With the playoff field down to eight teams in the Class 5A and 4A classifications, Friday’s and Saturday’s quarterfinal round lived up to the promise of an array of matchups between top-tier programs.
Friday night’s 5A action featured a back-and-forth duel between No. 5 Eaglecrest and No. 6 Regis Jesuit, with Regis Jesuit holding Eaglecrest to just three points in the second half and emerging with a 34-24 win in a game that had six lead changes.
In other 5A games, No. 7 Cherry Creek used a big night from senior Trey Windham — not to mention a dominant presence in the trenches — to upset No. 2 Mullen 34-17. And No. 3 Valor Christian and No. 1 Pomona both used a big second half to cruise by No. 6 Grandview and No. 9 Columbine, respectively, as the Eagles won 66-35 and the Panthers won 42-21.
Coach Jay Madden and heavyweight Pomona now face upstart Regis Jesuit in the semifinal round, as the Raiders are gunning for their first-ever football title. Meanwhile, Valor Christian faces off against Cherry Creek in the playoffs for the third consecutive season; the Bruins beat the Eagles to win the 2014 5A title, and then the Eagles returned the favor by sending the Bruins home in the semifinals last year.
In 4A action Friday night, Pine Creek cruised by Greeley West 28-9, thanks in large part to two rushing touchdowns from freshman sensation David Moore III.
On Saturday, defending champion No. 8 Windsor ended No. 1 South’s perfect season with a 42-21 win and No. 2 Chatfield got by No. 10 Fruita Monument 36-28.
Meanwhile in 3A, No. 1 Discovery Canyon will take on No. 5 Silver Creek in one semifinal next week, and No. 11 Mead plays two-time defending champion Pueblo East, the No. 2 seed, in the other semifinal.
In 2A, No. 1 La Junta advanced to the title game with a dramatic 14-13 victory over No. 5 Bayfield on Saturday, while coach Scott Yates notched his record-tying 315th career victory to lead Kent Denver to its seventh title game showing with Saturday’s 21-14 win over No. 10 Delta.
And in 8-man, No. 1 Sedgwick County and No. 3 Akron advanced to next weekend’s title, while Hi-Plains captured the 6-man title Saturday with a 66-44 victory over Cheyenne Wells, thanks to senior Cameron Klann’s three fourth quarter touchdowns.
