CHSAANow

Category: Features

  • Ball Fever: Setting up this week’s big matchups in 4A and 5A boys hoops

    Rock Canyon Heritage boys basketball
    (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    Welcome back, prep hoops fans!

    With most of our squads at a minimum of 17 games played we are starting to figure out some squads identities and league play is causing separation.

    Not so lucky in that crazy Centennial League where there’s something unpredictable every week it seems … they are beating each other up! Or is that making eachother tougher for the playoff run? New 4A No. 1 squad and that 5A No. 1 just quietly taking care of their business: Rangeview Raiders undisputed at 17-0 and The Fever Crew got to see them last week!

    The Look Back

    Thursday, Jan. 30

    The Game of the Night 9News Facebook Live found the Fever Crew out northeast with Blake Olson for a real treat of the No. 1 Rangeview Raiders visiting league foe Vista Peak.

    Rangeview started the first quarter with a quick 6-0 start but Vista answered with a 7-0 run of their own to get their capacity crowd into it.

    AJ Lacabe’s 12 points and Sayo Owolabi’s 14 kept the Bison around but the Raiders’ spurts and open floor plays were just too much to overcome along with the Speller twins combining for 30 points in the 57-47 Raiders’ win.

    Watch the highlights here:

    Watch the full game here.

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    The Look Ahead

    Tuesday, Feb. 4

    • A little early 6:30 p.m. city action in Denver West and Thomas Jefferson. The Spartans were at our No. 10 spot but that was short-lived as they didn’t make the cut this week and will try to take it out on the Cowboys.
    • Vista Peak, who as previously mentioned don’t have all the size in the world but certainly have the heart, look to take some frustration of last week’s loss to No. 1 out on Northglenn, who’s looking for just their 4th win.
    • Longmont, at 14-2, earned two more wins last week and remains the No. 3-ranked squad in 4A, face Silver Creek.
    • Oooohhh we love this city ball here! No need for the “shot clock” demand when Lincoln and 5A No. 10 Denver East get it on! East bounced back last week after losses to Valor and Pomona. They’ll have to slow down TJ Bamba and their own three headed monster of Reynolds, Davis, and Stanton will have to show up big here. The Lancers with once loss in league play look to give the Angels their first.
    • Throw the records out the window when Chap and Regis have their Continental meeting. Always seems to go down to the wire!
    • Speaking of that No. 1 Rangeview squad … Coach Palmer will get everyone in as they face Adams City who is win-less so far this season.
    • RIVALRY down South! No. 5 Pueblo West and Pueblo East get acquainted once again!
    • No. 4 Northfield earned a signature win for the school over GW last week and look to keep the momentum rolling vs. Regis Groff.
    • A little late 7:30 p.m. action for Cheyenne Mountain and Discovery Canyon. Cheyenne Mountain’s Javonte Johnson continues the unreal pace of 30 points per game and the squad won’t be happy losing their No. 1 spot in 4A to Mead without a loss. The voters chimed in on that one, I guess! 
    • If 8 p.m. action is your thing check out a 16-2 Pine Creek squad who is starting to garner Top 10 votes vs. Rampart.

    Wednesday, Feb. 5

    • Wednesday means #CentennialTough action and there’s none tougher that Overland and Cherry Creek. Creek has made it’s way to No. 6 in 5A and 13-4 overall record. The Trailblazers have been strong even without their big man Graham Ike but need to be special in this one to keep pace in league play as Creek has a sole league loss.
    • Eaglecrest has slid to No. 9 in 5A after splitting league games last week and they’ll look to start this week off right vs. Mullen.
    • Smoky lost two tough ones last week and it may look like it’s time to get “well” vs. a Cherokee Trail squad that is 3-14 but don’t let the record think this will be an easy one. The Cougars were actually up by 19 points over Eaglecrest last week before losing the lead but they are very capable of competing.
    • So tempting to call this HUGE league game a 5A Top 10 battle but Columbine just missed the Top 10 this week and they’ll be hosting new No. 3 Ralston Valley, who will be looking to stay unbeaten in league. The Rebels’ gym will be rocking Wednesday! Caleb Rillos 18-point, 10-rebound double-double season average is IMPRESSIVE but we know how impressive senior Luke O’Brien can be, as well.
    • Golden is up a spot to No. 8 in 4A and they’ll face Standley Lake looking to improve on their 2-0 previous week.
    • Grandview has shot up to No. 2 in 5A and playing as well as any team in the state. Senior led by Lian Romero and Caleb McGill have now been joined by CJ Thomas who has made a college commitment, as well. They’ll face Arapahoe who has a college-bound guard in Bryson Stephens who will have to be big on this night.

    Thursday, Feb. 6

    • Another stud young man averaging a double double of 17 points and 10 rebounds per game is Nahsyah Bolar of No. 4 Northfield and they’ll need all of that as they look for another big win over 4A and league foe Lincoln.
    • No rest for Columbine after a heavy weight tangle with Ralston Valley they immediate get a tough Mountain Vista squad right away.
    • Pueblo West, No. 5 4A, faces Pueblo Centennial this night.
    • Two good choices in Continental league that will alter standings in ThunderRidge at Highlands Ranch and Chap vs Rock Canyon … always solid league rivals.

    Friday, Feb. 7

    • That Wednesday/Friday Home & Away league play gets us rolling again in Friday! This time Cherry Creek, whose football studs Julian Hammond and Myles Purchase combined for 40 points in the Bruins’ upset of Smoky Hill last week, look to shut down Mullen.
    • Also in Centennial the Fever Crew watched Arapahoe unleash full court pressure to erase a large deficit at Eaglecrest and make it a very close game in their first match. The Warriors are on Dry Creek & University this time and will test the Raptors again.
    • Cheyenne Mountain EXPLODED for a 33-point third quarter in their first match Jan. 17, leading to an 18-point win over Palmer Ridge. We’ll see if the Bears can put up a better fight at home this time.
    • No. 3 Longmont gets it on with Niwot on the road which is never an easy visit.
    • No. 2 Grandview faces a Cherokee Trail squad we’ve documented is better than that three-win record shows.
    • Heavyweight bout as Smoky Hill visits Overland. The No. 4 Buffaloes slight struggles against “tough” teams is what social media says of late … here’s a chance to win a big “lunch pail” game!
    • Pomona has a HUGE upset on its resume with a win over Denver East and you better believe taking down No. 3 Ralston Valley would mean even more!
    • Trey Ward’s 15 points per game is leading the new No. 1 Mead Mavericks in 4A who beat Frederick by 9 in the first match up on the road and look to score even more on their home floor.
    • If you’re up north we don’t have to tell you that Fort Collins and Fossil Ridge will be a FUN atmosphere regardless of rankings or records … what the Fever Crew calls Braggin’ Rights!
    • Need a 7:30 p.m. night cap?!!  Aurora Central, with one league loss, will take its shot at No. 1 Rangeview. Might have to make a late visit to North Peoria Street for this one.

