Five Valley teams in the hunt

The high school football playoffs open this weekend with five Valley schools in the hunt in their respective classification. Of the five, Alamosa, Centauri, Monte Vista and Sanford will host first-round playoff games. Here’s a look at the opening round matchups.

Alamosa (6-3)

The Mean Moose, who secured their playoff spot as an eight seed in the 2A bracket, will host their first game of the postseason on Saturday when they welcome D’Evelyn (7-2). “What I like about the playoffs is that we usually play on Saturday, which means we usually get an extra day of preparation,” said Alamosa head coach Drew Sandlin. This year’s Moose team is led by senior quarterback Kasey Jones, who finished his season with 27 touchdowns and 1938 passing yards. “Kasey is one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around in my entire career of coaching football,” said Sandlin of his quarterback. Alamosa will be up against one of the best air raid schools in the state. The quarterback of the Jaguars averages 297 yards per game and adds 27 touchdown passes as well. 

Players to Watch:

Alamosa: Kasey Jones, QB, 27 TDS, RJ Meis, RB, eight TDS, Kade Jones, WR/Safety, 8 tackles per game, 80 receiving yards per game.

D’Evelyn: Gabe Jackson, WR, 128 receiving yards per game, Austin Bushlack, QB, 296 yards passing per game, 30 total TDs, Ethan Bushlack, Linebacker, four INTs. 

Game Information: Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. at Alamosa

Centauri (7-2)

The Falcons started their season on the wrong foot, losing two of their first three games before winning six in a row and their sixth consecutive league championship. “I think that it says a lot about the consistency of our program,” said Centauri head coach Kyle Forster of the league championship streak. The Falcons go into the postseason as a seven seed in the 1A bracket and will host Gunnison (6-3). The Cowboys, who finished their season with a league championship as well, are led by senior running back Peyton Frias, who averaged 92 yards rushing in his first two games of the season alone. An interesting story for Centauri is that of Austin Stockebrand, who leads Centauri in rushing yards with 665 yards. “He never played running back before and after some injuries he’s stepped up and played really well,” said Forester. 

Players to Watch:

Centauri: Austin Stockebrand, RB, 83 yards rushing per game, Chaz Holman, WR/CB 12 TDS, six INTs, Josh Polkoweske, LB, 12 tackles per game.

Gunnison: Peyton Frias, RB, Kellan Yoder, LB, Royce Uhrig

Game Information: Saturday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. at Centauri

Monte Vista (8-1)

The Pirates boasted the best record in the Valley, starting their season 8-0 before losing their final game and the league Championship to Centauri 28-24. Monte Vista comes into the postseason as an eight seed in the 2A bracket and will host Holyoke (4-5) in the first game. “We never talked about starting 8-0 or winning a league or state championship, all we ever talked about was the next game on the schedule,” said Pirates head coach Manny Wasinger of his team’s strong season. The Pirates have a very strong ground game, buoyed by seniors Deangelo Archuleta (117 yards per game) and Khegan Gunter (84 yards per game). As for Holyoke, the Dragons, wide receiver Cash Weber leads the team with 88 yards receiving per game. 

Players to Watch: 

Monte Vista: Deangelo Archuleta, RB/LB, 117 yards per game, 8 tackles per game, Khegan Gunter, RB/LB, 23 TDs, three INTs, Alex Felix, Tackle, LB, seven sacks.

Holyoke: Cash Weber, WR, 88 receiving yards per game, Wyatt Sprague, QB/Safety, 14 TDs, eight tackles per game, Tyson Mortensen, LB, two sacks. 

Game Information: Saturday, Nov. 5, in Monte Vista

Sanford (6-3)

The Mustangs had another consistent season this year, with two two-game winning streaks and never lost back-to-back games. Sanford made the playoffs as an eight seed in the 8 Man bracket. “I really like where we’re at right now, we’re almost completely healthy and we feel really good right now,” said Sanford head coach Joe Cary. Sanford will have a very tough test on Saturday, when they host Vail Christian (7-1). The Saints have won six games in a row, are league champions and are looking to keep their momentum going against the Mustangs. Vail Christian is led by dual threat quarterback Taylor Shull, who enters the game with 34 total touchdowns, 24 of them rushing. Sanford is led this season by a great offensive line, a unit that Cary says is really coming together at the right time. 

Players to Watch: 

Sanford: Gauge Lewis, RB, Justin Mcarrol, Safety, Mccray Larsen, TE/DE

Vail Christian: Taylor Shull, QB, 34 TDS, Theo Moritz, WR, 4 TDS, Hunter Gilbert, RB, 74 yards per game

Game Information: Saturday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. at Sanford

Sierra Grande (7-3)

The Panthers made news this season for scoring 102 points against La Veta in October. Since then, Sierra Grande has won two out of their last three games and secured their playoff spot as the 12 seed in the 6 Man bracket. They will travel to five seeded Otis (7-2) on Saturday. “It’s playoff football, we gotta be able to go out there and compete for four quarters,” said Panthers head coach Luis Corona. Sierra Grande is led by running back Angelo Lucero, who paces the Panthers with 116 yards per game. Their opponent Otis, is led by running back Tayte Smith, who lead the team with 176 yards per game as well as 30 touchdowns. 

Players to Watch:

Sierra Grande: Angelo Lucero, RB/FS, 30 TDS, 4 INTS, Damian Ferran, DE, 6.5 sacks, Aron Ojeda, QB, 24 TDS 

Otis: Tayte Smith, RB, 30 TDS, Charlie Kendrick, LB, 9 tackles per game, Jack Willeke, TE, 51 yards per game, three TDS

Game Information: Saturday, Nov. 5, at 1 pm. at Otis