AURORA | A breakdown of the 2023 season schedule for the Aurora Central football team:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
AURORA CENTRAL: Coach Chris Kelly’s Trojans finished 3-7 overall and missed out on qualifying for the postseason in 2022 after an appearance in the Class 4A playoffs the previous season. Aurora Central has the identical schedule against 10 opponents who combined for a 60-50 overall record with four playoff-qualifying teams (George Washington in 3A and Broomfield, Fruita Monument and Heritage in 4A, with Broomfield winning the state championship). The Trojans play the same opponents in the same order, beginning with an opener on the road against Northfield at 4 p.m. Aug. 25. Aurora Central defeated district rival Hinkley plus Falcon back-to-back last season and play both again in consecutive home games Aug. 31 and Sept. 9, while it gets a chance to swing close games with Rangeview (a seven-point loss) and Adams City (a two-point defeat) on Sept. 15 and Sept. 28, respectively, with the later opening play in 4A League 7. A tough stretch of three games near the end of the regular season sees a visit to 4A state champion Broomfield Oct. 6 with a short turnaround for a home game Oct. 12 against Fruita Monument and a visit to Heritage Oct. 19. Aurora Central finishes with an Oct. 27 game against a Thornton team it scored 75 points against in last season’s finale.
Aurora Central 2023 schedule — Home games all caps (played at Aurora Public Schools Stadium unless otherwise noted): Friday, Aug. 25 — Aurora Central vs. Northfield at Evie Dennis Campus, 4 p.m.; Thursday, Aug. 31 — HINKLEY, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 9 — FALCON, 2 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 15 — vs. Rangeview at APS Stadium, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 21 — GEORGE WASHINGTON, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 28 — ADAMS CITY, 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 6 — at Broomfield, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 12 — FRUITA MONUMENT, 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 19 — vs. Heritage at Littleton Public Schools Stadium, 6 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 27 — at Thornton, 6:30 p.m.
