There’s another Mattei entering Colorado’s coaching ranks.
Colton Mattei, the son of longtime Regis Jesuit girls basketball coach Carl, was hired as Bishop Machebeuf’s boys lacrosse coach in December, according to Carl. He replaces Austin Lanpher.
Mattei played lacrosse at Regis from 2006-10, where he helped the Raiders to a runner-up finish as a senior. He also played hockey.
Mattei then moved on to play for Mercer, a Division I program in Georgia. After graduating, he coached club lacrosse in Georgia at the 11- and 13-under levels.
This is his first head coaching job at a high school.
Machebeuf went 0-14 last season, and is actually riding a 17-game losing streak dating back to the 2013 season. A 4A program, the Buffaloes play in the Metro League.
Fruita Monument has hired Jake Smith to coach its boys lacrosse team, the school announced Tuesday.
Smith moved to the Grand Junction area in 2013, but spent six seasons as the head coach of University of Nebraska’s club program prior to that.
He played for Northern Colorado’s club team, and helped them to appearances in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s Division II national tournament in 2006 and 2007.
At Nebraska, Smith led the Huskers to the postseason for the first time in going 9-4 in 2009. That also marked the program’s first-ever winning season.
Fruita went 4-9 last season under former coach Mark Young.
Ponderosa boys lacrosse celebrates its 4A title last spring. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — Boys lacrosse’s championship games are moving to a Friday night at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in the spring of 2015.
The Class 4A and 5A title games will change from their usual Saturday afternoon slot because of a conflict with a college lacrosse tournament. The 2015 championship games will be May 15.
As a result, there will be no Denver Outlaws game after the championship games conclude.
The 2014 all-state boys lacrosse teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and coaches, and then a vote of coaches.
Players of the year were also selected by a vote of the coaches.
DENVER — It was back on April 29 that the Cherry Creek Bruins beat the Regis Jesuit Raiders, just days before the start of the Class 5A playoffs. The rematch would prove to have much higher stakes and a very different result.
The Raiders were dominant from late in the first quarter on and beat the Bruins 14-7 to claim the 5A boys lacrosse championship.
Raiders junior attacker Matt Soran led all scorers with five goals and added an assist in a match that saw the winning team dominant nearly from start to finish.
“We started getting the faceoffs and offensively our first couple possessions we were getting a lot of shots but we weren’t finding the net,” coach Jim Soran said. “I had confidence we were going to start hitting the net as the game went on.”
To start the game it was the Bruins moved the ball well in the opening minutes, finding the net 1:50 into the game to take a 1-0 lead. The Raiders tied the game up less than three minutes later, giving all the indications that a see-saw battle was in order. That was when Regis Jesuit came in like a wrecking ball. They went on a 7-2 run to take an 8-3 lead and seize control of the game.
(Dan Mohrmann)
The Bruins tried to regain momentum before halftime and junior Jack Savage appeared to help them do so by scoring with 31 seconds left before the break. But the Raiders would gain control of the ball on the ensuing face-off and Chet Dunstan fired a shot into the net as time expired to give Regis Jesuit momentum and a 9-4 lead at the half.
“We knew it was going to be a (tough) game so we didn’t want to let down the pace,” Dunstan said. “We wanted to get back off right in the second quarter and keep going.”
Dunstan struck again early in the second half in the first of three-straight goals for the Raiders to open the third quarter. The other two came at the hands of Soran. The Bruins would get one back with five minutes remaining in the third, but Regis Jesuit entered the fourth and final quarter with a 12-5 lead.
With the game firmly in hand, the Raiders focused on ball control and running out the clock. With pressure mounting, Cherry Creek went on the attack scoring with 9:15 left in the game with the help of a Raiders penalty. But it would be for not as Regis Jesuit continued to let time tick away, closing in a title with each passing second.
