2023 Season Opening Games to Anticipate
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For those new to the Prep Redzone Colorado scene and interested in a subscription, use code WESLEY30 for 30% off your first subscription! The 2023 season is just one month and eight days away from kicking off. A handful of…
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The 2023 season is just one month and eight days away from kicking off. A handful of teams will play their first game of the season on August 18th, with a few big matchups slated for that Friday at 7:00 P.M.
This article will look at one of the more significant matchups scheduled for the first game of the season while highlighting two other games for that Friday.
Ralston Valley at Mountain Vista
Seeing two big-time 5A programs scheduled to open the season against each other is worth being excited about. Ralston Valley exploded onto the scene last year during the first year with Head Coach Jared Yannacito at the helm of the program. The Mustangs finished last season with a trip to the semifinals, which ended in a nail-biting loss to the state runner-ups.
Mountain Vista is a team whose talent has been building for quite some time. The program’s ability to build young players into big names has helped turn the Golden Eagles into legitimate contenders. The team fell early in the playoffs last season but has a serious opportunity to bounce back this year because of the number of returning starters.
Names to Know
Each team has big-time quarterbacks on their rosters. Ralston Valley’s Logan Madden (2024) had an impressive showing at the Elite 11. Madden currently holds offers from Colorado Mesa, CSU-Pubelo, and Sioux Falls. Mountain Vista’s QB is Austyn Modrzewski Austyn Modrzewski 6'5" | 205 lbs | QB Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO (2025), a phenom who recently earned offers from Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky.
The Mustangs had a couple of players recently commit to Division I programs for football. Defensive lineman Tyrese Johnson Tyrese Johnson DL Ralston Valley | 2024 State CO (2024) and offensive lineman Peyton Knoebel Peyton Knoebel 6'4" | 275 lbs | OL Ralston Valley | 2024 State CO (2024) plan to attend the Air Force Academy following their senior seasons, while teammate Jack Moran (2024 DL/OL) has committed to Colorado State. George Patterson George Patterson 6'5" | 215 lbs | LB Ralston Valley | 2024 CO (2024 OLB/DE) and Jackson Hansen (2024 WR/DB) are two of the many Mustangs with high ceilings. Patterson has a couple of offers under his belt, while Hansen is a radar low-flyer with significant upside as an offensive weapon.
The Golden Eagles landed a game-changing transfer in wide receiver CJ Reese CJ Reese 6'3" | WR ThunderRidge | 2024 State CO (2024), who is joining the squad after departing from ThunderRidge. Reese is a big target with superstar potential, currently holding offers from Nevada, Washington State, and Wyoming. Reese will be a powerful addition to a talented receiving core that also features Sean Conway Sean Conway 6'0" | 160 lbs | WR Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO (2025), Jakhai Mack Jakhai Mack WR Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO (2025), and Ja’Pree Jennings Ja’Pree Jennings 5'6" | WR Mountain Vista | 2026 CO (2026).
Offensive lineman Jack Heath (2025) and linebacker Carter Daniels Carter Daniels 5'11" | 185 lbs | LB Mountain Vista | 2025 State CO (2025) are two of the many names on the roster who bring a ton of power to a talented roster. Heath received his first offer from Nevada a couple of months ago, while Daniels has seen a healthy uptick in his attention as a recruit.
Games of the Week
This matchup is already being viewed as the top game for the season opener, but a couple of other intriguing games are slated for that Friday.
Lutheran at Vista Ridge
The 3A state runner-ups will travel to Colorado Springs to take on a high-powered 4A team.
Ryken Daugaard
Ryken
Daugaard
6'2" | 175 lbs | QB
Lutheran | 2024
State
CO
| Lutheran | 2024 QB
Joseph Ciccio
Joseph
Ciccio
WR
Lutheran | 2024
State
CO
| Lutheran | 2024 WR
Colin Sturm
Colin
Sturm
6'3" | 255 lbs | OL
Lutheran | 2024
State
CO
| Lutheran | 2024 OT
Zayden Stevens
Zayden
Stevens
6'3" | 200 lbs | QB
Vista Ridge | 2025
State
CO
| Vista Ridge | 2025 QB
Kobe Dooley
Kobe
Dooley
5'9" | 160 lbs | WR
Unknown | 2026
CO
| Vista Ridge | 2026 WR/ATH
Wesley Wright
Wesley
Wright
5'10" | 155 lbs | DB
Vista Ridge | 2024
State
CO
| Vista Ridge | 2024 DB
Taylorsville (UT) at Chatfield
Chatfield will kick off their second year in the 5A classification by hosting a team from Utah in what should make for an exciting matchup.
Jake Jones
Jake
Jones
QB
Chatfield | 2024
State
CO
| Chatfield | 2024 QB
Drew Rohlman
Drew
Rohlman
6'3" | TE
Chatfield | 2024
State
CO
| Chatfield | 2024 WR
Niguse Shelp
Niguse
Shelp
5'10" | 170 lbs | DB
Chatfield | 2024
State
CO
| Chatfield | 2024 DB
Avery DeWeese | Chatfield | 2024 LB
Brock Narva
Brock
Narva
5'11" | 180 lbs | ATH
Chatfield | 2025
State
CO
| Chatfield | 2025 RB/DB/ATH