AURORA | A capsule preview of the 2023 Class 5A state football first round playoff contest between Douglas County and Grandview 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. 22 Douglas County (4-6) vs. No. 11 Grandview (6-4)
Nov. 3, 7 p.m. at Jefferson County Stadium
BREAKDOWN: Douglas County and Grandview meet for the third time in the Class 5A state playoffs since 2005 and for the first time since 2007, when they squared off in the state championship game won by the Wolves 20-14 in overtime. Douglas County prevailed 38-12 when the teams met in the 2005 5A semifinals. …Douglas County missed the playoffs last season and lost in the first round when it last qualified in 2021. The Huskies won the 5A state championship in 2005. …Grandview is in the playoffs for the 18th time in the past 19 seasons, with the only exception being the 2020 season, when the playoffs were cut to just eight teams due to the coronavirus pandemic. In that span (which stretches back to 2005), the Wolves have appeared in at least the second round every single season and won at least game in 16 of those 17 trips, while they had a first round bye in 2019 before losing to rival Eaglecrest in the second round. In that same span, Grandview has made the semifinals eight times and advanced to the state championship game in 2007.
DOUGLAS COUNTY: Coach Eric Rice’s Huskies ended the regular season with consecutive losses to No. 4 Pine Creek (33-27) and No. 10 Legend (41-0), which gave them a 2-3 mark in the Southern League. Six of Douglas County’s 10 opponents earned spots in the postseason in No. 4 Pine Creek, No. 6 Regis Jesuit, No. 9 Castle View, No. 10 Legend, No. 15 Fairview, No. 18 Fountain-Fort Carson.
GRANDVIEW: Coach Tom Doherty’s Wolves were 6-2 to start the season, then dropped consecutive Centennial League contests to No. 19 Cherokee Trail (23-21) and No. 1 Cherry Creek (45-22) going into the postseason. Grandview’s 10 regular season foes included seven state playoff qualifiers, including No. 1 Cherry Creek, No. 3 Arapahoe, No. 5 Ralston Valley, No. 16 Eaglecrest, No. 19 Cherokee Trail and No. 24 Fossil Ridge along with Fruita Monument, which is the No. 13 seed in the 4A playoffs.
WINNER GETS: The Douglas County-Grandview winners advances to a second round matchup against sixth-seeded Regis Jesuit (6-4), which had a bye in the first round.