    Saturday, Feb. 8

    • Interesting one with No. 3 Longmont doing a late season non-league visit to Discovery Canyon … not an easy spot to get a W.
    • Welcome Green Mountain to the 4A Top 10 and they look to roll again vs. Standley Lake who has not won in league play as of yet.
    • Not what it used to be (GET OFF MY LAWN!) but the ThunderDome will host the Denver East vs. FNE (Montbello) annual get down!
    • Golden has the 3 p.m. action hosting Evergreen.
    • Need some evening 6:30 p.m. action Rampart makes a rare visit to Highlands Ranch.

    A few cold nights ahead folks, but remember, it’s ALWAYS 72 & Sunny in the gym! Enjoy, get out and support …

  • Ball Fever: Looking at this week’s top games in 5A and 4A boys basketball

    Legend Ponderosa boys basketball
    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    It was tough writing about hoops thinking of the tragic helicopter crash involving one of the greats Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the others who passed in this accident.

    A world wide superstar but we get the feeling that Kobe wouldn’t want the spotlight on him right now. I keep thinking about pushing forward with the “Mamba Mentality” … and move forward we shall! Love hard daily and attack every day with passion!

    Just the way Kobe would want it…

    The Look Back

    Wednesday, Jan. 22

    Quite a point guard treat we were treated to live as the Fever Crew joined Blake Olson and the thegameofthenight.com team for Arapahoe visiting Smoky Hill. Senior guard Bryson Stephens was on fire dropping 30 points for the Warriors but not to be outdone Smoky senior PG Quinten Rock scored in every imaginable way dropping a game high 37 points! Very entertaining game and the Centennial League is tough every night out!

    Full game here.

    Friday, Jan. 24

    Found ourselves back at Smoky Hill for 9News Facebook Live #TGOTN action for a massive Top 5 match with Eaglecrest visiting Smoky Hill. Two of our state’s best floor generals in Zion Ruckard and Quinten Rock along with juniors Jalen Weaver and Ty Robinson who are top players regardless of classification in the region!

    They didn’t disappoint folks.

    Ruckard finished with 21 points, 8 assists but not enough as Weaver’s 27 points with with Rock’s 32 point, 6 assist effort lifted the Buffaloes to a 82-78 overtime win. If there was one game you want to watch if you missed it — this is the one!

    Full game here.

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    The Look Ahead

    Tuesday, Jan. 28

    • No. 6 Fairview, now 13-3, will travel to Fort Collins. Greyson Carter continues to pace the Knights with almost 19 points per game.
    • Longmont remains No. 3 in 4A after another 2-0 week. They’ll look to run away from Greeley Central who averages 40 points per game vs the Trojans 60 point pace.
    • Speaking of scoring! The No. 2 Mead Mavericks are at a frantic 77 point-per-game pace and one of the most exciting “above the rim” teams to watch. They have a tough conference opponent in Windsor who Mead beat by 12 in their first match.
    • Pueblo West, now up to No. 6 4A, is paced by Taylor Harris’ 15 points, 6 assists per game and face rival Pueblo County down south.
    • Harrison had a 2-1 week and lost to new No. 10 Thomas Jefferson last week and they’ll look to bounce back vs. Mitchell.
    • Joining Thomas Jefferson from the Denver Prep is Northfield who is now up to No. 4 in 4A and they have a league game vs. Denver West.
    • Quietly rolling along is 5A No. 1 Rangeview at 15-0 and scoring a fierce 73 points per game and the show takes on Thornton Tuesday!
    • Lincoln has dropped from the 4A rankings but believe they can compete any night and this will be a fun one for the City as the Lancers try to prove themselves again vs new No. 10 Thomas Jefferson. 
    • Sheesh! “Monsta” season double-double average for Javonte Johnson (30 points 10 rebounds per game!) of No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain who will look to silence defending champ Lewis-Palmer, who started the season No. 1.

    Wednesday, Jan. 29

    • 5A Top-10 action gets Wednesday started in previously not ranked Valor Christian coming in this week at No. 8 tangling with 13-2 and fifth-ranked Ralston Valley. The Eagles recently notched an impressive 18-point win over Denver Eastm who was undefeated at the time. Can they take down another Top-5 squad?
    • Speaking of Top-10 action we have another that will be worth the price of admission! Smoky Hill has moved up to No. 2 after last week’s electric performances. And don’t look now but Cherry Creek is finding their groove, to down Eaglecrest last week, and join the 5A Top 10 at No. 7. High level guard play here on both sides … young men who are great friends and teammates in club ball but rest assured they will attack each other like strangers! Smoky won two tremendous games at home last week, anxious to see what happens at Creek.
    • Highlands Ranch is traveling to Parker to face Legend in some Continental League fun!
    • After an 0-2 week Eaglecrest only fell one spot in 5A poll to No. 4. The Fever Crew thinks that’s deservedly so … a loss at Creek and at Smoky could happen to any team in the state and the Raptors are very good. They look to get back on track vs. league foe Cherokee Trail who won’t be easy either.
    • Golden split games last week and fell two notches in our recent poll to No. 9. They’ll play the first of two games vs D’Evelyn this season. Keep an eye on Kevin Mullingan who leads Golden in EVERY statistical category.
    • Mullen still looking for it’s first “CentennialTough” league win and it won’t be easy vs. No. 3 Grandview who was 2-0 last week and up two notches in our poll. Nice match up inside with Caleb McGill and Brayden Carter both leading their teams in scoring. The pace of Grandview will likely keep this game close but the Wolves execute well late.

    Thursday, Jan. 30

    • Some early 5:30 p.m. action in the city. Denver South vs. No. 10 Thomas Jefferson!
    • Oooooohhhhhh we feel some “Gameofthenight.com” action here! Vista Peak is 13-2 on the season and have a huge league game in their place as No. 1 Rangeview is coming over for a visit! Someone must get their first league loss…the Bison will lean heavily on leading scorer AJ LaCabe vs the Raiders DEEP roster of athletes we’ve discussed many times.
    • Some nice late-January non league play here Luke O’Brien leading the Columbine Rebels down south to face Doherty.

    Friday, Jan. 31

    • We have a new squad out west in the 4A Top 10. Glenwood Springs was not ranked but now 12-3 and have jumped in as No. 6 this week. A team to keep an eye on as we creep towards the post-season.
    • No. 4 in 4A Northfield has a fun one against DPL perennial top team George Washington. An opportunity for Northfield to show, again, that they belong in the conversation of top city teams.
    • Boulder was 3-0 last week, 12-3 overall, and caught the attention of our voters to grab the No. 9 ranking in 5A. They travel to Poudre for league play.
    • No. 3 Longmont faces tough Thompson Valley.
    • Skyline is playing solid ball with overall record of 11-4 and they play a bit of a slower pace than lights out No. 2 Mead. We’ll see how the contrasting styles play out!
    • Friday nights in the Continental league always seem to be special. Chaparral and Highlands Ranch have dropped from 5A rankings but this is a solid match up. 
    • Cheyenne Mountain, No. 1 and King of the Hill in 4A, travel over to Vista Ridge.

