Class 2A Football Week 6 League Breakdown
With League play starting for Class 2A I thought it would be a good idea to quickly run down each League and give some predictions for each league.
Colorado League
The Colorado League is set up about how I thought it would with Kent Denver, Englewood, and Machebeuf leading the way so far. Kent Denver is off to a 3-1 start with their lone loss coming to #3 La Junta. Kent Denver is #7 in the RPI and is off to a solid start this year. Kent Denver opens league play against Ridge View Academy who is 1-4 on the season. Kent Denver should win this game and move to 1-0. Englewood is also off to a solid start at 3-1. They are sitting at #22 in the RPI with a SOS of 31. They have not played the toughest schedule and their lone loss is to 3A Denver North. Englewood has not proven yet, that they are a true threat to Kent Denver due to their weak schedule. Englewood opens league play against Riverdale Ridge who is 0-3. Riverdale Ridge is a brand-new program and it has shown this year. The other two teams in the Colorado league and both trying to prove they belong in the Top 3 are Machebeuf and Alameda. Machebeuf is off to a 2-2 start and lost a close game to Eaton last week 7-0. Machebeuf is #28 in the RPI and with an SOS of 30 they will have to play solid during league play. Machebeuf does face Alameda this week and I know it’s early, but the loser could essentially be eliminated from Playoff Contention. Alameda is 1-3 and is #38 in the RPI they would probably need to run the table to have a shot at the playoffs.
My Favorite to win the Colorado League is Kent Denver. Englewood and Machebeuf will challenge for the league crown but I still think Kent Denver is the favorite. Englewood and Machebeuf are both in the Top 30 of the RPI and still are in the hunt for an at-large bid.
RPI: #7 Kent Denver, #22 Englewood, #28 Machebeuf, #36 Prospect Ridge, #38 Alameda, #40 Riverdale Ridge
Flatirons League
The Flatirons League is off to a crazy start with only 1 team under .500. 5 of the 6 teams in this league are still in the hunt for the playoffs and this could change after this week. Middle Park and D’Evelyn are your early league leaders with 3-1 record. They also play each other right away. Middle Park grabbed a very important 20 to 14 victory over The Academy last week. The win was their second straight win by less than 8 points. Middle Park lone loss is to Battle Mountain and they do have some momentum winning 3 straight games. D’Evelyn also picked up a big win blasting Fort Lupton 33 to 7. D’Evelyn lone lose is to Eaton. Both Middle Park and D’Evelyn played The Academy and both results were close wins. On paper this should be a very good game and a high scoring game. 3 other teams are sitting with 2 loses. The first is Faith Christian who was my preseason pick to win the Flatirons League. Faith Christian played a tough non-league and have 2 loses to Top 10 teams (Resurrection Christian and Kent Denver). Faith Christian opens league with Denver West who is 1-3. Faith Christian should move to 1-0 in league after this week. The final game this week in the Flatirons League is Arvada vs Bennett. Bennett is new to Class 2A and have had mixed results. Bennett has 2 wins Ellicott and Ridge View Academy who have a combined record 1-8. Bennett did play well against Delta but fell 7-6. Bennett other lose came to Strasburg who is #2 in 1A. Arvada is off to a solid 2-2 start. Their loses come to Estes Park (2-2) and Englewood (3-1). Arvada is hoping to get off to a solid start in league, but their opening opponent will test their defense. Bennett is my pick to win this game and move to 1-0 in league.
My Favorite to win the Flatirons league is still Faith Christian. I think D’Evelyn, Middle Park, and Bennett will all challenge for the league crown, but I think Faith Christian is still the team to beat. I do think D’Evelyn, Middle Park and Bennett will all be in the running for a playoff spot and this week’s results will determine a ton.
RPI: #13 Middle Park, #15 D’Evelyn, #16 Faith Christian, #23 Bennett, #33 Arvada, #34 Denver West
Intermountain League
The Intermountain League race will be one of the better league races to watch with all 5 teams competing for the crown. Salida is undefeated heading into league play and are playing better each week. They have a bye this week and will await the outcomes of the 2 games this week. Game #1 will feature Pagosa Springs vs Montezuma-Cortez. Montezuma-Cortez is 2-2 on the season and had a bye last week. Montezuma-Cortez losses are to Bloomfield NM and Delta. Montezuma-Cortez played well against Delta falling 19 to 14. Montezuma-Cortez is improved this year, but we will see how much they have improved when they play Pagosa Springs. Montezuma-Cortez defensively will have to play disciplined or could be in trouble. Pagosa Springs is 2-3 on the year with all 3 loses coming to Top 10 opponents (Durango, La Junta, and Basalt). Pagosa Springs also picked up a huge win over Centauri and blew past Moffat County last week 49 to 20. Pagosa Springs is looking to get off to a 1-0 start in league. This should be a very good game and I am giving the edge to Pagosa Springs. Game #2 is the main event which features rivals Alamosa vs #4 Bayfield. Alamosa started the season ranked but after a 34 to 0 lose to La Junta they were dropped out of the rankings. Alamosa has started playing better football picking up key wins against Mitchell and Lamar. Alamosa has not beaten Bayfield since dropping into 2A in 2014. Alamosa is hoping to end the drought but playing on the road against a team trying to bounce back won’t be easy. Bayfield picked up their first regular season loss since 2016. Bayfield fell to Durango 32 to 16 and turnovers were the problem. Bayfield will have to do a better job of taking care of the ball against a solid defensive team. Bayfield is hoping to get things going offensively again this week. Bayfield is hoping to grab the 1-0 start in league and I am going with Bayfield to move to 1-0 as well but this will be a good game.
