Will the heavyweights step aside this season and let the “other” guys duke it out? It could happen. Although defending champion Liberty – which is after its unprecedented sixth state title – and perennial powerhouses Broomfield and Mullen appear to have some holes to fill and questions to answer, many squads appear poised to take over temporarily. That could all change, though, by October. Teams such as Greeley Central, Cheyenne Mountain, Golden and Pueblo Centennial all went deep into the playoffs last season and have lots of talent returning. Will this new batch of hopefuls rise to the occasion? Or will the big boys get cooking down the stretch and reclaim their lofty perches? That kind of flux should make for interesting league races and playoffs. The best league race should be the Northern, where Fossil Ridge, Greeley West, Mountain View, Longmont and Fort Morgan will battle.
Teams to watch
1. Greeley Central; 2. Cheyenne Mountain; 3. Golden; 4. Pueblo Centennial; 5. Liberty; 6. Broomfield; 7. Mullen; 8. Fossil Ridge; 9. Niwot; 10. South.
Returning all-state players
Jeff Allen, Greeley Central, Sr.; Tony Arveschoug, Pueblo Centennial, Sr.; Hunter Huffman, Cheyenne Mountain, Sr.; Matt Karn, Pueblo Centennial, Sr.; Scott Lillibridge, Liberty, Sr.; James Martinez, Golden, Sr.; Marcus Miera, Pueblo South, Sr.; Kyle Reddy, Broomfield, Sr.; Morgan Sacco, Greeley Central, Sr.; Jabari Velinor, Cheyenne Mountain, Sr.; Jeff Wrona, Pueblo Centennial, Sr.