    Saturday, Feb. 1

    • A few too many Saturday 2:30 p.m. options, folks. Top Spot is No. 2 Smoky Hill visiting No. 3 Grandview … this will be EPIC — just take our word for it and we’ll have a full report on this one!
    • #SaturdayCentennialTough Stuff baby! Don’t think Coach Danny Fisher is going to quit coaching his squad HARD because of the loss of big Graham Ike to injury. The Trailblazers shocked us all with a win over hot Smoky Hill recently and now look to protect home court vs. No. 3 Eaglecrest and the “firm” of Robinson, Ruckard, and Wilson coming for a 230 p.m. Saturday visit!
    • Continuing the Centennial league Saturday Cherry Creek gets it on with Cherokee Trail!
    • Need some 5 p.m. action? Arapahoe travels to Mullen! 
    • Haven’t seen this Valor squad that’s kicking in gear? They play 7 p.m. at Lakewood!
    • More 7 p.m. rivalry action brings Columbine and Pomona! Pomona is no stranger to “upsets” after taking down Denver East by 2!

    [divider]

    Final Thought

    “Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.” — Kobe Bryant

  • Manitou Springs boys basketball ties the Vecchio and Armour families together

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Anyone with a vague knowledge of Manitou Springs boys basketball could take a good guess at picking the program’s all-time leading scorer.

    The answer would either be Justin Armour or Brian Vecchio.

    Only one of those names is correct and that honor goes to Armour – Manitou’s lone inductee in the CHSAA Hall of Fame.

    Their athletic legacies at Manitou though are linked through more than potential right answers to that question. Armour remembers when he started playing for the Mustangs as a freshman and every day at practice the coach’s young son was running around the floor shooting and keeping his interest locked into what was happening on the floor.

    That coach was Ken Vecchio. It was Brian off on the side.

    “He was a little pipsqueak at our practices,” Armour recalls. “It’s pretty cool now that we’re all grown up and now I have to ask a little Brian’s for permission to change practices.”

    Armour runs the ship of the girls basketball program while Brian now coaches the boys after taking over for Ken after the 2017-18 season. But they’re more than just coaching conterpoints. As Brian watched his dad coach Justin in high school, he now has his own Armour to instruct.

    Joah Armour is Justin’s oldest child and only son. While Justin is known more for his talents on the football field, basketball was always his first love. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in that regard.

    Joah loves to hoop and the second generation of Vecchio and Armour have the Mustangs playing sound basketball.

    “I remember Justin and Joah living in California and then came back to Manitou and the first day they walked into the gym together, Joah was a pretty little guy at that time,” Brian said. “I thought, man, how cool would it be if he came here at some point and I got to coach him and about 10 years later, here we are. It’s been awesome.”

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Aside from the great life symmetry, it was an exciting prospect for several reasons. When Justin recalls his development as both a kid and an athlete, he’s aware of the role that Ken played. Those traits in Ken have trickled down to Brian and Justin knew that Joah would come out of Manitou a better player and a better kid because of the teachings he would get from Brian and even Ken, who is still on staff as assistant.

    “The Vecs are the best ones at teaching tough lessons,” Justin said. “You can come in here, they don’t care if your last name is Armour or if you play club basketball or you’re tall, they don’t really care.”

    If a kid wants to play for them they have to earn it.

    From the minute Joah walked into the gym at Manitou, both Vecchios (Brian was the JV and Ken’s main assistant at the time) stressed to him that they wanted Joah to be Joah and not to be Justin’s son. If he was going to succeed, he was going to have to do it on his own merits.

    “I don’t think about it all that much,” Joah said. “I just want to go out and play like me. I’m always ready to go.”

    It helped that he was tall. Even as a freshman, Joah checked in at well over 6-feet tall. But he was a bit thinner than his dad was at that age.

    “Justin looked like he was 19 years old,” Ken said. “When Joah came in as a freshman, he looked like a freshman.”

    But his game has developed over time. Brian doesn’t see Joah as a younger version of his dad. If anything, Joah plays more like Brian did in his high school days.

    Brian was about 6-foot-8 in high school and could work in the post and spot up for 3-pointers. He eclipsed the 1,000-point mark (one of just five players in school history to do so) despite not seeing any varsity time as a freshman.

    And he’ll be the first to say he gave his dad good reason to holler every once in a while. He can’t help but smile when he watches Joah play and realize the similarities that exist between coach and player rather than father and son.

    “I see a lot of myself when I see Joah play,” Brian said. “At times it can be a lot of fun and at times it can be really frustrating.”

    Ken got to experience that same feeling in his final year as Manitou’s coach. Among the four of them, he and Joah share a unique bond in that Ken was able to coach both generations of Armour boys.

    But like Justin points to some things that Joah is doing well, Ken is quick to point out that Brian does a great job at teaching, motivating and managing Joah.

    The younger Armour wouldn’t disagree.

    “I’d say Brian is a lot calmer,” he said with a laugh. “But they’re both great coaches. I’ve been really lucky.”

    And this season, the Vecs have been lucky to have him. He leads the team with 14 points per game and helped the Mustangs (9-2 overall, 5-0 Tri-Peaks) get an impressive 67-50 win over then-No. 9 St. Mary’s.

    If Joah has it his way, he’ll help the Mustangs get back to the state tournament. After all, according to him he’s already a better hooper than his dad was when he was a junior.

    “I’m faster than he was,” Joah said. “And I shoot the 3-ball more.”

    Just more?

    “Better.”

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • Salida girls swimming on pace to make school history

    Salida girls swimming
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    There are a lot of things the town of Salida does very well. The town as a whole is very visitor friendly with a versatile atmosphere that almost anyone can enjoy.

    When Colorado residents talk about heading west to that region of the state, it’s mostly associated with a trip to the Monarch ski area. But inside the walls of the high school, a group of athletes doesn’t care about skiing.

    The girls swim team cares about making history in the pool and there is a real feeling that they are on the verge of doing just that.

    “This group of girls came in with a lot of focus and we had a couple of freshmen come in that are very strong, that have been training in our summer program,” coach Wendy Gorie said. “We do not have a year-round program in Salida. We only have a summer league program, which is very unusual.”

    Nevertheless, this team is looking every bit the part of a state contender. The Spartans came in at No. 1 in the Class 3A girls swim rankings this week and they have the results to back it up. The 200-yard medley relay team has the best time in the class and is hoping they can open the state meet up with a win in the event to set the tone for what they want to accomplish.

    “It’s a little intimidating because we’ve never been seeded first by that much ever,” junior Hannah Rhude said. “So it’s a little intimidating but it’s really exciting to see how we stack up to everyone and how our hard work has been paying off.”

    History was made for the team a year ago when senior Elise Mishmash claimed gold in the 100 freestyle. That was the very first indication that something special was coming together in the small town tucked in near the collegiate peaks.

    “The state championship in the 100 freestyle,” Gorie said. “That is the glamour event of swimming.”

    Salida girls swimming
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    So if she can do it, other members of the team can put their own mark on the state meet next month at the VMAC.

    Mishmash already has the top time in the state for 3A, but just over a second and a half behind her is Lily Lengerich, who also occupies a spot on the medley relay team.

    Drawing on Mishmash’s experience from last year, the Spartans are ready to get on the big stage and do something special for their school. And they want to do it together.

    “We’re here to bring it this year and we’ve never had this kind of intensity before,” Lenderich said. “We’re just really ready to take that to state.”

