The Aspen softball team hasn’t won a game since the program’s return in 2012. Now, the group wants to break new ground together.

Read the full story on AspenTimes.com.

The most consistently successful high school football program in Colorado over the past three years? It’s Sedgwick County. And there’s no debate.

The 8-man team, which co-ops players from Julesburg and Revere high schools in Northeast Colorado, has gone 38-1 since the start of the 2015 season. The Cougars have captured three state championships. Their winning streak currently stands at 23 games — the longest in the state, regardless of classification.

Segwick County hasn’t lost a game to an in-state opponent since the 2014 season, going 32-0 in the past three seasons.

(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com)

So, yeah, they are the team to beat. And they are the preseason No. 1 team in 8-man football.

That’s not to say it’s going to be easy. The Cougars lost quite a bit from last season, including three members of the All-State teams, and six seniors.

“We lost a lot of good kids from last year’s team,” said Sedgwick County coach Chris Michel. “We’re just kind of trying to find the identity of this team, trying to establish a culture in practice of being competitive every day, and kind of finding where these guys will fit into our system this year.”

One major piece is back, though, in senior Layne Green, the reigning 8-man player of the year who accounted for 28 total touchdowns last season, and also had 67 tackles on defense.

Also back is Beau Parker, a junior, who had 12 touchdowns and 71 tackles, and Dalton Carlson, another junior, who had 74 tackles.

Ethan Walter (two touchdowns, 53 tackles) will be stepping into the starting quarterback spot.

Eric Alcala, a senior, will also be big on both the offensive and defensive line.

So Sedgwick County’s quest to for a fourth-straight state title is very much alive. The Cougars would become the first team to win four-straight championships since Valor Christian won five from 2009-13.

“You try to fly under the radar, which is hard when you are three-time state champs,” Michel said. “A couple of the kids talk about having a target on our back. We talk about embracing that target. You know, loving having that target. ”

(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com)

The 23-game winning streak is also a particular source of pride.

“I think that is something we want to defend,” Parker said. “I feel like every year, it gets a little bit bigger of a target on our back, and that’s something to play for every weekend when we’re going out on Friday nights. It just kind of gets the blood pumping a little bit more.”

The top-ranked Cougars open their season at home on Aug. 31 against Hoehne, a playoff team last season. They’ll also travel to Gilpin County’s new field, and have games against playoff teams Haxtun, Caliche and Merino. Dayspring Christian, typically among 8-man’s best programs, is also on the schedule.

“Every game — every week — is always a test,” Carlson said. “You never overlook a team. Every week, you play like you’re playing the best team. That’s been our main deal. We focus on one team at a time, and move week-by-week.”

And while this program has a lot of history, the 2018 team is a new group.

“It’s a new year, so we’re just keeping our focus on keeping our energy up, and improving every day,” Michel said. “Every team wants to improve every day, and that’s one of our focuses that we’ve made part of our team culture the last couple of years. We’re anxious to get started.”

(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com)

“As soon as we heard the news, everyone just knew: We’ve got to do this for him. We have to make playoffs for coach,” Mountain View senior Josiah Baptista said of dedicating their 2018 season to coach Bart Mayes.

Read the full story from the Loveland Reporter-Herald.

The Aspen football team won’t get to play on its home turf much this season, and that’s a major reason why new head coach Travis Benson wanted Friday’s scrimmage with Glenwood Springs to be open to the public.

Read the full story from The Aspen Times.

When a coach has been with a football team for any lengthy period of time, the way things are done can become ingrained in a program’s identity.

Read the full story at BoCoPreps.com.

LITTLETON — Mark Steinbeck enters his 12th season on Dakota Ridge’s boys cross country coaching staff and the Eagles are on pace for a banner season.

“I know our team aspirations are No. 1 in all of our minds,” said Steinbeck, who has been the head coach since 2012. “The intention right now at the state meet no matter what is to run for the team and try to get the team title.”

A year ago, Dakota Ridge finally ended rival Arvada West’s four-year run at winning the Class 5A Jeffco League boys cross country team title. Steinbeck believes claiming that conference title set the tone for what the Eagles did at the 2017 state cross country meet and what Dakota Ridge has ahead of them this season.

The Eagles placed fifth in the 5A cross country team race last October in Colorado Springs. Austin Vancil and Connor Ohlson finished third and 10th respectively.

Austin Vancil, left, and Connor Vancil lead a strong Dakota Ridge boys cross county team this fall. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Vancil returns for his senior year and Ohlson, who also placed in the top-10 in the 800 and 1,600 during the 5A state track meet last spring, is back for his junior season to lead the pack for the Eagles.

“We want to bring that title back to Dakota,” Vancil said referring to the Eagles winning its lone boys cross country team title in 2006. “It would mean a lot to do that. It’s a huge accomplishment to win state. We also want to try to get our team to qualify for Nike Nationals in Arizona.”

