Your Guide to 2023: Everything You Need to Know for this Fall

Ladies and gentleman, I cannot believe I'm saying this... BUT FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK BABY! With Week 0 officially in the books, the rest of Colorado will strap on the pads, buckle up the chinstraps, and lace up the cleats to begin what should be an incredibly entertaining fall season. By the time the calendar year hits December, there will be plenty of storylines of triumph and heartbreak with a whole lot of big hits sprinkled on top. After a long offseason, it is time to uncover the truth of all you need to know heading into the return of Colorado high school football. Let's do this thing folks!   Can Anyone Dethrone Cherry Creek?   Honestly, this is a fair question. In the last three years combined that have all resulted in state championships, the Bruins have only lost a combined six games en route to their Three-Peat run. For good reason, all of of 5A Colorado has been looking up at Creek in an attempt to finally get a taste of what they have been missing out on.   Not only can top-ranked Cherry Creek take a sigh of relief knowing they get to skip out on playing another school from out of state this season, but there is a decent chunk of returning talent that is set to make some noise yet again this fall. Of course, having head coach and local legend Dave Logan doesn't hurt either. In fact, winning eight state titles in 24 years of coaching is simply no coincidence.   All in all, the number-one school in 5A will have a tough test out of the gate in a clash with fifth-ranked Ralston Valley. Others that could find themselves making a run at Creek's throne down the stretch include #2 Valor Christian, #4 Pine Creek, and #11 Grandview to name a few.   Shining Stars Galore!   Although Colorado might not ever be a California, Texas, or even a Florida from a pure talent perspective, let's not pretend that there isn't a boatload of talent for colleges across America to choose from. Whether it's dominating maulers like Kansas State commit [player_tooltip player_id='381194' first='Gage' last='Ginther'] and Smoky Hill standout [player_tooltip player_id='218868' first='Bailey' last='Bujanda'], to the cream of the crop in RB [player_tooltip player_id='143630' first='Gabe' last='Sawchuk'] and QB [player_tooltip player_id='232153' first='Austyn' last='Modrzewski'], the box state itself will have an abundant amount of playmaking athletes that are surely going to raise more than a few eyebrows this fall.   Of course, who could forget gifted names that are flying under the radar like Montrose running back [player_tooltip player_id='143632' first='Blake' last='Griffin'], Ponderosa wideout [player_tooltip player_id='232160' first='Max' last='Mervin'], or even Sierra pass catcher [player_tooltip player_id='732361' first='Micah' last='Lumpkin']. The list goes on and on, which should only excite the average Colorado high school football fanatic as the season goes on.     Broomfield is Really, REALLY Good   Ten months ago, the Broomfield Eagles hoisted the 4A State Championship cup after running the table. Believe it or not, it was their first state title in more than 38 years. Anyone getting a little misty-eyed? Although the Eagles were forced to wave goodbye to a more-than-stacked senior graduating class, this is still a team to be reckoned with. Losing longtime starting quarterback Cole Lacrue who took his talents to Wisconsin to be a Badger is certainly no easy pill to swallow, but the Eagles should be in good hands with dynamic C.T. Worley taking over the reigns. Not only is he athletic enough to keep opposing defenses on their toes, but he can blow the top off of defenses in the vertical passing game.   Not to mention, but Broomfield should have no issues pounding the rock down the throats of their enemies with hog-molly and Nebraska commit [player_tooltip player_id='334594' first='Landen' last='Davidson'] anchoring the offensive line. With the offense expected to be clicking on all cylinders in both the passing and running game, the Eagles should not miss a beat.   