2023 Season Opening Games to Anticipate

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For those new to the Prep Redzone Colorado scene and interested in a subscription, use code <strong>WESLEY30</strong> for 30% off your first subscription!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Ralston Valley at Mountain Vista</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Names to Know</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each team has big-time quarterbacks on their rosters. Ralston Valley's <strong>Logan Madden</strong> (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 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232153' first='Austyn' last='Modrzewski']</strong> (2025), a phenom who recently earned offers from Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs had a couple of players recently commit to Division I programs for football. Defensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='381231' first='Tyrese' last='Johnson']</strong> (2024) and offensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143637' first='Peyton' last='Knoebel']</strong> (2024) plan to attend the Air Force Academy following their senior seasons, while teammate <strong>Jack Moran</strong> (2024 DL/OL) has committed to Colorado State.  <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='826239' first='George' last='Patterson'] </strong>(2024 OLB/DE) and <strong>Jackson Hansen</strong> (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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Golden Eagles landed a game-changing transfer in wide receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='503779' first='CJ' last='Reese']</strong> (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 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='405000' first='Sean' last='Conway'] </strong>(2025), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232161' first='Jakhai' last='Mack']</strong> (2025), and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='283701' first='Ja'Pree' last='Jennings']</strong> (2026).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offensive lineman <strong>Jack Heath</strong> (2025) and linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='232168' first='Carter' last='Daniels']</strong> (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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Games of the Week</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Lutheran at Vista Ridge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 3A state runner-ups will travel to Colorado Springs to take on a high-powered 4A team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143625' first='Ryken' last='Daugaard'] </strong>| Lutheran | 2024 QB<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251278' first='Joseph' last='Ciccio']</strong> | Lutheran | 2024 WR<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='312594' first='Colin' last='Sturm']</strong> | Lutheran | 2024 OT</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='404989' first='Zayden' last='Stevens'] </strong>| Vista Ridge | 2025 QB<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='205808' first='Kobe' last='Dooley'] </strong>| Vista Ridge | 2026 WR/ATH<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='143643' first='Wesley' last='Wright']</strong> | Vista Ridge | 2024 DB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Taylorsville (UT) at Chatfield</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251265' first='Jake' last='Jones']</strong> | Chatfield | 2024 QB<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251279' first='Drew' last='Rohlman'] </strong>| Chatfield | 2024 WR<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='254906' first='Niguse' last='Shelp']</strong> | Chatfield | 2024 DB<br><strong>Avery DeWeese </strong>| Chatfield | 2024 LB<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='251310' first='Brock' last='Narva'] </strong>| Chatfield | 2025 RB/DB/ATH</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->