A look at The Denver Post’s high school games of the week for Week 8.
GAME OF THE WEEK
CLASS 5A
No. 1 Valor Christian (6-1) at Cherry Creek (4-3)
Friday, 7 p.m., Stutler Bowl
It will be Valor Christian’s first-ever appearance at the Stutler Bowl, site of so many important games, thrilelrs and title bouts in this era. … Eagles lead league at 3-0, tied with Grandview; Bruins a game back. … Valor, the two-time 5A defending champion, has beaten its last 28 in-state foes, 52 of past 53. … By committee? Seventeen different Eagles have thrown for or scored an offensive TD. … Bruins fell 24-6 to Grandview last week, the first points they surrendered in a month. … Cherry Creek managed only 127 yards last week, topped by RB Mile Hall’s 113 rushing, and managed only two field goals.
CLASS 5A
Legacy (5-2) at Monarch (4-3)
Friday, 7 p.m., Warrior Stadium
It’s the first-ever meeting between the two north-metropolitan-area programs. … Legacy is 4-1 in league, tied with Rocky Mountain and a game behind Fairview; Coyotes are 2-3. … Junior QB Matt Lynch is emerging for the Lightning, which also is getting high-end play up front and on defense. … RB Connor Connolly scored three TDs last week in a romp over Fossil Ridge. … No Lightning looking ahead is necessary – undefeated Fairview awaits and will be there win or lose. … In its first season in 5A, Monarch began 2-0, but has sputtered since. … After permitting 21 points over its first three games, the Coyotes have been hit for 107 the past five weeks.
CLASS 5A
No. 3 Pomona (6-1) at No. 5 Ralston Valley (7-0)
Friday, 7:30 p.m., NAAC
Both are 5-0 to sit atop the league, so the winner is guaranteed at least a piece of the Jeffco title. … Freshman Max Borghi ran for 140 yards and five TDs last week in a 47-28 victory over Columbine. QB Justin Roberts was an efficient 10-of-11 for 175 yards and a TD. … Nice note – ladies working in the Ralston Valley office include Dawn Roberts, Justin’s mom, and Rachel Loyd, mom to backup QB Cooper and wife of head coach Matt. … Ralston Valley has been waxing foes left and right – the Mustangs lead 5A in scoring (309 points). … No kidding, the Mustangs trailed last week, into the fourth quarter against Bear Creek, then erupted for 26 points. … The versatile Andrew Wingard ran for 176 yards and two TDs, an QB Chase Heffley threw for 145 yards and two TDs.
CLASS 5A
No. 8 Mountain Vista (7-0) at No. 6 Regis Jesuit (6-1)
Friday, 7 p.m., Lou Kellogg Stadium
The winner will be 4-0 and have clinched at least a share of the league crown. … It’s not Mountain Vista’s fault, but none of its previous seven foes have winning records and two are winless. Combined, they are 12-37. … Defense? The Golden Eagles have permitted a 5A-low 61 points. … RB Nick Schmalz has been the man for Mountain Vista with 714 yards rushing and 11 TDs, and QB Brock Rubley has thrown for eight TDs and rushed for three. … Since being a victim to Cherry Creek in its opener, Regis Jesuit has won six in a row and looked good doing it. … The Raiders have scored at least 27 points in their past six games.
CLASS 5A
Prairie View (6-1) at Denver East (6-1)
Friday, 7 p.m., All-City Stadium
Both teams are 5-0 in league and the winner will have clinched at least a tie for the Flatirons crown. … Prairie View, which won the East Metro a year ago, opened with a 32-18 loss to Horizon, then won six in a row, each by blowout, and including two shutouts (against Mountain Range and Montbello). … RB Donovan Otero had 161 yards only three carries last week in a 48-13 thumping of Northglenn. … Denver East, which has fallen only to Cherokee Trail, whipped Thornton last week and had a 28-point opening quarter. … The Angels gave up 46 points to Cherokee trail, 43 to combined to six other foes.
CLASS 5A
Overland (5-2) at No. 2 Grandview (7-0)
Thursday, 7 p.m., Legacy Stadium
Grandview RB Chuk Obinnah is averaging 146.3 rushing yards and has 10 TDs on the year. … The Wolves were dominant in a 24-6 win over Cherry Creek last week. … Overland bounced back from consecutive losses to Valor Christian and Cherry Creek to easily win 44-20 at Eaglecrest last week. … Senior QB Austin Conway has completed 65 percent of his passes for 10 TDs and just one interception. … Overland won 42-14 when the two teams faced off last season. Grandview had been the victor the nine meetings prior.
CLASS 4A
John F. Kennedy (6-1) at No. 9 Dakota Ridge (5-2)
Thursday, 6 p.m., Jeffco Stadium
Both teams are 1-1, trail Littleton and Ponderosa by a game and have two more to play in the Plains. … JFK took its first hit last week and it was a big one. The Commanders, who gave up 42 points in the first half, fell to Littleton by 63-49. … RB Jeremy Lujan has been a rushing machine for the Eagles. Despite only 56 yards against top-ranked and undefeated Pine Creek, the junior had 331 against Wheat Ridge, 246 against Standley Lake and 213 vs. Ponderosa. He has 1,272 on the season along with 16 TDs. … JFK stands sixth (250 points) in 4A scoring.
CLASS 3A
No. 4 Delta (5-2) at Eagle Valley (5-2)
Friday, 7 p.m., Eagle Valley High School
Eagle Valley’s two losses have come against ranked teams: Rifle (lost 35-12) and Glenwood Springs (42-0). … Delta junior Jonny Ponce and rushed for 1,103 yards and nine TDs this season. As a team, Delta has 25 rushing scores. … The Panthers have 19 sacks this year, led by senior Daniel Brown with eight. … Delta has won its last five meetings against Eagle Valley by an average of 29-8.
CLASS 2A
No. 4 Lamar (6-1) at No. 10 La Junta (4-3)
Friday, 7 p.m., La Junta High School
Lamar has three players with at least 340 rushing yards in Draven Adame, Hector Alvarado and Kyle Hicks. Together, they’ve combined for 1,146 yards and 13 TDs. … The Savages’ lone blemish this season was a 42-0 thumping by top-ranked Brush on Sept. 20. … La Junta held off a late push by then No. 4 Florence to win 21-20 last week. … Lamar has dominated the series between the two teams, winning nine of the past 10, including a 28-14 win last season.
CLASS 1A
No. 7 Rye (6-1) at No. 2 Buena Vista (7-0)
Friday, 7 p.m., Buena Vista High School
Rye junior RB Trey Zupancic has been averaging more than 200 yards on the ground, totaling 1,456 on the season and 13 scores. … Sophomore QB Kevin Bailey has connected on 13 TD passes, seven to senior Corban Pagnotta. … Coach Matt Flavin and the Buena Vista Demon have compiled a record of 30-2 since 2012. … Junior QB Keegan Wentz has thrown for 13 touchdowns and run for eight more this season. … Buena Vista has won the last two meetings between the teams, including a narrow 35-34 victory in 2013.
