The Battle for Monument heads to the volleyball court this week as Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge compete for the top spot among D-38 rivals.

In football, Pine Creek will compete against one of the top teams in the nation as the Eagles will battle for their best mark since a 7-0 start in 2023.

Below are contests of interest happening this week in the Pikes Peak region.

Three football games to watch

Cherry Creek (4-0) vs. Pine Creek (3-1) (at District 20 Stadium), 7 p.m. Thursday

After dropping their opening contest, 5A’s No. 7-ranked Eagles have earned three consecutive wins with each victory coming by at least 14 points. During that streak, Pine Creek has scored at least 35 points in each matchup while allowing 48 points in three games.

But the undefeated Bruins haven’t lost since 2023 and are ranked 53rd in the nation, per MaxPreps. Cherry Creek also boasts a bevy of talent including Division-I commit Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais, the Bruins’ defensive lineman and Colorado’s top recruit who will play next season at the University of Washington.

Pine Creek has allowed just two sacks since its Week 1 loss to Valor Christian and the Eagles’ offense has amassed 1,605 all-purpose yards during the three-game winning streak.

Palmer Ridge (4-0) vs. Mesa Ridge (1-3) (at C.A. Foster Stadium), 7 p.m. Friday

In last season’s matchup, Mesa Ridge led 12-7 with 7:10 left in the second quarter. Then, Palmer Ridge scored 21 in a row to build a 28-12 third-quarter lead.

After that, the Grizzlies went ballistic on offense and scored 19 in a row to take the lead and win the game 31-28. Mesa Ridge’s comeback thwarted the Bears’ opportunity to go 5-0 last year and now Palmer Ridge looks for its first 5-0 start since 2023 when the Bears built a 13-1 record.

Palmer Ridge owns a 24-game road winning streak and last lost at a non-neutral site on Nov. 7, 2019, when Discovery Canyon defeated the Bears 56-49. It was the Bears’ final loss that season before winning their third consecutive 3A title.

Palmer (0-4) at Sand Creek (4-0), 7 p.m. Friday

The Scorpions could make history with a home win against Palmer.

Should Sand Creek earn the win against the Terrors, it would give the Scorpions their first 5-0 start in the MaxPreps era, which dates back to 2004, and would give them back-to-back seasons with streaks of at least five wins.

The Scorpions won 80-35 against Widefield last week and Trevan Rick led the team with two rushing touchdowns. Ethan Mangrum dashed to a career-high 249 yards on 16 carries for his 12^th consecutive game over 100 yards.

The Terrors could play spoilers in the matchup but need to snap a four-game losing streak this season and against the Scorpions, whom they last beat in 2015.  

Other contests to watch

Softball

TCA vs. Widefield, (Game at Mountain Lion Stadium) 6 p.m. Friday

Class 3A’s No. 10 heads to Widefield to face 4A’s No. 9-ranked team in a matchup the Gladiators have dominated.

The Gladiators are 11-0 all time against the Titans and beat TCA 19-9 in their last meeting. The Titans score 10 runs per game and as of Wednesday, have not lost on the road (4-0). Widefield allows just a shade under three runs and, prior to its Wednesday matchup with Mesa Ridge, have not permitted a team to score 10 runs.

Olivia McEwen (29) and Taylor Hall (22) have combined for 51 hits and McEwen, the Gladiators’ sophomore pitcher, is 10-2 and owns a 2.46 ERA, which is 15^th in 4A. TCA pitcher Ada Wilson is sixth in 3A with 91 strikeouts and three Titans have 20-plus hits: Taytum Kimbro (27), Wilson (22) and Basil Murphy (21).

Girls volleyball

Palmer Ridge at Lewis-Palmer, 6 p.m. Thursday

The D-38 rivals clashed on the gridiron earlier this month. Now, the Bears and Rangers battle on the volleyball court.

The Rangers swept the Bears in both meetings last season and own a 13-6 all-time record against Palmer Ridge. Madi Crowe notched a game-high 14 kills in the final meeting last season between the schools.

Palmer Ridge has not dropped three in a row to Lewis-Palmer since the Rangers won nine consecutive matches from 2012-19.  

Air Academy at Cheyenne Mountain, 6 p.m. Thursday

The Red-Tailed Hawks have not lost to the Kadets since 2021 and have dropped just three of 30 sets against Air Academy in that time.

But the Kadets enter this contest 5-1 for the first time since 2013 when they started 10-1, went 24-5 and finished as 4A runners-up at the state tournament.

The Kadets have just one victory against the Red-Tailed Hawks in the last 10 meetings and that came April 16, 2021, when Air Academy earned a 3-1 (28-26, 25-11, 15-25, 25-20) win.

Boys soccer

Air Academy at Liberty, noon Saturday

The defending 4A state champions hit the road for the first time in more than two weeks and face a ferocious Liberty back line and keeper in Christian Contoveros, who is one of the state’s top goalies.

Contoveros leads 5A/4A Colorado Springs Metro League, is eighth in 5A with a .352 goals-against average and has allowed just two strikes in 455 minutes. In his first four games, Contoveros didn’t allow a goal and had 11 saves.

