1. Cherry Creek (2-0) won at Cardinal Mooney (Fla.), 24-21: UConn commit Jayden Fox set the tone with a 55-yard touchdown run, Jolon Quintana kicked a clutch 32-yard field goal and the Creek defense shut down a last-minute Cougars drive to give the Bruins a statement win in the Sunshine State. Fox added a 14-yard TD run later in the first half, and Maxwell Lovett scored on a 26-yard reverse to put Creek ahead 21-9 at the break. After Quintana’s field goal, Mooney scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter to draw within three, but the Bruins defense stood tall after the Cougars crossed midfield on their final possession. Next week: vs. Millard North (Neb.), 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
2. Valor Christian (2-0) won at No. 6 Regis Jesuit, 41-15. The Eagles were up 10-0 after one quarter and 34-7 at half in a game that was never in doubt. Valor Christian’s size and talent at the skill positions, headlined by do-everything Cash Spence, was too much to handle for Regis Jesuit. Next week: at Las Vegas-Faith Lutheran, 7 p.m. Sept. 6.
3. Legend (2-0) won vs. No. 9 Grandview, 28-16: Boston College QB commit DJ Bordeaux and junior Kellen Marchand hooked up for two TD passes, the second putting Legend ahead for good in the fourth quarter, and senior Ryken Banks ran for 125 yards and one TD to survive a Grandview upset bid. Bordeaux also threw three interceptions, but a stout Titans defense led by junior Kellen Brown (14 tackles, 1 INT) did enough to keep the Wolves at bay. Next week: at No. 5 Columbine, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5.
. It was a tight 21-7 game at halftime and the Tigers were still in it, but the Mustangs used Zeke Andrews’ 3-yard rushing TD in the third quarter to pull away. Another rushing TD in the fourth quarter put Ralston Valley up 34-7 early in the fourth quarter. Tommy Thiesen’s 23-yard rushing TD with about eight minutes left finally got some momentum back for Erie, but it was too little, too late for the Tigers. Next week: vs. No. 9 Grandview, 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
: Dieuvenson Sorenson ran in a TD from 5 yards out and Caeden Reeder found Sidney Lynn for a scoring pass to help give the Grizzlies a 26-6 halftime lead that held up for a win in Jay Madden’s debut as T-Ridge head coach. Columbine fell to 0-2 to start the season for the first time in 11 years. Next week: vs. No. 3 Legend, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5.
6. Regis Jesuit (0-2) lost vs. No. 2 Valor Christian, 41-15. The Raiders’ early-season schedule has been brutal, as RJ started the season last week against defending champion Cherry Creek. Hopefully, this August gauntlet pays dividends in October and November. Next week: vs. Phoenix-Brophy Prep, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
7. Fairview (1-0) won at Legacy, 41-7: Senior Sebastian Ruttgers found the end zone three times, including a 60-yard pick-six, and junior quarterback Ki Ellison threw a pair of TD passes in a Knights rout. Next week: vs. No. 10 Arvada West, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
8. Pine Creek (1-1) won vs. Cherokee Trail, 35-21: A lightning delay turned this into a late-night affair, but Pine Creek did enough work early on to take a 21-0 lead into halftime and eventually ride out Trevor Hudson’s first win as Eagles head coach. Caleb Petree and Xavier Lukes both ran in TDs to build the early lead, with Lukes scoring from 58 yards out. Next week: Bye.
: Idaho commit Blitz McCarty threw a pair of touchdown passes, and Noah Galvez drilled a field goal to give the Wolves a 16-15 lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Titans offense answered with back-to-back touchdowns in the final frame to beat Grandview for the second straight season. Next week: at No. 4 Ralston Valley, 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
10. Arvada West (2-0) won vs. Mountain Range, 56-0: The Wildcats dominated on both sides of the ball en route to posting their largest margin of victory since beating Boulder by the same score on Sept. 1, 2022. A-West has outscored its first two opponents 90-13 and is 2-0 for the third straight season heading into a showdown with Fairview. Next week: at No. 7 Fairview, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
Class 4A
: In the highly anticipated Jeffco rivalry, Chargers QB Cash Williams tossed a pair of TDs to put the Chargers up early, but Dakota Ridge stormed back with a pair of TDs by Jack Offerdahl. The senior jackknife had a 10-yard rushing TD, then a punt return for a TD to give the Eagles a 14-12 lead. Landon Kalsbeck’s rushing TD late in the third quarter made it 21-12. Next week: at Winter Springs, Fla., 5 p.m. Sept. 5.
