The Verdict is In! Recapping the Top Games from Week 9

<p>Where in the world does time go?? As soon as the football season started, it has quickly flew by and now only one more week remaining in the regular season. With major postseason and conference title implications on the line these past few days, devouring popcorn and sitting on the edge of your seat this weekend was more than worth it. Alas, which big-time matchups under the lights in Week 9 made monumental statements?</p>   <p class="has-large-font-size">Class 5A </p>   <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#1 Cherry Creek 24 (9-0) vs. #3 Arapahoe 14 (7-1)</strong></p>   <p>In what hands down was the most anticipated matchup of the weekend, the two heavyweight titans of 5A surely didn't disappoint. Although it proved to be the Warriors that gave everything they had to the three-time defending champion Bruins including a 14-7 halftime, it was senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='259298' first='Jordan' last='Herron'] that has other plans. By the time the clock hit triple zeroes, Herron had amassed 203 yards on 28 carries and clearly ran the rock like a bulldozer. Although Arapahoe went out fighting with wideout [player_tooltip player_id='277534' first='Charlie' last='Eckhardt'] and his 86 receiving yards, Cherry Creek was far too much to overcome en route to their 13th straight victory. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CherryCreekSN/status/1715565261447651371 </div></figure>   <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#9 Legend 10 (8-2) vs #10 Regis Jesuit 27 (4-4)</strong></p>   <p>Another top ten matchup was in the works in Week 9 as the ninth-ranked Legend Titans battled it out with the tenth-rated Regis Jesuit Red Raiders. Despite already having four losses next to their names, it was Regis Jesuit that ended up with the last laugh on the evening. Simply put, the Red Raiders defense was absolutely suffocating as they tormented Legend's offensive line and running game for the entire four quarters. All in all, credit linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1596075' first='Kai' last='Shelton'] was a one-man wrecking ball on Thursday as he accounted for a whopping 15 tackles including three TFL's. With QB [player_tooltip player_id='404992' first='Peyton' last='Lindell'] doing just enough under center, Regis Jesuit was determined to send Legend home packing. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/peytonlindell15/status/1716104844002370036 </div></figure>   <p></p>   <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#5 Ralston Valley 42 (6-2) vs #8 Chatfield 28 (5-3)</strong></p>   <p>The third and final top-ten matchup that occurred in the Class of 5A, this matchup was a high-scorong affair that provided plenty of fireworks on Friday night. While both quarterbacks were as sharp as razors between seniors Logan Madden and [player_tooltip player_id='251265' first='Jake' last='Jones'], the Mustangs were the ones that came out in the second half with their hair on fire. In addition to their 21 second-half points, Ralston Valley pounded the rock to perfection with 156 yards on 37 carries. Led by halfback [player_tooltip player_id='251274' first='Brady' last='Weldon'] and his pair of rushing touchdowns on the night, Ralston Valley was more that determined to defend their home field against a quality opponent. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/HS_MUSTANGS/status/1715568444274348274 </div></figure>   <p class="has-large-font-size">Class 4A</p>   <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#2 Erie 57 (7-1) vs Longmont 13 (5-3)</strong></p>   <p>On the 4A side of things, #2 Erie has looked like a well-oiled machine with no plans of stopping so far this season, and that continued by putting on an absolute beatdown of Longmont by a score of 57-13. Yes, you read that correctly. After a scoreless first quarter with all signs pointed towards being a competitive matchup, Erie went on to drop four touchdowns in the second before the half. The biggest headline of all was QB [player_tooltip player_id='143622' first='Blake' last='Barnett'] pulling off quite the impressive feat by breaking Christian McCaffrey's all-time career touchdowns record. Now with 145 touchdowns in his illustrious career at Erie, can Mr. Barnett put the ultimate cherry on top with a state title in his grand finale of a season?</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/247Sports/status/1715554432295829936 </div></figure>   <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#3 Montrose 43 (6-2) vs #8 Mesa Ridge 12 (6-2)</strong></p>   <p>Entering Week 9 of the season, both Montrose and Mesa Ridge have high hopes in making a deep run come playoff time. With Friday night's showdown serving as a good measuring stick for each school, it turned out to be Montrose that spent no time messing around. When the dust eventually settled after the hotly contested action, the Red Hawks exploded for 43 points in a 31-point blowout. Was this a fluke showing by Montrose? Highly unlikely. These kids are the real deal and it continues to show week after week. </p>   <p></p>   <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#4 Broomfield 21 (6-2) vs #6 Fruita Monument 6 (6-2)</strong></p>   <p>To wrap up the Week 9 scheduled slate in the world of 4A, the defending state champions have their eyes fixed on another championship as they grinded out a 21-6 win over Fruita Monument. Ultimately, the Wildcats had no answer for the Eagles ground game which bruised and battered their way to 140 yards and a trio of touchdowns. Even though RB [player_tooltip player_id='381224' first='Caleb' last='Meehan'] was somewhat held in check with only 65 rushing yards, he found pay dirt twice. The bigger headline? A Broomfield defense that swarmed the Wildcats all night long as linebackers Noah Biller and [player_tooltip player_id='514391' first='Brent' last='Harris'] both recorded double-digit tackles to continue making their case in being one of the top linebacking duos in the state. Although Fruita Monument running back Amari Wilson and company did all they could to jumpstart the offense, they still fell way short. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BrentHarris0/status/1715927562520543653 </div></figure>   <p class="has-large-font-size">Class 3A </p>   <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>#5 Lutheran (5-2) vs #8 Northfield (5-2)</strong></p>   <p>How about a little 3A football for size? In one of the top games of the week in the class, Lutheran High School spent little to no time reminding folks of their contending status. While it wasn't one of their prettiest games of the season, the Lions made it count in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns and showcased their grit to overcome close games only a week after destroying Lincoln by an unfathomable 68-0 score. Overall, Lutheran received big-time performances in the form of names like freshman RB [player_tooltip player_id='1326174' first='Evan' last='Holdridge'], WR Ben Herberk, and of course, QB [player_tooltip player_id='143625' first='Ryken' last='Daugaard']. With the amount of weapons on both sides of the ball for Lutheran, could a state title finally be in their future? </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ryken_daugaard/status/1716580586393878859 </div></figure>

Where in the world does time go?? As soon as the football season started, it has quickly flew by and now only one more week remaining in the regular season. With major postseason and conference title implications on the line these past few days, devouring popcorn and sitting on the edge of your seat this weekend was more than worth it. Alas, which big-time matchups under the lights in Week 9 made monumental statements?