Valor Christian hockey made a big leap in its first season under George Gwozdecky in 2015-16. So what’s in store for Year 2?
“Certainly, there is a cautious optimism,” Gwozdecky said Monday, just prior to the start of the 2016-17 season.
You know the story by now: Gwozdecky won four national championships at the collegiate level, two as a head coach. The season before taking over at Valor Christian, he was an assistant for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
He is a coaching legend in the sport.
Last season, Gwozdecky’s Eagles finished 10-8-1, winning their final six games to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2012-13. It was a quick turnaround for a program that had been a combined 5-31-0 over the previous two seasons.
But in the first round of that tournament, the Eagles were handled by Ralston Valley, 10-1.
“It certainly was a great thing to be able to finish off the season on the run we did to be able to get into the state tournament,” Gwozdecky said. “Once we got into the state tournament, we realized how challenging that type of competition is.”
Then, he added, laughing, “We got crushed pretty good in the first game and got knocked out.”
Now, Gwozdecky’s hope is that Valor can take the next step.
Some important players did graduate, including four-year starting goalie Dylan Wheeler, but the Eagles have been bolstered by students in Valor’s hallways who never played for the school team before.
(Josh Watt/CHSAANow.com)
“We’re in a little bit of a different situation here in the sense that we’ve been able to add some players to our program who have been going to school here at Valor for already one or two or three years, and have decided to join and play high school hockey rather than return to their club team that they’ve played for,” Gwozdecky said. “That’s really strengthened our team this year.”
In fact, Gwozdecky said, during the annual fall season many schools participate in, four of the team’s top six scorers were newcomers.
Still, there are key returners, like forwards Luke Lonneman and Michael Brown. Lonneman, the coach said, “Is probably our top returning player.”
Jack Kuzia will take over in net.
“This is his first time to be the No. 1 guy, and the starter,” Gwozdecky said, “and he looks like he has improved from backing up Dylan and watching Dylan and watching how he performs.”
Valor, ranked No. 9 in the preseason, is among the favorites in the newly-created Highlands Conference, along with Castle View.
The sport has moved to a radically new alignment this season, placing eight teams apiece into four tiered divisions according each team’s historic strength.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction for a competitive level for high school hockey in Colorado,” Gwozdecky said, noting the number of blowouts in previous seasons.
It means that the top division will likely be the Foothills Conference — home to defending champion Regis Jesuit (also preseason No. 1), and powers like Monarch, Ralston Valley and Cherry Creek.
Each team in the Foothills Conference is ranked in the preseason. The only non-Foothills teams that are ranked are Valor, and Resurrection Christian (No. 4), which is the favorite in the Peak Conference.
Two new teams have joined the sport this season: Fort Collins and Crested Butte. Castle View is in its second year as a varsity team.
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Hockey preview
Important dates
Regular season begins: Nov. 30
State tournament begins: Feb. 22
State finals: March 3-4
Info
Defending champion: Regis Jesuit
Preseason No. 1: Regis Jesuit
Returning all-state players: Hunter Fox, Battle Mountain, senior, D (1st team); Cade Alcock, Regis Jesuit, senior, D (2nd); Carter Jones, Dakota Ridge, senior, F (honorable mention); Connor Kilkenny, Regis Jesuit, junior, F (honorable mention); Daniel Taggart, Cherry Creek, senior, F (honorable mention).
Ponderosa’s Cohl Schultz. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Two years ago, Pomona, Pueblo County and Meeker saw its bid for a state wrestling championship come up a little bit short.
But when those teams returned to the Pepsi Center last February, each squad turned that disappointment into motivation and claimed the top spot in its respective classification.
Don’t think that went unnoticed by the rest of the state. So for those squads whose state dreams didn’t quit pan out in 2016 – especially for the programs which have been there before – the message was sent that with a little extra effort and the right circumstances, their time could be coming.
“At the state tournament, crazy things happen. It happens every single year,” said Ponderosa coach Corey McNellis, whose team finished third in Class 5A. “I think it boils down to obviously getting enough qualifiers through at regionals, but at the state tournament it’s about which team has the better tournament.
“I think if we continually improve all season long, maybe get a couple of guys into state that through the rankings or on paper weren’t supposed to, and then have everyone peaking at the right time – if we can do that again this year, I like our chances.”
Ponderosa won eight consecutive 5A titles from 2003-10, and while the program has continued to be a power, the state title has eluded the Mustangs in recent seasons. The same could be said for Pine Creek, which won the 5A crown in 2012. The Eagles have finished in the top six in each of the past four seasons, but couldn’t quite put it all together.
For both programs, the challenge is to change all that in 2017.
“That is always the goal. I know everybody on the team would be so excited if we’re able to win that,” said Pine Creek junior Garrett Niel, who captured the 182-pound title last season. “It would be great to bring that title back to Pine Creek High School.”
