Chris AbshireFort Collins Coloradoan
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Looking for this week's updates? Friday Night Live updates: Fossil-Loveland, Timnath-Poudre highlight Week 1 action
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Welcome to football Friday, Fort Collins.
The 2024 high school football season kicked off with Week Zero action, and a couple local teams rolled but one fell at home.
Wellington romped to a 30-point win against Florida's Colonial High School on Thursday night and Rocky Mountain pitched a shutout at Northglenn on Friday night.
Poudre fell to Monarch in their Class 4A debut and season opener.
This will be our weekly Friday Night Live updates blog, where we share all the latest scores, highlights, updates, and more for Fort Collins-area football teams.
Fans, you are encouraged to join, too!
Send in all the videos, tweets/posts, scores, Instagram reels, TikToks and more from your favorite team's games to sports reporter Chris Abshire (X: @ChrisAbshire, email: ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com). We'd love to share them here.
We're signing off for the night here. But this week was just a teaser, as next week will have a full slate of games to follow.
Return to coloradoan.com/sports throughout the week for more Fort Collins-area football coverage.
FINAL: Rocky Mountain 31, Northglenn 0
The Lobos didn't mess around in the season opener, pitching a defensive shutout and forcing four turnovers.
Bradley Mallette also threw for three touchdowns (two to Bode Nesbitt) and Rocky got a punt-return touchdown from Riley Honick at the halftime buzzer to crush the Norsem*n.
The Lobos (1-0) have next week off and go on the road to Legacy on Friday (Sept. 6) for their second game this season.
-- Chris Abshire
FINAL: Monarch 29, Poudre 14
After the first quarter and change, it was a romp for the visitors as Monarch scored on four straight offensive possessions to run away from Poudre at French Field.
Monarch QB Riley Mantemayor threw for two TDs and ran for two more. Meanwhile, the Impalas' green offense struggled to create chunk plays until Praise Oluniyi's late 95-yard TD run.
Poudre (0-1) gets right back at it next Friday (Aug. 23) with a home game vs. Class 3A Timnath in the Cubs' season opener.
-- Chris Abshire
Poudre RB takes it nearly 100 yards
The Impalas got a late jolt and perhaps a positive sign for the future, as junior running back Praise Oluniyi went 97 yards for a late touchdown by outsprinting the Monarch second-team defense.
Monarch still leads 29-14 with 1:21 left in the game.
-- Chris Abshire
Monarch puts it away
The Coyotes got the big score they needed, putting this game away on Gavin fa*gan's 42-yard touchdown reception, taking an intermediate pass and breaking it down the sideline.
Monarch leads Poudre 29-7 midway through the fourth quarter.
-- Chris Abshire
Rocky Mountain adds to lead
The Lobos got another big punt return deep into Norsem*n territory and capitalized, adding a field goal.
Rocky leads Northglenn 31-0 late in the third quarter.
-- Chris Abshire
Monarch in command
The Coyotes have completely flipped this game after the first 15 minutes, dominating Poudre for the last two quarters.
Monarch drove down the field again and QB Riley Mantemayor hit Haley Sawyor for an eight-yard touchdown pass in the flat.
Monarch leads Poudre 22-7.
-- Chris Abshire
End 3rd quarter: Coyotes trying to get separation
The Coyotes are marching down the field again, with a 1st and goal incoming once the 4th quarter begins.
Monarch leads Poudre 15-7 through three quarters.
-- Chris Abshire
Monarch takes the lead
The Coyotes didn't waste much time, stopping the Impalas on the opening second-half possession and marching down for a quick touchdown.
Monarch QB Riley Montemayor ran it straight up the middle, breaking several tackles for a 27-yard scoring scamper. He then ran in the 2-point conversion.
Poudre put together a solid ensuing drive but the Coyotes defense stuffed a Bradon Meyer run up the middle on 4th and 2.
Monarch leads Poudre, 15-7 late third quarter
-- Chris Abshire
Rocky walks it off before halftime
Rocky Mountain capped an opportunistic first half, as Riley Honick scored via a long punt return touchdown (approximately 60 yards) on the final play of the first half. The Lobos scored off three Norse turnovers and now add a special teams score.
Rocky leads Northglenn 28-0 at halftime.
-- Chris Abshire
Halftime at French Field
It was a quick second quarter, with both teams only possessing the ball once.
The Coyotes put together a 93-yard touchdown drive that took nearly nine minutes off the clock, scoring a touchdown on a 4th and goal run from the 3-yard line. Monarch QB Riley Montemayor punched it in for the touchdown.
Poudre and Monarch are all tied at 7-7 heading into halftime.
-- Chris Abshire
Rocky Mountains strikes again
After recovering another Norse fumble, Rocky Mountain drove right down the field and scored on QB Bradley Mallette's 30-yard touchdown pass.
The Lobos lead Northglenn 21-0 as halftime approaches.
-- Chris Abshire
End 1st quarter: Rocky, Poudre both take early leads
It's been a good start for the local teams.
Poudre pounced on good field position and put together an opening drive. The Impalas lead Monarch 7-0.
Rocky Mountain took advantage of two Northglenn fumbles and scored off both turnovers. The Lobos lead Northglenn 14-0.
