Introduction to the Colorado High School Football Playoffs: Favorites, Contenders, Dark Horses

The football playoff fields are set for 24 teams in Classes 5A and 4A, with first-round games beginning Friday night. Here’s what to look for in Colorado’s major classifications leading up to the Dec. 7 state championship game at Canvas Stadium.

Class 5A

The favorite

Cherry Creek: The Bruins have competed in six straight championships. They are led by Dave Logan, the most famous coach in Colorado high school football history, who owns a record 12 state championships. They have a wealth of skill and Division I talent on both sides of the ball. And the Bruins played a strict out-of-state schedule to prepare for another run. They remain the clear favorite.

The challengers

Mountain view: The Golden Eagles could easily be considered co-favorites as they seek an undefeated season and the first state championship in program history. Led by star senior quarterback Austyn Modrzewski, a South Dakota player who broke the CHSAA career touchdown record and is on the verge of setting the passing yards record, Mountain Vista’s unstoppable offense averaged 55.1 points per game this fall Game.

Columbine: Remember last year when the Junkyard Dawgs went undefeated and upset Cherry Creek in the championship en route to the program’s sixth title. The Rebels’ physicality at the top and their consistency within head coach Andy Lowry’s decades-old system are what set them apart. As did the dynamic running back tandem of James Basinger and Mark Snyder, who combined for 40 rushing TDs.

Ralston Valley: The Mustangs handed the Rebels their last two losses: on Oct. 18 and in the 2022 quarterfinals, a two-point effort to end Columbine’s 21-game winning streak. The Mustangs beat Cherry Creek to the finish in last year’s semifinals. In other words, RV is on the verge of the championship breakthrough that QB Zeke Andrews, linebacker Matt Gates & Co. could achieve this fall.

Legend: The Titans are a handful in the trenches and have their best and most talented team in school history. Columbine’s only loss came in Week 3, when the Rebels scored the game-winning field goal with 12 seconds left. Like RV, they are seeking their first appearance in a championship game. A weapon-heavy offense with defensive end John Niedringhaus leading the charge.

Bravery Christian: Although they were defeated by Mountain Vista 62-21 on Oct. 4, the Eagles beat two other top teams in Pine Creek and Ralston Valley. Junior Cash Spence can do it all at wideout, running back, safety and returner. And Valor Christian has a lot more speed and size around him. If the Eagles get fired up in November, they will be in position to capture the program’s ninth championship.

The dark horses

Pine Creek: Those who doubt Pine Creek’s ability to make the playoffs should watch the tape of the Eagles’ narrow 21-14 loss to Cherry Creek in Greenwood Village on Sept. 27. The Eagles were the only team from the state to play Cherry Creek is closed this year. Junior linebacker Jared Ibarra and senior safety Emmanuel El Shaddai Hill highlight a defense capable of holding off top offenses.

Erie: In their first year in 5A, last year’s 4A champs proved competitive against the state’s big dogs. Erie’s two losses came to Ralston Valley and Mountain Vista, but it beat nearly every other team it played, minus 4A contender Broomfield. Junior running back Braylon Toliver is their main catalyst on offense, while senior linebacker Carson Hageman is the centerpiece of the defense.

Three questions

Can Fairview make an impact after the season?

The Knights reached a 10-0 mark while only playing three playoff teams – narrow wins over Arvada West and Fossil Ridge and a win over Fort Collins in a game in which the Lambkins scored 49 points. Will Fairview’s powerful attack, led by star senior wideout/running back Jordan Rechel, be enough to make a splash in the playoffs after a mediocre regular-season schedule?

Can anyone stop Mountain Vista’s offensive?

Modrzewski has a number of talented receivers to throw the ball to, including Jakhai Mack, Sean Conway, Ja’pree Jennings and Brooklyn Bailey. Plus, the Golden Eagles don’t just throw, as skilled running back Jack Blais is capable of both ferocious runs and powerful attacks. Top it all off with an offensive line led by 6-foot-1, 300-pound Jack Heath, and Mountain Vista will be tough to stop.

Does parity have a chance?

You have to turn the clock back to 2017, when Pomona beat Eaglecrest in a shootout in Denver and was the last time a team other than Cherry Creek, Columbine or Valor Christian played in the Class 5A title game. So, with 5A as top-heavy as ever, can two schools outside of those three break that power streak and give Colorado high school football fans a new matchup at Canvas Stadium?

Class 4A

The favorite

Montrose: Could it really be that the No. 2 seed is best placed to win it all? It’s been 74 years since Montrose won a state championship, but this year’s Red Hawks stand out for something that resonates best: physicality in the trenches. The last undefeated player in Class 4A has already defeated three of the group’s top seven seeds (Pueblo West, Mesa Ridge, Durango). Nobody else has a comparable CV.

The challengers

Dakota Ridge: The top-seeded Eagles enter the playoffs on a nine-game winning streak and are seeking the program’s first state championship. After the tragic death of a former teammate and their coach’s wife, they play for something bigger than themselves. They have depth and a true two-way star in junior RB/LB Landon Kalsbeck. And their only loss came in Week 1 against a 5A program (Chatfield).

Pueblo West: Until last Friday, one could have argued that the Cyclones were the team to beat in 4A. Then they traveled to Montrose in Week 10 and lost…on a late touchdown. Could the 9-1 Clones beat the Red Hawks in a semifinal rematch? With a dual-threat senior quarterback like Gavin Lockett (6,109 total yards in his career) and a defense that allows just 12.2 points per game, the answer is yes.