Unbeaten Fort Collins will host Northfield in the second round of the Class 5A state football playoffs after the Nighthawks defeated Riverdale Ridge 41-10. Northfield, which joined 5A and the Centennial League this season, pulled away after a competitive first half to improve to 7-4. Fourth-seeded Fort Collins enters the matchup at 10-0. Fossil Ridge’s postseason ended with a 49-21 loss to Regis Jesuit.
Regis quarterback Luke Rubley passed for 357 yards and five touchdowns, with Colt Jones collecting six receptions for 175 yards and two scores. The Raiders next visit fifth-seeded Grandview, which they beat 24-21 in Week 9. Heritage also advanced in its first 5A postseason appearance, beating Cherokee Trail 28-21. After surrendering a 14-0 halftime advantage, Heritage scored twice before allowing a final-minute touchdown. The Eagles next face No. 1 Cherry Creek.
Ralston Valley defeated Castle View 34-24 after building leads of 20-3 at halftime and 27-9 after three quarters. Last season’s 5A runner-up will visit No. 8 Grand Junction. Legacy was the only lower seed to advance in 5A, defeating Horizon 41-7. Andrew Gardner threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 106 yards and two more scores. Legacy next travels to No. 2 Valor Christian.
Fairview outlasted Arapahoe 56-49 behind Ki Ellison, who passed for 421 yards and three touchdowns and added 128 rushing yards and two scores. Arapahoe’s Marcello Jaramillo scored five touchdowns. Fairview now visits No. 3 Mountain Vista. ThunderRidge built a 35-0 lead in a 35-7 victory over Chaparral to set up a trip to No. 7 Eaglecrest. Chatfield beat Denver East 38-12 and will visit No. 6 Legend after Kai Hall threw two touchdown passes and Devon Fleming rushed for two scores.
In Class 4A, No. 22 Sand Creek produced the biggest opening-round surprise, defeating No. 11 Bear Creek 64-27. Ethan Mangrum carried 36 times for 391 yards and four touchdowns for the Scorpions. Bear Creek quarterback Riley Wilson passed for 369 yards and three scores, with one interception. Sand Creek advances to face unbeaten No. 6 Ponderosa.
Air Academy earned its first playoff victory in 19 years, beating Frederick 10-3 in the opening round’s lowest-scoring game. The Kadets next visit No. 2 Montrose. Montbello also advanced as a lower seed, winning 24-17 at George Washington on Thursday night. The Warriors held a 17-14 advantage entering the fourth quarter and added a late touchdown. Their next opponent is top-seeded Roosevelt.
Douglas County overturned a 30-19 deficit after three quarters to beat Cheyenne Mountain 33-30. Miles Coxe rushed for 310 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries, including a 71-yard score. The Huskies next visit No. 4 Monarch. Columbine established a 35-0 lead before completing a 56-27 win over Durango and will travel to No. 5 Loveland.
Golden defeated Fruita Monument 24-6 to earn a visit to No. 8 Mesa Ridge. The losses by Fruita Monument and Durango left Montrose as the bracket’s only Western Slope team. Defending champion Dakota Ridge was eliminated 46-20 by Lutheran, which next faces No. 7 Pueblo West.
Vista Ridge held off Longmont 34-31 despite a late rally from the Trojans, who trailed 27-10 in the fourth quarter. Tanner Reed threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in the final period. Malachi Arnds-Volcin led Vista Ridge with 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 attempts. The Wolves next visit unbeaten No. 3 Broomfield.
