Aurora (Colo.) football impressive, but Mullen still overwhelming favorite

The Class 5A football playoffs have nearly transformed into an all-Aurora thing, which is a nice storyline that several publications have highlighted, but it ignores the dominant theme.

Sure, Cherokee Trail, Regis Jesuit and Grandview compose three-fourths of the final four and all are based in Aurora, a suburb in the eastern portion of the Denver metro area. But the fourth school is Mullen (Denver), which still is the overwhelming favorite to capture its third straight title.

The Mustangs (12-0) demolished Chaparral 35-7 in the quarterfinals and are riding a 30-game winning streak. They are No. 10 nationally in the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings, 14 spots above where they finished after last season's 14-0 campaign.

The Mustangs will face Grandview in the quarterfinals (1 p.m., Saturday, Legacy Stadium), which adds a twist. The 21st-seeded Wolves (8-4) continued their bracket-busting ways with a 35-12 pasting of Rangeview in the quarterfinals, but they also hold the distinction as the last team to defeat Mullen. That was Oct. 24, 2008, when Grandview triumphed 17-10.

Cherokee Trail and Regis Jesuit will meet in the other semifinal (1 p.m., Saturday, Kellogg Field). Cherokee Trail (11-1) upended previously unbeaten Ralston Valley 14-2 while Regis (12-0) got a late miracle touchdown from wide receiver Connor McKay to upend Grand Junction 31-28. Cherokee Trail has recorded four shutouts in addition to holding Ralston Valley to a late safety.

"We think our ‘D' is one of the best in the state," Cherokee Trail's Bobby Toliver said. "We'll just have to prove it again."

See Colorado playoff brackets.

4A semifinals offer rematch, first-time matchup: Dakota Ridge (Littleton) and Wheat Ridge, longtime Jefferson County rivals and current Mountain Plains League foes, will meet again (1 p.m. Saturday, Jeffco Stadium).

Wheat Ridge, which defeated Dakota Ridge 28-14 in the regular season, needed a late touchdown catch from tight end Andy Field to defeat Ponderosa 21-17. Dakota Ridge also got a late, deciding touchdown from its tight end, Keaton Greenstreet, but the story was receiver Derek Vander Velde. The 6-foot-5 senior caught 11 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

"I've put basketball on the backburner," the multisport athlete said. "It was supposed to be photo day early in the morning but I couldn't take myself away from football."

Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) and Broomfield will meet in a first-time matchup of powerhouses in the other semifinal (1 p.m., Elizabeth Kennedy Stadium). Valor crushed Pine Creek 41-16 while Broomfield got a late touchdown from Dan Geubelle to squeak past Loveland 33-28.

Stout defensive matchup highlights 3A semifinals: Elizabeth and Vista Ridge (Colorado Springs) combined to give up zero points in the quarterfinals and now will square of in the semis (1 p.m., Saturday, Sand Creek High School). Elizabeth rampaged Frederick 40-0 while Vista Ridge traveled to Silver Creek and blanked the Raptors 26-0.

"We have some good offensive kids, but we don't do anything special," Elizabeth coach Chris Cline said. "Our defense is where we're at."

Canon City got a late touchdown pass from Max Javernick to Rolan Apple-Lemieux to beat Windsor 17-10, and the Tigers will travel to Glenwood Springs (1 p.m., Saturday) to take on a Drew Halsch-led Demons squad that routed Lewis-Palmer 42-21.

Florence the favorite in 2A: The 2A semifinals feature three 10-2 teams and one 12-0 squad, the Florence Huskies. Florence travels to Olathe (1 p.m.) Saturday to take on a Pirates squad it defeated 35-21 in Week 3.

Florence beat Platte Canyon 27-16 in the quarterfinals while Olathe wiped out an 11-0 deficit to Faith Christian to triumph 14-11. Kial Piatt rushed for 83 of his 90 yards in the second half, including a 34-yard TD.

Brush travels to Kent Denver-Englewood (1 p.m., Saturday) for the other semifinal, with the host Sun Devils riding a nine-game winning streak and the Beetdiggers a five-game streak. Included was Kent Denver's 21-14 win against Aspen in the quarterfinals and Brush's 49-24 shellacking of Bayfield.

Championship games on tap in 1A and 8-man: It'd be easy to already crown unbeaten Wray the 1A champ. The Eagles have outscored three playoff opponents by a composite 138-13 and have played only one close game all season. But that game happened to be a 21-14 win against Burlington in Week 2, against a Cougars squad that Wray will host again Saturday (1 p.m.). Burlington has reeled off 10 straight wins since that loss and has outscored its playoff foes a combined 117-20.

In 8-man, Hoehne will put its 12-0 mark on the line at Caliche-Iliff (11-1). The teams have not met this season, and few would have forecasted this matchup considering Hoehne was coming off a 4-5 season.

The 6-man title was played Saturday with Idalia capturing its eighth title in 13 seasons with a 70-36 win against Fleming.

Paul Willis is a regular sports freelancer for The Denver Post and covered high school, college and pro sports for the Rocky Mountain News from 2000-09. You can reach him at gdpdub@aol.com.