In Attendance: Week Nine Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week nine kicks off tomorrow, meaning the end of the season is just around the corner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Several big-time games are going on this week, and this article will preview the match-ups I will attend and the players on the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>I will not be attending a game on Thursday of this week</em>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>#20 Fossil Ridge (7-1) at #24 Fairview (7-1) | Friday, October 21, 2022 | 7:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Fossil Ridge Sabercats will travel down to Boulder to take on the Fairview Knights in a match that may decide the league's outcome. The Sabercats are coming into this game on a streak of six-straight wins, whereas the Knights will be looking to get their sixth-straight win from this contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Pregame Perceptions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game is intriguing because of how evenly matched these two teams are on paper. With both teams having high-powered offenses that are successful on the ground and in the air, the game's focus will be on the defenses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Knights are a young team with many juniors and sophomores among its ranks, giving the Sabercats a slight edge in experience. The questions coming into this game will focus a little more on whether or not Fairview's offense can keep Fossil Ridge's defense on the field and on their heels while avoiding turnovers; and if the Knight's defense can keep the Sabercats' offense from getting comfortable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Fossil Ridge's Top Players</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Colton Pawlak</strong> | 2025 QB/RB/ATH | 31 of 62 for 488 YDS, 7 TD, 5 INT; 115 CAR, 964 YDS, 13 TD<br><strong>Jake Toshcoff</strong> | 2025 RB | 69 CAR, 511 YDS, 4 TD<br><strong>Trek Keyworth</strong> | 2023 WR | 42 REC, 644 YDS, 4 TD<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='376562' first='Theo' last='Frericks']</strong> | 2023 DE | 40 TCK, 7 TFL, 5 sacks, 5 QB HUR, 1 FMB REC<br><strong>Ryan Pollyea</strong> | 2023 CB | 48 TCK, 1 sack, 3 INT, 2 FF, 1 PBU </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Other Sabercats to watch</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Domenic Leone</strong> | 2023 WR<br><strong>Michael Doyle</strong> | 2023 WR/DB<br><strong>Julian Smith</strong> | 2023 DE/OLB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Fairview's Top Players</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='147556' first='Rowan' last='Risner']</strong> | 2024 QB | 131 of 219 for 1,760 YDS, 17 TD, 9 INT<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='150076' first='Zach' last='Lewis']</strong> | 2023 LB/RB | 80 TCK, 9 TFL, 2 FF, 2 QB HUR, 1 sack; 105 CAR, 716 YDS, 9 TD; 12 REC, 79 YDS, 3 TD<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='230322' first='Jordan' last='Rechel']</strong> | 2025 WR/ATH | 38 REC, 620 YDS, 5 TD; 51 CAR, 475, 4 TD<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232179' first='Ryder' last='Villarreal']</strong> | 2025 LB/QB | 66 TCK, 5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 QB HUR, 3 PBU, 1 FMB REC<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='404948' first='Wyatt' last='Keegan']</strong> | 2025 CB/WR | 34 TCK, 16 PBU, 2 INT, 1 FF</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Other Knights to watch</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='146053' first='Ben' last='Holly']</strong> | 2024 WR/ATH<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232186' first='Brock' last='Kolstad']</strong> | 2025 LB<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251227' first='Diego' last='Valdiviezo']</strong> | 2024 SS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>Conifer (3-4) at Littleton (5-2) | Saturday, October 22, 2022 | 1:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Conifer Lobos will be traveling to Littleton to take on the Lions in the third league game for both teams. The Lobos are coming off a hefty loss to Green Mountain, and the Lions are doing the same after playing Evergreen last Saturday. Both teams sit at 1-1 in league play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Pregame Perceptions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sitting at 5-2, the Lions are having the best season the program has seen since 2008, when they finished 8-3 on a playoff-caliber season, establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eyes will be on both teams to see how they bounce back after suffering shutout losses, but the focus will be on Littleton and if they can get back on track with their potent rushing attack. Defensively for Conifer, finishing plays upon first contact will be crucial to stopping the run and preventing successful drives.