Colorado football playoffs set: Fossil Ridge hosting, Wellington and Fort Collins hit the road

Posted by author November 4, 2024 Football

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The Colorado high school football playoff brackets are set, with the regular season completed in every classification except 3A.

One Fort Collins-area 5A team is hosting a first-round game, while another is heading on the road.

In Class 2A, Wellington surprisingly will not host a first-round playoff game, falling several spots despite a win in the regular-season finale.

Here’s a look at Fort Collins-area teams’ matchups in the postseason, plus where local 3A teams stand and the opening-round games for other Northern Colorado teams:

(Note: Exact kickoff times have yet to be announced.)

Fossil Ridge (No. 15 seed, Class 5A)

First-round game: vs. No. 18 Mullen (4-6)

Winner gets: No. 2 Mountain Vista (10-0)

The SaberCats (6-4, 4-1 league) closed the season strong with five wins in their last six games behind a steady but explosive offense.

That earned them a home playoff game in the 24-team bracket (top 8 get byes, Nos. 9-16 host first-round action) against No. 18 Mullen.

The Mustangs have won four of five since an 0-5 start, scoring 33 points per game in that stretch.

Fort Collins (No. 19, Class 5A)

First-round game: at No. 14 Arvada West (6-4)

Winner gets: No. 3 Ralston Valley (9-1)

The Lambkins (6-4, 3-2 league) return to the playoffs after a two-year absence and will head on the road to face Arvada West.

While the Wildcats have dropped four games, all came to top-10 Class 5A teams, three of them by 10 points or less.

The Lambkins are 0-4 against 5A playoff teams this season, so they’ll need to reverse that trend to advance.

Wellington (No. 9, Class 2A)

First-round game: at No. 8 Delta (7-2)

Winner gets: No. 1 Strasburg or No. 16 Denver West

The Eagles surprisingly fell three spots in the seeding index despite winning their final regular-season game against Valley, meaning they will not host in the opening round.

The 2A bracket is 16 teams, with the higher seed hosting until the state championship game in Pueblo.

Wellington (7-2, 4-1 league) is playing like a title contender, winning four straight games and five of six despite missing star quarterback Tanner Gray for three-plus games of that stretch.

He’s back now, joining forces with Cash Altschwager and Cyle Kisner in a powerful Eagles backfield.

Other Northern Colorado football teams in the playoffs

There are several more NoCo teams in the Colorado high school football playoffs. Here are their seeds and opponents:

CLASS 5A

No. 7 Fairview (bye): vs. winner of No. 10 Chatfield-No. 23 Rock Canyon
No. 9 Erie: vs. No. 24 Overland

Full Colorado 5A football playoff bracket: chsaanow.com/news/2024/11/3/class-5a-football-state-playoff-bracket-2024.aspx

CLASS 4A

No. 15 Frederick: hosting No. 18 Northfield
No. 17 Loveland: at No. 16 Doherty
No. 24 Longmont: at No. 9 Grand Junction

Full Colorado 4A football playoff bracket: chsaanow.com/news/2024/11/3/class-4a-football-state-playoff-bracket-2024.aspx

CLASS 2A

No. 6 Berthoud: hosting No. 11 Montezuma-Cortez
No. 13 Eaton: at No. 4 Elizabeth

Full Colorado 2A football playoff bracket: chsaanow.com/news/2024/11/3/class-2a-football-state-playoff-bracket-2024.aspx

CLASS 1A

No. 8 Highland: hosting No. 9 Flatirons Academy
No. 14 Platte Valley: at No. 3 Limon

Full Colorado 1A football playoff bracket: chsaanow.com/news/2024/11/3/class-1a-football-state-playoff-bracket-2024.aspx

What about Class 3A?

The 3A regular season isn’t done yet, lasting one more week since it only has a 16-team bracket (like 2A and below) while teams still play 10 total games (like 4A and 5A).

The classification features top local contenders like Windsor, Thompson Valley and more. Here are their seeding index ratings heading into the final week:

Thompson Valley (1)
Mead (3)
Windsor (5)
Roosevelt (8)
Severance (12)
Mountain View (16, would be last team in as of Nov. 3)
Holy Family (20)
Timnath (23)

Colorado football playoff formats, dates

Classes 5A and 4A have 24-team fields, with the top eight teams getting first-round byes and Nos. 9-16 hosting first-round games. Higher seeds host through the semifinals.

Classes 3A and below have 16-team brackets, and the better seeds in every game host through the semifinals.

Here is the state championship schedule for Colorado high school football:

Nov. 7-9: First round of playoffs (except for 3A)
Nov. 14-16: Second round of playoffs (First round for 3A)
Nov. 21-23: 5A/4A/3A quarterfinals, 2A/1A/8-man/6-man semifinals
Nov. 29-30: 5A/4A/3A semifinals; 2A/1A/8-man/6-man finals

Colorado high school football 2024 state championship sites, schedule:

Saturday, Nov. 30: 1A/2A state football championship games (CSU Pueblo’s ThunderBowl)
Saturday, Dec. 7: 3A/4A/5A state football championship games (CSU’s Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins)

Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.