    The Spartans look strong at the top of their lineup, but they’ll have plenty of work to do to hold off defending champion Evergreen as well as Pueblo County.

    Mishmash certainly has ambitions of repeating in the 100 freestyle and adding a 100 breaststroke title to her name. Her one minute, 10.03 seconds in that event is the second-best time in 3A this year.

    Regardless of how she fares in her individual events, her focus is not to get these wins for herself. She wants them for her teammates so together they can do something special for their school.

    “I think that that is actually a big motivator,” Mishmash said. I think it’s really special to do something super awesome in your school history as a team, not so much as an individual. So I really think that that’s a big drive for us.”

    Salida girls swimming
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • Hannah Simental has Pueblo West girls basketball thriving on the court

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    As a kid, basketball wasn’t Hannah Simental’s first love. While her older sister Haley and her older brother David were finding their groove on the court, Hannah was all about dancing.

    Her father David was a big basketball guy, but around third grade Hannah decided that basketball wasn’t her thing. She stopped playing and started focusing on dance, an activity that matches her personality even to this day.

    But as she got older and watched her siblings on the floor, the more she was drawn back to the sport that her family has thrived in at Pueblo West High School.

    “Around middle school I kind of wanted to go back to it,” she said. “From then on I’d go to a camp at the high school and since then I’ve always played it. I like the competitiveness. I just had to go back to it.”

    And the Cyclones are thrilled she did. Simental has been a steady presence in West’s backcourt her entire high school career.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Since her sophomore season – where she averaged 18 points per game – she has been one of the top players in all of Class 4A.

    “I thought she was a senior last year,” a tournament worker at the Rampart Holiday Classic said after she took the floor.

    He doesn’t say it because she looks older than the rest of the players on the floor. Quite the opposite, in fact. If she was announced as a sophomore, the eye test says that’d be accurate.

    She is now a senior and will head to the University of Northern Colorado to play basketball next year.

    “They came for a home visit and when they came they just had really great values and they really persuaded me with their faith and just the way they want to coach,” Sminetal said.

    She was sold.

    But before she gets to Greeley, she wants to come through on her last chance to help the Cyclones win a state championship. They’re always regarded as a top team in the state, but have suffered from tough defeats in the state basketball tournament.

    She saw her brother David raise a state championship trophy with Cyclones in 2016 and wants the chance to do that no just for herself, but for the girls she takes the floor with each game.

    “She wants to win,” Cyclones coach Gil Lucero said. “She’s very encouraging of her teammates and I think she gets the best out of them.”

    Lucero has been with Simental her entire career. He saw Haley play and watched enough of David to see that the competitive spirit of those two lives on in Hannah. But she stands out very much in her own way.

    “She’s very different from her siblings in the sense of being very outgoing,” Lucero said. “Haley was very reserved, her mission was to win basketball games. Hannah just has such a bubbly personality and is very outgoing and just kind of goofy and likes to mess around and have a good time.”

    But when game time rolls around, she’s all business on the court. In a way, Hannah the basketball player is complete alter-ego than Hannah the smiling high school student walking the halls of Pueblo West High School.

    “On the court is the one time I can be competitive,” she said. “I don’t have to do the super nice kid sometimes.”

    And that’s how it plays out at times. In three of her first four games of the year, she scored at least 20 points. And as long as her play thrives, so the Cyclones. Through Jan. 16, they remained undefeated and the No. 1 team in the 4A RPI.

    And when the offense needs a spark, like it did early in West’s 45-32 win over Pine Creek on Thursday it’s Simental who can take control.

    Her organized dancing days might be over but she’s hoping that she and the Cyclones will be dancing with joy come March.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • Ball Fever: The cream is rising in big-school boys basketball

    Grandview Smoky Hill boys basketball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    The cream is beginning to rise and can you believe we’ll be half way through regular season as many team will play games 10 through 12 of the regular season schedule this week.

    Shall we dare use that word “parity” yet this early in the season? EIGHT new teams added to the Top 10 rankings this week shows just how much are big school ball can be a surprise on any given night.

    Let’s take a look at some games the Fever Crew got to see live last week and the action packed week to come!

    [divider]

    The Look Back

    Tuesday, Jan. 7

    The Fever Crew got out to Regis, who was hosting George Washington to get 2020 started! Low scoring and cold 18-15 first half advantage for the home Raiders who were a rare 0-9 for a Shaw coached Regis team EVER! The Patriots went DEEP on their bench playing 14 different guys and they never seemed to get into a rhythm.

    Teams will look at Regis’ record and overlook them…DON’T do it! This team has been competitive in and out of state and will be ready for Continental league play.

    Full Game Here.

    Wednesday, Jan. 8

    What an absolute treat! Best game of the early season so far for the Fever Crew in last week’s No. 6 Grandview taking a 17 point lead early at No. 4 Smoky Hill.

    Grandview was shooting lights out early (20 points for Lian Romero and SIX 3’s!) but Smoky’s defense got intense in second half and in both overtimes.

    Senior Quinten Rock scored 24 points on his way to joining the 1K point club for the Buffaloes and junior sensation Jalen Weaver matched his 24 points in the tremendous come back win. 

    Full Game Here.

    [divider]

    The Look Ahead

    Tuesday, Jan. 14

    • Fossil Ridge comes down from Fort Collins to visit Boulder.
    • Contrasting styles with No. 8 Erie averaging 68 points per game vs. Berthoud only averaging 38 per game in a much slower pace.
    • Legend is just outside of our 5A top-10 and look to continue building their strong resume at home against Chatfield.
    • Chaparral has battled its way back into the top 10 at the No. 10 spot and will face one-loss No. 5 Columbine. Lefty PG Kobe Sanders will have to play big once again as visiting senior Luke O’Brien is scoring 28 points per game for the Rebels.
    • The records don’t show it but Dakota Ridge and Regis will be an entertaining game!
    • A-Town Battle! No. 1 Rangeview takes its show to Hinkley who is 7-5 so far while the Raiders remain unbeaten.
    • The exciting No. 2 Mead squad will travel to Frederick who is a solid 8-3 right now. With both teams averaging over 70 points per game this should be a shoot out!
    • New to the 4A Top 10 is Longmont coming in at No. 7 and their first test as a ranked squad is a visit from Niwot.

    Wednesday, Jan. 15

    • Have a fix for “city ball”? Thomas Jefferson and Far North East (Montbello) get it on! 
    • Green Mountain had a 1-2 week and slid to No. 10. Jaylin Hardwrict “FRESHMAN ALERT” is making an early impression at 7 points 4 rebounds per game for Green Mountain. Senior Blake Schell is leading the way at 12 points per game for GM who visits D’Evelyn.
    • No. 5 Golden will hold court vs Standley Lake.
    • Senior Caleb Rillos is at 18 points per game along with 8 rebounds for the 6’5 senior and he’ll lead No. 9 Ralston Valley in the neighborhood rivalry vs. Arvada West.
    • The Fever Crew may make a “game of the night” appearance at this one: No. 2 Eaglecrest host No. 8 Arapahoe in a 5A top to match up!
    • More Centennial League as Cherokee Trail who’s gotten off to a slow start due to injuries will tangle with Grandview’s threesome of Caleb McGill, Lian Romero, and now we add senor CJ Thomas with his strong play as of late.
    • Smoky Hill is back up to No. 3 after last week’s heroics vs. Grandview and they’re starting to receive first place votes! Overland, who is without senior stud Graham Ike the rest of season due to injury, will have their hands full with Smoky’s depth.
    • Discovery Canyon is always tough at home and No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain will be paying a visit!

