Colorado high school football rankings, Week 3: Mountain Vista continues to make case it’s state’s most dominant team
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Receiver Jakhai Mack gets ready to line up during football practice at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, Co on Aug. 12, 2024. Mountain Vista football is coming off one of the best seasons in school history and has a chance to raise the bar once again this fall. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
A look at the Post Preps Top 10 for Classes 5A, 4A and 3A going into Week 3:
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Class 5A
| Team | Record | Previous | Last week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cherry Creek | 1-1 | 1 | W (42-10 at Millard North, Neb.) |
| Comment: Bruins get “break” from globe-trotting start to season with visit from Raiders. This week: vs. Regis Jesuit, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 2. Mountain Vista | 3-0 | 2 | W (55-12 at Erie) |
| Comment: Three weeks of evidence — and a 173-18 cumulative score — indicate Golden Eagles may be state’s most dominant team. This week: at Cherokee Trail, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 3. Columbine | 2-0 | 4 | W (16-14 at No. 5 Legend) |
| Comment: Rebels always have at least one top-flight RB. Senior James Basinger (275 yards, 4 TDs in two weeks) is this year’s edition. This week: vs. Fossil Ridge, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 4. Valor Christian | 2-0 | 5 | Bye |
| Comment: After knocking off two ranked teams in first two games, Rebels head to Salt Lake for an interstate tussle. This week: at Salt Lake City East, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 5. Legend | 2-1 | 3 | L (16-14 vs. No. 3 Columbine) |
| Comment: No shame in Titans falling in waning moments to defending 5A champions. This week: vs. Prairie View, 1 p.m. Saturday. | |||
| 6. Ralston Valley | 2-0 | 6 | W (10-9 at No. 9 Grandview) |
| Comment: Mustangs have won a shootout (48-38 vs. Erie) and defensive slugfest (10-9 at Grandview). A clear indicator RV is for real. This week: vs. Mullen, 7:30 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 7. Chatfield | 2-0 | 7 | W (34-12 at Horizon) |
| Comment: Senior Brock Narva already has 6 TDs, 17 tackles and 1 pass deflection. This week: vs. Eaglecrest, 4 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 8. Fairview | 2-0 | NR | W (35-30 at Arvada West) |
| Comment: Knights showed impressive balance (231 yards rushing, 215 passing) in takedown of solid Arvada West squad. This week: vs. Boulder, 5:30 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 9. Grandview | 0-2 | 9 | L (10-9 vs. No. 6 Ralston Valley) |
| Comment: Wolvers have played, and narrowly lost to, pair of top 10 teams. Once offense catches up to defense, they’ll be a tough out. This week: at Legacy, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 10. Castle View | 2-0 | NR | W (28-0 vs. Chaparral) |
| Comment: Much like last year’s 8-4 squad, this year’s Sabercats are built on stingy defense with one TD allowed over two games. This week: at Horizon, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
Class 4A
| Team | Record | Previous | Last week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Palmer Ridge | 2-0 | 1 | W (42-0 vs. Doherty) |
| Comment: Bears’ regular-season win streak now at 26, with defense posting nine shutouts during that run. This week: at Lewis-Palmer, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 2. Broomfield | 2-0 | 2 | W (46-0 vs. Monarch) |
| Comment: Eagles averaging 319.5 rushing yards through two games and 6.8 yards per carry. This week: at Rocky Mountain, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 3. Montrose | 3-0 | 5 | W (35-14 vs. Palisade) |
| Comment: No team has been closer than within 20 points of Red Hawks entering fourth quarter of their first three games. This week: Bye. | |||
| 4. Mesa Ridge | 2-0 | 3 | W (50-47 vs. Northfield) |
