Week 1 games to watch in Colorado

High school football is finally set to begin in Colorado this week. After initially settling for a spring season, the Colorado High School Activities Association set up plans to have both a fall and spring football season, and the fall season kicks off this week for the majority of high school teams in the state competing. With football finally arriving, new leagues formed and a shortened regular season and postseason field, every week becomes even more critical, and with that, some marquee games will get the season underway for many teams this week. Here is a look at some of the top games in the state for Week 1 this week. Eaglcrest vs. Cherokee Trail, Class 5A, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. [caption id="attachment_52131" align="alignright" width="221"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-52131" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/09/48A45019-E4CC-4D79-B98A-94AFB8379F62-221x300.jpeg" alt="" width="221" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="22526" first="Ty" last="Robinson"][/caption]Two of the top 10 prospects in the Class of 2021 will square off in this nonconference game down in Centennial. The No. 1 overall prospect according to Prep Redzone Colorado is Cherokee Trail’s [player_tooltip player_id="22517" first="Sam" last="Hart"], a tight end who is committed to Ohio State. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound tight end has 42 receptions for 761 yards and nine touchdowns to his name and can be a mismatch nightmare for opposing teams. On the other side is the No. 1 ranked wide receiver in the state in Eaglecrest’s [player_tooltip player_id="22526" first="Ty" last="Robinson"], a speedy receiver with 57 receptions for 1,262 yards and six touchdowns in his varsity career. The Colorado commit will look to shine for Eaglecrest in the home opener. In addition to the two receivers, there are a number of promising offensive line prospects from the Class of 2022 for both teams. For Eaglecrest, they have the No. 2 ranked offensive lineman in the state in that class in [player_tooltip player_id="22669" first="Braden" last="Miller"] and the No. 4 ranked offensive lineman in the class in [player_tooltip player_id="22674" first="Kaden" last="Weatherby"]. As for Cherokee Trail, watch for [player_tooltip player_id="22670" first="Travis" last="Gray"] (No. 3 ranked) to anchor their line. Another top offensive prospect to watch is Cherokee Trail running back [player_tooltip player_id="22723" first="Nathan" last="Gaye"], the No. 7 ranked running back in the Class of 2022. D’Evelyn vs. Resurrection Christian, Class 2A, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. Resurrection Christian came very close to playing for a state title last year, and D’Evelyn nearly missed out on reaching the playoffs in Class 2A. Both face each other, and the battle to watch will be the battle of the two quarterbacks. [player_tooltip player_id="22707" first="Will" last="Schrotenboer"] should start for Resurrection Christian and is currently ranked the No. 5 quarterback in the Class of 2022. The former starting wide receiver has a strong arm that can throw down the field as well as to the sideline on out routes. His experience playing on the outside should also aide him as the full-time starting quarterback. While he is drawing plenty of attention, the other quarterback is just as good in D’Evelyn starter Shane Bishop. He has a quick release in his throwing motion and can also push the ball down the field with accuracy. Each quarterback will also be going up against some talented pass rushers. The top sack man in all of Colorado last season was Tanner Applebee of Resurrection Christian with his 32.5 sacks. On the other side, look for D’Evelyn defensive lineman Jaden Waller to make his presence felt after recording nine sacks in 2019. Durango vs. Pueblo South, Class 4A, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. Two teams, two dynamic playmakers on the offensive end that can fill up the stat sheet. For Durango, that would be quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="22656" first="Jordan" last="Woolverton"], the man who earned an offer to play for the Colorado Buffaloes. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound quarterback was one of the few players in the state to pass and rush for more than 1,000 yards in the 2019 season. He has great touch on the deep ball and does a good job keeping his eyes downfield when moving out of the pocket, but he can also tuck the ball and run in space with good speed. Pueblo South, meanwhile, has one of the top rushers in the state in [player_tooltip player_id="22590" first="George" last="Longoria"], a blur of speed once he gets in the open field. He is a shifty back that can jump cut in the hole and shows the burst to hit the next level, but even at his size at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, he is not afraid to lower the shoulder and take on defenders. Other prospects to watch: Durango defensive back Ben Finnesath is built well at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and has the ability to cover in the passing game while stepping up and laying a hit against the run. Pueblo South will have balance on offense with quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="22715" first="Jace" last="Bellah"], an athletic playmaker who runs like a wide receiver in space and should see the field as the starting quarterback for Pueblo South. Delta vs. Bayfield, Class 2A, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. Delta reached the state championship game last season and will look to be position to make another run towards the title this fall. The biggest reason for that is quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="22585" first="Nolan" last="Bynum"], a dual-threat stat-stuffer. He gets the ball out quickly and shows accuracy and timing in the short passing game, and because he is a threat running the ball, he can freeze linebackers and safeties in the play-action game and with his eyes to get his receivers open. As a junior, Bynum threw for 2,556 yards and 34 touchdowns while completing 58 percent of his passes and ran for 329 yards and nine more scores. He also has a good left tackle protecting him in Eli Miramontes. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound tackle is good in pass protection but also athletic in the screen game to get off the line and block in the open field. Bayfield, not far removed from a state championship in 2017, was a young team last season and will look for experience to help them in 2020. Keep an eye on running back/defensive back Cael Schafer, a key player on both sides of the ball. Schafer led the team with 739 rushing yards and nine touchdowns while also recording 42 tackles and an interception in the secondary. His play on both sides of the ball will be critical in slowing down Delta’s Bynum while getting the Bayfield offense rolling. Look for him to also contribute in the special teams as a returner. Holyoke vs. Highland, Class 1A, Oct. 10, 1 p.m. One of the top teams in Class 1A and one of the rising teams in the classification square off on a Saturday afternoon. There are two prospects from Holyoke drawing some attention so far in quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="22735" first="Miles" last="Sprague"] and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="22716" first="Cade" last="Killin"]. Sprague is drawing some attention from NCAA Division II programs so far and shines on both sides of the ball. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete can chuck the ball down the field and does a good job throwing on the run, though he also runs well when he escapes the pocket. He had 2,400 total yards of offense and 24 total touchdowns while also recording 77 tackles and two interceptions on defense from his linebacker spot. Look for Killin to anchor the defense from his defensive end spot as well after recording 69 tackles in 2019. For Highland, they will be an intriguing team to watch. Running back/linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="56049" first="Holden" last="Morgan"] is another great small-school prospect from the Class of 2022 in the state. Morgan has great size at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds. He has the ability to run in the open field and get away from defenders, but at the same time he is not shy of contact from his linebacker spot. The balance prospect had 1,357 rushing yards, 178 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns on offense to go with his 93 tackles and seven pass breakups on defense. Also the team punter, Morgan will make Highland a dark horse team to watch in Class 1A this fall. Other games to watch <ul> <li>Cherry Creek vs. Smoky Hill, Class 5A, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.</li> <li>Golden vs. Palmer Ridge, Class 3A, Oct. 9, 4 p.m.</li> <li>Skyline vs. Silver Creek, Class 4A, Oct. 9, 9 p.m.</li> <li>Highlands Ranch vs. Lakewood, Class 5A, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.</li> <li>Dakota Ridge vs. Grand Junction Central, Class 4A, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.</li> <li>Eaton vs. Weld Central, Class 2A, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.</li> <li>Briggsdale vs. Otis, Class 6-man, Oct. 9, time TBD</li> </ul> Note: All games are subject to change