4A Semifinal Preview
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The final four teams remain in the race for a state title, meaning the 2022 season is nearing its end. Both games will be played at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, with the winner of each earning their spot in the…
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Continue ReadingThe final four teams remain in the race for a state title, meaning the 2022 season is nearing its end.
Both games will be played at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, with the winner of each earning their spot in the championship match.
This article will preview both semifinal games and which players to watch during the contests.
#11 Erie (9-4) at #2 Broomfield (12-0)
The Erie Tigers entered the postseason as underdogs with little expectation of making a deep run from many people outside the program. After a rocky start to the season with one of the more strenuous non-league schedules, the Tigers went on a 7-0 run to land one game away from a redemption opportunity in the state championship. Standing in their way is one of the more dominant teams in the classification, a team the Tigers fell to in the early half of the regular season.
The last time the Broomfield Eagles hosted the Tigers was in week four, where the Eagles comfortably sealed a 35-14 victory. Since that win, Broomfield has gone on to win every game with one of the state’s top defenses and a quarterback who recently committed to Wisconsin. The Eagles have had one of the more impressive postseason showings, scoring over 40 points and posting shutouts in each of their playoff games.
Broomfield comes into this game as the favorite to win. Their dynamic offense has proven that it can score at any given moment, but it is the outstanding defense that has consistently kept games in the Eagles’ favor. Some have picked the Eagles to win it all this season, but no one would love to foil those predictions more than the Tigers.
The rivalry between these two programs is intense, and anything is possible in a postseason match between two teams who dislike one another. Will the Eagles handle business and seal their spot in the state championship game, or will the Tigers pull off the upset of the season and return to the championship stage for the second season in a row?
Key Players to Watch
Broomfield:
Cole LaCrue
Cole
LaCrue
6'2" | 190 lbs | QB
Broomfield | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 QB
Luke Francis
Luke
Francis
RB
Broomfield | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 RB
Canon Juarez
Canon
Juarez
ATH
Broomfield | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 CB/WR
Garrett Keeler | 2023 DE
Devin Furuiye
Devin
Furuiye
6'2" | 240 lbs | DL
Broomfield | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 DT
Nick Petrich
Nick
Petrich
LB
Broomfield | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 LB
Ryland Boehmer
Ryland
Boehmer
5'11" | 175 lbs | RB
Broomfield | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 LB/RB
Landen Davidson | 2024 OL
Anthony Cobb
Anthony
Cobb
WR
Broomfield | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 WR
Brent Harris
Brent
Harris
6'0" | 170 lbs | ATH
Broomfield | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 DB/ATH
Mikhail Benner
Mikhail
Benner
6'1" | 170 lbs | DB
Broomfield | 2025
State
CO
| 2025 CB
Erie:
Blake Barnett
Blake
Barnett
6'2" | 210 lbs | QB
Erie | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 QB
Caden Lettis
Caden
Lettis
6'2" | 175 lbs | WR
Erie | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 WR
Logan Gilmore
Logan
Gilmore
OL
Erie | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 OL
Darryk Hall | 2023 DB
Jackson Clancy
Jackson
Clancy
6'2" | 260 lbs | OL
Erie | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 OL
Jackson Cowgill
Jackson
Cowgill
6'5" | 250 lbs | DL
Erie | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 DL
Mason Cowgill
Mason
Cowgill
6'4" | 225 lbs | TE
Erie | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 TE
Kaveh Meredith
Kaveh
Meredith
WR
Erie | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 WR/ATH
Gavin Lusk
Gavin
Lusk
RB
Erie | 2025
State
CO
| 2025 RB
Ronin Ward
Ronin
Ward
ATH
Erie | 2025
State
CO
| 2025 QB/ATH
Braylon Toliver
Braylon
Toliver
5'11" | 175 lbs | ATH
Erie | 2026
CO
| 2026 FS/RB
#4 Loveland (11-1) at #1 Palmer Ridge (12-0)
The Palmer Ridge Bears will be hosting the Loveland Red Wolves in a match that has a little history of its own. These two teams last met in the state championship game during the 2020 season, Palmer Ridge’s first season in the 4A classification. Loveland won the game 42-6 to claim the state title while handing the Bears their first loss of the season.
Now, the two teams meet under similar circumstances, but this time is for the opportunity to advance to the state championship against the winner of Erie and Broomfield. With playoff seeding aside, the team favored to win this game depends heavily on who you speak with. The Bears have one of the more talented rosters in the state, which has helped them maintain an undefeated record coming into this game. Loveland is a program that has consistently been successful for years, giving this matchup the potential to be a game that ends with a close score.
This game will likely come down to time-of-possession and whichever team finds the most success at controlling the line of scrimmage on offense. Loveland’s offense will require the Bears to remain disciplined for the entire four quarters. Palmer Ridge’s offense will want to maintain a balanced attack to avoid being forced into a one-dimensional scheme. This game can easily fall either way, making it an exciting contest to watch.
Key Players to Watch
Palmer Ridge:
Derek Hester
Derek
Hester
6'1" | 175 lbs | QB
Palmer Ridge | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 QB
Nathaniel Robinson
Nathaniel
Robinson
5'9" | 185 lbs | RB
Palmer Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 RB
KC Fackerell
KC
Fackerell
5'11" | 175 lbs | WR
Palmer Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 WR/ATH
James Jimmer-Weir | 2023 WR/DB
KJ Smedley
KJ
Smedley
6'2" | 180 lbs | DB
Palmer Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 DB/WR/ATH
Joshua Gerlach II
Joshua
Gerlach II
6'3" | 190 lbs | ATH
Palmer Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 DB/WR/ATH
Jackson St. Aubyn
Jackson
St. Aubyn
6'5" | 265 lbs | OL
Palmer Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 OL/DL
Walker Himebauch
Walker
Himebauch
6'2" | 210 lbs | LS
Palmer Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 LS/TE/LB
Orlando Aranda | 2023 RB
Dylan Coyle
Dylan
Coyle
6'0" | 220 lbs | LB
Palmer Ridge | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 LB
Holden Wright
Holden
Wright
6'3" | 225 lbs | ATH
Palmer Ridge | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 LB
Loveland:
Garrett Harstad
Garrett
Harstad
6'5" | 195 lbs | ATH
Loveland | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 QB
Lane Thomas | 2023 CB/RB
Hudson Voggesser
Hudson
Voggesser
6'2" | 205 lbs | LB
Loveland | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 SS/OLB
Trent Stephenson | 2023 LB/RB
Drew Foley
Drew
Foley
RB
Loveland | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 RB/OLB
Ty Young
Ty
Young
5'11" | 190 lbs | TE
Loveland | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 WR/ATH
Jude Meiu | 2023 CB/RB
Dylan Lindgren
Dylan
Lindgren
6'0" | 195 lbs | LB
Loveland | 2023
State
CO
| 2023 LB
Cody Lease | 2023 FS/WR
Trey Olsen
Trey
Olsen
6'2" | 185 lbs | ATH
Loveland | 2024
State
CO
| 2024 DB/ATH
Cade Stansbury | 2024 DE