Trust me, Heritage and Wheat Ridge are ready for some football, as in really ready.
When was the last time two in- state teams, which will go at it Friday afternoon, ever had such, well — and I’ll be polite — noncompetitive regular seasons before meeting?
There’s no other way to state it.
Through eight weeks, Heritage has outscored the opposition by an aggregate 387-6, not allowed a point the past 25 quarters and registered seven shutouts. Apparently, the Eagles take literally the football adage “If they don’t score, we can’t lose.”
Meanwhile, Wheat Ridge owns a 416-61 combined scoring edge, has not won a game by fewer than 24 points, has three shutouts and has not permitted a point in 10 quarters. Of 285 Colorado teams, only five have scored more points than the Farmers — and they are on the 8-man and 6-man levels.
Both teams are 8-0 overall, 6-0 in the new Class 4A West Metro League, and who knows how good?
“I talked to (Heritage coach Mike Griebel) and told him that I think we’re pretty decent, but I don’t know if we’re good or not,” Farmers coach Reid Kahl said. “We beat Niwot pretty handily (34-10) and a good Dakota Ridge team (35-7), so I guess I can gauge something off that. I feel good about it.
“But I’ve never been in a situation like this.”
The situation is like this for multiple reasons.
Littleton’s Heritage, a quarterfinalist in 5A in 2007, dropped to 4A and began the season as The Denver Post/9News top-ranked 4A team. Wheat Ridge has long been a proud Colorado challenger and occupied one of Jefferson County’s tougher neighborhoods.
Foremost, neither team has any business being in this league with three other Jeffco schools (Dakota Ridge, Golden and Green Mountain) and the lower end of Denver (John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, North, South and West, a combined 8-32).
Was being Einstein required to foresee this coming?
It has turned into the biggest blip on the every-two-seasons realignment radar, an embarrassing, unnecessary failure in the latest attempt to legislate parity in schoolboy football.
Has it been fun? Hardly. Not for anyone. Heritage and Wheat Ridge players, coaches and followers realize they’re not current national powers such as Trinity, Texas, or St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla., even if they’re made out to be. For crying out loud, these guys have been working harder in practice than in games.
Their kingdoms for a game . . .
“You wonder if you’re ready,” Kahl said.
Supporters are restless. Even The Denver Post has fielded several inquiries, mostly in the form of complaints, about the West Metro’s inequities, as in what are we teaching the kids, who’s responsible, why is this permitted to continue and how come someone hasn’t fixed this?
Instead of trying to improve and being challenged, Griebel and Kahl have had to worry about nonsense, such as not running up the score or debating when third-stringers should take a knee.
It’s funny; 2008 could be one of those silly years, or Colorado continues to needlessly adhere to an inundated enrollment policy that lacks vision and relevance — and badly is in need of leadership.
Remember, while school representatives may not possess binoculars that peek into the future, they are responsible for organization. Obviously, greed has blinded what is supposed to be an educational approach, and their playoffs-are-my- right viewpoints are showing again — 4A has talked of increasing its postseason field from 16 to 24 teams for a play-in round (to keep up with 5A’s 32-team bracket) instead of dealing with more significant problems.
If it is what is, then what it is is terrible.
Final shot — two teams with odd seasons will meet for an odd kickoff, at 4 p.m.
Heading into Week 9, The Denver Post game of the week, Friday night’s Mullen at Grandview in 5A, No. 2 vs. No. 1, heads a round with much to be decided, including the following:
Today.
At least a share of second place in the 4A North Metro is on the line when Littleton visits Standley Lake. The Lions will host league leader Ralston Valley in Week 10. . . . Unsung Mountain View can do no worse than remain a game off the 3A Tri-Valley pace set by Fort Morgan if it handles host Northridge. The Mountain Lions have not lost since Week 2, to undefeated Fort Morgan.
Friday.
Must-see 5A Big 8, one we’ve been waiting for — Columbine against Pomona for the league crown. . . . The Greeley West-Niwot winner will clinch at least a tie for the 4A Northern. . . . Two-time defending 1A champion Akron is looking to complete its third consecutive regular season, against visiting Wray in the North Central. The Rams have won 34 games in a row.
Saturday.
Has anyone else noticed veteran coach Don McGatlin, a.k.a. the old cowboy, has Miami-Yoder undefeated and in the 8-man cross- division playoffs? The Buffaloes (8-0) will take on Cheyenne Wells. . . . Douglas County’s Huskies, stung by consecutive losses in overtime to begin the season, are seeking satisfaction, as well as a better playoff seed, when they battle rival Highlands Ranch in the 5A Southern.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
