LAKEWOOD — Thursday night in Lakewood High School’s gym was the first match for Columbine’s wrestling team without Ray Barron.

The legendary prep wrestling coach passed away last October after a battle with brain cancer.

“I loved having him with me. It was one of the things we did together was coach,” said Luke Barron, Ray’s son and now co-head wrestling coach with John Alley. “But he was still with me tonight. He is always with me.”

Columbine senior Zach Schraeder, left, listens to coach John Alley during a match Thursday night at Lakewood High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Ray Barron finished his 50 years of coaching on top with Jack Forbes and Zach Schraeder winning individual state championship titles for the Rebels last February at Pepsi Center in Denver. Forbes took the Class 5A 182-pound state title and Schraeder won the heavyweight match.

“That always comes back to me over-and-over again in my head,” Schraeder said of being the last wrestler Ray Barron coached at the state tournament. Ray placed his own wrestling shoes at the center of the mat following Schraeder’s victory. “It’s one of those things that I really don’t have words for. I’m very honored to be one of his last wrestlers.”

Alley and Luke Barron decided to take over Columbine’s wrestling program.

“It’s been good,” Luke Barron said of him and Alley taking over the Rebels’ wrestling program as co-head coaches. “We each bring something different to the team. All the coaches bring something different. It comes together to form something that is so awesome. We have a wrestling room that has so much fun and is full of smiles.”

Both wrestled for Ray Barron and have been on the Rebels’ coaching staff.

“Ray’s legacy is amazing. It can’t be replicated really,” Alley said. “We are definitely trying to keep the values that he instilled in athletes and students. We want to keep that true to what he taught.”

Columbine — No. 8 in the preseason On The Mat rankings — returns a number of wrestlers from last year’s squad. Including, Forbes and Schraeder who hope to defend their state titles.

Columbine’s Brandon Phagan, left, battles with Chatfield’s David Wiley during the first wrestling action of the season Thursday night at Lakewood High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Forbes didn’t see much action in the pair of duals against Chatfield and Lakewood. The 195-pounder got more action during warm-ups and jumping rope on the sidelines during matches.

“It would have been nice to wrestle,” said Forbes, who took a pair of forfeit victories on the night during the Rebels’ 36-21 and 54-24 dual victories over their 5A Jeffco League rivals. “It is nice to be back on the mats. It’s fun to be back out here encouraging my teammates.”

Forbes said he has worked hard on his own during the COVID-19 pandemic that has shortened the high school wrestling season in Colorado. He has also done some out-of-state club tournaments to prepare for the season.

“I’ve got to work that much harder because it’s a shorter season,” Forbes said. “I’ve got some tough guys in the bracket obviously.”

Forbes is ranked No. 2 at 195 behind last year’s state champion at 195 pounds — Pomona senior Franklin Cruz.

Schraeder took a forfeit victory against Chatfield before pinning Lakewood sophomore Andrew Martinez. Schraeder got the Rebels’ bench excited after a sprawling escape to start the second period, followed up by a takedown.

“Since we do have a shortened season it’s tough to get those matches in that are crucial to figure out what you need to work on,” said Schraeder, who is No. 1 in the heavyweight preseason rankings.

“They (Forbes and Schraeder) are working hard. They keep their noses to the grindstone,” Alley said. “Those two wrestlers have an unbelievable understanding and connection with Ray Barron. They are working just as hard as if Ray is still there.”

The for Columbine’s wrestling program … Ray Barron is still motivating all Rebel wrestlers on and off the mat.

“Ray was an amazing guy,” Forbes said. “He built this team from when we really weren’t that good. He got us to where we are right now. We all keep him in our hearts. Whenever it gets tough we think about him to push through. Ray was the foundation of this team.”

While the wrestling season looks very different in many ways, Luke Barron knows his Dad is be proud of how Columbine wrestling program performed Thursday night.

“He just loved seeing kids get a chance to compete,” Luke Barron said. “Luckily, through all the hard work of people we have been able to overcome everything to compete this year. The smile on his face getting to see kids do stuff like this was always so big. You can’t see it because of the mask, but I’m smiling pretty big to tonight. It was lots of fun.”

Columbine’s Darrell Miller works on pinning Lakewood’s Nolan Hoefner during the 170-pound match Thursday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Dakota Ridge’s boys basketball team hopes to be in the mix for a Class 5A Jeffco League title this year after finishing tied for third last season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

LITTLETON — Dakota Ridge’s boys basketball team won’t be making any excuses this season.

