Arapahoe’s wrestling team has been granted a two-pound weight allowance for this weekend’s tournaments due to an inability to practice created by last week’s tragic shooting.
In an email to Arapahoe, Cherokee Trail and Gateway high schools, assistant commissioner Harry Waterman wrote, “Due to the tragic event that took place at Arapahoe High School last week, it has created a hardship on the ability for the Arapahoe wrestling team to conduct practice.”
In fact, Arapahoe has practiced just once since last Thursday.
“This has made it very difficult to have structured work-outs and maintain their weight,” Waterman wrote. “As a result, I am permitting a (two-pound) allowance for all wrestlers in the following tournaments this Saturday: Cherokee Trail dual tournament, Gateway JV tournament.”
Program helps Gambian national team
USA Volleyball’s Leave a Ball Behind program at the state volleyball tournament helped provide volleyballs for the Gambian national team.
“They were very excited to receive them and are using two at a time so that they can last through the next year,” reports a peace corps volunteer who works with the team.
Here’s a picture of the team with the items which were donated via USA Volleyball:
(Courtesy photo)
Short stuff
You may notice a slight difference in how public address announcers are handling basketball games. Due to a new rule from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), announcers can no longer make announcements during play. The goal, according to the rule, “is to remove play by play commentary.” Thus, they are no longer permitted to announce information such as “assist by,” “rebound by,” and so on. Announcing fouls, scorers, and free-throw shooters is still allowed.
Changes out of the tennis committee meeting earlier this month: Teams will only be eligible to compete for the team championships if they qualify for four or more positions at the state championships. This is a move toward something golf already has in place. Additionally, regional hosts for the 5A girls this spring will not be determined until after the final league standings.
This season’s winter break, meaning no practice, is Dec. 24-Dec. 27, and Jan. 1. Voluntary winter practices are Dec. 28, 30 & 31.
Next year’s Championship Saturday (the Class 5A, 4A, 3A football title games) again falls just after Thanksgiving. It is Nov. 29.
Football can begin 2014 practice on Aug. 11. Zero Week is Aug. 21; Week 1 is Aug. 28.
Norris Penrose Event Center, pictured during the 2013 state cross country meet. (Jordan Morey)
The state cross country meets are set to remain at the Norris Penrose Event Center for the next two years
It means the event will state at the same place it has been held for the past two seasons, pending approval by CHSAA’s board of directors.
“That community has put a lot of effort into making the event and venue shine,” said assistant commissioner Jenn Roberts-Uhlig, who oversees cross country. “They go above and beyond to make it an amazing experience for kids across the state.”
Three additional sites — in Jefferson County, Greeley and Lyons — are being considered to host the meet in the future.
“We believe that the commitment that Norris Penrose has made to the state cross country meet justifies our decision to keep it there for two more years,” Roberts-Uhlig said. “In the meantime, we have three proposals that have come in that we will be evaluating over the next 12 months.
“As we continue to review the proposals, we are confident that our decision to remain at Norris Penrose will give us the time to make the best decision for cross country students across Colorado.”
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Volleyball schedule changes
The Denver Coliseum, pictured during the 2013 state volleyball tournament. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
The volleyball committee is looking to change the schedule at their state tournament. Pending legislative council approval, pool play would feature the top seed in each pool playing twice on Friday.
Under the current format, the top seed in each pool has one pool play match on Friday and one on Saturday. If that team advances, it means three matches on Saturday, including the semifinals and final.
With the change, the top seed (Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4) in each pool would finish their pool play matches on Friday and, if they advance, get the advantage of resting prior to the semifinals on Saturday.
“We are really excited for this change in the match order,” said assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens, who heads volleyball. “We are hoping for more competitive semifinals and finals matches on Saturday evening.”
The volleyball committee did discuss moving to a 32-team bracket. That would have meant overhauling the entire state format — getting rid of regionals and the four three-team pools at state. Ultimately, though, that proposal was defeated. So the current state format will remain in place, save for the scheduling tweak noted above.
The changes, if approved by the legislative council at a meeting on Jan. 30, would take effect in 2014.
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Baseball tweaks Wild Card points
All-City Field during the 2013 state baseball tournament. (Bert Borgmann/CHSAANow.com)
In an effort to ensure its Wild Card points formula is even more accurate, the baseball committee made some small changes during its meeting this week. If the legislative council approves the changes, it will mean teams will get fewer points for a loss, and will also change the way out-of-state teams are handled.