    Thursday, Jan. 16

    • Harrison is rolling as our No. 3 team in 4A led by dynamic Donta Dawson who’s at 21 points, 8 rebounds per game and the Panthers host Widefield this night. 
    • Coach Ocansey has developed a winning program in the DPL and has Northfield ranked No. 6 in 4A…big time for the league and City! They will face a fiesty FNE (Montbello) squad Thursday. A lot of neighborhood pride and kids who know each other here!
    • Mead, with young Elijah Knudsen leading the scoring, will put their No. 2 ranking on the line vs. Fort Morgan.
    • Lincoln dropped from our 4A Top 10 but can make a statement in a 4A/5A tilt at Chatfield.

    Friday, Jan. 17

    • The Rampart Tournament gives us a nice 4A/5A match with No. 4 Pueblo West taking on 5A Valor Christian.
    • Third league test of the week for No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain and senior Javonte Johnson’s scorching 27 points per game as they host Palmer Ridge.
    • No. 4 Denver East will look to score plenty in the annual game vs. Denver West. Junior Boston Stanton III has taken the scoring per game up to 23 points per and “super sophs” Quis Davis and Langston Reynolds are proving to be worthy running mates!
    • Dakota Ridge has a double-double “machine” in TaeShaud Jackson Jr at 15 points, 10 rebounds per game but here comes Luke O’Brien and the Reblels of Columbine!
    • No. 3 Smoky Hill vs Mullen in Centennial league play. Mullen is better than the 3-6 record shows and will throw a tough zone at Smoky’s athletes. 
    • Fairview, now No. 7 in 5A, faces a Mountain Range squad playing solid ball as well at 7-3.
    • Pack the house Arvada West and support your boys…they’re going to need it! Unbeaten No. 1 Rangeview is paying visit!
    • Centennial is just TOUGH every Wednesday/Friday and No. 2 Eaglecrest heads over to Grandview for A-Town pride! Zion Ruckard running the PG show and averaging 18 points for the Raptors. Multiple college-bound ballers in this one!
    • If Chaparral wants to hold that No. 10 5A spot they have to get a win in league play at Douglas County.
    • Centaurus was in our 4A Top 10 early on and will try to prove their way back in vs ranked Longmont.
    • Cherry Creek is starting to get into a groove with the state champ football players fully in the mix now and take their 8-3 record into No. 8 Arapahoe.

    Saturday, Jan. 18

    • 4A No. 2 Mead finishes their week at 1 p.m. vs. Roosevelt.
    • More solid 4A action as we have a Top 10 match up in Golden and Green Mountain at 1pm too!
    • No. 4 East won a fun game over Mullen right before the break and this time Mullen comes on over to East!
    • Another non-league 4A/5A match we like as Pueblo East takes the challenge of 5A ranked squad Fairview. 

    That should be enough action to hold your for a while, folks! The Fever Crew will be traveling for MLK Day and weekend but rest assured we’ll be back Tuesday, Jan. 28 to get you caught up and looking ahead to some serious league action, enjoy!

  • A year ago, Schafer Reichart was fighting for his life — now he’s leading Doherty boys hoops in scoring

    Doherty boys basketball Schafer Reichart
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Paul and Beth Reichart find their place behind the Doherty boys basketball bench about the time that warmups for the varsity game get going.

    They settle in, they smile and they greet the fellow fans and parents who make sure to say hello. A local real estate broker, the Doherty basketball games are events that Paul looks forward to. Considering his two sons are announced as starters for the Spartans, the anticipation hardly comes as a surprise.

    “I get worked up over two things,” he says as game time approaches. “I don’t like it when my kids get clobbered and no foul is called and I hate it when they’re playing great defense and a foul gets called on them.”

    He says it like most parents would make the same point 10 times over in a regular high school basketball game.

    But Paul isn’t like the rest of the parents. He has come to really appreciate watching his boys play basketball. About a year ago, he wasn’t sure one of them was going to be alive let alone getting high-volume varsity minutes.

    His older son, Schafer, is a junior for Doherty and having a good season. Through nine games, he’s averaging 14.6 points per game which leads the team.

    “We run everything through him,” Doherty coach Eric Steinert said.

    It’s a wonder that Reichart is even on the floor. On Jan. 23 a series of events kicked off that put his basketball future — and overall life — in extreme jeopardy. Through his battle back, he brought a major sense of perspective back to the Spartans and the Colorado Springs community as a whole.

    [divider]

    Doherty boys basketball Schafer Reichart
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Toxic shock syndrome.

    The phrase alone sounds like a made up condition that someone would hear about from watching reruns of House M.D.

    A quick Google search affirms that the condition is real and it’s what Schafer had to battle. He had played in a rivalry game against Palmer on Jan. 18 last year. He scored eight points and was 2-for-17 on shot attempts. It wasn’t his best game but that was in part to his feeling under the weather.

    A combination of Influenza A and strep throat had attacked his body. In the coming days his heart, kidneys and lungs become punching bags for the bacteria. Something was very wrong and a trip to the hospital revealed that some tough decisions had to be made.

    Schafer was choppered to Children’s Hospital in Aurora. The doctors told Paul and Beth that in order for Schafer to live, they had to put him on ECMO. That decision, however, was going to come with its own risks. He could be susceptible to a stroke and he was in danger of losing extremities.

    The call for the Reicharts was easy.

    “We would’ve taken him in any condition,” Paul said.

    ECMO it was, but at such an early stage there was no guarantee that it was going to save Schafer’s life.

    “I drove up to Denver to see him the day he got sick, I mean I drove for an hour and a half thinking I have no idea what’s about to happen,” Steinert said. “That’s a real feeling that you don’t experience very often. We may lose a kid that’s such an integral part of who we are and a great kid.”

    [divider]

    Doherty boys basketball Schafer Reichart
    Paul Reichart watches his son Schafer during a Jan. 8 game against ThunderRidge. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Schafer was in the hospital for 45 days. Paul and Beth were constantly at his side but the family dynamic had to remain intact. Drew, a freshman at Colorado Springs Christian School at the time, was in the middle of his own basketball season.

    With his parents in Aurora at Schafer’s side, it was Paul’s brother and sister-in-law that held the household structure together.

    At this time, support from across the city was pouring into to help the Reichart family. Three days after Schafer’s hospitalization, Rampart and Doherty met in a Class 5A Colorado Springs Metro League game. The day served multiple purposes as Rampart put on a fundraising effort for Schafer.

    Several players on the Rams roster know Schafer and were both shaken by the news of his illness and eager to do their part to help.

