Open, sesame …
The only net worth of last weekend’s Zero Week was 22 teams getting to play in game gear and getting one that counts under their belts.
Not much else good came from them.
However, today marks the real beginning of the 2005 schoolboy football season, the 85th on Colorado record.
Fittingly, we’ll begin opening rounds today with a doozie: Arvada West, ranked No. 4 in The Denver Post/9News Class 5A poll, against Cherry Creek, 5A’s No. 3, at the Stutler Bowl in Greenwood Village, 7 p.m.
Expect a crowd.
However, so many other interesting matchups highlight the Week 1 slate, almost exclusively nonleague. The following are noted for your perusal.
It’s good to be back, isn’t it?
Today
Lakewood’s Bear Creek, 5A’s No. 8 and a rowdy bunch of Bears who nipped top-ranked Mullen in a double-overtime thriller last week, will be in Aurora to take on Gateway, the 2004 No. 1 playoff seed from the American League.
Boulder’s Fairview, a viable candidate to challenge in the Centennial, will visit Northglenn, now under the tutelage of former assistant Vince Vieyra.
This one should be a tester for both sides – Legacy (Broomfield) at Douglas County (Castle Rock).
The brutal schedule for a young Overland (Aurora) continues. The Trailblazers, who last week fell to the 2004 Utah runner-up in one of their annual road trips, have a short week with a trip to Fort Collins to face 5A No. 6 Poudre.
To the north, 3A No. 4 Niwot will visit 4A Mountain View (Loveland).
Friday
Of course, the Colorado-Colorado State game is Saturday. So a day early, we give you a prep version, Boulder at Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins).
Fruita Monument will begin the road version of its Jefferson County League nonleague schedule (or so it seems). The Wildcats will visit No. 2 Columbine (Littleton), which was impressive last week in handling Parker’s Ponderosa.
Arapahoe, trying to get it together for another playoff run, will host Chatfield. Chalk it up as another quirk in Colorado’s unusual outlay – both teams have the mailing address of Littleton, but are in different leagues and hardly can be considered rivals.
Speaking of the unusual, 3A Ridge View Academy (Watkins) visits 5A Smoky Hill (Aurora).
The city’s Thomas Jefferson at Chaparral (Parker) could prove an important gauge for both programs. TJ is looking to stay in the big-school mix; the Wolverines are trying to get there.
Competitive? Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) at Widefield (Security) has solid first-rounder written all over it.
4A No. 1 ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) will begin defense of its championship by hosting No. 9 Loveland.
No. 4 Ralston Valley (Arvada) at No. 3 Monarch (Louisville) is must-see 4A nonleague.
We will see what a difference a year makes. No. 10 Greeley West will be at No. 7 Dakota Ridge (Littleton). The two met in the 4A semifinals a year ago, with Dakota Ridge prevailing.
For the first time in decades, Fort Morgan will open a season without Rick Kahl as head coach. The new-look Mustangs, directed by Jeff Hamilton, will welcome Brush.
3A No. 6 Sterling will open at home against Ogallala, Neb., which first must negotiate the aroma of its surrounding stockyards.
Montrose, with new head coach Todd Casebier, late of Palisade, will host Delta.
The 2A Metropolitan League, as usual, will get right at it with top-ranked Faith Christian (Arvada) hosting No. 9 Denver Christian.
3A No. 9 Northridge (Greeley) at 2A No. 4 Eaton means top-flight northeastern action.
It could be even better near the state’s eastern boundary as 1A No. 2 Wray visits 2A No. 7 Burlington.
1A No. 10 Rye has a date with Del Norte.
Top-ranked and defending 1A champion Limon will begin its defense by hosting Holyoke’s Dragons.
Defending 8-man champion Haxtun, which also begins the season top-ranked, will open against visiting Cheyenne Wells.
No. 1 Idalia, still miffed about last season’s loss in the semis, will be on the road at Fleming.
Saturday
They split two games last season, so let’s see what they’ll be up to this time – Regis (Aurora), which brought former Cherry Creek coach Mike Woolford out of retirement, will be at 5A No. 7 Montbello.
4A No. 2 Green Mountain (Lakewood), without former coach Don McGatlin for the first time in nearly a quarter-century, has a demanding opener against Central of Grand Junction. Kevin Rice is the new coach.
Bailey’s Platte Canyon has a difficult opener – the Huskies will be at 2A No. 2 Kent Denver (Cherry Hills Village) in the Metropolitan.
2A No. 3 Holy Family (Broomfield) will meet Bishop Machebeuf under the lights at Aurora Public Schools Stadium in another Metropolitan matchup.
It will be well worth the drive – 8-man No. 2 Merino will be at No. 3 Swink.