The Kadets’ keeper Jackson Gorr has allowed seven goals in 512 minutes and Air Academy has three shutouts through seven matches.

Two things to know…

Boys tennis dual team brackets to be released Monday

Area tennis teams who qualify will prepare for first-round action as the Colorado High School Activities Association will seed schools for the team tennis tournament.

Rampart is 7-0 with Michael Tanner (No. 1 singles, 7-0) and Manjaap Brar (No. 2 singles, 6-0) both undefeated prior to a Tuesday matchup with Pine Creek. Discovery Canyon is 6-1 and has won five consecutive duals.

Boys golf top 84 will be reported Saturday at 8 p.m.

Under its new format, the boys state golf fields will be determined by iWanamaker’s top 84 individual competitors, which will be finalized this weekend.

The 5A-2A state golf tournaments will run from Oct. 6-7 at Elmwood Golf Course (2A), Eagle Ranch Golf Course (3A), Fox Hill Club (4A) and Bookcliff Golf Club (5A).

As of Wednesday morning, Cheyenne Mountain’s 2024 individual 4A state champion Brayden Destefano ranks third and Falcon’s Cayden Besler is sixth overall and Falcon ranks seventh as a team. In 3A, Manitou Springs’ Hayden Dorsey is seventh.  

Gazette Prep football rankings

Rank, team, record

5A

1, Fountain-Fort Carson, 4-1

2, Pine Creek, 3-1

4A

1, Palmer Ridge, 4-0

2, Vista Ridge, 4-0

3, Sand Creek, 4-0

4, Cheyenne Mountain, 4-0

5, Air Academy, 2-2

3A

1, Discovery Canyon, 4-0

2, Coronado, 2-2

3, Lewis-Palmer, 2-2

4, Harrison, 1-3

2A

1, The Classical Academy, 4-0

2, Woodland Park, 2-1

3, Banning Lewis, 2-2

1A

1, Ellicott, 4-0

2, Colorado Springs Christian, 2-2

3, Peyton, 2-2

This week’s football games

Thursday

St. Mary’s at Clear Creek, 7 p.m.

Cherry Creek vs. Pine Creek (District 20 Stadium), 7 p.m.

Discovery Canyon at Widefield, 7 p.m.

Friday

Calhan at Elbert, 7 p.m.

Estes Park at Peyton, 7 p.m.

Palmer Ridge vs. Mesa Ridge (C.A. Foster Stadium), 7 p.m.

Mead at Lewis-Palmer, 7 p.m.

Doherty at Cheyenne Mountain, 7 p.m.

Vista Ridge at Pueblo West, 7 p.m.

Harrison at Cañon City, 7 p.m.

Cedaredge at Ellicott, 7 p.m.

Rangeview at Liberty, 7 p.m.

Palmer at Sand Creek, 7 p.m.

Rye at Woodland Park, 7 p.m.

Manitou Springs at Forge Christian, 7 p.m.

Deer Trail at Hanover, 7 p.m.

Sierra at Air Academy, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Colorado Springs Christian at Platte Canyon, 1 p.m.

The Battle for Monument heads to the volleyball court this week as Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge compete for the top spot among D-38 rivals.

In football, Pine Creek will compete against one of the top teams in the nation as the Eagles will battle for their best mark since a 7-0 start in 2023.

Below are contests of interest happening this week in the Pikes Peak region.

3 football games to watch

Cherry Creek (4-0) vs. Pine Creek (3-1) (at District 20 Stadium)

7 p.m. Thursday

After dropping their opening contest, 5A’s No. 7-ranked Eagles have earned three consecutive wins with each victory coming by at least 14 points. During that streak, Pine Creek has scored at least 35 points in each matchup while allowing 48 points in three games.

But the undefeated Bruins haven’t lost since 2023 and are ranked 53rd in the nation, per MaxPreps. Cherry Creek also boasts a bevy of talent including Division-I commit Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais, the Bruins’ defensive lineman and Colorado’s top recruit who will play next season at the University of Washington.

Pine Creek has allowed just two sacks since its Week 1 loss to Valor Christian and the Eagles’ offense has amassed 1,605 all-purpose yards during the three-game winning streak.

Palmer Ridge (4-0) vs. Mesa Ridge (1-3) (at C.A. Foster Stadium)

7 p.m. Friday

In last season’s matchup, Mesa Ridge led 12-7 with 7:10 left in the second quarter. Then, Palmer Ridge scored 21 in a row to build a 28-12 third-quarter lead.

After that, the Grizzlies went ballistic on offense and scored 19 in a row to take the lead and win the game 31-28. Mesa Ridge’s comeback thwarted the Bears’ opportunity to go 5-0 last year and now Palmer Ridge looks for its first 5-0 start since 2023 when the Bears built a 13-1 record.

Palmer Ridge owns a 24-game road winning streak and last lost at a non-neutral site on Nov. 7, 2019, when Discovery Canyon defeated the Bears 56-49. It was the Bears’ final loss that season before winning their third consecutive 3A title.

