4A: (10) Cheyenne Mountain 49, Mesa Ridge 28
COLORADO SPRINGS — The supporting players stole this show, and those from Cheyenne Mountain looked ready for prime time.
Ryan McMahon rushed for four touchdowns, James Michael Sullivan added two scores and the Class 4A 10th-ranked Indians again showed offensive versatility in pulling away from Mesa Ridge late in a 49-28 home victory Friday.
With the win, Cheyenne Mountain (8-1, 3-0 Foothills) set up a league championship game against Widefield (8-1, 3-0) next week.
“We have the luxury on this offense with our players of taking what they give us,” Cheyenne Mountain coach Brian Sherman said. “The last couple of weeks, teams tried to take away the run, they crowded the box and we were able to throw the ball down the field a bit.”
Mesa Ridge made clear attempts to neutralize that passing game, led by vaunted quarterback Bret Helton. So the Indians turned to McMahon, who more than doubled his season rushing total with 179 yards on 16 carries.
James Michael Sullivan added 132 yards and two touchdowns
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3A: (1) Cañon City 19, Palmer Ridge 14
Cañon City, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, survived a rugged first half and rallied past Palmer Ridge 19-14 to remain unbeaten and clinch the the South Central League championship.
Outgained 203-65 yards in the first half, the Tigers (9-0, 4-0) took control on junior RJ Stainbrook’s 43-yard option touchdown run with 2:25 left. Stainbrook finished with 88 yards rushing.
Palmer Ridge (6-3, 4-2), which has lost two straight after a six-game winning streak, got 100 yards rushing from junior Winn Howard, who was coming off a season-high 128 yards a week ago. Quarterback Kiel Osterman passed for 128 yards.
The win also clinched a first-round home playoff game for Cañon City.
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4A: (6) Castle View 52, Littleton 13
The Sabercats, ranked No. 6 in 4A, weren’t kind to the Lions in their first game after last week’s forfeit to top-ranked Valor Christian. Castle View improved to 8-1 and 3-1 in the South Metro League. Littleton (1-8, 0-4) lost its seventh straight.
— Craig Harper, Special to The Denver Post
4A: (10) Fountain-Fort Carson 36, Pueblo South 6
PUEBLO — The Trojans, ranked No. 10 in 5A, held the Colts to negative yardage through three quarters and got a combined 240 yards and five touchdowns rushing from Anthony Davis and Trea Bankston in a non-league game.
Davis had 112 yards and four touchdowns and Bankston had 128 yards and two scores for Fountain-Fort Carson (7-2). Pueblo South (2-7) finished with 63 yards total offense, minus-12 rushing.
— C.H.
5A: (6) Horizon 30, Mountain Range 0
THORNTON —Brent Albrandt passed for 230 yards and four touchdowns as 5A’s sixth-ranked Hawks won their eighth straight and took control in the Front Range League.
Albrandt hit touchdowns of 65, 63, 31 and 28 yards, two of them to Dustin Rivas against the Mustangs (5-4, 3-2).
The Hawks (8-1, 5-0) have not lost since a season-opening 9-0 setback to No. 7 Ralston Valley.
— C.H.
Top performers from Friday night
Williams adds to gaudy totals. Eric Williams ran for 305 yards – his third 300-plus-yard game of the season – and seven touchdowns in Rock Canyon’s 61-30 win over Legend. Williams entered the week fifth in the state in rushing and now has 1,790 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Lindsay has big night. Phillip Lindsay, the state’s sixth-leading rusher entering this week’s play, carried 15 times for 225 yards and two touchdowns in Denver South’s 50-28 win over George Washington. Lindsay, who had a 53-yard scoring run, improved his season totals to 1,582 yards on 160 carries (9.9 average) and 12 touchdowns.
Jackson in action. Isiah Jackson ran 18 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns as Grandview, ranked No. 3 in 5A, rolled over Overland 41-12 to stay unbeaten (5-0) in the Creek league.
