Week 7 Class 2A League Breakdown
With only 3 weeks left in the regular season some critical games are being played and possible league titles could be decided.
Colorado League
The Colorado league is moving along as planned with Kent Denver and Machebeuf setting up their league title match next week. #9 Machebeuf travels to Sheridan this week. Machebeuf should easily be victorious in that game and are coming off a very solid win over Englewood last week. Elizabeth is going back in the winning direction after falling to Kent Denver two weeks ago. Elizabeth beat Sheridan last week and this week play winless Ridgeview Academy and should stay in 3rd place behind Machebeuf and Kent Denver. The biggest game in the Colorado League this week features #2 Kent Denver hosting Englewood. Englewood is coming off a 48-22 loss to Machebeuf and things do not get any easier for them this week. They are sitting at #26 in the RPI but their RPI should rise with a win or a lose this week. Englewood will need a little bit of help to get into the playoffs. Kent Denver last week blasted Ridgeview Academy 56-6. They must avoid the trap game this week and not look past Englewood. Kent Denver is a lock for the playoffs with the #2 RPI but I am sure they want the league championship. Kent Denver should dominate again this week and keep pace with Machebeuf and set up a huge league championship game next week.
#2 Kent Denver vs Englewood Ridgeview Academy at Elizabeth
#9 Machebeuf at Sheridan
RPI: #2 Kent Denver, #9 Machebeuf, #12 Elizabeth, #26 Englewood, #26 Ridgeview Academy, #35 Sheridan
Flatirons League
The Flatirons Championship game is this week between Faith Christian and D’Evelyn. Well get more in depth in that matchup after a quick run through of the other league games. Arvada travels to Denver West this week and for Arvada they will need to win out to make any run at the playoffs. Arvada sits at #31 in the RPI and a loss in any game will eliminate them from the playoffs. Denver West sits at #37 and are eliminated from the playoffs. They are playing the spoiler and looking to knock teams out of the playoffs. Middle Park this week hosts Jefferson and Middle Park is in the same boat as Arvada and will need to win out to make the playoffs. They are in a little better shape due to their 2-4 record but will need to win out. Jefferson is at #41 and eliminated from the playoffs. The league championship game is between Faith Christian at D’Evelyn. D’Evelyn got back to .500 on the year with a huge 55-18 victory over Middle Park. That win also moved D’Evelyn back into the top 16 in the RPI and now they have a chance at making the playoffs. They have played well this year and played a brutal schedule. They have played 3 ranked teams but are 0-3 against ranked teams. D’Evelyn is a pass first team with 1566 yards passing. They are led by senior QB Chad Dines who is 95 of 156 for 1378, 11 TDs, & 10 INTs. D’Evelyn broke the 1000 yards rushing mark as well and have 1019 yards rushing and are led by Luca Mcintyre 484 yards rushing. D’Evelyn defense has improved but are still giving up 22.5 ppg and will need a big effort on defense to pull the upset. #7 Faith Christian is 5-1 on the year. They have only played against 1 ranked team and that was Kent Denver. Faith Christian has been challenged in 2 of their wins against Resurrection Christian and Brush winning both 9-0. Faith Christian blasted Arvada last week 48-12. They sit at #10 in the RPI and are not a lock yet without the league title. Faith Christian offensively is very balanced throwing for 700 yards and rushing for 895 yards. Their offense is led by sophomore QB Isaiah Kroll 700 yards passing 11 TDs, & 4 INTs and their rushing attack is led by Jordan Abbott 366 yards and 1 TD. Faith Christian offensively has not been explosive like D’Evelyn but their defense has been very solid. Faith Christian is only giving up 13 ppg and have 4 games holding teams to under 8 points. They have the clear advantage on defense but will be tested by this explosive offense. Faith Christian is a slight favorite over D’Evelyn due to their defense and I believe their defense will rise to the occasion and hold off D’Evelyn 21-17.
