Season Preview: 3A North Central 2

Given the current state of the world and the precarious standing of high school sports in Colorado, a fall football season is guarantee in 2020 but hopeful football teams across the state are preparing for one just the same. With new alignments and leagues, football in Colorado will look a bit different. But traditional rivalries remain strong, returning standouts are ready to shine in the limelight, up-and-comers are hungry to make a name for themselves, and optimism abounds. When our local teams return to the gridiron the action promises to be as exciting as ever. To begin our league-by-league preview of the upcoming campaign, let’s take a look at the 3A North Central 2. &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Teams in the new conference</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;">Frederick, Holy Family, Mead, SkyView, Thompson Valley</p> &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Five returning players who shined last fall</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_22987" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-22987" src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/4FF567D7-0301-4034-B05D-A43FDC0D0EE8-300x214.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="214" /> [player_tooltip player_id="22531" first="Cord" last="Kringlen"][/caption]<strong>Trevin Johnson, 2021, RB, Holy Family</strong> Johnson has the luxury of running behind Division-I mauler [player_tooltip player_id="22531" first="Cord" last="Kringlen"] and will look to make the most of that advantage while pacing the Tigers’ ground game. As a junior, the speedster put up 877 rushing yards and scored seven touchdowns and was voted all conference in the Northern Metro for the second year in a row. Johnson has accumulated 1,856 yards in his three-year varsity career and will be gunning for a 1,000-yard campaign as a senior. <strong>Dominik Schleif, 2021, RB, Frederick</strong> As a junior in 2019, the 5-foot-9 senior was an excellent counterpart for star quarterback Jacob Green. Schleif rushed for 610 yards on 53 carries, scoring a total of 11 touchdowns for the Warriors that included nine scores on the ground. A dynamic player, he also caught seven passes coming out of the backfield and had an interception on defense. Schleif was a big reason the Warriors reached the Class 3A state semifinals and will play a much larger role this fall. [caption id="attachment_23298" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-23298" src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/18212334-D144-4ECB-A1C6-D0CFD4E2020B-300x273.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="273" /> Brayden Keys[/caption] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22657" first="Nathan" last="Bailey"], 2021, RB, Mead</strong> Bailey was limited to eight games in 2019 because of an injury and will be itching to get back out on the field at full strength in 2020. Despite his injury, Bailey still scored five touchdowns while rushing for 605 yards as part of a varied rushing attack that featured Nathan Mackey (graduated) and Brayden Keys (2021). At 5-foot-9, Bailey is a patient runner and, like Keys, can do a lot of things coming out of the backfield, which will make the Mavericks’ run-oriented offense difficult to game plan for in 2020. <strong>Brandon Gutierrez, 2022, QB, SkyView</strong> The Wolverines won just three games in 2019 but while they took their lumps, Gutierrez was put through a trial by fire as a sophomore. The six-foot quarterback threw for 1,244 yards and seven touchdowns, though he did also throw seven picks. Also the team’s punter, Gutierrez ran for a pair of touchdowns and will be looking to show the growth he has made as a result of his experience from 2019. <strong>Mason Derenbuger, 2021, LB, Thompson Valley</strong> Derenburger (5’8) plays in the middle of the Eagles defense and despite not being one of the biggest players on the field, the middle linebacker plays with ferocity and loves to deliver the big hit whenever he gets the chance. He was among the team leaders in tackling last season and will be a key player for the Eagles again in 2020 if they hope to continue the upswing they’ve been on in recent years. &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>A prime breakout candidate for 2020</strong></p> <strong>Corby Tecu, 2022, LB, Mead</strong> Only a sophomore in 2019, Tecu was third on the Mavericks defense with 56 total tackles. The tenacious linebacker was also second on the team with six sacks. He finished the season with a pair of pass breakups, as well as a fumble caused and a fumble recovered. Still growing and getting stronger, Tecu takes on blocks and the six-foot junior also has solid tackles form and speed, which pair well with the high-motor and relentless pursuit he exhibits on every play. &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>A way-too-early prediction</strong></p> Expect the resurgent Frederick football program to remain among the top teams in 3A after reaching the semifinals last season. But despite challenges from the Warriors, as well what looks to be a much-improved Holy Family team, it will be the Mead Mavericks who veteran-led versatile rushing game and opportunistic defense will overpower the field for the league title. Head coach Jason Klatt’s squad outscored its opponents 477-133 and entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed before being dealt an early exit, which will certainly have the Mavericks motivated to put together a deep playoff run in 2020.