(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

Katie Back-Howell’s monster senior season provided an historic honor for Rock Canyon High School. She was named Colorado’s softball player of the year by Gatorade on Friday, the first time a Jaguars softball player has received the honor.

Dack-Howell had a impressive senior campaign as she batted .583 with 14 home runs in just 18 games during the 2020 season.

She finished her career with 42 home runs as she launched 11 of them as a junior, seven as a sophomore and 10 as a freshman. In her junior and senior seasons she helped the Jaguars earned the No. 1 seed in the Class 5A softball state tournament.

“Katie is as close to impossible to get out as any hitter I’ve ever faced,” Chaparral coach Alan DiGiosio said. “Behind the dish, she’s the best our state has seen in a while.”

On top of her outstanding play on the softball field, she was active in her community in a variety of ways. She wrote letters of support for COVID-19 first responders during the pandemic and has volunteered with youth softball programs and initiatives to raise awareness for cancer.

A three-time first team all-state selection, Dack-Howell will continue her softball career this fall at Texas A&M. She maintained a 3.63 GPA in her time at Rock Canyon.

It didn’t looked like a normal National Letter of Intent Signing Day on Wednesday.

Conifer’s Zack Gacnik
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

The current COVID-19 pandemic didn’t allow for the normal signing celebrations across Jeffco during the first of four signing days coming up for the Class of 2021. However, a number of Jeffco Public Schools student-athletes signed on Nov. 11 to continue their college careers.

Ralston Valley had nine girls sign, highlighted by last year’s Class 5A girls diving state champion Isabel Gregersen. She will dive for Florida State University. Sydney Bevington is taking her basketball talent to Santa Clara University and Jordan West is staying close to home to play softball at Colorado State University.

Columbine’s Korbe Otis
(photo provided)

Columbine’s Korbe Otis, who helped the Rebels to their first state softball title in 2019, officially signed with the University of Louisville.

The University of Colorado added Conifer’s Zack Gacnik to its roster. Gacnik placed third at the 4A boys cross country state championship last month in Colorado Springs.

The next National Letter of Intent Signing Day is Dec. 16 and includes the early football signing period.

Green Mountain High School
Connor Brauch, diving, University of Cincinnati
Isaias Estrada, wrestling, University of North Carolina
KC Ossello, lacrosse, Missouri Western State University

Ralston Valley High School
Makena Geist, softball, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
Jaiden Geist, softball, Metro State University
Madison Hauffman, lacrosse, Notre Dame College (Ohio)
Jordan West, softball, Colorado State University
Brooklyn Seymour, basketball, Western Colorado University
Isabel Gregersen, diving, Florida State University
Megan Jackson, lacrosse, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Sydney Bevington, basketball, Santa Clara University
Sydney Metzler, swimming, University of Wyoming

Golden High School
Ben Kirschner, lacrosse, University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Marla Goodspeed, softball, Oregon Tech
Sydney Benson, volleyball, Mercer
Maci Jones, soccer, Bentley University
Hank Ohlen, lacrosse, Belmont Abbey
Jadyn Goodrich, soccer, University of Denver

Conifer High School
Zack Gacnik, cross country, University of Colorado
Addie Hollander, lacrosse, Franklin & Marshall

Columbine High School
Korbe Otis, softball, University of Louisville

Evergreen High School
Margo Miller, lacrosse, Cornell University
Lauren Spence, lacrosse, Loyola University-Maryland
Madeline Mancini, lacrosse, Notre Dame College
Jared Stiller, lacrosse, Williams College
Thomas Schreffler, baseball, Mesa Community College (AZ)
George Hogan, baseball, Dordt University

Lakewood High School
Lila Maddux, swimming, Niagara University (NY)

Chatfield High School
Izzy DiNapoli, softball, University of Northern Colorado

Wheat Ridge High School
Wes Miller, baseball, Regis University

Arvada West High School
Alexis Kilgroe, water polo, Salem International University

The 2020 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These team were created following a process where the coaches voted upon a list of nominees. Players who were named first-team all-league are eligible for the all-state ballot.

Coaches also voted specifically for player and coach of the year.

