Fruita Monument High School will host the Class 4A Region 4 Tournament this Saturday, October 21st, bringing state playoff softball action to Canyon View Park. The Wildcats, entering the postseason with an impressive 20-3 overall record and a 9-1 finish in Southwestern League play, are seeded fourth in the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) state tournament. They are set to face Thompson Valley (14-9) in their first game. Other teams competing in the Region 4 tournament include Frederick (18-5) and Air Academy (10-13). Game times for Saturday are scheduled for 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. The top two teams from this four-team regional will advance to the final 16 tournament.
Several other Western Slope high school softball teams are also heading into state playoff competition across various classifications. In Class 4A, Palisade High School (13-10) will travel for the Region 3 tournament, where the Bulldogs will play Vista Ridge (17-6). The host of that regional, Eaton (17-6), will compete against Pueblo Centennial (12-11). Montrose High School (19-3), which placed second in the Southwestern League and delivered Fruita Monument's sole league loss, is the ninth seed and will also be on the road. Their first game is against Dakota Ridge (15-8). Rifle High School (15-8) is seeded 23rd and will play Severance (17-6) in Region 7, while Durango High School (11-11), seeded 24th, will face Ponderosa (16-7) in Region 8.
In Class 5A, Grand Junction High School (13-10 overall, 6-4 SWL) holds the 19th seed. The Tigers will travel to Lutheran High School (19-3) for the Region 3 tournament. Grand Junction is slated to play Mountain Vista (13-10) in their opening game. In Class 3A, two area teams have qualified: Delta High School (15-7), seeded 12th, and Cedaredge High School (12-9), seeded 15th. Delta will play Basalt (14-6) in Region 5, while Cedaredge is set to play Rocky Ford (13-10) in Region 2.
As the high school softball season transitions into playoffs, the football regular season is nearing its conclusion, with several local teams vying for playoff spots. Grand Junction High School (6-1) is currently in a strong position for the Class 5A playoffs. Their only loss this season was to Loveland (7-0). The Tigers, who play in a combined 4A/5A league, have three remaining regular season games against Longmont (6-1), Poudre (2-5), and Roosevelt (6-1).
Fruita Monument High School's football team (4-3), also competing in a combined 4A/5A league, is currently ranked 23rd in Class 4A, placing them outside the top 16 qualifying spots for the playoffs. Their final three regular season games are against Denver South (3-4), Brighton (2-5), and Denver East (4-3). Central High School (2-5), ranked 33rd in 4A but playing in a 3A league, has remaining games against Green Mountain (3-4), Palisade (6-1), and Eagle Valley (3-4).
In Class 3A football, Palisade High School (6-1) is ranked fourth and is one of three Western Slope teams currently in playoff contention, alongside Eagle Valley (3-4), ranked 11th, and Rifle High School (4-3), ranked 13th. Delta High School (8-0) is highly ranked at No. 3 in Class 2A, with one regular season game remaining on October 23rd against Montezuma-Cortez (2-5) before the 2A playoffs begin the following weekend.
For Class 1A football, North Fork High School (6-0) holds the No. 1 ranking as they enter a challenging final stretch of their regular season. The Miners are scheduled to play Meeker (5-1), Moffat County (2-4), and Olathe (5-2). Olathe, currently in a playoff spot, has two games left against Cedaredge (3-4) and North Fork. Cedaredge, ranked 19th in 1A, has three games remaining to try and secure a playoff berth, facing Olathe, Roaring Fork (0-5), and Grand Valley (1-6). Meeker's remaining schedule includes North Fork, Grand Valley, and Moffat County.
