Can a Colorado Class 4A football team be among the best in the state, regardless of classification?
The senior-laden Loveland Indians are making their case.
Top-ranked 4A Loveland (7-0) has won each of its six in-classification games by 25 points or more and the Indians defeated 5A’s eighth-ranked team, Ralston Valley (6-2), 21-17, in their only tight contest in Week 3. Overall, the Indians have outscored their opponents a whopping 273-34.
Senior running back/receiver/safety Zach Weinmaster has amassed 1,023 all-purpose yards, including 897 rushing, and four interceptions, and had a team-high 10 tackles against Ralston Valley. He and the Indians are coming off a 49-7 victory at Fort Collins last week. They previously defeated Monarch 28-3, Mountain View 42-7 and Windsor 31-0 since their statement win over the Mustangs.
“It’s the challenge of working hard, week in and week out, but we definitely do crave those closer games coming up in the playoffs,” Weinmaster said. “We want to prove we are one of the best teams in the state, rather than just one of the best teams in 4A.”
He added: “Between Valor and Cherry Creek, Ralston and Columbine — those are really good teams with a ton of numbers. Different than a big 5A team, we don’t have a lot of guys on our team. But the guys that we do have are going to compete with any other 11 guys in the state.”
Weinmaster, 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, figures to continue to wreak havoc on both sides of the ball. His older brother, Jacob Weinmaster, is a junior linebacker at Nebraska who was put on scholarship in August. The younger Weinmaster has yet to make his college commitment but already has a handful of schools to choose from, including Northern Colorado and Chadron State.
Loveland coach Wayne McGinn thinks Zach will be a running back in college.
“He’s got great vision and he explodes through the hole and can take it to the house. He’s an amazing running back,” the coach said. “He’s got the speed and quickness, and he’s tough.”
Given what occurred late last season, confident-rich Loveland won’t likely become over-confident.
The 2017 Indians took an 11-0 record into the postseason but found themselves in a close game against Broomfield. Loveland missed an extra point in overtime and bowed out with a 28-27 loss.
To begin this season, Loveland pounded Broomfield 47-0.
“It was a good one for us,” McGinn said of this year’s opener.
McGinn is in his sixth season with the Indians and says this team is unquestionably his best.
“We have so many good seniors. Not just good players but quality kids,” McGinn said. “And then I have a great staff of coaching, both on offense and defense, and we’ve all been together for three years. I think we can play with anybody (in the state). I don’t want to sound cocky or anything, but maybe top-five (5A), just because of what we did with Ralston Valley, and they’re a very good team.”
Longmont visits Silver Creek (2-5) this weekend before wrapping up the regular season at Greeley Central (2-5) and against Skyline (5-2) in the final two weeks.
