It’s been nearly 23 months to the day since the last time the Columbine Rebels were handed a loss on the football field. The team on the winning side back on Nov. 19? The Ralston Valley Mustangs.
Those same Mustangs will try and put and end to the 21-game winning streak that the defending Class 5A champion has put together dating back to the first game of the 2023 season.
The Colorado Preps No. 3-ranked Rebels have passed every test handed to them in 2024, including a narrow 16-14 win over No. 4 Legend earlier in the season. They continue to win the way the program has become accustomed to as James Basinger Mark Snyder have combined to rush for over 2,000 yards and totaled 30 touchdowns between the two of them.
Ralston Valley counters with more of an air attack as quarterback Zeke Andrews has thrown for over 1,600 yards and has 16 touchdowns to go with those yards.
Ralston Valley’s only hiccup this season came in a 34-17 loss to Valor Christian on Sept. 27.
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Class 4A
(2) Montrose at (5) Mesa Ridge
A desperate Mesa Ridge team with a competitive Bryce Riehl could be extremely dangerous. The Grizzlies fell to Pueblo West last week and any chance they have to win a league title rests on the result of tonight’s clash at CA Foster Stadium in Fountain.
Riehl has thrown for 1,464 yards and 18 touchdowns this season and has found Trevon Salas most often. Salas has accounted for 619 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Montrose has been a physical running team all season. Quarterback Chris Mock can throw if needed, but more often it’s Elijah Womack running wild to get the Red Hawks an early lead. In the event that defenses key on him, Aidan Grijalva can provide another option. He scored Montrose’s first three touchdowns in last week’s win over Doherty.
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Class 3A
(6) Pueblo Central at (8) Pueblo East
The winners of the Bell Game and Cannon Game will clash at Dutch Clark Stadium with a lot on the line. This could be a de facto league title game and will have big playoff implications for each time. Pueblo Central currently sits at No. 3 in the playoff seeding index and East is still inside the cutline at 13.
Amari Brown is averaging 185 rushing yards per game for the Wildcats and has emerged as one of the elite runners in the state when he’s on the field.
Dolphka Lewis has been a solid dual-threat quarterback for the Eagles, throwing for 649 yards and rushing for 622.
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Class 1A
(4) Limon at (2) Wray
This game, which serves as a rematch of the 2022 state title game and a potential playoff preview, will likely decide the North Central League title. Limon was stunned by Holyoke a week ago so if the Badgers can take down Wray, it could pain a chaotic picture for the next couple of weeks.
As a team, Limon has over 1,600 rushing yards this season with quarterback Aiden Kollath leading the way with 387 yards and seven touchdowns.
Wray’s production is a family affair between first-cousins Casey Midap and Sam Meisner. Midcap has thrown for 702 yards and rushed for another 404. Meisner is the Eagles’ top runner at 696 yards and he’s found the end zone 12 times.
