CHSAANow

Category: Features

  • After a pair of runner-up finishes in 2A, Yuma girls basketball hungry for top billing

    Yuma Lutheran girls basketball
    Logan Hixon (3) is a returning all-state player for Yuma this season. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    [dropcap]P[/dropcap]laying for a state championship is a desire that burns deep for every high school program.

    So in that instance, the Yuma Indians consider themselves extremely fortunate. In each of the previous two seasons, Yuma has found itself playing for the Class 2A state title in girls basketball. Just a few weeks ago the Indians also competed for the 2A volleyball crown, with a handful of basketball players on the roster.

    Those are experiences no one would consider trading. The only negative? The Indians were the runner-up each time.

    “Going in and just getting second kind of ticks you off,” said Yuma senior Katrina Terrell, who played in all three of the title games. “It shows you can get that close, and if you’d just done a little more you might’ve won it. Going into the next season it just gives you that drive and hunger to win it.”

    That drive and hunger are ever present for the Indians’ girls basketball team headed into the 2014-15 season. Yuma hasn’t won a state title in the sport since 1997, and second will no longer cut it for a team eager to take its turn atop the 2A mountain.

    “We have one goal right now, and it’s obviously a very lofty goal because there are several good teams,” Yuma coach Mike Neill said. “But we have one goal and that’s to win a state championship.

    “What these girls have done the last three to four years is just amazing for Yuma girls basketball.”

    The core of the current squad, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, consists mainly of juniors. All-state point guard Logan Hixon, Peighton Roth and Tara Traphagan, along with Terrell, saw playing time in the 2012 championship game, which ended with a 53-36 loss to Akron.

    A year ago the squad had only one loss entering the state tournament. Yuma easily won its first two games before falling to Lutheran 47-35 in the finale.

    Yuma Lutheran girls basketball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Even after losing Marina Hansen and Caitlyn Murphy to graduation, Yuma returns four starters from that team. Hixon averaged 15.1 points per game and Roth averaged 11.1. Terrell was third on the team in rebounding.

    Four juniors will start this winter, with Taryn Baucke and Mariya Mekelburg added to the team’s strong junior class.

    “As juniors we’ve been playing together for quite a while,” Hixon said. “The team chemistry is great.”

    Hixon and Roth were lights out from 3-point range a year ago, with the two guards combining for 126 treys between them. Baucke figures into the mix as another guard; Terrell will likely assume her role at forward, though Neill said she could handle any of the five positions on the floor.

    Traphagan is a 6-foot-1 post who has already verbally committed to the University of Wyoming for volleyball.

    “We’re definitely going to have to step up a little bit with some of our rebounding,” Terrell said. “Getting big girls down low will be a little bit of a challenge, but we have some girls who I think will be just as good as Caitlyn and Marina were.”

    The state field underwent a bit of shuffling this season. Lutheran, the defending 2A champion, returns the bulk of its championship team but moved up to 3A this season. Holy Family, the defending 3A champion, is now in 4A, and 4A runner-up Broomfield made the move to the 5A ranks. Caliche, the 1A runner-up, joins the 2A classification.

    That doesn’t mean that 2A is Yuma’s for the taking. Akron, which placed fifth a year ago after winning it all in 2012, returns standouts Jordan Baer (17.7 ppg) and A.J. Miller (14.6). Hoehne didn’t graduate anyone and brings back all-state guard Cydney Kreutzer and forward Aspen Anderson. Neill also mentioned Caliche, Meeker and Peyton as all being strong contenders.

    Akron, the preseason No. 5 team, and Caliche (No. 3) are in the Lower Platte League along with Yuma.

    Having come so close in the past though, the Indians are out to prove no one wants it more than they do.

    “Especially being there for two years, I think we’re just hungry,” Roth said. “We’re ready to win it this year and bring the gold ball back to Yuma. We have a great coaching staff that is going to help us get there.”

    [divider]

    Girls Basketball

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    • Defending champion: Regis Jesuit
    • Runner-up: Fossil Ridge
    • Preseason No. 1: Regis Jesuit
    • Returning All-State Players: Cassidy Budge, Sr., Rampart (2nd team); Mackenzie Forest, Jr., Lakewood (2nd); Callie Kaiser, Sr., Broomfield (1st, 4A); Michaela Onyenwere, Soph., Grandview (1st); Jon’nae Richardson, Sr., Denver East (3rd).
    • Championship: March 12-14, Coors Event Center, Boulder

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    • Defending champion: Mesa Ridge
    • Runner-up: Broomfield (moved to 5A)
    • Preseason No. 1: Valor Christian
    • Returning All-State Players: Kendall Bradbury, Sr., Valor Christian (3rd team); Caroline Bryan, Sr., Valor Christian (3rd); Katie Chavez, Jr., Holy Family (1st, 3A); Alex Dufour, Sr., Frederick (2nd); Kylee Shook, Jr., Mesa Ridge (2nd); Haley Simental, Sr., Pueblo West (3rd).
    • Championship: March 12-14, Coors Event Center, Boulder

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    • Defending champion: Holy Family (moved to 4A)
    • Runner-up: Pagosa Springs
    • Preseason No. 1: Sterling
    • Returning All-State Players: Caylin Arnold, Jr., Strasburg (3rd team); Xiana Fernandez-Sanchez, Sr., Strasburg (2nd); Katherine Kia, Sr., Peak to Peak (2nd); Jenna Knudson, Jr., Sterling (3rd); Maya Love, Jr., Kent Denver (2nd); Lauren McDonald, Sr., Salida (2nd); Shelby Megyeri, Soph., Manitou Springs (3rd); Kaleigh Paplow, Sr., Lutheran (2nd, 2A); Adriana Rios, Jr., Platte Valley (2nd); Payton Shahan, Sr., Pagosa Springs (2nd); Chandler Sturms, Sr., Lutheran (1st, 2A); Kristen Vigil, Jr., Lutheran (3rd, 2A).
    • Championship: March 13-14, Lockridge Arena, Colorado School of Mines, Golden

    [divider]

    Class 2A

    • Defending champion: Lutheran (moved to 3A)
    • Runner-up: Yuma
    • Preseason No. 1: Yuma
    • Returning All-State Players: Aspen Anderson, Sr., Hoehne (1st team); Jordan Baer, Sr., Akron (1st); Logan Hixon, Jr., Yuma (1st); Shayln Johnson, Jr., Caliche (1st, 1A); Cydney Kreutzer, Sr., Hoehne (1st); AJ Miller, Sr., Akron (3rd); Abbey Stagner, Sr., Sangre de Cristo (3rd).
    • Championship: March 13-14, Massari Arena, CSU-Pueblo

