SOUTHERN COLORADO (KOAA) — The high school football season will be kicking off soon and News 5 has an inside look at how some teams are feeling about the upcoming year.
Sand Creek
Led by second year head coach Eric Mitchell, the Scorpions feel they have the pieces to take Sand Creek football to the postseason for the first time since 2020. They will be returning their leader in touchdowns and rushing yards to go with a fine-tuned offensive line.
Lewis-Palmer
The Lewis-Palmer Rangers are hungry to get back into the playoffs after missing the postseason a year ago. They have 22 seniors on this year's roster who are determined to win the 3A Pikes Peak League title.
Pueblo West
Pueblo West graduated 27 seniors after their semi-final run last season. Most of those were key players on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense still remains strong.
The Cyclones might be running a different styled offense opposed to what they are used to, but their defense has made it clear that they are still going to be a tough team to beat.
Pueblo East
Pueblo East may have lost a lot of their receiving core from last year, but this new roster has the same speed and toughness as before.
The Eagles will also return their starting quarterback, Dolphka Lewis, who says just making the playoffs is no longer good enough. Rather, they are keeping their eyes on the state title.
Mesa Ridge
Mesa Ridge has been consistently good over the last few years, finishing with an 8-4 record for three years straight. This year, they have a motto of “one percent better.”
With a strong receiving core and a transfer quarterback, the Grizzlies are hoping to finally get past the second round of the playoffs.
Discovery Canyon
The Thunder have won their league for three straight years and will look to make it a fourth this upcoming season. With a young team and a lot of fresh faces, they have the potential to get it done, but that’s not the end game for them.
DC has struggled to make it past the second round of the playoffs, and this year, they plan to take that next step.
The Classical Academy
The Titans are fresh off the programs first ever state title, but they have decided look forward and keep the past in the past. Head coach Justin Rich described their title run as reaching the summit of a mountain, and right now they are back at base camp.
TCA graduated 22 seniors but because they won by so many points in multiple games last year the backups had plenty of opportunity to get in-game reps. This year those same players are ready to step into starting roles.
Woodland Park
Coming off their best season in approximately 20 years, the Woodland Park Panthers will be led by a new head coach. Brad Page takes over the
program and despite losing a big senior class, he has hopes that they can build on last years culture and repeat the team’s success.
Pueblo South
The Colts have something a lot of local teams are missing this year, a heavy senior presence. With the talent and experienced roster they posses this season, Pueblo South is expecting to be one of the top teams in 3A.
Pueblo Central
The Wildcats are coming off of back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in over 20 years. With another strong and powerful running back, Pueblo Central will likely be seen in a run-heavy offense again.
The Classical Academy Flag Football
The Titans were the 2024 runner-ups and brought back all but two starters for this years campaign. They brought in a new head coach who has implemented new offensive and defensive schemes as they strive to make it back to the title game.
Vista Ridge Flag Football
The Wolves made it to the semifinals last year but graduated most of their team, bringing back just two varsity players. With this year's team they feel they have the athletic ability to compete just as they did a season ago.
Fountain Fort Carson Flag Football
The Trojans are one of twelve new programs this year. They have developed quickly, going from learning the fundamentals to executing plays. Though they are a new team, they feel they are ready to compete and can be a playoff team.
Doherty Flag Football
The Spartans were a top ten team in 5A last year, and they look to build on that through strength in numbers. After finishing the season with 19 players last year, the program has nearly 50 girls. Doherty is focused on building culture and winning their division.
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