The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has approved variances for Season C sports, paving the way for those sports to begin practice over the next week.
Sports in Season C include: field hockey, football, gymnastics, boys soccer, unified bowling and girls volleyball. This will mark the first-ever sanctioned season for unified bowling.
Field hockey, gymnastics, boys soccer, unified bowling and girls volleyball begin practice on March 8, and competition on March 15. Football begins practice on March 4 for the 48 teams that did not participate during Season A, and competition on March 18.
CDPHE variance approvals are required for a high school sport season to begin outside of the current participant dial levels. This allows student participants statewide to participate aligned with education-based models.
The complete letter from CDPHE, including information regarding safety implementations mandated by CDPHE for each sport, is available here.
INDIANAPOLIS — Religious headwear will now be permitted without state association approval in high school soccer, effective with the 2021-22 season.
This change in Rule 4-2 of the NFHS Soccer Rules Book was recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Soccer Rules Committee at its January 18-20 meeting, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two recommended revisions to Rule 4 were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Acting on an earlier recommendation to all sports rules committee by the Board of Directors, the Soccer Rules Committee adopted the following new language for Rule 4-2-10: “Head coverings worn for religious reasons shall not be made of abrasive or hard material and must fit securely.”
Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials and liaison to the Soccer Rules Committee, said the new rule will allow student-athletes to express their religious beliefs through the wearing of headwear without the approval of the respective state association.
Language regarding religious headwear was deleted from Rule 4-2-11, which now refers solely to head coverings for medical or cosmetic reasons. Head coverings for these usages still require a physician’s statement before a state association can grant approval.
With many states that play soccer in the fall affected by the pandemic, there were fewer rules proposals this year, so the committee turned much of its discussion to points of emphasis for the 2021-22 season. Eight states that normally conduct boys soccer in the fall were unable to play due to restrictions from COVID-19, and 18 other states had to modify their seasons in some way. On the girls side, six states were unable to play in the fall, and 15 states modified seasons.
“In addition to addressing the religious headwear situation, the committee agreed to continue three points of emphasis from last year and approved two new ones for the coming season,” Wynns said. “One of the points we are continuing is to emphasize that high school athletics, and high school soccer, is education-based. Improving skills and winning games is a part of the overall goal; however, the quest to win games, events and championships cannot come at the expense of providing these educational opportunities.”
In addition to this point of emphasis, others being continued from last year are reckless and serious foul play, and properly worn uniforms and marked fields.
The new points of emphasis for 2021-22 are sportsmanship and professional responsibilities for officials.
With regard to sportsmanship, the committee noted that the message of good sportsmanship should be addressed by school administration with their students, coaches, parents and spectators alike, which includes a message that prohibits taunting and the use of profanity during games.
A complete listing of the soccer rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Soccer.”
According to the most recent NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, soccer is the fifth most popular high school sport for boys with 459,077 participants in 12,552 schools nationwide. Soccer is the fourth most popular sport for girls with 394,105 participants in 12,107 schools.
Air Academy senior Thad Dewing was named Colorado’s boys soccer player of the year by Gatorade on Monday.
Dewing, who also won the award last season, becomes the first two-time winner since former Smoky Hill goalkeeper Miguel Rosales (2005-06, 2006-07), and just the third two-time boys soccer winner from Colorado.
A forward, Dewing had 29 goals and 16 assists last fall as he helped Air Academy reach the Class 4A state championship game. After the season, he was named the 4A player of the year as part of the all-state teams.
Dewing has volunteered on behalf of a local anti-bullying campaign at his school, and has also served as a youth soccer and basketball coach.
“Thad is definitely a remarkable player,” said Pine Creek coach Ben Corley. “He is one of those rare physical athletes that is hard to match up with. That pure physicality [always] gave Air Academy a chance.”
Dewing had a 4.21 GPA. He is committed to play soccer at Air Force.
This is the seventh time Air Academy has had an athlete honored by the Gatorade program.
November 12, 2016 was quite the day in Colorado high school boys soccer history. Like any other fall it pitted top teams in Class 5A against each other at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado Rapids.
What no one knew at the opening kick was that this was going to be a game that no one would forget.