“I’ve decided as a program that we were never going to complain about rules, masks, games or the season,” Dakota Ridge boys basketball coach Sean Kovar said after practice Jan. 20. “As long as we get a chance to come together as brothers to be a family. We are just super excited to be here with balls bouncing and shoes squeaking.”

While every high school basketball team across the state will be dealing with COVID-19 pandemic rules and regulations, the Eagles took a big hit before players took the court for official practices this week. Taeshaud Jackson Jr. — Class 5A Jeffco League first-team all-conference selection last season as a junior — won’t be on the court for Dakota Ridge.

Dakota Ridge boys basketball coach Sean Kovar works with players during the first week of practice. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Jackson decided to leave Dakota Ridge and Colorado to enrolled in a California prep school. He averaged a double-double last season with 15.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.

“I was obviously disappointed for our program because I knew what an awesome kid and player he was, but we totally supported him in his decision,” Kovar said of Jackson. “Anyone who comes through our program we want the best for them. He was in a situation where he could better his situation and we completely supported that. We are excited to see where he ends up playing at the next level.”

Jackson had been catching the eyes of Division I programs.

Dakota Ridge would have had a formidable one-two inside punch with the 6-foot-6 Jackson and 6-foot-8 senior Gino Corridori.

“It was for sure disappointing, but Taeshaud is my brother and I want the best for him,” Corridori said. “Obviously I would have liked him to stay, but it was his decision at the end of the day.”

A positive for the Eagles is having Corridori back at 100 percent. Corridori averaged 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds last season, but in only 10 games. A broken wrist kept Corridori on the bench for the first half of the season.

“It’s huge,” Kovar said of having Corridori back. “He is a leader and is one of our rocks. We play through him a lot. Over the last four years he is one of the most improved players we’ve ever seen come through our program. He can do it all.”

Dakota Ridge senior Gino Corridori has already signed to continue his basketball career at Western Colorado University after graduation. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Western Colorado University saw the talent too. Corridori has already signed to play basketball at the Division II program in Gunnison. Before heading off to the next level, Corridori sees the Eagles as a 10-win team during the shorted 14-game regular season.

“It feels great because I know I can contribute right way this year,” Corridori said. “It was hard to watch last year.”

Dakota Ridge played its best basketball last year in the playoffs. As the No. 41 seed in the state tournament, the Eagles upset No. 24 Doherty in the opening round. Dakota Ridge nearly clipped rival and No. 9 Columbine in the second round. The Rebels were able to rally late to escape with a narrow 59-54 victory.

“We always talk about playing our best basketball at the end during the state tournament,” Kovar said. “I felt like we were there last year and had a really good chance to beat a really good team. It just didn’t go our way.”

Kovar is counting on his other three seniors — Hunter Hickman, Joel Dominic and Jonathan Junker — on leading Dakota Ridge into the Eagles’ season that begins Jan. 27 with a road game at Legend.

“You definitely have to come out with a different mindset,” said Hickman, who was a 5A Jeffco League honorable mention selection last season. “You can’t just go out and get a handful of preseason games under your belt. We have to come out hitting it hard.”

Dakota Ridge senior Hunter Hickman, left, returns as a Class 5A Jeffco League honorable mention selection last year. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

(Dustin Price/DustinPricePhotography.com)

Two years ago was the best feeling that Wes Ryan and the De Beque Dragons could have ever hoped for. They were standing on the floor of Massari Arena, hoisting the Class 1A boys basketball state championship.

It was a moment that the team will never forget, and one that it badly wants to experience again.

As the 2021 season kicked off on Monday, the CHSAANow.com No. 2 Dragons feel they have the pieces and the mental wherewithal to battle through the season and emerge with yet another state championship win.

“The ultimate goal is always going to be that state championship,” Ryan said.

That was certainly the goal a year ago. After claiming the program’s first boys basketball title since 1998, the Dragons entered the 2020 state tournament as the No. 4 seed. A three-point loss to Briggsdale ended any dreams of a repeat, though the tournament would eventually be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the loss still stung. With as much offseason work that could be done, the Dragons now enter the 2021 refreshed and a bit more focused on the task at hand.

“The whole team has been a lot more mature on and off the court,” Ryan said. “There were a few problems that we had last year that we’re not really noticing this year.”

