Major changes are happening for the 2016-2017 football season. Next season instead of playing the other Highlands Ranch schools, HR will now follow a waterfall alignment as a Class 5A team, playing at a higher level. “There would be seven conferences in 5A. We’ll play Valor, Fort Carson, Lakewood, Legend, and Poudre,” Bruce Wright, Athletic Director states.
A waterfall system will move to a 16 team playoff field and a 10 game season, from the 32 team playoff field and nine game season, according to CHSAA. “ I believe it will take away a lot of the rivalry, and gate money,” Wright said. “We’ll still have our loyal fans, but not playing the schools in the surrounding area will impact our rivalry.”
“To set the waterfall alignment, teams will be ranked based upon their two-year average in the RPI. The top seven teams in that ranking will each be placed into seven separate leagues. From there, teams will be snaked into leagues. So, No. 8 will be placed into the same league as No. 7; No. 9 will be with No. 6; No. 10 with No. 5, and so on — until all teams are placed into a league,” according to CHSAA. Believing this will get more of a balance between all classes.
Changes have already been put into place and agreed upon, so next season HR will be playing in 5A conference C.
Abby Gallarzo, Staff Reporter