Boulder scored first but Broomfield tied the game in the second half. At the end of regulation, there was no winner. It went to the first overtime. Then the second. Then into penalty kicks where it stretched out for 14 rounds before Boulder came away the victor.
Three-and-a-half years later, Broomfield coach Jim Davidson and forward Armando Ocampo along with Boulder coach Hardy Kalisher and keeper Djibril Doumbia recounted arguably the greatest game they have all ever been involved in.
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Boulder entered the game undefeated and had already beaten Broomfield 2-1 earlier in the year. But this was a new day on a neutral field and both teams felt confident heading in.
Kalisher: We were coming off of quite a quite a streak of wins and hadn’t experienced losses in a while. They say going into winning streaks like that, the whole cliche is it’s not a bad thing to lose one before the playoffs. That team in particular was very just laser focused on every game that was in front of them and just playing as a great team.
Ocampo: A lot of us had already been in that position before, so I think that we were in the right headspace. We always played with the mentality that we had nothing, nothing to lose.
Davidson: We had gone on a great run in the playoffs and we felt good about playing Boulder on that big field. Boulder is so good on their home field. In fact, I think that there is no other field in the state that provides the home field advantage that Recht does. So we felt good about having them on a neutral field.
Kalisher: Broomfield has such a great tradition in the playoffs. Obviously before that game and after that game we had a lot of experience with Broomfield and the playoffs. One of the things that we knew about Broomfield is the team that we were going to be playing was going to be a stronger, better, more determined and mentally focused opponent than we’d seen earlier in the year.
Doubmia: I just remember the feeling. Everyone was smiling, happy, cracking jokes, but also some people were focused and listening to music. I think that the general feeling was just excitement and we were just ready to go play that game. It was a long time coming.
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Boulder’s Simon Julien scores in the 10th minute to put Boulder up 1-0
Doubmia: You might think that after your team scores a goal, you get this sense of relief or something like that. But for me it was actually the exact opposite. I got this rush of nerves because you’re going up a goal and now the pressure is on you.
Ocampo: Getting scored on is always a little wake up call. You need to do better. And I think that’s how we took it without losing control and running around like crazy.
Kaliser: It was one of the nicest, most spectacular goals I’ve seen scored in all the years I’ve been coaching high school soccer. Simon Julian was the left winger, right footed and all season is his move was to take it down the line, cut it into his right foot and then shoot. He usually would take an extra touch with you just to get a little more control. He took one touch in which we’d been training on and was getting the shot off earlier.
Davidson: It was a little scary to be honest with you. We went down early in the match against a team like that likes to attack. I think at that point we were just thinking let’s get the game to halftime. Let’s just try to get out 1-0 and see if we can go get an equalizer in the second half.
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Boulder takes a 1-0 lead into halftime, both teams head to the locker room to talk second half strategy
Davidson: I think we did actually really well to get the game to halftime just down a goal.
Ocampo: Jim was always giving us good advice on how to fix things, but I don’t remember exactly what he said that day. It’s been a few years.
Doubmia: I definitely remember Hardy’s composure and how he held himself. It was obviously huge game in his coaching career and it was game in all of our careers and he was very professional and very calm.
Kaliser: It was arguing to win and we talked about continuing to believe in what we do well. So we’re going to try to feed our confidence and not focus anything at that point on a state championship.
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In the 43rd minute, Ocampo scores to tie the game at a goal apiece
Ocampo: Fighting for that first goal to make up for getting scored on in the first half is certainly a huge blow. It’s a wake up call, but it’s also a huge blow. Especially not being able to get one in the entirety of the first half. It’s just hard mentally. So that that was really a spark and we’re back in it and have a chance to now take this home.
Doubmia: That’s actually a funny one because Armando was a teammate of mine on another team. So that was kind of annoying. The feeling for me personally was a setback, you know? I have to step it up now. And then I felt like I let my team down.
Davidson: That was huge to get that time goal early in the second half. In fact, I remember making an argument to one of my assistant coaches. Gosh, did that goal come actually too early? We still had a lot of work to do. The other thing is I think that we switched off just a little bit. I think that the game presented itself and I think we could have gone and got that second goal.
