Preseason Rankings: Top 5A Schools to Watch this Fall

As we sit here in the middle of August with fall practices well underway in the state of Colorado, high school football fans can taste the proximity of the 2021 campaign. Beginning August 26th, it will be a race for schools all over the state to become the best 5A school. After an unorthodox COVID-19 plagued season that saw many teams throughout the Centennial state play their football during the spring, high school athletes, coaches, and their programs are ecstatic for the return of normalcy on the gridiron. Football is right around the corner! It is time to dive into the top 5A schools for the upcoming 2021 season <strong>Valor Christian    </strong> The Eagles never seem to miss a beat, as each off-season they do more reloading then unloading. After a devastating loss in the state championship game against Cherry Creek, Valor Christian is seeking vengeance for their shortcomings a season prior. Led by the #1 player in the state in RB Gavin Sawchuck, Valor Christian has an array of weapons to work with. The Eagles are currently ranked as the 67th best team in the nation and will look to build off their encouraging 7-1 record during the 2020 campaign. Other returning players include QB [player_tooltip player_id="22689" first="Colton" last="Allen"] and athletic linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="22680" first="Jordan" last="Norwood"], who will both look to have breakout senior years for the Eagles. Expect Valor Christian to be right in the mix of elite schools, and if they can execute on all levels, they should be a fun team to watch. <strong>Cherry Creek </strong> The Bruins enter the 2021 season with lofty expectations, and it is well deserved. The defending back-to-back 5A State Champions boast one of the more talented rosters in the Centennial state, with enough talent to form a second team within the Continental League. Coach Dave Logan already has nine state titles under his belt during his time at Cherry Creek, Mullen, Chatfield, and Arvada West High School. Impact players like WR [player_tooltip player_id="43837" first="Ky" last="Oday"] and LB [player_tooltip player_id="62213" first="Logan" last="Brantley"] will be anchors on both sides of the football. The sky is the limit for the bruins, and barring an extreme letdown season, it should surprise no one if Cherry Creek ends right back where they’ve been the past few years. It is championship or bust for the Bruins in 2021. <strong>Pomona </strong> Over the course of the last two decades, the Pomona Panthers have put together quite the run under head coach Jay Madden. However, the Panthers will be entering the 2021 football season with a sense of uncertainty for the first time in a long time, as Coach Madden decided to call it quits after many different coaching jobs throughout his career. Madden compiled a 218-86 record over 26 seasons as a high school coach, and the Panthers will be in uncharted territory without the captain of their ship. Despite this, Madden has put Pomona on the football map, putting them in an exclusive group among Colorado’s best. Madden has provided countless moments for the football program, and they will be entering a new era in 2021. Despite the change in leadership, Pomona should still have success. Playmakers like ATH [player_tooltip player_id="22702" first="Dominick" last="Nichols"] and WR [player_tooltip player_id="153762" first="Isaiah" last="Alvarez"] gives the Panthers an abundance of speed, something that a team needs to go all the way. <strong>Columbine</strong> Columbine football has maintained a rich pedigree of success for more than a couple decades now, and their powerful, high octane option attack bewilders many defenses it comes across. After going 5-1 (3-1 in league play) in the COVID-19 shortened season, the Rebels’ roster is looking as talented as any team in the Denver Metro area. Specifically, they have the perfect halfback to tackle the Rebels’ infamous wishbone look. RB [player_tooltip player_id="22688" first="Seth" last="Cromwell"] has the ideal speed to do it, as his knack to break off long runs will tire out opposing defenses. Additionally, LB [player_tooltip player_id="153729" first="Logan" last="Corray"] will look to shore up the defensive side of the ball and any offense trying to move the rock against the Rebel defense. Overall, Columbine should be a sneaky pick as a top team in the class of 5A. <strong>Legend</strong> Last and certainly not least, the Legend Titans will look to continue to build from their impressive season a year ago, as they went 7-1 and finished in first place in league play. Since opening their doors in 2008, not many teams in its school history has as triumphant of a campaign then their 2020 squad. Unfortunately, Legend’s one loss came at the hands of Valor Christian in crushing fashion in the state playoffs, 45-0. Obviously, this was not how Legend wanted to conclude one of their most successful seasons to date, but the Titans have all the swagger in the world to get back to the postseason and advance even further this go around. On both lines of scrimmage, Legend has some X-factors. OL [player_tooltip player_id="143638" first="Wyatt" last="Bristow"], standing at 6’2 and weighing in at 260 lbs, is currently ranked the 10th best offensive line product in the state. His defensive line counterpart is [player_tooltip player_id="22779" first="Rory" last="Boulter"], a big nose tackle who has a knack for making big time plays. If Legend can dominate both of the lines of scrimmage and can get stellar quarterback play from Senior signal caller Colton Warner, the Titans should be contenders all season long. &nbsp; &nbsp;