AURORA | A capsule preview of the 2023 Class 5A state football first round playoff contest between Cherokee Trail and Chatfield scheduled for Nov. 3, 2023:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com.Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 CLASS 5A 1ST ROUND STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GAME
No. 19 Cherokee Trail (5-5) vs. No. 14 Chatfield (5-5)
Nov. 3, 7 p.m. at Jefferson County Stadium
BREAKDOWN: Cherokee Trail and Chatfield will meet for the first time in the state playoffs, but have meet up in the regular season in each of the past two seasons. The Cougars ended up with wins in both of those, with a 20-10 victory to open the 2022 season and by forfeit in the 2023 opener that the Chargers (who won 27-24 after recovering a fumble in the fourth quarter with Cherokee Trail poised to score) had to forfeit due to the use of an ineligible player. …Chatfield is in the 5A playoffs for a second year in a row since it moved up in classification after winning the state championship in 4A in 2021. It was the program’s second state title. …Cherokee Trail has qualified for the postseason for sixth consecutive season and 15th time in 16 seasons since it moved from 4A to 5A in 2008. The Cougars — who have won at least one game in the playoffs in three of their last five appearances — made it to the state championship game in 2012 when it lost to Valor Christian.
CHEROKEE TRAIL: Coach Justin Jajczyk’s Cougars come into the postseason on a two-game winning streak after victories over Grandview (23-21) and Smoky Hill (35-0) to close the regular season. Injury plagued from the outset of the season, Cherokee Trail started 2-6, but improved by a win when Chatfield had to forfeit the opening game of the season. Seven of the Cougars’ 10 opponents qualified for the playoffs in No. 1 Cherry Creek, No. 2 Columbine, No. 3 Arapahoe, No. 11 Grandview, No. 14 Chatfield and No. 16 Eaglecrest. …The Cherokee Trail offense — which was hit hard in many places by injury, but is starting to get healthy in the later stages of the season — has averaged 17 points per game for the season, but surpassed that in both of its last two games. Defensively, the Cougars have ceded 25 points per game, but that includes giving up 56 to Arapahoe and 48 to Cherry Creek. Cherokee Trail has shut out two opponents. …Offensively, the Cougars have used juniors QBs Tyson Smith and Eliot Ming regularly, but Smith has more attempts, more passing yards (902) and six touchdowns (against five interceptions). Junior RB Brian Tucker is the team’s leading rusher with 343 yards, but junior RB Noah Collins is close behind with 306 after missing the team’s first six games due to injury. Senior WR Peyton Castro paces the team with 451 yards receiving and has caught two touchdown passes, one less than senior WR Carson Pierce, who has been lost due to injury. Junior WR Peyton Sommers had 137 yards receiving and a touchdown in the season opener before suffering a broken collarbone and hopes to return in the postseason. …Defensively, junior LB Blake Rodriguez is the team’s leading tackler with 69 stops, seven more than junior DB Daniel Wise. The Cougars have forced 22 turnovers with the majority coming via fumble recoveries and 12 players have at least one, while senior DB Cayden Sweets has a team-high three interceptions. …On special teams, senior PK Miles Philson kicked a game-winning field goal to beat Grandview and has made both of his attempts on the season and eight of nine PATs.
CHATFIELD: Coach Kris Rosholt’s Chargers finished at .500 after it had to forfeit its first three games — in which they won twice — then went on a five-game winning streak and then ended with two losses to highly-seeded opponents in No. 5 Ralston Valley (42-28) and No. 2 Columbine (35-14). Chatfield played nine in-state opponents and six made the postseason, including No. 1 Cherry Creek, No. 2 Columbine, No. 5 Ralston Valley, No. 19 Cherokee Trail and No. 21 Arvada West, while Dakota Ridge is seeded No. 7 in the 4A playoffs. …In the seven games that counted officially, the Chargers averaged 35 points per contest and scored 38 points or more four times in that stretch. Defensively, Chatfield had back-to-back shutouts against Arvada West and Pomona and have ceded just under 17 points per game in those official contests. …Senior QB Jake Jones has thrown for 1,719 yards and 16 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, while he is also the team’s leading rusher with 537 yards and 10 scores on the ground. Junior RB Cory Bahl has picked up 514 yards on the ground and scored five times, while senior TE/WR Drew Rohlman is the team’s leading receiver with team highs in catches (26), receiving yards (517) and touchdowns (11). Four other Chatfield passcatchers have at least 13 catches apiece and 146 or more yards. …Defensively, junior LB Logan Kundred has piled up 145 tackles to lead the team, while junior LB Caleb Espinosa has 104 stops. Of 20 forced turnovers, senior DB Neguse Shelp owns five interceptions. …On special teams, junior PK Andrew Astone has been near perfect in PAT’s (49-for-50), while he has made five fields in 10 attempts.
WINNER GETS: The Cherokee Trail-Chatfield winner advances to play No. 3 Arapahoe (8-2) — which had a bye in the first round — in a second round game scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Littleton Public Schools Stadium.
