The final fall season playoff brackets are set and Lewis-Palmer along with Coronado will join the football postseason fray.

Colorado High School Activities Association released 3A brackets Sunday and the 16-team, single-elimination playoff begins this week. The 3A finale will occur Dec. 6, at CSU’s Canvas Stadium along with the 4A and 5A title games.

The Rangers (6-4) secured the 13^th seed and head to No. 4 Mead (8-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday. Coronado (7-3) finished with the 15^th seed and face No. 2 Pomona (9-1) at noon Saturday.

Lewis-Palmer back in playoffs for second time in three seasons

Lewis-Palmer concluded the regular season with victories in four of its final five contests including a 70-12 victory at home against Pueblo Centennial on Friday.

The Rangers’ 70 points are their most in a game since at least 2004, which is as far as MaxPreps’ data extends. Lewis-Palmer has scored 60 or more three times this season.  

Lewis-Palmer is 1-6 all time against Mead and has not defeated the Mavericks since 2016. The Rangers average 34.5 points per game and hope their explosive offense can keep pace with the Mavericks’, who average 39 per contest.  

Coronado ends postseason drought

For Coronado, its seven wins are more than the past four years combined and this is the Cougars’ first postseason trip since 2014. The Cougars will compete for their first playoff victory since 2013 when they finished 13-1 and won the 3A state championship.

The Cougars will bring a dynamic offense to the postseason as Thomas Buckmiller is 38^th in the nation in passing yards at 3,234 and 40 touchdowns.

Lyrik Smith and Collin Wolf are third and seventh, respectively, in Colorado in receiving yards with Smith at 1,199 and Wolf with 876. The pair have combined for 30 touchdowns.

The Cougars and Panthers have not competed on the gridiron since 2005 and Coronado is 0-2 all-time against Pomona.

Playoff schedule

5A

First round

No. 17 Fountain-Fort Carson 14, No. 16 Cherokee Trail 7

Second round

No. 10 Mullen at No. 7 Pine Creek, 7 p.m. Friday

No. 17 Fountain-Fort Carson at No. 1 Cherry Creek, 7 p.m. Friday

4A

First round

No. 16 Golden 31, No. 17 Air Academy 15

No. 14 Mesa Ridge 54, No. 19 Loveland 22

No. 11 Vista Ridge 38, No. 22 Montbello 13

Second round

No. 14 Mesa Ridge at No. 3 Palmer Ridge, 7 p.m. Friday

No. 11 Vista Ridge at No. 6 Broomfield, 7 p.m. Friday

3A

First round

No. 13 Lewis-Palmer at No. 4 Mead, 1 p.m. Saturday

No. 15 Coronado at No. 2 Pomona, noon Saturday

2A

First round

No. 3 The Classical Academy 56, No. 14 Florence 14

Second round

No. 6 Kent Denver at No. 3 The Classical Academy, TBA Friday

1A

First round (Friday)

No. 10 Monte Vista 21, No. 7 Colorado Springs Christian 0

6-man

First round

No. 1 Idalia 65, No. 16 Hanover 6