Week 2 won’t be weak, too.
Of the 149 Colorado schoolboy football games in Weeks 0-1, 33 were decided by a touchdown and conversion or less.
Chalk it up to the nervousness and inexperience usually on display in openers.
Props to Class 5A, which had five one-point games and was highlighted by a handful of top-ranked matchups.
However, follow-up is in order statewide, which will display more league play in the current go-round that begins today.
A good start to the next round is The Denver Post game of the week. Head to Jefferson County, where Ralston Valley will host Dakota Ridge (Littleton) at Arvada’s North Area Athletic Complex. The latest jewel of Mountain Plains League matchups will pit the Nos. 5 and 6 teams, respectively, in The Denver Post/9News Class 4A poll. This evening’s kickoff is 7.
Additional games of interest follow:
Today
5A top-ranked Columbine (Littleton) is 2-0 and cruising. Next up: The city’s Thomas Jefferson.
Milton Cherry, who ran for 221 yards in Week 1, will lead Eaglecrest (Centennial) at Chatfield (Littleton).
Standley Lake (Westminster), which won its league opener and big-school debut for new coach Don Morse, is looking for a 2-0 start after an 0-10 2004. The Gators will be at Horizon (Thornton).
Broomfield at Mountain View (Loveland) in 4A nonleague is worth your attention.
Sierra (Colorado Springs), which won its opener on the road (at Cherokee Trail, Aurora), will try to do it again, this time at 4A No. 7 Pueblo South.
Friday
Moms packed their bags last night preflight … zero hour: 8 a.m. … Rocket to Las Vegas, where the defending 5A champions and fourth-ranked Mullen Mustangs, idle last week after beginning in Zero Week, will let it roll at Shadow Ridge, a first-round loser in the Sunset Region of Nevada schoolboy play in 2004.
It will be worth the drive (and cost of gasoline) from Littleton to see Arapahoe at 5A No. 10 Poudre (Fort Collins).
And you think your team has a tough draw in Week 2? A California heavyweight, Loyola Prep of Los Angeles, will be in town to meet Regis (Aurora) and return the favor by the Raiders last season. Loyola Prep has made the California Division I playoffs 24 times in succession, with two titles and four runners-up. Since 1987, the Cubs have advanced to at least the semifinals 11 times.
Poll shifting? The city’s Montbello, 5A No. 7, will be at Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village), 5A’s No. 2.
Rocky Mountain’s Lobos (of Fort Collins) will have a rare matchup at All-City Stadium. George Washington awaits.
Pomona (Arvada), off to a 2-0 start, will play at Heritage (Littleton) in a nonleague battle.
5A No. 8 Fairview at Legacy (Broomfield) is the kind of rivalry matchup Boulder County should demand every season.
Pine Creek’s Eagles (of Colorado Springs) will head to the snappy Guy Barickman Stadium, home of Fountain-Fort Carson, 4A’s No. 9, in Pikes Peak play.
Nice 4A power trip – defending state champion and top-ranked ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) will be at Stocker Stadium to take on Central of Grand Junction.
Fort Lupton, which hasn’t had a winning record since 1992, can go to 2-0 with a victory at Berthoud in the 3A Tri-Valley.
Also in the Tri-Valley, No. 4 Niwot will welcome Sterling’s Tigers.
This matchup isn’t normally called – 3A Pueblo County at 2A No. 6 Burlington.
Tough trip for Yuma as the Indians will head to 1A No. 2 Wray.
The 8-man Plains League, so full of top-shelf matchups, will be at it early with No. 3 Stratton at Flagler.
6-man No. 3 Revere will trek to Pawnee, a big matchup in the class that’s actually one league.
Saturday
Grandview (Aurora) at 5A No. 5 Arvada West could be interesting. The visiting Wolves will continue to be without superlative senior wide receiver-returner Aubrey Quarles, who won’t be academically eligible until Oct. 13, and A-West quarterback Sean McDougal, who sat out last week’s tough loss to Cherry Creek because of a one-game, in-house suspension, will take his first snap in 2005 regular-season play.
An upbeat 4A Ranum, which knocked off area rival and 5A Horizon in Week 1, will visit the Denver Prep League’s West.
5A Gateway (Aurora), which couldn’t hold off Bear Creek last week, will be in Colorado Springs to take on Doherty and man-child Lamarr Houston.
Lakewood and Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) will go at it in the 4A Mountain Plains, which again appears to be the dominant league in the classification. It may be the final time to view these two going at it under the same conditions. Both teams are expected to jump to 5A in 2006.
In 2A Metropolitan matters, No. 3 Holy Family (Broomfield) will be at Denver Christian and Lutheran has a date in Cherry Hills Village against No. 2 Kent Denver.
Here’s another of the many examples why a new season seems so fresh: 3A Independent Sheridan, which was 6-44 the past five years, can go to 2-0 for the first time since 1999 if it can get past 2A Bishop Machebeuf.
1A No. 4 Lyons awaits a visit from Bennett.
8-man No. 5 Swink, which led by two touchdowns last week before getting drubbed 47-14 at No. 2 Merino, will try to get it together at Mountain Valley (Saguache).
