Colorado high school football rankings, Week 3: Mountain Vista continues to make case it’s state’s most dominant team

Mountain Vista's two-way dominance continues, Columbine just knows how to win and Roosevelt's mastery of Holy Family reaches a new level.

Colorado high school football rankings, Week 3: Mountain Vista continues to make case it’s state’s most dominant team

A look at the Post Preps Top 10 for Classes 5A, 4A and 3A going into Week 3:

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Class 5A

Team Record Previous Last week
1. Cherry Creek 1-1 1 W (42-10 at Millard North, Neb.)
Comment: Bruins get “break” from globe-trotting start to season with visit from Raiders. This week: vs. Regis Jesuit, 7 p.m. Thursday.
2. Mountain Vista 3-0 2 W (55-12 at Erie)
Comment: Three weeks of evidence — and a 173-18 cumulative score — indicate Golden Eagles may be state’s most dominant team. This week: at Cherokee Trail, 7 p.m. Friday.
3. Columbine 2-0 4 W (16-14 at No. 5 Legend)
Comment: Rebels always have at least one top-flight RB. Senior James Basinger (275 yards, 4 TDs in two weeks) is this year’s edition. This week: vs. Fossil Ridge, 7 p.m. Thursday.
4. Valor Christian 2-0 5 Bye
Comment: After knocking off two ranked teams in first two games, Rebels head to Salt Lake for an interstate tussle. This week: at Salt Lake City East, 7 p.m. Friday.
5. Legend 2-1 3 L (16-14 vs. No. 3 Columbine)
Comment: No shame in Titans falling in waning moments to defending 5A champions. This week: vs. Prairie View, 1 p.m. Saturday.
6. Ralston Valley 2-0 6 W (10-9 at No. 9 Grandview)
Comment: Mustangs have won a shootout (48-38 vs. Erie) and defensive slugfest (10-9 at Grandview). A clear indicator RV is for real. This week: vs. Mullen, 7:30 p.m. Friday.
7. Chatfield 2-0 7 W (34-12 at Horizon)
Comment: Senior Brock Narva already has 6 TDs, 17 tackles and 1 pass deflection. This week: vs. Eaglecrest, 4 p.m. Friday.
8. Fairview 2-0 NR W (35-30 at Arvada West)
Comment: Knights showed impressive balance (231 yards rushing, 215 passing) in takedown of solid Arvada West squad. This week: vs. Boulder, 5:30 p.m. Friday.
9. Grandview 0-2 9 L (10-9 vs. No. 6 Ralston Valley)
Comment: Wolvers have played, and narrowly lost to, pair of top 10 teams. Once offense catches up to defense, they’ll be a tough out. This week: at Legacy, 7 p.m. Thursday.
10. Castle View 2-0 NR W (28-0 vs. Chaparral)
Comment: Much like last year’s 8-4 squad, this year’s Sabercats are built on stingy defense with one TD allowed over two games. This week: at Horizon, 7 p.m. Friday.

