Previewing Thursday’s 5A Southern League Opener
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Conference play for football is officially underway, and the excitement is palpable. The 5A Southern League is opening with a highly anticipated match-up between Fountain-Fort Carson and Pine Creek on Thursday.Each team enters this contest undefeated, and both rosters are…
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Continue ReadingConference play for football is officially underway, and the excitement is palpable. The 5A Southern League is opening with a highly anticipated match-up between Fountain-Fort Carson and Pine Creek on Thursday.
Each team enters this contest undefeated, and both rosters are full of college prospects, making it a must-watch game for fans and scouts alike.
There is a variety of offensive linemen between the two programs. The Pine Creek Eagles have been controlling the trenches thanks to Carson Caplan Carson Caplan 6'3" | 285 lbs | OL Pine Creek | 2024 State CO (2024), Connor Laxson Connor Laxson 6'2" | 270 lbs | OL Pine Creek | 2024 State CO (2024), and Tristan Randall Tristan Randall 6'3" | 265 lbs | OL Pine Creek | 2024 State CO (2024). The offensive front for the Fountain-Fort Carson Trojans features Lincoln Fa’apouli Jr Lincoln Fa’apouli Jr 6'5" | 320 lbs | OL Fountain-Fort Carson | 2024 State CO (2024), Preston Johnson (2024), and Matthew Jennings Matthew Jennings 6'2" | 270 lbs | OL Fountain-Fort Carson | 2024 State CO (2024). Jennings transferred from Pine Creek last year and will face his former team.
The running backs from both teams have proven themselves to be reliable playmakers, making this a potential statement game for either rushing attack. Mathias Price Mathias Price 6'2" | 215 lbs | RB Fountain-Fort Carson | 2024 State CO (2024) has been an absolute stud for the Trojans, rushing for 850 yards and 14 touchdowns on 93 carries. He has tallied at least 100 yards rushing in each game and secured one catch for a 41-yard touchdown score. Teammate Terence Morris (2025) has logged 475 yards and six touchdowns on 37 carries.
The Eagles will look to Mason Miller Mason Miller 5'11" | 155 lbs | WR CO (2024) and Jonathan Coar Jonathan Coar 5'11" | 185 lbs | RB Pine Creek | 2025 State CO (2025) to lead the rushing attack. Miller has carried the ball 34 times for 275 yards and five touchdowns. Coar has received the majority of the touches, logging 443 yards and three touchdowns on 62 carries.
Miller, Jaiden Anetone Jaiden Anetone LB Pine Creek | 2024 State CO (2024), and Isaac Landry (2025) will battle in the box as members of Pine Creek’s linebacker core, while Jack Fox (2024), Trevor Coleman Trevor Coleman 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Fountain-Ft. Carson | 2024 State CO (2024), and Terence Coleman Terence Coleman 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Fountain-Fort Carson | 2024 State CO (2024) will apply pressure on behalf of the Trojan’s defense.
Keenan Campbell Keenan Campbell 6'2" | WR Fountain-Fort Carson | 2024 State CO (2024) from Fountain-Fort Carson and Elijah Roy Elijah Roy WR Pine Creek | 2025 State CO (2025) from Pine Creek are two big-time receivers with insanely high ceilings as potential college prospects. Each player leads their team in receiving yards and touchdowns, making them must-know playmakers.
Cameron Cooper Cameron Cooper 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Pine Creek | 2025 State CO (2025) is the phenomenal quarterback for the Eagles, who led them to a semifinal appearance last season, but he missed the previous game with an injury. Roy’s success has been incumbent on Cooper being at the helm, making the starting lineup intriguing. Ketis Kaleb (2025) has been the QB for the Trojans, but he and Campbell will have their work cut out for them against Pine Creek’s stout secondary.
The Eagles have one of the more talented defensive back groups in the state, but that is to be expected with guys like Lawson Douglas Lawson Douglas 6'1" | 170 lbs | DB Regis Jesuit | 2024 State CO (2024), Ramon Pacheco Ramon Pacheco 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB Pine Creek | 2024 State CO (2024), Cannon Budge Cannon Budge DB Pine Creek | 2024 State CO (2024), Justis Nicholson Justis Nicholson ATH Pine Creek | 2024 State CO (2024), and Emmanuel Hill Emmanuel Hill 6'1" | 195 lbs | LB Pine Creek | 2025 State CO (2025) in the secondary. Budge also plays a hefty role on offense as a part of the running back rotation.Fountain-Fort Carson’s secondary has a few notable names as well. Myles McClarity Myles McClarity 6'2" | 165 lbs | DB Fountain-Fort Carson | 2024 State CO (2024), Alexander Rivera Alexander Rivera 6'0" | 190 lbs | ATH Fountain-Fort Carson | 2025 State CO (2025), Tremaine Shaw (2025), and Devon Bradford (2026) have been outstanding so far this season.