    [divider]

    Class 1A

    • Defending champion: Norwood
    • Runner-up: Caliche (moved to 2A)
    • Preseason No. 1: Briggsdale
    • Returning All-State Players: Allyson Grahn, Sr., South Baca (1st team); Darian Hale, Jr., Briggsdale (2nd); Tanaia Hansen, Sr., Eads (2nd); Aurelia Isenbart, Sr., Kit Carson (2nd); Alyssa Lavato, Jr., Cheraw (2nd); Brittanie Newman, Jr., Eads (3rd); Reagan Schaffer, Jr., Idalia (3rd); Lucia Vikova, Sr., Norwood (1st); Jordan Williams, Sr., Norwood (1st).
    • Championship: March 13-14, Budweiser Events Center, Loveland

  • Bassey, Colorado Academy boys basketball eager for another run at 3A title game

    Holy Family Colorado Academy boys basketball
    Colorado Academy lost last season’s 3A championship game by one point to Holy Family. (Pam Wagner)

    [dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s good to be wanted, a fact to which Justin Bassey can certainly attest.

    The Colorado Academy junior is on the radar of a number of Division I colleges these days. Programs ranging from Harvard and Cornell to Gonzaga, Creighton and Vanderbilt, not to mention Colorado and Denver, are all interested in the 6-foot-4 standout.

    But when the 2014-15 prep basketball season tips off in early December, Bassey has only one focus: Bringing the Class 3A state championship trophy back home with the Mustangs.

    “It’s another thing to consider and contemplate,” Bassey said of the attention. “But during the season I don’t think my main focus will be college. It’s an exciting experience to have, but I also don’t want to allow that to sidetrack me from the current season.”

    Colorado Academy comes into this winter with big ambitions after a one-point loss to Holy Family in the 3A state title game last March. The Mustangs had a final chance to take it all, but a last-second shot went off the back of the rim.

    “Holy Family was kind of destiny. It was kind of their year. They were very good, very talented, very well-coached and had some really good senior leadership,” CA coach Steve Hyatt said. “We learned what it takes to get there. We know you’ve got to prepare every day and get better very day and focus on the process, not the product.”

    “We don’t really care about win-loss records or rankings – all we want to do is try to hold that ball up at the end of the year.”

    Holy Family moved up to the 4A classification this year, and Colorado Academy is among the early favorites to replace the Tigers as champions. In fact, on Monday, the Mustangs were ranked No. 1 in CHSAANow.com’s preseason poll.

    Colorado Academy Holy Family boys basketball
    Colorado Academy’s Justin Bassey. (Mark Adams)

    Bassey, fellow junior Christian Hyatt and senior Chris Kuelling lead the way, with Bassey coming off a season in which he averaged 20.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

    “Justin is definitely a special, special player,” Coach Hyatt said. “He’s an unbelievable athlete – he can play point guard, post up, shoot 3s and handle the ball.”

    Christian Hyatt started as a freshman and averaged 14.5 points as a sophomore. Kuelling was right behind him with 14 points a game, shooting 51 percent from 3-point range and knocking down 90 3s on the season.

    The team is still young with a lot of junior talent, including Peter Vukovich-Simonson, a transfer from Valor Christian; and Will Creedon, a 6-8 post who played junior varsity as a sophomore.

    “We’re constantly hungry. We had 11 guys on varsity last year and only four of those guys left,” Bassey said. “So really we have seven guys returning to the team who still have that bitter taste in their mouth. We came so close to winning a state championship, but coming up short, that will be a major motivation for us coming this year.”

    Colorado Academy lost its second-leading scorer in Jack Buckmelter, who transferred to Denver East. Bassey said it’s a big loss, but it will force the Mustangs to play a different style and create a different dynamic.

    “We have a really strong group of guys. Pretty much the whole lineup, I’ve known them all since fourth or fifth grade,” he said. “Our relationship off the court really blossomed on the court. You can see that chemistry we have and the feeling we have for each other’s game.”

    Hyatt said scoring won’t be an issue for the Mustangs, but depth and getting the younger talent ready to play will be an early focus. With teams like Colorado Springs Christian (preseason No. 2), Faith Christian (No. 3), Moffat County (No. 4), Jefferson Academy (No. 5) and 3A newcomer Lutheran (No. 6) in the mix, getting back to the 3A state title game will be a challenge.

    To help it better prepare for that competition, Colorado Academy is taking part in early tournaments at Fossil Ridge and Mullen, playing a handful of 5A and 4A teams.

    “We want to go play good competition,” Hyatt said. “I tell the kids we can go 0-9 and I don’t care; we can go 9-0 and I don’t care. The purpose is to get better and we need to play tough competition.”

    [divider]

    Boys basketball preview

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    • Defending champion: Denver East
    • Runner-up: Fossil Ridge
    • Preseason No. 1: Overland
    • Returning All-State Players: Blend Avdili, Sr., Eaglecrest (3rd team); Jack Buckmelter, Jr., Denver East (1st, 3A with Colorado Academy); Austin Conway, Sr., Overland (2nd); De’Ron Davis, Jr., Overland (2nd); Jake Holtzmann, Sr., Chaparral (2nd); Thomas Neff, Sr., Arvada West (3rd); Michael Sparks, Sr., Abraham Lincoln (3rd).
    • Championship: March 12-14, Coors Event Center, Boulder

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    • Defending champion: Pueblo East
    • Runner-up: Denver South
    • Preseason No. 1: Longmont
    • Returning All-State Players: Dylan Brink, Sr., Erie (3rd team); Jake Gavitt, Sr., Elizabeth (3rd); Luke Golter, Sr., Holy Family (2nd, 3A); Chris Helbig, Jr., Holy Family (3rd, 3A).
    • Championship: March 12-14, Coors Event Center, Boulder

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    • Defending champion: Holy Family (moved up to 4A)
    • Runner-up: Colorado Academy
    • Preseason No. 1: Colorado Academy
    • Returning All-State Players: Justin Bassey, Jr., Colorado Academy (1st team); Alex Greenly, Sr., St. Mary’s (3rd); Grant Harkness, Sr., Faith Christian (2nd); Deron Harrel, Jr., Denver Science & Tech (3rd); Kort Hawthorn, Jr., Moffat County (3rd); Samuel Howard, Jr., Colorado Springs Christian (2nd); Sam Parker, Sr., Grand Valley (3rd); James Willis, Sr., Lutheran (1st, 2A).
    • Championship: March 13-14, Lockridge Arena, Colorado School of Mines, Golden

