CHSAANow

Category: History

  • 4A girls swimming: Anna Shaw breaks Missy Franklin’s records, leads Heritage to title

    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

    THORNTON — Anna Shaw and her Heritage teammates put on a MasterClass Friday at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center.

    Shaw set two state records and posted four wins overall (two individual, two relay) to help lead Heritage to its first-ever Class 4A girls swimming and diving state championship.

    The Eagles scored 495.5 points in a dominating win to finish ahead of second-place Mullen (322) and third-place Niwot (307).

    Shaw blazed to a state record in the 50 freestyle when she posted a time of 22.22. It eclipsed the time of 22.41 set in 2011 by Regis Jesuit alum and Olympic champion Missy Franklin. Shaw also won the event in 2018 as a freshman. Last year’s champion, Lindsey Immel of Rampart and Claire Chahbandour of Mullen finished in a tie for second place (23.52).

    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

    “Anna is an incredible human being and an incredible athlete, obviously,” said Heritage head coach Tom Byorick. “She made a huge statement today that she’s the best swimmer in Colorado.”

    Shaw cemented her status as a star with another state-record-setting win, this time in the 100 freestyle. She posted a time of 48.24, good enough to erase another “Missy-mark” from the record book. Franklin established the previous standard of 48.45 in 2012.

    “I’m so excited! It’s just the culmination of the ups and downs of high school swimming,” said Shaw, who is Stanford-bound in the fall. “To be a senior and to finally accomplish these high school dreams is so incredible for me. And to have both of my parents here too … I’m just very lucky.”

    Like many young swimmers, she was a huge fan of Franklin’s at a young age.

    “I have looked up to her since I was about 9-years-old,” Shaw revealed. “Especially as a Coloradan, there is something special about Missy Franklin, just kind of that magic. I had the chance to meet her and she’s incredible. There is something super-special in knowing that I broke Missy’s records.”

    “It’s a heck of a day when you set two state records, overall state records,” Byorick added. “And when those records belong to Missy Franklin, that’s just an incredible honor and amazing thing to witness her do.”

    While Shaw crafted a high-school career to remember, she has bigger aspirations in mind. She will compete at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb., in June.

    “It’s a huge goal of mine,” Shaw admitted. “The Olympic Trials is just a culmination of all my hard work. I’m just excited to go out there and enjoy the experience.”

    Heritage captured the first swim event of the day, the 200 medley relay, and the domination was underway. Shaw, Aislyn Barnett, Inge Ehm and Amaia Sherman raced to a time of 1:42.86. Mullen took second (1:44.11), followed by Rampart (1:46.74).

    “It’s just so incredible to see how the energy started at the beginning of the day,” said Shaw. “We won the medley relay, and that gave us such a strong start. And getting to watch all of my teammates have such strong races was exciting, too.”

    Barnett, a sophomore, added a state title later in the evening with the best time in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.44) to edge Mullen’s Chahbandour (1:02.44) and Charlotte Burnham (1:02.91). Barnett trailed nearly the entire race until she pulled out the win at the touch line.

    The Eagles finished the evening with a rousing victory in the final race of the night, the 400 freestyle relay, with a time of 3:27.50.

    “We have this incredible group of freshmen, and seven of them were here scoring points for us,” said Byorick. “We have an amazing returning group of sophomores, and they stepped up. Our juniors stepped in and took advantage of opportunities right and left.

    “And obviously, our seniors … they came in and all posted best times today, by significant margins. Not just season-bests, but best times in their lives,” he revealed. “They did it with big smiles on their face and a lot of happiness and love for the rest of their teammates.”

    While Shaw and the Eagles garnered the lion’s share of headlines on the day, two other swimmers each won a pair of individual state championships and deserve their time in the spotlight.

    Caroline Bricker of Cheyenne Mountain added another state championship to her resume with her second-straight victory in the 200 IM. Bricker, who is just a sophomore, raced to a 2:00.87 time to finish ahead of Mullen’s Charlotte Burnham (2:03.62) and Barnett (2:06.02).