    On Friday, the Rams and Spartans will meet for the first of two CSML showdowns this season. It was mark the first time they’ve played each other since Schafer’s fundraiser and it will also serve as the official re-opening of Doherty’s refurbished gym. During the Spartans’ 49-37 win over ThunderRidge earlier this week, the Reicharts were greeted by a couple of members of Rampart’s team.

    They kept up to date with Schafer’s progress each and every day as did countless people throughout the area.

    “About 1,000 people visited him in the hospital in the 45 days he was there,” Paul said.

    Back home, Drew had to maintain his own life, even with the weight of his hospitalized brother hanging over him.

    A basketball family at heart, the younger Reichart dove into the tasks in front of him in an effort to keep his mind on the possible outcomes.

    “I used basketball and school to take my mind off him,” Drew said. “It’s hard and it’s something I didn’t really want to acknowledge and so I was able to use basketball and school as kind of a distraction.”

    [divider]

    Doherty boys basketball Schafer Reichart
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Schafer started battling enough that he had gotten past the danger of dying. As far as basketball goes, he was far from out of the woods. The risks that came with the ECMO treatment started presenting themselves.

    “His fingers were all black,” Paul said.

    Slowly, his circulation started returning and a complete recovery was suddenly in the cards. In fact, the doctors started giving timelines that his organs would start getting back to their normal functions. But those timelines were off and it became obvious that Schafer was a fighter.

    “They said it’d be like five weeks on ECMO and it was like three days,” Schafer said. “They said it’d be nine months for my kidneys and it was like two months.”

    That became the case with his heart as well. His lungs also recovered, but at this point Paul guesses they’re at about 80 percent capacity.

    “See that? He’s getting tired,” Paul says pointing to Schafer on the floor.

    ThunderRidge knows that Schafer can shoot so their man-to-man defense is designed to keep the ball out of his hands. He’s working harder than he’s used to get open and get off a quality shot.

    He’s held scoreless for the first half of the first quarter against the Grizzlies and finally scores on a reverse layup with 4:02 left.

    [divider]

    Doherty boys basketball Schafer Reichart
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    His level of play didn’t just return over night. It was something he had to get back to and it started with the very basics.

    “I had to learn how to walk again,” Schafer said. “I couldn’t eat anything and I couldn’t drink for like two weeks. I was getting everything through a feeding tube.”

    As summer basketball approached, his doctors gave him the okay to play, but the feeding tube was still in.

    That meant there had to be some care taken when he was on the floor, a condition that Steinert was happy to account for considering the nightmare Schafer had already been through.

    “The doctor said ‘I will allow you to play but don’t take a charge, don’t get in traffic, just go out there and run,’” Steinert said. “And he had a literal feeding tube in.”

    The entire scenario sounded like something that could give a parent fits. A child who had been near death just five months early getting back on the floor a potentially getting knocked around by opposing players.

    Paul waves at the idea like he’s swatting a fly out of the air.

    “After recovering from he went through, basketball was easy,” he said.

    [divider]

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Normalcy has returned to the Reichart family. Drew – now at Doherty and getting announced in the Spartans’ starting lineup with Schafer – is relishing the opportunity to share the floor with his brother.

    “It’s been awesome,” Drew said. “Our chemistry’s great and that helps the team. It’s also a good relationship builder too.”

    The brothers now help each other out when watching film and they get to develop their abilities and mindsets together.

    Those benefits are seen when they’re on the floor.

    It’s been a rough start to the season, but the Spartans are on a three-game winning streak and feel like they’ll contend in the CSML.

    Schafer is a big part of that of that confidence. Steinert has no problem acknowledging just how much he means to the team both on the floor and as an emotional lift.

    “He’s everything you want your kid to be as a parent, he’s everything you want your student to be as a teacher,” Steinert said. “He’s everything you want your players to be. If you want me to show you a Doherty Spartan I’m going to pick Schafer.”

    The fact that Steinert can say that is every bit as remarkable as it is for Paul and Beth to be able to stroll into the Doherty gym on a Wednesday night and watch both of their sons compete.

    At the end of January last year, it would’ve been considered a miracle.

    With Schafer as proof, every once in a while it turns out that miracles do happen.

  • Ball Fever: Big things ahead for 5A/4A boys basketball teams

    George Washington Smoky Hill boys basketball
    (Marcus Gipson/Jmariahimages.com)

    Happy New Year hoops fans! We’re looking forward to an action packed next few months leading us to the Coliseum. It was quite a finish, in and out of state, for our top Class 5A and 4A big school squads to close out 2019. Let’s take a look at what’s ahead this week and we’ll throw in some Holiday Tourney tidbits from December as we go along.

    Stat leaders at the break have been updated and can be found here.

    [divider]

    The Look Ahead

    The rankings were updated coming out of the winter break and there were plenty of changes in each classification.

    Tuesday, Jan. 7

    • We talked a lot about this squad towards the end of last year and knew Mead had a bright future with a ton of young talent. The Mavericks score a hot 75 points per game and are up to No. 2 in our latest 4A rankings. Three players are in double-digit scoring so far led by Elijah Knudson’s 14 points per game. They hit the road against an always tough Windsor team.

    • How rare is it to say that Regis Jesuit is looking for its first win of the year in early January? The Raiders’ search for that win doesn’t get easier as they host a George Washington team coming off a tough tournament visit to Las Vegas. The Patriots are led by junior Kendale Johnson in points, assists, and steals. 9News “Game of the Night” will be in the house for this battle and will provide more insight in next week’s Look Back.

    • Chaparral has dropped from the top 10 and sits just on the outside looking in. Fresh off a 30-point overtime explosion in Chap’s win over Cherry Creek over the weekend, senior Kobe Sanders will look to keep the momentum rolling as the Wolverines visit No. 10 Overland and the double-double machine Ike Graham. Overland usually returns much tougher and tested after their annual visit to the Las Vegas Tarkanian Classic where they held their own in the Platinum division over the holidays. This will be a fun showdown between the Continental and Centennial leagues.

    Wednesday, Jan. 8

    • This slate of game is highlighted by a big top-10 showdown. Sixth-ranked Grandview starts league play on the road at No. 4 Smoky Hill. Arguably the top junior in the state, Jalen Weaver of the Buffaloes, will get this years first look at the Grandview two headed monster of seniors Caleb McGill and Lian Ramiro.

    • An 8-1 start for Eaglecrest results in a move up to No. 2 in 5A. That start includes two out of state wins in the New Mexico Holiday tournament. The Raptors will start league play with a visit from Overland in another top 10 battle. Overland is known for coach Danny Fisher’s team defense and they’ll need it with Zion Ruckard, Skylar Wilson, and Ty Robinson all scoring in double figures for the Raptors this season.

    • Jeffco teams will also be in action as 4A No. 4 Golden faces Littleton. The Demons will look to push the pace as their 67 points per game is a full 10 points more than the Lions’ average.

    • Denver East held steady at No. 3 in the 5A poll. The Fever Crew got to see the new-look Angels live at Mullen during their holiday tournament and sophomore Langston Reynolds gets some well-deserved attention from opponents. But the Angels have a lot more than just Reynolds in fellow sophomore Quis Davis, junior Boston Stanton, and senior leader PJ Steed. The Angels take on Standley Lake.