Besides Vancil and Ohlson returning, senior Riley Abrashoff along with juniors Ben Morrin, Ben Piegat and sophomore Jacob White are all back after running at state for the Eagles last season. Dakota Ridge only graduated Mark Testa from last year’s seven state qualifiers.

“We might look like the major favorite, but I’ve told these guys all year that if we don’t train if we don’t take care of business (other teams) will get us if we aren’t on our game,” Steinbeck said.

Evan Appel and Danny Carney are arguably the best two cross country runners to come out of Dakota Ridge. The two combined for six individual top-20 finishes at the 5A state meet from 2005 to 2010. Appel won back-to-back individual state titles in 2007 and 2008.

“It’s crazy to think that today we’ve got two boys (Vancil and Ohlson) just as good as Evan and Danny here at the same time,” Steinbeck said. “Austin and Connor are incredible.”

Vancil has gone from finishing 147th to 23rd to 3rd at the state meet the past three years. He placed 8th in the 1,600 and 4th in the 3,200 at the state track meet last spring.

“He (Vancil) is the smartest racer I’ve ever coached,” Steinbeck said. “Austin just does stuff that I’ve never had to coach him on racing wise.”

Junior Connor Ohlson, right, has a bright running future ahead. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Ohlson doesn’t have the amount of miles as Vancil does under his belt, but the raw talent the junior has is evident. Ohlson admitted he was even surprised about what he accomplished his sophomore season.

“Freshman year you are looking at all the top guys and then all of the sudden you are running with some of those top guys,” Ohlson said. “It’s really humbling and really cool.”

What Ohlson has learned from Vancil has been critical too. The junior said he has learned to embrace the sport by his senior teammate.

Steinbeck is excited about what is in store for Ohlson over the next couple of years.

“Connor does things that tell me he is one of the most special boys to ever run in the state right now,”Steinbeck said. “He has the chance over the next two years to do some incredible stuff.”

While Vancil and Ohlson are two of the top 5A runners, they aren’t the favorite to win the individual title this season. Valor Christian junior Cole Sprout is coming off a remarkable sophomore campaign where he won the 4A individual cross country title and swept the 4A 1,600 and 3,200 titles at the 4A state track meet.

Valor is moving up to 5A this year so Sprout will likely be the rabbit that everyone will be chasing. Vancil doesn’t mind being the underdog when it comes to the individual title.

“It definitely helps not being the top guy going in. You don’t have all the pressure on you,” Vancil said. “On his (Sprout’s) best day he is unbeatable.”

Running head-to-head against Sprout this season is something Ohlson believes will be beneficial for him.

“It’s awesome to have somebody to chase,” Ohlson said of Sprout. “Having someone like him helps you improve more.”

Dakota Ridge seniors Austin Vancil and Riley Abrashoff run during training Aug. 16 near Dakota Ridge High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

LITTLETON — For nearly a decade the lone girls field hockey program in Jeffco was based at Golden High School.

A move last spring allowed Dakota Ridge High School in South Jeffco to take over reins of the field hockey program that has drawn student-athletes from across the district and even outside Jeffco.

“Honestly, at first I was kind of skeptical. I was worried if we moved schools that some kids wouldn’t change with us,” Dakota Ridge senior Abby Steinman said of the move from Golden to Dakota Ridge. “But now that it’s the season we’ve got more players than last season.”

Dakota Ridge senior Abby Steinman, far left, leads drills during practice Aug. 16. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Jessica Summers spent last year as the head coach at Golden. She made the move over to stay on guiding the program at Dakota Ridge.

“The administration has been very supportive ever since Dakota Ridge said it was going to take the program,” Summers said. “It’s really cool.”

Summers, originally from Pennsylvania, believes the sport of field hockey is primed to have a tremendous growth in Colorado.

“It’s not really popular yet, but I feel in the next four years it’s going to really be booming like lacrosse has exploded in Colorado,” said Summers who spent time coaching in Holland over the summer.

The growth of Dakota Ridge’s program has already happened. Last season Summers didn’t have an assistant coach at Golden. This year Summers has two assistant coaches in two former college players in Megan Hollenbach and Kelsey Boyce.

Dakota Ridge opens its season at Cherry Creek on Thursday, Aug. 23. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

There are plenty of young student-athletes just learning the game of field hockey for the Eagles this season. Steinman will be one of Dakota Ridge’s most experienced players. She has been playing the sport since before the 7th-grade.

“I helped my teammates out with their hits (shots) a few days ago,” Steinman said of being a leader on the young squad. “It feels good to help them because then I know we are making the team better. If they improve we’ll all improve.”