    Bricker secured her second championship on the day in the 100 butterfly. Her time of 54.51 beat out Jamieson Legh (55.75) of Niwot and Inge Ehm (56.03) of Heritage.

    Niwot’s Mary Codevilla defended her crown in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:47.63. Chase Davison of Mullen finished second (1:49.38) and Emily Kahn of George Washington placed third (1:52.20).

    Codevilla then reached the top of the podium for the second time on the day when she defended her state championship in the 500 freestyle in record time. Codevilla finished in 4:51.98 to shatter the 4A state record set by Evergreen’s Lexie Malazdrewicz in 2012.

    Rampart senior Maggie Buckley capped a stellar career by winning her third-straight 4A diving state championship to kick off the days’ events. Buckley, who finished second as a freshman, posted a score of 529.85. Ivy Buckley, Maggie’s freshman sister, finished second (486.40), while Cheyenne Mountain senior Kaelyn Hinesley placed third (465.60).

    Mullen’s 200 freestyle relay team (Gabrielle Zinis, Chahbandour, Lindsey Sowitch and Davison) secured the state championship for the third-straight season with a top-time of 1:34.84. Niwot finished second (1:35.05) and Rampart finished third (1:37.55).

    Mullen’s Davison won the state crown in the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.74 to finish ahead of Rampart’s Claire Timson (55.92) and Legh of Niwot (57.39).

    [divider]

    2021 4A Girls Swimming and Diving State Champions

    • Diving: Maggie Buckley, Rampart
    • 200 Medley Relay: Heritage
    • 200 Freestyle: Mary Codevilla, Niwot
    • 200 Individual Medley: Caroline Bricker, Cheyenne Mountain
    • 50 Freestyle: Anna Shaw, Heritage
    • 100 Butterfly: Caroline Bricker, Cheyenne Mountain
    • 100 Freestyle: Anna Shaw, Heritage
    • 500 Freestyle: Mary Codevilla, Niwot
    • 200 Freestyle Relay: Mullen
    • 100 Backstroke: Chase Davison, Mullen
    • 100 Breaststroke: Aislyn Barnett, Heritage
    • 400 Freestyle Relay: Heritage
    • Team: Heritage
    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

  • State skiing: Aspen’s Chase Kelly sweeps boys alpine races as Skiers claim team title

    (Erika Krainz)

    Chase Kelly owned the mountain as the state skiing championships continued at Loveland Ski Area on Thursday.

    The Aspen freshman won both the giant slalom and the slalom race as he started his high school skiing career off with two titles. His strong performance helped to clinch the team championship for Aspen, which started off the event with standout performances in the nordic events.

    In the morning event, Kelly finished with a two-run time of 1:38.17, finishing in 49.7 in his first run and 48.47 in his second. Steamboat Springs senior James Lahrman was second with his time of 1:38.4.

    Durango’s Toby Scarpella (1:39.07) was third, Battle Mountain’s Will Bettenhausen (1:39.16) placed fourth, and Aspen’s Connor Stephen (1:39.62) was fifth.

    Aspen also had Davis Colon finish seventh, Sasha Forman finish eighth, and Hank Sweeney place 10th as they had five among the top 10.

    Kelly and Aspen extended their dominance to the afternoon’s slalom race. His two-run time of 1:30.87 was the fastest of the field. He finished his first run in 48.61, and his second in 42.26.

    Larhman was also runner-up in the slalom, capping an outstanding day. He finished his two runs in 1:31.93.

    Also finishing in the top-5 in the slalom were Aspen teammates Colon Davis (1:33.05) and James Kelly (1:33.61), and Durango’s Toby Scarpella (1:33.93). Aspen also had Connor Stephen place sixth (1:33.96).

    This is Aspen’s fourth consecutive team title, and 11th overall. They are the first team since Summit won five consecutive from 1986-1990.

    Aspen finished with 683 team points. Battle Mountain was second with 581.5. Rounding out the top five were Middle Park (570), Vail Mountain (553.5), and Steamboat Springs (549).

  • Chatfield makes history as first girls wrestling state champion

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    PUEBLO — A year ago to the date, it felt like the world was ending. But after a night of tough competition and well-earned medals, high school wrestling in Colorado indeed stepped into a brand new world.