2. Broomfield (1-0) won vs. Frederick, 31-13: Frederick took an early lead on a field goal, but then Khalil Benner-Brooks uncorked a 75-yard kick return for a TD. Broomfield never looked back. Nathan Arredondo added a rushing TD in the second quarter, then Benner-Brooks’ 30-yard rushing TD with seven minutes left put the game on ice for the defending state champions. Next week: at Monarch, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
3. Montrose (2-0) won vs. Greeley West, 48-0: The Red Hawks boat-raced the Spartans, jumping out to a 34-0 lead by halftime. Chase Mehan got things going with an 89-yard rushing TD midway through the first, then Trevor Prock tacked on a rushing TD later in the quarter. By the time Cade Saunders tossed a 30-yard TD pass to Mehan with less than a minute to go in the first, the rout was on. Next week: at Palisade, 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
4. Palmer Ridge (1-0) won vs. No. 7 Ponderosa, 42-14: Jackson Mabe’s 57-yard rushing TD gave the Bears an early lead, and then they poured it on. Mabe ran for another score late in the first quarter, then Cole Harris connected with Michael Toth for a 14-yard TD pass late in the second quarter. That, plus a two-point conversion, made it 21-0. Colter Espinoza’s rushing TD with less than a minute to go in the first half finally got Pondo on the board, but the game was already out of hand. Harris’ 51-yard TD pass to Zak Crisler late in the third quarter essentially sealed the game. Next week: at Doherty, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 4.
5. Heritage (1-0) won vs. Severance, 46-13: Senior running back Mo Thenell gashed Severance for multiple big plays, including a 91-yard screen pass from Jamison Seese and a 49-yard scoring run, as the Eagles offensive machine rolled to a decisive season-opening win. Next week: at Arapahoe, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
: Senior running back Trevon Salas ran in three touchdowns, and senior quarterback Leland Frescaz connected with Kobe Dooley for a score in a game that was called in the third quarter due to lightning. Next week: at Northfield, 6 p.m. Sept. 4.
7. Ponderosa (0-1) lost at No. 4 Palmer Ridge, 42-14: Tough opener for the Mustangs, but they showed flashes of what they can do long-term. First things first: Ponderosa needs to shore things up on defense, especially in the secondary where they were burned for a number of plus plays by the Bears. Next week: vs. Rampart, 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
8. Golden (1-0) on bye: The Demons had the weekend off after scoring a Week 0 victory over Rifle on Aug. 22. Next week: at Brighton, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
9. Pueblo West (2-0) won vs. Pueblo County, 39-34: In the rivalry game at CSU-Pueblo, the Cyclones took an 18-7 lead into halftime, but the Hornets didn’t quit. Pueblo County scored 27 points in the final quarter, but Pueblo West scored 21 points in the frame as they continued to pound the rock and also notched a pick-six on defense. The Cyclones held on for the win. Next week: at 3A No. 2 Pomona, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
10. Riverdale Ridge (1-0) won vs. Prairie View, 48-7: The Ravens raced out to a 14-0 lead after one quarter, and then a trio of Jeter McArthur TD passes gave Riverdale Ridge a 34-0 halftime lead. Dean Presswood then poured it on it a 75-yard rushing TD in the third quarter. Next week: at Poudre, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5.
Class 3A
1. Thompson Valley (1-0) won vs. Berthoud, 17-7. Next week: at Greeley Central, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 4.
2. Pomona (1-0) won vs. Kennedy, 49-0. Next week: vs. 4A No. 9 Pueblo West, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
3. Windsor (1-0) won at No. 6 Green Mountain, 55-0. Next week: vs. Longmont, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
4. Mead (1-0) won at No. 10 Pueblo South, 42-0. Next week: at Frederick, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
5. Roosevelt (1-0) won vs. Northfield, 35-0. Next week: at No. 9 Holy Family, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
6. Green Mountain (0-1) lost vs. No. 3 Windsor, 55-0. Next week: vs Corona del Mar, 8 p.m. Sept. 6.
7. Lutheran (0-1) lost vs. Cooper, 55-13. Next week: at Fort Morgan, 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
8. Pueblo East (1-0) did not play. Next week: vs. Discovery Canyon, 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
9. Holy Family (1-0) won at Northridge, 49-6. Next week: vs. No. 5 Roosevelt, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.
10. Pueblo South (0-1) lost vs. No. 4 Mead, 42-0. Next week: at Falcon, 7 p.m. Sept. 5.