As far as the Big 6 is concerned, when Heritage and Arapahoe play each other, they are both the home team.

The Class 5A Big 6 preps football conference should remain one of the toughest. Defending state title holder Mullen is playing up from a 4A enrollment for the second year of the latest alignment rotation, as is perennial power Columbine.

With Mullen’s limitless roster options, it leaves all other Big 6 teams to scrap for a chance to slay the beast.

Arapahoe sees its league schedule as its biggest adversary for the 2011 campaign. Bear Creek should also pose a big challenge in the Big 6. But Warriors coach Mike Campbell is hopeful about their chances against the league’s upper echelon.

“Once we get into league play we just have a brutal schedule,” Campbell said. “We start with our archrivals Heritage in week six and from there we play one of the state’s toughest programs in Columbine. Then we finish this stretch of the season with Bear Creek, who I expect to be one of the league’s best, and finally Mullen, a team that is always at the top. That is just a really difficult four-week stretch to have at the end of our season.”

Arapahoe finished last season with a 3-2-1 record in the Big 6 and 7-4-1 overall.

Heritage’s success this year should come from its never-give-up attitude, regardless of which team is in front of it. Last year, the Eagles took some licks, finishing the campaign with a 2-8 record in their first season back at the 5A level. Mike Griebel, who led the team to the 2009 Class 4A state title, returns for his 17th year as head coach.

This Eagles team is still young but eager to prove themselves, and the depth of the 5A level poses a challenge for them and many others. Griebel said the Big 6 is the toughest league in 5A.

“Mullen will be Mullen,” Griebel said. “We think we can make a move at the second tier of the conference, and we have goals of a proud playoff effort as well.

“We will be a very team-oriented group with no real ‘stars.’ Those have been the most fun to coach over the years.”

Griebel also said Heritage should be defined this season as a team not to be underestimated based on last year’s losing record.

“This group will not give up, ever,” he said.

Given the other teams in the Big 6, Heritage, Arapahoe and others won’t have that option.