#7 Faith Christian at D’Evelyn Arvada at Denver West
Jefferson at Middle Park
RPI: #10 Faith Christian, #15 D’Evelyn, #31 Arvada, #32 Middle Park, #37 Denver West, #41 Jefferson
Intermountain League
No champion can be decided yet in the Intermountain league but one team can take a clear advantage this week. The Intermountain league has been a crazy race with teams being upset and some surprise teams as well. Alamosa is looking to get back on track after being upset by Delta last week. They travel to winless Gunnison and should move to 5-2 on the season. They are right on the bubble in terms of RPI. They are at #17 and currently the last team out. Their final three games are Gunnison, Bayfield, and Pagosa Springs. Two of those games will be huge RPI boosters and Gunnison is a must win. Alamosa should move up in the RPI in the final 3 weeks but cannot lose to Gunnison. Delta hosts Montezuma Cortez this week. Montezuma-Cortez is in a win or go home scenario. They sit at #29 and one more loss could eliminate them for playoff contention. They will need to upset Delta this week to have any shot at the playoffs. Delta is in a similar boat as Montezuma-Cortez. They sit at #24 and what is killing them is their WP which is only .333. Of their final 3 games 2 are winnable (Montezuma-Cortez & Gunnison) with Bayfield sandwiched between which will be a very tough game but a good RPI game. Delta got a much needed upset last week against Alamosa and now have some momentum and must win this week as well and I believe they will. The big game in the Intermountain league features #1 Bayfield hosting red hot Pagosa Springs. Pagosa Springs started the year 0-2 but have since ran off 4 straight victories and are looking for another signature win. Pagosa Springs looks like their old self against and are in position to win a league title. They still have Alamosa on their schedule so they cannot clinch the league title with a win but can grab a huge advantage. Pagosa Springs has played 4 tough teams this year going 2-2. They don’t have stats online but are a run first team running the double wing option. Pagosa is sitting at #13 in the RPI and won’t move down with a loss but a win will catapult them up. #1 Bayfield is undefeated and like Pagosa Springs cannot clinch the league title this week because they still have Delta and Alamosa on their schedule. Bayfield has played amazing defense all year with 3 shutouts and only 1 teams breaking 20 points. Bayfield is only giving up 7.6 ppg and are one of the best defenses in 2A. Bayfield offensively is one of the more balanced and dynamic offenses. They are throwing for 1171 yards and rushing for 1420 yards. Their passing attack is led by junior Hayden Farmer 1152 yards, 20 TDs, & 7 INTs and their rushing attack is led by senior Carl Heide 505 yards rushing and 6 TDs. Bayfield will be tested this week on defense with this option attack. Bayfield sits at #5 in the RPI and are a lock for the playoffs. Bayfield is the favorite in this game and should be victorious 28-7.
#1 Bayfield vs Pagosa Springs Alamosa at Gunnison
Delta vs Montezuma Cortez
RPI: #5 Bayfield, #13 Pagosa Springs, #17 Alamosa, #24 Delta, #29 Montezuma Cortez, #33 Gunnison
Patriot-East League
Platte Valley took the advantage in the Patriot East last week beating Sterling 42-21 and now have the advantage in the race for the league title. #10 Sterling looks to bounce back from that loss when they travel to Fort Lupton this week. Sterling is sitting at #6 in the RPI and are a lock for the playoffs. They should walk away with a victory over Fort Lupton. Fort Lupton is #34 in the RPI and are eliminated from the playoffs. #3 Platte Valley this week travels to Valley. Valley was upset by Brush last week 21-14 and now are on the outside of the Top 16 in the RPI. Valley would need a huge upset this week against Platte Valley. Valley offensively have struggled in their past few games. They will need their offense to wake up this week if they plan on upsetting Platte Valley. #3 Platte Valley is looking to stay in control of their own destiny. A win keeps them ahead of Sterling and the winner of Brush and Weld Central. Platte Valley is #1 in the RPI and a lock for the playoffs. They have been dominating all year on defense and offense should continue both this week I have them winning big this week 35-7. The big game of the week in the Patriot East is Brush traveling to Weld Central. Brush snagged an impressive upset win over Valley 21-14. With that win they are still in the running for the league title and a playoff spot. Brush is sitting at #25 in the RPI and right on the verge of being in or out of the playoffs. They have 2 of 3 winnable games against Weld Central & Fort Lupton but still have Platte Valley on their schedule. This is a must win for Brush if they want to make the playoffs. Brush will need their defense to play their best game of the year. They have played solid defense against good teams this year and will need a similar effort. Brush also must get their rushing game going if they plan on upsetting Weld Central. Weld Central is 4-2 on the year and are sitting at #19 in the RPI. They currently are on the outside looking in but a win will help their chances quite a bit. Like Brush this is a must win for Weld Central. They still have Sterling and Platte Valley to play so a league title is still possible but those are going to be very tough games and cannot afford to lose to Brush this week. Weld Central must play great defense this week and limit Brush’s running game. Weld Central also must get their offense cranking and get their rushing attack going. Weld Central is the favorite in this game and I believe this will be low scoring game with defense ruling the night. Whichever team’s defense steps up will win this game. I am going Weld Central in a 14-7 win over Brush.
#3 Platte Valley at Valley #10 Sterling at Fort Lupton
Brush at Weld Central
RPI: #1 Platte Valley, #6 Sterling, #18 Valley, #19 Weld Central, #25 Brush, #34 Fort Lupton
Patriot-West League
The Patriot West was turned upside down last week with a few upsets and two teams rising to the top of the league standings. Prospect Ridge last week upset University 16-10 and grabbed their second win of the season. That win keeps their playoff hopes alive. They currently sit at #22 and must keep winning. They play Pinnacle this week, Eaton next week, and close out against Academy. Prospect Ridge has 2 winnable games and have a chance at the playoffs. Their WP is what is hurting them and a win this week will move their RPI #’s up more. Resurrection Christian grabbed a monster 38-0 victory over Academy and help keep their hopes of a league title alive. Resurrection Christian also moved into the #14 spot in the RPI and have a chance to get into the playoffs. They travel to University this week and cannot afford a loss. A win against University and Resurrection Christian should set their league title game up against Eaton in the final week of the season. Resurrection Christian seems to have figured some offensive problems out and now must keep their very good defense churning. University is in a must win sitting at #28 and a loss will eliminate them form the playoffs. Eaton keep their league title hopes alive last week blanking Pinnacle 50-0. They also are sitting at #16 in the RPI and must week winning for a chance at the playoffs and the league title. They don’t play Resurrection Christian till the final week of the season but cannot over look Academy or Prospect Ridge in their next two games. Eaton has been explosive on offense but must continue to improve on defense. Academy lost a big game last week against Resurrection Christian 38-0. They now have to bounce back quickly. They will have their hands full against an even more explosive offense and must get their defense sorted out. What Academy does have going for them is they have University and Prospect Ridge to close out the year which are winnable games. Academy is at #23 in the RPI and their RPI will either go up or stay the same after this week’s game. Academy must win 2 of their last 3 for a chance at the playoffs. I am going Eaton to win big here and keep pace with Resurrection Christian 42-0.