    [divider]

    Class 2A

    • Defending champion: Sanford
    • Runner-up: Akron
    • Preseason No. 1: Sanford
    • Returning All-State Players: Chance Canty, Jr., Sanford (1st team); Jared Clarkson, Sr., Akron (3rd); Connor Fiscus, Sr., Merino (3rd); Wyatt Hayes, Jr., Ignacio (3rd); Adison Jones, Sr., Ignacio (2nd); Christian Ortiz, Sr., Center (2nd).
    • Championship: March 13-14, Massari Arena, CSU-Pueblo

    [divider]

    Class 1A

    • Defending champion: Hi-Plains
    • Runner-up: Caliche
    • Preseason No. 1: McClave
    • Returning All-State Players: Michael Durrill, Sr., Cornerstone Christian (3rd); Austin Littlefield, Sr., Prairie (3rd).
    • Championship: March 13-14, Budweiser Events Center, Loveland

  • Monarch hockey looking to break through after back-to-back runner-up finishes

    Ralston Valley Monarch hockey
    Monarch hockey has lost in hockey’s championship game — to Ralston Valley — two consecutive seasons. (Matt Matthewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    [dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo years, two excellent seasons, and two disappointing endings.

    That’s the recent history of Monarch hockey, which has fallen just short of capturing its first ever state title in each of the past two seasons, losing in the championship game to Ralston Valley both times.

    Being a perennial runner-up has proved to be a tough pill to swallow amid sky-high expectations for Monarch head coach Jimmy Dexter.

    “We’ve had a couple disappointing seasons,” said Dexter on Thursday. “You know, the past three years we’ve only lost to Ralston Valley.”

    The two teams know each other intimately — both compete in the Foothills Conference, and Ralston Valley defeated Monarch 5-1 in 2013’s championship game and 4-1 in 2014’s title affair.

    Now, though, Monarch and Dexter have a new set of challenges to confront as they try to bust through an icy ceiling and final clinch that elusive state title.

    “We’ve lost 16 kids from last year,” said Dexter. “But we do have a lot of young talent. So I’m excited and I think we’ll be right in it again this year.”

    An exodus of that many players is always difficult to rebound from quickly. Fortunately for Monarch, Dexter’s new wave of talent has already spent some time together. Dexter coaches the a midget team in the offseason, and he likes what he’s seen from his young group, many of whom will appear for Monarch this season.

    “We have a lot of young kids, a lot of ’98 birth years. But we’re going well in midget season, and I didn’t think we were going to compete that well,” said Dexter. “All of those kids that are playing, we just had try-outs, and all those kids are moving to the Monarch team.

    “I’m pretty excited with what we have. I know we lost a lot but with the kids that are coming back and the new kids that are going to be on the team I think we’ll still be pretty strong.”

    Monarch Cherry Creek hockey
    Walker Harris (9) is back for Monarch. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Monarch returns senior Walker Harris, the lone first-team player back from CHSAANow.com’s all-state team in 2013.

    Harris may just be the top player in the state this season. He scored 17 goals and had 25 assists last season to lead the Foothills Conference with 42 points during the regular season, then added another seven points in the playoffs.

    Dexter also highlighted the talents of sophomore Blake Bride, who Dexter said will be one of the team’s top players, as well as defenseman Justin White.

    And as for Ralston Valley, Monarch’s biggest foil and the team that’s stood between them and their first state hockey championship? Dexter says there’s a definite rivalry there, and his new-look group is looking forward to taking another crack at the two-time defending champions.

    “Definitely,” said Dexter, when asked if there was a budding rivalry between the two squads. “They lost a ton of kids, too. I was thinking that they weren’t going to be as good as usual, but looking at their midget team coming into the season, they’re going to be a strong team.

    “We’re looking forward to playing them again and having another shot.”

    [divider]

    Hockey preview

    Defending Champion: Ralston Valley

    Returning all-state players: Harris (1st); Joe Morgan, G, Mountain Vista (2nd); John Tower, D, Resurrection Christian (2nd).

    Regular season begins: December 1

    Playoffs begin: February 21

    Championship: March 7 at the Budweiser Event Center (Loveland)

  • Girls swimming preview: Thompson Valley’s Eryn Eddy is “The Eraser”

    Thompson Valley swimmer Eryn Eddy. (Courtesy of the Eddy family)
    Thompson Valley swimmer Eryn Eddy. (Courtesy of the Eddy family)

    [dropcap]T[/dropcap]hompson Valley girls swim coach Dale Leonhart, in his second season at the helm, likes the nickname his star senior Eryn Eddy had when he took over the program.

    “I’ve only been fortunate enough to coach her for a couple of seasons, but before I got here she already earned the nickname, ‘The Eraser,’ Leonhart said of Eddy’s ability to close gaps as the anchor leg on relays. “She is something else on the rear end of a relay. I’ve witnessed it myself. I’ve watched her literally run people down. I mean, she went 50.7 on the rear end of the 400 freestyle relay at Jeffco last year. We were in lane one and we were in second by a couple of tenths.”

    Eddy has been a force in the pool from the time she was a freshman. The University of Virginia signee has claimed four Class 4A individual state crowns with golds in the 100 freestyle in 2012 as a freshman, the 500 freestyle in 2014, and the 200 freestyle in 2013 and 2014. 

    Thompson Valley is a school with a rich tradition in both girls and boys swimming with 11 team state championships in the sport, five in girls, including four in a row from 2010-2013. The school records read as a who’s who of state champions, All-Americans, and Division I recruits.

    Eddy owns five of the records with top marks in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyles individually and as a member of the top 200 and 400 freestyle relays. She’s also the 4A record holder in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:48.34. 

    For all of Eddy’s success on her own, she’s most proud of her accomplishments with her teammates.

    “I think the most exciting thing for me, my favorite thing to do no matter what are the relays,” Eddy said. “I beg and ask Dale if I can be the anchor, because that’s my favorite spot. It’s the most exciting.

    "When everything’s down to the wire it’s because of that last place swimmer, so I love getting on the blocks, especially in a tight race when we’re behind," she added. "That’s when everyone’s the loudest and most excited, so I do everything to close the gap and sometimes I’m successful.”

