Western Slope Teams Qualify for Colorado Football Playoffs
Grand Junction, Montrose, Palisade and other Western Slope schools earned spots in every classification of the CHSAA football playoff bracket announced Sunday.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Football
The Colorado High School Activities Association announced its football playoff brackets on Sunday, with Western Slope teams represented in every classification. Grand Junction, Montrose, Fruita Monument, Palisade, Rifle, Delta, Meeker, North Fork and Cedaredge all qualified.
Why it matters
Western Slope programs have a broad presence in this year's postseason, giving communities across the region a stake in deep runs through the bracket. The seeding determines which teams open with byes and which must win on the road in the first round.
Grand Junction finished 8-2 in its first year in Class 5A and is seeded No. 8 with a first-round bye, while Palisade is 9-1 and seeded No. 3 in Class 3A. Fruita Monument, at 6-4 and seeded No. 24 in Class 4A, opens at No. 9 Golden, and the Grand Junction second-round date remains tentative.
The players
Colorado High School Activities Association
The state governing body for high school athletics in Colorado, which sets the classifications, seeding and playoff brackets for football.
Grand Junction High School
A Western Slope program playing its first season in Class 5A, seeded No. 8 with a first-round bye.
Palisade High School
A Western Slope program that finished 9-1 and is seeded No. 3 in Class 3A.
The details
Classes 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A each use a 24-team bracket in which the top eight seeds receive first-round byes, while Class 1A uses a 16-team bracket. Montrose is seeded No. 2 in Class 4A with a bye, Delta is 9-0 and seeded No. 4 in Class 2A, and Palmer Ridge is 10-0 and seeded No. 1 in Class 3A.
Timeline
Sunday, Nov. 1: CHSAA announces the football playoff brackets.
Friday, Nov. 6: Grand Junction opens against Ralston Valley or Castle View.
Saturday, Nov. 7: Delta hosts University in the Class 2A first round.
Friday, Nov. 13: Tentative date for Grand Junction's second-round game at Stocker Stadium.
Nov. 13-14: Palisade's second-round game weekend.
Season Trajectory
The CHSAA seeding framework, which gives the top eight teams in each 24-team bracket a first-round bye, shapes how far Western Slope programs can advance this year. Grand Junction's first season in Class 5A and Palisade's 9-1 mark show how the new alignments are testing regional teams against larger statewide competition.
Grand Junction's bye-to-second-round path and Palisade's No. 3 seed determine which Western Slope teams face the toughest matchups early. Fantasy and bracket followers should note that Fruita Monument must win on the road at Golden to advance.
The takeaway
With nine Western Slope schools across every classification, the Colorado playoffs give regional fans multiple teams to follow through the bracket. Keeping an eye on the second-round dates will help track how the seedings play out.
What happens next
Grand Junction's second-round game is tentatively set for Friday, Nov. 13 at Stocker Stadium, with the winner possibly facing No. 1 Cherry Creek in the quarterfinals. Palisade's second-round game falls on the weekend of Nov. 13-14.
Further reading
For more on the statewide postseason, see Football coverage across Colorado high schools.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.
