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Glenwood dealt No. 2 seed, Rifle No. 16

Joelle MilholmPost Independent StaffGlenwood Springs, CO Colorado

Three weeks ago, the Glenwood Springs Demons clinched a playoff spot.Now, they finally know who they are playing.Glenwood, who went 10-0 in the regular season and won the Western Slope League, received the No. 2 seed in the Class 3A football playoff bracket released on Sunday and will host No. 15 Sterling (6-4) on Saturday at 1 p.m.In 2004, which was the last time the Demons made it to the playoffs and also happened to be head coach Rocky Whitworth’s first year with the team, Glenwood was knocked out of the playoffs with a 25-10 loss to Sterling in the first round. Sterling went on to lose to Rifle 7-6 in the state championship.This year, the Demons, who are led by top-gun quarterback Dakota Stonehouse who has completed 130 of 203 passes for 2,141 yards and 29 touchdowns, are the favorites in the matchup and also have the advantage of home field. Sterling finished fourth in the Tri-Valley League and is led by Lee Meisner, a 6-foot, 205-pound running back who has rushed for close to 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year.Rifle, who finished fourth in the WSL at 6-4, was named as the No. 16 seed and will be on the road on Saturday to face the only other undefeated team in 3A besides Glenwood in No. 1 Falcon (10-0).This is the 13th-straight season the Bears have made the playoffs and it’s not the first time they have been pitted against the No. 1 seed. In fact, in 2005 the Bears knocked off No. 1 Northridge 21-20, helping them to a state runner-up performance.”It doesn’t bother us a whole lot,” said Rifle head coach Damon Wells of the seed. “We do feel like we have been slightly disrespected, but we love the spot and we love to just be there.”Wells and his staff know that Falcon will be a tough matchup and they started studying film and making a game plan at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Wells said he didn’t expect to go home until 2 or 3 a.m. and would have the same schedule on Monday.Palisade, the second-place WSL team, is seeded No. 5 and will host No. 12 D’Evelyn (8-2). The No. 11 seed was given to Steamboat Springs, the third-place team from the WSL who will be traveling to No. 6 Fossil Ridge (8-2).


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