My Favorite to win the Intermountain League is Bayfield. I do think all 4 teams have a shot to win the league title but if Bayfield finds the groove on offense they will be extremely tough to beat. I do think 4 of the 5 teams in league will push for a playoff spot but we will have to see how the RPI goes this year.
RPI: #4 Salida, #5 Bayfield, #11 Pagosa Springs, #18 Alamosa, #19 Montezuma-Cortez
Patriot East League
The Patriot East league is off to a rough start with only 1 team over .500 and 2 teams without a win. I do think now that we jump into league play that Sterling and Brush (or Fort Lupton) who are both 1-3 will rise into the #2 and #3 spots. Platte Valley of course is off to a 4-0 start and open league play against Weld Central. Weld Central is 0-4 and have a new coach. I thought Weld Central would be in the discussion to challenge for a playoff spot but have been blown out in every game. Platte Valley should move to 1-0 in league after the first week. Sterling opens league play against Valley who is also 0-4 and have struggled to start the year. Sterling played a tough non-league schedule with 3 top 10 loses. Sterling did pick up a huge win over Classical Academy but will have to find a way to improve on defense as the year goes on. I do think Sterling moves to 1-0 in league as well. Brush and Fort Lupton are both the interesting teams and matchup this week. Both teams are 1-3 and both have played tough schedules. Fort Lupton lone win is over Riverdale Ridge and there loses are to University, Niwot, and D’Evelyn. Brush lone win is over Wiggins and there loses are to Fort Morgan, Alliance NE, and Wray. Brush has played the tougher opponents and should have them prepared to make a run-in league play. I do think whoever wins this game will finish in the Top 3 and the loser could be eliminated from the playoffs.
My Favorite to win the Patriot East is Platte Valley. They have some very solid wins and I think they will walk away with the league title. Sterling would be my pick for second and Brush in third. Sterling is #20 in the RPI and will be in better shape for a shot at the playoffs and Brush is #30 and will need some help.
RPI: #2 Platte Valley, #20 Sterling, #30 Brush, #31 Weld Central, #37 Fort Lupton, #41 Valley
Patriot West League
The Patriot West League looks to be another very competitive league with only 1 team under .500. 3 teams have risen to the top with Resurrection Christian at 4-0, Berthoud at 3-1, and Eaton at 3-1. The Academy and University are at 2-2 and hoping to make a run at the Top 3. The opening week of league play has some huge games. Game #1 features The Academy vs Prospect Ridge, and this is an elimination game for the loser. I don’t see either being able to make the playoff if they lose this game. The Academy lost a heart breaker last week to Middle Park and Prospect Ridge picked up a massive win over Jefferson. This should be a great game, but I am going The Academy in a close game. Game #2 is another huge game featuring Eaton vs University. University is 2-2 on the year and has played tough this year. University nearly pulled the upset against Faith Christian but fell short 27 to 16. University other lose was to Strasburg. University will have to bring their A game on offense against a very good defense from Eaton. Eaton pulled out a nail bitter last week escaping with the 7-0 win over Machebeuf. Eaton defense has played outstanding this year but offensively have struggled at times. Eaton has now scored just 14 points in two weeks. Eaton will have to try and get out of the funk this week. Eaton is hoping to grab the 1-0 start to the league schedule and I think will grab the win but in a defensive struggle. The main feature this week pits #2 Resurrection Christian against #8 Berthoud. Berthoud is 3-1 on the season with their lone loss coming to #1 Platte Valley 16-0. They have played well on defense this year not allowing over 16 points. Berthoud offense has also been on fire since being shutout in week 1 breaking the 30-point mark in all 3 wins. Berthoud has not faced another top opponent since week 1 and this will be a good measuring stick to see how much they have grown. Resurrection Christian is off to a 4-0 start and have not allowed any opponents to break the 7-point mark. Resurrection Christian offensively has not been a juggernaut only breaking the 28-point mark once, but their defense is one of the best in Class 2A. Resurrection Christian will have to play outstanding defense to stop a Berthoud offense that is finding their stride. This will be one of the better games in Class 2A this week. I am going with Resurrection Christian to pull off the close win over Berthoud.
