Top 4A Games of Week One
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The season is just weeks away from kicking off, bringing a sense of eagerness to programs and the fans as time approaches. The first set of games has some heavy-hitting matchups slated for late August, many of which are highly…
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Continue ReadingThe season is just weeks away from kicking off, bringing a sense of eagerness to programs and the fans as time approaches. The first set of games has some heavy-hitting matchups slated for late August, many of which are highly anticipated.
This article will briefly preview three of the top games of the first week in the 4A classification while also mentioning five other exciting matchups.
Thursday, August 24th
Erie at Vanguard (FL)
The Erie Tigers will open the season with a trip to Florida to take on a talented Vanguard team. It is no secret that Florida is a top-three state in the nation for football talent, putting significant implications on this game for the Tigers. One of Colorado’s best athletes, Blake Barnett Blake Barnett 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB Erie | 2024 State CO (2024 QB), will be leading the charge for the Box State boys. Barnett has committed to Kansas State next year to play for the Wildcats.
A few of the other standout players joining Barnett are Washington State commit 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), Alex Sweeney (2024 WR), Kaveh Meredith Kaveh Meredith WR Erie | 2024 State CO (2024 WR/DB), and Noah Garcia (2024 WR/DB). In addition to the seniors, Gavin Lusk Gavin Lusk RB Erie | 2025 State CO (2025 RB/DB), Cooper Lettis Cooper Lettis 5'11" | 180 lbs | LB Erie | 2025 State CO (2025 LB), Ronin Ward Ronin Ward ATH Erie | 2025 State CO (2025 QB/ATH), and Braylon Toliver Braylon Toliver 5'11" | 175 lbs | ATH Erie | 2026 CO (2026 RB/SS) will have the opportunity to compete against a tough Florida team.
Vista Ridge at Legend (5A)
Like many early matchups, Vista Ridge will play against a program from a different classification. The Wolves graduated some of the state’s top talent in the 2023 class but have the potential to reload with a roster full of extraordinary athletes. One player that has managed to garner buzz and raise his stock value is Colorado newcomer Samuel Endicott (2024 WR), who recently moved to Colorado Springs from Virginia and quickly earned his first offer from CSU-Pueblo following an outstanding camp performance.
Endicott will join Wesley Wright Wesley Wright 5'10" | 155 lbs | DB Vista Ridge | 2024 State CO (2024 CB/WR), Nayshawn Hall (2025 RB), Isaak Walker Isaak Walker 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Pine Creek | 2025 State CO (2025 WR), and Kobe Dooley Kobe Dooley 5'9" | 160 lbs | WR Unknown | 2026 CO (2026 WR/ATH). The Wolves have Zayden Stevens Zayden Stevens 6'3" | 200 lbs | QB Vista Ridge | 2025 State CO (2025) and Benjamin Noblitt Benjamin Noblitt 6'1" | 195 lbs | QB Vista Ridge | 2025 State CO (2025) in the quarterback room, allowing Vista Ridge to become one of the state’s tougher passing attacks to stop.
Legend is a team with the potential to shock the 5A classification this fall. Even though a few key players graduated, the program is returning a good amount of starters with significant experience under their belts. Cruz Garcia Cruz Garcia 6'3" | 260 lbs | OL Legend | 2024 State CO (2024 OL/DL) and Logan White Logan White 6'2" | 275 lbs | OL Legend | 2024 State CO (2024 OL) will help to lead the charge alongside guys like Brian Doyle (2024 WR), Jeff Baca Jeff Baca 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Legend | 2024 State CO (2024 ATH), Champ Jones Champ Jones LB Legend | 2025 State CO (2025 QB/ATH), and Jaden Lawrence Jaden Lawrence 6'0" | 185 lbs | RB Legend | 2025 State CO (2025 RB).
Friday, August 25th
Harrison (3A) at Widefield
Harrison is a 3A program that fell in the first two games of last season by a combined score of 70-0, with the season opener being a 26-0 loss to Widefield. The Panthers went on to win their next eight games by a combined score of 260 points for and 60 points against before falling to Durango in the postseason. Widefield had one regular season loss before falling in the playoffs to Skyline. Even though these two teams are in different classifications, both are playoff-caliber programs with postseason expectations.
The Harrison Panthers will look toward players like Carlos Preciado (2024 RB), Jazari Spencer Jazari Spencer 5'9" | 180 lbs | RB Harrison | 2024 State CO (2024 RB), Maurice Martin (2025 ATH), and Darion Marion-McGraw (2025 ATH).
The Widefield Gladiators add former Harrison standout Tj Washington (2024 ATH) to returning players like Paul Mitchell (2024 QB), Landon Deal (2024 OL), and Isaiah Ray (2024 CB).
Other Big-Time Games
Montrose at Palmer Ridge | Thursday
Mountain Vista (5A) at Heritage | Friday
Pomona (5A) at Thomas Jefferson | Friday
Broomfield at Longmont | Friday
Mead at Windsor | Friday