Who are Possible Dark-Horse Contenders?   When was the last time preseason rankings were 100% accurate? Usually never. One thing is for sure; there will be a handful of teams that can prove their critics wrong on their way to successful seasons.   To begin, one possible "dark-horse" contender falls in the form of the Pine Creek football program. Participating in their second-full season at the 5A level, the Eagles will be tested early right off the bat on Sep. 1st versus last year's runner-up's in Valor Christian. After going 10-3 in 2022, Pine Creek could be primed to take that next leap of relevance.   Believe it or not, but the Eagles have a whopping 13 names in Prep Redzone's Class of 2024 rankings alone ([player_tooltip player_id='220428' first='Carson' last='Caplan'], [player_tooltip player_id='691219' first='Mason' last='Miller'], [player_tooltip player_id='146050' first='Ramon' last='Pacheco'], [player_tooltip player_id='296706' first='Kai' last='Goetze'], [player_tooltip player_id='251228' first='Jaiden' last='Anetone'], [player_tooltip player_id='146074' first='Leyton' last='Robinson'], [player_tooltip player_id='316725' first='Tristan' last='Randall'], [player_tooltip player_id='322233' first='Connor' last='Laxson'], [player_tooltip player_id='316721' first='Cannon' last='Budge'], [player_tooltip player_id='251280' first='Justis' last='Nicholson'], [player_tooltip player_id='146075' first='Luke' last='Zimmerman'], [player_tooltip player_id='143628' first='Caden' last='Coesens'], [player_tooltip player_id='143647' first='Marquis' last='Williams']). This doesn't include 2025 standouts [player_tooltip player_id='152282' first='Cameron' last='Cooper'], [player_tooltip player_id='405809' first='De'vante' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='504195' first='Jonathan' last='Coar'] to lead a more than talented junior class.   In addition, 5A schools like #5 Regis Jesuit ([player_tooltip player_id='146078' first='Lawson' last='Douglas'], [player_tooltip player_id='251272' first='Albert' last='Medina']) #6 Grandview ([player_tooltip player_id='495453' first='Nkongolo' last='Wa-Kalonji'], [player_tooltip player_id='218297' first='Liam' last='Szarka']) #9 Rock Canyon ([player_tooltip player_id='146076' first='Will' last='Rosenmeyer'], [player_tooltip player_id='146077' first='Austin' last='Bowker'], [player_tooltip player_id='495439' first='Donavon' last='Vernon'])and #11 Fossil Ridge ([player_tooltip player_id='744118' first='Colton' last='Pawlak'], [player_tooltip player_id='143642' first='Ryan' last='Lautzenhiser']) could all see themselves make a run for the top teams' money when the dust settles.   For the smaller schools, keep your eyes peeled for 4A #5 Montrose ([player_tooltip player_id='251264' first='Gage' last='Wareham']) and #6 Ponderosa ([player_tooltip player_id='595715' first='Blake' last='Branham']), 3A #8 Thompson Valley (C.J. James) and #12 Mead ([player_tooltip player_id='826232' first='Ty' last='Olson']), 2A #4 The Academy and #6 Elizabeth ([player_tooltip player_id='143631' first='Cooper' last='Connelley']), and lastly 1A #5 Yuma and #7 Monte Vista.   The Kings of 1A, 2A, and 3A   While all of the talk may be about the classes of 4A and 5A, it is vital not to overlook the sheer talent and success that the 1A-3A field has under their belts. Although equipped with a smaller population that often makes it difficult to find elite talent, by no means should the "Kings" of 1A, 2A, and 3A be taken lightly.   At the 3A level, it was the Roosevelt Roughriders that took Colorado by storm by withstanding every possible test possible on the gridiron en route to capping off an undefeated season. The Roughriders return a plethora of talent at their disposal led by QB [player_tooltip player_id='381209' first='Bronco' last='Hartson'], who often displays a virtuoso playing style from within the pocket. For the second-straight season, Roosevelt should be the team to beat.   