Both Ponderosa and Pine Creek will get that opportunity this winter, along with a host of other programs. The Mustangs return five state placers, including sophomore Cohl Schultz, who dominated the state scene as a freshman at 220 pounds.
Pine Creek, which dropped down to 4A for 2016-17, returns two state champions in Niel and Peter Isais – a third, Jordan Martinez, opted to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
The mission is there, but it won’t be an easy one. Of the eight state placers for Pomona, only one graduated. Pueblo County had only one senior among 10 state placers and returns four defending state champions – including three-time titlist Hunter Willits.
That should make for an exciting time at the Pepsi Center this February. In fact, only four state champions in 5A and five champions in 4A were seniors.
“Colorado in general has become a dominant state in wrestling. You look at Pueblo County and Pomona, they’re both ranked in the top 25 in the country,” McNellis said. “Colorado has become one of the elite wrestling states.
“You have these younger kids that experience the state tournament, whether it’s us, or Pomona or Poudre or Pine Creek – bringing those kids back, I think gives a huge advantage to all the teams returning those kids.”
While Pomona is the team to beat in 5A, Ponderosa isn’t about to back down. McNellis said there is no experience or pressure that can match that of the state tournament, so for his returning qualifiers, having been there before will be big for their confidence.
That’s especially true of Schultz. As a freshman he finished 51-1 – the only loss came in the Ironman tournament in Ohio – and pinned each of his four state opponents in the first period. Schultz is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation at 220 pounds, and McNellis said he’s only gotten better.
“He’s really been working on his offensive shots. He has improved,” the coach said. “He’s a great leader too. He’s about the team in pretty much all aspects.”
The pieces are in place for the future as well. Of the five returning state placers, only Hunter Matney is a senior.
Pine Creek is in a bit of a different situation. With Martinez choosing not to return, the Eagles only have three state qualifiers back. But with two of those three having won state championships, the experience factor can’t be overstated.
Niel has verbally committed to the Air Force Academy. Isais is still playing football but will join his teammates after the season.
“Those two are really the leaders, and they’re surrounded by four or five other seniors and juniors, all of whom are on the same page,” Pine Creek coach Billy Gabel said. “It’s hard for a coach to have that kind of room every single year.
“This year, so far from just what I’ve seen, these kids are having fun and enjoying each other and really buying into the family.”
Niel said the team was proud of having three state champions last season, but the Eagles weren’t satisfied because they still believed they could have performed better.
He’s ready to embrace the challenge of defending his title and helping lead the team in its bid for a championship.
“Being able to do it again would be great, and I know Pete’s thinking the same thing,” Niel said. “But at the same time we’re both thinking ‘let’s take it one dual at a time, one match at a time, so we don’t have all the pressure of thinking of a repeat again.”
Gabel said he enjoys seasons like the one before him because as a coach he doesn’t truly know what he has yet. One thing he does know is that moving down to 4A won’t be a drop-off in competition.
“Eddie (Soto) has done such a good job (at Pueblo County). I really respect him and what he’s built. (Pueblo) East looks tough and Cheyenne Mountain,” Gabel said. “But it doesn’t change what I do with my program. We still do ABC, XYZ and still train and compete the same way.”
In 3A, Valley has won three consecutive state championships. While two of the team’s three state champions graduated, Aaron Trujillo was only a junior.
In 2A, Meeker also graduated two of its three titlists, including four-time state champion T.J. Shelton. Casey Turner was a junior for the Cowboys last season.
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Wrestling preview
Important dates
Season begins: Nov. 30
Postseason begins: Feb. 10
State tournament: Feb. 16-18, Pepsi Center in Denver
Class 5A
Defending champion: Pomona
Returning all-state wrestlers: Gabriel Dinette, Jr., Lakewood; Jacob Greenwood, Jr., Poudre; Malik Heinselman, Jr., Castle View; Josiah Rider, Jr., Grand Junction; Theorius Robison, Soph., Pomona; Trenton Schultz, Sr., Mountain Vista; Cohl Schultz, Soph., Ponderosa.
Class 4A
Defending champion: Pueblo County
Returning all-state wrestlers: Andrew Alirez, Soph., Greeley Central; Deric Cruz, Sr., Mesa Ridge; Justin Davis, Sr., Pueblo County; Dante Garcia, Jr., Pueblo County; Peter Isais, Sr., Pine Creek; Garrett Niel, Jr., Pine Creek; Jace Trujillo, Soph., Pueblo East; Will Vombaur, Soph., Windsor; Grant Willits, Sr., Pueblo County; Hunter Willits, Sr., Pueblo County; Myles Wilson, Sr., Glenwood Springs.
Though snow so far has been sparse, skiers across the state are prepping for the winter days ahead.
Battle Mountain boys head coach Simon Marsh has his team well underway in their dry-land training, knowing that showing up in shape is half the battle. Continual success starts well before the ski boots are on, and nobody knows this better than Marsh.
