Games to watch: Pueblo West hosts 4A top-ranked Palmer Ridge at Cyclones Stadium

The measuring stick will be out at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 when the Pueblo West High School football team plays the state's top team.

Class 4A No.1-ranked Palmer Ridge comes calling to Cyclones Stadium for a nonleague game. The Bears enter the contest with an unblemished 3-0 record, having knocked off Pueblo East 49-14, Mesa Ridge 30-27 and Lewis-Palmer 49-0.

Pueblo West is 2-1 and riding a two-game winning streak. The Cyclones dropped their 2021 season opener to Pine Creek 27-0 before defeating Pueblo County 48-0 in the annual Pigskin Classic and Adams City 35-16) on the road last week.

Pueblo West wins Pigskin:3 Takeaways from Pueblo West's 48-0 win over Pueblo County in annual Pigskin Classic

Despite playing the No. 1 team in the state, Pueblo West head coach Clint Buderus said it's just another week. But he did say the game will tell him where his team sits.

"It's just like any other game," Buderus said. "That's why they are on our schedule. We want to know where we're at. We made some big steps the last couple weeks, especially on offense."

Rye at Center

The Thunderbolts head out on the road for the first time this season with a 7 p.m. Sept. 16 nonleague contest. Rye is 2-1 following a 15-6 home victory over Rocky Ford.

Center is 1-2 on the season.

Bear Creek at Centennial

The Bulldogs (0-3) return to Dutch Clark Stadium for a 7 p.m. nonleague game Sept. 17, still searching for their first win of the season. Centennial lost to Sand Creek 34-14 a week ago.

Bear Creek is 2-1 after getting beat for the first time last week by Class 4A No. 6-ranked Erie.

Lamar at Pueblo County

The Hornets return home for a 7 p.m. Sept. 17 nonleague game at Hornets Stadium. Pueblo County is 1-2 and has dropped its past two games to Pueblo West (48-0) and Class 3A No. 1-ranked Roosevelt 49-0.

Lamar comes into the game sporting a 1-1 record.

Central at Lutheran

The Wildcats (1-1) hit the road for a 7 p.m. nonleague game on Friday. Central garnered much-needed momentum with an impressive 44-20 victory over Kennedy Sept. 9 at Dutch Clark Stadium for its first win of the season.

Lutheran, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, is 3-0 after knocking off Battle Mountain 61-0 last week.

East at Cheyenne Mountain

The Eagles travel to Colorado Springs for a 7 p.m. nonleague game Sept. 17.

East is coming off its first win of the season after two losses to open the season. The Eagles upset Mesa Ridge 21-18 at home last week.

Cheyenne Mountain is 3-0 after defeating Sierra 48-0, its second consecutive shutout in as many weeks.

South at Lewis-Palmer

The Colts have a second consecutive road contest after dropping a 21-13 decision to Discovery Canyon two weeks ago. South has started 0-2 for the first time since 2018, when it dropped its first four games and is looking for its first win.

Lewis-Palmer of the 3A Northwest League is 1-2, dropping games to Discovery Canyon and Palmer Ridge and winning against Coronado.

Dolores Huerta at Swink

The Scorpions head down Highway 50 for a 7 p.m. nonleague game Sept. 17. Dolores Huerta is 1-1 after dropping a 56-26 decision to McClave on Saturday.

The Lions are 1-1, losing to Holly and defeating Las Animas.

Black Hills State at CSU Pueblo

The ThunderWolves return home to the ThunderBowl to open the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference season sporting an 0-2 record.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Sept. 18 against the Yellow Jackets. CSU Pueblo is coming off two nonconference losses to highly ranked teams in NCAA Division II. The Pack dropped a 12-6 decision to Texas A&M-Commerce at home and lost to Grand Valley State (Michigan) 28-13 on the road.

Black Hills State is 2-0 with nonleague wins over Dickinson State 30-24 and William Jewell 31-21 .

Cyclones capture Pigskin Classic:3 Takeaways from Pueblo West's 48-0 win over Pueblo County in annual Pigskin Classic

Chieftain senior sports reporter Jeff Letofsky can be reached by email at jletofsky@chieftain.com or on Twitter @jeffletofsky