For Colorado football players still chasing a championship, Thanksgiving also came with its usual, added bonus.
The opportunity to practice on the holiday is considered a valued badge of honor.
“It’s great,” Cherry Creek junior linebacker Santino Marchiol said.
Valor Christian coach Rod Sherman said “a day doesn’t go by that I’m not thankful for it.”
— The all-league matchups in Saturday’s Class 5A semifinals, Columbine-Pomona (Jefferson County League) and Valor Christian-Cherry Creek (Centennial), have all kinds of familiarity.
Pomona beat Columbine twice in a span of five games in 2014. Over two seasons, this will be their fourth meeting over 19 games. The Rebels won this year’s regular-season meeting by 42-35.
Concerning Valor-Creek, the two programs did their meetings twice over seven weeks the past season, with the Bruins taking both, including in the 5A final, and are looking at their fourth head-to-head matchup over 20 games. Valor won this season’s Centennial battle by 10-0.
— In Saturday’s 2A finale, where Bayfield (11-0) will visit Platte Valley (11-1) at Bronco Stadium in Kersey, it has the makings of a classic matchup. The road Wolverines have permitted only 70 points on defense, tops in the class. Conversely, the host Broncos have scored 455 points, second in 2A, and are led by Tanner Schwindt, who has rushed and passed for 2,409 yards and 29 touchdowns.
— For 1A, there is significant familiarity as well as dominance. Paonia was 4-5 in 2012. However, the Eagles, 11-1 in 2015 and 36-2 over three seasons, have won two consecutive state titles and had a 26-game winning streak. Quarterback Trevor Walters has rushed and passed for 2,824 yards and 38 TDs. They will be at Buena Vista’s Demon Field. The Demons are 35-2 over three seasons with both losses to Paonia, in the semifinals two seasons ago and the final in 2014.
— The 8-man title also involves a rematch. On Oct. 30, Sedgwick County handled host Akron 22-3. The two will do it again in Akron. Sedgwick County has been thorough — the Cougars are tops in the class in both scoring (661 points) and defense (only 93 points permitted). The Rams stand second (104) in points allowed. Plus, they have three 1,000-yard rushers — Darrion Gibbs (1,179 yards, 15 TDs), Levi Basler (1,123 yards, 15 TDs) and Austin Couch (1,077 yards, 10 TDs).
