Class 5A
1. Mountain Vista (10-0) won at Castle View, 49-7: Sammy Brown put the Golden Eagles on the board early with a three-yard rushing TD, then reeled in a 41-yard TD catch from Austyn Modrzewski midway through the second to give Mountain Vista a two-touchdown lead. The Golden Eagles didn’t look back, and Jack Blais’s 21-yard rushing score in the third quarter ignited the blowout. Jakhai Mack put an exclamation point on the undefeated regular season with a 71-yard TD return off a pick-six. Next week: TBD
2. Cherry Creek (9-1) won vs. Grandview, 35-18: Brady Vodicka had first-half TD passes to Jeremiah Hoffman, and two to Ty Goettsche, one of which was set up by a blocked punt. Then in the second half, as the Bruins defense lived up to its billing, Max Lovett’s TD catch made it a three-score game late in the third quarter. Xay Neto had two receiving TDs for the Wolves. Next week: TBD
3. Valor Christian (9-1) won at Rock Canyon, 59-7: Watch out, the Eagles are playoff-ready. Valor topped 50 points for the second week in a row, as junior running back Chase Hanosh ran for 170 yards and four touchdowns on just 11 carries, and junior QB Dawson Olk completed 10 of 14 passes for 109 yards and a score. Since losing to Mountain Vista at the start of October, the Eagles have outscored their last four opponents 205-27. Next week: TBD
4. Legend (9-1) won at No. 10 Regis Jesuit, 31-3: Both defenses came to play to start as the score was 0-0 after one quarter. But the Titans used a rushing TD and a field goal to take a 10-0 lead before the Raiders responded with a field goal of their own before halftime. Legend owned the third quarter, as a fake punt led to one touchdown and a fumble recovery as well as an interception led to two more scores to make it a blowout. Next week: TBD
5. Ralston Valley (9-1) won at Arvada West, 17-7: The Mustangs scored both of their touchdowns in the fourth quarter to hand A-West another heartbreaking loss and put the finishing touches on an unbeaten run through the 5A Metro League. Nico Benallo gave the Mustangs a 10-7 lead with a short TD run early in the fourth, then Zeke Andrews found Colby Kurtz for a 21-yard strike with 7:31 to go to put the game on ice. Next week: TBD
6. Columbine (9-1) won vs. Chatfield, 42-13: The game was tied 7-7 after one quarter, but the Rebels’ ground game was too much for the Chargers. Columbine took a 21-7 lead into halftime, then Cameron Powell’s rushing TD late in the third quarter put the Littleton rivalry out of reach for the Chargers. Columbine continued to assert its physicality from there. Next week: TBD
7. Pine Creek (7-3) won at Fountain-Fort Carson, 49-16: Rushing touchdowns by Xavier Lukes and Cameron Cooper put the Eagles up 13-0 after one quarter, then Isaak Walker’s TD catch and Jared Ibarra’s pick-six in the second quarter really got Pine Creek rolling. Lukes added another TD run as the Eagles scored on five of their six first-half possessions. Six different Pine Creek players scored as the scoreboard turned to a running clock in the fourth. Next week: TBD
8. Erie (8-2) won vs. Horizon, 50-18: The Tigers thumped the Hawks to put an exclamation point on their regular season. In their first year in Class 5A after winning the 4A title last year, Erie looks like a real threat to make some noise in the playoffs, which the Tigers enter on a seven-game heater. Next week: TBD
9. Fairview (10-0) won at Rocky Mountain, 52-0: The Knights finish the regular season undefeated for the first time in a full season since 2014. Now the question is, how far can the Knights’ high-flying passing game, and star wideout Jordan Rechel, take them in the playoffs? Next week: TBD
10. Regis Jesuit (5-5) lost vs. No. 4 Legend, 31-3: The Raiders’ regular season closes on a low note, but one thing is for certain: Regis Jesuit is battle-tested entering the postseason. Jack Manthey’s 29-yard field goal at the end of the first half was the Raiders’ lone points on the night. Next week: TBD
Class 4A
1. Pueblo West (9-1) lost at No. 2 Montrose, 27-24: The Cyclones’ dreams of an undefeated season came to an end in a loss on the Western Slope. Pueblo West went ahead early in the first quarter and then re-took the lead midway through the third quarter, then re-took the lead again via Gavin Ray Lockett’s rushing TD with about seven minutes left. But Pueblo West couldn’t hold on. Next week: TBD
2. Montrose (9-1) won vs. No. 1 Pueblo West, 27-24: The Red Hawks get a statement win to close the regular season. Montrose was shut out in the first and third quarters but uncorked 14 points in the second quarter and 13 points in the final frame en route to the upset. Chris Mock’s 1-yard rushing TD with 14 seconds left was the difference in the see-saw affair. Next week: TBD
3. Dakota Ridge (9-1) won vs. Bear Creek, 51-0: The Eagles will take a nine-game win streak into the postseason after putting 37 on the board by halftime against Bear Creek and rolling from there. Junior Landon Kalsbeck needed all of four carries to total 119 yards and a touchdown. He added another score on a pass from Kellen Behrendsen, who finished 13 of 17 for 182 yards passing and three TDs. Next week: TBD
4. Broomfield (9-1) won at Skyline, 53-16: Skyline was no match for the Eagles, who went up 38-0 by the end of the first quarter. By the time Broomfield added 15 more points in the second quarter, it was a running clock game for the second half. CT Worley’s 33-yard rushing TD and Caleb Dunn’s 30-yard receiving TD put Broomfield up early, and the Eagles never looked back. Next week: TBD
5. Mesa Ridge (7-3) won at Falcon, 40-6: The Grizzlies trounced the Falcons behind another big performance by senior quarterback Bryce Riehl, while the defense also turned in a dominant game. Next week: TBD
6. Palmer Ridge (9-1) won vs. Liberty, 45-6: The Bears looked primed for another deep playoff run in their demolition of Liberty. Palmer Ridge was up 45-0 at halftime before letting off the gas. Next week: TBD
7. Riverdale Ridge (9-1) won vs. Grand Junction Central, 49-21: The Ravens bounced back from their first loss of the season last week to Broomfield. Riverdale Ridge registered three rushing TDs to take an early lead, then went to the air for another score with under a minute left in the first half to make it 28-7. Another passing TD by Isaiah Medina midway through the third quarter put the game on ice. Next week: TBD
8. Durango (7-3) won vs. No. 10 Vista Ridge, 20-14: The Demons survived a tough test against the Wolves to head into the playoffs on a three-game win streak. Next week: TBD
9. Heritage (5-5) lost at Ponderosa, 45-34: It’s tough to determine what to make of the Eagles, who played a tough schedule but also lost all five of their could-be statement games, including on Friday in the South Metro League finale to a suddenly surging Pondo team at EchoPark Stadium. Next week: TBD
10. Vista Ridge (6-4) lost at No. 8 Durango, 20-14: Vista Ridge played Durango close, but the Wolves offense couldn’t do much, resulting in a long bus ride home. Next week: TBD