Kaliser: Now at that point it’s really just trying to keep up the attack. We never lost the plot of what we were trying to do. At that point, it was as expected that we were seeing a better Broomfield team than we had seen during the regular season.
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No one scores for the remainder of regulation or the two overtime periods and the game moves into penalty kicks where the pressure on both teams increases
Davidson: I feel like it’s a moment you prepare for, but you’re actually never totally prepared for it. It puts a lot of pressure on the goalkeeper and then certainly the guys that we chose to take the spot kicks.
Kaliser: Interestingly, for whatever reason, we had had practiced penalty kicks more than any team I’ve ever had. Throughout the season, it was a fun way for us to end practices. We had a lot of penalty kick contests and divide the guys, put them at half field. So they had experienced that.
Ocampo: I really don’t feel like I have that much pressure from the fans as much as I do from, you my own teammates. Uh, and what I mean by that is Even though there were a lot of people at the stadium and it’s a big event and it’s a big field and I know everyone looks forward to it, a lot of the community comes and supports us. Once we start playing, I really tone that out, not that it’s on purpose, but I really start focusing on the game.
Doubmia: A lot of goalkeeper coaches, they will try to tell you that at the end of the day when it comes to PK’s, you can guess, you can read it, but at the end of the day, it’s not your fault. And I’ve always remembered that. And I know it might sound like a bit of a lazy mentality and there are some goalkeepers that take that responsibility on. “No, it’s my fault and I need to get all of these or save as many as I can.” And me personally, I didn’t have too many nerves. And I knew the other goalkeeper was a really good goalkeeper.
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Each team converts on their first three attempts before Ocampos’ shot sails high and Eagles keeper Jose Ogaz keeps hope alive with a save to extend the game
Doubmia: That was a kind of an “oh (darn)” moment. It was such a long game just playing the whole 90, going into the extra time and then finally into PK’s. I was tired and it was a very crazy and the whole time you don’t have this, because it was just tied and it wasn’t going anywhere and there were a lot of close like moments on each side.
Ocampo: Everyone tries to do their job, obviously I didn’t there. But that’s where the team effort comes in. That’s where you trust other people to do their job, to make up for you where you have shortcomings. Obviously there were moments in the games when I would be the one to make up for other shortcomings. So I think it’s important to be able to trust that when you have your own your own shortcomings, that your teammates will be there for you. And Jose certainly was.
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Drama in the 11th round as Ogaz makes an apparent championship-winning save, but the officials rule he left early and Boulder gets a second chance to extend the game
Ocampo: That was a bit of a bit of a roller coaster there.
Davidson: At one point Jose makes a save and the game was over. We are running across the field, our players are celebrating with their, with their fans, and we think it’s a done deal. Then the officials bring that that ball back. I don’t know how Jose was able to collect himself, which he did, which was an amazing moment for him to have to go back and take his line again after being called for encroachment, which was absolutely ridiculous at that moment in the game.
Ocampo: Honestly, I think more than anything after the entire game of struggling and battling and working hard, it was, I’d say more than happiness. It was a relief that we had lived up to our expectation. That season that we had lived up to the support of our fans, that we had lived up to our own personal expectations and the expectations of our coaches and our school. So, it was a huge relief when Jose blocked that. When I saw that the ref had ruled that against us, I didn’t really know what exactly had gone on. I didn’t look carefully at his feet, so I didn’t know if it actually was or wasn’t correct call.
Kaliser: When you’re in a zone as a coach or a player, you’re focused. We’re so laser focused on the officials and what’s happening that even though he made the save and it seems like it’s over, the first thing we see is the referee waiting it off. The players on the field, I’ve seen the photos, were dejected that it was over, but we saw the referee wave it off so we knew that it wasn’t over as coaches. And that’s some of the excitement. A little bit more of the drama started.