Last February, his squad won their second consecutive championship, with Marsh being named coach of the year. In 2015, the state title was led by standout skiers Sans Simonton and Keenan Zopf. When they graduated, seniors Quintin Cook and Luke Vickerman carried on the winning performance for a repeat championship.
Their points were crucial. Now there are holes in the roster, but goals are still as high.
“No question a three-peat will certainly be a challenge without these skiers who were both experienced racers and great athletes,” Marsh said. “However, nothing is out of reach for this year’s teams. We have a group of motivated skiers who were a part of last year’s teams, ready to train and compete.”
They’ll look for strong performances from Bryce Runckel (one of the three scorers in the slalom race last year), Dutch Schroeder and Michael Barrett. And those hopeful performances derive from Marsh’s emphasis on training.
“Most specifically to being a top contender, we take pride in our commitment to holding quality on-hill training, where we keep a focus on the ever-important fundamentals to ski racing that we build on during the season in preparation for the State Championships,” Marsh said.
On the girls side, the 2016 championship crowned Aspen as the new top dog, after two years of victory for Summit. Similar to Battle Mountain, dry-land practice is a top priority. The girls practice five days a week and occasional Saturday’s for lengthier time. It hones their endurance base while simultaneously increasing the athletes’ strength and speed. All of these, of course, are transferable to the hill.
This year won’t mirror last year though, At the moment, the team lacks the depth it had last year, a depth that other teams are full of.
“This year is completely different. We graduated some big skiers and have a few currently injured,” said coach Travis Moore. “We are simply focusing on building skills and fitness in hopes that in the coming years we are able to get back on top,”
But, like Marsh, Moore has hopes and they start now. “We will still train hard and see where it takes us,” says Moore. “The rivalry between us and Summit has been strong for years, sharing titles back and forth. It’s always a lot of fun to see how it plays out.” Juniors Chelsea Moore and Jozie Willie plan to lead Aspen this season.
Marcus Lindsay knows a thing or two about the running back position.
His father, Phillip Troy Lindsay, and his uncle, Tony, played the position at Thomas Jefferson. His older brothers Phillip and Zach were standouts at Denver South. So when he says he takes pride in following in their footsteps, you can be sure that he means it.
Lining up in the backfield for the Rebels carries plenty of weight. A number of great ones came before Marcus, and when he took his turn as the featured back as a junior, all he did was rush for more than 1,500 yards.
It’s no different for backs like Grandview’s Hayden Blubaugh or Fort Morgan’s Tate Kembel. Blubaugh led the entire state in rushing yards as a junior, following in the footsteps of former Wolves like Bo Bolen and Chukwuma Obinnah.
Kembel, 3A’s leading rusher a year ago, has back-to-back seasons of more than 1,000 yards. His predecessors include Dusty Quick — third all-time in state history in rushing yards — and Chris Cobbley.
Lindsay, Blubaugh and Kembel are just a sampling of why the running back position is so deep and talented headed into the 2016 season, which gets underway this weekend. Spread offenses and aerial attacks may get a lot of attention, but there is something to said for being able to pound the ball into the interior of the defense 30 times a game.
“Being a running back, that’s a big job. You have to be able to run, you have to be able to catch and block,” Lindsay said. “If you don’t have any running game, you’re not going to have any passing game because they’re just going to drop everyone back.
“I feel a good running back has to be able to run inside. If the defense stacks the box with nine people, then you’re doing something right.”
All Blubaugh did last fall was erupt for 2,386 yards and 28 touchdowns in his first year with the Wolves. As a sophomore at Smoky Hill he showed signs of that talent, but given the opportunity to carry the ball for Grandview, he ran with it — literally.
“He exceeded (expectations) a great deal. We knew he was going to be a good running back for us,” Wolves coach John Schultz said. “But he learned how to read blocking really well and what we do.
“When he gets in open space he’s really tough to handle. He’s very explosive and usually finishes. That’s the exciting part about Hayden — when you block the play right, he’s capable of taking it all the way.”
But he’s hardly the only one. Five of the top six players at the position in 2015 were juniors (Columbine’s Mikey Griebel, who rushed for 1,480 yards, will play quarterback this season).
Pomona’s Cameron Gonzales, Mullen’s Marcus McElroy Jr. and Horizon’s Cade Verkler each topped 1,400 yards on the ground. Gonzales’ teammate, Max Borghi, finished two yards shy of 1,000 yards in his sophomore season.
Valor Christian, which has captured a state title in six of its previous seven seasons — including a thrilling comeback victory over Pomona last December — returns the 5A player of the year in quarterback Dylan McCaffrey, who has verbally committed to Michigan.
Pomona has Gonzales and Borghi and a host of others. Columbine and Cherry Creek came close to reaching the title game, and McElroy Jr. and Mullen opens the season ranked third in the CHSAANow.com preseason poll.
