Class 1A League Predictions & Previews (Frontier, Central, North Central Leagues)
I have decided to only do 3 or 4 leagues at a time instead of the full 6 leagues. I will be giving my league predictions on who finishes where. This is all in fun and I do not wish bad on any teams. Good Luck to all teams this season.
Frontier League
1. Forge Christian
2. Flatirons Academy
3. Platte Canyon
4. Prospect Ridge
5. Denver Christian
The Frontier League had two teams make the playoffs last season. The Frontier League had a deep run from one team, and we will see if the Frontier League can push 2 or more teams into the playoffs this year. Forge Christian is my pick to win the Frontier League. Forge Christian was your runner up last season falling in the State Championship to Wray. Forge Christian lose a very talented senior class and will be reloading this season to defend their league crown. Forge Christian will be searching for a new QB, RB, and top WR. Forge Christian will look for new players like Jack Widdifield, Quentin Torres, and Treysen Eye to step up on offense. Defensively Forge Christian was also hit hard by graduation and will return just 5 of their top 13 tacklers. Sam Granillo, Quentin Torres, and Danny Meisel will be tasked will leading a young Forge Christian defense. Flatirons Academy is my pick to finish in second. Flatirons Academy went 6-4 last season with a trip to the playoffs. Flatirons Academy will be looking to build off last season but have some key holes to fill. Flatirons Academy lose their QB, #2 RB, and top WR from a season ago. Flatirons Academy will return RB Elijah Ricca, RB Zeke Friedman, and #2 WR Caleb Doughty. Flatirons Academy will also need to fill some holes on the offensive line, possibly losing 3 starters. Defensively Flatirons Academy will also have holes to fill. Flatirons Academy returns 6 of their top 13 tacklers from a season ago and just 1 of their top 6. Luis Mandl is back to lead the defense, but he will need help from Everson Nelson and Elijah Ricca to help a young Bison defense. Platte Canyon is my pick to finish in 3rd. They are also my dark horse to win the Frontier League. Platte Canyon went 2-7 last season struggling with a young team and this year look to take that step forward. Platte Canyon offensively will be loaded and should improve greatly from a year ago. Platte Canyon returns at least 3 starters on the offensive line plus return QB Seth Coffman and WR Ty Cole. A new RB must step up this year. Defensively Platte Canyon returns 10 of their top 13 tacklers including 4 of their top 6. Platte Canyon will return Colton Shirley who led them in tackles along with Ryder Conwell and Johnathan Bierhaus. Platte Canyon could easily win this league, but did they put the work in to jump the two teams ahead of them. Prospect Ridge is my pick to finish in 4th. Prospect Ridge went 4-5 last season and 1-3 in league finishing in 5th. Prospect Ridge will look to finish better and try and challenge for a playoff spot. Prospect Ridge will have some key holes to fill from last year replacing at least three starters on the offensive line plus their RB. Prospect Ridge will return QB Emerson Mallon, and #2 RB Gabriel Quintana-Hinojos. Defensively Prospect Ridge has the most holes to fill returning just 5 of their top 8 tacklers from a year ago and 2 of their top 6. Toby Barnett and Jason Ranjit will be key for a young Prospect Ridge defense to grow and compete this season. Denver Christian rounds out the Frontier League. Denver Christian went 2-7 last year and 1-3 in league play. They lose some key senior pieces from last season but will have a new coach to try and get the Thunder going in the right direction. Denver Christian will have to replace their QB, RB, and WR from a season ago. Denver Christian will search for new playmakers like Quinn Barkema, Lukas Gonzales, and Cole McCabe. Defensively Denver Christian will have some pieces back returning 7 of their top 13 tacklers but just 2 of their top 6. Key leadership is back in Quinn Barkema and Josiah Schott but others must step up this season.
