Riders go to hostile territory

Roosevelt football players might be embarking on unfamiliar territory this Friday, but their coach certainly isn't.

Rough Riders coach Ed Eastin will return to his old stomping grounds when Roosevelt travels to Sterling to open its Class 3A Tri-Valley schedule against the Tigers at 7 p.m. Friday.

Roosevelt is coming off a 22-6 season-opening victory against defending 2A state champion Platte Valley. Sterling suffered a 35-0 loss to Ogallala (Neb.).

Eastin is native to the Sterling area. Before coming to Roosevelt, he coached and taught for more than two decades right up the road from Sterling, at Caliche High School.

Eastin expects a not-so-warm homecoming.

"That's where I came from; they're going to be ready," Eastin said with a laugh, after the win against Platte Valley. "I lived there for 25 years, outside of Sterling. It's not like I don't have anybody there that doesn't know me. I'm coming home, and they're going to say, 'We're not going to let that sucker beat us.'"

Eastin said he expects Sterling to run a similar scheme as Platte Valley's spread offense, much of which is run from the pistol.

The Tigers came into the season ranked No. 8 in 3A according to the Rocky Mountain News' preseason rankings.

Fortunately for Eastin, he has a group of players that isn't likely to be intimidated by the thought of stepping on the field against an amped up, talented Tigers team.

Eastin and his coaching staff, which includes his two sons Noland and Nathan, have an intense, hard-nosed styles that rubs off on their players.

Roosevelt opened the season emphatically with its win against Platte Valley, but junior running back Jeff Kielian said he knows it will be a whole new ball game when he and his teammates open league play on Friday.

"We're all excited we won, but it wasn't a league game," Kielian said after last week's win. "This is where league starts. This is where it's going to start. We have to make a statement in league now."

Friday's games

* Berthoud at Fort Lupton, 7 p.m. -- Fort Lupton lost a tight contest, 12-6, to Valley last week. This week gets no easier as the Bluedevils test themselves against the defending 3A champion Spartans. Berthoud annihilated Moffat County 40-7 at home last week.

* Bishop Machebeuf at Valley, 7 p.m. -- Valley squeezed out a 12-6 win against Fort Lupton last week, beating the Bluedevils for the second straight year. The Vikings face their first 2A competition of the season this week. Machebeuf rolled past Bennett 34-7 at home last week. Valley has to slow down Machebeuf's Aubree Pickett, who went wild for 167 yards on 27 carries last week.

* Kent Denver at Weld Central, 7 p.m. -- Weld Central continues a challenging start to the season with its home opener. Last week, the Rebels lost 42-0 on the road to 1A powerhouse Akron, a team that hasn't lost since 2005. The nonconference schedule doesn't get much easier this week as the Rebels take on a Kent Denver that bulldozed Manitou Springs 34-7 at home last week.

* Windsor at Frederick, 7 p.m. -- The Wizards started their season on the right foot with a 42-32 road win against Fossil Ridge last week. Windsor junior quarterback Trevor Okamoto and junior running back Connor Glenn had breakout performances. Okamoto started the scoring with 71- and 90-yard touchdown runs in the first half as the Wizards took a 14-13 lead into the locker room. This week, Windsor opens Tri-Valley play against Frederick, which beat Evergreen 22-13 on the road last week.

* Loveland vs. Greeley Central, at District 6 Stadium, 7 p.m. -- The Wildcats were out of sync last week in a 21-12 loss to Class 3A Northridge, but were on a drive that would have have narrowed the gap to two points when junior quarterback Taylor Clark threw an interception. Loveland is coming off a 44-14 home loss to 5A Boulder Fairview. Connor Medbery led the Indians with 54 rushing yards and two touchdowns, one on the ground and another on a 9-yard pass. The question is how much progress the Wildcats will need from opening night.

* Northridge at Silver Creek, 7 p.m. -- The Grizzlies were impressive in their 21-12 victory against Greeley Central in their return to the 3A ranks while Silver Creek manhandled Rifle 35-6, scoring three times in the second quarter. Silver Creek's Reese Graba rushed for 104 yards. It should be a much tougher assignment for quarterback Coltin Taylor and Co.

* University at Highland, 7 p.m. -- The Bulldogs are young, and it showed in last week's 21-6 loss to Lyons, but they did pile up 241 yards of offense, 165 via the pass. UHS will more than likely need more from Vance Salazar and Ronnie Blea to balance the offense. Highland rolled past Resurrection Christian 42-0, unleashing 193 yards on the ground, including 92 from Irvin Dean and 62 from Damion Fedler.

* Greeley West at Broomfield, 7 p.m. -- If any doubters had concern about the Spartans offense not being as potent as a year ago, 462 yards in the first week resulting in a 28-3 victory against Rangeview should answer the questions. Steffan Bunting piled up 214 yards and a touchdown. Broomfield is coming off a 35-28 victory against Gateway, but may need more than 6-foot-3, 275-pound Bryce Nobles to clog up the middle.

* Pawnee at Woodlin, 7:30 p.m. -- Pawnee got off to a rough start last week, falling 57-18 at home against Otis. Woodlin didn't fare much better, falling 44-20 to Briggsdale. Which team is able to get its offense on track this week?

* Briggsdale at Fleming, 7:30 p.m. -- Briggsdale made an early statement last week with a 44-20 home win against Woodlin. Fleming built similar momentum with its 44-14 win at home against Weldon Valley. This week's contest will likely be determined by who can slow down the other's high-powered offense.

Saturday's games

* Eaton at Platte Canyon, 1 p.m. -- Eaton's hectic nonconference schedule continues this week as two of the final four teams from last year do battle. Platte Canyon was the state runner-up to Platte Valley last year. Eaton also lost to the Broncos, falling in the semifinals. Defense ruled last week as the Reds defeated Holy Family 17-7 last week. Platte Canyon blasted Salida 47-0 as star running back A.J. Melillo rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries. In all, the Huskies had 248 yards on the ground.

* Platte Valley at Denver Christian, 1 p.m. -- Platte Valley looks to bounce back from a 22-6 opening loss to Roosevelt last week. The Broncos offense struggled, turning over the ball three times and racking up just 154 yards of offense. Denver Christian knocked off Denver Lutheran 40-28 last week. Jacob Purscel bullied his way to 229 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Crusaders. Platte Valley topped Denver Christian 15-0 in Week 2 last year.

Samuel G. Mustari contributed to this report

FOX 31 games to watch

The Centennial Conference matches two schools from the Cherry Creek district. Eaglecrest and running back Terell Thompson (399 yards and six touchdowns in the opener) against No. 6 Cherry Creek. The "don't-miss" in Highlands Ranch is surprising ThunderRidge (an overtime upset winner against Douglas County) against Mountain Vista.

Watch highlights from these games, and more, with Marcia Neville and SkyFox SkyLites every Friday night in FOX 31 News at 9 p.m. Her PrepZone reports are featured in "Double Coverage" Saturday nights at 9:30 p.m.