    It’s safe to say Eddy’s successful more often than not as the anchor leg of three state championship relay teams. She was the closer on Thompson Valley’s title winning 200 freestyle relay her sophomore and junior year. The Eagles have won five 200-free relay state titles in a row and hold the 4A record in the event with a time of 1:36.54, set in 2013.

    Thompson Valley swimmer Eryn Eddy. (Courtesy of the Eddy family)
    Thompson Valley swimmer Eryn Eddy. (Courtesy of the Eddy family)

    Eddy lived up to her nickname at the state swim meet last season in the 400-freestyle relay, as well. In the final event of the day, D’Evelyn held the lead through three legs with Thompson Valley in second. Eddy had a lot of ground to make up. She erased D’Evelyn’s lead with 25 meters left and gave Thompson Valley their second straight state title in the event in a time of 3:32.07, just clear of D’Evelyn’s 3:32.66.

    Leonhart has been coaching at the high school level at a number of schools since 1971 and been coaching club swimming for the past 55 years. He has high praise for "The Eraser," saying she’s one of the premier swimmers he’s ever had the privilege to coach.

    “She’s right up there in the top half a dozen,” Leonhart said. “I had a couple of (Olympic) Trials qualifiers back in the middle 1980s, I’ve had several high school state champions and junior national champions. She’s right there in the top handful. She’s definitely one of the very best.”

    Eddy is the top individual returner in class 4A. Evergreen senior Lindsay Morrow, Windsor sophomore Morgan Friesen and Valor Christian junior Brooke Stenstrom all return to defend individual state championships of their own. 

    As far as 4A team pursuits go, Thompson Valley is expected to be strong with Eddy and fellow senior Mattea Wabeke, a six-time individual state placer and Saint Louis University signee, as the headliners.

    But Evergreen, coming off their first state championship in the sport, returns every girl who swam in last season’s state finals. Morrow (North Carolina State), Anna McDonald (Nebraska), Alissa Harmes (UNLV), Bailey Smith (Army), and Josie Pearson (Missouri State) are all Division I recruits in the 2015 class for the Cougars. As such, Evergreen is the team to beat.

    In Class 5A, ThunderRidge’s Annie Ochitwa, Loveland’s Brooke Hansen, Arapahoe’s Ella Moynihan, Fossil Ridge’s Bailey Nero and Bailey Kovac, and Rock Canyon’s Abigail Kochevar all are back to defend individual crowns.

    Regis Jesuit returns as the defending 5A team champion. The Raiders, who have nine all-state swimmers coming back, have claimed the last two titles and three of the last four. Fairview came within seven points of beating Regis last season, and returns a talented core, as does Fossil Ridge and Cherry Creek.

    [divider]

    Girls swimming preview

    Class 4A

    Defending champion: Evergreen

    Runner-up: Thompson Valley

    Regular season begins: December 1

    State championships: February 13-14, VMAC in Thornton

    All-State returners: Eryn Eddy, Thompson Valley, Morgan Friesen, Windsor, Kamryn Holland, Evergreen, Lindsay Morrow, Evergreen, Josie Pearson, Evergreen, Bailey Smith, Evergreen, Brooke Stenstrom, Valor Christian, Mattea Wabeke, Thompson Valley

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Defending champion: Regis Jesuit

    Runner-up: Fairview

    Regular season begins: December 1  

    State finals: February 13-14, EPIC in Fort Collins

    All-State returners: McKensi Austin, Regis Jesuit, Sydney Cutler, Regis Jesuit, Jennae Frederick, Regis Jesuit, Brooke Hansen, Loveland, Abigail Kochevar, Rock Canyon, Bailey Kovac, Fossil Ridge, Amy Lenderink, Regis Jesuit, Ella Moynihan, Arapahoe, Bailey Nero, Fossil Ridge, Annie Ochitwa, ThunderRidge, Lindsay Painton, Regis Jesuit, Emily Protz, Regis Jesuit, Isabella Schultze, Regis Jesuit, Samantha Smith, Regis Jesuit, Taylor Wilson, Regis Jesuit

  • Notebook: State’s top three girls lacrosse programs undergo coaching changes

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    When Centaurus and Air Academy met last season, it was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. Next season, both teams will have new coaches. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    For each of the past four seasons, girls lacrosse’s semifinals have had one thing in common: Cherry Creek, Air Academy and Centaurus have all been there.

    Well, those schools now have another common thread: all three programs — at this moment, the top three in the sport — will have new head coaches going into the 2015 season.

    Centaurus’ Genny Horning has stepped down as the Warriors coach, BoCoPreps.com reported on Monday. That followed Air Academy’s Sean Harmon and Cherry Creek’s Brianne Tierney, who resigned within a day of one another in June.

    Cherry Creek has since hired longtime assistant Kathryn Ames as its new coach. Air Academy has not yet made a new hire.

    It may mean that new blood will rise. Chatfield, for instance, made its first-ever semifinal appearance last season; Arapahoe’s been in the quarterfinals for each of the past three seasons; Chaparral is another possibility.

    Or old blood could reemerge. Kent Denver, which has won three state titles in school history, made four-consecutive semifinal appearances from 2009-12.

    Now, this isn’t to say that Ames, or whoever Air Academy and Centaurus eventually hire, won’t have immediate success. Tierney won a state championship in her first season (2013). That could very well happen again.

    And, mind you, Cherry Creek has appeared in every single state championship game in the sport’s 17-year sanctioned history. So change hasn’t seemed to bother the Bruins in the past.

    But that these three giants of the sport are all changing coaches in the same offseason may signal there’s a bit of transition ahead for girls lacrosse, at least in the short term.

    [divider]

    DSST-Green Valley Ranch volleyball makes history

    When Denver Science & Tech-Green Valley Ranch qualified for the Class 3A volleyball regionals on Monday, it marked the first time in school history a team was headed to the postseason.

    The Raptors, 10-7-1 this season, earned the No. 36 seed, and are playing in Region 1 with top-seeded Eaton and No. 24 Middle Park.

    It’s DSST-GVR’s first year as a sanctioned member of CHSAA.

    “We’re super pumped about it,” athletic director Jamelle Austin said on Wednesday. “We’ve got to go to Eaton, Colorado at 4:30 on Halloween night, so we’re going to have some fun with it.”

    The school put up a 20-foot poster congratulating the team, and is planning a pep rally on Thursday.

    “Once we got the news, that was Monday morning, we made an announcement to the school and the girls were really excited,” Austin said.