My Favorite to win the Patriot West is Resurrection Christian. They will be challenged by Berthoud and Eaton for the league title. I do think all 3 will get into the playoffs as well. University and The Academy will be in the hunt for a playoff spot but only 1 of those 2 will have a chance at the playoffs.
RPI: #8 Eaton, #10 Berthoud, #12 Resurrection Christian, #21 The Academy, #26 University, #35 Prospect Ridge
Tri-Peaks League
The Tri-Peaks league has a clear leader currently. La Junta has quickly jumped to the front of the pack at 4-0 including some key wins over Pagosa Springs, Alamosa, and Kent Denver. La Junta has also allowed just 14 points and that was to Pagosa Springs. La Junta defensively may be the best team so far on defense. They open league play against 0-4 Woodland Park. La Junta pass defense will have to be on point against a solid passing attack. La Junta should move to 1-0 and 5-0 overall. Fighting for the #2 spot will come down to 3 teams; Classical Academy, Manitou Springs, and Elizabeth. Manitou Springs and Elizabeth are both 2-2 and play each other this week. This could be an early battle to help determine who could make the playoffs. With the new seeding rules, they go in order of the way you finish league so finishing in second or third could be the key to making the playoffs. This should be a good game that comes down to which team’s offense can dominate the line of scrimmage. I am going with Elizabeth to snag the close win over Manitou Springs. The third and final game is between Classical Academy and Lamar and the loser will essentially be eliminated from the playoffs. The loser will still have a shot, but both these teams are sitting at 1-3 and moving to 1-4 will be extremely hard to make a run for a playoff spot. Lamar Is young this year and at times have looked solid falling just short to Burlington and beating Rocky Ford. Lamar though has two blowouts to Limon and Alamosa. Classical Academy is 1-3 and their biggest loss was to #2 Resurrection Christian 20 to 6. TCA also lost to Sterling by 12 and D’Evelyn by 2. TCA did pick up a solid 27 to 13 wins over 3A Sierra. TCA will have to play solid to move to 1-0 in league. I am going with TCA to move to 1-0 and keep their hunt for a playoff spot alive.
My Favorite to win the Tri-Peaks is La Junta. Elizabeth, Manitou Springs, and Classical Academy will all be fighting for a playoff spot but depending on RPI results after this week can have a much better Idea.
RPI: #1 La Junta, #17 Elizabeth, #24 Manitou Springs, #27 Lamar, #29 Classical Academy, #39 Woodland Park
Western Slope League
I remember a few years back when the Western Slope league was the 1 berth league and no one game them a legit shot in the playoffs. What a few years have changed and now you are looking at possibly 4 teams fighting for playoff spots. The Western Slope League has 4 teams with legit shots at the playoffs. Rifle comes out of non-league play with a 4-0 record and 3 of the 4 wins were over opponents that are in Class 3A. Rifle defensively has given up just 35 points while scoring over 150 points on offense. Rifle opens league play against Coal Ridge who has struggled so far this year. Coal Ridge is 1-3 and is coming off back to back loses to 1A opponents Paonia and Olathe and in fact all three loses were to 1A opponents. Rifle won’t have a complete cake walk but should walk away with the win. Basalt also enters league play with a 4-0 record. Basalt defensively has given up just 6 points and posted back to back shutout. Basalt is in the hunt for a top defense this year and looking to make a deeper run in the playoffs. Basalt opens league play against Moffat County. Moffat County is 2-2 to start the season. They recently lost to Pagosa Springs 42-20 and have a few things to work on. Basalt should cruise to a victory and are looking for their third consecutive shutout. The big game this week in the Western Slope is Aspen vs Delta. Both teams enter at 3-1 both are on 2 game winning streaks. Aspen started the season with an upset of Meeker and followed that with a close lose to #4 Bayfield 20 to 8. Aspen did pick up back to back blowouts of Cedaredge and Grand Valley. Aspen has been led by their passing attack and they will need it again this week in what should be a shootout with Delta. Delta picked up a win to open the season against Thornton and fell just short to Salida 28-22. Delta then picked up two close wins against Montezuma-Cortez and Bennett. Delta has been led by their passing attack as well and their defense making key stops. This should be a great game and I am going with Aspen in a shootout win over Delta.
My Favorite to win the Western Slope league is Basalt. Rifle will be right there and when these two meet I believe it will be for a league title. Rifle, Delta, and Aspen all should be playoff contenders as well.
RPI: #3 Basalt, #6 Rifle, #9 Delta, #14 Aspen, #25 Moffat County, #32 Coal Ridge
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