[divider]

Class 5A

(Tim Bourke/TimBourke.com)

Player of the year: Nikki McGaffin, Fossil Ridge

Coach of the year: Dave Philop, Fossil Ridge

Honorable mention:

• Naiah Ackerman, Chaparral, Junior
• Jenny Allen, Grandview, Senior
• Alexis Alvarado, Fountain-Fort Carson, Junior
• Emilie Angel, Grand Junction, Senior
• Tatum Aragon, Fort Collins, Junior
• Amrajie Bass, Smoky Hill, Junior
• Emma Bracken, Castle View, Junior
• Audrey Burt, Rock Canyon, Senior
• Brooke Carey, Regis Jesuit, Sophomore
• Savannah Clausen, Arvada West, Senior
• Rylee Crouch, Horizon, Senior
• Ryleigh Cruz, Cherokee Trail, Junior
• Katie Cummings, Denver East, Senior
• Caitlin Cushenbery, Cherokee Trail, Junior
• Kaylyn English, Legend, Sophomore
• Zoey Gallegos, Prairie View, Junior
• Jaiden Geist, Ralston Valley, Senior
• Gabi Giroux, Smoky Hill, Sophomore
• Alesia Grimaldo, Westminster, Senior
• Alex Gruitch, Cherry Creek, Senior
• Kylie Harpman, Rocky Mountain, Senior
• Alex Hendrian, Eaglecrest, Senior
• Brianna Jennings, Rampart, Senior
• Bryna Kapelke, Broomfield, Senior
• Aragon Kendall, Legacy, Junior
• Darby Kramp, Heritage, Junior
• Abby Larson, Poudre, Senior
• RyAnn LeBlanc, Adams City, Senior
• Jenna Madison, Douglas County, Freshman
• Katie Maney, Arapahoe, Senior
• Alexia Martinez, Dakota Ridge, Senior
• Reagan Medina, Lakewood, Junior
• Alexis Mohr, Horizon, Junior
• Nevaeh Ogden, Columbine, Senior
• Ivy Robinson, Rangeview, Senior
• Sydney Rodriguez, Brighton, Junior
• Lindsey Sais, Northglenn, Junior
• Peyton Shepard, Chatfield, Junior
• Jaidyn Studebaker, Monarch, Junior
• Kennedy Vis, Grand Junction Central, Junior
• Valerie Warszawski, Mountain Vista, Junior
• Kaylie Whidden, Valor Christian, Freshman
• Demi Woolsey, Prairie View, Senior
• Desi Woolsey, Prairie View, Senior

[divider]

Class 4A

(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

Player of the year: Cassidy Chvatal, Holy Family

Coach of the year: Moriah Nguyen, Holy Family

Honorable mention:

• Emily Abraham, Pueblo South, Sophomore
• Claire Adams, Mead, Junior
• Brina Baysinger, Air Academy, Junior
• Kieya Belmont, Pueblo Centennial, Senior
• Abigail Bonuales, Rifle, Senior
• Bailey Carlson, Mountain View, Senior
• Malaya Coleman, Roosevelt, Junior
• Aiyana Cordero, Northfield, Sophomore
• Juliana Dickson, Denver South, Senior
• Kaleigh Duran, Pueblo East, Senior
• Hanna Espinoza, Elizabeth, Sophomore
• Gracie Flores, Berthoud, Sophomore
• Kambry Fraser, Erie, Senior
• Brynna Frey, Evergreen, Junior
• Rissy Garcia, Thornton, Junior
• Destiny Hackney, Riverdale Ridge, Senior
• Hannah Hall, Widefield, Senior
• Abby Hayes, Elizabeth, Junior
• Halle Herrera, Pueblo South, Senior
• Hayle Herrera, Pueblo County, Senior
• Sierra Hilgner, Woodland Park, Junior
• Brooklyn Horn, Kennedy, Senior
• Alina Jones, Pueblo West, Senior
• Kaleena Jones, Cheyenne Mountain, Sophomore
• Ava Kuszak, Holy Family, Junior
• Megan Leick, Longmont, Junior
• Ariadna Martinez, Mesa Ridge, Senior
• Isabella Martinez, Wheat Ridge, Junior
• Isabelle Martinez, Silver Creek, Sophomore
• Bella Marusich, George Washington, Junior
• Peyton Marvel, D’Evelyn, Freshman
• Ayva McComas, Niwot, Junior
• Jaycee Montes-Duran, Pueblo West, Senior
• Isabelle Murphy, Discovery Canyon, Senior
• Tatum Neppl, Ponderosa, Senior
• Avery Panozzo, Mullen, Senior
• Caroline Pigati, Bear Creek, Junior
• Natalia Puchino, Severance, Junior
• Lawrencia Randle, Aurora Central, Sophomore
• Niviya Rivera, Palisade, Senior
• Brooklyn Ruiz, Pueblo Central, Senior
• Julia Shiesley, Boulder, Senior
• Ashley Silvernale, Conifer, Junior
• Cheyenne Simpson, Falcon, Senior
• Angela Smith, Air Academy, Senior
• Savannah Starr, Coronado, Junior
• Ava Symanski, Eagle Valley, Junior
• Jayah Tellez, Northridge, Sophomore
• Devyn Thornton, Windsor, Senior
• Elizabeth Uhl, Wheat Ridge, Sophomore
• Gianna Uyemura, Greeley Central, Senior
• Ellie Yuska, Berthoud, Senior

