Week 7 Class 1A League Breakdown
Foothills League
#1 Bennett kept things rolling last week blasting Vail Christian 52-8. The win moves them to 6-0 and 2-0 in league and keeps them heading towards games against Manual (next week) and Platte Canyon (final week). This week Bennett hosts Front Range Christian who forfeited to Platte Canyon this week so it will be interesting to see if they play this week. Clear Creek got back on the winning side of things winning a high scoring affair with Manual 48-26. The win keeps Clear Creek one game back of Bennett and Platte Canyon and gives them an outside chance at the league title. Clear Creek hosts Vail Christian and Clear Creek should be victorious in that game as well. The big game this week features Platte Canyon hosting Manual. Manual is coming off their second loss of the season and are still searching for that signature win. Manual has lost both games against winning schools and are barely in the Top 16 of the RPI. They are #16 and have two very tough games in a row and have Vail Christian to close out the season. Manual will probably need an upset over either Platte Canyon or Bennett and must win against Vail Christian to have a chance at the playoffs. Manual must figure out their defense against tougher competition Weld Central and Clear Creek both scored 48 points so Manual must improve their defense. #7 Platte Canyon received a forfeit win last week which gives them extra time to prepare for their final 3 games. Platte Canyon still has to play Manual, Clear Creek, and Bennett. Platte Canyon has yet to play to much competition this year they have not played a team with a winning record so seeing them play their final 3 games will tell us a lot. Platte Canyon currently is #7 in the RPI and are not a lock yet for the playoffs. Their OWP (opponents winning percentage) is pretty low and a loss will drop their RPI #’s down. Platte Canyon is a run heavy offense and must get their rushing attack moving in the right direction. This is a near must win for Platte Canyon and if they want any shot at the league title they cannot fall to Manual. Platte Canyon can look to Weld Central game against Manual to see you can run the ball effectively. Platte Canyon must get their rushing attack going if they plan on winning this game. I have Platte Canyon staying undefeated and winning 35-7.
#1 Bennett vs Front Range Christian #7 Platte Canyon vs Manual
Vail Christian at Clear Creek
RPI: #1 Bennett, #6 Clear Creek, #7 Platte Canyon, #16 Manual, #32 Vail Christian, #34 Front Range Christian
North Central League
The North Central League has been very competitive and 4 teams are still in the hunt for the league title. Limon took another big step last week beating Holyoke 41-0. Limon has Wiggins this week and should win that game to move to 3-0. Limon to close out the year has Wiggins, Yuma, and Burlington and the game against Burlington should be for the league title. Limon is sitting #5 in the RPI and is a lock for the playoffs. There are two big games this week in the North Central. The first being Yuma traveling to Holyoke. Holyoke is 2-4 on the season and is on a 3 game losing streak. Holyoke has lost big to Burlington 40-7 & Limon 41-0 to start of their league season and have essentially been eliminated from the league title race. Holyoke though is still searching for a playoff spot. They are sitting #21 in the RPI and this is a must win game for Holyoke. Holyoke biggest problem has been stopping the run and last week Limon ran for 319 yards. Holyoke must find a way to improve defensively. Yuma is also coming off a 40-6 loss to Burlington but recently was on a 2 game winning streak. Yuma is sitting #23 in the RPI and like Holyoke this is a must win game. Yuma also still has an outside chance at the league title so this is a big game for Yuma. Yuma has struggled all year on offense putting up big points. They will be in a defensive battle against Holyoke. I have Yuma winning 14-7. The big game in the North Central league features #10 Burlington hosting Wray. Wray broke a two game losing streak last week blasting Wiggins 40-8. Wray now is 3-3 and 1-1 in league with a small chance still at the league title. Wray has Burlington, Holyoke, and Yuma to close out the year. Wray sits at #19 in the RPI and will need to win 2 of their final 3 games to have a chance at the playoffs. Wray is a run first, second, and third down team. They only have 136 yards rushing and a whopping 1710 yards rushing. Their offense is led by junior Cade Hillman 855 yards rushing and 11 TDs. Wray must be physical upfront against this very good Burlington team. Wray also must play solid defense to stop Burlington who has been able to keep pace with teams like Bennett. Burlington kept pace with Limon beating Yuma 40-6. Burlington has played a pretty tough schedule with Bennett and Strasburg on their resume. Burlington is a near lock for the playoffs sitting at #10 in the RPI. They still need to win 1 or 2 more games to lock that up but have a solid resume. Burlington on defense has been very up and down. They have held 3 teams to under 7 points but then have games were their defense struggles. Burlington struggled against Lamar giving up 36 and struggled against Bennett giving up 50. Burlington has been good enough offensively though to stay in the games. Burlington has only been held under 10 points 1 this season and has shown how dynamic their offense can be. Burlington has only put stats in for 4 games this season but have 1028 yards rushing through 4 games and probably over 1500 now with 6 games under their belt. The North Central league title can’t be decided till the final regular season game but Burlington cannot fall a game back of Limon. Burlington must be able to slow down the run against Wray or could be in some trouble. Burlington I think has found the right groove defensively and I have them beating Wray 28-14.