-- Chris Abshire
Poudre turns it over
The Impalas had another promising drive going, but first-time QB Gery Lockman fumbled the ball while scrambling backwards. It's Monarch ball, Poudre leads 7-0 late 1st quarter.
-- Chris Abshire
Rocky Mountain also starting fast
The Lobos are also out to a big early lead, recovering two Northglenn fumbles and converting both into touchdowns. Rocky Mountain leads 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
That's a big confidence boost for Rocky on both sides of the ball.
-- Chris Abshire
Big start for Impalas
The Impalas strike first, forcing a 3-out (no yards allowed) on defense before putting together a nine-play, 45-yard touchdown march, capped by Garrett Sims' three-yard touchdown dive. Poudre leads 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
First-time starting QB Gery Lockman was sharp, hitting two passes in the flat for 14 yards, including a key third-down conversion.
-- Chris Abshire
We're underway at French Field!
The Impalas have taken the field, that anthem is sung and the coin toss settled.
Monarch will get the ball first in this 4A league matchup.
-- Chris Abshire
How to watch Poudre vs. Monarch, all local games
A reminder: For the first time, all home games for Poudre School District teams at French Field in Fort Collins and PSD Stadium in Timnath will all be streamed live (for free) on PSD Athletics' YouTube channel.
That includes this Monarch at Poudre game tonight. Rocky Mountain at Northglenn is not currently available on the NFHS Network, though.
More: How to watch, stream Fort Collins high school games for 2024 season
-- Chris Abshire
How we'll cover Fort Collins-area football this fall
This live blog will be our weekly spot to cover all the games in the Fort Collinsarea, from live scores, updates and fan highlights to quick postgame analysis.
Welcome to Friday Night Live: How the Coloradoan will cover 2024 Fort Collins high school football
-- Chris Abshire
New-look leagues for local teams
It's a year for change in local football, with almost half of local programs switching classifications, led by Poudre dropping down to Class 4A.
Plus, nearly every school in Northern Colorado and across the state is impacted by league realignment.
And a reminder, this Monarch matchup is a conference game for Poudre. That's right, it's straight into league play for the Impalas for their 4A welcome.
HS football classification shifts: Poudre to 4A among major Fort Collins-area changes
More: See which teams are in every Colorado high school football conference for the 2024-25 seasons
-- Chris Abshire
Preseason Player of the Year
Windsor fans showed up strong in the Coloradoan's preseason fan voting, earning a Wizards defensive lineman the title as our preseason football Player of the Year in the Fort Collins area.
Poudre running back and linebacker Bradon Meyer took third on the ballot with 10.2% of the vote.
Read the full story: Fans voted this Windsor senior as the Coloradoan's preseason football Player of the Year
-- Chris Abshire
Top Class of 2025 Colorado football recruits
Three of the state's top senior players in the college football recruiting rankings come from Northern Colorado football teams, including Fossil Ridge receiver Marcus Mozer.
Before the 2024 season kicks off, check out the top players in Colorado.
Read more: Colorado's top-20 high school football players based on recruiting rankings
-- Chris Abshire
Major preseasons questions for local football teams
Can anyone stop Fossil Ridge's playmakers? Will Windsor play a de-facto home state title game? Who will be the best offensive lineman in the area?
See all of the Coloradoan's big questions for local football teams to answer this fall.
Full story: 30 burning questions for Fort Collins-area high school football teams for the 2024 season
-- Chris Abshire
Fort Collins-area football players to watch this season
It could be a big season for Fort Collins football with plenty of proven talent, rising stars and coaching stability.
Here are the players and teams to watch this season:
- Playmaker Central: The Fort Collins-area high school football players leading an offensive surge
- The Stoppers: Here are the best Fort Collins-area high school football defensive players
- Flipping the Field: These Fort Collins high school football special teamers are game-changers
- Spotlight Squads: The Fort Collins-area teams we're most interested to watch this fall
- Top Colorado seniors: Colorado's top-20 high school football players based on recruiting rankings
-- Chris Abshire
Wellington dominates cross-country opener
The Eagles did not mess around in their season opener, beating Florida’s Colonial High School 42-12 on Thursday night in Orlando.
Wellington quarterback Tanner Gray had two touchdown runs and threw for another, while sophom*ore running back Cyle Kisner had a breakout performance with two TDs.
It was a 27-0 lead by halftime and the Eagles controlled the game from the opening kick. A good start as Wellington looks to build on last year’s 9-1 season.
-- Chris Abshire
Scores, schedules for Northern Colorado high school football
Check here every week for the latest scores, standings and schedules for every 11-man football team in the Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Greeley and Longmont areas.
More: Northern Colorado high school football scores, schedule, standings for the 2024 season
-- Chris Abshire
Colorado high school football preseason rankings
Two Fort Collins-area teams enter the season ranked in Colorado Preps' media poll:
- Windsor: No. 2 in Class 3A
- Wellington: No. 8 in 2A
Nearly 10 more Northern Colorado schools also garnered preseason top-10 rankings, including four in Wellington's league alone.
-- Chris Abshire
Fort Collins football 2024 season primer
Need to get caught up on all things Fort Collins football as the season kicks off?
The Coloradoan has you covered here with our go-to page for all high school football coverage:
Friday Night Lights: Your essential guide to Fort Collins-area high school football in 2024
-- Chris Abshire