Palmer (0-4) at Sand Creek (4-0)

7 p.m. Friday

The Scorpions could make history with a home win against Palmer.

Should Sand Creek earn the win against the Terrors, it would give the Scorpions their first 5-0 start in the MaxPreps era, which dates back to 2004, and would give them back-to-back seasons with streaks of at least five wins.

The Scorpions won 80-35 against Widefield last week and Trevan Rick led the team with two rushing touchdowns. Ethan Mangrum dashed to a career-high 249 yards on 16 carries for his 12th consecutive game over 100 yards.

The Terrors could play spoilers in the matchup but need to snap a four-game losing streak this season and against the Scorpions, whom they last beat in 2015.

Other contests to watch

Softball

TCA vs. Widefield ( at Mountain Lion Stadium)

6 p.m. Friday

Class 3A’s No. 10 heads to Widefield to face 4A’s No. 9-ranked team in a matchup the Gladiators have dominated.

The Gladiators are 11-0 all time against the Titans and beat TCA 19-9 in their last meeting. The Titans score 10 runs per game and as of Wednesday, have not lost on the road (4-0). Widefield allows just a shade under three runs and, prior to its Wednesday matchup with Mesa Ridge, have not permitted a team to score 10 runs.

Olivia McEwen (29) and Taylor Hall (22) have combined for 51 hits and McEwen, the Gladiators’ sophomore pitcher, is 10-2 and owns a 2.46 ERA, which is 15th in 4A. TCA pitcher Ada Wilson is sixth in 3A with 91 strikeouts and three Titans have 20-plus hits: Taytum Kimbro (27), Wilson (22) and Basil Murphy (21).

Girls volleyball

Palmer Ridge at Lewis-Palmer

6 p.m. Thursday

The D-38 rivals clashed on the gridiron earlier this month. Now, the Bears and Rangers battle on the volleyball court.

The Rangers swept the Bears in both meetings last season and own a 13-6 all-time record against Palmer Ridge. Madi Crowe notched a game-high 14 kills in the final meeting last season between the schools.

Palmer Ridge has not dropped three in a row to Lewis-Palmer since the Rangers won nine consecutive matches from 2012-19.

Air Academy at Cheyenne Mountain

6 p.m. Thursday

The Red-Tailed Hawks have not lost to the Kadets since 2021 and have dropped just three of 30 sets against Air Academy in that time.

But the Kadets enter this contest 5-1 for the first time since 2013 when they started 10-1, went 24-5 and finished as 4A runners-up at the state tournament.

The Kadets have just one victory against the Red-Tailed Hawks in the last 10 meetings and that came April 16, 2021, when Air Academy earned a 3-1 (28-26, 25-11, 15-25, 25-20) win.

Boys soccer

Air Academy at Liberty

noon Saturday

The defending 4A state champions hit the road for the first time in more than two weeks and face a ferocious Liberty back line and keeper in Christian Contoveros, who is one of the state’s top goalies.

Contoveros leads 5A/4A Colorado Springs Metro League, is eighth in 5A with a .352 goals-against average and has allowed just two strikes in 455 minutes. In his first four games, Contoveros didn’t allow a goal and had 11 saves.

The Kadets’ keeper Jackson Gorr has allowed seven goals in 512 minutes and Air Academy has three shutouts through seven matches.

Two things to know…

Boys tennis dual brackets to be released Monday

Area tennis teams who qualify will prepare for first-round action as the Colorado High School Activities Association will seed schools for the team tennis tournament.

Rampart is 7-0 with Michael Tanner (No. 1 singles, 7-0) and Manjaap Brar (No. 2 singles, 6-0) both undefeated prior to a Tuesday matchup with Pine Creek. Discovery Canyon is 6-1 and has won five consecutive duals.

Boys golf top 84 will be reported Saturday at 8 p.m.

Under its new format, the boys state golf fields will be determined by iWanamaker’s top 84 individual competitors, which will be finalized this weekend.

The 5A-2A state golf tournaments will run from Oct. 6-7 at Elmwood Golf Course (2A), Eagle Ranch Golf Course (3A), Fox Hill Club (4A) and Bookcliff Golf Club (5A).

As of Wednesday morning, Cheyenne Mountain’s 2024 individual 4A state champion Brayden Destefano ranks third and Falcon’s Cayden Besler is sixth overall and Falcon ranks seventh as a team. In 3A, Manitou Springs’ Hayden Dorsey is seventh.

Football rankings

Rank, team, record

5A

1, Fountain-Fort Carson, 4-1

2, Pine Creek, 3-1

4A

1, Palmer Ridge, 4-0

2, Vista Ridge, 4-0

3, Sand Creek, 4-0

4, Cheyenne Mountain, 4-0

5, Air Academy, 2-2

3A

1, Discovery Canyon, 4-0

2, Coronado, 2-2

3, Lewis-Palmer, 2-2

4, Harrison, 1-3

2A

1, The Classical Academy, 4-0

2, Woodland Park, 2-1

3, Banning Lewis, 2-2

1A

1, Ellicott, 4-0

2, Colorado Springs Christian, 2-2

3, Peyton, 2-2