Colorado spring high school soccer playoffs guide: Preferences, challengers as well as underdogs

Take a look at this post by Kyle Fredrickson from The Denver Post talking about several important news items for the week. Kyle Fredrickson recently published this and I thought it was well worth sharing on this website.

A total of 54 high school football programs in Colorado opted out of a fall season to play during the spring instead. Now, the time is almost here to crown a second round of champions.

The playoff football brackets for Season C football have been released by CHSAA with games starting on Friday. Here’s what you need to know.

Class 5A

No. 1 Denver South (6-0) vs. No. 8 Denver East (2-4), 7 p.m. Friday at All-City Stadium

No. 4 Boulder (4-0) vs. No. 5 Fort Collins (4-1), 6 p.m. Friday at Recht Field

No. 3 Vista PEAK Prep (4-2) vs. No. 6 Rangeview (3-2), 1 p.m. Saturday at APS Stadium

No. 2 Far Northeast (3-2) vs. No. 7 Westminster (3-2), 7 p.m. Friday at Evie Ennis Stadium

Favorite: Denver South — The Ravens, playing in honor of fallen teammate Davarie Armstrong, rely heavily on star power at wide receiver. Over five games, senior Jayshawn Leyba and sophomore Rashad Caldwell have combined for 51 catches, 673 yards and 10 touchdowns. Their defense is no joke, either, with 10 sacks and eight interceptions.

Challenger: Vista Peak Prep — On paper, the Bison might be the most talented team playing this spring with a pair of highly recruited seniors in running back Ja’Derris Carr (Princeton) and offensive tackle Braylen Nelson (Fresno State). Their ground attack averages more than 240 yards per game. Vista Peak enters the playoffs with consecutive losses after starting the year ranked No. 1 in Class 5A.

Darkhorse: Boulder — Yes, the Panthers played only four times this season due to COVID-19, but a four-seed appears low for a team with zero losses. Boulder is built on defense with a stunning 30 sacks in addition to holding opponents to just 21 total points scored. The Panthers easily beat Northglenn (31-0) and Adams City (41-0) to close out the regular season.

Class 4A

No. 1 Thomas Jefferson (6-0) vs. No. 8 Aurora Central (3-4), AC forfeit due to COVID-19

No. 4 Falcon (4-2) vs. No. 5 Kennedy (4-2), 7 p.m. Friday at FHS

No. 3 George Washington (5-0) vs. No. 6 Gateway (3-3), 1 p.m. Saturday at GWHS

No. 2 Harrison (6-0) vs. Centaurus (3-3), 1 p.m. Saturday at HHS

Favorite: Thomas Jefferson — Head coach Mike Griebel, who led Heritage to a 2009 state title, is building a similar championship culture at TJ. The Spartans have scored at least 40 points in half of their games this season. Their defense hasn’t given up more than 14 points since Week 1. TJ already advanced to the second round with Aurora Central dropping out due to COVID-19 issues.

Challenger: Harrison — The Panthers won a thriller in double-overtime against Falcon, 40-32, in the final week of the regular season to keep their perfect record intact. Harrison averages more than 200 yards rushing. The Panthers’ defense also held their first three opponents to single-digit scoring efforts.

Darkhorse: George Washington — The third undefeated team from 4A sat out one game against Thomas Jefferson due to COVID-19 issues. But the Patriots might be the most talented of the unbeaten. Senior Daniel Ameyaw is a big reason why with 100 yards rushing per game and five touchdowns.

Class 3A

No. 1 Glenwood Springs (6-0) vs. Northfield (3-3), 3 p.m. Saturday at Stubler Memorial Field

No. 4 Rifle (4-2) vs. No. 5 The Academy (5-1), 1 p.m. Saturday at Bear Stadium

No. 3 Basalt (5-1) vs. No. 6 Sand Creek (5-1), 1 p.m. Saturday at BHS

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No. 2 The Classical Academy (4-0) vs. Aspen (3-3), 1 p.m. Saturday at TCA Titan Stadium

Favorite: Glenwood Springs — The Demons’ recipe for success this season was simple. Just give the football to Blake Nieslanik. The junior running back averaged 128 yards rushing with 12 total touchdowns. Glenwood Springs also dominated Salida, 49-0, in their last game before the playoffs.

Challenger: The Classical Academy — The Titans might have played only four games this season, but the outcomes were never in doubt. The Classical Academy beat its opponents by a combined score of 194-19 — including two shutouts and 40-plus points scored in each game. Junior running back Cade Palmer has 535 yards rushing on the year.

Darkhorse: Sand Creek — The sixth-seeded Scorpions have just one defeat this year (30-28 vs. The Academy) and finished the regular season with three consecutive 40-point shutouts against Denver West, Littleton and Kent Denver. Sand Creek’s defense is especially stout with 17 sacks and 10 interceptions.