The Battle for Monument isn’t the only rivalry week football contest occurring in the Pikes Peak region. This week’s slate of matchups features three district rivals clashing on the field including a contest between flag football opponents as Palmer and Doherty take over Garry Berry on Friday.

Also, Falcon girls volleyball will face a formidable Cheyenne Mountain squad as the Falcons aim for another notable victory.

Below are a few contests to catch this week.

Three football games to watch

Palmer Ridge (2-0) vs. Lewis Palmer (2-0) (at Don Breese), 7 p.m. Friday

The Battle for Monument will see the Bears and Rangers both at 2-0 ahead of this meeting for the second time in the past three seasons.

Palmer Ridge dominated that 2023 meeting and won 56-14 and has won the past seven in this series. However, the Rangers, fresh off a 42-39 victory against Coronado on Saturday, hope to ride that momentum to their first win against Palmer Ridge since 2016 when Lewis-Palmer won 51-9.

The Rangers need to tame the Bears’ offense and overpower their defense as Palmer Ridge has outscored its opponents 91-14.

Doherty (1-1) vs. Palmer (0-2) (at Garry Berry), 7 p.m. Friday

Doherty owns a 14-2 all-time record between Colorado Springs School District 11 foes.

The Spartans have not lost to the Terrors since 2011 and own seven consecutive wins. Doherty won last year’s meeting 47-12, which is the third game in a row the Spartans held the Terrors to 12 points.

Palmer will compete for its first win this season and look to duplicate its success from 2010-11 when the Terrors earned consecutive wins in this tilt.

Coronado (1-1) at Cheyenne Mountain (2-0) 7 p.m.

High-octane Coronado meets a stingy Cheyenne Mountain defense. The Cougars lost their game Saturday 42-39 to Lewis-Palmer, but not without scorching the Rangers for more than 500 passing yards.

Cougars quarterback Thomas Buckmiller is second in the state with 830 passing yards in two games and Coronado is hungry to avenge its previous loss. But Cheyenne Mountain, home for the first time this year, has allowed 100 passing yards in two games and QB Sam Hawker has rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns for the Red-Tailed Hawks.

More contests to watch

Flag football

Air Academy at Vista Ridge, 5:30 p.m. Thursday

After a rocky 1-4 start, Vista Ridge has won two consecutive games and outscored its opponents 38-0. Isabella Watters, Kenna Wilson and Andrea Martinez served as the linchpins on defense in the Wolves’ 25-0 win against Colorado Springs Christian.

Watters had three interceptions and three passes defended while Wilson and Martinez combined for eight sacks.

Air Academy, though, has speed in its backfield. Edyn Griffis has 23 carries for 174 yards and a touchdown this season including a 124-yard outburst in a 12-6 win against Fountain-Fort Carson.

Doherty vs. Palmer (at Garry Berry), 4:30 p.m. Friday

While the D11 tackle football teams have a lengthy history, this is the first meeting between the rivals as Palmer continues its first year.

Prior to their Wednesday matchup with The Classical Academy, the Spartans boasted a 3-3 record and had a three-game winning streak after starting the year 0-3. The Terrors opened their inaugural season with a victory, but will battle to find a win after dropping three in a row.

Girls volleyball

Falcon at Cheyenne Mountain, 6:30 p.m. Thursday

The Falcons are 1-17 all-time against the Red-Tailed Hawks and earned their only victory in August 2022 with a 25-22, 25-12, 25-20 sweep of Cheyenne Mountain. Outside of those three sets, since these teams began meeting on the volleyball court in 2007, the Falcons have won just two sets against the Red-Tailed Hawks.

But Falcon enters 7-2 and holds 4A’s No. 9 spot in the Colorado High School Activities Association poll. Cheyenne Mountain is 2-3 but those losses were to 5A No. 5 Legend, 4A defending state champion Thompson Valley and 5A Niwot.

Softball

Widefield at Pine Creek, 10 a.m. Saturday

Pine Creek and Widefield have alternated wins in the past five games of this series with the Gladiators earning an 18-11 victory in 2024. Widefield’s Isabella Monk hit a pair of homers in that contest and finished with seven RBIs, four hits and three runs.

This season, Pine Creek, ranked No. 9 in 5A, and Widefield, No. 4 in 4A, continue to scorch teams as the Eagles and Gladiators have a combined 196 runs in 17 combined games.

While the Eagles score 12.33 runs, the Gladiators average 10.6. Widefield also has an ace up its sleeve with Olivia McEwen, who’s seventh in 4A with a 1.30 ERA.

Something to know

CHSAA to hold virtual special session Tuesday

CHSAA Board President Joe Brown and the board of directors will host a virtual Legislative Council meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The meeting will focus on a proposal to apply a multiplier to the three-year average enrollment of schools meeting specific criteria and will also address a proposed membership refund stemming from the 2024-25 school year to assist with the renovation of the existing CHSAA office building.

Gazette Prep football rankings

Rank, team, record

5A

1, Fountain-Fort Carson, 2-1

2, Pine Creek, 1-1

4A

1, Palmer Ridge, 2-0

2, Vista Ridge, 3-0

3, Sand Creek, 3-0

4, Mesa Ridge, 1-1

5, Cheyenne Mountain, 2-0

3A

1, Discovery Canyon, 2-0

2, Lewis-Palmer, 2-0

3, Coronado, 1-1

4, Harrison, 0-2

2A

1, The Classical Academy, 2-0

2, Woodland Park, 2-0

3, Manitou Springs, 0-2

1A

1, Peyton, 2-0

2, Ellicott, 2-0

3, Colorado Springs Christian, 1-1

This week’s football games

Thursday

Vista Ridge at Denver South, 4 p.m.

Discovery Canyon vs. Rampart (at District 20 Stadium), 7 p.m.

Friday

Liberty at Denver East, 4 p.m.

Pueblo Centennial at Sierra, 6 p.m.

Farmington (N.M.) at Falcon, 6 p.m.

Peyton at Flatirons Academy, 6:30 p.m.

Widefield at Air Academy, 7 p.m.

The Classical Academy at Elizabeth, 7 p.m.

Overland at Fountain-Fort Carson, 7 p.m.

Crowley County at Calhan, 7 p.m.

Palmer Ridge vs. Lewis-Palmer (at Don Breese), 7 p.m.

Coronado at Cheyenne Mountain, 7 p.m.

Banning Lewis at Sterling, 7 p.m.

Cañon City at Summit, 7 p.m.

Miami-Yoder at Hanover, 7 p.m.

Harrison at Pueblo County, 7 p.m.

Loveland at Pine Creek, 7 p.m.

Palmer vs. Doherty (at Garry Berry), 7 p.m.

Dakota Ridge vs. Mesa Ridge (at C.A. Foster), 7 p.m.

Woodland Park vs. Colorado Springs Christian (at Mountain Lion Stadium), 7 p.m.

Mitchell at The Pinnacle, 7 p.m.

Saturday

Platte Canyon at Ellicott, 1 p.m.

Mississippi School for the Deaf and Blind at Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, 4 p.m.