What they will notice is Ryan’s production that he hopes to carry over from last year. As a junior, he averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds per game which was a big reason why his team again advanced to the 1A state tournament.

“Wes brings so much,” De Beque coach Jake Higuera said. “He brings leadership. He brings all of the knowledge of being one of our main guys as a sophomore. He has such a strong work ethic. And as good as he’s been in the past, he’s looking pretty solid this year.”

Jaden Jordan is also back for his senior season after averaging nearly 13 points and over seven rebounds per game. He also led the Dragons in assists with nearly five per game.

Junior Logan Winfield scored just under 10 points per game and should increase his role this season. At 6-foot-5, Dante Dejulio should provide a strong presence in the post to round out a solid group of players hoping to fulfill their championship ambitions.

“The guys that are coming back, it’s a good core of guys,” said. “They understand this year that it was tough transitioning to the role that everyone had (after they had won a title). Not really knowing what to expect. I think our boys have an idea of what to expect this season.”

What they should expect is a tough gauntlet of competition in the 1A field. Mile High Academy enters the season as the No. 1-ranked team and Briggsdale, the team toppled the Dragons in the 1A tournament, is sitting at No. 5.

It’s going to be a challenge ahead for any team looking to be the final one standing when the season is over. But many De Beque players know the feeling of claiming a championship and are heading into the 2021 hoping to experience that feeling once again.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

In one of the most thrilling finishes in recent memory, Rampart came up just shy of claiming a third straight Class 4A girls swimming championship last winter.

It was a tough experience but a well-learned lesson for the Rams, who have every intention reaching that championship level for the 2021 season.

And there is plenty of reason to think they can do it. For starters, they have the returning 4A swimmer of the year in Lindsey Immel back and in a mindset to help the Rams achieve their championship dreams.

On top of performing at a peak level at last year’s state meet, Immel also learned that even if it a team gives its all, it may not come away with a championship. That’s not deterring her or the Rams, only making them want to work for it that much more.

“With the shortened season, it’s going to make everyone want to work harder,” Immel said. “We don’t have that time to warm up, we just have to get straight into it. For a lot of us, we’re going in looking to have fun.”

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Immel grabbed wins in the 200-yard medley relay, the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle to earn swimmer of the year honors last year. She also won the medley, 100 freestyle and the 400 freestyle relay in 2019 which also led to her receiving first-team all-state honors.

This year, she’s looking to cap of a stellar high school swimming career and even as soon as the first day of official practice, she made her presence known as an established veteran of the team.

“She showed up ready to go,” coach Dan Greene said. “She took charge of the pool right away when she came in.”

She’s been competing in the sport long enough to understand that the focus cannot be on just her. The effort the Rams put together three years ago was good enough to clinch its first 4A girls swim title in program history.

It’s a team component in high school swimming that is uniquely valued with coaches and athletes. And while the swimmers can only control their own performances, they still know how crucial it is to bond and compete as a team when shooting for a common goal, such as a team swim title.

“Swimming is such an individual sport when you really look at it,” Immel said. “But your team is really the most important thing when you’re at state. I individually swam the best that I could and everyone on the team individually swam the best that they could that day. It’s all about supporting one another.”

Having been a recipient of two state championships and also a very close runner-up, Immel knows the feeling of that final day and knows how much effort is required through the course of the season to fulfill that goal.

That’s why the team is in such good hands as competition starts next week.

“She’s in a good position to be a leader on the team,” Greene said. “She’s already been a leader in the past, but as a senior I’d like to see how she steps up and does it”

Green Mountain sophomore Jayda Maves squares up for a 3-pointer during practice on Jan. 19. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain girls basketball was one of last high school basketball teams to play before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown prep sports in Colorado.

The Rams walked off the court at the Denver Coliseum on the night of March 12, 2020 after a 38-31 Class 4A state semifinal loss to Holy Family. That night would be the final action of the 2019-20 prep season in Colorado with the remainder of the state basketball tournaments cancelled, along with the entire spring sports season due to the pandemic.

Green Mountain junior Avery Oaster has the Rams focused on another solid season after going undefeated in Class 4A Jeffco League play last year. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“It has been a long off-season for every program and coach in the state,” Green Mountain girls basketball coach Darren Pitzner said during the second day of official practice Jan. 19 at Green Mountain High School. “I want to give credit to our coaches across the state. Our coaches have pivoted more times than a Courtney Hank (4A Jeffco League MVP last season) step-through.”