The wild card formula adds victory points and defeat points, then divides that total by the number of games a team plays. Teams get a certain number of points for beating another team (victory points), or for losing to another team (defeat points). Those points are determined by the number of wins an opponent has. For example, a win over a 5A team with 14 wins is worth 135 points. A loss to that same team is worth 110 points.
The committee is seeking to reduce defeat points across the board by five points in classes 5A, 4A and 3A. Thus, the loss to that 5A team would instead be worth 105 points.
“This will help tweak the Wild Card points to get a more true view of strength of schedule,” said assistant commissioner Bert Borgmann, who is in charge of baseball. “It became apparent at midseason (last year) that we needed adjustments to the process to create a more equitable power point formula.”
Another change the committee made with that goal is mind is to out-of-state opponents. CHSAA schools play a maximum of 19 games during the regular season. However, many other states play more than 19 games. With that, the formula last season only accounted for an out-of-state opponent’s first 19 games.
The committee is seeking to change that by having a team’s win percentage be factored in. A team’s win percentage would be multiplied by 19 to determine the number of “wins” a team is worth in the Wild Card point formula.
For example, if a team in Arizona finishes 22-18, but started the season by going 14-5 in its first 19 games, that team would have counted for 14 wins last season. Under the change, that team would be worth 10 “wins.” (Their .550 win percentage would be multiplied by 19, resulting in a figure of 10.45. Figures are rounded accordingly.)
Again, these changes need to be approved at January’s legislative council meeting.
Pending approval by the legislative council, there will be some changes to softball’s postseason.
The softball committee is recommending a decrease in the total number of teams reaching the Class 3A postseason. Currently, there are 24 qualifiers and 33 teams playing in the classification. The committee is recommending going down to 18 qualifiers in 3A.
Classes 5A (32 of 62) and 4A (32 of 67) have close to 50 percent of their teams make the postseason.
“They realized the percentage of qualifiers (in 3A) versus the number of teams that played in it was not the same percentage as 4A/5A,” said assistant commissioner Bud Ozzello, who oversees softball. “Eighteen out of 33 is closer to everyone else’s percentage.”
Additionally, the committee is proposing a reduction to the percentage of automatic postseason qualifiers from leagues in 4A and 5A. As things are now, roughly the top 40 percent of each league qualifies for regionals; they voted to recommend cutting that to 30 percent.
In 4A, that would mean 19 automatic berths going forward, and 13 at-large selections. In 5A, it means 18 automatics and 14 at-large berths.
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Short stuff
Gymnastics’ regionals will held on Saturdays instead of weeknights, if the committee gets its way. The legislative council needs to approve the change.
On Sept. 12, floodwaters consumed Schenbeck Field located in Utah Park in Aurora and home of Overland High School baseball program.
The scene was grim. The scoreboard was completely engulfed in the 10-foot high water, as were the dugouts, batting cages, storage sheds and concession stand. Not a single part of the field was untouched.
When the water receded, it was clear to Overland’s head baseball coach, Michael Prichard, that he had another challenge to conquer. The force of the water had turned the benches in the dugouts upside down, displaced the bolted-down bleachers, engulfed the tractor used for field maintenance, washed rocks onto the playing field, flooded the concession stand, and drenched equipment and other team necessities.
The job would be daunting. Enter a new team of 60 baseball players, their coaches and parents from across the metropolitan Denver area. In consultation with coach Prichard, Allen Dyer (head coach of Cherokee Trail/Team Colorado) and Brian Bonn (Valor assistant coach) organized 50 individuals from their schools and organization, who worked alongside Overland baseball representatives on Sept. 21.
This group descended onto Schenbeck Field, with shovels, brooms, muscles and commitment to help a competitor in need. For three hours on a sunny Saturday, these volunteers worked diligently to bring the field back to life. On this day, they were all Trailblazers at heart.
Because of this team effort, Fall practices are possible, and in Spring, we’ll be able to welcome everyone to Overland’s field of dreams. Play ball!
A on-going list of college soccer commitments from girls high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2015. Send additions, along with position, height and weight, to rcasey@chsaa.org.
A on-going list of college lacrosse commitments from boys high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2014. Send additions, along with position, height and weight, to rcasey@chsaa.org.
A on-going list of college lacrosse commitments from girls high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2014. Send additions, along with position and height, to rcasey@chsaa.org.
A on-going list of college soccer commitments from girls high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2014. Send additions, along with position and height, to rcasey@chsaa.org.
A on-going list of college baseball commitments from high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2014. Send additions, along with position, height and weight, to rcasey@chsaa.org.
A on-going list of college lacrosse commitments from boys high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2015. Send additions, along with position, height and weight, to rcasey@chsaa.org.