“The couple we got at the end of the first half made a big difference,” Coach Soran said. “When you get the next one and you’re down you feel like you have hope and if the other team gets it, it kind of deflates you.”
For the players, there could be no better ending this season than to beat Cherry Creek in the state title game. They considered the loss to the Bruins in the regular season a massive blow and felt that in order to truly be vindicated, they needed to top Creek in the playoffs.
“It felt good; they killed us when they got the regular season game,” Matt Soran said. “We came out with a chip on our shoulder and we wanted to come out firing on them and that’s what we did.”
The lacrosse title marked the second state championship of the day for the Raiders as the boys swim team won the 5A class earlier Saturday afternoon.
Ponderosa boys lacrosse celebrates its 4A title. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
DENVER – A 13-7 lead for the Ponderosa Mustangs was slowly being eaten away. The defending Class 4A boys lacrosse champions, the Wheat Ridge Farmers, had found themselves in quite the hole, but had shown before that they had the talent to climb out of it.
But Patrick Tierney’s Mustangs had too much resolve and in the end, would hold on 13-11 to take the 4A title in what many would call a major upset in Colorado high school lacrosse.
“If you watch, you knew that they needed each other,” Tierney said of his team. “They worked hard the whole game. They turned to each other, they passed when they had to and they didn’t try to take it on themselves.”
It was all the more impressive considering the Farmers scored 54 seconds into the contest to take a quick 1-0 lead. After winning their first two playoff games by a combined score of 22-12, a quick start was anything but a surprise.
The 1-0 score would hold for over seven minutes before the Mustangs were able to shake their cobwebs and get the ball by Farmers goalie Jensen Makarov. Ponderosa’s ability to tie the game also came as little surprise.
(Dan Mohrmann)
Where the surprise came in was how the Mustangs converted another goal 20 seconds and yet another with 14 seconds left in the first quarter — both at the hands of senior captain Blake Bruner — to take a 3-1 lead.
“It’s a game of runs and we knew that coming in,” Bruner said. “Everyone contributed so much and that got our momentum going and we just kept with it and we knew we would get some runs and they would get some too. We just made sure to get ours going real quick.”
The Farmers wouldn’t quit and battle back to cut the lead down to one goal thanks to goals by John Roach and Dylan Mechling. But just as it appeared Wheat Ridge had seized some momentum, the Mustangs went on a run of four straight goals to build a 7-3 lead.
The momentum had clearly shifted and it showed when Makarov lost the ball trying to clear it, allowing Austin Bullock to scoop it up and put it in the net for the Mustangs’ seventh goal of the game. Once again, the Farmers tried to fight their way back, but Ponderosa struck with another run, scoring four goals in a span where Wheat Ridge could only muster one. Junior Jack Griffin had three-straight goals for the Mustangs to increase their lead to 11-6.
“We definitely didn’t have anything to lose, they’re going to 5A next year and we sent them to 5A in style,” Griffin said. “I felt like we were the underdogs and I’ve played Wheat Ridge a number times and never beaten them before so I think our team just wanted it more today.”
The scoring for the Mustangs slowed to a crawl in the fourth quarter, just at Wheat Ridge redoubled their efforts. Ponderosa held a 13-7 lead with 6:49 to go in the game, but would soon get put back on their heels. As the seconds ticked away, so the did the Mustangs’ lead. John Roach added another and senior Tyler Knott added two more as the Farmers pulled to within two goals.
The momentum appeared to be with the Farmers, but with 52 seconds left in the game Roach was called for a cross-check, giving the Mustangs a one-man advantage for the remainder of the game. They were able to control the ball for that last minute, taking down arguably the best 4A lacrosse team of all-time.
“I think we had enough players on the field that when we had a chance we executed,” Tierney said. “And by executing, we were able to keep them at a distance but we got into some trouble with penalties and that late in the game it was tough to fight off. But it was a great win, I’m so happy for them. They worked hard for it; they worked hard for three years, most of these guys.”