    Two years ago, the CHSAA Legislative Council sanctioned girls wrestling as the newest sport. At the Southwest Motors Event Center in Pueblo, a year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Chatfield became the very first face of that sport as the Chargers claimed the first official state championship.

    “This has been the best thing we could ask for,” coach Sandra George said. “We’ve been having duals all season the. To just come into a tournament and fight from the beginning was special. At regionals we had to fight to get here and here we had to fight to be on top.”

    Overall, the Chargers finished with five placers and totaled 91 points. Jeffco League rival Pomona took second as a team with 65.

    The championship night for Chatfield was highlighted by the 127-pound championship performance from Savannah Cosme.

    Her 9-3 decision over Doherty’s Sarah Savidge was the Chargers only gold medal of the night, but it served as the perfect representation of the effort the overall team gave since the start of the season in mid-January.

    “It means a lot to me,” Cosme said. “I love my team. We put in a lot of hard work together. To all come together and be able to win this is really amazing.”

    Janessa George took second in 105 while Journey Ruiz (111) and Taylor Miess (136) each finished third.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    But the real winners of the night were each every single girl that stepped on a mat; from the very first 100-pound match of the day to the 215-pound championship. It will be something that each girl can point to in five years as a significant moment in Colorado school sports history and identify their role in laying the foundation.

    “I’m going to look back and see that we made history,” Cosme said. “We’ve created something where people can continue to come and continue to grow. We’re going to make Colorado one of the top states for girls wrestling.”

    The Chargers will have the unenviable burden of heading into the 2020-21 season with a target on its back as the first defending state champion.

    But with the way the girls competed throughout the one-day, it’s a challenge their eager to take on and they’re anxious to get back on the mat, continue competing and using every opportunity to get better.

    “My girls are such a great group of girls,” George said. “They’re appreciative of everything we’ve worked for. It’s amazing. We’re all on Cloud 9 and we’re going to keep wrestling through the summer. Next year will be even better because hopefully we’ll do this at (Ball Arena).”

    While the future of the event’s home has time to get sorted out, one very important fact is clear: the evolution of girls wrestling in Colorado has only just begun.

    The future is bright, but the historic night that saw the first state champion crowned will forever serve as a launching pad for future generations of student-athletes.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 5A girls swimming: Cherry Creek wins 27th state championship

    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

    THORNTON — Cherry Creek, the winningest girls swim program in Colorado history, added another team title to its collection at the 5A swimming and diving state championships at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center Thursday night.

    The Bruins ended Fairview High School’s two-year reign as state champ as they won the meet by a score of 430-392 over the Knights. Regis Jesuit finished third overall with 298 points.

    It is Cherry Creek’s 27th state crown in girls swimming and diving, and its first since the 2010 season capped a run of six-straight championship results.

    “These last 10 years we’ve had our share of ups and downs, mostly down,” said Cherry Creek head coach Eric Craven, now in his 30th year. “This year we got it done, and it sure is nice to be back on top.”

    The Bruins finished second to Fairview last season (382.5-342), a result that stuck with Cherry Creek all year.

    “Last year the girls were kind of hoping and wishing they could win state,” Craven added. “We had the athletes. Finishing second last year gnawed on them a little bit. This year, they just had that look in their eyes that said “We’re going to win it.”

    For senior Jenna Smith, Thursday’s win was especially sweet.

    “Last year we came really, really close, and it was pretty heartbreaking for all of us,” she said. “We were really proud of our team last year, but it was hard to get that second place. Just going into this season, even though it was a lot different than past seasons, we were like: “It’s time for the Lady Bruins to take the win!”

    “We pulled together all season long and we trained so hard. I have never seen this team work so hard,” Smith added. “I don’t really have words for how happy I am right now. This is absolutely incredible, especially being my senior year. We’ve set a standard for years to come, and so I think there will be a lot more state championships in our future.”

    For junior Elizabeth Brock, winning the state championship is “kind of a surreal moment. A lot of us were expecting this to happen, but we didn’t realize the enormity of it until it happened.”

