AURORA | A breakdown of the 2023 season schedule for the Eaglecrest football team:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
EAGLECREST: Coach Mike Schmitt’s Raptors bounced back from a one-win season in 2021 with a 7-4 mark in 2022, which included a 7-3 regular season record and a spot in the Class 5A state playoffs, where they lost to Fountain-Fort Carson. The same 10 opponents in the same order await Eaglecrest, a group that finished 44-66 and saw five teams (Rocky Mountain, Grandview, Cherokee Trail, Cherry Creek and Arapahoe) make the postseason and the Bruins win the state title. The Raptors finished 5-0 in non-league play last season and hope for the same result against the same handful of teams, starting with an Aug. 25 road opener at Brighton. Eaglecrest continues its early streak of road games with a Sept. 1 trek to play Horizon in Thornton and a contest at Halftime Help Stadium against Highlands Ranch Sept. 7, while it plays host to Rocky Mountain (Sept. 14) and Lakewood (Sept. 21 in its Homecoming contest) in the leadup to Centennial League play. Rival Grandview kicks off the league slate on Sept. 29, followed by postseason qualifier Cherokee Trail Oct. 6, a meeting with three-time defending 5A state champion Cherry Creek Oct. 13, an Oct. 19 home contest against Smoky Hill and Oct. 26 regular season finale against Arapahoe on the road.
Eaglecrest 2023 schedule — Home games all caps (played at Legacy Stadium unless otherwise noted): Friday, Aug. 25 — at Brighton, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 1 — vs. Horizon at Five Star Stadium, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 7 — vs. Highlands Ranch at Halftime Help Stadium, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 14 — ROCKY MOUNTAIN, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 21 — LAKEWOOD, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 29 — GRANDVIEW, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 6 — vs. Cherokee Trail at Legacy Stadium, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 13 — CHERRY CREEK, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 19 — SMOKY HILL, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 26 — vs. Arapahoe at Littleton Public Schools Stadium, 7 p.m.