Grandview, which fell to Pomona in the quarterfinals last season, is ranked fifth. The Wolves return nine starters on offense — four on the offensive line — and a defense that was young in 2015 but will only get better.
“What’s even more important in 5A is having someone capable of taking over the game and having either an offensive line or defensive line that’s able to wear people down,” Schultz said. “That’s what both Valor and Pomona had last year. By the time the fourth quarter hits, it’s tough to keep going against them.
“We hope we have that this year.”
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Class 4A
Marcus Lindsay. (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)
Denver South fell short of its ultimate goal in 2015 when the team’s season came to a close in the quarterfinals.
“As a team we just learned that we need to go harder,” Lindsay said. “We need to get stronger and get faster and get meaner.”
Lindsay led an offense that had a combined 2,831 yards on the ground and 36 touchdowns. Five players had at least four rushing TDs.
Dakota Ridge’s Jeremy Lujan led 4A in rushing, followed by Lindsay. Broomfield’s Jalon Torres rushed for 1,375 yards as a junior, and Windsor quarterback Brad Peeples went for 1,368 yards and 20 touchdowns.
“A lot of times Marcus would come out. He played both ways and starts at linebacker,” South coach Tony Lindsay said. “Our backup tailback, Darius Pinkett, had (567) yards. He broke about three or four 80-yard touchdown runs.”
South returns eight starters on defense and six on offense.
“Since I’ve been at South, we’ve just built this program up,” Tony Lindsay said. “I’ve been really happy with our program. With this year and these seniors, we have leaders this year.”
Windsor is still the team to beat in 4A though after winning 13 games and capturing the state championship in 2015. Peeples, Corte Tapia and Storm Fox were each first-team all-state selections as juniors.
Pine Creek, which won state titles in 2013 and 2014, graduated 4A player of the year JoJo Domann off a team that was undefeated before falling to Loveland in the semifinals.
Denver South enters the season ranked third, followed by Loveland and Heritage, which drops down from 5A.
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Class 3A
Fort Morgan’s Tate Kembel. (Pam Wagner/CHSAANow.com)
In a classification that prides itself on its ability to run the ball, the 2016 season has no shortage of standout rushers.
Seventeen players topped the 1,000-yard mark last fall, seven of who were juniors. Kembel led the way with 1,893 yards and 29 touchdowns for a Fort Morgan team that lost in the 3A semis to defending state champion Pueblo East.
“That’s the mentality of a lot of programs,” Mustangs coach Harrison Chisum said. “You’ve got to be able to run the football and you’ve got to be able to stop the run. That’s just been a thing forever.”
Look no further than Pueblo East, which had two players finish just shy of 1,500 yards on the ground. Quarterback Daniel Martin, the 3A POY, graduated, but running back Bryson Torres scored 24 touchdowns as a junior.
Roosevelt, the 3A runner-up, had a pair of players go for more than 1,200 yards on the ground, as did Rifle.
Kembel and Toby McBride combined for more than 2,500 yard between them and scored 40 touchdowns.
“Obviously it helped with a 6-foot-3, 240-pound fullback leading the way,” Chisum said of McBride, who graduated. “That definitely helps, and (Tate) will tell you that. But Tate is the type of kid that would trade any touchdown and carry and yards for wins. He wants to make sure whatever is best for the team is being done.”
The coach added that Kembel has maybe the best vision he has seen, and he did a lot of his damage last season in the first half before being taken out at halftime because of big leads.
“He’s a workhorse. He’s a tough kid, he takes hits and he’s just matured now to where he puts his head down and gets as many yards as he can,” Chisum said. “He used to try to outrun everybody but he’s even better now between the tackles.”
Fort Morgan returns eight starters on offense and six on defense, and comes into the season ranked third in 3A. Two-time defending champion Pueblo East is first, followed by Roosevelt.
Longmont, a 4A semifinalist last season, drops down to 3A and is ranked fourth. Discovery Canyon is fifth, followed by Western Slope powers Palisade and Rifle.
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Class 5A
Defending Champion: Valor Christian
Season Begins: Aug. 25
Playoffs Begin: Nov. 5
Championship: Dec. 3
Returning all-state players: Hayden Blubaugh, Sr., Grandview (1st team); Max Borghi, Jr., Pomona (1st team); Noah Elliss, Sr., Valor Christian (1st team); Cameron Gonzales, Sr., Pomona (2nd team); Mikey Griebel, Sr., Columbine (1st team); Santino Marchiol, Sr., Cherry creek (1st team); Dylan McCaffrey, Sr., Valor Christian (1st team); Marcus McElroy Jr., Sr., Mullen (2nd team); Jake Moretti, Sr., Pomona (1st team); Robert Moss, Sr., Grandview (2nd team); Jonathan Van diest, Sr., Cherry Creek (1st team); Tommy Wakefield, Sr., Fairview (2nd team).
