It’s a Super Saturday of Colorado schoolboy football, with four sets of semifinals and two championship games, arguably the best day to watch.
Ten of the 12 games are at 1 p.m., so digest some of the following names, numbers, places and faces before you pick one:
Cherry Creek (10-2) is bidding for its 15th championship-game appearance. The Bruins’ 14th, in 2004, came a game after downing Columbine, Saturday’s Class 5A semifinal opponent, 24-20 in a memorable final-four matchup. . . .
Columbine (11-1) has 5A’s best win-loss percentage (.870) in the 2000s. It shouldn’t be a shock. The next victory for coach Andy Lowry’s Rebels will be their 100th, against 15 losses. Barring a total collapse by the four-time champions since 1999, and we know that won’t occur, they are a shoo-in to surpass Cherry Creek’s 107-26 mark in the 1990s. . . .
Mullen (10-2), which will host Poudre in a 5A semifinal, is a hair behind at 86 percent. The Mustangs are 101-17 this decade and are in the semifinals for the sixth consecutive time. In fact, Mullen coach Dave Logan has been on the schoolboy job for 16 years and made at least the semis 12 times. . . .
Run-stoppers? Check out Poudre’s Impalas (10-2), who have been as relentless as an Army Ranger. They have allowed a ridiculously low 620 yards in 12 games. Who else does that in 5A ball? . . .
Pine Creek is on new 4A ground and loving it. The Eagles (12-0), who will be at Greeley West, are working on their first undefeated season and title-game appearance. . . .
Greeley West (11-1) might as well be considered undefeated in 4A. The Spartans’ lone setback in 2008 was to Class 5A Legacy, 6-0. . . .
Think it’s difficult to go undefeated? Wheat Ridge (12-0) will take on 4A West Metro League foe Dakota Ridge — the Farmers beat the Eagles 35-7 in Week 4 — and is nearing its first title since 2006, when coach Reid Kahl won in his first season. Two years ago, the Farmers were a dominant 13-1, with the loss by a point to Ralston Valley. . . .
Credit Dakota Ridge (9-3). The Eagles didn’t flinch when all of the 4A West Metro news was about how Heritage and Wheat Ridge weren’t really challenged all regular season. Dakota Ridge lost to both of them, yet is here thanks to 88 points in two playoff games. . . .
Mountain View (11-1), which has an interesting trip to Glenwood Springs in the 3A semis, has won 10 games in succession, six on the road. . . .
Quarterback Dakota Stonehouse has led Glenwood Springs (12-0) to victories in 22 of the Demons’ past 23 games. . . .
D’Evelyn is threatening to become the story of the year. The Jaguars, who will be at Fort Morgan, have quarterback Garrett Griffeth and his 44 touchdowns rushing and throwing. . . .
Think defense is important to Fort Morgan (12-0)? The Mustangs have scored in the 30s only twice. You can do that when you’ve surrendered a combined 100 points all season. . . .
Platte Canyon (12-0) is among a 2A final four that has an aggregate 47-1 mark, the best of any classification in 2008’s final rounds. And these are tough Huskies who deserve credit — coach Mike Schmidt’s roster is lighter in the numbers department, so many of their key players go both ways. Trust me, it’s a long football game. . . .
Obviously, Erie (11-1), which will host Platte Canyon, has forgotten its regular season-ending loss to Faith Christian. The Tigers knocked off defending state champion Platte Valley in the 2A postseason opener, defeated respected Florence 35-10. . . .
If Faith Christian (12-0) advances to the 2A final, I’ll have to pen about the grumbling of the private vs. public thing, which I really despise. Let’s accept it and move on. . . .
Yet another example of why talk is cheap in football: Olathe was unranked in The Denver Post/9News 2A preseason poll, yet is 12-0 and will host a game to play for a title. . . .
Akron (13-0), playing for its third consecutive 1A title, must receive terrible television reception. All the Rams do is talk about team and remaining humble. Funny, but if anyone in Colorado can run their mouths, it’s the Rams, who have two 38-game winning streaks this decade; four championships and a 137-24 mark since 1996, including 35-8 in the postseason; and an amazing 14 shutouts over 25 games, 20 of the past 38. . . .
Wray (10-2), a standard for decades in Eastern plains play, has a chance at one of the top upsets in some time if it can handle Akron in the 1A finale. Avoiding the four turnovers from the first meeting, which resulted in a 26-0 loss, is a must. . . .
Since losing to Dayspring Christian last month, defending 8-man champion and five-time winner since 1998 Merino has downed four foes by a combined 158-32. Color the Rams ready. . . .
However, Dayspring Christian, averaging nearly 50 points per outing, senses its second sports title. The Eagles won boys track last spring.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