Doubmia: I could see it with my teammates. I could see that they were absolutely gutted and just they didn’t even believe it. It was crazy. Things like that, you don’t expect it. You know what’s going to happen. It’s bound to happen. Someone’s going to win. Someone’s going to lose. But that it happened like that, and especially from my standpoint, because I’m by myself, I’m looking at my whole line of teammates, coaches, staff, everyone. They’re out there holding each other and it’s crazy. To see them almost break down and then to have that called back was absolutely crazy too. I could just see it in my teammates, that little burst of energy, that burst of life right after it was called back. We have a chance again.
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In the 14th round, Doumbia makes a save and Mitchell Graesser scores to end the game, giving Boulder the state title.
Doubmia: There’s a feeling that I don’t know many people can describe and it’s just that a lot of goalkeepers know what it is and it’s just that feeling of the ball making contact with your gloves and knowing that you did it.
Ocampo: The circumstances were certainly not easy to take after thinking that you had already won it and then getting that shot blocked. With that being said, you know, hope was not lost yet. Jose had already blocked one. So at that point, our faith was in his hands and I put my trust in him to block it and obviously the chances of blocking a PK are not good. The next one went in as expected, but I think that everyone ultimately did what they could and I think that, um, yeah, yeah, it was definitely disappointing for a lot of us, especially for the seniors who really wanted that one.
Davidson: I have to admit that that was a hard year. That whole year was really tough and knowing that we felt like we had won a state championship to have it taken away was really tough to deal with and I’ll tell you how to go on that redemption tour the following year was credible. It was great that our guys got one back.
Kaliser: If I recall, we were just shy of the national record for most penalty kicks in a state championship game. We weren’t expecting that to happen.
There’s a story behind Mitchell even taking that shot. He was our captain. He was a very strong willed, stubborn if you will, type of a leader. There’s no doubt that if there was a kick to be taken to win a game, he wants to take it. That said, we also had a young Omar Castruita on the field who we would want, in terms of a technical player, to take a penalty kick. If you had asked us who our first pick would be, even though he was only a sophomore, everybody on the team would have said Omar should take that penalty kick.
When we got that deep, as coaches, we went back to the rotation. So I actually started yelling for Omar to take the kick. And it’s a loud stadium, we’re not used to playing in that stadium. And it’s really hard for the players on the field to actually hear from the sideline. And I knew that going in, it was our third state championship game. So I’m on the sideline, “Omar! You take the kick.” He looks over at Mitchell and Mitchell says “I’m taking the kick!” I looked at the captains and I said “Mitchell, don’t take the kick. Let Omar take the kick.” And we don’t get a timeout like in basketball.
So finally I look at my assistant coaches and tell them that I think I just iced Mitchell. I think I just told Mitchell from across the field that I believe in Omar. And Omar just shrugs his shoulders. Mitchell’s taking the kick. So he smashed that ball in the lower left corner and ran the fastest 65 yards I’ve ever seen to half field and slid in front of his fans. That was actually what was going on the sidelines of the moments leading up that shot.
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Four years later, the memories of that game remain fresh in everyone’s mind
Ocampo: I really can’t be that upset about it. Ultimately, it was a good, it was a good game of soccer. There’s nothing more you can ask. That’s the way it goes. The reason I say you can’t be too upset about it is because PK’s are a tough way to decide the outcome of a game, especially when it’s that close.
Doubmia: I think about that game so often. Weekly I find myself thinking about it and the feeling that it gives me inside, the warm feeling and the excitement.
Davidson: We were able to put our demons to rest [when we won the 2017 title]. I don’t think there’s any question about it. Looking at that 2016 Boulder team, was awesome and they were probably the best team in the state. I think they were ranked like second in the country. They were a fantastic team. (I thought ) we were a little better on that night and soccer is fickle like that.
Kaliser: We at Boulder High soccer have been building some momentum. We’ve won a state championship, we’ve gone to a state championship game. We’ve had more Front Range League titles than any of the teams in the league. We’ve been building some momentum at the state level for sure. But what we did in 2016 was really a breakthrough at a national reputation level.
The CHSAA Legislative Council met virtually for the first time in its 99-year history on Friday.
They voted on more than 50 items, and made a number of changes to the Association’s bylaws, which impacted things from alignment to the transfer rule. We have rounded up most of those changes here.
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Two classes of hockey
(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)
Hockey will split into two classifications, beginning with the 2020-21 season.
