CLASS 5A
No. 1 Cherry Creek (3-0) vs. Arvada West (3-0)
When/where: 4 p.m. Thursday at NAAC Stadium
Last meeting: Cherry Creek 62, vs. Arvada West 21, Sept. 16, 2022
The top-ranked Bruins hit the road to take on an A-West program that appears to be a year ahead of schedule after getting off to a 3-0 start with a roster filled with sophomore talent. That includes running backs Jaiden Green (49 carries, 452 yards, 4 TDs) and Adrian Symalla (54-414-6), and quarterback Logan Duhachek (29-of-51 passing, 402 yards, 4 TDs). Now comes a trial by fire against the four-time defending 4A champions.
No. 9 Castle View (3-0) vs. Douglas County (2-1)
When/where: 6 p.m. Friday at DCHS Stadium
Last meeting: Douglas County 24, at Castle View 21, Sept. 16, 2022
The Battle of the Rock returns with Castle View looking to end a two-year skid against its cross-town rival. The Sabercats defense has been dominant thus far, racking up nine takeaways and 21 tackles for loss with just 17 points allowed. The challenge this week: Bottling up Douglas County’s quarterback-running back tandem of Davis Lish (37-of-57 passing, 611 yards, 5 TDs) and Jake Stonebraker (65 carries, 344 yards, 2 TDs).
No. 3 Columbine (3-0) vs. No. 5 Arapahoe (3-0)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at LPS Stadium
Last meeting: Columbine 28, vs. Arapahoe 6, Sept. 16, 2022
Columbine stampeded through its first three games, outscoring opponents 133-13 — a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that all three games were on the road. That will again be the case Friday, when the Rebels make the short trip to LPS Stadium to take on an Arapahoe squad that just handed Regis Jesuit its first loss of the season. Warriors QB Michael Moynihan is efficient (32-of-46 passing, 487 yards) and sophomore Trajan Frasier (47 carries, 335 yards, five TDs) is a handful.
No. 6 Regis Jesuit (2-1) vs. Ralston Valley (2-1)
When/where: 7:30 p.m. Friday at NAAC Stadium
Last meeting: Ralston Valley 29, at Regis Jesuit 28, Sept. 15, 2022
Fresh off losing at Arapahoe, Regis goes on the road again to take on an RV team that put the hammer down on No. 8 Grandview, 30-15, last week. All-Colorado senior QB Logan Madden rebounded from an inconsistent start to the season by completing 20 of 28 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns in the win. A year ago, Madden threw three fourth-quarter TDs to bring the Mustangs back from 18 down at Regis. No doubt the Raiders remember.
CLASS 4A
Ponderosa (2-1) vs. Legend (2-1)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at EchoPark Stadium
Last meeting: Ponderosa 21, vs. Legend 14, Sept. 16, 2022
The shine on this Parker rivalry game lost a little luster after both teams were dealt Week 3 upsets. Ponderosa’s explosive offense was grounded by multiple turnovers in a 25-14 loss at Golden, while Legend suffered a similar fate with four giveaways in a 20-7 defeat at Castle View. Still, given that both teams topped 90 points through the first two weeks of the season, this one could produce plenty of fireworks — if they take care of the ball.
No. 10 Golden (2-1) vs. Denver South (2-1)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at All-City Stadium
Last meeting: Golden 43, vs. Denver South 42, Sept. 16, 2022
A year ago, these two produced an instant classic. With several of the key players gone from that edition, including both starting QBs, it’s time for a new chapter. The Demons are riding high after a strong defensive showing vs. Ponderosa that produced four sacks, four takeaways and a 25-14 win. They’ll need another performance like that against South, which is averaging 431 yards and 36 points per game behind QB Jr Felipe (641 pass yards, 6 TDs) and RB Chevelle Early (348 rush yards, 5 TDs).
Thomas Jefferson (3-0) vs. Bear Creek (3-0)
When/where: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Trailblazer Stadium
Last meeting: Bear Creek 41, at Thomas Jefferson 27, Sept. 16, 2022
Which one of these 4A contenders is for real? Both are undefeated, and both have a 5A pelt hanging in the locker room. For Bear Creek, it was a 46-13 win at Lakewood. For TJ, a 19-6 victory over Pomona. One thing that is for certain: Both teams have serious weapons. The Creek passing connection of Adrian Rico (697 pass yards, 13 TDs) and Ryan Bobick (411 yards, 9 TDs) has yet to be stopped. And two-headed TJ backfield of Dimitri Haralambopoulos (404 rush yards, 3 TDs) and Jake Tapia (322, 6) can pop at any moment.
No. 4 Broomfield (2-1) vs. No. 3 Erie (2-1)
When/where: 1 p.m. Saturday at Erie
Last meeting: Broomfield 36, vs. Erie 32, Nov. 26, 2022
Erie is out for revenge as it hosts the team that eliminated it from the 4A semifinals in a down-to-the-wire classic last November. Kansas State commit Blake Barnett and the Tigers appear to have righted the ship after a Week 1 loss in Florida, putting up 94 points and 880 yards combined in wins over Mullen and Montrose. The Eagles also got right after their stunning loss to Holy Family, piling up 315 yards on the ground in a 49-6 throttling of Vista Peak Prep last week that included 215 yards from junior Joseph Larsen.
All stats via maxpreps.com.
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.
