Top 5 This Week

Related Posts

9 Colorado high school football games to watch in Week 5

Class 5A

No. 4 Regis Jesuit (2-2) vs. No. 1 Cherry Creek (3-1)

When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday at Stutler Bowl

Last meeting: Cherry Creek 28, vs. Regis Jesuit 7, Nov. 19, 2021

For the fourth time in five weeks, Regis Jesuit locks horns with a team ranked in the CHSAANow.com Top 10. The other week: A visit to California to take on West Coast power Oaks Christian. Needless to say, the Raiders are battle tested. And they get another stern test — perhaps the toughest of them all — with a visit to top-ranked Creek. The Bruins are fresh off a 62-21 drubbing of Arvada West that saw the defense score three TDs by itself. Throw in the tailback tandem of Carlson Tann (66 carries, 451 yards) and Jordan Herron (31-267) and Regis will have its hands full.

No. 10 Rock Canyon (4-0) vs. Arapahoe (2-2)

When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at LPS Stadium

Last meeting: Arapahoe 41, at Rock Canyon 35, Sept. 24, 2021

Off to its first 4-0 start since 2015, Rock Canyon is on the rise in the 5A ranks. Now comes an opportunity for the Jaguars to show they belong among the state’s elite. Seniors Aidan Duda (74 carries, 657 yards) and Dean Chisolm (49-364) lead a Jaguars rushing attack that’s averaging 332 yards per game. The stingy Arapahoe defense, which has allowed two touchdowns or less in every game but one, should offer a litmus test as Rock Canyon chases its first winning season in 10 years.

No. 3 Ralston Valley (3-1) vs. No. 6 Valor Christian (2-2)

When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Valor Stadium

Last meeting: Valor 45, at Ralston Valley 7, Nov. 6, 2020

Ralston Valley’s rugged nonleague schedule heads south as the Mustangs look to knock off a state-ranked team for the third straight week under first-year coach Jared Yannacito. The Mustangs beat the second-ranked team in 5A in each of their last two games, first taking down Grandview in Week 3 (33-21), then rallying from 18 points down to upset Regis Jesuit in Week 4 (29-28). Now comes a date with Valor, which is smarting after giving up 50-plus points for the first time in 14 years in a 50-7 loss to Liberty of Peoria, Ariz. Getting right against RV will be a hard ask.

Legacy (2-2) vs. No. 9 Legend (3-1)

When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at EchoPark Stadium

Last meeting: N/A

After an 0-2 start, new Legacy head coach Jay Madden has his Lightning rolling with 72 points scored over the past two weeks. The driving force has been quarterback Kullen Lerma (946 total yards, nine TDs passing/rushing), his favorite target Will Thurston (14 catches, 294 yards) and an opportunistic defense that has 11 takeaways and 12 tackles for loss. Prior to last week’s loss to rival Ponderosa, Legend had scored 40-plus points in three straight games, with quarterback Jake Brookhart throwing for multiple touchdowns in each.

Class 4A

No. 4 Fruita Monument (3-1) vs. Bear Creek (4-0)

When/where: 6 p.m. Thursday at Stocker Stadium

Last meeting: Bear Creek 40, at Fruita Monument 13, Sept. 11, 2009

Fruita Monument proved it could hang with anyone last Thursday when it took 5A power Grandview to overtime in a 38-37 loss. Next up is a visit from unbeaten Bear Creek, which boasts an aerial attack that averages 242.0 yards per game. Quarterback Adrian Rico (968 yards, 11 TDs on 61.4% passing) and receiver Elijah Thomas Jr. (14 catches, 418 yards) form a dangerous connection. But will they be able to move the ball against a Wildcats defense that has held 4A opponents to just seven points/game?

No. 1 Ponderosa (4-0) vs. No. 3 Palmer Ridge (4-0)

When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Don Breese Stadium

Last meeting: Palmer Ridge 35, at Ponderosa 28, Oct. 8, 2021

What would’ve been a 1-2 matchup a week ago will instead be No. 1 vs. No. 3 after Palmer Ridge was leapfrogged by Broomfield in the latest CHSAANow.com poll. The Bears will climb right back into the top two, or maybe even claim the top spot, if they can beat a Ponderosa team that’s outscored opponents 160-54 through four weeks. Led by dual threat QB Derek Hester (907 total yards) and running backs Orlando Aranda (42 carries, 300 yards) and Nathaniel Robison (38-297), the Bears can score in bunches. But can they keep pace with Ponderosa and its own all-everything QB, Zach Stryker (1,017 total yards)?

No. 9 Denver South (3-1) vs. Cheyenne Mountain (3-1)

When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Cheyenne Mountain

Last meeting: N/A

Fresh off a last-second loss at Golden in a 43-42 instant classic, the Ravens head to the Springs to take on a Cheyenne Mountain team that’s won three in a row. South has yet to face a defense capable of stopping its high-octane attack, which averages of 50.0 points and 429.25 yards per game. QB Joseph Capra has surpassed 275 total yards all four weeks, while WR Rashad Caldwell (seven TDs) has found the end zone each game as well. A tall order for the Red-Tailed Hawks, but their defensive production (38 tackles for loss, nine takeaways) suggests they might be up for the task.

Class 3A

4A No. 8 Montrose (2-2) vs. No. 2 Lutheran (3-1)

When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Lutheran

Last meeting: N/A

After scoring 106 points over its past two games, Lutheran steps up in class to take on a Montrose team that’s had a recent offensive explosion of its own (89 points combined in wins over Erie and Palisade). First-year starting quarterback Ryken Daugaard has found his footing in the Lutheran pocket, throwing for 583 yards and eight touchdowns over the past two weeks.

No. 7 Holy Family (2-1) vs. No. 1 Roosevelt (4-0)

When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Holy Family

Last meeting: Roosevelt 51, vs. Holy Family 33, Nov. 20, 2021

Holy Family and Roosevelt meet for the third time in a calendar year, with the Tigers looking to avenge a pair of double-digit defeats suffered at the hands of the Roughriders. When running back Chase McNaughton (48 carries, 278 yards) gets going, the Holy Family offense is hard to stop. Against a defense like Roosevelt’s, which has 47 tackles for loss, 10 takeaways and two shutouts already this season, that’s easier said than done.

Popular Articles