— Craig Harper, Special to The Denver Post
Friday night number
266. Points scored for an average of 44.3 per game by Wheat Ridge in a six-game winning streak since back-to-back losses to Castle View and Longmont. The Farmers, who have two shutouts in the streak, play at second-ranked Monarch next week with the Mountain Plains League championship at stake.
Top 10: How they fared
Class 5A
1. Grand Junction beat Durango 41-6
2. Columbine beat (4) Mullen 24-21
3. Grandview beat Overland 41-12
4. Mullen lost to (2) Columbine 24-21
5. Pomona beat Legacy 40-7 (Thursday)
6. Horizon beat Mountain Range 30-0
7. Ralston Valley beat Fairview 14-6 (Thursday)
8. ThunderRidge beat Douglas Co. 42-21 (Thursday)
9. Lakewood vs. Central (G.J.), today, 1 p.m.
10. Fountain-Fort Carson beat Pueblo South 36-6
Class 4A
1. Valor Christian beat Ponderosa 50-0 (Thursday)
2. Monarch beat Green Mountain 42-0 (Thursday)
3. Pine Creek beat Sand Creek 35-8
4. Longmont beat Loveland 32-6 (Thursday)
5. Montrose beat Fruita Monument 27-21
6. Castle View beat Littleton 52-13
7. Wheat Ridge beat Prairie View 42-20
8. Broomfield beat Greeley Central 48-7
9. Widefield beat Pueblo West 35-33
10. Cheyenne Mountain beat Mesa Ridge 49-28
Class 3A
1. Cañon City beat Palmer Ridge 19-14
2. John F. Kennedy at Skyview, today, noon
3. Silver Creek beat Skyline 54-7
4. Vista Ridge at Mitchell, today, 1 p.m.
5. Rifle beat (7) Palisade 36-33
6. Windsor beat Fort Lupton 47-3
7. Palisade lost to (5) Rifle 36-33
8. Battle Mountain beat Steamboat Springs 61-22
9. Holy Family lost to D’Evelyn 17-14
10. Roosevelt beat Erie 41-12
Class 2A
1. Brush beat Weld Central 51-7
2. Bayfield beat Alamosa 35-14
3. Kent Denver beat (8) Bennett 28-14
4. Florence beat La Junta 31-14
5. Eaton beat Valley 35-7
6. Faith Christian at B. Machebeuf, today, 7 p.m.
7. Trinidad beat (10) Lamar 34-20
8. Bennett lost to (3) Kent Denver 28-14
9. Pagosa Springs at Centauri, today, 1 p.m.
10. Lamar lost to (7) Trinidad 34-20
Class 1A
1. Burlington beat Ellicott 47-0
2. Hotchkiss beat Meeker 47-0
3. Lutheran vs. Denver Christian, today, 6 p.m.
4. Lyons beat Clear Creek 29-7
5. Limon beat Peyton 45-14
6. Akron beat Yuma 42-12
7. Resur. Chr. at Cornerstone Chr., today, 7 p.m.
8. Wray beat Holyoke 54-27
9. Byers, bye
10. Wiggins beat Highland 58-0
Class A 8-man
1. Hoehne beat Holly 65-0
2. Dayspring Christian vs. North Park, today, 1 p.m.
3. Norwood vs. Sierra Grande, today, 1 p.m.
4. Simla beat Miami-Yoder 53-0
5. Fowler beat Granada 24-22
Class A 6-man
1. Fleming beat Idalia 56-0
2. Deer Trail beat Weldon Valley 50-20
3. Cotopaxi vs. South Baca, today, 1 p.m.
4. Otis beat Pawnee 52-24
5. Hi-Plains beat Arickaree 54-12
Three games for next week
• Wheat Ridge vs. Monarch, Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Field. Two of the better programs in Class 4A annually will decide the Mountain Plains League title – again.
• Cheyenne Mountain at Widefield, Friday, 7 p.m., C.A. Foster Stadium. The two will meet for the 4A Foothills championship.
• Windsor at Frederick, Friday, 7 p.m., Tesone Field. It appears the 3A Tri-Valley winner won’t be decided until the final week of the regular season.
— Neil H. Devlin, The Denver Post
