The Colorado high school football season kicks off with a handful of Week 0 games this week, followed by the rest of the state jumping into play next week. Here are eight storylines to watch:
Chasing the record books: Mountain Vista’s Austyn Modrzewski insists he doesn’t care about records, but the senior quarterback could be in line for a rather big one. Entering the season at 8,504 passing yards, Modrzewski needs 3,015 to pass Fairview’s Aidan Atkinson for the CHSAA career record. While that might sound like a lot — and it is — the South Dakota commit has topped 3,200 passing yards each of the past two seasons. If he can take the Eagles on a long state playoff run, consider it a lock.
Return of Montbello: The Far Northeast Warriors are no more. The Montbello Warriors have returned. After Montbello High School re-opened two years ago, the football program has followed suit, rebirthing a name that was once synonymous with winning back in the late 1980s, when Montbello played in three consecutive state championship games. There was some controversy a few years back when Stanley Richardson was named head coach over Tony Lindsay, who guided Far Northeast to a spring state title in 2021. But the Warriors are back on the field and will compete in what should be an entertaining 4A Denver Metro League with Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Denver North, Northfield and Aurora Central.
Jeffco League transformed: Speaking of DPS football programs, get a load of the new kinda, sorta Jeffco League — now called the 5A Metro League. Out are Lakewood (5A Metro North) and Pomona (now 3A), and in are Denver South and Denver East to compete against the likes of Arvada West, Chatfield, Columbine and Ralston Valley. All six of those programs made the playoffs last year (South in 4A), and they combined to go 52-23 overall. And that’s with Chatfield taking a few forfeits. Yikes.
Moving up, Part I: Denver South isn’t the only 4A power that suddenly finds itself swimming in 5A waters. Erie, which won the 4A title with since-departed QB Blake Barnett taking snaps last year, will be joining the Ravens along with Fruita Monument and Vista PEAK Prep. It’s safe to say South will have the most difficult mountain to climb given the depth of its league, but there’s no arguing that all four will be facing significantly more resistance this fall.
Moving up, Part II: There are, in fact, several programs that find themselves in similar positions. Rifle, which reached the 2A title game last fall, is now in 3A. Frederick, resurgent under former Ralston Valley coach Matt Loyd, has gone from 3A to 4A. The same is the case with relative newbies Northfield and Riverdale Ridge, which are coming off breakout seasons in 3A, and a Denver North program fresh off a 3A playoff bid. The Durango Demons, always the road-weary travelers and a tough out in 3A, have risen to 4A.
Moving down: The other side of that coin? The notable programs that moved down in class. Perhaps chief among them is Windsor, which reached the 4A quarterfinals last fall and is now the big kid on the block in 3A. Pomona, once a perennial 5A power under Jay Madden, dropped all the way down to 3A after going 1-9 last season. Highlands Ranch dropped from 5A to 4A.
Who will challenge Cherry Creek?: A familiar refrain among Class 5A’s top programs not named Cherry Creek: big shoes to fill at big positions. Columbine ended Creek’s run of four straight state championships last fall, going 14-0 in the process, but graduated a boatload of starters. State semifinalists Ralston Valley and Chatfield were both dangerous by the end of last year but lost elite quarterbacks. The same can be said for a perpetual thorn in Creek’s side, Grandview. The one team that returns virtually all of its skill talent, Mountain Vista, hasn’t won 10 games since 2006. A lot of questions. Soon we will start getting answers.
Road warriors: Not only is Cherry Creek loaded with college talent. Now it has a college schedule, too. While it has become common for top teams to travel out of state in search of high-level competition, the Bruins have taken it to another level. In the first four weeks of the season, Creek will make trips to Lehi, Utah (Skyridge, Aug. 30); Omaha, Neb. (Millard North, Sept. 6); and Dallas (Highland Park, Sept. 20). Sandwiched in between those games? A date with Regis Jesuit. Say this for the Bruins: They aren’t ducking anybody.
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