    • No team in the state has more momentum than No. 1, unbeaten Rangeview. After going 4-0 in their division of the Tarkanian Classic, the Raiders came home and won a tough road test at Columbine on Saturday. They head to Northglenn and will be looking to keep that road warrior mentality alive.

    • Valor Christian’s 3-5 record can be deceiving. The Eagles are playing hard and they proved it in a tough overtime loss to Smoky Hill on Saturday. Valor is another team that journeyed out of state and went 1-3 in Las Vegas Tarkanian Classic. The Eagles have been competitive in every game and will need their best against visiting No. 4 Lincoln and the duo of TJ Bamba and Ty Foster.

    • Columbine’s lone loss on the season came against Rangeview last Saturday and the Rebels are dealing with some injuries but will still count on CU-bound Luke O’Brien to carry a heavy load in a visit from Castle View.

    • Arapahoe went from unranked to a 7-1 record and joined the 5A poll at No. 7 this week. The Warriors will be tested in league early as Mullen pays a visit.

    • Another 7-1 squad off to an early strong start is No. 8 Ralston Valley, another newcomer to the 5A top 10. The Mustangs will be tested as Legend comes in at 6-3.

    Thursday, Jan. 9

    • The top-ranked team in 4A, Cheyenne Mountain, may have the best overall player in the state in New Mexico Lobo-bound senior Javonte Johnson. Johnson earns every ounce of praise because of his effort on both ends of the floor.

    • Mead is back at it again and faces Skyline (5-2) in Game 2 of the week for them.

    • After taking the top spot in the 4A poll, Harrison has dropped a couple notches after a surprising loss to Pueblo West. The Panthers look to bounce back against Elizabeth. Donta Dawson is averaging 20 points and eight rebounds for Harrison.

    • One of the more intriguing matchups of the night is defending 4A champion Lewis-Palmer taking on perennial 5A power Chaparral. Eddie Speller Jr. is playing well, averaging 13 points and seven rebounds per game for L-P. The Rangers will need that, and maybe more, to beat the Wolverines.

    Friday, Jan. 10

    • The Fever Crew got to see a lot of No. 9 Fairview at the Cherry Creek Holiday Classic in December and they have a stud in junior Greyson Carter who is averaging 17 points per game. The Knights will head into the weekend with a game against Loveland.

    • Friday will feature a lot of action from ranked Centennial League teams. Eaglecrest heads to Mullen and Arapahoe travels to Grandview. Both games are worth the price of admission.

    • Falcon hosts No. 5 Lewis Palmer in southern action.

    • Neither team is ranked but that won’t stop this from being a fun game when George Washington heads south to ThunderRidge.

    • Cherokee Trail had some early season injuries and will be a tougher team than the record shows. That will be the case against Smoky Hill. Cherry Creek won’t fall for Overland’s 3-5 record coming into the week. The Bruins know they’re in for a heavyweight match against the Trailblazers every time out. The dynamic will be a blast with Ike Graham on the inside for Overland and Cherry Creek relying on the the perimeter play of Hammond, Purchase and Cole

    Saturday, Jan. 11

    • How cool is this for Denver and the northeast part of town? Only playing varsity hoops for a couple of years, Northfield has risen to No. 8 in the latest 4A poll and hosts Thompson Valley at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

    • There is plenty of fun afternoon action as Mead takes on Battle Mountain and Columbine takes on Regis. Will the Raiders still be looking for first win?

    • In 2013 we called it the “leather vs. blue jean” game (had to be there). Arapahoe will get no top 10 respect from Heritage in this rivalry game.

    • Rangeview will be in action against Brighton at 3:30 p.m.

    • The Lincoln Lancers and TJ Bamba’s 25 points per game head east to take on Vista Peak.

    • Cheyenne Mountain is hosting Vista Ridge at 6 p.m. and Vista will have to deal with Johnson’s 29 points per game.

    • All of those Saturday times listed above were nothing but a set up for the 7 p.m. finale as Chaparral visits No. 3 Denver East. This game has it all, including seasoned veterans and upcoming young talent.

    • These are the Ball Fever Crew top 5A/4A big school boys hoops destinations for the week. Don’t get us wrong, there is a ton of top action in every neighborhood CHSAA represents and we hope you are out there supporting! If you aren’t as tuned in – we’ll be here to help you with a few destinations for the week! Enjoy.

  • New-look Pueblo County girls swimming trying to stay in state title picture

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    The faces of the Pueblo County girls swimming team have changed a lot since the Hornet hoisted the Class 3A runner-up trophy last February. It’s still early in the season, but the results haven’t changed as much as those generating them.

    The Hornets got hit hard from graduation last year, losing Amanda Blickensderfer and Alex Musso. The two seniors were key components to the 200-yard medley relay teams and performed well in individual positions as the Hornets claimed back-to-back second-place finishes. Losing those two and other seniors that graduated from the program would indicate that County is ready to go into rebuilding mode.

    “We graduated 12 seniors,” coach Dan Radiff said. “We’ve been runner-er up two years in a row so you think, well it’s time to start over again. Get things going.”

    That transition seems to be going smoother than Radiff could have hoped for. The Hornets finished sixth as a team at the Cheyenne Mountain Invitational on Dec. 21. That was better than any 3A school at the meet and better than several 4A and 5A programs.

    “I just don’t know what to expect from these schools because of their experience,” he said. “I’m shocked I got all three relays back into the finals (at Cheyenne Mountain). Usually I can only get two.”

    He got to display one of those relay teams right from the get-go. Kandi Liberato, Brooke Musso, Anna Maurello and Adrianna Morrow-Guerrero finished fifth in the 200 medley relay with a time of one minute, 59 seconds.

    Maurello is the lone senior on that relay team and one of the big leaders coming into the year for the Hornets. She’s impressed with the way the rest of this team have just come in and really adopted the mentality that this team has taken into the season for the last few years.

    “We’ve been battling one of those trophies for so many years now that it’s kind of normal for us,” she said. “We just have to stay focused, work hard and support each other.”

    That hard work and support is already showing signs of paying off. Liberato, a junior, has already logged a time of 1:00.06 seconds in the 100 backstroke. That time would have been good enough to finish fifth in the event at state.

    It’s not uncommon for times in December to to be a tad slower than what the swimmers expect them to be to in February. As they build themselves up, teams will target specific meets to shift gears and start competing like they’re at state. For the Hornets, it’s their own meet as they host the Hornet Invite on Jan. 17 and 18.

    “It’s one of the best meets of the entire season,” Maurello said. “We get to prove to everyone that comes that this is our pool and we know how to swim in it.”

    They’ve shown over the last two seasons that they know how to swim. A couple of runner-up trophies are evidence to that fact. And by the time the season is over in February, they’re hoping to add more hardware to show its the overall program, not just a few swimmers that generate successful results.

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • Editor’s picks: Our favorite stories from 2019

    On Thursday, we brought you our most-read stories from the 2019 calendar year. Today, we list some of our favorite stories that have run on CHSAANow this year, ordered chronologically.

