Colorado Class 5A State Quarterfinals Preview
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There has long been reason to wonder if the day would ever come at all, but the high school football postseason has finally arrived in Colorado. Starting this week in all classifications, teams that battled their way through a shortened…
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Continue ReadingThere has long been reason to wonder if the day would ever come at all, but the high school football postseason has finally arrived in Colorado.
Starting this week in all classifications, teams that battled their way through a shortened season, rampant cancellations and COVID-19 protocols are scheduled to take the field and open the playoffs with the quarterfinals for all seven classifications. As we go bracket-by-bracket to look at each matchup and the game-changing prospects to keep an eye on, start at the top with Class 5A.
No. 1 Cherry Creek vs. No. 8 Regis Jesuit
Cherry Creek is the clear favorite here and the Bruins should be after leaving a trail of devastation while going undefeated and outscoring their six regular-season opponents by a 265-28 margin. The defending 5A state champions have simply overpowered teams this fall with a unique combination of power up front and speed all over the field. Cherry Creek has nearly a dozen high-profile recruits in its senior class alone, including Arden Walker Arden Walker 6'4" | DL Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO (uncommitted), Gunnar Helm Gunnar Helm 6'5" | TE Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO (Texas), Al Ashford III Al Ashford III 6'1" | DB Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO (Wisconsin), Chase Penry Chase Penry 6'1" | WR Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO (Colorado), Myles Purchase Myles Purchase 5'11" | DB Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO (Iowa State), Gus Zilinskas Gus Zilinskas 6'3" | DL Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO (Rutgers), Julian Hammond III Julian Hammond III 6'2" | QB Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO (Colorado basketball), and others.
James Walker II James Walker II 5'10" | RB Cherry Creek | 2021 State CO is Cherry Creek’s leading rusher and poses a game-breaking threat whenever he touches the ball in any phase of the game, as does Purchase. Penry and Helm have combined for 13 receiving touchdowns while Ky Oday Ky Oday 5'10" | WR Cherry Creek | 2022 State CO (2022) has emerged as one of the top receivers in a graduating class that features premier offensive line recruit George Fitzpatrick George Fitzpatrick OL Cherry Creek | 2022 State CO . Luis Lozano (2021) and Jaxson Hurd (2021) are the tackling leaders on a Bruins defense that allowed just 4.7 points a game in the regular season.
For Regis Jesuit, running back David Dody David Dody 5'11" | RB Regis Jesuit | 2021 State CO (2021) leads the offense with 514 yards and nine touchdowns through six games. Sophomore quarterback Exander Carroll has done well in his first opportunity, throwing for 570 yards and four touchdowns. Those two operate alongside several talented senior recruits in Clay Nanke Clay Nanke 6'6" | DL Regis Jesuit | 2021 State CO , Anthony Tocchini Anthony Tocchini 6'4" | OL Regis Jesuit | 2021 State CO (New Mexico State), Matthew Baer Matthew Baer 6'1" | DL Regis Jesuit | 2021 State CO , Alexander Bruns Alexander Bruns 6'3" | OL Regis Jesuit | 2021 State CO and Bryan Mottram Bryan Mottram 6'1" | LB Regis Jesuit | 2021 State CO .
No. 4 Pomona vs. No. 5 Eaglecrest
Pomona reached the state semifinals a year ago before falling 14-7 to eventual champion Cherry Creek, so the Panthers are on the short list of teams with an outside shot at unseating the champs in a couple weeks. Eaglecrest is also near the top of that list but just suffered a 50-0 loss at the Bruins’ hands this past weekend.
For Jay Madden’s unbeaten Panthers, Jack Pospisil Jack Pospisil 5'9" | WR Pomona | 2021 State CO (Central Missouri) has been as electric as ever after moving from wide receiver to quarterback this season. The senior speed merchant has rushed for 593 yards and 10 touchdowns while also returning a kickoff for a touchdown against Mullen two weeks ago. Running back Chase Muller (2022) has also had a good year, putting up 366 yards and four scores behind a line that features Anthony Devries Anthony Devries 6'0" | OL Pomona | 2021 State CO (2021). Juju Howard and Marcus Geypens are the leading tacklers on the Panthers defense.