Little did the 4A Jeffco League champion know it wouldn’t be back on the court until more than 10 months later to start its follow-up campaign from a 24-3 record and first state semifinal state appearance.

“It’s been a challenge. It’s been hard,” Green Mountain junior Avery Oaster said of the past 10 months. “The first step was just to get us together. We do have a promising season coming up.”

Changes in the Colorado High School Activities Association seasons has trimmed nearly a month and a half off a basketball normal year. Teams across all classifications are allowed 14 regular-season games and a scheduled 32-team 4A state tournament beginning March 9.

“It feels a lot longer than 10 months ago, that’s for sure,” Green Mountain senior Courtney Hank said talking about the state semifinal appearance. “It was definitely challenging missing out on the team (summer) camps we normally do where you really can bond early as a team. It will be interesting to see how that effects us going into the season.”

However, the Rams do have the advantage of several key pieces returning from last year’s historic team. First-team 4A Jeffco League all-conference selections Oaster and Hank return, along with second-team selections in junior Shea Murphy and sophomore Jayda Maves.

“The junior class this year has all been playing together since they were in elementary school,” Hank said. “We are all really good friends off the court too that really helps I think when it comes to chemistry.”

Green Mountain senior Courtney Hank (right), last year’s Class 4A Jeffco League MVP, led the Rams in scoring, rebounding and block shots last season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Hank is the lone senior on what is still a fairly young roster. The returning MVP knows the graduation of Maddie Phillips (7.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game) leaves a void, but Green Mountain has a pair of 6-foot freshmen — Marae Riley and Taylor Ellington — who could develop into filling a key role.

“We’ll do a good job building off what we did last year, but we also have a lot of new talent that will be fun to see,” Hank said.

Green Mountain — No. 3 in the CHSAANow.com 4A girls basketball preseason rankings — opens its season Jan. 29 in a non-league game on the road against Lakewood.

“With our first games versus Lakewood and Ponderosa against two really well-coached teams and good programs,” Pitzner said. “I think our kids are really motivated and excited to finally get going.”

While Oaster said the team is focused on successfully defending its 4A Jeffco League title and another deep postseason run, Pitzner takes the big picture approach with the high school basketball season getting underway and continues to maneuver through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My goals are to help kids through this challenging time,” Pitzner said of his focus this season. “I want to help my kids become the best they can with the opportunities they have. The big picture is helping our kids through this difficult time, rise to the occasion and fight through adversity.”

Green Mountain girls basketball coach Darren Pitzner guided the Rams to their best record in school history last season with a 24-3 mark while advancing to the Class 4A state semifinals. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

Lauren Betts’ list of accomplishments is likely going to outgrow her 6-foot-7 frame. The Grandview girls basketball standout was hard to miss (literally) during her freshman campaign, a campaign in which she averaged 12.7 points per game.

Now, less than two years later, she’s on the map as not just one of the top the recruits in her class, but the top recruit for all girls basketball players graduating in 2022.

She’s accomplished a lot and she still has plenty of time left to accomplish even more.

It’s a scary thought considering how much of a difference she makes for the Wolves when she’s on the court. Growing up, she was bouncing around Europe watching her dad, Andrew, play pro ball. She developed a natural love for the game and shortly after her freshman season at Grandview, she started figuring out just how high her ceiling in the sport was.

(USA Basketball)

“Once I made the USA (U16) team, I knew my life would change,” Betts said. “I knew everything would be different. After my freshman year I just went with the flow of things and kept working so I didn’t expect anything. I just kept working hard.”

Height can’t be taught in a basketball player, but true fundamentals of the game can develop in any player. Betts has clear advantage as a post player when it comes to her size, but it’s her continuously polishing game that has really made her the No. 1 recruit in the nation.

“The touch and the fell that she has, that’s one of the things that separates her,” Grandview coach Josh Ulitzky said. “Typically you don’t see kids with that height that coordinated. That is the thing that has been so intriguing through the course of her recruitment.”

That recruitment led to a big-time decision for the high school junior. She announced on Twitter this week that she’ll head to Palo Alto and join three other Colorado graduates in Ashten Prechtel (Discovery Canyon), Fran Belibi (Regis Jesuit) and Jana Van Gytenbeek (Cherry Creek) and play for the Stanford Cardinal.

