The Colorado High School Activities Association, or CHSAA, has released the playoff bracket for 5A football, and the Cherry Creek Bruins have earned themselves a number-one seed for the third consecutive year. Columbine, Grandview, and Valor Christian also earned top seeds. The overall top seed in the state belongs to Columbine, while Cherry Creek is technically the lowest ranked number one seed in the tournament. Since the Bruins are ranked lower than all other number-one seeds, their road to the finals will consist of many strong opponents, the first of which is the Rock Canyon Jaguars.
Rock Canyon enters the playoffs with a record of five wins and four losses, Creek enters with seven wins and two losses. The Jaguars started the season with four straight wins; however, they then went on to lose five consecutive games to close out the season. One of those losses was to Highlands Ranch High School, but that game actually counted as a win for the Jaguars since Highlands Ranch forfeited the game due to the use of an illegal communication device. The only common opponent between Rock Canyon and Cherry Creek is Regis Jesuit, a team that the Bruins beat by a score of 17-3. The Jaguars, on the other hand, lost to Regis Jesuit by 44 points.
If the Bruins are to advance out of the first round, they will face either Mullen or Rocky Mountain. The Mustangs of Mullen High School are seeded fourth in the bracket, while the Rocky Mountain Lobos are seeded fifth. Both teams have records of 6-4. The Bruins have not faced either team this season.
Assuming that the Bruins make it to the quarterfinals, their most likely opponent is the second seeded Westminster Wolves. However, Cherry Creek could also face Fountain-Fort Carson, ThunderRidge, or Fruita Monument. As for the highly-anticipated rematch between Cherry Creek and Valor Christian, the two teams would only face each other if both make it to the semifinals. The top seeded teams on the other side of the bracket are Columbine and Grandview, while the number two seeds are Regis Jesuit and Pomona.
The Bruins will start their playoff run at Stutler Bowl on Friday, November 6th at 7:00pm.
To find the complete 2015 5A Football Playoff Bracket, visit: http://goo.gl/1w1P5k