    “This win means more than anything, especially this year,” she added. “I’m going to look back on this when I am an adult and be so happy that we did it, and that I spent time with people that are hilarious and work hard and make me feel good.”

    While Cherry Creek dominated the team competition, a trio of swimmers — Lucy Bell of Fossil Ridge, Kathryn Shanley of Chatfield and Emma Weber of Regis Jesuit— each won two individual events during the meet.

    Bell, a junior, flew to an easy win in the 100 butterfly with a time of 52.50. It marked the first time since 2015 that someone without the last name Gillilan captured the state championship.

    Coleen Gillilan of Fossil Ridge won the title from 2016-18. Her sister, Renee, earned state crowns for the SaberCats in 2019 and 2020.

    Fairview took the second- and third-place spots in the race thanks to Edith Simecek (53.87) and Jenna Reznicek (54.51).

    Bell rung up another state championship in the very next race as she defended her crown in the 100 freestyle with a time of 50.23. Lyndsey Wehr of Arapahoe finished in second place (51.03), followed closely by Ana Rojas of Doherty (51.11).

    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

    Shanley, a senior, repeated as state champion in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:48.65. Karolina Bank, a junior from Fairview, finished second (1:49.93), followed by Brock of Cherry Creek (1:50.77).

    In the 500 freestyle, Shanley hit the repeat button once again. The 2020 champion lit the scoreboard with a time of 4:51.18. Brock finished second in 4:56.04, while Sabrina Rachjaibun, a sophomore from Legacy, took third place with a time of 5:02.94.

    Weber, a junior, earned a victory in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:01.71. Fossil Ridge’s Mahala Erlandson finished second (2:02.51) and Rachjaibun claimed the third spot (2:04.16) just ahead of Julianne Jones of Fairview (2:04.59).

    Weber then blew away the field in the 100 breaststroke to win her second state title in the event. Her time of 59.93 set a new state record, eclipsing the mark of 1:00.22 set by Zoe Bartel of Fossil Ridge in 2017.

    Weber was a freshman at Fairview in 2019 when she captured the title for the first time with a time of 1:02.04.

    Dahlia Allen, a junior from Lewis-Palmer High School, began the day by winning the state championship in 1-meter diving with a score of 503.10. Isabel Gregersen of Ralston Valley, last year’s champion, finished second (485.45), while Catherine Rodocker of Eaglecrest finished third (469.20).

    Fossil Ridge captured the first swim event of the day, the 200 medley relay. The SaberCats (Gillilan, Erlandson, Rylee O’Neil and Bell) blazed to a time of 1:40.88 in Lane 1. Fairview finished second (1:41.54), followed by Regis Jesuit (1:43.12) and Cherry Creek (1:43.26).

    In the 50 freestyle, Wehr of Arapahoe won the state championship with a time of 23.22. Lawson Ficken of Cherry Creek finished second with a time of 23.32, followed by Morgan Lukinac of Fairview at 23.46.

    Fairview earned the state championship in the 200 freestyle relay with a record-time of 1:33.80. That mark — set by Samantha Mosier, Julia Urbanowski, Bank and Lukinac — shattered the Colorado state record in the event set by Chatfield High School in 2020 (1:34.12). Cherry Creek finished second with a time of 1:34.45 as the Bruins barely edged Chatfield (1:34.47).

    Sydney Bales of Legacy won the 100 backstroke in 54.07 to edge Fairview teammates Reznicek (54.53) and Simecek (55.16).

    [divider]

    2021 5A Girls Swimming and Diving State Champions

    • Diving: Dahlia Allen, Lewis-Palmer
    • 200 Medley Relay: Fossil Ridge
    • 200 Freestyle: Kathryn Shanley, Chatfield
    • 200 Individual Medley: Emma Weber, Regis Jesuit
    • 50 Freestyle: Lyndsey Wehr, Arapahoe
    • 100 Butterfly: Lucy Bell, Fossil Ridge
    • 100 Freestyle: Lucy Bell, Fossil Ridge
    • 500 Freestyle: Kathryn Shanley, Chatfield
    • 200 Freestyle Relay: Fairview
    • 100 Backstroke: Sydney Bales, Legacy
    • 100 Breaststroke: Emma Weber, Regis Jesuit
    • 400 Freestyle Relay: Fossil Ridge
    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

  • CHSAA Hall of Famer Herman Motz, former TJ football and track coach, has passed away

    It is with sadness that the Colorado High School Activities Association pays its respect to a long-time Denver Prep League coach and CHSAA Hall of Fame member.