    [divider]

    Short stuff

    • It’s always fun when this happens: Grand Junction was on the outside of the 5A playoffs looking in until a win from rival Montrose pushed the Tigers over the 32-team threshold by adding to their Wild Card point totals.
    • Volleyball regionals are this weekend. That means the state tournament is next Saturday. In my mind, volleyball’s tournament is the only thing that can come close to matching the atmosphere at state wrestling, which is probably CHSAA’s premier event with its huge attendance and the fact that it draws athletes from all corners of the state to one location. State volleyball is chaotic with five courts going at once, but it’s a good chaos. The event is also unique in that it’s the only team sport where all classifications come together under one roof to decide championships.
    • Lewis-Palmer volleyball remained ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps’ latest national poll.

  • Notebook: Cheraw’s Headrick just misses receiving touchdown record

    Cheraw junior Tristan Headrick entered his team’s Week 8 game against Cotopaxi with 24 receiving touchdowns. The state record is 25.

    “We were aware of it, so we were going to try and get him touches,” Cheraw coach Brad Phillips said on Tuesday.

    But with Cheraw, a 6-man program, leading 16-0 early in the second quarter, Cotopaxi had to forfeit the game when injuries meant they could no longer field a team. Headrick didn’t have a touchdown to that point, so he stayed at 24.

    Fast forward to Monday, and the release of the Wild Card points. This season, 6-man football is using the formula to help in determining crossover games, which take place in Week 9 of the regular season. Sixteen teams move on to play, including the Nos. 1 and 2 teams from each conference, as well as six Wild Card spots.

    Cheraw was No. 16 in that forumla, but Genoa-Hugo/Karval, No. 18 in the Wild Card points, was No. 2 in the Central League. It meant Cheraw got bumped. Their season over was over, and so was Headrick’s chance at a record.

    “It’s too bad,” Phillips said. “But he had a good year.”

    Headrick finished his season with 1,295 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. Perhaps most astonishingly, he only had 48 catches — meaning that every other reception he had, he scored.

    Another thing to keep in mind: Heritage’s Shane Optiz set the record during the 2009 season, when his Eagles won the Class 4A championship. His mark came over 14 games. Headrick played seven games and one quarter.

    In any case, Optiz will keep the record. At least until Headrick gets another shot at it next year.

    [divider]

    Lewis-Palmer volleyball’s national profile is rising

    Just how good is this Lewis-Palmer volleyball team? The Rangers are ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps’ latest national poll. That’s astounding.

    Lewis-Palmer Cheyenne Mountain volleyball
    (Matt Daniels)

    Lewis-Palmer, ranked No. 1 in the latest CHSAANow.com 4A poll, moved to 19-0 with a 3-1 win over 5A No. 7 Chaparral on Tuesday.

    That the Rangers actually dropped a set is significant. It was only the second one they’ve lost the entire season. The other came in a 2-1 win over Valley (3A’s current No. 2 team) in a tournament in early September. They have now won 53 sets, and dropped two.

    And it’s not as though the schedule has been weak. There are the wins over Chaparral and Valley, and well as sweeps of Cheyenne Mountain (at the time No. 2 in 4A), Rampart (at the time No. 1 in 5A) and Valor Christian (then No. 7 in 4A). L-P has played anyone and everyone willing to land on the schedule.

    Should this dominance continue on through the state tournament, the question at that point may turn from one of a national perspective to historical. At this point, 1979 Evergreen team is widely regarded as the best in state history. In fact, they were inducted into CHSAA’s Hall of Fame last January. Recently, though, the 2011 Chaparral squad headed by Nicole Dalton was hailed as a challenger to the Evergreen squad.

    That Chaparral team ended the season 31-0, ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps’ national poll, and went 93-6 in terms of sets. Spanning the 2010-12 seasons, the program had a 58-match winning streak.

    Lewis-Palmer’s current winning streak sits at 25 matches. In terms of history, it may not yet match the multiyear runs of Evergreen and Chaparral. But, headed by national player of the year candidate Alexa Smith, the Rangers are having an incredibly special season.

    Perhaps one of the best ever.

    [divider]

    Smoky Hill, Hinkley come together to make a memory

    Here’s what high school sports are about: Last week, Smoky Hill and Hinkley lined up before kickoff to give a special needs student Blake Yaw a memory he won’t soon forget.

    A four-year manager for the team, he lined up with Smoky’s offense, took a handoff and ran 40 yards for a touchdown through the Hinkley defense, who was in on the moment.

    “The entire bench emptied to help celebrate Blake’s touchdown,” athletic director Preston Davis wrote in an email.

    The full video:

    [divider]

    Short stuff

    • The state playoff brackets for five of the seven classes of football come out on Sunday. I’m very interested to see how 5A plays out. This is the first year of a new system which gives the seeding committee to move the qualifiers anywhere on the bracket. At this point, I think Grandview has the inside track at the No. 1 seed, assuming the Wolves beat Valor Christian on Friday. If Valor wins, I expect Ralston Valley to take the top seed — again, assuming a win against Mullen this week.
    • BoCoPreps had a powerful story on how Nederland football is dealing with a severe spinal cord injury to senior Miles Pancoast.
    • Eaglecrest’s Jordyn Poulter is on the same national volleyball player of the year watch list as Alexa Smith. It was produced by MaxPreps.
    • Ralston Valley’s super athlete Andrew Wingard committed to Wyoming to play football on Tuesday night.
    • Ridge View Academy, a 2A program, forfeit two football wins due to use of an ineligible player. Wins over Manual (Oct. 4) and Denver West (Oct. 11) were forfeit. And, actually, that forfeit win may have guaranteed Manual a playoff spot. Manual moved from No. 15 to No. 9 in the Wild Card points standings as a result.
    • The football and basketball championships are moving to Altitude TV.
    • When La Junta won the 3A softball championship on Saturday, it ended Strasburg’s 51-game winning streak in the title game.
    • Eaton raised $2,200 in its Kills for a Cure night earlier this month.
    • Eaglecrest is inducting its inaugural class into its hall of fame in December.
    • There may be a change to CHSAA’s playoff structure coming down the road in the form of an expansion. The staff had some internal discussions last week about exploring the possibility. In essence, it would create true district/regional fields where every team would qualify and then have to play their way into the state tournament. It’s still an idea at this point.

  • Notebook: 2014 season has obliterated the football record book

    Westminster Denver East football generic coin toss
    (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    There have been 57 new entries to football’s record book through Week 6 this season.

    Is it the best offensive season Colorado has ever seen?

    It’s hard to say.