#5 Limon at Wiggins #10 Burlington vs Wray
Yuma at Holyoke
RPI: #5 Limon, #10 Burlington, #19 Wray, #21 Holyoke, #23 Yuma, #28 Wiggins
Northern League
The Northern League took an interesting turn last week with Cornerstone Christian losing to Highland 22-7. The loss gives Strasburg sole possession of first place but the league title can’t be decided till next week’s game between Strasburg and Cornerstone Christian. This week Strasburg hosts Estes Park and should move to 6-1 on the year and 3-0 in league. They should win and set up the league title match with Cornerstone Christian. Highland got back to their winning ways last week upsetting Cornerstone Christian. The win keeps them in the hunt for a league title but would need an upset by Cornerstone Christian over Strasburg to do that. Highland with the upset last week moved them up to #11 in the RPI and now Highland has 3 easy games to close out the year with Lyons, Byers, and Estes Park to close out the year. It will be interesting to see how Highland RPI finishes with 3 straight games against losing teams. What that means for Highland is simple and they must win out and cannot afford an upset loss to any of the final 3 teams. Winning out for Highland probably gets them into the playoffs. The final game in the Northern League is Byers traveling to Cornerstone Christian. Cornerstone Christian is looking to bounce back from their loss last week. They can still snag a league title but must beat Byers to keep their game against Strasburg for a league title. Cornerstone Christian sits at #12 in the RPI and with games against Byers, Strasburg, and Estes Park still on schedule they should win 2 of their final 3 games. If they do that they will probably get into the playoffs. They cannot afford a loss this week or against Estes Park and expect to get in. Cornerstone Christian must get their rushing attack going after only rushing for 34 yards against Highland and improving in that area is a big key for this team. I have Cornerstone Christian beating Byers 42-7.
#3 Strasburg vs Estes Park Highland at Lyons
Byers at Cornerstone Christian
RPI: #4 Strasburg, #11 Highland, #12 Cornerstone Christian, #31 Byers, #36 Lyons, #38 Estes Park
Southern Peaks League
In my eyes the Southern Peaks League was decided last week when Centauri beat Monte Vista 27-2. Centauri can nearly officially wrap it up this week with their game against Ignacio. Ignacio grabbed their second victory of the season beating Dolores 35-14. Ignacio is 1-1 in league they lost to Monte Vista already and this week against Centauri will have to be able to score points on a defense that didn’t allow Monte Vista a score. Centauri can’t officially lock up the league title till they Dolores on 10/20 but can essentially clinch it with a win over Ignacio. Centauri last week dominated defensively against Monte Vista holding them to 0 offensive points. Centauri flexed their muscles on defense and proved they are a legit State Championship contender. They should win their final 3 games and grabbed the Southern Peaks League title and probably a Top 4 seed in the playoffs. The other League game is Monte Vista at John Mall. Monte Vista is receiving a forfeit win over John Mall so Monte Vista will move to 4-3 and 2-1 in league. The win will probably move Monte Vista up a bit in their RPI. Monte Vista sits at #13 in RPI and have games against Rocky Ford (4-2) and Dolores (3-3). Monte Vista will need to at least spilt their final 2 games to make the playoffs but if they win out they could be looking at a pretty good seed due to their OWP being over .600.
#4 Centauri vs Ignacio Monte Vista at John Mall
Dolores vs Monument Valley UT
RPI: #2 Centauri, #13 Monte Vista, #30 Ignacio, #33 Dolores, #39 John Mall
Santa Fe League
The Santa Fe League is moving along with Crowley County in the driver’s seat after beating Rocky Ford two weeks ago. Rocky Ford picked up the 20-7 win over Trinidad last week and stay 1 game back of Ellicott and Crowley County. Rocky Ford hosts Dolores Huerta and should win that game. Rocky Ford then plays Monte Vista next week and that could be the make or break game for Rocky Ford. They sit at #20 in the RPI and are going to need to win out to make the playoffs. The big game in the Santa Fe League features #9 Crowley County at Ellicott. Ellicott is 2-4 on the season and beat Dolores Huerta last week 61-0. The win moved them up to #26 on the RPI but Ellicott will probably need the league title to get back into the playoffs. Ellicott must stop the run which they have struggled giving up over 300 to Monte Vista and Wray earlier on in the season. #9 Crowley County can lock up the league title with a win over Ellicott this week. Crowley County had a bye last week to prepare for this game and should be able to use their power running back to cruise past Ellicott. Crowley County has to play Dolores Huerta and Trinidad to close out the year so they should go 8-1 but are probably looking like a 6, 7, or 8 seed for the playoffs.
