Game of the Week: Can Fairview football continue its dominance over Boulder?
Oct. 4—When and where: 5:30 p.m. Friday at Christian Recht Field
The scouting report: The Knights (5-1) are averaging the most points per game and have the best points differential in the 5A classification — and they just got back their star quarterback who'd transferred out of the state two summers ago.
Boulder (0-6), meanwhile, hasn't won a game and is coming off a 42-point loss to Fossil Ridge.
The disparity in the Flatirons football rivalry is wide, and frankly it has been that way for quite some time.
The Knights have won the last 14 games in the series and are 16-1 against the Panthers since 2005, winning by an average of 26. If they needed another shot in the arm for this year's annual game, they got it with the return of junior QB Bekkem Kritza.
A four-star ESPN prospect, Kritza was allowed to transfer back to Fairview in the middle of the season, returning to coach Tom McCartney's program after stops in California and Florida.
He's been a student at the school for the past three weeks, McCartney said over text message Saturday. And he played his first game Friday.
Kritza started for the Knights as a freshman, throwing for the state's third-most yards (3,192) and 22 TDs. His favorite target back then was classmate Jordan Rechel, who has continued to flourish as a receiver with second-year starter Rowan Risner, and as a running back.
Rechel leads the team this fall in receiving — 14 catches for 251 yards and two TDs — and rushing — 61 carries for 634 yards and 14 TDs.
Along with Kritza, Risner and Jett Howard had reps at quarterback in last week's 56-0 win over Poudre.
Kritza went 13-of-19 passing with two touchdowns and an interception, and scored on the ground.
Risner went 4 for 7 for 37 yards and Howard went 3 for 5 for 50 yards and a score.
The Knights face a program still looking to find its footing under first-year coach Jesse Jones — its fourth in as many seasons.
Quarterback Henry Sharpe has a few long TD passes and Austin Moscou has caught a couple of them for the Panthers this season. But their next test will likely be their most difficult yet.
Fairview is holding teams to 7.7 PPG this year — second-best in 5A — and has allowed seven or fewer points in each of its five mercy-rule wins.
Its only real blemish was allowing a 29-point second half in a 29-28 loss to Valor Christian Week 3.
Among the Knights' talented defensive cast, standout linebacker Ryder Villarreal has 60 tackles, 11 of them for loss. Defensive back Kole Mathis has four of the team's eight interceptions. Max Nedbalski, Wyatt Keegan, Toray Davis and Jace Hines have each taken a turnover back for a score.
