AURORA — Once again, the aptly designated Zero Week will provide an early start to Colorado’s high school football season.
This weekend’s rounds originated in the late 1990s to provide programs that struggled filling their schedule to have appropriate opponents to accumulate victory points in a complicated playoff system. The number of games has fluctuated from year to year, but the overall feeling has remained the same after the novelty dissipated.
Zero Week has grown less and less popular, particularly for upper classes. In recent seasons, most schools have agreed to play a game while others are normally scrimmaging only for fear of losing a matchup in an already short regular season.
In all, there will be 24 games in Zero Week, 22 today. Representatives from six of the state’s classes will be on display (only 6-man will be off).
“I want a do-over, a mulligan,” said Grandview coach John Schultz, whose team will open tonight (7 p.m.) at Valor Christian.
The Class 5A Wolves had an out-of- state matchup fall through for their opener in 2010, the first year in a regular two-season cycle of reassessing classes, and they had little choice.
Schools have been beginning classes in August. As a result, summer practice, notably two-a-days, has been cut short or eliminated.
Coaches openly wonder if their players are prepared to open a season in late August.
“It has been a pain,” first-year Fruita Monument coach Sean Mulvey said. “It has been tough on our kids. Are we ready?”
Schultz, whose team made last year’s semifinals, said he agrees, “but it’s also a little special. We’re the only game in town, and we get that attention.”
In being a featured part of the debut of the 91st season on state record, Grandview’s matchup in Highlands Ranch against the defending 4A state champion Eagles is only part of an interesting early stretch. The Wolves will be idle in Week 1, then welcome three-time defending 5A champion Mullen on Sept. 9.
Of note today, the Western Slope’s 5A Fruita Monument will have a long road trip to 4A regular challenger Broomfield (whose coach, Gary Davies, needs five victories for No. 200) and a couple of preseason No. 1s will go at it southeast of Denver: 2A Florence at defending 3A champion Elizabeth.
Sept. 1 is opening day in earnest for all nine fall sports. Boys golf, boys tennis and softball started this month. Next week, boys and girls cross country, field hockey, gymnastics, boys soccer and volleyball will debut.
STAY ON THE COUCH
LLWS title game.
Seems like ESPN has been showing little kids playing baseball for about two months now, but it all comes to a head Sunday with the championship game of the Little League World Series.
The ESPN family of networks started with showing the qualifiers for the Series this month, and when the final field was set, it has been on almost nonstop. After a day off today in South Williamsport, Pa., the live broadcasts switch to ABC (KMGH-7) for the weekend.
The series “semifinals” are Saturday with the International title game at 10 a.m. and the U.S. title game at 1 p.m. The winners play Sunday for the World Series championship at 1 p.m.
David Krause, The Denver Post
GET OFF THE COUCH
All-women bike ride.
Those women who would like to get in a few road miles before watching the final stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge can head up to Longmont on Sunday. The ladies will be riding across Boulder County in the fourth annual women-only Venus de Miles road bike ride.
The event starts at 7 a.m. in Longmont’s Prospect Park and has distances of 33, 51, 67 and 100 miles. At this point, registration is $129 but still open ().
And depending on your time, there is a chance you can still get over to watch the finish of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, which starts in Golden at 10:45 a.m. Sunday and finishes in downtown Denver about 1:30 p.m.
David Krause, The Denver Post
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Rockin’ to October?
It seems preposterous, doesn’t it? This idea that the Rockies — five games below .500 — could make a late-season run at the National League West title. And yet, that little miracle called “Rocktober” keeps a flame of hope flickering.
Sweep three games from the Dodgers in Los Angeles, beginning tonight, and late-summer baseball could get interesting.
“It’s a longshot. But if any team can do it, it’s us,” Troy Tulowitzki said Wednesday after the Rockies won their fifth straight game.
OK, but let’s get real. The math is not kind. The Rockies have 31 games remaining and would have to be in the ballpark of 24-7 to have a real shot. That would give them 87 wins.
Of course, lose two, or three, in L.A. this weekend and “Wait ’til next year” becomes all but official.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
