A look at this week’s Post Preps Top 10 for Class 5A, 4A and 3A:
If you don’t see the rankings table, click here.
Class 5A
| Team | Record | Pvs | LW |
| 1. Cherry Creek | 3-0 | 1 | W (34-17 at Chatfield) |
| Comment: A prime example of why the Bruins are so tough to beat: They can score in bursts (35 straight vs. Chatfield) better than anyone else. This week: at Arvada West, 4 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 2. Pine Creek | 3-0 | 3 | W (56-7 at Vista Ridge) |
| Comment: Eagles looking to build toward what should be a tasty league opener vs. Fountain-Fort Carson on Sept. 28. This week: vs. Denver East, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 3. Columbine | 3-0 | 5 | W (35-7 at Cherokee Trail) |
| Comment: How good is the Rebels defense? If not for a late CT touchdown last Friday, they’d be riding an 11-quarter shutout streak. This week: at No. 5 Arapahoe, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 4. Ralston Valley | 2-1 | 6 | W (30-15 vs. Grandview) |
| Comment: It’s one thing to beat Grandview. It’s quite another to lead the Wolves 30-0 in the fourth quarter. This week: vs. No. 6 Regis Jesuit, 7:30 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 5. Arapahoe | 3-0 | 7 | W (34-27 vs. Regis Jesuit) |
| Comment: The emergence of sophomore RB Trajan Frasier (335 yards, 5 TDs) has turned the Warriors into a real 5A threat. This week: vs. No. 3 Columbine, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 6. Regis Jesuit | 2-1 | 2 | L (34-27 at Arapahoe) |
| Comment: The Raiders’ schedule goes from rugged to ridiculous with back-to-back games against Ralston Valley and Cherry Creek. This week: at No. 4 Ralston Valley, 7:30 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 7. Valor Christian | 1-2 | 8 | W (29-28 vs. Fairview) |
| Comment: The Eagles’ 29-0 second-half rally vs. Fairview is the early front-runner for comeback of the year. This week: at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Ga.), 5 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 8. Grandview | 2-1 | 4 | L (30-15 at Ralston Valley) |
| Comment: Back to the drawing board for the Wolves, who put up yards at RV (351) but didn’t score any points until the game was out of reach. This week: vs. Fruita Monument, 1 p.m. Saturday. | |||
| 9. Castle View | 3-0 | NR | W (20-7 vs. Legend) |
| Comment: The best story in 5A? That’s gotta be the Sabercats, who went 2-8 last fall and now have one of 5A’s stingiest defenses. This week: at Douglas County, 6 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 10. Fountain-Fort Carson | 3-0 | NR | W (32-19 at Pueblo West) |
| Comment: Running backs Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (9.6 yards/carry) and Terrence Morris (16.1) are a first down waiting to happen. This week: at Pomona, 7:30 p.m. Thursday. | |||
Class 4A
| Team | Record | Pvs | LW |
| 1. Palmer Ridge | 3-0 | 1 | W (56-14 vs. Lewis-Palmer) |
| Comment: Not only do we love Jimmer Weir’s name, we love his game (283 receiving yards, 19 tackles, one interception, one fumble recovery). This week: at Smoky Hill, 7:30 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 2. Loveland | 3-0 | 3 | W (27-26 vs. Pomona) |
| Comment: Forget about style points. The Red Wolves are 2-0 against 5A competition (Fossil Ridge and Pomona) and just know how to win. This week: at 3A No. 9 Thompson Valley, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 3. Erie | 2-1 | 4 | W (38-28 at Montrose) |
| Comment: Good luck keeping up with the Tigers offense (38 points and 395.7 yards per game). This week: vs. No. 4 Broomfield, 1 p.m. Saturday. | |||
| 4. Broomfield | 2-1 | 6 | W (49-6 vs. Vista Peak Prep) |
| Comment: After a bounce-back win, the Eagles get a rematch with an Erie team they eked past in last fall’s 4A semifinals. This week: at No. 3 Erie, 1 p.m. Saturday. | |||
| 5. Montrose | 1-2 | 5 | L (38-28 vs. Erie) |
