H.S. Football Preview: Rampart ready for move up

Rampart's players know they are stepping up to the top level of Colorado high school football. They can't wait to prove they belong.

"We've been ready for some time," said senior quarterback Zane Watkins. "We're ready to prove ourselves."

Because of a two-year cycle, several area teams moved up and down in classifications for the 2008-10 school years, resulting in new conference alignments. Rampart moved up into the 5A Southern Conference with Doherty and Palmer. The Rams went 5-5 in the 4A Pikes Peak last fall but return 17 of 22 starters.

That gives players reason to hope for a breakout season.

"This is the best senior class to come through Rampart," said senior Jerrod Van Horn. Van Horn and his teammates can start proving that when they host conference foe Ponderosa at 7 p.m. Friday.

The new Southern Conference also includes Chaparral, Douglas County, Highlands Ranch, Mountain Vista and ThunderRidge.

In 4A, a revamped Foothills league includes Air Academy, Castle View of Castle Rock, Cheyenne Mountain, Lewis-Palmer, Liberty, Mesa Ridge, Pueblo South, Sierra and Wasson. A reconfigured Pikes Peak league has Coronado, Fountain-Fort Carson, Mitchell, Pine Creek, Pueblo West, Rock Canyon of Highlands Ranch, Sand Creek and Widefield.

In 3A, Cañon City moved down to the new Southern Conference. Florence joins Colorado Springs Christian School in the 2A Tri-Peaks. The Classical Academy assumes CSCS' old spot in the Denver-area Colorado Conference.

In Class A, the only change is that Miami-Yoder moved from 11-man to the 8-man Black Forest Division of the East Conference.

The new freshmen- and sophomores-only Pioneer League opens play this weekend with 3A Discovery Canyon (northern Colorado Springs), 3A Legend (Parker), 4A Palmer Ridge (Monument) and 4A Vista Ridge (Falcon) as members. The league is not eligible for the playoffs and will supplement its schedule with junior varsity teams from older schools.

AREA FOOTBALL CONFERENCES

Class 5A Southern: Chaparral, Doherty, Douglas County, Highlands Ranch, Mountain Vista, Palmer, Ponderosa, Rampart, ThunderRidge.

Class 4A Foothills: Air Academy, Castle View, Cheyenne Mountain, Lewis-Palmer, Liberty, Mesa Ridge, Pueblo South, Sierra, Wasson.

Class 4A Pikes Peak: Coronado, Fountain-Fort Carson, Mitchell, Pine Creek, Pueblo West, Rock Canyon, Sand Creek, Widefield.

Class 3A Southern: Alamosa, Cañon City, Falcon, Harrison, Pueblo Centennial, Pueblo Central, Pueblo County, Pueblo East, Woodland Park.

Class 2A Colorado: Bennett, The Classical Academy, Clear Creek, Denver Christian, Kent Denver, Manual, Platte Canyon, Sheridan.

Class 2A Tri-Peaks: Colorado Springs Christian School, Dolores Huerta, Ellicott, Florence, La Junta, Lamar, Manitou Springs, St. Mary's, Trinidad.

Class A 11-Man South Central: Burlington, Byers, Calhan, Cripple Creek-Victor, Limon, Peyton.

Class A 8-Man East Conference, Black Forest Division: Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, Elbert, Kiowa, Miami-Yoder, Pikes Peak Christian.

Class A 8-Man South Conference, Southern Division: Fowler, Hanover, Hoehne, Holy Trinity, Manzanola, Swink.

Class A 6-Man South Conference: Cheraw, Eads, Edison, Hilltop Baptist, Kit Carson, Vilas.