Cherry Creek’s Jack Savage celebrates after the game. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
DENVER — Jack Savage scored once, twice, and that was it. Cherry Creek found itself back in the Class 5A boys lacrosse championship game for the third year in a row.
Well — the 10-9 win over Kent Denver wasn’t quite that easy.
Savage and the top-seeded Bruins trailed No. 4 Kent Denver 9-8 with five minutes to play in their semifinal game on Wednesday. Kent Denver was down nearly the entire game, but rallied in the final quarter and seemingly had all the momentum. At the very least, the two teams seemed destined for overtime — a point they reached during their meeting to close the regular season, when Creek won 10-9.
Instead, Savage changed the game Wednesday at All-City Stadium. His long-range shot from the left side of the cage tied things at 9 with 3:59 remaining. Broderick Vitalie then drew a penalty, and, up a man 53 seconds after his first goal, Savage gave the Bruins a 10-9 lead. When that lead held, Cherry Creek had its return ticket to the state title game.
“After I scored that first one, and then (Vitalie) got the call, I knew it was time to rally, get the boys together and win the game,” Savage said.
Said Cherry Creek coach Bryan Perry: “Jack’s been fantastic for us all year. … We moved him around a little bit, found a home for him at middie and he just rose to the top of that heap very quickly and just does an outstanding job.”
Arapahoe had one final chance with possession at the end, but the Bruins’ Nicholas Carpenter forced a turnover and Creek pushed the ball into its offensive end as it killed the final moments.
Savage finished with three goals. Michael McCauley also scored three times for Cherry Creek, and had two assists, while Ryan Arthur had a goal and two assists.
Vitalie was dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 16 of 21.
“We kind of knew that was going to be key, and Broderick has been fantastic for us all year,” Perry said. “He came through for us today for sure.”
Kent Denver was led by Zander Ellis’ four goals and an assist, and Jaden Franklin scored twice and assisted on another.
For the longtime rivals, it was just the latest chapter in their history. Yes, there was the OT game just 12 days ago, but Wednesday was also the eighth time the two programs had met in the semifinals in the sport’s 16 seasons. Cherry Creek had won four of those games.
“It’s a very good rivalry,” Perry said. “We have a lot of respect for each other. I know I have a lot of respect for them, and their kids and what they do.
“It’s been a rivalry for years that’s as healthy of a high school rivalry that there is. There’s just a great respect, very little trash-talking or any nonsense. It’s a clean game. What was there, two penalties (Wednesday)? It’s always clean and well-played. It’s fun to be a part of. I’m honored to be a part of that.”
Now, Perry’s Bruins will return to Mile High for the 5A title game, which is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The past two years have ended in a loss to Arapahoe in that game. They will face Regis Jesuit — which beat Arapahoe in the semifinals — this season.
“I want our guys to come out and play hard and play a good game,” Perry said. “I’m not sure we’ve played a complete game in that game yet.”
Dunston, a Raiders junior, scored a team-high five times in No. 2 Regis Jesuit’s 10-7 win over No. 6 Arapahoe at All-City Stadium. The first opened the scoring 1:02 into play. The second opened scoring in the second quarter, and made it 3-1 after Arapahoe had cut it to 2-1 near the end of the first.
In the third quarter, Dunston had a momentum-stealing finish on a breakaway which gave his team a 7-5 lead.
In the fourth, he had two big answer goals: one coming three minutes after Arapahoe cut it to 8-6, and another coming two-and-a-half minutes after the Warriors had made it 9-7.
Asked why he was so timely on Wednesday, Dunston paused, thought for a moment, then said, “I don’t know. Mostly the momentum picked up and you kind of just wanted to go.”
Said Raiders coach Jim Soran: “He had a big game. I’ll tell you what, I think other coaches underestimate him. He is such a competitor and he is such a good lacrosse player.”
