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Everything you need to know: Fort Collins area high school football season kicks off this weekend

chris abshire, fort collins coloradoan
·4 min read

Football is officially back in Fort Collins.

The 2023 high school football season kicked off this weekend, and it should be a fascinating one!

There are two new head coaches in town at Rocky Mountain and Fossil Ridge, while Timnath and Wellington compete in their second seasons.

The Coloradoan has previews on all seven local teams in our coverage area, had fans vote on their preseason Player of the Year and profiled a legitimate star recruit in our backyard.

Here's your one-stop football primer as Fort Collins-area teams begin the 2023 season:

Fort Collins football Week 1 scores, schedule

It was a quiet opening weekend in the area, as only Poudre and Windsor opened the season at home, though Fossil Ridge was right down the road in Loveland.

Thursday, Aug. 24

  • Rock Canyon 20, Poudre 0: The Impalas opened up with a tough test and couldn't match the No. 9 Jaguars as a young offense struggled to move the ball

More: Takeaways from Poudre football's season opener against No. 9 Rock Canyon

Friday, Aug. 25

  • Loveland 28, Fossil Ridge 26: The Red Wolves spoiled Chris Tedford's Fossil coaching debut, holding off the SaberCats late in another thriller between these two teams.

  • Windsor 10, Mead 7: The Wizards also exacted revenge from last year's season opener, topping Mead in a defensive slugfest thanks to a TD catch by Gavyn Helm and his tie-breaking field goal.

  • Ponderosa 56, Fort Collins 21: The Mustangs pounced early and led by 22 at the half before burying the Lambkins in the second half. Joe Cottingham and Levi Hermsen had touchdowns for Fort Collins.

  • Berthoud 43, Timnath 0: Timnath is still seeking its first win in the new school's history after a season-opening loss in year two to a tough Spartans squad.

  • Wellington 8, Estes Park 6: The Eagles held on in a surprisingly defensive slugfest against one of 1A's better offense, converting a 2-point conversion to win without star running back Cash Altschwager.

Saturday, Aug. 26:

  • Rocky Mountain 20, Chaparral 16: The Lobos began the Phil Underwood era on a rousing high note, erasing a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit with two late touchdowns and a game-clinching interception to steal a comeback win.

Fort Collins preseason Player of the Year

Fort Collins football fans cast nearly 60,000 votes in The Coloradoan's preseason high school football Player of the Year poll.

Rocky Mountain senior lineman Michael DeLap took the top spot with nearly 25% of the fan vote.

More: Fans vote DeLap as Fort Collins area high school football preseason Player of the Year

Rocky Mountain's Michael DeLap (54) is photographed at the Coloradoan's high school football Media Day at PSD Stadium on August 1, 2023.
Rocky Mountain's Michael DeLap (54) is photographed at the Coloradoan's high school football Media Day at PSD Stadium on August 1, 2023.

Colorado's top-ranked 2024 football recruit is a SaberCat

As of Aug. 24, Fossil Ridge senior offensive tackle Gage Ginther is Colorado's top-rated 2024 recruit (per 247 Sports Composite) and a Tennessee football commit since April.

He is the SaberCats' leader on the field and a burgeoning one off it, bridging the gap between Fossil's very successful recent past and a new era under Chris Tedford.

Fossil's quiet 'enforcer': Top-rated Colorado recruit Gage Ginther plays with 'mean streak'

Fossil Ridge's Gage Ginther (78) is photographed at the Coloradoan's high school football Media Day at PSD Stadium on August 1, 2023.
Fossil Ridge's Gage Ginther (78) is photographed at the Coloradoan's high school football Media Day at PSD Stadium on August 1, 2023.

Plus, see where Ginther currently ranks among the highest-rated Fort Collins-area football recruits in the modern recruiting era:

Best of preps: Top 25 football recruits all-time from the Fort Collins area

Fort Collins-area football players to watch

You've met Ginther and DeLap above already, but there are more than a dozen more players to watch (and some bonus names to know) in the Fort Collins area this fall.

Despite major graduating class departures at all four city schools, there's still a talented bunch of local football players this season.

Meet the Iron Men: Top Fort Collins-area football players to watch this season

Team-by-team previews:

Coloradoan high school football Media Day

The Coloradoan sports staff held our annual Media Day event in early August with local teams and coaches.

Here are some sights and takeaways from the event:

Revisit 2022's best Fort Collins-area football players

Need a refresh and the departed stars and returning standouts?

Here were the best players in and around Fort Collins during the 2022 season.

Northern Colorado's best: Presenting The Coloradoan's 2022 All-Area high school football team

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado high school football: Fort Collins area teams kick off 2023 season