My predictions for the Frontier League
League Champion: Forge Christian
Playoff Contenders: Forge Christian, Flatirons Academy, Platte Canyon
Dark Horse: Platte Canyon
Preseason Player of the League: Elijah Ricca Sr. Flatirons Academy
Others to watch for: Jack Widdifield Jr. Forge Christian, Quentin Torres Sr. Forge Chistian, Treysen Eye Sr. Forge Christian, Sam Granillo Sr. Forge Christian, Luis Mandl Sr. Flatirons Academy, Everson Nelson Jr. Flatirons Academy, Caleb Doughty Jr. Flatirons Academy, Seth Coffman Sr. Platte Canyon, Ty Cole Sr. Platte Canyon, Colton Shirley Jr. Platte Canyon, Ryder Conwell Sr. Platte Canyon, Emerson Mallon Sr. Prospect Ridge, Gabriel Quintana-Hinojos Sr. Prospect Ridge, Toby Barnett Sr. Prospect Ridge, Quinn Barkema Jr. Denver Christian, Josiah Schott Jr. Denver Christian, Sam Pereira Sr. Denver Christian
Central League
1. Highland
2. Platte Valley
3. Manual
4. Estes Park
5. Jefferson
The Central League or formally League 6 had two teams make the playoffs last season. The main question is can anyone step up this season to challenge those top two teams this year. Highland is my pick to win the Central League. Highland went 8-3 last season with a trip to the Quarterfinals. Highland will be hoping to build off last season’s success but have a few holes to fill. Offensively, Highland must replace their QB and top WR from last season along with possibly 3 starters on the offensive line. Highland will return RB Wyatt Chase and RB Tyler Varra, and they will lead the charge on offense. QB Jason Batka could fill in at QB and Brogan Palmer should see his role increase this year. Defensively Highland returns 9 of their top 13 tacklers from last season including 4 of their top 6. Highland may lean heavily on their defense to start the year and leaders like Brogan Palmer, Wyatt Chase, and Elijah Elder should help keep this defense as a top unit this year. Platte Valley is my pick to finish in 2nd. Platte Valley went 4-6 last season and made the playoffs. Platte Valley played one of the toughest schedules in 1A last season and this season it will be tough again. Platte Valley will look to win the League Crown this season and make a deeper run in the playoffs. Platte Valley offensively should be loaded with talent but still have a few holes to fill. Platte Valley will have to replace possibly 3 or 4 starters on the offensive line plus their top RB and WR. Platte Valley does return QB Regan Edstrom, RB Ben Cockroft, and WR Jason Harrison. The leadership these three bring should have Platte Valley as a very dangerous offense. Defensively Platte Valley has the most holes to fill. Platte Valley returns just 5 of their top 13 tacklers but return 3 of their top 6. Leadership will be key for the Broncos and look for Ben Cockroft, Alejandro Perez, and Jackson Bauer to fill that role this season. Manual is my pick to finish in 3rd and possibly challenge for a playoff spot. Manual went 5-4 last season and finished 3rd in the league. Manual will hope to build on the success of last season and be competitive with the top two teams. Manual will have a few holes to fill mainly at QB. Manual will return RB/QB Marcus Keller, WR Kearre Watson, plus at least 3 starters on the offensive line. Defensively Manual must make the biggest improvement and they should. Manual returns 10 of their top 13 tacklers including 5 of their top 6. If Manual wants to compete with the top two teams their defense must improve and look for Kearre Watson, Sirkentae Harris-Cook, and Michael Bady to lead the charge. Estes Park is my pick to finish in 4th. Estes Park went 1-8 last season with a young and inexperienced roster. Estes Park will look build off the experience gained last season. Estes Park, offensively will be searching for an identity this season. They lost their QB from a year ago and will have to find new playmakers. The offensive line will return at least two starters from a year ago and look for Hadlee Rasmussen and Colby O’Brien to fill a bigger role this year. Defensively Estes Park should see improvement from a year ago. Estes Park returns 7 of their top 13 tacklers from a year ago including 3 of their top 6. Colby O’Brien, Hadlee Rasmussen, and Cole Ingram will be tasked with leading Estes Park this year. Rounding out the Central league is Jefferson. Jefferson went 3-6 last season and 1-3 in league play. Jefferson has not had a winning season since 2018 went they went 5-4 and they lost some key pieces from last season team. Jefferson will be searching for a new QB and RB. Jefferson will return key players at WR in Giano Gomez and Jacob Ballejos. Defensively Jefferson does return some key players like Enzo Hernandez, Trevon Moore, and James Hitzemah. These three players will be key for Jefferson to have a great defense and jump up the standings.
