JOHNSTOWN, Colo. — Roosevelt High School has earned the No. 1 seed in Colorado’s Class 4A state football playoffs after finishing the regular season with nine consecutive victories and an undefeated Northern League record. The Roughriders (9–1) will receive a first-round bye and begin postseason competition November 13.
The 2026 Class 4A playoff bracket, released Sunday, November 1, places Roosevelt at the top of the 24-team tournament. Its first opponent will be determined Thursday, November 5, when No. 16 George Washington faces No. 17 Montbello in the opening round.
Roosevelt Enters Playoffs Following Conference Championship
Roosevelt secured the outright Northern League championship with a 48–10 victory over Grand Junction on October 30 at Randall Hess Stadium in Johnstown. The win completed a 7–0 conference season and extended the Roughriders’ winning streak to nine games.
After opening the season with a 35–28 loss to Mead on August 28, Roosevelt won its remaining regular-season games, including nonconference victories over Pueblo West and Windsor. The Roughriders then opened Northern League competition with four consecutive shutouts against Greeley West, Northridge, Poudre and Longmont before closing conference play with victories over Loveland, Frederick and Grand Junction.
According to MaxPreps, Roosevelt finished the regular season with 406 points scored and 96 allowed, averaging 40.6 points per game offensively while allowing 9.6. The team’s four shutouts and undefeated conference record contributed to a season that ultimately earned the program the tournament’s top seed.
First-Round Bye Sets Up November 13 Matchup
Roosevelt will advance directly to the Round of 16, where it will face the winner of George Washington and Montbello. Their first-round matchup is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, at 6 p.m., according to MaxPreps’ game listing.
George Washington enters the playoffs with a 9–1 record, while Montbello is 7–3. The winner will advance to meet Roosevelt on Friday, November 13. The kickoff time and venue for that second-round game have not yet been announced.
The Class 4A bracket places Roosevelt in the same quarter of the tournament as No. 8 Mesa Ridge, No. 9 Golden and No. 24 Fruita Monument. If the Roughriders advance beyond their opening game, their quarterfinal opponent will come from that portion of the bracket.
Other leading seeds include No. 2 Montrose, No. 3 Broomfield and No. 4 Monarch. Roosevelt’s top tournament seed differs from the October 31 MaxPreps computer rankings, which placed the Roughriders third behind Broomfield and Montrose. The postseason bracket, rather than those computer rankings, determines Roosevelt’s position in the tournament.
State Championship Scheduled for December 5
Roosevelt would need four postseason victories to win the Class 4A state championship. According to the Colorado High School Activities Association, the championship game is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, at 1:30 p.m. at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins.
Roosevelt’s next opponent will be determined Thursday, with its first postseason game scheduled for November 13. The finalized kickoff time and location remain pending.
Additional updates are available through the Class 4A playoff bracket and Roosevelt’s football schedule.