#9 Crowley County at Ellicott Dolores Huerta at Rocky Ford
RPI: #8 Crowley County, #20 Rocky Ford, #26 Ellicott, #35 Trinidad, #40 Dolores Huerta
Tri-Peaks League
What a turn the Tri-Peaks league took last week when Buena Vista upset Colorado Springs Christian and now are looking to fight for the league title with Peyton but that game is not till next week. This week Buena Vista travels to Colorado Springs to face St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s lost to Peyton 40-0 last week and are eliminated from the playoffs. Buena Vista is still in the hunt for the league title and a playoff spot. They sit at #18 in the RPI and must win 2 of their final 3 games. Their final 3 games are St. Mary’s, Peyton, and Rye. Buena Vista last week was impressive in their 14-6 win over Colorado Springs Christian and showed that they are still competitive in the Tri Peaks. Buena Vista could possibly lock up the league title next week when they play Peyton. #8 Peyton this week hosts Lake County and also should be victorious. They sit at #15 in the RPI and still have to play Buena Vista and Colorado Springs Christian. They cannot lock up the league title till the final game of the season and with the low RPI numbers in the Tri Peaks the league winner will either get the #8 seed or possibly not even get a home game. Lake County grabbed a very nice win over Rye last week to get win #2 on the season. They sit at #27 in the RPI but would have to win out against to even have a chance at the playoffs. Colorado Springs Christian suffered a setback last week with their loss to lose to Buena Vista but still have a chance at a league title. They host Rye this week and should win. Their chance still for a league title fringes on them beating Peyton in the final game of the season. Colorado Springs Christian is #17 in the RPI and are battling for one of the final playoff spots. This will be a very interesting league to watch for in the coming week due to all their RPI being similar.
#8 Peyton vs Lake County Buena Vista at St. Mary’s
Rye at Colorado Springs Christian
RPI: #15 Peyton, #17 Colorado Springs Christian, #18 Buena Vista, #27 Lake County, #29 Rye, #37 St. Mary’s
Western Slope League
Some sorting out happened last week in the Western Slope league. Three teams moved to 2-0 and three teams moved to 0-2. The three 0-2 teams would need some help to win a league title but essentially they will be battling now for a playoff spot and not a league title. The three 2-0 teams are all still in the hunt for a league title and they are Meeker, Paonia, and Olathe. The three also are in the Top 16 in the RPI as well. This week Meeker hosts Cedaredge. Cedaredge is coming off a tough 21-14 loss to Olathe. Cedaredge improved their defense in this game but couldn’t get the critical stop to keep the game close. Now Cedaredge who sits at #25 is in an interesting spot. A loss to Meeker won’t kill your RPI but won’t move them up a ton. Cedaredge will more than likely need to win 2 of their last 3 games and I am not 100% sure if that is enough. Meeker is a lock for the playoffs and a win keeps them on pace with the winner between Paonia and Olathe. Meeker beat Grand Valley last week 34-7 and have been dominate on defense all year. Meeker has yet to give up over 7 points this year and are probably one of the best defense in 1A. They should beat Cedaredge 40-7. Another critical game in the Western Slope features Hotchkiss at Grand Valley. Grand Valley is 2-4 on the season and 0-2 in league and are fighting for their playoff lives. They sit at #24 in the RPI and a loss to Hotchkiss will probably eliminate them for the playoffs. Grand Valley has had an up and down season playing close in games against Aspen but against Basalt and Meeker they were blown off the field. Grand Valley must figure out their defensive problems and must beat Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss is 2-3 on the year and 0-2 in league. Like Grand Valley this is a must win for Hotchkiss. They sit at #22 and have games against Grand Valley, Olathe, and Cedaredge so they have an easier schedule than Cedaredge but a loss to Grand Valley would hurt their chances at the playoffs. Hotchkiss is coming off a heart breaking loss to Paonia 28-21. They played well against a ranked team and must translate that this week against Grand Valley. Hotchkiss must get their rushing attack going and should come away with a victory. I am going Hotchkiss over Grand Valley 35-21. The big game this week is #6 Paonia traveling to Olathe. Olathe is coming off back to back wins and are still in the hunt for that league title. Last week they narrowly escaped against Cedaredge 21-14. Olathe played well on defense holding Cedaredge to just 14 points but gave up 216 yards rushing. Olathe offensively is a power running team and at times have struggled to score points. They did just enough to escape with the win. Olathe now must be prepared for a run heavy Paonia team and must get their offense going as well. #6 Paonia escaped with a 28-21 victory over rival Hotchkiss. Paonia once again used Jaden Miller as their feature back as he rushed for 147 yards and 1 TD. Paonia also got their passing game going throwing for 127 yards. Paonia is looking to keep pace with Meeker but they will be challenged by Olathe. I see this game turning into a defensive struggle and could see the scores staying in the below 24. The victor will be whoever gets their rushing attack going first. I am going with Paonia over Olathe due to Paonia defense. It will be a close game though and I have Paonia winning 21-17.
#2 Meeker vs Cedaredge #6 Paonia at Olathe
Hotchkiss at Grand Valley
RPI: #3 Meeker, #9 Paonia, #14 Olathe, #22 Hotchkiss, #24 Grand Valley, #25 Cedaredge
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