubble so they must continue to take care of business and win. Alamosa defensively has been super impressive only giving up 6.8 ppg and they have dominated all year and the most points they have given up was to #4 La Junta (21). Offensively Alamosa is a run first offense but keep you honest with their passing attack. Alamosa has 499 yards passing and 1111 yards rushing. Alamosa offense is led by senior Reis Martinez 562 yards rushing and 6 TDs. Alamosa must play physical on both sides of the ball and they must score points. If they can grab a 21 point lead they should be victorious. Delta must slow down Alamosa offense and must be able to score points. I think Alamosa continues to dominate on defense and walks away with the victory.
#1 Bayfield at Montezuma-Cortez #9 Alamosa vs Delta
Pagosa Spring vs Gunnison
RPI: #4 Bayfield, #13 Alamosa, #17 Pagosa Springs, #25 Montezuma-Cortez, #29 Delta, #30 Gunnison
Patriot-East League
The Patriot East continues to be one of the more competitive leagues. They have 4 teams currently making the playoffs but after 1 week of league play some slight shake up is in order. #3 Platte Valley cruised to a 54-13 victory over Fort Lupton and continue to impress on the year. Sterling also cruised past Brush 34-6 which sets up the massive game between the two of them this week. The big game from last week was Valley vs Weld Central and Valley grabbed a very important 35-8 victory and also move to 1-0 on league. This week Weld Central hosts Fort Lupton and Weld Central should get back to their winning ways and move to 1-1 in league. Valley travels to Brush in a very interesting matchup. Brush is much tougher than their record indicates and they could be a team to watch for next year. Valley has had their ups and down against very good defenses but they must beat Brush to stay tied for the lead in the Patriot East. The big game of the week is #3 Platte Valley hosting #10 Sterling. Sterling is 4-1 on the year and have played 4 very tough teams on the season. They now are looking to pull a huge upset and keep their league title hopes alive. They sit at #9 in the RPI and are not a complete lock but are very close. Sterling offensively is a pass first team. They have 1317 yards passing and 526 yards rushing. Sterling passing attack is led by senior QB Bodie Hume he is 79 of 144 for 1254 yards passing 14 TDs and 5 INTs he also adds in 146 yards passing and 1 TD. Hume is the leader of this Sterling team and he must have his best game of the season this week against Platte Valley. #3 Platte Valley is undefeated and have so far shocked everyone. They were unranked to start the season but after blowing past their first 5 opponents are now #3 and are looking to make another mark on to why they are a legit title threat. The key for Platte Valley has been their defense. They are only giving up 9.4 ppg and use their rushing attack to control the game. Platte Valley will know if they are going to be league champions within their next two games. After their game with Sterling they travel to Valley and that could be for the league championship if they are victorious this week. Platte Valley must find a way to slow down the passing attack from Sterling. Sterling must be able to score points on this very tough defense and also play a physical style of defense themselves. Sterling I think is going to shock some people and I have them pulling the 28-24 upset of Platte Valley and taking the driver seat in the Patriot East.
#3 Platte Valley vs #10 Sterling Valley at Brush
Weld Central vs Fort Lupton
RPI: #3 Platte Valley, #8 Valley, #9 Sterling, #15 Weld Central, #32 Brush, #31 Fort Lupton
Patriot-West League
The Patriot West had a solid week with their top 3 teams all grabbing victories and keeping the leagues hopes alive at grabbing two playoff berths. Last week Eaton beat University 33-6, Academy blanked Pinnacle 41-0 and Resurrection Christian beat Prospect Ridge 35-7. The victors all improved their RPI and now must continue to win to keep their hopes alive. University travels to Prospect Ridge hoping to bounce back from their loss last week to Eaton. University is sitting at #23 and a loss will really hurt their chances at the playoffs. The same goes for Prospect Ridge who is sitting at #26. The winner will have an outside chance at the playoffs. I think University bounces back and get the W. Eaton hosts pinnacle and also should win. The win will keep them tied with the winner between Academy and Resurrection Christian. Eaton has a chance without the league title to grab a playoff spot sitting at #18. The big game in the Patriot West is Academy hosting Resurrection Christian. Resurrection Christian is on a nice 2 game winning streak and would love to move to 2-0 in league. Resurrection Christian seems to have figured a few things out on offense breaking the 25 point mark in back to back games. Defensively they have played tough defense all year giving up 17 ppg. If Resurrection Christian keeps their offense playing like it’s they will be a tough team to beat. Academy is 4-1 and have taken advantage of an easy schedule. Their wins are against teams with a combined win total of 3. Academy will be out to prove they are a threat in the Patriot West and can take a huge stride if they beat Resurrection Christian. To beat Resurrection Christian, Academy will need their rushing attack to be very effective. Academy has ran for 1121 yards and will need their best outing this year. Defensively Academy must take control of the line of scrimmage and cannot be pushed around like they did against Valley. Academy is the favorite due to their record but I think Resurrection Christian is much more battle tested. I am going with Resurrection Christian to pull the win because of their physical defense.