| Comment: Craziest stat of Week 2? Or the season? Senior Sonny Rogers’ 222 yards on three receptions vs. Northfield — a cool 74.0 yards-per-catch average. This week: at No. 8 Dakota Ridge, 7:30 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 5. Pueblo West | 3-0 | 6 | W (21-17 vs. 3A No. 9 Pomona) |
| Comment: Cyclones are 3-0 for fifth straight season. Only one of previous four teams won their fourth game. This week: vs. 3A No. 2 Lutheran, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 6. Heritage | 1-1 | 4 | L (42-28 vs. Arapahoe) |
| Comment: Fifth straight loss in Milk Jug game has to sting. But this is no time to mope. Northfield might be best 0-2 team in Colorado. This week: vs. Northfield, 6 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 7. Vista Ridge | 2-0 | 7 | W (38-14 at Evanston, Wyo.) |
| Comment: QB Zayden Stevens (8 TDs passing/rushing) has Wolves offense looking explosive again. This week: vs. Denver South, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 8. Dakota Ridge | 1-1 | 8 | W (37-20 at 3A No. 4 Green Mountain) |
| Comment: Eagles get ranked opponent for third straight week. And this latest one can score in bunches. This week: vs. No. 3 Mesa Ridge, 7:30 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 9. Ponderosa | 1-1 | 10 | W (24-14 at Rampart) |
| Comment: Senior Ethan Pekarek earned himself a few helmet stickers with 4 tackles for loss and 1 pick last week at Rampart. This week: vs. 3A No. 1 Roosevelt, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 10. Riverdale Ridge | 2-0 | NR | W (28-0 vs. Poudre) |
| Comment: Eight quarters into 2024, and Ravens defense has yet to allow a single point. This week: at Severance, 7 p.m. Friday | |||
Class 3A
| Team | Record | Previous | Last week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Roosevelt | 2-0 | 4 | W (38-21 vs. No. 3 Holy Family) |
| Comment: Rough Riders have now beaten Holy Family five straight times. No. 6 might be required to win state title in December. This week: at 4A No. 9 Ponderosa, 7 p.m. Thursday | |||
| 2. Lutheran | 2-0 | 1 | W (56-20 vs. Fort Morgan) |
| Comment: Lions drop a spot only because of Roosevelt’s win over defending 3A champs. They could be back up at No. 1 with upset of Pueblo West on Friday. This week: at 4A No. 5 Pueblo West, 7 p.m. Friday | |||
| 3. Holy Family | 1-1 | 2 | L (38-21 at No. 1 Roosevelt) |
| Comment: Take Roosevelt out of the equation and Tigers are 21-3 since start of 2022 season. This week: Bye. | |||
| 4. Green Mountain | 1-1 | 3 | L (37-20 vs. 4A No. 8 Dakota Ridge) |
| Comment: After falling to Dakota Ridge, Rams get another tough Jeffco test in Pomona. This week: at No. 9 Pomona, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 5. Windsor | 1-1 | 5 | W (34-9 at Longmont) |
| Comment: Wizards righted ship with dominant defensive showing at Longmont. This week: vs. Montbello, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 6. Mead | 2-0 | 6 | W (16-14 vs. Frederick) |
| Comment: Mavs defense, which shut out Frederick in second half last Friday, has 11 tackles for loss and 7 sacks through two weeks. This week: Bye. | |||
| 7. Thompson Valley | 2-0 | 7 | W (43-0 vs. Greeley Central) |
| Comment: It appears Garet Hendrickson (217 yards on 13-of-15 passing in second varsity start at QB) has found footing under center. This week: at Tinmath, 7 p.m. Friday. | |||
| 8. Pueblo Central | 2-0 | 8 | W (32-7 at Eaton) |
| Comment: Kris Cotterman’s Wildcats eyeing first 3-0 start to season in five years. This week: vs. Alamosa, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 9. Pomona | 1-1 | 9 | L (21-17 at 4A No. 5 Pueblo West) |
| Comment: Panthers were one quarter away from 2-0 in Pueblo. Another stern test awaits. This week: vs. No. 4 Green Mountain, 7 p.m. Thursday. | |||
| 10. Discovery Canyon | 1-1 | NR | W (32-14 vs. Pueblo East) |
| Comment: Similarly, one bad half vs. Pueblo Central is the only reason Thunder isn’t unbeaten. This week: vs. Rampart, noon Saturday. | |||
Note: All stats taken from Maxpreps.com.
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