AURORA | A capsule preview of the 2026 Class 5A state football 2nd round playoff contest between ThunderRidge and Eaglecrest scheduled for Nov. 13, 2026:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2026 CLASS 5A STATE FOOTBALL SECOND ROUND PLAYOFF GAME
No. 10 ThunderRidge (8-3) vs. No. 7 Eaglecrest (8-2)
Nov. 13, 7 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
BREAKDOWN: ThunderRidge and Eaglecrest meet for the first time in the postseason, but have played occasionally in the regular season. The most recent meeting came in 2021 and resulted in a 29-0 win for the Grizzlies, while the Raptors took 2016 and 2017 contests by scores of 12-8 and 38-13, respectively. …ThunderRidge is in the playoffs for a second straight season since going winless in 2024. The program’s deepest recent run came in 2022 when it advanced to the quarterfinals. All-time, ThunderRidge has three state championships to its credit, as it claimed 4A crowns in 2001, 2004 and 2005. …Eaglecrest is in the postseason for a fifth straight season after missing out in 2021 and has made 19 appearances since 2000, with its deepest recent run coming when it made the state championship game in 2017 (a 56-49 loss to Pomona). The program won its lone state title in 1993 when it defeated Hinkley in an all-Aurora area championship game.
THUNDERRIDGE: Coach Jay Madden’s Grizzlies rebounded from a one-point loss to No. 9 Ralston Valley in the regular season finale with a 35-7 victory over No. 23 Chaparral in the opening round of the postseason. In ThunderRidge’s fourth win in its last five games, senior QB Noah Smyth threw for 127 yards and found sophomore WR Tyler Bilby and senior WR Ben Perez with touchdown passes, while the Grizzlies got rushing touchdowns from junior RB Shane Christy, sophomore WR Jacob Bradley and sophomore FB Hunter Merriman. That was plenty as the defense racked up five sacks and forced three turnovers. …Going back to the regular season, ThunderRidge’s 10 opponents had a combined record of 48-52 and seven made the postseason — No. 3 Mountain Vista, No. 9 Ralston Valley, No. 11 Chatfield, No. 14 Fairview, No. 20 Riverdale Ridge and No. 23 Chaparral in 5A and No. 12 Columbine in 4A — and it went 4-3 against those teams. …Offensively, ThunderRidge has averaged a healthy 33.2 points per game in 11 contests, a total helped by four games with scoring in the 40s, while it has achieved good balance with 2,294 passing yards and 1,653 on the ground. Smyth has thrown for 2,219 yards and 22 touchdowns against just two interceptions, while he’s also rushed for 384 yards and five scores. Six receivers have amassed 109 yards or more with the pace set by senior WR Camden Neumann (764 yards, 10 touchdowns), followed by Perez (488 yards, 4 touchdowns) and junior WR Rylan Johnson (430 yards, 4 touchdowns). Christy has taken the lion’s share of the rushing attempts and has racked up 905 yards and nine scores. …Defensively, the Grizzlies have two shut outs to their credit and held opponents in single digits in three other contests. Senior LB Dane Giles has cracked triple digits in tackles with 106, followed by Bradley with 92 and senior S Nathan Bilby (who paces a strong pass rush with 14 sacks) with 81. Five ThunderRidge players have multiple interceptions — and four of the 15 picks went back for touchdowns — with the pace set by senior S Brennan Dobke, who leads the way with three. …On special teams, senior K Alex Eckert has successfully made five of his seven attempts with a long of 31 yards, while Perez has been effective in the return game.
EAGLECREST: Coach Jesse German’s Raptors ended the regular season on a two-game winning streak with victories over No. 19 Arapahoe and No. 13 Northfield that followed a 31-17 loss to No. 1 Cherry Creek in Centennial League play and earned a first round bye as one of the top eighth seeds. Eaglecrest’s 10 regular season opponents posted a combined record of 44-56 and six qualified for the postseason — No. 1 Cherry Creek, No. 5 Grandview, No. 12 Regis Jesuit, No. 13 Northfield, No. 17 Cherokee Trail and No. 19 Arapahoe — and it went 4-2 against those teams. …Offensively, Eaglecrest — which was not shut out during the regular season — has averaged 23.4 points per game and scored 34 points or more twice. The Raptors have been at their best with their ground game, which is led by junior RB Clyde Surrell IV, who has racked up 855 yards despite missing two games due to injury and has also scored six touchdowns. In his second season as a starter, junior QB William Brinkman has added 482 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while he’s also thrown for 1,438 yards and nine touchdowns against six interceptions. Senior RB Josiah Assibey has filled in when needed and rushed for 220 yards and two scores. When the Raptors go to the air, the primary weapon has been senior WR JayAnthony Green, who has secured 40 catches for 552 yards and six touchdowns, while Surrell IV has been good catching the ball out of the backfield and is one of four others with touchdown catches. …Defensively, Eaglecrest has surrendered just 13.4 points per game as it has two shutouts and limited two other opponents to single digits. A hard-hitting group is led in tackles by senior S Jayden Bradley, who has 64 stops and has half of the team’s eight interceptions. Junior DB Keyon Givens has 54 tackles and sophomore LB Jett Green has 45, including five for loss, while senior DB Cy White is a big presence on the back end and has broken up 16 passes. …On special teams, Eaglecrest has a strong duo in the kicking game as junior P Julian Trujillo has averaged 41.5 yards per punt, while senior K Trey Patton has made seven field goals — tied for fifth-most in 5A — in 12 tries with a long of 35 yards. In the return game, Bradley has a kickoff return touchdown, while White has had success in taking back punts.
WINNER GETS: The ThunderRidge-Eaglecrest winner advances to the Nov. 20 quarterfinals to face the winner of the second round contest between No. 2 Valor Christian (8-2) and No. 18 Legacy (6-5).