The two-class split, which was recommended by the hockey committee during its meeting in February, places 20 teams into Class 5A, and 17 in 4A. The committee used a variety of factors to place teams from bylaw 1500.21, including enrollment, geography, competitive history, competitive balance, participation rate, and the entry or selection process that places an athlete at a program.
The committee recognized the need for two classes because there isn’t much, if any, parity in the sport. Over the past four years, only 14 different schools have advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Hockey currently has 37 teams.
Hockey will use the CHSAA Seeding Index to seed its two state tournaments: RPI, MaxPreps, and the CHSAANow coaches poll.
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New seeding criteria for 5A basketball
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
An amendment during the meeting changed the seeding criteria that 4A and 5A basketball will use for their state tournaments: The two classes will now use a combination of the RPI standings, MaxPreps rankings and the CHSAANow coaches pool — bringing them in line with what a number of other sports are now using.
1A will also use the same criteria, but will also use the Packard Ratings.
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2A baseball changes postseason
(Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)
The 2A baseball postseason will now mirror what is done in 3A, 4A and 5A, with a 32-team regional bracket. All teams will qualify for the bracket via the RPI standings, and seeded by RPI. The top eight seeds will host regionals, and seeds Nos. 20-32 can be moved for geographic reasons.
The state tournament also got an overhaul, and will move to an eight-team single-elimination bracket. Previously, 2A had a 16-team bracket.
With this change, 2A schools can now schedule 23 games.
Baseball also created a game minimum to be able to qualify for the postseason: 12 games in 1A, 17 in 2A and 3A, 19 in 4A and 5A.
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New field hockey tournament
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
In an effort to help the growth of the sport, the state field hockey tournament will expand from eight teams to 12.
The top six seeds will receive a bye while the next six will compete in a play-in bracket.
In one of those brackets, No. 9 and No. 12 will play, with the winner playing No. 8. The winner of that game will face No. 1.
In the other bracket, No. 10 and No. 11 will play, with the winner facing No. 7. The winner of that game will face the No. 2 overall seed.
During that same round, the No. 4 and No. 5 seed will play, with No. 3 and No. 6 also playing.
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The transfer rule
A number of proposals involved the transfer rule. Among the changes which passed:
An adjustment to clarify that a student doesn’t have to transfer from a member school, in or out of state, in order for the rule to apply.
A proposal better explained the transfer consequence for transferring to another school, and a return to the original school — also known as an A-B-A transfer. Specifically, a student who transfers from School A, transfers to School B and plays at School B, and the returns to School A, will only be eligible for sub-varsity competition at School A in the sports they participated in at School B for 365 days.
A new bylaw passed allowing for students to participate with “restricted varsity eligibility during the regular season” if their high school does not offer a JV team, or if their school doesn’t allow seniors to play on sub-varsity teams.
The definition of a hardship was rewritten to read: “‘Hardship’ means a situation, condition or event which must impost a severe non-athletic burden upon the student or his/her family and require a transfer of schools. This does not include the personal or initial choice of enrollment and/or participation.”
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Notables:
The alignments for sports were finalized with the approval of each sports report. Those new alignments will be posted in the near future.
The season of sport was changed in boys swimming, allowing for those championships to be moved up a week and have their own spotlight.
6-man and 8-man football will use the same four data points of seeding that was used in 1A-5A this season.
In 5A football, all playoff games will be hosted by the higher seed.
1A girls volleyball will move from districts to regionals. The sport will also require that all teams play a minimum of 18 matches against member schools and varsity opponents in order to qualify for the postseason.
Boys volleyball will have one classification during its inaugural season in spring 2021.
Girls wrestling will use the same weight classes that were used in the pilot season.
The 4A and 5A boys lacrosse state tournaments will each grow from 16 to 24 teams starting in spring 2021.
2A soccer will increase its state tournament field from 12 teams to 16.
The regional field in 3A softball will grow to 32 teams, bringing it in line with 4A and 5A.
The requirements for qualifying for the state skiing championships were made more strict, to make the state field slightly smaller.
The state spirit championships will move to a three-day format beginning this year. Schools will only be able to participate in one cheer category and one dance category at the state championships. Cheer and dance are now considered separate sports.