[divider]

Class 3A

(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

Player of the year: Sadie Ross, Eaton

Coach of the year: Dale Hughes, Eaton

Honorable mention:

• Jadyn Baggett, The Academy, Senior
• Kiersten Bohler, Sterling, Senior
• Brooklyn Enny, Lyons, Sophomore
• Taylor Fells, Fort Lupton, Junior
• Sierra Finn, James Irwin, Junior
• Stephanie Framel, Burlington, Junior
• Azalea Gamez, La Junta, Senior
• Jayda Hernandez, Lamar, Senior
• Alisha Jaramillo, Rocky Ford, Junior
• Taby Jones, Wray, Senior
• Kayla Kingsley, University, Junior
• Alexis Knapp, Resurrection Christian, Sophomore
• Shantel Koester, Lyons, Senior
• Maya Lindgren, Basalt, Senior
• Trista Marx, Limon, Junior
• Cassidy McQuiston, Weld Central, Senior
• Stephanie Medrano, Strive Prep – Smart Academy, Senior
• Rozzie Mendoza, Fort Lupton, Sophomore
• Jamie Meyer, Cedaredge, Senior
• McKayla Meyer, Cedaredge, Senior
• Lexi Nunez-Rebel, La Junta, Junior
• Brynlyn Owens, Limon, Sophomore
• Carina Paul, Sand Creek, Senior
• Heidi Price, Strasburg, Sophomore
• Britt Propernick, Gunnison, Senior
• Jamie Rader, Peak to Peak, Senior
• Macy Rowan, Wiley, Senior
• Keslie Sandoval, Delta, Senior
• Abbey Smith, Alamosa, Sophomore
• Zoe Stanzyk, Lutheran, Freshman
• Bethany Summers, Wiley, Freshman
• Haley VanOverbeke, Holyoke, Senior
• Zoe Wadman, The Classical Academy, Senior
• Madison Wiley, La Junta, Sophomore
• Kaden Wyatt, University, Sophomore
• Joy Ziegler, Faith Christian, Junior

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The all-state ballot was sent to softball head coaches on Tuesday morning.

It’s the final step in the process for selecting the all-state softball teams, which began last week. That process is as follows:

• Leagues determine their all-league teams.
• Players who were selected first-team all-league by their leagues are placed on the all-state ballot.
• The ballot is sent to coaches to ensure all first-team all-league players are on the ballot.
• Head coaches submit their all-state votes.
• The votes are tallied, and the all-state teams are announced.

Coaches have one week — until Oct. 27 at 8 a.m. — to vote. The all-state teams will be announced later in the day on Oct. 27.

If a head coach did not receive the emailed ballot, they should send an email to rcasey@chsaa.org.

Champions were crowned on the final day of the 2020 softball season, as the state tournaments culminated.

Find photos from games below.

