CLASS 5A
No. 10 Regis Jesuit (4-4) vs. No. 9 Legend (6-2)
When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday at EchoPark Stadium
Last meeting: Regis Jesuit 26, vs. Legend 11, Oct. 21, 2022
A week after handing Pine Creek its first loss, Legend hosts a Regis Jesuit team in search of a marquee win of its own. Legend turned in a dominant defensive effort in its win over Creek, holding the Eagles to 28 yards rushing while totaling 11 tackles for loss. Junior RB Jaden Lawrence (118 carries, 814 yards) continued his emergence in the win, piling up 190 yards on 26 carries — his fourth game over 100 yards this fall. The Raiders are coming off a defensive gem of their own (six sacks in a 51-0 win over Chaparral), but the degree of difficulty goes up a notch against the Titans.
No. 3 Arapahoe (7-1) vs. No. 1 Cherry Creek (8-0)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Stutler Bowl
Last meeting: Cherry Creek 42, at Arapahoe 7, Oct. 21, 2022
With two weeks left in the regular season, this highly anticipated Centennial League showdown arrives with massive stakes. While both teams are all but guaranteed to get first-round byes in the 5A playoffs, the winner gets an inside track to the top seed, and moves a win away from an outright league title. The Creek defense is on a serious heater, having posted four shutouts in its last five games, with a season points allowed average of 8.5/game. Arapahoe rebounded from its last-second loss to No. 2 Columbine by ripping off four straight double-digit wins. Buckle up, this one should be fun.
No. 5 Ralston Valley (6-2) vs. No. 8 Chatfield (5-3)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Jeffco Stadium
Last meeting: Ralston Valley 27, vs. Chatfield 20, Oct. 21, 2022
After being dealt a pair of forfeits for playing an ineligible player in Weeks 1-3, Chatfield could use a couple of big wins to boost its No. 20 CHSAA RPI ranking. A victory over Ralston Valley, currently No. 5 in the RPI, would certainly qualify. The Chatfield passing tandem of senior QB Jake Jones and senior WR Drew Rohlman (22 catches, 463 yards, 8 TDs) is one of the most dangerous in 5A. Among the few that trumps them will be standing on the other sideline: RV senior QB Logan Madden and senior WR Jackson Hansen (54 catches, 686 yards, 8 TDs).
CLASS 4A
No. 8 Mesa Ridge (6-2) vs. No. 3 Montrose (6-2)
When/where: 6 p.m. Friday at Montrose
Last meeting: Montrose 46, at Mesa Ridge 31, Oct. 20, 2022
Montrose’s end-of-season gauntlet begins with the first of two big matchups prior to the playoffs. First up, a Mesa Ridge team that’s won five in a row, including a two-point win over Montrose’s Week 10 opponent, Pueblo West. Montrose has rolled through its schedule since losing to second-ranked Erie, 38-28, in Week 3, with all five of its wins coming by 22 points or more. Beat Mesa Ridge on Friday night, and an outright league title is one win away.
Longmont (5-3) vs. No. 2 Erie (7-1)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Tiger Stadium
Last meeting: Erie 44, at Longmont 21, Oct. 21, 2022
The only thing standing between Erie and a third consecutive league title is Longmont. And the Trojans, winners of five in a row, don’t figure to go down lightly. Led by senior RB Cole Gaddis (161 carries, 1,342 yards 19 TDs) and junior QB Kolby Holmes (1,827 total yards), Longmont is averaging 36.9 points/game this season. They should offer a stern test for an Erie defense that’s shown marked improvement this fall, with just 43 points allowed over its last five games. Given the damage Tigers QB Blake Barnett (1,920 total yards) can do, that makes Erie one tough out.
No. 4 Broomfield (6-2) vs. No. 6 Fruita Monument (6-2)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Stocker Stadium
Last meeting: Broomfield 21, vs. Fruita Monument 14, Oct. 21, 2022
The 4A Metro 2 League championship could be decided by the end of Friday night. Fruita Monument can claim the title outright with a win, while Broomfield could push things to next week’s matchup with Heritage. Fruita took down the latter behind a five-touchdown performance from Amari Wilson in Week 6, part of a six-week streak of multi-TD games that’s seen the senior dual-threat QB find the end zone 18 times. Can he keep it up against a Broomfield defense that has six tackles for loss and seven takeaways in its last two games combined?
No. 5 Thomas Jefferson (8-0) vs. Ponderosa (5-3)
When/where: 1 p.m. Saturday at EchoPark Stadium
Last meeting: Ponderosa 7, at Thomas Jefferson 6, Oct. 21, 2022
Unbeaten through eight weeks, Thomas Jefferson finds itself at No. 10 in CHSAA’s RPI rankings because none of the Spartans’ eight wins have come against a team with a winning record to this point. That could change Saturday as TJ gets a date with a rugged Ponderosa squad that’s bounced back from a mid-season three-game skid by winning three in a row by a cumulative score of 146-42. Among those wins was a 49-7 drubbing of Far Northeast, which previously pushed TJ to the brink in an eventual 22-21 Spartans win. Needless to say, this will be their toughest test to date.
CLASS 3A
No. 5 Lutheran (5-2) vs. No. 8 Northfield (5-2)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at All City Field
Last meeting: Lutheran 57, vs. Northfield 7, Oct. 21, 2022
Lutheran gets its third matchup with a top-10 team this weekend, having dropped the previous two to 4A No. 3 Montrose (36-14) and 3A No. 3 Holy Family (35-28). Northfield lost to that same Holy Family team last week despite holding a 9-6 lead at halftime. Whoever emerges with the win from this one keeps its league title hopes alive, and gets a solid ratings boost.
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