Schools will be eligible to join CHSAA as activity-only schools, and not offer sports.
The process for classifying programs was clarified with an amendment to bylaw 1510, which deals with the Classification, Appeals and League Organizing Committee (CLOC). Now, the CHSAA staff can offer adjustments “in extraordinary circumstances” that are based upon bylaw 1500.21 (the bylaw allowing for classification based upon factors other than enrollment) in even years. These adjustments will need to be voted on by CLOC. Typically in even years, the classifications are already set and ready to go for the following cycle, so there would be very few adjustments, if any.
The amateur status bylaw was reworked, and now reads that student-athletes “must maintain his/her amateur status” and notes that they “may not sign a professional athletic contract.” A new note defines a professional as “being paid in any form for playing in an athletic contest, or if you sign a contract or verbally commit with an agent or professional sports organization.” Notably, student-athletes will be allowed to play with or against professionals in certain situations, such as in the Olympics or a World Cup.
The coach ejection bylaw was updated to give it a more consistent level of suspension across all sports. Now, the first ejection is penalized by a suspension equal to 10% of that sports season, and a second ejection is 20%.
All-Star games were added to bylaw 2300, allowing for “up to two All-Star Games after the completion of the state championship in that sport.” No all-star games are permitted in football.
Middle schoolers from “feeder” schools will be permitted to practice with high school teams in volleyball, basketball, soccer and football “when they cannot field enough high school athletes to hold an intra-squad practice in game-type conditions.” There are a number of limitations guiding this new bylaw.
The number of practices required for students to participate in prior to competition in contact sports was reduced from five to three in all sports but football, which will still require nine.
Schools can now form a team with only one participant, if they choose to.
Adding a new sport or activity will now require approval from the Budget Committee in addition to CLOC, Sports Medicine, Equity and the Board of Directors.
The full membership of the following schools is now official: DSST – Byers, KIPP Northeast, Loveland Classical, Strive Prep – Rise, Strive Prep – Smart, and Thomas MacLaren. KIPP Northeast and Strive Prep – Rise play together are a co-op: Regis Groff.
Officials’ fees increased with a 2% cost of living adjustment across the board, for all levels.
The alignment of State Festival and State Tournament will now be permanent in speech.
Student Leadership’s fall conference will move to a regional model beginning this year.
INDIANAPOLIS – Beginning next season, changes to the conditions and procedure for restarting play with a dropped ball will take effect in high school soccer.
The dropped ball procedure was among 15 rules changes made by the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee at its January 20-22 meeting in Indianapolis and subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
When a ball is caused to go out of bounds due to a simultaneous touch, Rules 9-2-2 and 9-2-3 now stipulate a referee will restart play with a dropped ball to one player of the team that last possessed the ball before going out of play. Previously, simultaneous touch resulted in any number of players contesting a dropped ball to restart play.
Additionally, if play is stopped with the ball in the penalty area or the last touch – by either team – was in the penalty area, the ball is dropped to the defending team’s goalkeeper with all opposing players outside the penalty area.
A dropped ball is also used when a ball is deemed out of play due to touching an official, remaining on the field and resulting in one of three scenarios. Rule 9-1-1b states that if a ball touches an official and remains on the field, it will be deemed out of play if it 1) creates a promising attack for a team, 2) goes directly into the goal, or, 3) changes possession.
“The committee felt it was unfair for the ball to touch an official, remain on the field and give an advantage to either team in any of the three situations outlined,” said Stan Latta, chair of the Soccer Rules Committee.
Three rules changes to Rule 16 address when players may enter the penalty area and play a ball after a goal kick. The rules now state a ball is in play when it is kicked and moves, at which point opposing players may enter the penalty area and play the ball. Previously, opposing players remained outside the penalty area until the ball cleared the penalty area and the goal kick was retaken if it failed to exit the penalty area.
“The changes in Rule 16 will allow for a faster restart and alleviate the tendency to waste time,” said Theresia Wynns, NFHS Director of Sports and Officials and liaison to the Soccer Rules Committee.