    2014 has been special, there’s no question. We’ve seen a 553-yard, nine-touchdown rushing performance, and a new state passing record — in the same game. We’ve seen Cheraw throw nine team touchdowns in a game, also a new record.

    We’ve seen Cotopaxi’s Alex Burger score ten total touchdowns in a game. D’Evelyn quarterback Owen Burke threw for more than 530 yards in consecutive weeks. Cheraw’s Tristan Headrick tied the state receiving touchdown record with six. Two players have recorded 99-yard touchdowns runs.

    Last Friday, two quarterbacks threw for six touchdowns.

    Pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards, rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, total offense, all-purpose yardage. Nothing’s safe.

    Put it this way: Holy Family quarterback Chris Helbig threw for an eye-popping 491 yards on Sept. 5. That’s just the fourth-best mark this season.

    But.

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    This is how we tally records at the CHSAA office. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    This has undoubtedly been the most closely-followed football season in terms of combing for records. After each week, we literally go through each boxscore to scan for outstanding (perhaps record-setting) performances. Additionally, our partners at MaxPreps — specifically, Gerry Valerio — have been kind enough to create a weekly report which highlights similar individual performances.

    In the past, the record book has been solely reliant on schools reporting performances to the CHSAA office. And while we still verify each record-setting performance with the school or coach to ensure the accuracy of the record, finding the data is now largely on us.

    “We’ve always relied on schools sending us information,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bert Borgman, who has been in charge of CHSAA’s record books for years. “Now, with a vehicle like CHSAANow and a resource like MaxPreps, we are able to go out and find these things ourselves.”

    So, yes, there has been a dramatic increase in record book-worthy performances this season. But the reason for the increase likely boils down to this: When you go looking for data, as opposed to waiting for it to come to you, you will inevitably find more of it.

    Expect similar record results for the upcoming basketball season. We’re also looking at restarting the volleyball record book, which has sat dormant for a few years.

    [divider]

    Short stuff

    • Passing this along as a PSA: Boys tennis’ state tournaments will likely be delayed tomorrow. Here’s the plan.
    • Our board of directors is taking a look at the transfer rule. Expect some type of change to be forwarded to the Legislative Council.
    • A look at field hockey’s growth as a sport.
    • There will be no Stableford scoring system for girls golf next spring. In my mind, this is a move that eventually needs to be made. Alas, not yet.
    • La Junta beat Lamar in volleyball on Tuesday night. It was their first win over Lamar since 1995, according to the La Junta Tribune-Democrat. “We wanted to end this nightmare and get it over with,” La Junta coach Heath Grantham told the paper afterward.
    • Two weeks ago, legendary basketball coach Guy Gibbs gave a speech to Regis Jesuit students about his life experiences. Midway through, he brought up CHSAA associate commissioner Tom Robinson, who was his assistant at Regis for 10 years before becoming head coach himself. Gibbs mentioned that he would often turn to Robinson on the bench at crucial points of games for his thoughts. I pointed this out to Tom, who shrugged in his way and said, “Well, I was always sitting there.”
    • In an email to CHSAA staff this week, a field hockey official who did the Regis Jesuit-Fossil Ridge game complimented the Raiders on their sportsmanship. Regis led 7-1 at halftime, “but instead of racking up an embarrassing score,” the official wrote, “(Regis Jesuit coach) Spencer (Wagner) had his team play a ‘training game’ in the second half. … At no time did they attempt to advance their 7-1 score. … Coaches like Spencer know what absolute sportsmanship is and demonstrated this (Monday).”
    • Nice column here detailing the good sportsmanship displayed by Vail Christian senior Cooper Gould, who missed a short putt that helped his opponent win the state title.
    • Lewis-Palmer volleyball is ranked No. 5 in MaxPreps’ latest national poll released Wednesday.
    • Chatfield’s Kyle Winler committed to Miami (Ohio) for baseball.
    • Two highlight packages to pass along: First from Glenwood Springs quarterback Dante Sparaco, a sophomore who is seeing wide recruiting attention already. Secondly: Doherty running back TeQuan Baker.
    • Ponderosa hired longtime Douglas County assistant Bob Maloney as its baseball coach.
    • Another new baseball coach: Jeff Allen at Fort Lupton.
    • The softball programs at Rock Canyon and Regis Jesuit raised more than $5,000 for charity on Saturday.
    • 2014 Fairview graduate Sam Martin, who holds a few career state receiving records, scored four touchdowns in Miami (Ohio)’s win over UMass on Saturday. The in-state schools made a mistake in not offering him a scholarship.
    • Lewis-Palmer grad Josh Scott, now a star for Colorado men’s basketball, graces the cover of Sporting News.
    • Grandview grad Kevin Gausman, now with the Baltimore Orioles, started the last home game in Derek Jeter’s career. “That’s pretty incredible!!” he tweeted. Now, he’s in the ALCS.

     

  • Notebook: 5A softball only grows more confusing by the week

    Brighton Grandview softball
    Brighton softball is among the many contenders in Class 5A. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    A little more than three weeks ago, Eaglecrest softball went to Dakota Ridge and easily handled the Eagles.

    The final was 8-1 that day. They’d already beaten Douglas County, a quarterfinal team last season, as well as Rock Canyon, another quarterfinalist in 2013. No one is going to anoint a state champion after three games — but Eaglecrest sure looked like a favorite at that point.

    Well, here’s the state of Class 5A softball at this moment: Dakota Ridge is ranked No. 1, Eaglecrest is now No. 9. And both are still very much in contention for the No. 1 overall seed come next month.

    The classification has been crazy. Consider that there ceased to be an unbeaten team in 5A softball on Sept. 11 — less than three weeks into the season.

    But what makes it all the more confusing is the sheer amount of parity.

    Chaparral shot up to No. 5 in this week’s ranking after 10-consecutive wins. The Wolverines dropped their first two games this week.

    After Eaglecrest’s 3-0 start, the Raptors lost to Brighton. Two games later, Brighton lost to Columbine. Columbine turned around and lost to Mountain Vista. Mountain Vista then fell to Cherry Creek. Two games after that, Cherry Creek lost to Lakewood, which then lost to Chatfield.

    Dakota Ridge is currently the No. 1 team in the state. They have won four games in a row, but have the loss to Eaglecrest and another to Mountain Range. Two games after beating Dakota Ridge, Mountain Range lost to Fossil Ridge.

    Fossil Ridge Mountain Range softball
    Another 5A contender: Mountain Range. (Pam Wagner)

    “When the committee sits down to figure out head-to-head, it’s going to be: ‘What week?’” joked Bud Ozzello, CHSAA’s assistant commissioner who administers softball. “That’s how good this classification is.”