    Former Thomas Jefferson football and track coach Herman Motz passed away last weekend, but his presence cannot be forgotten.

    Motz compiled a 135-30-1 at Thomas Jefferson from 1976-89, earning 12 state playoff appearances, 9 DPL titles, six final four appearances and winning two state titles. The first came in 1980 when TJ beat Cherry Creek 20-19 and the second in 1989 when the Spartans beat DPL rival Montbello 34-32.

    Truly an old school coach, Motz used to walk to and from the school each day. It gave him time to think, he told others. He was inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame in its Class of 2005.

    Motz coached football and track & field for over 20 years, earning numerous honors. He has been a clinician for numerous football clinics from 1977 to 1990 and has held virtually every office available in the Colorado High School Coaches Association and was named Coach of the Year seven times. He was inducted into the CHSCA Hall of Fame in 1991.

    Motz was a member of the CHSCA Board of Directors and received the Don Des Combes Award, the highest honor that CHSCA can bestow. He was the original editor and producer of the CHSCA’s “The Colorado Coach.”

  • Judy Hildner, former prep sports editor in Pueblo and CHSAA Hall of Famer, passes away

    It is with great sadness that the Colorado High School Activities Association pays its respect to a long-time contributor to the high school prep scene. The office was informed earlier today that long-time champion of prep sports, Judy Hildner lost her battle with pancreatic cancer.

    At the time of her induction into the CHSAA Hall of Fame in 2016, Judy was the reigning matriarch of Colorado media, and was held in held in the highest esteem throughout the state.

    “Judy was one of the pioneers that opened the door to women, in the prep journalism space. She promoted the purpose and positivity of high school athletics and activities with truth. She was the trusted voice in southern Colorado for many years, to share the high school stories and events. Her legacy lives through the many young female prep reporters and she will be missed,” CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green said upon news of Hildner’s passing.

    She covered all levels of sports, including Super Bowls and NCAA Tournaments but the high school arena was the heart of her coverage area and where so many stories were waiting to be told. She was one of the most knowledgeable media persons in the state and had oversight on one of the country’s finest newspapers with its coverage of southern and southeastern Colorado, along with the San Luis Valley.

    She is considered to be the state’s first-ever female sports editor, serving in that capacity from 1990-2012. She ended her 34-year media career in 2012 with The Pueblo Chieftain the paper where she started before she graduated from high school. She began her career keeping stats and then calling them into the newspaper.

    A founding member of the CHSAA Hall of Fame committee, she is a member of the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame and has been honored many times for her work with high schools. In her eyes, one could never do too much for prep sports.

    Hildner was a member of, and had chaired the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee, and was a two-time member of the CHSAA Hall of Fame selection committee and had served on the Pueblo School #60 District Strategic Planning Committee and others.

    Services are pending.

  • Purchase shines as Cherry Creek downs Valor Christian for 5A football title

    PUEBLO — At times, it looks like Myles Purchase is just playing a different game than everyone else on the field. Conventional wisdom says when a ball carrier runs into a wall of defenders, the wall tends to win.

    Unless Purchase is the ball carrier. He broke away from a horde of Valor Christian defenders to scamper into the end zone putting his Cherry Creek Bruins up two touchdowns.

    That was more than enough as Creek rolled to a 21-0 win to claim the Class 5A state football championship, its 11th overall football title and its second in as many years.

    “You never know what’s going to happen in the flow of the game,” Purchase said. “I was just happy was put into a position to play and make plays.”

    Valor Christian Cherry Creek football
    More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    The thing about this Cherry Creek team is it might have put on display the single best grouping of talent in a long time. Purchase will play his college football at Iowa State. Quarterback Julian Hammond and receiver Chase Penry will both head to Boulder, Hammond to play basketball and Penry to play football.