Rule 14-1-3 clarifies goalkeepers’ positions during a penalty kick. Defending goalkeepers shall stand with at least one foot on or in-line with the goal line and the goalkeeper shall not be touching the goal posts, crossbar or nets. Forward movement is allowed provided both feet don’t come off the line until the ball is in play.
A complete listing of the soccer rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Soccer.”
According to the 2018-19 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, soccer is the fifth most popular high school sport for boys with 459,077 participants in 12,552 schools nationwide. Soccer is the fourth most popular sport for girls with 394,105 participants in 12,107 schools.
14. Regis Jesuit’s Antonio Segura ends Pomona’s Theorius Robison’s bid for fourth wrestling title
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Regis Jesuit’s Antonio Segura pulled off a big upset in the state wrestling semifinals to end a quest for four state wrestling titles from Pomona’s Theorius Robison.
8. Valley’s Angel Rios and Skyview’s Jaslynn Gallegos become first girls to place at state wrestling
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Just two months before a vote that made girls wrestling its own sanctioned sport, Valley’s Angel Rios and Skyview’s Jaslynn Gallegos each became the first girls to ever place at the state wrestling tournament against the boys.
7. Ponderosa’s Cohlton Schultz: A once-in-a-generation wrestler who just may be the state’s best
(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
An in-depth look at Cohlton Schultz, the 2019 Ponderosa graduate who already had tasted international success, and would become a four-time state wrestling champion.
3. 5A football semifinal between Pomona and Cherry Creek moved to Stutler Bowl
(@cchsactivities/Twitter)
With an unplayable field at the NAAC due to a massive snowstorm, the Pomona and Cherry Creek semifinal football game was moved to a new location and date.
The soccer committee met last month, and made some big changes in Class 2A.
Each of the changes sought to address some issues within the classification, while also helping to align it more with how 3A, 4A and 5A are setup.
“When 2A soccer came on board, the intention was to increase program participation in the sport at our smaller member schools, while at the same time, maintaining programs at our smaller member schools currently offering the sport. We have been successful in achieving this goal,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Justin Saylor, who administers the sport. “The next step in ensuring the success of 2A soccer is aligning it with our other classifications, regarding alignment of leagues and playoff qualification — while at the same time, addressing the travel and host site issues unique to the classification.
“I believe we have achieved this with the changes made by the committee.”
For starters, the state tournament bracket was expanded from 12 to 16 teams, which bring the classification more in line in terms of percentage of teams qualifying for the postseason. 2A will have 32 teams in the 2020-22 two-year cycle.
In addition, the dates of the first and second round of the 2A tournament have been moved to a Friday/Saturday format, with four-team pods each traveling to the top four seeds in the tournament and playing the games at one site. This past season, the rounds were played on Wednesday and Saturday.
“This will help us eliminate travel and missed school times, because of how spread out the classification is,” Saylor said.
Finally, every 2A team was placed into a league, doing away with a format which allowed some teams to play independently, and certain leagues to have schedules where not every team in a league played one another.
These committee proposals, like all recommendations, must be approved by the Legislative Council in April 2020.
Of note, the committee last year passed a game minimum in 2A which is set to begin in the fall of 2020. Teams must play a minimum of 12 games in order to qualify for the postseason, 10 of which must be against schools which belong to state associations that are members of the NFHS.
All classes of soccer have also adopted a new seeding criteria, one that uses a combined formula from the RPI standings, MaxPreps rankings, and CHSAANow coaches poll to seed the fields after they are determined. Other sports, such as volleyball and field hockey have followed football’s lead in this area in doing the same during their committee meetings this fall.
Jeffco Preps With Pleuss is a monthly roundup of Jeffco prep highlights hosted by Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ sports information director. This month’s edition features Columbine winning its first softball state championship. We look back at deep playoff runs by Golden softball and boys soccer teams. Pomona’s gymnastics team made history becoming the first program to win five straight team titles in the largest classification. Ralston Valley and D’Evelyn advanced to the state volleyball tournament at the Denver Coliseum. We close out the program with playoff football highlights from Columbine, Pomona, Ralston Valley and Green Mountain — all programs that have advanced to the state semifinals.
