CLASS 5A STATE FOOTBALL 1ST ROUND MATCHUP
REGION B: NO. 8 PRAIRIE VIEW (4-5) VS. NO. 1 GRANDVIEW (7-2)
7 p.m., Nov. 6, Legacy Stadium
BREAKDOWN: Grandview of the Centennial League and Prairie View of the Flatirons League play for just the second time with the other meeting also coming in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs in 2013, a game the Wolves won 47-6…Under coach John Schultz, Grandview has become one of the state’s most successful programs in the postseason and has extended its streak of playoff appearances to 11 straight seasons. The Wolves are unbeaten in their past 10 first round playoff games…Conversely, coach Todd Riccio’s Prairie View team is making just its third 5A state playoff appearance and lost its previous two trips in the opening round in 2012 and 2013…PRAIRIE VIEW: Following a 3-2 start, the Thunderhawks come into the playoffs having lost three of their last four games, including a 14-12 defeat on Oct. 30 against rival Brighton, a non-playoff qualifier, and finished No. 32 in the final 5A Wild Card standings. All four of Prairie View’s wins came against non-playoff teams…Offensively, the Thunderhawks have some size along the line and emphasize the run in a big way, as they’ve picked up nearly 2,500 yards on the ground against just 650 in the air. Senior QB Ben Meraz is the focal point of the offense and leads the team in rushing with 993 yards and 12 touchdowns, while he’s also thrown for 621 yards and three touchdowns, though he’s been intercepted six times. Seniors Donovan Otero (485 yards, 7 TDs) and Jovan Chavarria (353, 4 TDs) and junior Kierre Huey (298 yards, 4 TDs) all get their share of carries as well. When the ball is in the air, chances are its going to Otero, who has 456 of Prairie View’s 648 receiving yards and also is an effective kick and punt returner…Defensively, the ThunderHawks have been fairly solid as they held opponents to 14 points or less in four of their nine games and limited high-scoring Westminster — which averages 43 points per game — to a season-low 14 points. Junior Spencer Wilson (the team’s leader in interceptions) and senior Elmer Baca make a lot of stops for Prairie View, while senior Jorge Garcia leads the pass rush…GRANDVIEW: The Wolves come into the playoffs off a loss, as they dropped a 31-14 road decision at Valor Christian on Oct. 30 with the Centennial League championship on the line. Before that, Grandview had won nine straight games in the rugged league dating back to the 2013 regular season finale. With losses to only undefeated Arapahoe (17-14 very early in the season) and Valor Christian, Schultz’s team finished No. 5 in the final 5A Wild Card standings…Though the offense went through an almost complete makeover in the offseason, the Wolves have been rolling behind the electric running of junior Hayden Blubaugh, a transfer from Smoky Hill. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder leads all classifications in Colorado with 1,818 rushing yards — he eclipsed the 300 yard mark in a game twice, went over 200 yards two other times and racked up a minimum of 124 in the other five games — to go with 20 touchdowns. Grandview rotates QBs on a fairly regular basis, with junior Gunnar Lamphere the most prolific throwing the ball (534 yards passing, 5 TDs) and senior Garrett Goulding best on the ground with 171 yards rushing and two scores. Seniors WRs Marcus Lawrence and Quinn Stokes and sophomore Gunner Gentry have two touchdown catches apiece and can hurt defenses that concentrate too much on stopping the run…Defensively, Grandview has allowed 14 or fewer points five times. Senior LB DeAndre Shorts is a catalyst for the unit with a team-high 7.0 sacks, plus an average of more than 10 tackles per contest and also a share of the team lead with two interceptions. The Wolves get to the opposing passer with regularity, as Goulding and sophomore Julius Carter Jr. each have 6.0 sacks, senior Matthew Sciba and sophomore Thomas Jenkins own 5.0 apiece and the entire team has 46. Grandview averages two takeaways per game and gets turnovers from all over as eight different players have at least one interception and five others have fumble recoveries. Senior S Dom Chapa is just one of the playmakers in the Wolves’ defensive backfield…WINNER: The Grandview-Prairie View winner advances in Region B to the second round — scheduled to be played between Nov. 12-14 — where it will face the winner of a Nov. 6 first round game between fourth-seeded Mountain Vista and fifth-seeded Denver East. Grandview didn’t play either Mountain Vista or Denver East this season, but Prairie View lost to Denver East 28-14 on Oct 23. Based on CHSAA coin flips, Grandview would be the home team against Mountain Vista, but would play on the road against Denver East.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
