Football: Playoff Brackets Unveiled for State Championships

AURORA – The Colorado High School Activities Association has announced the playoff brackets for the 6-man, 8-man, 1A, 2A, 4A and 5A Football State Championships. The 3A bracket was unveiled on Nov. 9.

• Class 5A
• Class 4A
• Class 3A
• Class 2A
• Class 1A
• 8-man
• 6-man

The 4A and 5A tournaments will be 24-team single-elimination bracket, while every other classification will have a 16-team single-elimination bracket for their tournaments.

The 6-man, 8-man, 1A and 2A championship games will be played at CSU Pueblo’s Thunderbowl Stadium, with the 6-man and 8-man games on Friday, Nov. 28 and the 1A and 2A games on Saturday, Nov. 29. The 3A, 4A and 5A championship games will be the following weekend, Saturday, Dec. 6, at CSU’s Canvas Stadium.

Class 5A Qualifiers by Seed

1. Cherry Creek
2. Ralston Valley
3. Mountain Vista
4. Legend
5. Valor Christian
6. Arvada West
7. Pine Creek
8. Fairview
9. Arapahoe
10. Mullen
11. Grandview
12. Erie
13. Fort Collins
14. Eaglecrest
15. Columbine
16. Cherokee Trail
17. Fountain-Fort Carson
18. Fruita Monument
19. Legacy
20. ThunderRidge
21. Regis Jesuit
22. Chatfield
23. Rocky Mountain
24. Westminster

Notes: Fort Collins and Eaglecrest were switched due to head-to-head results.

Class 4A Qualifiers by Seed

1. Dakota Ridge
2. Montrose
3. Palmer Ridge
4. Durango
5. Heritage
6. Broomfield
7. Monarch
8. Pueblo West
9. Northfield
10. Riverdale Ridge
11. Vista Ridge
12. Grand Junction
13. Ponderosa
14. Mesa Ridge
15. Frederick
16. Golden
17. Air Academy
18. Bear Creek
19. Loveland
20. Silver Creek
21. Highlands Ranch
22. Montbello
23. Thomas Jefferson
24. Skyline

Notes: Broomfield and Monarch were switched due to head-to-head results. Bear Creek and Air Academy were switched to avoid a first-round league matchup. Only the league champion from the I-25 league qualifies for the post season, so Sand Creek, Cheyenne Mountain, and Centaurus were not eligible to make the bracket. Longmont was deemed ineligible to take the 24th seed playoff spot due to an unintentional administrative oversight that resulted in a self-reported rules violation. Skyline will assume Longmont’s place.

Class 3A Qualifiers by Seed

1. Windsor
2. Pomona
3. Palisade
4. Mead
5. Holy Family
6. Roosevelt
7. Eagle Valley
8. Conifer
9. Pueblo South
10. Lutheran
11. Pueblo County
12. Thompson Valley
13. Lewis-Palmer
14. Timnath
15. Coronado
16. Severance

Class 2A Qualifiers by Seed

1. Strasburg
2. Wellington
3. The Classical Academy
4. Elizabeth
5. Brush
6. Kent Denver
7. Resurrection Christian
8. La Junta
9. Eaton
10. Denver West
11. Lamar
12. Delta
13. Pagosa Springs
14. Florence
15. Alamosa
16. Basalt

Class 1A Qualifiers by Seed

1. Buena Vista
2. Limon
3. Burlington
4. Centauri
5. Forge Christian
6. Wray
7. Colorado Springs Christian
8. Meeker
9. Platte Valley
10. Monte Vista
11. Rye
12. Highland
13. North Fork
14. Manual
15. Flatirons Academy
16. Holyoke

8-man Qualifiers by Seed

1. Akron
2. Haxtun
3. McClave
4. Sanford
5. Dayspring Christian Academy
6. Norwood
7. Sedgwick County
8. West Grand
9. Mancos
10. Clear Creek
11. Simla
12. Byers
13. Las Animas
14. Elbert
15. Plateau Valley
16. Crowley County

Notes: Akron and Haxtun were switched due to head-to-head results. Las Animas and Elbert were switched to avoid a first-round league matchup.

6-man Qualifiers by Seed

1. Idalia
2. Stratton
3. Cheyenne Wells
4. Peetz
5. Otis
6. Eads
7. Caliche
8. Sierra Grande
9. Granada
10. Walsh
11. Branson/Kim
12. Fleming
13. Arickaree
14. Prairie
15. Flagler
16. Hanover

Notes: Fleming and Prairie were switched due to head-to-head results. Arickaree and Prairie were switched to avoid a first-round league matchup.