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Prep football 2008 primer

The Rocky

Published August 21, 2008 at 1:20 a.m.

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COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF

We can feel the anticipation, too, knowing the high school football season is only a day away.

* Zero Week action begins Friday, and there is no shortage of top games on opening weekend.

* Highlights for Friday include Thomas Jefferson at 4A No. 3 Monarch, the state runner-up in Class 4A last season, and 3A runner-up Falcon at perennial powerhouse Florence.

* No doubt, the place to be that night, though, will be the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada, where 2007 4A quarterfinalists No. 7 Fountain-Fort Carson and fifth-ranked Ralston Valley will meet in what should be a rough-and-tumble tussle. If you can't make it to the NAAC, the game will be televised on Altitude.

* The complete weekend schedule:

FRIDAY

Thomas Jefferson at Monarch, 7 p.m., Centaurus High School

George Washington at Littleton, 7 p.m., Littleton Public Schools Stadium

Fountain-Fort Carson at Ralston Valley, 7 p.m., North Area Athletic Complex

Glenwood Springs at Montrose, 7 p.m.

Woodland Park at Palisade, 7 p.m.

Falcon at Florence, 7 p.m.

Dolores at Paonia, 7 p.m.

Ignacio at Monte Vista, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

Eagle Valley at Faith Christian, 1 p.m.

Pagosa Springs at Bayfield, 7 p.m.

Yuma at Nederland, 1 p.m.

South Park at West Grand, 7 p.m.

WEEK 1 WINNER

* To start this season, Pueblo South will play the team that ended its season last year. The Colts, unbeaten in the regular season for three consecutive years, will face Pueblo West, which beat Pueblo South 20-10 in the second round of the playoffs en route to its first state title.

"Not too many teams, at any level, get to play the team that ended their season in the opener," Pueblo South coach Mark Haering said. "That's good motivation for both teams to work hard over the summer."

More than 10,000 fans were in attendance at Dutch Clark Stadium for the playoff game, and the season opener Aug. 29 is expected to bring out another big crowd for the developing city rivalry.

"It was electric down here when we played South in the playoffs, and I expect it to be about the same," Pueblo West coach Monte Pinkerton said. "It should be a good one. Pueblo South is one of the best programs in the state, and we want to get there. We talk about building a program, and one season does not make a program. We want consistency, and this year will be a big challenge."

HOME SWEET HOME

* New South Park coach J.R. McMillin has been roughing it in the name of high school football.

McMillin, who once played for the Broncos and previously coached at Brighton, has had thoughts about taking over a small-school program.

The school down the street from the McMillin family's get-away cabin seemed perfect, so he took the job and moved into his new digs for much of the summer.

"It's something I've wanted to do for the last four years or so, taking on a new program," he said.

STADIUM TOUR

With many schools playing at district facilities, sometimes knowing how to get to the big football game is half the challenge.

The following is a rundown of the state's top district stadiums, which, of course, does not include premier venues at Mullen and Regis Jesuit high schools.

You also can find this list at RockyPreps.com for future reference.

* Adams 12 North Stadium: Located on the campus of Mountain Range High School, 12500 Delaware St., Westminster.

* All City Stadium: Located on the campus of Denver South High School, 1700 E. Louisiana Ave., Denver.

* Aurora Public Schools Stadium: Located on the campus of Hinkley High School, 1250 Chambers Road, Aurora.

* District 6 Stadium: Located on the campus of Northridge High School, 100 71st Ave., Greeley.

* District 20 Stadium: Located on the campus of Rampart High School, 8250 Lexington Drive, Colorado Springs.

* District 50 Stadium: Located on the campus of Westminster High School, 4276 W. 68th Ave., Westminster.

* Douglas County Stadium: Located on the campus of Douglas County High School, 2842 Front St., Castle Rock.

* Dutch Clark Stadium: Located at 1000 W. Abriendo Ave., Pueblo.

* Everly-Montgomery Field: Located on the campus of Longmont High School, 1040 Sunset St., Longmont.

* Five Star Stadium: Located on the campus of Thornton High School, 9351 N. Washington, Thornton.

* French Field: Located on the campus of Rocky Mountain High School, 1300 W. Swallow Road, Fort Collins.

* Garry Berry Stadium: Located on the campus of Wasson High School, 2115 Afton Way, Colorado Springs.

* Jefferson County Stadium: Located at Kipling Street and West Sixth Avenue, Lakewood.

* Legacy Stadium: Located on the campus of Cherokee Trail High School, 25901 E. Arapahoe Road, Aurora.

* Littleton Public Schools Stadium: Located on the campus of Littleton High School, 199 E. Littleton Blvd., Littleton.

* Memorial Field: Located on the campus of Harrison High School, 2755 Janitell Road, Colorado Springs.

* North Area Athletic Complex: Located at 19500 W. 64th Parkway, Arvada.

* Ray Patterson Field: Located on the campus of Thompson Valley High School, 1669 Eagle Drive, Loveland.

* Recht Field: Located on the campus of Boulder High School, 1604 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder.

* Shea Stadium: Located east of Santa Fe Drive, south of C-470, on Town Center Drive, Highlands Ranch.

* Stocker Stadium: Located at the corner of 12th Street and North Avenue, Grand Junction.

* Stutler Bowl: Located on the campus of Cherry Creek High School, 9300 E. Union Ave., Greenwood Village.

* Trailblazer Stadium: Located at 170 S. Kipling St., Lakewood.

FINDER'S FEE

It's not easy keeping up with all the new schools each season. The state map certainly is getting crowded. A capsule look at three new schools fielding football programs this season.

Discovery Canyon

City: Colorado Springs.

Mascot: Thunder.

Classification: 2A.

League: Independent.

Palmer Ridge

City: Monument.

Mascot: Bears.

Classification: 4A.

League: Independent.

Valor Christian

City: Highlands Ranch.

Mascot: Eagles.

Classification: 3A. League: Metro.

* Vista Ridge (Colorado Springs) and Legend (Parker) also are new schools but won't field varsity football teams this season. Of note, Manual makes its return to the football field after a two-year absence. The Thunderbolts went 1-9 during the 2005 season.

Comments

  • August 22, 2008

    1:54 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Steel_Curtain writes:

    I would like to correct what is currently posted. I am a coach at Vista Ridge and we will play a varsity schedule with freshmen and sophomores in the same league as Legend, Discovery Canyon and Palmer Ridge. To the best of my knowledge all of these schools will be playing varsity schedules with just two classes. Furthermore we will be playing each other twice during the season in what is the newly formed pioneer league.

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