    “I think this is the most talented team I’ve seen in a while,” Hammond said. “I would put our team against any team out there. I believe in everyone.”

    Overall, Cherry Creek has five Division I football commits with Al Ashford III heading to Wisconsin, Gunnar Helm going to Texas and Gus Zilinskas bound for Rutgers.

    The CU duo connected for a 33-yard touchdown pass to put the Bruins (9-0 overall) up 21-0 which was more than enough of a lead for Creek to work with.

    Commitments don’t win state championships however and Purchase made that clear early in the game. Out of a wildcat formation, he ran for Cherry Creek’s first two touchdowns of the game and recovered a ball stripped way from Valor running back Zach Wiley.

    The Eagles (7-1) were hoping to ride their high-tempo offense through junior standout back Gavin Sawchuk, but Creek’s early scores combined with its unrelenting defense made it difficult for Valor to find any rhythm.

    Sawchuk broke for a 57-yard run early in the third quarter, appearing to put a crack in the dam but Creek once again dialed up the defensive intensity, getting a hit on Valor quarterback Sean McNair and forcing the second turnover of the night.

    They got a third off a Purchase interception, but were only on defense because he himself had been picked off two plays earlier.

    “(Hammond) talked a little bit after that,” Purchase said with a laugh. “It was all playful and was able to get it back.”

    The Eagles did adjust accordingly on the defensive side of the ball, holding James Walker to just nine rushing yards in the third quarter.

    But they had to offense to counter. Outside of Sawchuk’s long run, the Eagles couldn’t find a way to move the ball down field and get into striking distance. After spotting the Bruins three early touchdowns, there was no bouncing back.

    Creek, meanwhile, seemed content running out clock as confidence in the defense’s ability to shut down the Eagles. It was a quality that made this team so special in a year where no one knew if they’d get a chance to tell a special story on the field.

    “This is a hard-working group that loves football,” Cherry Creek coach Dave Logan. “This was the most unique of seasons. Everybody’s practices were different. We couldn’t work ones versus ones, we had to work in pods. There were a lot of teams that I was proud, not just of my teams but of other teams around the state, that they were able to get accomplished.”

    This is the ninth state championship for Logan as a coach, putting him just one behind legendary Limon coach Lloyd Gaskill who has the most in state history with 10.

    Cherry Creek Valor Christian football
    More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
    Cherry Creek Valor Christian football
    More photos from the game. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

  • Loveland’s smash and dash attack sinks Palmer Ridge to claim 4A football title

    PUEBLO — Loveland coach Jeff Mauck stood with his players on the balcony of the CSU-Pueblo athletic facility and got a good look at the turf of the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.

    He told his players he wanted them to show him something early that make would make everyone in the building believe they belonged there. The players did him one better. They marched down the field in 18 plays over the course of almost nine minutes, capping it off with a Jadyn Tafoya touchdown run.

    By the time the night was over, it was obvious that Loveland didn’t just belong there, but for a night it was their house.

    Loveland dominated offensively and defensively to get a 42-6 win over Palmer Ridge to hoist the Class 4A state football championship trophy for the second time in three years. And it happened without a single pass being thrown.

    “Being underdogs two weeks in a row and taking down the No. 1 and No. 2 seed, I wouldn’t ask for it any differently,” running back Zach Rakowsky said. “The season was rough the whole time with COVID and everything, but I wouldn’t trade these dudes or this season for anything.”

    Loveland (9-0 overall) knew its hands were going to be full with Palmer Ridge’s pass-heavy attack so a long drive to start combined with a defensive stop on the Bears’ first possession was the ideal way to build confidence.

    In all, Loveland picked off Bears quarterback Luke McAllister five times to put a stamp on one of the more impressive defensive performances in recent memory. Mauck was upset just three weeks ago when he heard whispers that Loveland wasn’t getting its due on the defensive side.

    Loveland Palmer Ridge football
    More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

    “They took a lot of that personally,” Mauck said. “What’d we give up? Six points tonight. They’ve done that every week. We shut down the top two teams, basically. Phenomenal.”