Golden’s last winning record was in 2015 when the program had back-to-back state playoff appearances. The program has never won a playoff game, but Summers is intent on haven’t a long-term plan to get the new Dakota Ridge based program up to the level of the elite teams like Palmer Ridge, Kent Denver, Colorado Academy and Cherry Creek.

“It’s really awesome to see these girls go from square one in the beginning of the season and see what they learn, how they grow and see their passion for the sport at the end of the season,” said Summers, who hopes to get the Eagles to a new level. “It is what really keeps me motivated.”

Dakota Ridge opens it season against Cherry Creek at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, at Stutler Bowl. The Eagles will play home games at the Rooney Road Sports Complex in Golden. Dakota Ridge’s home opener is Aug. 30 against Fossil Ridge.

Girls field hockey could have boom in interest like lacrosse has in Colorado over the past two decades. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Cliff (Grassmick/BoCoPreps.com)

Before the start of the 2017 boys prep soccer campaign, Centaurus coach Lee Stanley sat down and planned out an end of the season getaway to just decompress from the stress of the journey.

Read the full story on BoCoPreps.com.

Josie Hornung (14) and Reyna Isenbart (13). (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

The most dominant team in Colorado high school sports could be called an outlier. Not because what it did was well outside the averages (which it was) but because the school and the team itself sits well outside the most populated areas in the state.

The Kit Carson Wildcats stormed through their competition en route to the 2017 Class 1A volleyball title. A quick look at their overall season record of 28-0 doesn’t even begin to illustrate just how good this team was.

Not only did they win every match they stepped on the floor for, but they never even dropped a set.

And what made it all the more special for the team is that it was very much a family affair. The 2017 version of the Wildcats boasted four sets of sisters on the roster, each seeing significant time in each match.

That will likely be the case again in 2018. Haley and Faith Johnson, McKenzie and Mercede Smith, Josie and Tess Hornung, and Olivia and Reyna Isenbart will all try to bring the same level of dominance back this fall. And like most family functions, even the if the result ends well sometimes there can be conflict along the way.

“Sometimes they argue,” coach Penny Isenbart said. “Sometimes there’s another set of sisters that isn’t a part (of the argument) or another sister will calm everyone down and tell them everything will be alright.”

If there was any arguing in last year, cooler heads certainly prevailed. Like a stereotypical sibling relationship, they’re allowed to fight with each other, but will stand together against someone from outside of the circle.

Having this mentality makes the Wildcats a very dangerous team once the regular season begins on Thursday.

McKenzie Smith. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

“I think it really does,” Tess Hornung said. “I think when we create that bond and then we take it with us in whatever we’re doing, if anyone tries to tear us down and beat us, they won’t be able to break us apart. Our bond is unstoppable.”

Tess led Kit Carson in kills (248) and aces (46) in 2017 meaning that a solid portion of the offense returns this year.

McKenzie Smith and Reyna Isenbart also return to give the offense a boost. Both recorded over 140 kills meaning between the three players, over 62 percent of the offensive firepower is back.

Even though those numbers jump off the page, it’s not the statistics that the Wildcats point to when it comes to the key reasons behind their success. It’s more geared toward the community support and the closeness of the girls once they’re on the roster.

Kit Carson lost two seniors in Paige Johnson and Micayla Isenbart, both of whom were a part of the siblings that helped make the team a champion.

If new faces step into those spots, there is hardly a worry as to whether or not they’ll mesh with the veterans of the team.

“I think it’s so easy for us to get along regardless of what age we are,” McKenzie Smith said. “We’re such a close community as it is so with these freshmen coming in, it’s so easy to come together as a family.”

Especially if they can repeat the historic level of dominance they had a year ago. The 78 sets that the Wildcats rattled off last year broke a 12-year-old state record held by Colorado Springs Christian School.

Setting or tying that record might be ideal, but the Wildcats’ focus is more on a micro level. If they worry about what is happening directly in front of them, the long-term results will work themselves out.

“We’ve talked a lot about this, but it’s a new season,” Coach Isenbart said. “It’s really a new team that’s out there even though a lot of them have played together. We decided a few days ago that we’re taking it one minute at a time which is what we did last year and it worked well for us.”

The first minute that the Wildcats will focus on will come on Aug. 23 when they travel to Burlington to open the season.

(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

ARVADA — The time of looking back at photos and videos of Pomona players and coaches lifting the Class 5A football state championship trophy last December at Broncos Stadium at Mile High is over.

“We looked back on last year a lot, but now it’s time to just focus on this year,” Pomona senior running back Theorius Robison said during practice Tuesday afternoon. “We know we are missing some big guys we had last year, but we think we have talent to fill it.”

Three-year starting quarterback Ryan Marquez loaded up on numerous awards before heading to the University of Wyoming. Star running back Max Borghi finished his stellar career with nearly 4,000 yards rushing and 74 touchdowns. Borghi graduated high school a semester early to head up to Washington State University where is could be a huge role in the Cougars’ offensive plans this fall.