When it comes to 2A, the Delta Panthers almost ran the table in 2022 but fell short in gut-wrenching fashion to 2023 preseason ranked number-one Eaton. Once again, it would not be surprising whatsoever if these two were the last ones standing at the end of the season. Even though Eaton lost out on some crucial playmakers from last year's squad due to graduation, success can still be found. Alas, the Reds will turn to halfback DeAngelo Rosas who rushed for 571 yards and three scores in 2022. For Delta, one name to be on the lookout for will include defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='732375' first='Tucker' last='Johnson'] and his monstrous frame that helps him suffocate ball carriers in his wake.   1A wise, there seems to be a lot of intrigue around the undefeated champs from a year ago in the Limon Badgers. With a 341 positive point-differential from 2022, it would be foolish to not think that the top-ranked Badgers aren't the preseason favorite to repeat. Led by returning QB Jordan Rockwell, Limon will have to survive the gauntlet of schools like Wray, Wiggins, and even Strasburg to name a few.   5A Preseason Rankings   1. Cherry Creek   2. Valor Christian   3. Pine Creek   4. Ralston Valley   5. Regis Jesuit   6. Grandview   7. Columbine   8. Arapahoe   9. Rock Canyon   10. Legend   11. Fossil Ridge   12. Mountain Vista   13. Fairview   14. Legacy   15. ThunderRidge   16. Fountain-Fort Carson   17. Chatfield   18. Cherokee Trail   19. Eaglecrest   20.Douglas County   21. Highlands Ranch   22. Mullen   23. Smoky Hill   24. Doherty   25. Arvada West   4A Preseason Rankings   1. Broomfield   2. Palmer Ridge   3. Loveland   4. Erie   5. Montrose   6. Ponderosa   7. Vista Ridge   8. Dakota Ridge   9. Heritage   10. Denver South   11. Mesa Ridge   12. Fruita Monument   13. Pueblo West   14. Golden   15. Windsor   16. Far Northeast   17. Skyline   18. Longmont   19. Standley Lake   20. Bear Creek   21. Monarch   22. Grand Junction Central   23. Rampart   24. Vista PEAK Prep   25. Thomas Jefferson   3A Preseason Rankings   1. Roosevelt   2. Lutheran   3. Durango   4. Green Mountain   5. Holy Family   6. Northridge   7. Frederick   8. Thompson Valley   9. Palisade   10. Evergreen   11. Northfield   12. Mead   13. Summit   14. Resurrection Christian   15. George Washington   16. Severance   17. Pueblo East   18. Pueblo Central   19. Glenwood Springs   20. Riverdale Ridge   21. Conifer   22. Harrison   23. Fort Morgan   24. Kennedy   25. Mountain View (Loveland)   2A Preseason Rankings   1. Eaton   2. Delta   3. The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs)   4. The Academy (Westminster)   5. Florence   6. Elizabeth   7. Alamosa   8. Basalt   9. University (Greeley)   10. Montezuma-Cortez (Cortez)   11. Rifle   12. Berthoud   13. Brush   14. Bennett   15. Moffat County (Craig)   16. Woodland Park   17. La Junta   18. Pagosa Springs   19. Salida   20. Fort Lupton   21. D'Evelyn (Denver)   22. Bayfield   23. Englewood   24. Steamboat Springs   25. Plate Valley (Kersey)   1A Preseason Rankings   1. Limon   2. Wray   3. Wiggins   4. Strasburg   5. Yuma   6. Holyoke   7. Monte Vista   8. Centauri (La Jara)   9. Buena Vista   10. Gunnison   11. Colorado Springs Christian (Colorado Springs)   12. Meeker   13. Burlington   14. Banning Lewis Academy   15. Rye   16. Flatirons Academy   17. North Fork   18. Estes Park   19. Platte Canyon (Bailey)   20. Ignacio   21. Middle Park (Granby)   22. Cedaredge   23. Highland (Ault)   24. Denver Christian (Denver)   25. Manual (Denver)

Ladies and gentleman, I cannot believe I'm saying this... BUT FOOTBALL SEASON IS BACK BABY! With Week 0 officially in the books, the rest of Colorado will strap on the pads, buckle up the chinstraps, and lace up the cleats to begin what should be an incredibly entertaining fall season. By the time the calendar year hits December, there will be plenty of storylines of triumph and heartbreak with a whole lot of big hits sprinkled on top. After a long offseason, it is time to uncover the truth of all you need to know heading into the return of Colorado high school football. Let's do this thing folks!