For the better part of three years now, Stanford has simply walked into the state, taken some its best stuff and walked right back out the door.

“The academics are huge over there,” Betts said. “We have a lot of smart girls here in Colorado.”

And it seems those smart girls have the ability to play some hoops as well.

“Colorado girls are definitely underrated,” Betts said. “I don’t think we’re super cocky, we don’t have to talk about ourselves and we don’t have to hype ourselves up. We just work hard and don’t really want the attention.”

Moving forward, Betts is going to have plenty of attention. It starts next week when teams officially begin practice for the upcoming season. Grandview was one of just four teams to officially advance to a state title game last spring before the tournaments were called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coming so close and not being able to close the season out is something that Betts and her teammates have on their minds as play is set begin on Jan. 25.

“We are not messing around,” Betts said. “We all talked and we are starting the season strong because we don’t have time to settle into things. We have to get after it right away.”

(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

(Photo courtesy of Denver South/Adam Kelsey)

In mid-March, the world was on the verge of changing. What was commonly referred to as just “the coronavirus” had started sweeping its way through the United States and impacting the daily lives of millions of people.

In Colorado, the first day of the final weekend of the state basketball tournaments had been played, but that night they were called off.

Two months later, Denver South girls basketball coach Wayne McDonald was in a hospital bed. He had two questions for his wife.

“I asked her who won the NBA championship,” McDonald said. “That’s when I found out that life hadn’t just changed for me, but changed for others. There was no NBA champion. I asked her who won the state basketball playoffs. There were no state basketball playoffs.”

That was heartbreaking for McDonald. He understands the hard work that goes into a season and wanted someone, even if it’s not his team to experience that hard work paying off. But his hard work was only just beginning.

As the country was stunned hearing news that members of the Utah Jazz had tested positive for what is now known as COVID-19, McDonald was just about to begin his fight against the virus. The shutdown of the NBA on March 11 triggered a snowball effect that would culminate in stay at home orders in nearly every state in the country and the effects are still being felt today.

Within a week, McDonald was on a ventilator at Rose Medical Center and the prognosis was uncertain, at best.

“I think it was about March the 15th,” McDonald recalls. “I remember coming home and I felt like I had the flu, and I just thought I’ve had the flu before, I’ll get over it.”

After falling twice while trying to get out of bed one night, a trip to the doctor was in order. That’s where everything got scary.

“My wife and my son takes me to the doctor and they told my wife to leave the room,” he said. “And the rest of the story, I can’t tell you. I just can’t tell you.”

Not because he doesn’t want to, but because he has no recollection.

Waking up was just the first step of a very long road to recovery for McDonald. He remained in the hospital, only able to talk to his family via Zoom or FaceTime. The fight for his life was the most important battle ahead. But it was tough seeing a man who had turned the South girls basketball program around and led it to its first league championship taken down so hard by something that was so unknown at the time.

“I certainly was hoping that it was going to be a happy ending, but it certainly was in my mind,” athletic director Adam Kelsey said. “This is like one of the most beloved coaches in our school and is an incredibly meaningful person in the lives of all these girls.”

Kelsey was one of the few who was able to actually go into the hospital to visit McDonald. That was a pretty significant moment considering the limitations that had been placed on hospital visits. But it was significant in the way it helped kickstart McDonald’s road to recovery.

If there was any doubt in just how much, the Denver community loves the veteran coach, it was erased the day he was released from the hospital. First, McDonald got a standing ovation from hospital staff, a common ritual when COVID patients were released, then he received a welcome sight.

Players, past and present, were there to root him on for the next stage of the process.

“It was something very breathtaking and it was an emotional day,” McDonald said. “I gotta tell you, I’m probably at the best school in Colorado. My basketball team was up there and coaches were out there. Parents were up there when I was getting ready to get released and I was so just taken back that I have been a part of these young ladies lives, and I’m telling you, there were players that came from Montbello from my Montbello coaching days, there was players that came from Overland and then my South girls came and it was just so emotional.”

(Photo courtesy of Denver South/Adam Kelsey)

And they were there to remind him just how important the work was going to be from here on out. One thing that Kelsey pointed out about McDonald’s effectiveness as a coach is his ability to motivate his team.

Part of that effectiveness is establishing a motto, a theme, for his team each year. In a year where McDonald survived COVID and worked his way back to health enough that just three weeks ago, he deemed himself healthy enough to coach, surely the experience would play into what he wants his team to focus on.