Truett Davis added two goals for the Raiders, who also got two assists from Aaron Horvat. Ben Bechter had one goal and one assist, as well.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Arapahoe got two goals each from Will Danuser and Austin Shindoll. Zach Runberg had one goal and two assists.
Regis Jesuit advances to the title game for the first time since it won the championship in 2011. It will get a rematch with top-seeded Cherry Creek in the final. The two teams played April 29, a 10-7 Bruins win.
That day, “They took it to us,” Soran said. “So we’re going to try and redeem ourselves.”
Dunston was even more blunt.
“We played awful,” he said. “It’s a brand new game, get to start off on a new note, so it’ll be great. … It’s going to be a game. They’re always a great team. It’s going to be good.”
The two programs also met in the 2010 final, won by Creek.
The No. 2-seeded Mustangs out-roughed and out-toughed a quality No. 6 Steamboat Springs team 17-13 on Wednesday evening at Sports Authority Stadium in a physical battle throughout.
Neither squad could gain possession or momentum early as the excitement of the stage and the physicality of the squads seemed to fluster both.
More photos. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
Ponderosa trailed 3-2 at the end of the first quarter and was unable to find the net with consistency, but a rough hit by a Steamboat player may have been just the trick for the Mustangs.
“It made me want to show them that they shouldn’t do that,” Ponderosa junior attacker Derik Mango said about the key to his team-leading six goals.
The Mustangs rode their horses offensively — Mango, Blake Bruner, Ben Zimbeck, and John Griffin (five goals) — and utilized speed, crisp execution, and a fiery assault to begin seizing control of the game.
Mango nearly kept pace with Steamboat in the first half as the Sailors only outscored the talented attacker 5-4. Ponderosa held a slight 7-5 halftime lead, but unleashed a 7-2 run to put the Sailors in a huge hole, 14-7 early in the final period.
“We got our shots, but just couldn’t bury them,” Mango said of the early lack of offense. “We hit a bunch of pipes and we just missed the goal. Once we started burying them, we started rolling and everything was clicking.”
Known as a team that never quits, Steamboat stayed true to their reputation and made a final push.
“They’ve come back a few times this year, so you have to be ready for a team like that to not just go away,” Ponderosa coach Patrick Tierney said of the Sailors. “When they got chances, they took advantage of them. When we got chances on the other end, we fortunately finished a few of them to keep them at a distance.”
The game turned chaotic as the teams combined for nine goals in the final six minutes, six by the Sailors and three by Ponderosa, but it wasn’t enough for Steamboat as they saw their season come to a close with their second straight semifinals loss.
The Mustangs credited the win to their team-oriented squad.
“Mango, Griffin, Bruner, our defense was outstanding, and our goalie was phenomenal,” Tierney said. “It’s a team. It is the group that makes them better.
“I think it was just sticking together as a team,” Mango added. “Seasons past, when we got down or they scored a bunch of goals in a row, we would get down on each other, but we stepped up as a team and fought through the tough times.”
More photos. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
The reward for a hard-nosed semifinals victory will be powerful Wheat Ridge waiting in the championship game on Saturday at Mile High Stadium. The game is set to begin at 2 p.m.
Ponderosa is ecstatic about the opportunity to face the defending 4A state champions.
“If you had told me I would get to play Wheat Ridge this season, I would have been excited about that,” Tierney said. “That means we’re playing a team that hasn’t been beaten in 4A yet, but I think we have a strong enough team to hopefully win a good game.”
The 4A classification, which is in its second year of existence for boys lacrosse after previously being one class, has been controlled by the Farmers thus far.
Ponderosa will be a worthy contender to try and take Wheat Ridge’s crown. The Mustangs are impressive physically with heaps of speed and offensive firepower and an imposing, staunch defense.
Ponderosa will be appearing in their first boys lacrosse state title game as a team united in battle, united by their physical and mental strength. They hope it will be enough to lift their first state title Saturday on the state’s biggest stage.