[divider]

Class 3A

Eaton vs. Lutheran (championship)
By Ray Chen & Brad Cochi

• Link to Gallery

(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

Lutheran vs. University (semifinal)
By Brad Cochi

• Link to gallery

(Brad Cochi)

[divider]

Class 4A

Holy Family vs. Mead (championship)
By Brad Cochi

• Link to gallery

(Brad Cochi)

Holy Family vs. D’Evelyn (semifinal)
By Ray Chen & Brad Cochi

• Link to gallery

(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

Mead vs. Wheat Ridge (semifinal)
By Brad Cochi

• Link to gallery

(Brad Cochi)

[divider]

Class 5A

Fossil Ridge vs. Cherokee Trail (championship)
By Dante Williams, Tim Bourke & Brad Cochi

• Link to gallery

(Dante Williams)

Fossil Ridge vs. Grand Junction Central (semifinals)
By Tim Bourke & Brad Cochi

• Link to gallery

(Tim Bourke/TimBourke.com)

Cherokee Trail vs. Chatfield (semifinals)
By Dante Williams, Tim Bourke, Brad Cochi & Steve Abeyta

• Link to gallery

(Tim Bourke/TimBourke.com)

It’s the final day of the 2020 softball season, with the semifinals and championship matchups from Aurora Sports Park.

Brackets:

• Class 5A
• Class 4A
• Class 3A

More:

• Watch all games live on the NFHS Network

[divider]

No. 6 Grandview football opened its season with a 38-7 win over Arapahoe.

More photos from the game. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — There was a brief moment when Fossil Ridge was trailing Cherokee Trail after the first inning that coach Dave Philop couldn’t help but think that he was reliving a nightmare.

Each year it seems like the Sabercats are a favorite claim the Class 5A softball state title and they’ve often come away empty-handed or with the second-place trophy. This time, a fourth inning rally ripped him out of the nightmare and into his dream ending for his team.

A 5-1 win over Cherokee Trail finally put gold in the hands of a Fossil Ridge program that has felt so much disappointment in recent years.

“This group is kind of a younger group than what we’ve had,” Philop said. “They’ve just keep playing and we’ve worked with them on that. We play seven innings and 21 outs.”

That certainly helps keep a team patient in a situation where pressure can feel like it’s mounting.

The Sabercats (18-3 overall) fell into an early hole when Ryleigh Cruz started the game off with a double and scored on a Brooke Scott base hit. For the next few innings, Jenna Medhus looked unhittable, even three hitters in the bottom of the second.

That’s where the 21 outs mentality came in handy. Nikki McGaffin reached base on an error in the bottom of the fourth. Zaelyn Harding came in as the courtesy runner and scored on a Bella Forbes single to tie the game.

Lizzy Browning’s 2-RBI single broke the game open and gave Fossil Ridge a 4-1 lead and move the team closer to its first softball title.

“I knew we could do it,” Browning said. “I was feeling a little pressured, but I believed in my team.”

More photos from the game. (Dante Williams)

Once the lead was in hand, it was McGaffin’s turn to look dominant. She allowed just one base runner over the final three innings, ending any hope of a Cherokee Trail (17-4) comeback. She ended her day giving up just six hits and the one unearned run.

She only struck out two hitters and had complete belief in the defense that was standing behind her.

Kodi Alvord added to the Fossil Ridge lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, but even as the Sabercats went into the top of the 7th with a four-run lead, McGaffin couldn’t help but wish it was just a tad more.

“In the regular season four feels pretty good,” she said. “Last year we were up seven and that still didn’t feel good. No lead is big enough in a state championship.”

At least until that final out is made.

This was the fourth title game appearance for Fossil Ridge and the second in a row. The appreciation this team has for its newly won state title comes mostly in part to having fallen short on more than one occasion.

“It feels amazing,” Alvord said. “We put all of our hearts into the game and we did it for our coach because he’s come here every year for a long time and never got it. We played our hearts out and did what we did.”

More photos from the game. (Dante Williams)

More photos from the game. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

AURORA — The chase is over for Eaton’s softball team and head coach Dale Hughes.

The Reds captured their first Class 3A championship, and brought their coach to tears, as they defeated Lutheran, 5-1, Saturday at Aurora Sports Park.

“I’ve spent 17 years chasing that damn trophy,” said an emotional Hughes as he watched his team celebrate with their families, friends and each other. “Gosh! I feel so happy! It’s a big weight off my shoulders. What do they call that … ‘Always a bridesmaid, never a bride’? Well, we got it done this year.”

Freshman pitcher Sadie Ross, who is all of 13-years-old, was dominant in the win for Eaton. She struck out 12 while allowing just one run in the complete-game win.