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Conifer's Top Players</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wyatt Nichols</strong> | 2024 QB | 58 of 110 for 563 YDS, 5 TD, 5 INT<br><strong>Nic Hudson</strong> | 2023 RB/DL | 102 CAR, 438 YDS, 4 TD; 4 REC, 30 YDS; 3 TCK<br><strong>Evan Clark</strong> | 2023 RB/DB | 27 CAR, 93 YDS, 5 TD; 10 REC, 81 YDS, 1 TD; 34 TCK, 5 sacks, 2 PBU, 1 FF <br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='296707' first='Grady' last='Forsythe']</strong> | 2024 TE/DE | 29 REC, 406 YDS, 2 TD; 52 TCK, 4 TFL, 5 sacks, 4 PBU, 1 FMB REC, 1 BLK PNT<br><strong>Koen Sykes</strong>| 2023 LB/ATH | 57 TCK, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF; 20 CAR, 110 YDS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Other Lobos to watch</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Austin Knolmayer </strong>| 2023 OL/DL<br><strong>Jackson Kosar</strong> | 2024 WR/DE/QB<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1529324' first='Benson' last='White']</strong> | 2025 TE/DE</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Littleton's Top Players</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tim Higgins</strong> | 2023 QB | 61 of 126 for 1,029 YDS, 7 TD, 7 INT<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='218214' first='Brycen' last='Mhlanga'] </strong>| 2023 RB/LB | 134 CAR, 1,019 YDS, 16 TD; 5 REC, 60 YDS; 12 TCK<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='247242' first='Aidan' last='Lauer']</strong> | 2023 WR/CB/ATH | 27 REC, 540 YDS, 5 TD; 23 TCK, 1 TFL,<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209842' first='Ethan' last='Bird']</strong> | 2023 DE/TE | 11 REC, 225 YDS, 1 TD; 26 TCK, 3 TFL, 6 sacks<br><strong>Conor Wherry</strong> | 2023 FB/LB/ATH | 39 CAR, 228 YDS, 3 TD; 8 REC, 83 YDS, 1 TD; 20 TCK, 3 INT, 1 PBU</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Other Lions to watch</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brady Jenkins</strong> | 2023 DL/OL<br><strong>Colton Gerber </strong>| 2024 OL/DL<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251226' first='Armando' last='Jimenez']</strong> | 2024 SS/RB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"25px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:25px"><strong>Other notable week nine games</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>There are more than a few games kicking off this week worth watching. Here is a look at my top runner-up games and a name to know from each team.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Bear Creek (5-3) at Standley Lake (5-3) | Thursday | 4:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Adrian Rico</em></strong><em> - Bear Creek - 2024 QB </em><br><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='376591' first='Blake' last='Stout']</em></strong><em> - Standley Lake - 2023 RB/ATH</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#17 Loveland (7-1) at Windsor (5-3) | Thursday at 7:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='62223' first='Garrett' last='Harstad']</em></strong><em> - Loveland - 2023 QB/RB </em><br><strong><em>Jaden Thomas</em></strong><em> - Windsor - 2023 RB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#23 Montrose (6-2) at Mesa Ridge (6-2) | Thursday at 6:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='143632' first='Blake' last='Griffin']</em></strong><em> - Montrose - 2024 RB </em><br><strong><em>Bryce Riehl</em></strong><em> - Mesa Ridge - 2025 QB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#21 Legend (5-3) at #4 Regis Jesuit (5-3) | Thursday at 6:30 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='350253' first='Alex' last='Martinez']</em></strong><em> - Legend - 2024 RB </em><br><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='43841' first='Hayden' last='Moore']</em></strong><em> - Regis Jesuit - 2023 LB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#1 Cherry Creek (7-1) at #13 Arapahoe (5-3) | Friday at 7:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='62241' first='Blake' last='Purchase']</em></strong><em> - Cherry Creek - 2023 EDGE </em><br><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='277534' first='Charlie' last='Eckhardt']</em></strong><em> - Arapahoe - 2024 WR/DB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#2 Valor Christian (6-2) at #8 ThunderRidge (8-0) | Friday at 7:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='143630' first='Gabe' last='Sawchuk']</em></strong><em> - Valor Christian - 2024 RB/DB </em><br><strong><em>Aiden Olshan</em></strong><em> - ThunderRidge - 2023 LB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Fruita Monument (6-2) at #9 Broomfield (8-0) | Friday at 7:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Corben Rowell</em></strong><em> - Fruita Monument - 2023 QB/ATH </em><br><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='62228' first='Cole' last='LaCrue']</em></strong><em> - Broomfield - 2023 QB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Academy (6-1) at Berthoud (5-2) | Friday at 7:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='22786' first='Isaiah' last='Eliot']</em></strong><em> - The Academy - 2023 QB/ATH </em><br><strong><em>Alex Larson</em></strong><em> - Berthoud - 2024 RB/LB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Thompson Valley (5-2) at Northridge (6-1) | Friday at 7:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Riley Suarez</em></strong><em> - Thompson Valley - 2024 QB </em><br><strong><em>Cooper Rose</em></strong><em> - Northridge - 2024 QB</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Denver South (7-1) at Far Northeast (4-4) | Saturday at 1:00 P.M.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='251267' first='Chevelle' last='Early']</em></strong><em> - Denver South - 2024 RB </em><br><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='149300' first='Dre'Monti' last='Jackson']</em></strong><em> - Far Northeast - 2023 ATH</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->