| Comment: Don’t count out the Red Hawks, who started 1-2 last fall, then came within minutes of reaching the 4A semifinals. This week: at Palisade, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 6. Heritage | 1-2 | NR | W (55-19 at Pueblo Central) |
| Comment: Unranked to back in the top six of 4A? The Eagles’ losses to 5A powers Mountain Vista and Arapahoe look better by the week. This week: at Overland, 4 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 7. Pueblo West | 3-1 | 7 | L (32-19 vs. Fountain-Fort Carson) |
| Comment: The Cyclones went toe-to-toe with a very good 5A team for three quarters last Friday. This week: Bye. | |||
| 8. Dakota Ridge | 2-1 | 8 | W (39-35 at Mesa Ridge) |
| Comment: Don’t sleep on the Eagles’ Week 4 opponent, Rampart, which is 3-0 and has outscored opponents 125-36. This week: vs. Rampart, 7:30 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 9. Windsor | 3-0 | 10 | W (26-24 at Fort Collins) |
| Comment: The Wizards have three wins by a combined six points. That’s living dangerously. This week: at Fossil Ridge, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 10. Golden | 2-1 | NR | W (25-14 vs. Ponderosa) |
| Comment: A 36-0 loss at Green Mountain in Week 1 must feel like a long, long, long time ago for the Demons after last Friday’s stunner. This week: at Denver South, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
Class 3A
| Team | Record | Pvs | LW |
| 1. Lutheran | 3-0 | 1 | W (45-14 at Discovery Canyon) |
| Comment: No reason to move the Lions from the top spot — except that there’s four teams below them that could make their own (convincing) claims. This week: vs. Pueblo East, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 2. Green Mountain | 3-0 | 4 | W (49-0 at Mountain View) |
| Comment: Why move the Rams up two spots? Because their Week 1 shutout of Golden is aging better than Paul Rudd. This week: vs. Pueblo South, 7 p.m. Saturday. | |||
| 3. Holy Family | 2-0 | 2 | Bye |
| Comment: Why move the Tigers down after being idle? Because three wins is greater than two … although Holy Family’s win over 4A Broomfield should probably count as 1.5 wins. This week: at Mountain View, 6:30 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 4. Roosevelt | 3-0 | 3 | W (42-21 at Fort Morgan) |
| Comment: Why put the undefeated defending champs at No. 4? Because the top of 3A is really that good. This week: vs. Highlands Ranch, 7 p.m. Sept. 15. | |||
| 5. Northridge | 3-0 | 5 | W (35-13 at Greeley Central) |
| Comment: We got ahead of ourselves last week. It’s Justin Thill, not Justin Thrill, taking snaps for Northridge. But given his stats (508 passing yards, 7 TDs), maybe you can forgive the error? This week: vs. Greeley West, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 6. Durango | 2-1 | 6 | W (41-7 vs. Aztec, N.M.) |
| Comment: With their annual New Mexico tour in the rearview, the Demons appear to be rounding into shape. This week: vs. Grand Junction Central, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 7. Northfield | 2-0 | 8 | W (24-10 vs. Riverdale Ridge) |
| Comment: The Nighthawks face a second straight 2-0 team with a matchup against a salty Vikings squad. This week: vs. Denver North, 6 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 8. Mead | 1-2 | NR | W (35-31 vs. Severance) |
| Comment: After tough losses to 4A No. 9 Windsor and 3A No. 1 Lutheran, the Mavericks’ back-and-forth victory over Severance may serve as a launch point. This week: Bye | |||
| 9. Thompson Valley | 1-1 | 7 | L (16-14 at Berthoud) |
| Comment: A narrow loss at 2A Berthoud, which outscored its first two opponents 84-0, isn’t enough to drop the Eagles out of the top 10. This week: vs. 4A No. 2 Loveland, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 10. Pueblo Central | 2-1 | 9 | L (55-19 vs. Heritage) |
| Comment: There’s at least six other teams that could lay claim to this last spot — and they all lost last week. This week: at Coronado, 6:30 p.m. Friday. | |||
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