A 47-7 loss in the Class 2A state semifinals is not the way the La Junta Tigers envisioned ending their season.
Especially considering that in the 11 games prior to their loss at the hands of eventual state champion, Bayfield, the Tigers surrendered less than six points per game.
But with 11 starters returning on the defensive side of the ball, La Junta is looking to put its stamp on the 2016 season and reach heights that will they hope will include a state title trophy at the end of the year.
“We have to play great defense,” coach Clint Buderus said. “That’s a big emphasis for us and if we can stay in a game and keep it close, that’s all we can ask for.”
It’s not just the defense that will provide the experience that the Tigers will need to overcome last year’s loss. For the last two seasons, La Junta has steadily become a better team and the senior class as a whole has had its eyes on this season as one that can be truly special.
“The first time we went (to the playoffs) three years ago, these kids were all sophomores and they were all playing,” Buderus said. “This class has been together for a long time. The majority of them got a taste of it and they’re excited to get going again.”
But excited doesn’t quite cover the range of feelings going through this senior class. The players were dominant in the regular season and for their first two playoff games.
With Bayfield proving to be just as good as advertised, the Tigers know that they have something to prove as the regular season prepares to kick-off.
“Our mentality right now is to ficus on one game at a time,” running back/linebacker Dax Bender said. “We know our expectations and we just need to be solid throughout the year.”
Bender was one of the key two-way players for the Tigers a year ago, running for over 500 yards while registering six turnovers on the defensive end.
He’ll be just one La Junta player amongst a strong senior class that Buderus will lean on for the Tigers.
“I really think we have a 12 leaders,” Buderus said. “I really do. Our kids are so close. They do everything together, they spend all their time together. It’s good to have a leader (like Bender) to put everybody on his back and take you.”
And that’s exactly what he plans on doing. The Tigers have been without a state football championship since 1958 and there is no doubt in their mind that they have the talent on the field this season to end that streak.
“We’ve been working really hard since our freshman year and we have a lot of varsity experience,” Bender said. “That’s the plan (to bring home a title) but we have to play really hard every game. We can’t let anyone undercut us.”
And if anything, that disappointing loss to Bayfield will only serve as firewood for La Junta. Buderus knows that that the season ending the way it did will only provide fruitful longterm results.
“The kids were upset,” Buderus said. “But I think it was good for us to get there. Obviously we wanted to get the win, but I don’t think the outcome should’ve been what it was. I think we were a little in the spotlight and we’d never been there. I think you need to knock on the door before you can kick it in.”
In one whirlwind day last November, Fairview’s volleyball team ran the gamut of emotions.
The Knights endured one of the longest days possible at the Class 5A state tournament at the Denver Coliseum, playing a total of 13 sets through three matches and one tiebreaker.
Along the way Fairview advanced to its first-ever 5A state title game before falling in three sets to Cherokee Trail. Whether disappointment or exhaustion was more prevalent at the end of the night depends on whom you ask.
“We played a lot of vigorous matches,” said setter Audrey Cheng, a first-team all-state selection as a junior. “We had to work really hard for every point against some of the best teams we had played all season. Playing those matches and having to play extra sets because of tiebreakers put a burden on us.”
It was a difficult lesson for Fairview to learn, but one that coach Kelsey Spencer made certain her team understood throughout the offseason. A slow start that saw the team drop four of its first seven matches forced the Knights to make up ground the rest of the way, and likely cost them a chance to host a regional tournament and earn a higher seed at state.
“I think we learned a lot from last season because we did make it a long journey to get to that game,” said Spencer, whose team enters 2016 ranked second in 5A in the CHSAANow.com preseason poll. “We definitely made that journey as hard as it possibly could have been.”
That’s something Fairview is hoping to avoid this season. Cheng returns, along with twin sisters Caroline and Christine Schmiedeler, but the Knights will have to replace three starters.
“I think that all the seniors will come out with fire under out belts,” Christine Schmiedeler said. “I think we’re all very excited because this is our senior year and we do want to leave our mark and be the first Fairview team to win state.”
Also back for Fairview are middle blocker Meredith Pearl, outside hitter Haley Kilday and defensive specialist Taeko Chase.
Cheng established herself as one of the state’s top setters a year ago, averaging 7.8 assists a set, and finished second on the team in digs. Spencer said she did a great job spreading out the offense to create single-block situations.
“I love it,” she said. “I love my job, being able to touch the ball every single play and being able to control the offense and tell my hitters where they’re hitting.”
Caroline Schmiedeler led the Knights in kills last fall with 248 and was third in digs. Christine was second in kills (170) and had a team-high 31 aces.
This will be the sisters’ final opportunity to capture a state title together.
“Honestly it’s been one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. It’s been so much fun, playing on the team with her,” Christine said. “She motivates me so much and I hope I do the same for her. I think both of us kind of complement each other in the best sort of way.”
