Denver Christian leads undefeated run in Colorado football playoffs
McGatlin's team averages a 37.25-point margin of victory, while Elizabeth and Palmer Ridge also enter the postseason with strong records.
By Enzo Almasi ·
The Colorado high school football postseason begins Friday with opening-round games in Class 2A, while other class brackets open next week.
Denver Christian enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed in Class 1A after going undefeated under head coach Bret McGatlin. The Thunder improved from a 2-7 record the year prior to McGatlin's arrival to a 4-5 season last year. This season, the team has not played a close game, posting an average margin of victory of 37.25 points. Senior running back and middle linebacker Quinn Barkema leads the offense.
Elizabeth, the Class 2A favorite, finished its regular season with a 27-17 win over The Classical Academy. The Cardinals defeated Wellington 35-0 in the title game a year ago. Head coach Michael Zoesch, in his 12th season, has a bye in the opening week. Defensive ends Cash Buron and Tyler Hanak anchor the defense.
Palmer Ridge dropped to Class 3A for this two-year cycle after finishing as runner-up in 4A last season. The Bears have a 28.4-point average margin of victory. Their closest game was a 29-14 win over La Cueva on Aug. 28.
The Class 4A race remains wide open. Broomfield and Ponderosa are undefeated. Roosevelt, ranked No. 1 by the CHSAA, is 8-1. Montrose, 7-2, has losses to 5A Mountain Vista and 3A Palmer Ridge but has performed well against 4A opponents. Monarch, Loveland, Pueblo West, Golden, Douglas County, and Columbine also remain competitive.
Cherry Creek holds the favorite status in Class 5A despite breaking a 27-game win streak with a forfeit in the season opener. The Bruins won overtime games against Legend and Valor Christian in September. Valor Christian and Mountain Vista are the primary contenders to challenge Cherry Creek.
Individual performers are setting state records. Gage Gunderson of Holy Family leads the state with 27 rushing touchdowns and 1,718 rushing yards, averaging 9.04 yards per carry. In Class 5A, Fairview's Ki Ellison leads in passing yards with 3,180, while Mountain Vista's Marquise Reese is second with 2,832. Ellison threw for 633 yards and seven touchdowns in a recent win over Legacy. Valor Christian's Jackson Coleman has 46 catches for 950 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Source: The Denver Post