Pomona running back Theorius Robison, middle, talks to quarterback Colten Muller during practice. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Just like Marquez, Borghi and the rest of graduated seniors that lifted Pomona to its first state football championship since 1988 after a 56-49 victory over Eaglecrest, the Panthers are moving on.

Pomona coach Jay Madden admitted it has taken sometime to reset for the current season.

“The first week of practice you could definitely tell we had the championship hangover. We were going through the motions and waiting for the fun stuff to start,” Madden said. “You don’t get to the fun stuff if you don’t put the work in.”

Madden has guided the Panthers to three straight 5A title games. Despite the loss of key contributors, Pomona has plenty left to stay relevant in the state championship picture.

Offensively, the skill positions has a ton of experience back starting with Robison. The three-time state wrestling champion averaged nearly 9 yards per carry while posting more than 800 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns last season.

“Theorius is as good a running back as there is in Colorado. That is going to show early,” Madden said. “You won’t find a kid with more confidence than Theorius.”

Robison also had the luxury acquiring knowledge from Borghi over the past three years.

“I learned from Max how to read the field better and how to trust your speed when you hit the hole,” Robison said.

Senior quarterback Colten Muller actually got four starts behind center last year after Marquez suffered a broken arm in Pomona’s conference opener in early October. Muller helped guide the Panthers to a 5-0 league record before Marquez returned for Pomona’s playoff run.

Senior Billy Pospisil (9) had more than 1,500 yards receiving last season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“It does feel different, but I’m excited to show what I have this year,” Muller said of taking over the starting quarterback spot. “I know my teammates have my back and we’ll still be really good. It’s good when you have really good players.”

The senior receiver tandem of Billy Pospisil and David Ross — combined for nearly 2,300 yards receiving and 25 touchdowns — gives Muller plenty of big play potential. The offensive line also returns starting junior tackles Adam Karas and Garrett Bishop, along with senior center Micheal Marquez.

“Adam Karas and Garrett Bishop are Division I players,” Madden said. “Micheal Marquez moved into center around Week 8 last year. All three could be all-state players, they are that good.”

At times last year Pomona’s defense showed its youth and inexperience.

“Last year was an anomaly,” Madden said of Pomona’s defensive struggles that included giving up 49 points in the state title game. “I had just moved from running the defense for 10 years to running the offensive side of the ball. It was a big transition for all of us. Some games we played unbelievable. Some we didn’t.”

Pomona coach Jay Madden has guided the Panthers to the 5A state title game the previous three years. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Junior linebackers Kyle Moretti and Sanjay Strickland will be the core of the Panthers’ defense, along with senior defensive back Jack Thiele.

“Kyle (6-foot-1, 230 pound) and Sanjay (6-foot-2, 245 pounds) will be two of the best middle linebackers in Colorado,” Madden said. “They get tougher and smarter every day.”

Thiele added that he feels the experience from last year and the fact Pomona has returning starters at a lot defensive positions will allow the Panthers to be a strong defensive unit.

“It’s huge because you know they (Moretti and Strickland) are going to be able to control their stuff,” Thiele said of Pomona’s middle linebackers. “It’s going to be really hard to run on us.”

Another thing that going to be hard is Pomona’s schedule.

Pomona senior Colten Muller throws during practice. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

The Panthers open the season Aug. 23 facing Oak Ridge (Florida) in Orlando. Pomona faces old Jeffco rival Bear Creek in Week 2 before beginning an extremely tough stretch. The Panthers, ranked No. 4 in the CHSAANow.com 5A football preseason poll, faces No. 3 Valor Christian, No. 1 Cherry Creek and No. 10 Highlands Ranch in three consecutive weeks.

“Our philosophy ever since I’ve been here is very Friday night is fun,” Madden said. “If you are out there winning by 50 points that isn’t fun to me. I want to go out there and compete that is fun for me. Win or lose, I want to go out and see how good we are.”

Bringing back Jeffco programs into the same league also has Madden excited and his hope is the crowds at the North Area Athletic Complex and Jeffco Stadium will see attendance spikes this season. The 5A Metro West League consists of five Jeffco teams (Arvada West, Columbine, Lakewood, Pomona and Ralston Valley), along with Mullen.

“It’s going to be a battle,” Madden said of the new conference. “It is going to fun and fun for the neighborhoods again.”

While a fourth straight trip to the 5A title game is sitting out there, Madden is focused on improvement from week to week.

“We want to become our own team,” Madden said when asked about the goals this season. “Instead of living in the past or thinking about November we’ve got to start living right now.”

Pomona is eyeing a tough schedule that includes non-league games against Valor, Cherry Creek and Highlands Ranch. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)