Spencer called the last few years a building process that included getting to state in 2014. The second-year coach said the players “got kind of addicted to making history” and that she believes this year will be a continuation of that.
“The girls kind of tasted what it’s like to be in that (title) game,” she said. “They know how close we were and how bad they wanted it. I think that’s going to motivate us throughout the season.”
Rock Canyon enters the fall as the top-ranked team in 5A after reaching the state semifinals in 2015. Chatfield is third, followed by Denver East – another semifinalist – and Cherokee Trail. The Cougars graduated four seniors, including player of the year Shannon Webb, but return plenty of talent from a 25-win team.
In 4A, defending champion Cheyenne Mountain is ranked first, followed by 2013 and 2014 champion Lewis-Palmer. Evergreen, Ponderosa and Montrose round out the top five.
Eaton has won three consecutive titles and enters 2016 ranked first again in 3A. The Reds graduated a pair of first-team all-state picks, but middle blocker Tarynn Sieg and setter Chelsey Lockey return.
Valley and University are just behind Eaton in the rankings.
Resurrection Christian, which won 2A titles in 2013-14 and was the runner-up a year ago, moves up to 3A this season. Defending champion Yuma is ranked first in 2A, followed by Paonia and Lyons.
Fleming and Prairie are the top-ranked teams in 1A. Defending champion Otis is seventh, and runner-up Idalia is eighth.
As incredible as last year was for Max Mehlman, there was something still missing from his life.
The 2014 Class 3A player of the year, one year removed from helping Kent Denver’s boys soccer team lock up a state title, spent his junior season with the Colorado Rapids U18 Development Academy. It was an opportunity Mehlman could not pass up, but it meant having to watch his friends and Sun Devil teammates secure a second consecutive 3A championship without him last November.
“Coach (Arty) Smith was very good with me … he let me stay around the program and let me hang out with the team and train with them occasionally,” Mehlman said. “But I can’t express how hard it was watching those guys win that state championship.
“I was so happy for them, but it was so hard not to be out there with them.”
So it is little surprise that Mehlman finds himself back out on the field with Kent Denver this fall. Even as the Sun Devils move on without reigning 3A player of the year Max Gottesfeld, who transferred, they welcome back another POY in their pursuit of a three-peat.
“That’s ultimately what led me to want to come back this year. It’s a pretty special thing,” Mehlman said. “Not many guys get to win their last high school game they play, and that’s going to be in the back of the minds of all the seniors this year.”
Kent Denver opens the season as the preseason favorite and top-ranked team in the CHSAANow.com poll. Vail Mountain and Fountain Valley — the 2015 runner-up — are ranked behind the Sun Devils, who have competed in three of the past four 3A title games.
Max Mehlman. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
“They’re very excited. The guys who have come before them have set a great tradition, and they’re kind of the next group trying to live up to that,” Smith said of this year’s club. “They’re working hard but I think they’re also grounded. They know there is a lot of hard work ahead of them.
“It’s really looking forward, trying to look more forward than backward.”
That’s why while the loss of Gottesfeld is a big one, Kent Denver is embracing its current roster. Striker David Felman scored 15 goals as a junior, and central midfielder Rory Buck added seven goals.
Senior goalkeeper Ross Rainaldi also returns to a defense that didn’t allowed a postseason goal in each of the previous two postseasons.
“Something we pride ourselves on at Kent is playing great defense. We talk about that from Day 1,” Smith said. “We’ve had some success with that, and hopefully we can establish that defensive mentality. If you do that, you can sometimes weather the storms with scoring, which can be fickle.”
Along with Felman and Buck, Max Sanson returns at central midfielder, and fullback Nick Paine is also back.
Smith said there are plenty of positions still to be earned in the lineup, but added that there is a strong returning core to build around. That will be crucial because the rest of 3A will be eager to dethrone a Sun Devils team that has not lost a game since Aug. 29, 2014.
“We know we definitely have a target on our back because we won state the last two years. I think we can definitely handle the pressure,” Buck said. “We have a lot of experienced players who really helped in winning last year, but also kids like Max who helped win it the first year.”
Broomfield has won the previous two 5A state championships, but graduated 2015 player of the year Porter Milner. Mountain Vista, which stormed through the bracket to get into last year’s title game, returns a pair of first-team all-state players and won’t be overlooked this fall.
Fairview, Arapahoe and Boulder round out the top-five in the 5A preseason poll.
In 4A, Evergreen upended The Classical Academy 1-0 a year ago and brings back Casey Grieve and Patrick O’Neil. TCA has been the runner-up three years in a row, but once again has a bevy of talent at its disposal — including Player of the Year Titus Grant — in its bid for a championship.
Cheyenne Mountain, Air Academy and Standley Lake are each hoping to make their own runs as well.