“He always does a great job of creating a theme for the year,” Kelsey said. “He’s had different ones over the few years he’s been there and I wonder what his theme will be for this year.”

McDonald is going back to an oldie but a goody: No days off, no plays off.

He had to take that to heart as he began rehabbing from his time in the hospital. He had to learn the simplest of tasks all over again, such as how to walk. He had dropped 70 pounds during his battle against COVID.

He had to work to get it all back.

It was tough task considering what he had been through, but as he tells his girls through the course of a season: No days off, no plays off.

“That was the fight in me: no days off,” McDonald said. “I remember a young lady coming to the hospital, had the shirt on and they looked at me and they yelled out of the crowd, they said, ‘Coach, no days off, no plays off.’ And that told me a lot. I needed to kick in, I needed to do what I needed to do with therapy. I need to do what I need to do to be able to walk again, I need to gain some weight. I just needed to adhere to our message, to our thing. And that encouragement, it did encourage me.”

It encouraged him enough to get done what he needed to get done. He was able to join Kelsey at Denver South’s annual fundraiser golf tournament, although he couldn’t fully play. He’s worked his way back into his regular life.

And when girls basketball practice officially begins on Jan. 18, he’ll be on the court with the girls he loves to coach.

He’ll be right where he belongs.

(Photo courtesy of Denver South/Adam Kelsey)

(Kevin McNearny)

Among the many changes for high school hockey this year comes a very important one, one that would’ve been made even if COVID-19 hadn’t reared its ugly head on planet Earth.

Hockey is growing in the high school ranks and because of that, an additional classification has added to play for the 2021 season. The sport is now split into Class 5A and 4A which signifies significant interest in the sport as well as increased opportunities for student-athletes, which is in line with the values of high school athletics.

“It’s heading in the right direction,” Battle Mountain coach Derek Bryon said. “I think if we can continue to grow both levels of 4A and 5A, we’re going to put out some really competitive hockey and it only gives kids more opportunities to be successful as teams and programs.”

Since 2017, eight total teams have advanced to the state hockey semifinals. Of those eight, three teams (Regis Jesuit, Chaparral and Valor Christian) have gone three times. Regis Jesuit had made the semis every year in that span.

With the growth of the number of kids playing and the programs that are starting throughout the state, the addition of a 4A class just made too much sense and gives coaches and players alike renewed enthusiasm for those additional opportunities.

“We’re here in Crested Butte with a population of maybe 10,000 people,” Crested Butte coach Billy Watson said. “We don’t have a big pool of kids to pull from and even when it was just (one classification), we played those teams very competitively, but I think it gives our kids a new opportunity. It’s a good way to do this, to classify those (bigger) teams.”

This isn’t a situation that’s unique to hockey. In recent years, additional classifications have been added to sports such as girls lacrosse, girls golf, girls swimming, girls tennis, and boys lacrosse. There is consistently talk of adding additional classes in football, basketball, and girls volleyball.

It’s an indication that high school athletics, as whole, continue to grow and see more participation.

As that happens, there will be a natural classification system put in place in order to maintain a level of competitive balance for programs throughout the state.

“These small mountain towns like ours, we’re not going to have 200 kids at tryouts,” Byron said. “We’re going to take everyone that comes and to have the opportunity to compete against smaller schools that are doing the same thing is big for us.”

Perhaps the most exciting prospect about an additional class is the addition of a second state championship game. In recent years, Ball Arena (formerly Pepsi Center) has hosted the state hockey championship and the opportunity to provide more kids with the experience of playing on the same sheet of ice as the Colorado Avalanche is something that everyone can get behind.

“Playing at any kind of NHL arena, the atmosphere is great,” Watson said. “The kids feel like they’re professionals and it’s kind of cool. This gives them a taste of what it’s like to play at that level and if they have that motivation to continue their growth, this will be great for the kids.”

(Photo courtesy of Kristen Hill)

Unlucky is definitely a word that can be associated with the Estes Park boys basketball season in 2020. What could have been a promising season got derailed with injuries across the board.

But moving forward, the team has a promising outlook. Last year’s team didn’t have a single senior depart the squad and it even featured one of the top scorers in Class 3A in Ethan Hill.

But it was the way that the 2019-20 season played out that might be the biggest key in the Bobcats turning around their 8-15 record from a year ago.

