Denver Post staff writer Neil H. Devlin looks at the action ahead in high school sports:
FOOTBALL
Rocky Mountain: Lobos lingering. In case you missed it, Rocky Mountain won wildly, 35-33 over crosstown rival Poudre, last weekend in the Class 5A Front Range League. About 5,500 Fort Collins-area fans stopped by J. Ray French Field and were treated to combined offense a first down or so shy of 900 yards, plus 10 scoring plays from scrimmage. It occurred a week after the Lobos fought off host Horizon in a must-win game that set up the meeting with Poudre. Half a game off the pace set by Legacy, Rocky Mountain would force the league-championship issue if it defeats visiting Northglenn on Saturday. The Lobos host Fort Collins on Oct. 26 and wouldn’t turn down help.
All-stars: Showcase space. Lots of football remains, but Columbine defensive lineman Curtis Cunningham and Ponderosa linebacker Jon Major will earn additional downs in front of a national audience. The Under Armour High School All-American game, formerly the ESPNU game, will be played Jan. 5 at Walt Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. It will be televised live on ABC and tape-delayed on the West Coast. Selected by scouts and recruiters, Cunningham and Major, two of 80 seniors selected nationally, will be directed by former NFL coaches and current prep bosses, including Ponderosa’s Randy Huff.
SOFTBALL
State tournament: Late break. Don’t kid yourself. As one of the most interesting, competitive fall offerings each school year, softball’s final rounds Friday and Saturday at the Aurora Sports Park also will come with a reminder as opposed to a disclaimer. It’s the last fall sport that needs to beat the bad weather.
FIELD HOCKEY
Quarterfinals: Eight to go. Field hockey’s growth in the Rocky Mountains has been relatively slow and dominated by private schools since sanctioning, but girls and sticks have mixed. The final eight will be pared to four by Saturday, setting up semifinals for Wednesday. The championship will be contested Oct. 29 at Denver’s All-City Stadium.
CROSS COUNTRY
Cool runnings. By Saturday, regionals will be completed – championships on eight consecutive weeks began Oct. 13 and will last into Dec. 1. Cooler weather could make for cooler races. By the way, this will be the final prep race at The Vineyard Golf Course/El Pomar Complex in Colorado Springs. The land has been sold, construction for something else is underway and the only interest toward a new site, according to CHSAA assistant commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green, has come from Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Pueblo. Discussion is set for Nov. 19. Surely, Kent Denver or southeastern Aurora would want in on the bidding.
BOYS SOCCER
Elimination pitch. Friday will be it for the regular season. On Sunday, officials will announce playoff brackets for three classifications, and the real fun will begin. Upper classes, 5A and 4A, will embark on 32-team outlays; for 3A, it’s a 16-team group. Ultimately, the championship matches, 3A on Nov. 3, and 5A-4A on Nov. 7, are among the fall’s best draws.
