CLASS 5A
No. 8 Pine Creek (5-3) vs. Regis Jesuit (4-4)
When/where: 6:30 p.m. Friday at Kellogg Stadium
Last meeting: Pine Creek 28, vs. Valor Christian 14, Oct. 26, 2024
Streaming/Radio: NFHS Network, 92.5 FM
Regis Jesuit gets another shot at a statement win with Pine Creek coming to Aurora. Three of the Raiders’ four losses have come against teams currently ranked in the Post Preps Top 10, and the other was to an out-of-state power. Now they’ve got Pine Creek and No. 5 Legend to close out the regular season and are sitting on the edge of getting to host a first-round game in the 5A state playoffs. Pine Creek’s three losses are also to current Post Preps Top 10 teams, and the Eagles have work to do in order to vault back into the top 8 of the CHSAA seeding index and earn a first-round bye.
Grandview (4-4) vs. Eaglecrest (6-2)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Legacy Stadium
Last meeting: Grandview 38, vs. Eaglecrest 15, Oct. 25, 2024
Streaming: NFHS Network
Eaglecrest may not be in the Post Preps Top 10, but the Raptors are No. 7 in the ranking system that matters most — the CHSAA seeding index. That means the Raptors have a shot at earning a first-round bye in the 5A state playoffs if they manage to win out. Easier said than done, of course, with Grandview and Arapahoe on the docket the last two weeks. Grandview is smarting after a 14-7 loss to Cherokee Trail and could use another win if it wants to host a first-round playoff game — especially with Cherry Creek looming in Week 10.
CLASS 4A
Frederick (6-2) vs. Monarch (6-2)
When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday at Spangenberg Field
Last meeting: Monarch 21, at Frederick 20, Oct. 25, 2024
Streaming: NFHS Network
A league title will be on the line for the second straight year when Frederick and Monarch meet in Lafayette. The Coyotes won the last meeting and are 4-1 over their last five games with Malakhi Payne, uh, bringing the pain with 798 yards and 11 TDs rushing. The junior RB will need to produce more of that to trade haymakers with Frederick’s explosive offense. Matt Loyd’s Golden Eagles are averaging 39.5 points per game over their current six-game win streak, with the senior combination of QB Preston Kissinger (1,406 yards, 15 TDs on 79.2% passing) and SB Sonny Delpizzo (1,637 total yards) doing much of the damage.
Bear Creek (6-2) vs. Ponderosa (5-3)
When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday at EchoPark Stadium
Last meeting: Ponderosa 41, at Bear Creek 0, Oct. 25, 2024
Streaming: NFHS Network
Ponderosa finds itself back in the 4A mix after posting back-to-back shutouts of Highlands Ranch and Golden. Jaron Cohen’s Mustangs have risen all the way to No. 11 in the latest CHSAA seeding index and could climb higher with a win over Bear Creek. The Bears are trying to get right after losing two straight to Golden and Heritage, the last a 35-21 setback that saw Heritage pull away with a 21-point third quarter. Tom Thennel has turned things around in his return to Lakewood, but the Bears’ hopes of hosting a state playoff game may rest on winning this one.
No. 1 Dakota Ridge (8-0) vs. Golden (6-2)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Marv Kay Stadium
Last meeting: Dakota Ridge 47, vs. Golden 21, Oct. 25, 2024
Dakota Ridge and Golden head to the Colorado School of Mines campus to renew a series that’s gone the Eagles’ way seven of the last nine years. Dakota Ridge is chasing its third unbeaten regular season in the last six seasons, and has looked invulnerable through eight weeks. The Eagles have beaten all eight of their opponents by double-digit margins, getting touchdowns from their defense and special teams with regularity. With Golden coming off a shutout loss to Ponderosa, the Demons must turn things around quickly.
Cheyenne Mountain (7-1) vs. Grand Junction (6-2)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Stocker Stadium
Last meeting: Grand Junction 32, at Cheyenne Mountain 15, Oct. 25, 2024
Streaming: NFHS Network
Nobody has been able to stop the Cheyenne Mountain offense through eight weeks. Even in their lone loss of the season, the Red-Tailed Hawks managed to put 45 points and 350 rushing yards against No. 8 Sand Creek. The bigger challenge will be stopping a Grand Junction attack that’s dangerous in its own right. The Tigers have scored 138 total points since a shutout loss vs. No. 5 Durango, with senior RB Matthais Martinez-Santana averaging 10.7 yards per carry over that period. First to 40 wins?
No. 4 Broomfield (7-1) vs. No. 6 Riverdale Ridge (8-0)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Riverdale Ridge Stadium
Last meeting: Broomfield 22, vs. Riverdale Ridge 13, Oct. 25, 2024
Streaming: NFHS Network
Is Riverdale Ridge ready to join 4A’s elite? The Ravens have feasted on a schedule that, through eight weeks, includes nary a team with a winning record. The combined record of their eight opponents: 11-52. Now, the Ravens get a chance to prove they’re ready for prime time with the reigning 4A champion Broomfield Eagles coming to Thornton. Riverdale Ridge has shut out three opponents this season and is giving up an average of just 5.6 points per game. Do that against the high-powered Eagles (40.0 points per game), and the rest of 4A will take notice.
CLASS 3A
No. 6 Lutheran (5-2) vs. No. 3 Holy Family (6-1)
When/where: 7 p.m. Friday at Mike G. Gabriel Stadium
Last meeting: Lutheran 42, vs. Holy Family 35, Oct. 25, 2024
They sit on opposite ends of the Denver metro, but Lutheran and Holy Family have created one of 3A’s better football rivalries in recent years. The two programs have met five times since 2020, with Holy Family holding a 3-2 edge, including a 3A championship game win in 2023. Now they meet with a league championship likely up for grabs, with both teams coming off back-to-back shutout victories. Holy Family has a pair of big-game wins over Mead and Roosevelt on its resume. Lutheran needs one of its own to climb into the top eight of the CHSAA seeding index.
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