Ross, who drove in the game’s first run with a scorching ground-rule double in the bottom of the first inning, also fulfilled a promise she made to her coach at the beginning of the season.

“I’ve been told many a time that she doesn’t shy away from the pressure, and she showed it today,” Hughes said. “She’s been wanting this for awhile. Her big sister (Remington) played for us and was with us a couple of times when we came up short.

More photos from the game. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

“Sadie came up to me at the beginning of this year and said ‘Coach, we’re going to get ‘er done,” he revealed.

The top-seeded Reds, who advanced to their third title game with a 15-3, four-inning victory over Brush in the semifinals, finished second in 2015 and 2018 (falling both times to Strasburg).

Ross wasn’t about to let it happen again.

“It has been a long ride. We worked so hard for this, and it feels amazing,” she said. “I knew this year was the year we would go all the way. I’ve seen this team get so close in the past. It’s time that we have one.”

Senior third baseman Jenny Jarnagin was 2-for-3 in the championship game and scored two runs, including one on a massive home run to right-centerfield that iced the game for Eaton.

“It feels awesome,” she raved after the game. “We’ve been working hard for four years to get this. We were here my sophomore year, too, and when we didn’t win, it sucked bad.

“It feels awesome right now knowing that our hard work paid off,” Jarnagin added. “Mentally, we were always able to stay positive today. Even when they (Brush and Lutheran) scored runs, we didn’t get down. We just kept scoring runs and battling back.”

Lutheran, the No. 3 seed in just its first year as a program, defeated defending champion University in the other semifinal (14-3 in five innings) to advance to the championship game.

But the day belonged to Hughes, Ross and the Reds.

“I’m so happy for our seniors,” Hughes said. “They really led the way this season with their leadership.”

More photos from the game. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

More photos from the game. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — Champions find a way.

Saturday, the Holy Family Tigers found a way, and rode it to its second state title in three years.

Buoyed by a first-inning grand slam from junior catcher Abby Edwards, Holy Family withstood a pesky Mead squad to defeat the Mavericks 9-6 in the Class 4A state softball championship.

“They have courage, respect, grit, and they work hard, every single one of them,” said Moriah Nguyen, a first-year head coach for Holy Family who also served as an assistant on the Tigers’ 2018 title team. “They’ve work their tail off all year long, and no one deserves it more than them.”

The fact that Holy Family was in position to win this title is amazing in of itself.

In the semifinals against D’Evelyn early Saturday, the Tigers trailed as much as 6-1, looking listless as D’Evelyn seemed destined for a title game appearance.

Heading into the top of the 7th inning, trailing the Jaguars 6-5, the Tigers did what championship teams do — never say die.

Holy Family threw down a remarkable 7-spot on D’Evelyn in the 7th inning, which featured a pair of three-run home runs from senior Jenna Pfenning and junior Annika Manzanarez, enabling the Tigers to come away with a stunning 12-7 win to boost itself into the title game. At the same time, it allowed the Tigers to exorcize the demons from a semifinal loss to eventual state champion Erie in 2019.

More photos from the game. (Brad Cochi)

“Every single one of these girls have the grit,” Nguyen said of the team’s comeback. “They fight, scratch, and do whatever they can to score runs.”

That momentum carried over to the championship game, as the Tigers started things off by promptly loading the bases. Junior Abby Edwards — a starter on the 2018 championship team — drove a bomb to left centerfield to give the Tigers an early 4-0 lead, never relinquishing it.

“I saw an inside pitch, and I was so excited that they threw something inside to me,” Edwards said. “When I saw the umpire’s hand go in their air, I just jumped up in the air. It was so exciting to do that for my team.”

While Mead threatened, turning in two home runs as it got as close as 6-5 in the fourth inning, scratched across some insurance runs to seal it. Among those included an inside-the-park home run by Edwards in the 6th inning, which served as a coronation of sorts as Holy Family held on for the state crown.

Nguyen, an assistant for the 2018 championship who was in her first season as head coach, saw up close the senior class’ transformation from freshmen to two-time state champion. It’s a special group, Nguyen said.

“It’s amazing, seeing this group of freshmen since they were seniors, and what an experience and ride it was with these girls,” Nguyen said. “My heart is huge right now.”

More photos from the game. (Brad Cochi)