What’s a good comeback for the 2024 football season?

Well … how do you top something seemingly fit for movie rights? Shrug.

The ’24 campaign will be known around town as the Year of the Comeback.

In the Class 4A championship game up in Fort Collins, Broomfield looked dead in the water before it screamed back from a 21-point deficit to beat Montrose for its second state title in three years.

And it wasn’t even the most impressive rally of the postseason.

In the 5A quarterfinals weeks earlier, Fairview looked — deader? — down 11 to heavy favorite Mountain Vista in the final 2 minutes and 15 seconds of regulation. Sandwiched around a successful onside kick, Toray Davis then caught two late touchdowns from quarterback Ki Ellison (more about them later), the last coming with 27.5 seconds remaining, as the Knights stunned the Highlands Ranch program in a 49-45 victory. It will go down as one of the greatest high school football games played in Colorado.

These kinds of comeback stories took different forms, too. Like in Frederick quarterback Gavin Ishmael, who just kept coming back from injury. The Golden Eagles grad could’ve turned his 2024 injury report into a senior term paper: he hurt his hamstring during summer camp, his quad a few weeks after that, then his shoulder on his throwing arm weeks later. And despite it, he started every game, posting MVP numbers with his arm and legs while leading his team to the second round of the 4A postseason. At season’s end, he was named Sports Illustrated’s Colorado football player of the year as well as the Longmont-Times Call football POY.

Now it’s 2025’s turn. Good luck.

To kick off our “Fall ‘Four’cast” series, let’s take a look at four football storylines we’re eager to see play out.

Storyline 1: Broomfield reloading

Broomfield didn’t have any glaring weaknesses in 2024 as it marched itself to the 4A championship. Six of its players were named all-state first team, though five of them were seniors. So, how do the Eagles reload and compete for a third title in four years?

The Eagles will have a new quarterback this fall after graduating 2024 starter Darien Jackson and QB-turned-wildcard standout CT Worley.

The favorite for it (at least from an outside perspective) is junior Matthew Merilatt. Per several outlets, he is already regarded as one of the state’s top QBs in the Class of 2027. In his limited action as a sophomore, Merilatt threw for 146 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions on 16-of-24 passing.

Merilatt, or whoever the QB is, won’t be the only one stepping up, either.

In the trenches, the Eagles have a lot to replace, including 2024 all-state first-teamers in two-way lineman Ty LaCrue and defensive end Elliot Less. They do return another first-teamer in Isaiah Garcia Perez. The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder was a brick wall on the offensive line last season.

Offensively in general, there’s a lot to overcome. Of their 77 touchdowns last season, only seven came from possible 2025 returners. And of that, now-senior Gavin Janssen is the only one who had two scores, as he ran for 88 yards on 16 carries.

Defensively, their top eight players in tackles from last season are gone, and so is Daily Camera defensive player of the year Mikhail Benner, the standout cornerback who is committed to Air Force. The good news for them is they should get back another talented corner in John Singleton, who was second on the team with four interceptions last year.

Storyline 2: Fairview’s air attack still looks strong

Fairview returned to its roots and threw all over its opposition last fall. Ellison was just a sophomore as he tossed for nearly 3,000 yards, much of it to one of the best wide receiver groups in the state. But of that WR corps, Jordan Rechel — who longtime coach Tom McCartney called “a once-in-a-generation player” — is gone, signed with the University of Northern Colorado. And so is Luke Strickland, who is committed to play at the University of San Diego. So, what does that air attack look like in 2025?

Well, the Ellison-Davis connection is still intact. And we should probably see even more of it this fall now that Rechel and Strickland graduated.

Last season, Davis, as a safety and wide receiver, asserted himself as one of the best players in the state. He had 11 receiving scores, six more on the ground, and tallied four interceptions. In June, he committed to UCLA.

Along with Davis, Sabi Ruttgers (who was fourth on the team with 301 receiving yards last year) could also see more chances come his way.

Storyline 3: Erie in year two of 5A

Erie had a successful first season in 5A. After the Tigers moved up a classification following their 2023 state title, they reached the quarterfinals, where they bowed out to eventual state champ Cherry Creek. How will they fare in Year 2 of 5A?

The Tigers have some large holes to fill with the graduation of quarterback Ronin Ward, two-time Longmont-Times Call defensive player of the year Carson Hageman and 5A all-state second-team offensive lineman Cole Powell.

But they should return a lot of nice pieces, too … one being two-way senior standout Braylon Toliver.

In 2024, Toliver rushed for 1,173 yards on just 126 carries (an astounding 9.1 yards per carry). Defensively, meanwhile, he had six interceptions.

In May, he committed to Oregon State.

Storyline 4: Week Zero football

Week Zero football in Colorado is now just 37 days away. There are six games currently set for Aug. 21’s opening night, per MaxPreps, and it includes three local teams. Niwot and Skyline are slated to face each other, likely at Everly-Montgomery Field. Monarch is hosting Poudre. What will be at stake?

The Niwot-Skyline game features a couple of programs who have struggled in recent years. The Cougars went winless in 2024, while the Falcons finished 1-9. An opening-night win could do wonders for either team’s confidence at the outset of 2025.

Monarch, on the other hand, will be looking to build off coach Jeff Santee’s successful first season at the reins. Back in charge of a local high school team for the first time since stepping down as Boulder’s coach in 2012, Santee led the Coyotes to a 4A Northern League title and a trip to the second round of the 4A playoffs.

Coming within a play or two of knocking off Mesa Ridge to reach the quarterfinals, they finished 9-3.

In last year’s season opener, the Coyotes beat the Impalas 29-14.

The following week, 2024 3A runner-up Mead leads the way as it travels to Pueblo South on Aug. 28. The Mavericks, behind an unrelenting defense, went 11-2 last year, falling to Thompson Valley, 16-14, in the finals.