CLASS 5A SECOND ROUND STATE PLAYOFF MATCHUP
NO. 9 GRANDVIEW (7-3) vs. NO. 8 FOUNTAIN-FORT CARSON (9-1)
Nov. 9, Guy Barickman Stadium, 7 p.m.
BREAKDOWN: The teams face off for the first time since both became members of Class 5A. Grandview won its second round playoff game last season on the road by beating Cherry Creek, while Fountain-Fort Carson lost in the second round in 2011 at Ralston Valley. The matchup features the two highest seeds of any in the second round …GRANDVIEW: Wolves remained perfect in the opening round of the 5A playoffs for a decade and have never lost in the first postseason contest under coach John Schultz after a 40-6 victory over No. 24 Fairview on Nov. 2 at Stutler Bowl. The Wolves scored the last 33 points to blow open a game they led by just one point at halftime …Grandview’s running game was in high gear against the Knights, as it piled up 440 rushing yards and had three players crack the 100-yard mark — quarterback Reece Weber with 175 and running backs Isaiah Jackson and Cassius Davis with 126 and 118, respectively. Davis rushed for a pair of scores and Jackson and Weber had one each, as did star Tanner Gentry, who caught only two passes, but also had a pair of interceptions. Defensively, the Wolves defense grounded Fairview’s potent air attack with seven sacks and six forced turnovers as they held an opponent to single digits in points for only the second time on the season. …Weber has now thrown for 1,542 yards and 15 touchdowns against five interceptions, with Gentry — a University of Wyoming recruit — on the receiving end of 929 of those yards and nine of the touchdowns. Daijhawn Williams averages 23 yards per catch as Grandview’s alternate deep threat. On the ground, the Wolves average more than five yards per carry for the season, led by Davis’ 694 yards, plus 608 from Jackson and 537 from Weber. All three have six rushing touchdowns, as does Gentry. Junior Sean Kopel leads a balanced defense with 57 total tackles, while Hayden Porter has a team-best 5.5 sacks and Gentry owns five of the team’s 11 interceptions. …FOUNTAIN-FORT CARSON: The Trojans — who have won five straight since their lone loss, a 40-0 defeat to Valor Christian Sept. 28 — had little trouble with No. 25 Douglas County in a 26-3 home victory on Nov. 2. Fountain-Fort Carson’s ground game was on display, as it amassed 301 total yards and had two 100-plus yard rushers in Ben Selby with 110 and Anthony Davis with 107. Solyde Bankston added 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Davis also had two interceptions to help a defensive performance that saw the Huskies held to a shade over 200 yards of total offense. Douglas County was the fourth opponent held to single digits in points by the Trojans. …Davis has rushed for 1,531 yards and 17 touchdowns to lead the way for Fountain-Fort Carson, while Selby has chipped in 522 yards. Quarterback Cameron Hacker has attempted just 107 passes in 10 games and has completed 55 of them for 685 yards and seven touchdowns. Anthony Isom has been on the receiving end of more than half of Hacker’s completions, with 28 catches for 286 yards. On defense, Kevin McLaughlin and Jake Harmon — a pair of junior linebackers — are both near 100 tackles. …WINNER: The winner plays No. 1 ThunderRidge or No. 17 Cherry Creek in the 5A quarterfinals. Based on CHSAA coin flips, Grandview would get a home game with a win and a victory by Cherry Creek, but would be on the road with a win and a victory by ThunderRidge. Fountain-Fort Carson would be on the road with a win no matter which other team is victorious.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555