Academy vs Resurrection Christian Eaton vs Pinnacle
University at Prospect Ridge
RPI: #18 Eaton, #19 Academy, #22 Resurrection Christian, #23 University, #26 Prospect Ridge, #39 Pinnacle
Tri-Peaks League
Week #1 of Tri Peak league play showed La Junta is not giving up their league crown yet. Their 21-11 victory over Classical Academy but La Junta in control of their own destiny and now they await the winner of the Classical Academy Salida game. Also winners last week were Salida over Florence 21-10 and Manitou Springs over Lamar 27-20. This week Lamar hosts Florence. This is a must win for Florence to have any sort of chance at the playoffs. They sit #28 and will need a ton of help but must beat Lamar. A loss will essentially eliminate them from the playoffs. #4 La Junta travels to Manitou Springs. Manitou Springs is sitting at #21 and once again were in a tough game last week but pulled out the 27-20 over Lamar. They will need their best game of the season to upset La Junta. #4 La Junta is in the driver seat and if they win out they are league champions. They have proven they will still be a threat for a state championship and now must continue to get better through league play. The big game of the week and the Game of the Week in 2A features #5 Classical Academy traveling to #8 Salida. Salida has improved a ton from last year and are a perfect 5-0. They have a huge chance this week to take another big step and move into the Top 2 in league and keep their title hopes alive. Offensively Salida is very balanced in their offensive attack. They have thrown for 952 yards and rushed for 825 yards. Salida offense is led by senior QB Bridger Russel 44 of 60 for 940 yards 12 TDs and 1 INT. He is the key to this Salida team winning this game and must play great. Defensively Salida is only giving up 9 ppg and the most they have given up this year is 22 points to Pagosa Springs who is proving to be a good team. Salida will see where they measure in the state and if they can be title contenders. #5 Classical Academy fell in a heart breaker to La Junta 21-11. Classical Academy defensively really struggled to stop La Juntas offense giving up 353 yards of total offense. Offensively TCA struggled to run the ball only rushing for 106 yards. Senior QB Cade Bethany did go 12 of 18 for 196 yards 1 TD and 1 INT and did keep his team in the game. TCA lost the turnover battle 2 to 1 and was a big reason for them falling to La Junta. TCA now must quickly rebound as they face a much more dynamic offense this week. TCA will need to stop the pass to be successful. The last pass heavy team they faced was D’Evelyn and they gave up 322 yards but had 3 INTs. Salida QB only has 1 INT on the year so this will be a good test for both TCA secondary and Salida QB. This game will come down which defense gets a key stop and I expect both QBs to have good days. TCA is looking to keep a lock on that #2 spot in league and I believe they do. I have TCA winning a close game 28-24.
#5 Classical Academy at #8 Salida #4 La Junta at Manitou Springs
Lamar at Florence
RPI: #2 La Junta, #6 Classical Academy, #7 Salida, #21 Manitou Springs, #28 Florence, #36 Lamar
Western Slope League
The Western Slope league continue to be a fun race to watch. The top 3 teams Basalt, Aspen, and Coal Ridge all have Top 16 RPIs and they continue to battle it out. Last week the first battle between the Top 3 teams took place and Aspen once again came out with a last minute win as they beat Coal Ridge 34-28. Aspen now can clinch the league title with a win this week against #6 Basalt. The other two games last week were Basalt slamming Steamboat Springs 49-0 and Moffat County blasting Roaring Fork 61-6. This week Steamboat and Roaring Fork square off to see who can get their first win of the season. Also Coal Ridge travels to Moffat County as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive. Coal Ridge must win 3 of their last 4 to make sure they make the playoffs. Moffat County will probably need the league title to get into the playoffs. The big game this week in the Western Slope features #6 Basalt at Aspen. Aspen has proven they love to be the underdog and once again will be the underdog. Aspen every week keeps impressing me and this week they were down 28-22 and scored the final 12 points to win 34-28 over Coal Ridge. Aspen defensively struggle to slow down Coal Ridge rushing attack giving up 325 yards but Aspen forced 2 INTs and did enough to pull off the victory. Aspen on offense was successful throwing the ball. Senior QB RJ Peshek threw for 268 yards 1 TD and 1 INT and Aspen rushing attack ran for 112 yards and also were led by Peshek who ran for 64 yards and 3 TDs. RJ Peshek is the leader of this Aspen team and is having a pretty good year he has now thrown for 1345 yards 15 TDs and 5 INTs. This team will go as far as their QB can take them. #6 Basalt is on a 4 game winning streak since their 34-14 loss to Rifle, Rifle is 4-1 in 3A. Basalt offensively has been dominate breaking the 35 point mark in their past 4 games. Their offense is run first but their passing attack is also a big factor. Basalt has thrown for 573 yards, 7 TDs, & only 1 INT. Basalt rushing attack has ran for 1052 yards and is led by senior RB Noah William who has ran for 415 yards and 7 TDs. For Basalt to be victorious they are going to need to stop the pass. IF Basalt cannot slow down Aspen passing attack this will be a very close game and Aspen has excelled in close games. Aspen must slow down Basalt rushing attack and they have given up big games but have been a bend not break on defense and will need to play good defense. Once again I am picking against Aspen and Aspen fans should be happy I have picked against them most of the year and they have proven me wrong. I am going with Basalt to win a 35-21 game over Aspen.
#6 Basalt at Aspen Coal Ridge at Moffat County
Steamboat Springs at Roaring Fork
RPI: #5 Aspen, #10 Coal Ridge, #16 Basalt, #35 Moffat County, #41 Roaring Fork, #42 Steamboat Springs
MileHigh Prep Report 