    Touchdown runs from Rakowsky, Joe Killian and Tafoya in the first half sent Loveland into halftime with a 21-0 lead. This wasn’t unfamiliar territory for Palmer Ridge who had been down early against Montrose earlier in the year.

    But a Tafoya interception early in the first half stifled any momentum the Bears (6-1) were hoping to build in the second half.

    “We came up with five picks, a couple of sacks. We gave him a lot of pressure,” Tafoya said. “He wasn’t used to that.”

    And they complimented the play defensive by pounding the rock on the ground game. Rakowsky totaled 183 yards and three rushing touchdowns while also picking off McAllister twice.

    That resumé was solid enough to win Most Outstanding Player honors.

    “I have so much respect for the guys on the other team,” Rakowsky said. “Our whole team put it together, our defensive line and linebackers were getting pressure so I could get those interceptions. Our offensive line was just pushing those dudes so I could run through. Our whole team played together, it was insane.”

    This marks the eighth state football championship for Loveland. The last one came in 2018 at Mile High Stadium with a win over Skyline.

    But this one will have an aura all on its own. Palmer Ridge had entered the game as one of the state’s most potent passing offenses. McAllister will play collegiately at Colorado State and wasn’t completely shut down as he found Marcellus Reed for the Bears’ lone score of the game.

    But Mack and his players were aware that they entered the game as underdogs. They just never had any intention of playing like one.

    “Everybody judges a book by its cover,” Mauck said. “They look at us like we’re the Little Giants. They think we’re smaller, we don’t look as fast, we don’t have a bunch of Division I commits, but that group rallies together every single week.”

    And they do so in a way that earns championship hardware.

    Loveland Palmer Ridge football
    More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

  • Tacha powers Limon over Strasburg to claim third straight 1A football title

    PUEBLO — Not even a bum ankle was going to stop Kory Tacah on Limon’s first drive of the day. The senior running back and 2019 Class 1A player of the year broke for a 77-yard score, running somewhat gingerly at the end.

    No matter. It put the Badgers up early and they never looked back, getting a 28-0 win over Strasburg to claim the 1A football championship for the third year in a row and a state-record 20th time overall.

    All three championship wins came over the Indians and Tacha has shined in each one of those games.

    He kept his annual tradition going by breaking for that first score and running for 109 yards in the first half alone, even with pain shooting through his ankle.

    “I haven’t run that far in over a month,” Tacha said. “It took some work and (my ankle) held up so it was good.”

    The Badgers (7-0 overall) controlled the ball with a heavy dose its standard ground game. Jeremiah Leeper and Trey Hines were also factors to help the champs rush for 254 yards in the first two quarters. Hines broke for a 28-yard rushing touchdown on his first carry of the game.

    Limon Strasburg football
    More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    The Limon defense was every bit as impressive, holding the Indians (8-1) scoreless and allowing just 80 yards of total offense in the first half.

    “I thought we did a great job with our scheme,” Limon coach Mike O’Dwyer said. “We did a great job putting our defensive backs in position, but in order for that to work you have to stop the run. Our front seven guys were tremendous.”

    Leeper added a four-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to push the lead to 21-0. And he was helped out on the defensive side. Each time Strasburg got into scoring range, the defense made big plays to end any scoring hopes.

    On top of Hines’ spectacular day under center, he hauled in a pair of interceptions with the goal of maintaining the shutout.

    “The minute we scored early in the first quarter we were playing it like a 0-0 game,” Hines said. “There’s no let up. You always have to think that you have to play as hard as you can and put it all out there.”

    Tacha finished the day with 149 rushing yards and a touchdown to claim Most Outstanding Player honors.

    Indians quarterback Collin Russell did his best to make something happen for his offense, but getting stopped on a crucial 4th and 1 late in the third quarter demonstrated how unyielding hte Limon defense was all day.

    “I wish we could’ve gotten more pressure on that quarterback,” O’Dwyer said. “That kid’s a great athlete so you have to hand it to him.”

    This is now the fourth time in the program’s history that Limon has claimed three consecutive championships. The Badgers last accomplished this feat from 2003-05. While three titles has turned into a semi-regular occurrence, it’ll take a long time for 20 overall championships to be matched by any other program.