Over on the Eaglecrest offense, quarterback Khalil Howard is averaging 188.8 passing yards a week behind a junior-heavy offensive line led by Braden Miller Braden Miller 6'7" | 290 lbs | OL Eaglecrest | 2022 State CO (2022) and Kaden Weatherby Kaden Weatherby 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Eaglecrest | 2022 State CO (2022). Many of Howard’s passes have found the hands of either 6-foot-5 receiver Ty Robinson Ty Robinson 6'3" | WR Eaglecrest | 2021 State CO (Colorado) or two-way standouts Seyi Oladipo Seyi Oladipo 5'11" | DB Eaglecrest | 2021 State CO (Boise State) and Langston Williams Langston Williams 5'10" | DB Eaglecrest | 2021 State CO (Colorado State). JP Luketu (2021) leads the Raptors with 547 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, and Adrian Cordova Adrian Cordova 6'0" | LB Eaglecrest | 2021 State CO (2021) has been excellent for the Raptors’ defensive unit.
No. 2 Valor Christian vs. No. 7 Cherokee Trail
There are some big-time recruits playing in this one on both sides of each line. That list includes Cherokee Trail’s Sam Hart Sam Hart 6'5" | TE Cherokee Trail | 2021 State CO (Ohio State), Mason Maddox Mason Maddox 6'3" | OL Cherokee Trail | 2021 State CO (2021) and Travis Gray Travis Gray 6'6" | 300 lbs | OL Cherokee Trail | 2022 State CO (2022), as well as Valor’s Nick Lyon Nick Lyon 6'5" | OL Valor Christian | 2021 State CO , Jake Maikkula Jake Maikkula 6'6" | 265 lbs | OL Valor Christian | 2022 State CO and Kaiden Parrish Kaiden Parrish 6'3" | 255 lbs | OL Valor Christian | 2022 State CO , to name a few.
Valor Christian’s group up front will look to keep opening up holes for top 2022 recruit Gavin Sawchuk Gavin Sawchuk RB Valor Christian | 2022 State CO , who already has 993 yards on 92 carries (10.7-yard average) and 16 touchdowns in just five games. Cherokee Trail’s will try to buy time for senior quarterback Jayden Lavigne (1,287 passing yards) to get the ball to playmakers like junior Nathan Gaye (635 rushing yards), junior Jack Pierce Jack Pierce 5'8" | WR Cherokee Trail | 2022 State CO (495 receiving yards), and of course, Hart.
Defensively, Hunter Wilson (2021) leads Cherokee Trail with 8.8 tackles per game and Maddox has four sacks on the season. Valor Christian’s senior linebacker Elijah Hamilton Elijah Hamilton 6'0" | LB Valor Christian | 2021 State CO leads the Eagles with 39 total tackles in five games and the Valor defense has five total interceptions.
No. 3 Legend vs. No. 6 Fairview
Both of these teams scored a ton of points and not given up much at all on their way to going 6-0 during the regular season. So, this game is likely to be the most unpredictable of them all. What we can say for sure is that Fairview will throw, Legend will run and both defenses will be ball-hawking the whole game with designs on keeping up the turnover-forcing pace they have been on all fall.
For a Fairview defense that has allowed an average of just 14.2 points, senior Jay Barry Jay Barry 6'1" | WR Fairview | 2021 State CO , who transferred in after playing for Denver East last season, leads the team with five of the Knights’ 13 total interceptions. For Legend, senior Jaxon Muma Jaxon Muma 6'1" | DB Legend | 2021 State CO has a team-high nine picks on a defense that conceded an average of only 6.8 points a game during the regular season. Watch for other defensive players like Fairview’s Brayden Wood Brayden Wood 6'3" | DL Fairview | 2021 State CO (Kansas State), Liam Huber Liam Huber 5'11" | DB Fairview | 2021 State CO (2021) and Aidan Christiansen Aidan Christiansen 5'7" | WR Fairview | 2021 State CO (2021), or Legend’s J.T. Axelrod J.T. Axelrod 6'0" | LB Legend | 2021 State CO (2021), most of whom play both ways, to try and change the game with a big play.
The next in a long line of talented quarterbacks at Fairview, senior Liam O’Brien Liam O’Brien 6'0" | QB Fairview | 2021 State CO (2021) has already thrown for 1,860 yards and 18 touchdowns to the likes of Grant Page Grant Page WR Fairview | 2022 State CO (2022), Barry, Huber, Christiansen and Josh Rouland (2021). Legend’s Kalen Shoemaker Kalen Shoemaker 5'10" | QB Legend | 2021 State CO (2021) has thrown for 890 yards and 14 scores, Connor Eise (2021) has rushed for 798 yards and eight scores, and Blake Doud Blake Doud 6'4" | WR Legend | 2021 State CO (2021) has caught 20 passes for 315 yards and six touchdowns.