“I had some inexperienced players that received varsity experience that wouldn’t have otherwise,” coach Jason Reetz said. “Our depth will be a lot better this year because of that.”

Thirteen players recorded varsity minutes for the Bobcats last year, but only six of them played in more than 11 games. Junior Kian Gerig averaged 10.4 points per game but didn’t play after Dec. 20. In his final game of the year, he scored 13 points to help Estes Park beat Heritage Christian 59-57.

From that point on, Hill became the focal point of the Bobcats’ offense. He finished the year averaging 19.3 points per game and didn’t score fewer than 10 points in any game after the Heritage Christian win.

“When everybody went down and out last year, I could see it Ethan’s eyes, the weight of the world was on his shoulders,” Reetz said. “He wanted to do more and more.”

Moving forward, Reetz hopes that some of the other players will grow into their roles and provide more support for Hill so that the team can be effective through several players instead of just him.

Reetz will look to someone like JD McCown to help carry the load. Of the players who played in more than 11 games, McCown ended the year as the No. 2 scorer on the team at 8.8 points per game.

“One man can’t get it done by himself,” Reetz said. “Ethan’s role is going to be pushing the rest of the guys to do their job and be where they need to be.”

The Patriot League has always had its fair share of talented basketball teams and players. Estes Park is hoping it can insert itself into that conversation. The combination of more players with varsity experience and the leading scorer in the league is going to make Estes Park a team that won’t be easy to deal with.

“The whole Patriot League thinks all we have is Ethan,” Reetz said. “It’s everything else that’s going to have to fly under the radar.”

The offseason work has been creative this year as it has for all teams, but the Bobcats are anxious to get on the floor when it counts for real and emerge as a legitimate threat in all of 3A.

Paul Shepardson / Paul Shepardson Photography

Jordan Woolverton knew Durango had something special brewing heading into the 2020 football season.

Just a year earlier, the Demons looked poised to make a run to the Class 3A state title game before falling short against Pueblo South. That loss provided a mental spark for the team, specifically quarterback Jordan Woolverton.

Once Durango hit the field, the team looked nearly unstoppable as it accomplished a major goal in winning the 3A state title — the first state football crown since 1954 and the first outright state title in program history — and along the way, Woolverton was named the 3A player of the year.

Simply having the goal of winning a state title wasn’t enough for the Demons to achieve it. In order to get there, they had to focus on the smaller, more specialized goals that would ultimately serve as the fuel behind the championship run in 2020.

“A state championship is always the goal,” Woolverton said. “But the goals behind that goal were all about coming together as a team and playing together and holding each other accountable.”

The Demons were slated to open the season against Pueblo South, the very team that eliminated them from the 2019 playoffs, but COVID-19 had other plans. Durango was forced to wait a week before making its 2020 debut. A trip to Colorado Springs and a 64-0 win over Mitchell certainly got the attention of plenty of teams from around the state.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

But Woolverton doesn’t think the Demons were legitimately viewed as a threat until the next week when they beat Pueblo County 49-21. Oddly enough, it was a game in which Woolverton missed the entire second half because of an injured shoulder which might’ve shown just how much Durango was operating as a full team.

“A lot of people had us losing that game to Pueblo County,” Woolverton said. “That didn’t sit well with us because we knew what we could do. After we won that one, that opened people’s eyes.”

They closed that out then won their final three regular season games by two scores each. In fact, the Demons finished each game comfortably going through the playoffs and all the way to the state title game against Roosevelt.

Woolverton found Gage Mestas for a wide-open touchdown throw in the first quarter to get the Durango scoring effort going.

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

A big touchdown run from Ben Finneseth ripped off a long touchdown run to tie the game and then Woolverton saved his best throw for a big moment. He found Mestas again for a big touchdown throw to put Durango ahead for good. Woolverton looked right at home on the biggest stage of his high school football career.

“I feel like I’ve been playing on big stages my whole life,” he said. “I wasn’t too anxious about playing on a big stage, I think I just kept going with the (flow) of the game.”

Durango hoisted the championship trophy and the 2020 team secured a permanent place in the program’s legacy. But Woolverton refuses to allow praise to go to anyone else other than the full roster.

“It was a full team effort,” Woolverton said. “Those five guys up front were the center of our team this year. They got us to where we were and got us those big wins. They were the piece of the team that came together the most. When people talk about our team in the future, I hope they talk about those five guys up front and our team as a whole.”

(Brad Cochi)