    So who will end up as the No. 1 seed? Who knows. What’s clear is that there’s no clear-cut favorite.

    Dakota Ridge has a win over Legend, which beat Douglas County, which has beaten Columbine, which has topped Brighton, which owns a win over Grandview, which beat Eaglecrest — which, of course, beat Dakota Ridge.

    The classification has become a snake eating its own tail.

    Ultimately, what this regular season is proving is that it likely won’t even matter much who gets the No. 1 overall seed. Or the Nos. 8, 9 or 10, for that matter.

    Because in order to reach the state tournament, and move on once there, “You’re going to have to battle,” Ozzello said.

    [divider]

    Short stuff

    • The first of the new championship trophies were delivered last week: boys golf. The rest have since been delivered, and now dot CHSAA’s hallways until their championship dates.
    • Berthoud football is off to a 3-0 start, and ranked No. 10 in 3A this week. This may be a case of those special graduating classes that come through schools at one time or another. According to John Hall of the Berthoud Surveyor, this year’s junior class was a stellar bunch dating to their youth, including winning the Northern Colorado Championship.
    • Due to low numbers, Deer Trail will forfeit its game to Peetz this week. Deer Trail was down to five guys.
    • Pinnacle’s football team beat Jefferson 55-18 last week, and in doing so snapped an 18-game winning streak. Their last win came in Sept. 2012.
    • Castle View’s Savannah Heebner threw a perfect game in a 14-0 win over Highlands Ranch last week. She struck out 10 in five innings, and is now 10-1 with a 0.77 ERA in 11 games. She has four shutouts.
    • It was quite the weekend for Fairview’s athletic department. The volleyball team won the Bruins Classic on Saturday, capped by a 2-1 win over Cherry Creek. On Monday, the volleyball team cracked the 5A rankings at No. 8. Also over the weekend, the boys tennis team also tied Cherry Creek in winning the Cherry Creek Invitational. That followed a win over Cherry Creek in a dual earlier in the week.
    • Steamboat Springs JV boys soccer goalie Andrew McCawley scored a goal off a long punt. Here’s video.
    • Following Valor Christian’s loss last week, 8-man’s Dayspring Christian owns the state’s longest football winning streak at 16 games.
    • After going 3-4 last week, Colorado football teams are now 20-11 against out-of-state competition this season.
    • Three Broncos players visited local football programs on Tuesday. Corey Nelson stopped by Horizon, Ben Garland went to Legacy, and Montee Ball was at Gateway.
    • Englewood’s student-athletes spent time at a local elementary school on Wednesday.
    • The NFHS Network previewed the Chaparral-Legend volleyball match, which is Thursday night.
    • Cherry Creek wideout Joseph Parker committed to Wyoming on Monday.
    • Colorado boys lacrosse has two highly-ranked sophomores in the Class of 2017. Per Inside lacrosse, Mountain Vista’s Colin Munro (a North Carolina commit) is No. 4 nationally, while Fossil Ridge’s Jake Frane (Notre Dame) is No. 17.
    • Highlands Ranch hired longtime assistant Joe Gleason as its baseball coach.
    • Mullen turned to Matt Guglielmo to coach its girls soccer team. He’s also the school’s boys coach.
    • Valor Christian alum Max McCaffrey had two touchdowns for Duke football in its win over Kansas last week. He’s now the team’s leading receiver this season with 178 yards.
    • Grandview alum Kevin Gausman was part of the Balitmore Orioles squad which clinched the AL East on Tuesday.
    • A Colorado legislator is considering a proposal which “would require public schools to change Indian-themed mascots that the Native American community found offensive.” The threat of losing state funding would hang over those schools which don’t change it, according to the proposal.
    • If you missed it Wednesday, our Brian Miller detailed the story of Hugo Falco, a Brazilian exchange student who is playing 6-man football at Stratton/Liberty.
    • How about this rushing performance from Alaska: 516 yards, eight touchdowns.
    • More national stuff: A Pennsylvania football team won on a last-second hook and ladder play.
    • Really interesting piece here: The Death of the Multisport Athlete.

  • Notebook: Fairview football has record day in opening win at Grand Junction

    Fairview ThunderRidge football 5A playoffs
    Fairview senior Johnny Feauto (17), pictured last season after a win in the Class 5A semifinals. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Fairview’s offense was supposed to take a hit after graduating its quarterback and three leading receivers. Right?

    Yeah, right.

    The Knights, ranked No. 7 in this week’s poll, not only picked up right where they left off last Saturday, they expanded upon what last year’s near-record setting offense did on its way to football’s Class 5A championship game last season.

    Led by senior Johnny Feauto, their “new” quarterback — more on that later — Fairview racked up 510 passing yards and 712 yards of total offense in its 58-28 win at Grand Junction.

    The passing yards now rank No. 3 in the state record book, while the total offense is No. 10.

    Here’s what’s scary: Fairview trailed Grand Junction 14-0 after the first quarter.

    Last season, Anders Hill and Feauto combined to throw for 4,005 yards. It was only the third time in state history that a program had surpassed the 4,000-yard mark in passing. But Hill, now at Columbia, accounted for 3,878 of that — which is No. 4 all-time in state history for a single season.

    Still, Feauto didn’t come out of nowhere. As a sophomore, he played in six games in relief of an injured Hill and threw for 2,316 yards and 21 touchdowns. In fact, his 414 yards on Saturday are just the third-most of Feauto’s career. He had outputs of 433 and 429 yards as a sophomore.

    With a fully-healthy Hill back last season, Feauto focused on his role at cornerback and had six interceptions — including two in the semifinals against ThunderRidge.

    Anyway, on Saturday, Feauto also had 122 rushing yards. That put his total output at 536 yards, which is now No. 7 all-time.

    So this offense, despite losing guys like Hill, Sam Martin, Cam Frazier and Owen Harris, is still very potent. Because of Feauto, and because of other guys like Thomas Creese — who threw for the other 96 passing yards on Saturday — Carlo Kemp (two rushing touchdowns), David McWilliams (202 receiving yards, two touchdowns), Connor May (94 receiving yards, two touchdowns), Tim Ryan (109 all-purpose yards) and Steve D’Epagnier (41 receiving yards).

    If anything, they’re just upholding tradition. Historically, Fairview has had one of the state’s best offenses.

