Three Top Ten Out of State Matchups

Colorado’s top three teams per the Colorado High School Activities Association 5A rankings (CHSAA) will be playing out of state opponents who hold top-ten spots within their borders. Top-ranked Cherry Creek will travel to Arizona to match up against Chandler, the Grand Canyon State’s second-ranked team. The Cherry Creek Bruins have won the last two 5A state titles, whereas the Chandler Wolves are coming off of their fifth straight 6A title win. The second-ranked Valor Christian Eagles will host Washington’s ninth-ranked Eastside Catholic on Friday night, which will be featured on ESPN. Third-ranked Columbine will be traveling to Las Vegas, NV to face off against ninth-ranked Faith Lutheran. Cherry Creek (2-0) at Chandler (1-0) This game has the makings of being one of the best contests of the week between two programs with dominating histories in their states. Between Cherry Creek’s relentless defense and Chandler’s high-powered offense, this game should be a very exciting one. [caption id="attachment_80718" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-80718 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/Blake-Purchase-Cherry-Creek-300x287.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="287" /> [player_tooltip player_id="62241" first="Blake" last="Purchase"][/caption] For the Bruins, the defensive front will be applying heavy pressure by way of [player_tooltip player_id="62241" first="Blake" last="Purchase"] (2023 DE), [player_tooltip player_id="149311" first="Hank" last="Zilinskas"] (2023 DT), and [player_tooltip player_id="150256" first="Chase" last="Brackney"] (2023 DE). Sophomore middle linebacker Angelo Petrides will be key in controlling the box while adding to the arsenal of the line when needed. Senior defensive backs Tyler Tolbert (S) and [player_tooltip player_id="153952" first="Charles" last="McKiever III"] (CB) will be expected to be the aces tasked with keeping the skies clear against a very talented core of Chandler receivers. Bruins quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="43802" first="Christian" last="Hammond"] (2023) has been very impressive with his decision making through the first two games of the season, having completed 19 of his 28 attempts for 218 yards and four touchdowns. Chandler’s secondary will have its hands full with the Bruin’s elite receiving core led by the unguardable [player_tooltip player_id="22761" first="Ismael" last="Cisse"] (2023 WR), CSU commit [player_tooltip player_id="43837" first="Ky" last="Oday"] (2022 WR), shifty [player_tooltip player_id="62225" first="Kyair" last="Johnston"] (2023 WR), and sure-handed [player_tooltip player_id="150168" first="Cooper" last="Pollard"] (2023 WR). The Bruins also have a powerful running back tandem featuring [player_tooltip player_id="22757" first="Carlson" last="Tann"] (2023 RB) and [player_tooltip player_id="153705" first="Keegan" last="Holles"] (2022 RB), who will be entering this game with a combined 238 yards and four touchdowns off of 20 total carries. [caption id="attachment_164299" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-164299 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/09/AZ-Quaron-Adams-crop-1382x908-1624994648-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="42786" first="Quaron" last="Adams"][/caption] For Chandler, the spotlight will shine heavily on [player_tooltip player_id="161934" first="Blaine" last="Hipa"] (2022 QB) and [player_tooltip player_id="169404" first="Ca’Lil" last="Valentine"] (2024 ATH). In their season opener, Hipa completed 17 of his 28 attempts for 255 yards and three touchdowns, while Valentine had three receptions for 91 yards, one receiving touchdown, five carries, 24 rushing yards, and one touchdown. A few other extremely talented Wolves to keep an eye out for are [player_tooltip player_id="42786" first="Quaron" last="Adams"] (2022 ATH), Noah Sauni (2022 LB), [player_tooltip player_id="165900" first="Dominic" last="Hanger"] (2023 LB), and Justice Spann (2024 WR). Valor Christian (2-0) vs. Eastside Catholic (1-0) After winning their first two games of the season, the Eagles will be playing their first home game this Friday night against the Eastside Catholic Crusaders. <img class="size-medium wp-image-81878 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/cherry-creek-5A-6-1024x983-1-300x288.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="288" />Elite running back and Oklahoma commit [player_tooltip player_id="22667" first="Gavin" last="Sawchuk"] (2022 RB) already has 396 yards and five touchdowns off of 63 carries so far. [player_tooltip player_id="22689" first="Colton" last="Allen"] (2022 QB) has played the first two games as a premiere game manager, completing 24 of his 41 attempts for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Colton Rose (2022 TE/DE) has caught eight passes for 153 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, the Eagles have been led by Liberty commit Jordan Norwood (2022 LB) who has a team high of 14 total tackles and one pass deflection. Senior defenders Cayden Hawkins (2022 LB) and Andrew Hale (2022 S) have 13 total tackles a piece, while Hale also recorded two pass deflections. Valor’s upcoming contest will be televised on ESPN, giving the Eagles an opportunity to showcase their talents and prove why they are consistently ranked as Colorado’s number one-ranked team. Junior quarterback Brady McKelheer will be expected to lead the offensive attack for the Crusaders, along with Masen Uribe (2023 RB), 6-foot-6 tight end [player_tooltip player_id="160820" first="Gabe" last="Hoffmann"] (2023), and two-way seniors [player_tooltip player_id="87338" first="Dallas" last="Daley"] (WR/OLB) and [player_tooltip player_id="151965" first="Drew" last="Sanidad"] (WR/DB). Eastside Catholic’s defense will be looking to contain one of the top running backs in the country, and they will be leaning heavily on their defensive front and linebacker core to do so. In addition to Daily and Sanidad, Lj Imo (2023 DT), Tyler Hill (2022 DL), and Nehemiah Faleulu (2022 OLB) will be facing one of their toughest challenges yet. Columbine (2-0) at Faith Lutheran (1-1) [caption id="attachment_85939" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-85939 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/Seth-Cromwell-Columbine-3-300x222.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="222" /> [player_tooltip player_id="22688" first="Seth" last="Cromwell"][/caption] The Columbine Rebels will be traveling to Las Vegas in hopes of returning victorious by way of another impressive performance from senior running back [player_tooltip player_id="22688" first="Seth" last="Cromwell"]. Through two games, Cromwell has a total of 313 yards and six touchdowns from 25 carries offensively, while leading the defense in total tackles with 18 from his linebacker position.Tyree Hayes Trusty (2023 RB/LB) is the Rebels’ second-leading rusher with 25 carries for 289 yards and two touchdowns. With a combined team total of 846 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, the true testament to Columbine’s successful ground game is the top-tier offensive line that paves the way for the backs. In addition to Cromwell, the Rebels will be relying on seniors Grayson Headrick (DB/K), Jacob Clarey (LB/RB), Corray Logan (DE/TE), along with juniors Payton Wainwright and Cannon Burcar on defense to stave off Faith Lutheran’s offense. The Crusaders’ offense will be led by talented quarterback Rylan Walter (2023) who has completed 27 of his 42 passing attempts for 373 yards and two touchdowns over the course of the first two games. Walter is an athletic quarterback who can use his legs to escape the pocket and take off for a huge gain when needed. Drais Bellamy (2022 RB/LB) leads his team in rushing yards (151) and carries (41), while Jordan Pollard (2022 LB/TE) leads the team in rushing touchdowns with two. Jaden Turner (2022 WR/DB) is one of Walter’s top receiving targets who has hauled in five receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown. The pressure for Faith Lutheran will be on the defensive front and linebacker core led by Pollard, Vaea Tangitau (2022 LB/TE), and Dean Uata (2022 LB/TE).