KIPP Denver Collegiate has high-scoring Jhovani Gonzalez leading a team that reached the 3A quarterfinals a year ago.
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Class 5A
Defending Champion: Broomfield
Season Begins: Aug. 25
Playoffs Begin: Oct. 27
Championship: Nov. 12, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Returning all-state players: Davis Auth, Sr., Mountain Vista (1st team); Evan Bunch, Sr., Arapahoe (2nd team); Cray Cordero, Jr., Mountain Vista (1st team); Chris Hood, Jr., ThunderRidge (honorable mention); Ryan Lee, Sr., Douglas County (2nd team); Erik Lundeen, Sr., Grandview (2nd team); Owen Merritt, Jr., Poudre (honorable mention); Jack Schulze, Sr., Heritage (2nd team); Andrew Turk, Sr., Pine Creek (2nd team).
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Class 4A
Defending Champion: Evergreen
Season Begins: Aug. 25
Playoffs Begin: Oct. 26
Championship: Nov. 12, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Returning all-state players: Jaden Borja, Sr., The Classical Academy (1st team); Anders Carlson, Sr., The Classical Academy (2nd team); Titus Grant, Sr., The Classical Academy (1st team); Casey Grieve, Sr., Evergreen (1st team); Robert Lanz, Sr., Valor Christian (2nd team); Patrick O’Neil, Sr., Evergreen (1st team); Luke White, Jr., Cheyenne Mountain (honorable mention).
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Class 3A
Defending Champion: Kent Denver
Season Begins: Aug. 25
Playoffs Begin: Oct. 28
Championship: Nov. 12, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Returning all-state players: Evan Coit, Sr., Salida (1st team); Kevin Garcia, Sr., Vail Mountain (2nd team); Jhovani Gonzalez, Sr., KIPP Denver Collegiate (1st team); Max Gottesfeld, Sr., Kent Denver (1st team); Liam Hurley, Sr., Vail Mountain (1st team); Galen Kelly, Jr., Fountain Valley (2nd team); Zion Lander, Sr., DSST-Green Valley Ranch (2nd team); Ian Strine, Jr., Fountain Valley (2nd team).
A number of Class 4A cross country programs will be dropping down a division this fall.
The Classical Academy has a way of making its presence felt no matter the classification. After all, the Titans conquered ten consecutive girls cross country state titles from 2003-2012, the first nine in 3A.
Holy Family, the 3A champion in 2012, is also back. D’Evelyn, Conifer, Steamboat Springs, Elizabeth and Denver North are among a number of other teams bringing quality groups of girls into the fold.
And yet, even in a bolstered field, the Pumas of Peak to Peak stand out.
“It’s really exciting how many teams came down to 3A from 4A this year,” Quinn McConnell said. “There’s definitely a lot more competition this season and I think it’ll be a bigger challenge. We’re ready for that to help us achieve our goals.”
In returning a pair of sophomores with state title credentials — McConnell in cross country and the 800-meter run in track, and Anna Shults in the 1,600 — Peak to Peak has considerable talent at the top.
“They’ve been able to complement each other in their training given their different strengths,” said Kim McConnell, the mother of Quinn and third-year head cross country coach at Peak to Peak. “There hasn’t been what you would call a rivalry. There’s much more of a sense of working together to get better.”
(Courtesy of Kim McConnell)
Tiana Bradfield, seventh place at the state track meet in the 1,600 as a freshman and 26th in cross country, also returns. Elle Triem, Jenna Howard and Jillian Ries all broke six minutes in the 1,600 as first-years, as well. Rachael Metzler, a veteran among the youthful Pumas, placed 21st at the state cross country meet a season ago as a junior.
Peak to Peak is loaded, so much so that they are arguably the preseason favorites to win their first-ever state championship in girls cross country after finishing as the runner-up in 2015 to Salida by a slim six-point margin.
But, for all the excitement surrounding this group of young ladies, the Pumas have a program built on the idea that end results are only a part of the equation.
“We don’t at all focus on results,” the elder McConnell admitted. “We just keep focusing on the process. We focus on becoming excellent human beings and excellent athletes. There are a lot of things you can’t control at a big meet.”
For a school with an already rich distance running tradition since its doors opened in Lafayette in 1999 — second place at the 3A girls state cross country meet in 2007 and third in 2008, with seven total top-10 team finishes since 2006 — Peak to Peak nearly broke through for title No. 1 in the sport a season ago as McConnell and Shults finished clear of all other individuals.
In winning their second championship in three years, Salida had a mere 58-second difference between their first and fifth finishers.
“Salida did an incredibly great job packing up and I sent their coach a letter telling him they were amazing and they deserved to win,” Kim McConnell said. “We didn’t like missing by just six points, but when you look back at the season as a whole we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.”