    And in the year 2020 when nothing has been a certainty, a 20th state title is something that O’Dwyer will always remember.

    “I never put that together; 20 in 2020,” O’Dwyer said. “I don’t know how to write that script. I didn’t know how to write the script for last year when it was our 100th year and we lost to two teams, Holyoke and Strasburg, and had to beat them in the playoffs. And now this year, it was just a crazy year.”

    Like a seasoned championship veteran, O’Dwyer did his best to avoid the traditional water bucket bath before letting his boys have their fun. In his 19 years as coach, he’s had plenty of them. He’s learned that each one comes with the joy of claiming a championship but no matter how many times it happens, they still have a way of feeling special all on their own.

    Limon Strasburg football
    More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
    Limon Strasburg football
    More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

  • Durango topples Roosevelt to claim 3A football title, first since 1954

     

    PUEBLO — When the ball left Jordan Woolverton’s hand in the third quarter, he knew the throw was on the money. Like a basketball player holding his follow through or a golfer twirling his club after a purely-struck iron shot, Woolverton took his time to watch the rest of the play, even though he knew the result.

    The ball found the hands of Gage Mestas and his speed carried him into the end zone. That play lifted Durango to a 21-14 win over Roosevelt at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at CSU-Pueblo, giving the Demons the Class 3A state football title – the first championship for the school since 1954 and the first outright championship in school history.

    “We originally came out in a zone play and they came out in man coverage and left a big hole right where Gage was going to be,” Woolverton said. “I checked the play and trusted him to be in his spot. It was amazing. I knew right when the ball came out of my hand, it was a touchdown.”

    The second half the game could be defined by three key plays for the Demons. Woolverton grabbed a huge interception off a Brig Hartson throw, which set up that touchdown pass to Mestas. Then Mestas, the game’s Most Outstanding Player, came up with an interception of his own as the Rough Riders (7-1 overall) neared the end zone for what would have been the game-tying score.

    “I was surprised I caught it myself,” Mestas said. “I came down with it and thought ‘what just happen?’ Luckily I have stickier gloves so I was able to come down with the ball.”

    It was the capping play of of a memorable championship experience. He got the game going when Woolverton found him wide open for a 23-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

    “They wanted to stop the run,” Durango coach David Vogt said. “To win the game we had to make some deep catches. I’m glad we did that.”

    Durango Roosevelt football
    More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)

    But Roosevelt came into the 3A tournament as the top overall seed for a reason.

    Hartson got his offense in sync early in the second quarter as he threw the ball up for Tucker Peterson who adjusted mid-route and made a great athletic move to come down the ball in the end zone to tie the game.

    The Rough Riders followed the score up on the kickoff by kicking the ball where the Demons weren’t standing. The Rough Riders fell on top of it and Hartson found Keegan Sterkel on a screen pass that went for a 33-yard touchdown, giving Roosevelt its first lead of the game.

    But Durango (8-0) struck back quickly. On 1st down with just 1:35 left in the second quarter, Ben Finneseth broke through the first two levels of the Roosevelt defense and outran the secondary to score from 55 yards out to lock the teams in a 14-14 tie at halftime.

    That tie was broken was Woolverton made his read on the Roosevelt defense and fired that perfect strike to Mestas.

    “That was a laser,” Mestas said. “Great ball by Jordan, he’s an amazing quarterback. He put that on the money and I was so, so happy to catch that.”

    As was the Durango sideline. Despite a few missteps in the second quarter, the Demons were sound defensively as it picked off Hartson three times and held the Rough Riders to just 45 rushing yards in the second half.

    The effort was culminated with a crowning that the Durango seniors had been working toward since they were in third grade. They feel that they put their school on the football map and have no desire to see their efforts go to waste in the coming years.

    “This is so important for the future generations coming up,” Woolverton said. “We want Durango on the map, like I said a long time. To be able to get the job done today for them, for our town, it’s just amazing.”

    Durango Roosevelt football
    More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)
    Durango Roosevelt football
    More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
    Roosevelt Durango football
    More photos from the game. (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)