    [divider]

    Southern Colorado basketball official Nick Lave calls it a career after 41 years

    Basketball official Nick Lave
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Jan. 4 | By Dan Mohrmann

    For one last time on Thursday night, Nick Lave took the court to do what he has done for 41 years as a basketball official in Colorado. He wanted to make the playing field level and let the kids decide the outcome of the game.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Jaedon Bowles is on a mission to get Manual boys basketball some respect

    Kent Denver Manual boys basketball Jaedon Bowles
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Jan. 18 | By Dan Mohrmann

    After just a few minutes, it’s clear that Manual senior guard Jaedon Bowles belongs on a basketball court.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Brennan Rigsby is helping De Beque boys basketball evolve into a small school power

    (Photo courtesy of Kristie Radel)

    Jan. 25 | By Dan Mohrmann

    A lot of Colorado high school basketball fans will often have a question floating around in their heads: What did Brennan Rigsby do yesterday?

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Remembering the Coach Irv Brown and his lasting impact

    (Photo courtesy of Steve Bell)

    Feb. 12 | By Dennis Pleuss

    Irv Brown guided Arvada High School’s baseball team to a state championship in the spring of 1964.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Ponderosa’s Cohlton Schultz: A once-in-a-generation wrestler who just may be the state’s best

    Ponderosa ThunderRidge wrestling
    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    Feb. 20 | By Ryan Casey

    He was in Slovakia, fresh off making the semifinals in an international tournament, and Cohlton Schultz couldn’t shake the disappointment.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    History made: Three wrestlers become four-time state champions

    State wrestling
    (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Feb. 23 | By Brian Miller

    It was an historic night at Pepsi Center, something that wasn’t lost on those who were there to witness greatness first-hand.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    An epic video recap of the 2019 state wrestling tournament

    Feb. 25 | By Kai Casey

    The 2019 state wrestling tournament saw three four-time champions, and a host of other epic moments over the three days at the Pepsi Center.

    Watch the video here

    [divider]

    DSST: Stapleton boys basketball coach Soco Sandoval thrives on his youth

    (Courtesy photo)

    Feb. 28 | By Dan Mohrmann

    Sometimes an age gap is overrated. That certainly appears to be the case for the boys basketball team at DSST: Stapleton.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Grandview girls basketball leaning on youth in big moments

    Grandview girls basketball Lauren Betts
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    March 7 | By Brian Miller

    Last March, Lauren Betts was an eighth-grade student watching Grandview’s girls basketball team win a second consecutive Class 5A state championship at the Denver Coliseum.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Pine Creek baseball’s Riley Cornelio brings next-level heat

    Pine Creek baseball Riley Cornelio
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    March 27 | By Dan Mohrmann

    As the Pine Creek hitters get their practice swings in before game time, a very distinct noise can be heard off the third base foul line.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Unified bowling, girls wrestling and boys volleyball become sanctioned sports

    2019 Legislative Council meeting
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    April 24 | By Ryan Casey

    Unified bowling, girls wrestling and boys volleyball were all approved in a vote by the Legislative Council during its annual meeting on Wednesday. 

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Yuma’s Paul Brophy wasn’t going to let cancer keep him off the baseball field

    (Courtesy of Laurie Kjosness)

    April 24 | By Dan Mohrmann

    Yuma pitcher Paul Brophy might be the toughest student-athlete in Colorado. One look at his stat line in MaxPreps will show casual fans that he’s certainly good at baseball, but sometimes measuring toughness is difficult to do.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Girls track: Valor Christian’s Anna Hall puts the finishing touches on a remarkable career; other top performances from the meet

    (Brad Cochi/CHSAANow.com)

    May 18 | By Brad Cochi

    Five weeks ago, Anna Hall’s ankle was in a boot and with her final Colorado track and field state championships in doubt, the Valor Christian senior wasn’t doing much smiling around that time.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Spurs guard Derrick White, a Legend grad, reflects on the impact of high school basketball

    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    June 27 | By Ryan Casey

    In the same fieldhouse where he had once been a camper, and later a coach at camps, Derrick White hosted his inaugural Basketball Academy this week, drawing hundreds of attendees who ranged from elementary high school.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Prairie’s Hannah Kinnison shows that Division I volleyball talent is littered throughout Colorado

    (Kevin Saffer/MaxPreps)

    July 22 | By Dan Mohrmann

    A stigma sometimes exists in high school sports that if an athlete wants to play their sport at a high level in college, they must play at a big high school.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Golden’s softball twins present double trouble for opponents

    (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Aug. 16 | By Dennis Pleuss

    The offensive numbers Golden’s identical twins Makayla and Makenzie Middleton have put up the previous three seasons on the softball field is mind boggling.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Front Range golf tournament experiments with complete digital scoring

    DPL boys golf Varsity Cup
    (Marlee Smith/CHSAANow.com)

    Aug. 16 | By Dan Mohrmann

    The Front Range golf tournament that was played at Riverdale Knolls this past Wednesday was yet another sign that high school athletics are moving further into the digital age.

    Read the full story here

    [divider]

    Kit Carson’s small-town environment provides a memorable game day experience to its football team

    (Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos)

    Aug. 18 | By Dan Mohrmann

    Roughly 20 minutes after journeying southbound from the junction of Colorado Highways 94 and U.S. Route 287, passing cars roll into a small community that houses a dominant football program.

    Read the full story here

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    Air Academy RB Sam Beers has rushed for 12 TDs in the past two games

    Air Academy Cheyenne Mountain football Sam Beers
    (Derek Lee/CHSAANow.com)

    Sept. 27 | By Derek Lee

    Lightning threatened before game time and rain drizzled down as well, but Sam Beers brought the thunder all game long.

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    Steamboat Springs volleyball coach Wendy Hall wins 500th career match

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Oct. 4 | By Ryan Casey

    Wendy Hall joined elite company on Thursday night as she won her 500th career match.

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    Alameda boys soccer building something special

    (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Oct. 7 | By Dennis Pleuss

    Alameda International boys soccer coach Cesar Alcocer is helping to set a new standard.

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    Erie slugger Kat Sackett is hitting a ton of homers — when teams decide to pitch to her

    Kat Sackett Erie softball
    (Paul Soriano)

    Oct. 10 | By Paul Soriano

    Game days for Erie softball star Kat Sackett are a walk in the park — literally.

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    State gymnastics: Thornton’s Hailey Like shines during individual event finals

    (Paul Soriano/CHSAANow.com)

    Nov. 9 | By Paul Soriano

    Thornton’s Hailey Like put the rest of Class 5A on notice Saturday at the state gymnastics individual event finals.

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    A look back at the 2019 state volleyball tournament

    Nov. 20 | By Boogie Brown Media

    A dramatic look back at the 2019 state volleyball tournament, including all the dogpiles, celebrations and championship moments.

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    Video: A look back at the 2019 4A and 5A football championships

    Dec. 9 | By Boogie Brown Media

    It was an epic Championship Saturday at Mile High during the 4A and 5A state football championships.Watch the video

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    Sargent one of many schools benefiting from state spirit’s new game day division

    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Dec. 6 | By Dan Mohrmann

    Throughout a given school year, the most exposure that fans have to their respective schools spirit teams are what they see on the sidelines during other competitions. The purpose of those teams is to generate excitement and enthusiasm for football, basketball or volleyball teams.

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