    The Knights own the Nos. 3 and 4 total marks for passing yards in a season. In addition to the 2013 mark of 4,005 yards, the program threw for 3,977 in 2002. Fairview also sits Nos. 1 and 2 in the record books for passes attempted and completed by a team in a season. And Martin, now at Miami of Ohio, holds the state records for catches (112) and receiving yards (1,860) in a season.

    [divider]

    Jefferson Academy’s Kupcho plays well at Colorado Women’s Open

    (Courtesy of Mike Kupcho)
    (Courtesy of Mike Kupcho)

    Jefferson Academy senior Jennifer Kupcho, last season’s Class 4A girls golf champion, finished tied for second at the Colorado Women’s Open last weekend. She finished at 1-under (215) over the three-day event, and actually held the lead after the first day at 6-under.

    Kupcho was the top-placing amateur of the event.

    “It’s really exciting to finish that high up in a pro tournament,” she told BoCoPreps afterward.

    Other notable finishers:

    • 2014 Cherry Creek grad Calli Ringsby (tied for 24th)
    • 2010 Doherty graduate Paige Crawford (tied for 28th)
    • 2012 Regis Jesuit graduate Kathleen Kershisnik (tied for 38th)
    • Dakota Ridge senior Gillian Vance (tied for 42nd)

    [divider]

    Short stuff

    [divider]

    Alumni short stuff

    • Colorado’s mark on Wyoming football program has long been undeniable, but that seems extra true this season. Two Colorado products have been named captains of Wyoming’s football team: Grandview grad Eddie Yarbrough (a defensive end) and Palmer grad Dominic Rufran (a wide receiver). Rufran will start at wide receiver — along with former Grandview star Tanner Gentry. In all, 20 products of Colorado high schools are on Wyomong’s roster — including four 2014 grads. By comparison, CSU has 40 Colorado products on its roster this season and CU has 26.
    • Christian McCaffrey, who graduated from Valor Christian in May after an outstanding athletic career, had an electric debut for Stanford football on Saturday. We are all well aware of McCaffrey’s versatility — his 8,839 all-purpose yards are a state record — and he showed it in the Cardinal’s win against UC Davis. He had this 52-yard touchdown reception — the first of his career — and a 44-yard punt return. McCaffrey had one rush for 10 yards, the 52 receiving yards, returned three punts for 60 yards, and was even on kickoff coverage. Said Stanford offensive coordinator Mike Bloombgren to sfgate.com: “Nah, that didn’t surprise me. I’m not sure he’ll be able to do anything to surprise me anymore.”
    • 2014 Falcon graduate Kalen Ballage also scored a touchdown in his debut for Arizona State last week. He finished with 37 yards on 12 attempts. Still, Ballage told the Arizona Republic, “I definitely want to be better. Now that I hit the ground running and got the first game out of the way, I’ll be able to just play.”
    • 2010 Rocky Mountain graduate Marco Gonzales picked up his first MLB win on Saturday. “It feels pretty rewarding,” Gonzales told MLB.com afterward. He made his debut in June. 
    • Another recent addition to football’s record book: Holy Family just recently submitted the career (2011-13) numbers for former quarterback David Sommers. His 8,326 yards of total offense are No. 10 all-time.
    • Former Pine Creek setter Rory McCloy was named the NJCAA Division I national player of the week last week. Now at Laramie County Community College in Wyoming, she had 175 assists in her team’s first four matches — and averaged 10.9 per set. She’s currently leading the nation in assists with 345.
    • Jefferson Academy alum Ally Thimsen, a 2014 graduate, was named the Big Sky offensive player of the week after recording two goals and an assist in one game.

  • Kyle English, Stratton/Liberty aiming to defend 6-man football title

    (Tom Bredehoft)
    Stratton/Liberty returns as the defending 6-man football champion. (Tom Bredehoft)

    Any football coach will tell you that without season long on health or depth, a team’s fate can go downhill fast.

    That’s why Stratton/Liberty coach Toby Kechter greets preseason practice with mounds of optimism.

    Kechter, who’s in his third year as head coach for the consolidated team and defending 6-man state champions, expected 15 players for fall practice.

    More importantly, “We’re really deep in the big guys,” he said.

    Whether it’s 6-man, 8-man or 11-man football, it all starts up front.

    Anchoring that line is 6-1, 235-pound sophomore Chase Flynn, who’s lost 40 pounds since his state-placing freshman wrestling season.

    (Tom Bredehoft)
    Kyle English, left, is back for Stratton/Liberty. (Tom Bredehoft)

    He’ll pave the way for senior running back Kyle English, who rushed for 1,500 yards and more than 40 touchdowns in leading the Eagles to the state title, their first since winning the 8-man crown in 2003.

    The 44-40 victory over Hi-Plains was even sweeter considering it was the Patriots who knocked Stratton/Liberty out of the 2012 playoffs on a Hail Mary pass.

    The Eagles return three starters on both sides of the ball, including English, a solid all-around athlete who is also the defending 1A state long jump and triple jump champion.

    “We were balanced (last season),” Kechter said. “We had three kids who could’ve taken over (at any time).”

    That’s a good sign, considering two starters, Trent Worden and Kade Drescher, missed the playoffs with injuries. Both will be back a little hungrier.

    As for the 6-man classification, “There should be a lot more parity,” Kechter said.

    Arickaree/Woodlin will give the Eagles all they can handle in the East Central Conference, as will Otis and rebounding Idalia, the latter having won eight state titles in the previous 16 seasons.

    Stratton/Liberty, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, has two tough nonconference opponents in Eads and Cheyenne Wells, both expected to vie for playoff berths out of the Southeast Conference.

    With Walsh, Cheyenne Wells and Manzanola dropping to 6-man, Eads and Kit Carson will get plenty of challenge in the Southeast Conference. Walsh won five consecutive conference titles in its five previous seasons in 8-man.

    Miami-Yoder and South Park also drop a class from 8-man, joining the Central Conference.

    “The eight teams that make the playoffs should be quality teams,” Kechter said.

    Hi-Plains will get a challenge from Otis and 2011 and 2012 state titlist Fleming in the East Central Conference.

    Prairie and Peetz are looking to make return playoff appearances from the North Conference. The Southwest Conference will attempt to make inroads in the playoffs but faces an uphill battle.

    [divider]

    6-man football

    Defending champion: Stratton/Liberty

    Runner-up: Hi-Plains

    Returning All-State players: Kyle English, Stratton/Liberty, Sr.; Alex Nelson, Hi-Plains, Sr.

    Playoffs begin: Nov. 1

    Championship: Nov. 15 at home site