Red rover, red rover, we call Colorado schoolboy football over. …
Locals are sure to break through in Week 4 as more league play in upper levels gets underway, notably in Class 5A’s American, Centennial, Denver Prep, Front Range and National leagues.
As for the projected highlight, The Denver Post game of the week will be played today in 4A, a must-see Mountain Plains matchup that, as usual, has ramifications throughout the classification – No. 1 ThunderRidge at No. 2 Green Mountain, 7 p.m., Jefferson County Stadium in Lakewood.
The depth of the round will be spread across Colorado, including the following of note marked for your viewing pleasure:
Today
Palmer’s Terrors will be in Aurora to take on 5A No. 10 Gateway, an American opener in which speed and quickness will be in abundance.
Hold your applause, please. Centennial play is here. Defending champion and 5A No. 4 Mullen, which has won or shared the past three league titles, will meet Overland at the Stutler Bowl in Greenwood Village.
A Front Range opener has Horizon’s Hawks, suddenly 2-1, at Poudre’s Impalas, suddenly (and surprisingly) winless.
A seemingly improved Coronado, which has lost two of its past three games by a combined eight points, one in overtime, will face Doherty in 5A nonleague. No secret here – Coronado expects repeated doses of strongman Lamarr Houston, 5A’s leading rusher and scorer.
Friday
Obviously, bad things aren’t the only things that come in threes. 5A Centennial’s lineup includes No. 2 Cherry Creek at Boulder, No. 6 Fairview at Eaglecrest and what could be an emerging Grandview (2-1) at a struggling Smoky Hill (1-2).
The city’s Thomas Jefferson, not used to being 0-3 and itching to turn it back up, will begin 5A Denver Prep play against John F. Kennedy.
Like those old rockers, Judas Priest, better head out to the highway, I-25 North from Denver, for a pivotal 5A Front Range opener and rival game, No. 9 and undefeated Rocky Mountain at Fort Collins, a one-point loser last week to Cherry Creek.
Nice, very nice … No. 8 Arapahoe at No. 7 Ponderosa means the 5A National will begin strongly, a matchup with an outcome that undoubtedly will be referred back to over the next six weeks. Both programs have been fighting for – and winning – the league or division title for years.
Color Douglas County versus Lewis-Palmer serious in terms of identifying a legitimate 5A National challenger.
It’s Standley Lake’s turn to burn gasoline and make it over the mountains to meet Fruita Monument. The odd nonleague matchup involving 5A Jeffco teams and the lone big school in the 4A Southwestern has been common place for two seasons, a quirk thanks to the postseason qualifying system.
In case you were wondering, 5A No. 1 Columbine has a bye.
Admit it. You’re surprised Ranum at Littleton to begin 4A Skyline action will involve undefeated teams, aren’t you?
Their records aren’t important, but if you must know Lakewood is 0-3 and Wheat Ridge 2-1. Who cares? It will be Jeffco tradition in the Mountain Plains.
Denver only wishes it had tradition similar to that of the Cannon Game, Pueblo East at 4A No. 5 Pueblo South. The fact that it’s nonleague is meaningless, merely a sign of bad classification times. Dutch Clark Stadium will rock if it’s decided by one or 50 points.
3A Metro matters will be led by No. 9 Conifer at top-ranked Centaurus.
What Englewood at Elizabeth in the 3A Metro lacks in flash will be more than compensated for in competitiveness.
The 3A Southern has No. 5 Alamosa at No. 7 Woodland Park as one of its openers. The league should be a show the rest of the regular season.
In the 3A Western Slope, Eagle Valley, which had a big victory last week over No. 8 Moffat County, next gets a trip to Montezuma-Cortez.
2A Eaton at 1A No. 2 Wray could prove the most interesting nonleague game on the board.
Major 1A North Central action between Holyoke and No. 3 Lyons.
8-man top-ranked Haxtun, the only in-state team that has not allowed a point through three games, will be at Genoa-Hugo in Plains play.
6-man’s top-ranked Idalia will be at 2-0 Aguilar.
Saturday
Montbello, again disappointed by sub-.500 nonleague play against suburban powers, will begin 5A Denver Prep play against West, which is coming off its first shutout victory since 1998.
A mix of importance and tradition for a 4A Mountain Plains matchup – No. 7 Dakota Ridge at Golden.
For sure, 4A Central of Grand Junction presents an argument for most impressive nonleague schedule. The Warriors, who have faced the likes of Green Mountain and ThunderRidge, will welcome 5A No. 5 Arvada West. Next up: a rested 5A No. 3 Bear Creek, which is idle this week.
2A top-ranked and defending state champion Faith Christian has a 2A Metropolitan date at Lutheran’s Lights.
In the 2A Tri-Peaks West, Manitou Springs will be at Lake County, which has the indignity of being the last in-state team not to score. The Panthers have been outscored 179-0 through three weeks.
Limon can hit the big three-oh, as in 30 consecutive victories for the two-time defending 1A champion and top-ranked Badgers. Peyton will be at Lloyd Gaskill Field in South Central play.
In 1A nonleague, Cripple Creek-Victor can go to an eye-opening 4-0 with a victory at Las Animas.
Here’s the weekly 8-man Plains game of note – No. 3 Stratton at No. 2 Merino.
Staff writer Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-820-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com.
