AURORA | A capsule preview of the 2025 Class 5A state football 1st round playoff contest between Fountain-Fort Carson and Cherokee Trail scheduled for Nov. 7, 2025:
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2025 CLASS 5A STATE FOOTBALL FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF GAME
No. 17 Fountain-Fort Carson (7-3) at No. 16 Cherokee Trail (4-6)
Nov. 7, 4 p.m. at Legacy Stadium
BREAKDOWN: Cherokee Trail and Fountain-Fort Carson meet for the third time in the state playoffs (all in the first round) and both own victories in the previous meetings. The Trojans took a 31-21 win in the 2011 Class 5A postseason and the Cougars triumphed 35-17 in 2019, which was the last meeting of any kind between the teams. …Cherokee Trail has qualified for the postseason for an eighth straight season and has won at least one game in four of the previous seven trips. …Fountain-Fort Carson is in the postseason for the fourth time in the past five seasons after missing out in 2024.
FOUNTAIN-FORT CARSON: Coach Jake Novotny’s Trojans lost two of its last three games of the regular season, including a seven-point defeat to No. 7 Pine Creek in its finale. Fountain-Fort Carson’s regular season opponents combined for a 39-61 record and just four of the 10 made the playoffs (No. 4 Legend, No. 6 Arvada West, No. 7 Pine Creek and No. 21 Regis Jesuit), against which it was 1-3. …Bolstered by a 56-point effort against Douglas County and three others with 42 or more, Fountain-Fort Carson’s offense averaged 33.1 points per contest. With help of an outstanding offensive line, the Trojans have gained twice as many yards on the ground as through the air with a whopping 1,356 yards (plus 19 touchdowns) coming from junior RB Da’Kari Releford Jr. Sophomore QB Jaylen Martin has rushed for 520 yards and six scores, while he has also thrown for 974 yards and 10 touchdowns (against one interception). Senior WR Devon Bradford paces the receiving corps with 400 yards to go with four touchdown catches, while junior TE Braydon Pond and senior WR Kaden Little have three scoring grabs apiece. …Defensively, Fountain-Fort Carson held five opponents in single digits or scoreless and has allowed just an average of 16.7 points per game. The Trojans have forced 20 turnovers and five of them have come from junior LB Nathan Simos (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries), while Bradford is the leading tackler with 52 stops, followed by senior LB Patrick Gonzales (48). …Fountain-Fort Carson has just two made field goals on the season, but has a kickoff return for a touchdown from sophomore WR Aundre Nickleberry.
CHEROKEE TRAIL: Coach Justin Jajczyk’s Cougars finished the regular season with a sizeable win over Smoky Hill. Cherokee Trail’s regular season opponents combined for a 65-35 record and a whopping nine made the postseason in 4A No. 1 Dakota Ridge, 5A No. 1 Cherry Creek, No. 3 Mountain Vista, No. 7 Pine Creek, No. 9 Arapahoe, No. 11 Grandview, No. 14 Eaglecrest, No. 20 ThunderRidge and No. 23 Rocky Mountain, against which it went 4-5. …Offensively, Cherokee Trail ended the season with its highest point total (35), has averaged 17.3 points per game and did not get shut out. Sophomore QB Bryson Peterson has started all 10 games and thrown for 1,615 yards and 12 touchdowns (against nine interceptions), with a variety of favorite targets in the passing game in sophomore WR Evan Smith (550 yards, four touchdowns) and sophomore WR Rayshon Stanley (386 yards, five touchdowns) plus speedsters in junior WR Cristian Mbamarah and junior WR Jordan Mitchell, who each have surpassed 200 yards receiving and scored twice. Senior RB Logan Posey is far and away the team’s rushing leader with 1,066 yards and seven scores, while sophomore RB Owen Newell flashed in the season finale with 116 yards and two touchdowns. …Defensively, Cherokee Trail held three opponents to single digits and allowed an average of 25.9 points per game while facing a number of top offenses. Junior LB Nico Mavromat has been a force for the Cougars as he leads the team in tackles with 98, sacks with three and took back a fumble for a touchdown. Senior LB Mario Lane has 69 tackles and sophomore LB Kaeden Shriver has 62 stops, while senior LB Brian Cusack and senior DB Corbin Cole (who has been lost to injury) have two interceptions apiece. …On special teams, Mitchell and Smith have been effective in the return game.
WINNER GETS: The Fountain-Fort Carson-Cherokee Trail winner advances to the second round, where it will face No. 1 Cherry Creek (10-0), which had a first round bye.
