If Limon High School weren’t on the verge of claiming one of the most impressive records in the history of Colorado football, the Class 1A playoffs would still be bursting with intriguing stories.
The Badgers, owners of a record-tying 48 consecutive wins over four straight unbeaten seasons, could surpass Stratton’s 8-man streak from 1992-96 with a preliminary playoff-round victory Saturday against Sanford. And, if this season ends like the previous three, Limon could add to the school’s Colorado-record 17 state championships.
But if Limon was out of the picture, any of the following storylines would be front and center:
* Akron, which faces Rocky Ford on Saturday in the first round, has allowed just 43 points this season, a defensive mark nearly unheard of in any classification. The Rams have given up more than eight points in a game just once – a 68-14 victory over Wiggins – and have held opponents scoreless four times.
* With 1A’s new seeded, 16-team playoff format, coaches were hoping for a more balanced bracket in the early rounds than in the past. It seems to have worked as planned, with a fair docket of first-round games on Saturday. And there are entertaining matchups throughout, such as Western Slope-champ Grand Valley hosting North Central stalwart Wray, and high-scoring Byers traveling to Santa Fe’s No. 1 Custer County.
* The most interesting matchup will pit No. 3 seed Burlington against visiting and No. 14 Denver Lutheran, with plenty of details to take notice.
Burlington, the runner-up behind Limon in the ultra-competitive South Central League, will run and run some more behind 1A’s best player, running back Brian Hendricks.
Hendricks, a NCAA Division I prospect on the recruiting radar at Colorado, Colorado State, Stanford and Wyoming, is on the short list for an All-Colorado spot. He has compiled 1,468 yards on the ground this season, and his 27 touchdowns for 162 points alone outscored the Cougars’ opponents this season (they’ve allowed 113 points).
“It’s going to be a challenge,” Lutheran coach Loren Larrabee said. “Hendricks is going to be a primary concern for us. But we feel like it’s playoff time and anything can happen.”
For Lutheran, which dropped with Burlington from Class 2A before the season, the strength of Eastern Plains teams is a familiar challenge. Lutheran in 1998 and 1999 split playoff games with Wray, losing 6-3 in overtime and winning the following year 21-13.
And Burlington, way back when, competed against Lutheran in the 2A Metro League. So there’s history here.
Lutheran counters with running back Joe Leintz, whose 1,047 yards this season set a school record, and a stout offensive line with Ryan Clark, Guy Ninneman, Jacob Swan, Colton Monasmith and Ryan McHenry.
“We just hoped we could get a chance at the playoffs,” Larrabee said. “Now we have our chance and we’re going to run with it.”