Class 4A

Team Record Previous Last week
1. Palmer Ridge 2-0 1 W (42-0 vs. Doherty)
Comment: Bears’ regular-season win streak now at 26, with defense posting nine shutouts during that run. This week: at Lewis-Palmer, 7 p.m. Friday.
2. Broomfield 2-0 2 W (46-0 vs. Monarch)
Comment: Eagles averaging 319.5 rushing yards through two games and 6.8 yards per carry. This week: at Rocky Mountain, 7 p.m. Thursday.
3. Montrose 3-0 5 W (35-14 vs. Palisade)
Comment: No team has been closer than within 20 points of Red Hawks entering fourth quarter of their first three games. This week: Bye.
4. Mesa Ridge 2-0 3 W (50-47 vs. Northfield)
Comment: Craziest stat of Week 2? Or the season? Senior Sonny Rogers’ 222 yards on three receptions vs. Northfield — a cool 74.0 yards-per-catch average. This week: at No. 8 Dakota Ridge, 7:30 p.m. Friday.
5. Pueblo West 3-0 6 W (21-17 vs. 3A No. 9 Pomona)
Comment: Cyclones are 3-0 for fifth straight season. Only one of previous four teams won their fourth game. This week: vs. 3A No. 2 Lutheran, 7 p.m. Friday.
6. Heritage 1-1 4 L (42-28 vs. Arapahoe)
Comment: Fifth straight loss in Milk Jug game has to sting. But this is no time to mope. Northfield might be best 0-2 team in Colorado.  This week: vs. Northfield, 6 p.m. Thursday.
7. Vista Ridge 2-0 7 W (38-14 at Evanston, Wyo.)
Comment: QB Zayden Stevens (8 TDs passing/rushing) has Wolves offense looking explosive again. This week:  vs. Denver South, 7 p.m. Friday.
8. Dakota Ridge 1-1 8 W (37-20 at 3A No. 4 Green Mountain)
Comment: Eagles get ranked opponent for third straight week. And this latest one can score in bunches. This week: vs. No. 3 Mesa Ridge, 7:30 p.m. Friday.
9. Ponderosa 1-1 10 W (24-14 at Rampart)
Comment: Senior Ethan Pekarek earned himself a few helmet stickers with 4 tackles for loss and 1 pick last week at Rampart. This week: vs. 3A No. 1 Roosevelt, 7 p.m. Thursday.
10. Riverdale Ridge 2-0 NR W (28-0 vs. Poudre)
Comment: Eight quarters into 2024, and Ravens defense has yet to allow a single point. This week: at Severance, 7 p.m. Friday

Class 3A

Team Record Previous Last week
1. Roosevelt 2-0 4 W (38-21 vs. No. 3 Holy Family)
Comment: Rough Riders have now beaten Holy Family five straight times. No. 6 might be required to win state title in December. This week: at 4A No. 9 Ponderosa, 7 p.m. Thursday
2. Lutheran 2-0 1 W (56-20 vs. Fort Morgan)
Comment: Lions drop a spot only because of Roosevelt’s win over defending 3A champs. They could be back up at No. 1 with upset of Pueblo West on Friday. This week: at 4A No. 5 Pueblo West, 7 p.m. Friday
3. Holy Family 1-1 2 L (38-21 at No. 1 Roosevelt)
Comment: Take Roosevelt out of the equation and Tigers are 21-3 since start of 2022 season. This week: Bye.
4. Green Mountain 1-1 3 L (37-20 vs. 4A No. 8 Dakota Ridge)
Comment: After falling to Dakota Ridge, Rams get another tough Jeffco test in Pomona. This week: at No. 9 Pomona, 7 p.m. Thursday.
5. Windsor 1-1 5 W (34-9 at Longmont)
Comment: Wizards righted ship with dominant defensive showing at Longmont. This week: vs. Montbello, 7 p.m. Friday.
6. Mead 2-0 6 W (16-14 vs. Frederick)
Comment: Mavs defense, which shut out Frederick in second half last Friday, has 11 tackles for loss and 7 sacks through two weeks. This week: Bye.
7. Thompson Valley 2-0 7 W (43-0 vs. Greeley Central)
Comment: It appears Garet Hendrickson (217 yards on 13-of-15 passing in second varsity start at QB) has found footing under center. This week: at Tinmath, 7 p.m. Friday.
8. Pueblo Central 2-0 8 W (32-7 at Eaton)
Comment: Kris Cotterman’s Wildcats eyeing first 3-0 start to season in five years. This week: vs. Alamosa, 7 p.m. Thursday.
9. Pomona 1-1 9 L (21-17 at 4A No. 5 Pueblo West)
Comment: Panthers were one quarter away from 2-0 in Pueblo. Another stern test awaits. This week: vs. No. 4 Green Mountain, 7 p.m. Thursday.
10. Discovery Canyon 1-1 NR W (32-14 vs. Pueblo East)
Comment: Similarly, one bad half vs. Pueblo Central is the only reason Thunder isn’t unbeaten. This week: vs. Rampart, noon Saturday.

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