Academy at Eaton Resurrection Christian at University
Prospect Ridge at Pinnacle
RPI: #14 Resurrection Christian, #16 Eaton, #22 Prospect Ridge, #23 Academy, #28 University, #40 Pinnacle
Tri-Peaks League
La Junta is in the driver seat in the Tri-Peaks but cannot lock up the league title till their game with Salida unless Salida is upset this week by Manitou Springs then La Junta could lock up the league title. #4 La Junta beat Manitou Springs last week 45-14. That win moved them to 5-1 on the season and their RPI is sitting at #3. They are a lock for the playoffs and this week travel to face their rival Lamar. Lamar is struggling this season sitting at 1-5 and at #38 in the RPI they are eliminated from the playoffs but would still love to upset their rival. La Junta should beat Lamar and set up their league title match with Salida next week. #5 Classical Academy was in a fight last week with #8 Salida but escaped with a 27-19 victory. TCA was challenged by Salida and it was a good game by both teams. TCA was able to stay one game back of La Junta and also stay at #4 in the RPI and potentially a home game in the first round of the playoffs. They host Florence this week. Florence grabbed win #2 on the season beating Lamar 28-6. Florence must win out from here on out to make the playoffs. They sit at #30 in the RPI and will need a lot to get into the top 16. A win against TCA would jump them up quickly and they still have Manitou Springs and La Junta so wins against all 3 give them a chance. TCA though should stay just behind La Junta and win 28-7. The big game of the week features #8 Salida hosting Manitou Springs. Manitou Springs is sitting just outside the Top 16 at #21. They lost last week to La Junta and now are fighting for their playoff life. They still have Florence and Classical Academy on their schedule but probably will need to win 2 of 3 to have a chance at the playoffs. Manitou Springs has played a tough schedule facing 2 Top 10 teams but are 0-2 against them and none being close. #8 Salida will be looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season. They fell in a heart breaker 27-19 to Classical Academy. They were only trailing by 1 at halftime but a scoreless 3rd quarter was the difference in the game. Salida defensively struggled to stop the run giving up 276 yards rushing so improving their will be the key. Offensively Salida was able to move the ball passing throwing for 274 yards but Salida didn’t get much going on the ground rushing for only 107 yards. Salida must bounce back this week. They still have a chance for a league title and of course to make the playoffs. They sit at #7 and are nearly a lock but cannot lose this game. I have Salida bouncing back nicely winning 28-10.
#4 La Junta at Lamar #5 Classical Academy vs Florence
#8 Salida vs Manitou Springs
RPI: #3 La Junta, #4 Classical Academy, #7 Salida, #21 Manitou Springs, #30 Florence, #38 Lamar
Western Slope League
The Western Slope league still has 2 undefeated teams and 2 teams sitting at 1-1 so nothing can be decided yet. Moffat County grabbed a very important league win last week upsetting Coal Ridge 14-10. They keep their league title hopes alive. Moffat County is in an interesting spot. They are at #27 in the RPI and more than likely will need a league title to get into the playoffs. A win this week will give us a good look if they can get into the playoffs without the league title but Moffat County cannot lose this week and I think they win. Aspen will be looking to bounce back for the first time this year. They lost to Basalt last week but should easily bounce back. They host Roaring Fork this week and should get back on schedule. The big game this week is #6 Basalt hosting Coal Ridge. Coal Ridge is on a losing streak and another loss would nearly eliminate them from the playoffs but we would have to see. Coal Ridge has suffered on offense not getting much going against Moffat County and Aspen. Coal Ridge now is playing a red hot Basalt team who shutdown Aspen last week. Coal Ridge must find a way to get their offense going in the right direction. #6 Basalt blasted Aspen last week 48-22. They grabbed a big first half lead and cruised to the win. They will have their run defense tested this week by Coal Ridge but Coal Ridge is very one sided on offense. Basalt offensively has been great and must continue that this week. Basalt cannot lock up the league title till they play Moffat County but a winning will keep their RPI numbers up and a better seed. I am going Basalt to win big against Coal Ridge 48-17.
#6 Basalt vs Coal Ridge Roaring Fork at Aspen
Moffat County at Steamboat Springs
RPI: #8 Basalt, #11 Aspen, #20 Coal Ridge, #27 Moffat County, #39 Steamboat Springs, #42 Roaring Fork
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