My predictions for Central League
League Champion: Platte Valley
Playoff Contenders: Platte Valley, Highland
Dark Horse: Center: Manual, Estes Park, Jefferson
Preseason Player of the League: Regan Edstrom Sr. Platte Valley
Others to watch for: Brogan Palmer Sr. Highland, Wyatt Chase Sr. Highland, Tyler Varra Sr. Highland, Elijah Elder Sr. Highland, Ben Cockroft Sr. Platte Valley, Alejandro Perez Jr. Platte Valley, Jackson Bauer Jr. Platte Valley, Jason Harrison Jr. Platte Valley, Kearre Watson Sr. Manual, Sirkentae Harris-Cook Sr. Manual, Marcus Keller Sr. Manual, Ajayvion Glaspy Sr. Manual, Colby O’Brien Jr. Estes Park, Hadlee Rasmussen Jr. Estes Park, Enzo Hernandez Sr. Jefferson, Trevon Moore Jr. Jefferson, James Hitzemah Sr. Jefferson
North Central League
1. Limon
2. Wray
3. Burlington
4. Yuma
5. Wiggins
6. Holyoke
The North Central League is the toughest league in Class 1A. Last season all 6 teams from this league made the playoffs. This year will be no difference with all 6 teams being playoff contenders. This will be a brutal battle for the league title. Limon is my pick to win the North Central League. Limon went 9-3 last season with a trip to the Semifinals. Limon has their eyes set on the prize this season and return plenty of talent to make a deep run. Offensively Limon will bring back a very dangerous unit. The offensive line for Limon returns 4 if not all 5 starters. Limon also returns QB Aiden Kollath, RB Camdyn Tacha, and RB Jacob Jaklich. Defensively Limon returns one of the best units in Class 1A, returning 11 of their top 13 tacklers. Limon will lean on Liam Yoder, Drey Tacha, and Keegan Mellott on defense this season. Limon is locked and loaded to push for the state title. Wray is my pick to finish in 2nd. Wray is your defending State Champions from a season ago. They had a perfect 13-0 record and dominated nearly every opponent last season. Wray lost a great senior class and will look for the next group of players to step up and defend the State Title. Wray offensively will lose their QB and RB from last season. QB/RB Austin Collins will look for a bigger role this year also look for RB Bryson Lewis and WR Aaron Tena to have a big impact this year. Defensively Wray will have a few holes to fill but have talent back. Wray will return 7 of their top 13 tacklers but only 1 of their top 6. Austin Collins, Wyatt Fonte, and Brodie Riggelman will step into leadership roles this season. Burlington is my pick to finish in 3rd. Burlington went 4-6 last season and made the playoffs. Burlington fell in the first round but should be able to build off the experience of last season and make a deeper playoff push. Burlington offensively will be tough returning at least 4 starters on the offensive line plus key leadership in QB Weston Schall, RB Scout Humrich, RB Jason Saucedo, and RB Anthony Estrada. Burlington should see their offensive production increase this year. Defensively, Burlington should also improve, returning 9 of their top 13 tacklers from a season ago including 3 of their top 6. Burlington will have to replace their #1 and #3 tacklers from last season but have the leadership back in Jason Saucedo, Scout Humrich, and Edward Marolf. Yuma is my pick to finish 4th. Yuma went 4-6 last season with a trip to the playoffs. Yuma will be looking to build off the success of last season and push the top half of the league. Yuma offensively will have a big hole to fill at QB losing over 1300 yards of total offense. Daden Beauprez, Christian Thomson, and Marvin Duarte will be the three players who must step up offensively for Yuma this season. Defensively Yuma will have a very tough unit this season. Yuma returns 9 of their top 13 tacklers including 4 of their top 6. Yuma must replace their top tackler from last season but look for players like Iann Duran, Jesus Gordo, and Reyli Trejo to fill the leadership role this season. Wiggins is my pick to finish in 5th. Wiggins went 5-6 last season with a trip to the Quarterfinals. Wiggins was hit hard by graduation losing a good senior class, plus Wiggins will have a new head coach this season. Wiggins offensively will be searching for new playmakers across the board plus were hit hard on the offensive line returning 1 or 2 starters. Some new play makers that could step up for Wiggins this year could be Arath Carrazco, Owen Erker, and Michael Adamson. Defensively Wiggins was also hit hard by graduation. Wiggins returns just 3 of their top 13 tacklers from last season. Michael Adamson, Mark Walker, and Arath Carrazco will be tasked with leading a young Tigers Defense. Holyoke rounds out the North Central League. Holyoke went 4-5 last season with a trip to the Quarterfinals. Holyoke was the surprise team of the opening round upsetting Centauri and getting to the Quarterfinals. Holyoke does lose a solid senior group plus will have a new head coach this year. Holyoke did not put stats in from last year. Holyoke will look for players like QB Colby Weber, RB Dathyn Dirks, and WR Elbin Padilla to step up this year. Defensively Holyoke has had a tough unit and look for that to continue this year.
My predictions for the North Central League
League Champion: Limon
Playoff Contenders: Wray, Limon, Wiggins, Yuma, Holyoke, Burlington
Dark Horse: Holyoke
Preseason Player of the League: Jacob Jaklich Sr. Limon
Others to watch for: Keegan Mellott Sr. Limon, Aiden Kollath Sr. Limon, Camdyn Tacha So. Limon, Liam Yoder Jr. Limon, Austin Collins Sr. Wray, Bryson Lewis Sr. Wray, Aaron Tena Sr. Wray, Wyatt Fonte Sr. Wray, Brodie Riggelman Sr. Wray, Weston Schaal Jr. Burlington, Scout Humrich Jr. Burlington, Jason Saucedo Sr. Burlington, Anthony Estrada Sr. Burlington, Edward Marolf Sr. Burlington, Arath Carrazco Jr. Wiggins, Michael Adamson Sr. Wiggins, Mark Walker Sr. Wiggins, Daden Beauprez Sr. Yuma, Christian Thomson Jr. Yuma, Marvin Duarte Sr. Yuma, Jesus Gordo Jr. Yuma, Colby Weber Sr. Holyoke, Elbin Padilla Jr. Holyoke, Dathyn Dirks So. Holyoke
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