Quinn said the Pumas are intent on lessening the gap in their lineup from first to fifth, something that would make a rising power even more formidable. Even though lofty aspirations are on the conscience, the sophomore has the wisdom to know there is more to it than just winning.
“We’re close-knit and our main goal this season is to have fun,” she said. “We do have big goals, but we’re just trying to keep it in perspective. Our coach does a really great job of putting into perspective that running is not the biggest thing in our lives.”
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Girls
Class 5A
Defending champion: Broomfield
Season begins: August 25
Regionals begin: October 20
State Meet: October 29 at Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs
Even in their initial season as a program, Elizabeth had a whiff of success.
“We started in 2006,” Stacey Folmar, the head coach since the beginning, said. “We had 11 kids out. We didn’t qualify for state as a team, but we had six individual qualifiers and so we ended up placing sixth as a team.”
As the years have passed, the Cardinals have blossomed in the gym even more.
“We’ve had three state championships and four state runner-up titles, all since 2009,” Folmar said. “We’re proud of the legacy of the gymnastics team and hopeful that we can remain as competitive as we have been.”
The Cardinals won 4A state titles in 2009, 2010, and 2012, while last season they were the runner-up to Niwot, 178.2-177.175. So, what’s allowed Elizabeth to surge so suddenly?
“When we started there was just such a passion for the sport and to each other,” the veteran coach noted. “There was a bond created and I think that bond has become the legacy of our gymnastics team. The success has to be attributed to the commitment of the kids, the commitment of our parents, and the commitment of the school that has stood behind us. It’s been a really big group effort.”
What makes the current contingent compelling is their youth. 16 freshmen were among the 27 on the roster a season ago. 20 of 24 gymnasts this fall will be underclassmen.
“We’re young but there’s so much potential and so much energy that we really believe we can maintain our level of competitiveness even in the larger field,” Folmar said, noting that several teams are moving down from Class 5A to 4A. “We’re looking at it as a welcomed challenge.”
(Photo: Matt Taylor)
Lexye Wood, one of many skilled freshmen in 2015, was the runner-up in the all-around competition in 4A behind only Standley Lake sophomore Rachel Cody. Amanda Taylor, a rare junior on Elizabeth, placed third in the all-around.
Folmar knows the program will have to stick to its blueprint. The Cardinals are in this together and she said it’s not fair to talk about only one or two individuals when so many are ready to make an impact.
“We have some young event specialists that I think are going to contribute a lot,” she said. “Dillon Lind, she’s a senior who is fabulous on the floor. We’re not really looking for that great all-arounder, we’re looking for everyone to contribute their very best to the team. It’s going to take all 24 to make this happen.”
Elizabeth boasted their largest group in history last fall and remain confident in the direction of the program.
“We have so many girls that are so good at what they do and we all push each other,” Lind said. “We’re all competitive. Someone will see someone else do something and it’ll be like, ‘oh, I can do that too.’ We push each other in that way. It’s good for the team.”
In 5A, Pomona, Broomfield, Rocky Mountain, Cherry Creek, Overland and Mountain Range are all expected to be in the upper crust again.
Pomona shattered the all-classification Colorado record at last season’s state meet in becoming the first-ever team to score over 190 points with 190.925. In doing so, the Panthers won the school’s first girls state championship in any sport.
Before that, Overland had claimed four of six 5A crowns, while Broomfield won in 2012 and Bear Creek in 2010.
Arapahoe had more than 60 girls try out for its new field hockey team. (Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)
There will be two new teams in the hunt for the 2016 Colorado state field hockey championship: the Liberty Lancers and the Arapahoe Warriors.
“To add two programs in one year is phenomenal,” said Liberty head coach Michelle Amon.
With the new additions, there are now 15 field hockey programs in the state.
“(Field) hockey is basically isolated on the east coast and California. In between, there’s not much,” Amon said. “So, for it to be out here it’s just incredibly big for our sport in general because it’s moving across the country.”
The sport has been popular on both coasts, but, like lacrosse prior to the past five years or so, it has struggled to gain traction in between. Amon has experienced the growth of the sport first hand and loves being in the middle of it.
“I’m coming from Kentucky where it has taken about 25 years for us to get where we’re at, because we didn’t have very many programs as well,” Amon said.
Amon has been playing and coaching field hockey for 14 years and played collegiately at the University of Louisville.
“It’s definitely a part of who I am,” Amon said.
As for the players that will be taking the field for Liberty, they consist of a variety of multiple sport athletes.
“I have a couple soccer players, a couple swimmers, and then most are lacrosse,” Amon said. “I have probably two or three girls who have played before.”
Arapahoe had an impressive turnout for their tryouts with a total of 62 girls showing out for a spot on the new team.
“The sport provides new opportunities for girls in the fall season and we are seeing a great response by the numbers of girls who are trying out for the teams,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens, who oversees the sport. “I am hoping that the participation numbers continue to increase with the addition of these teams, and ultimately, we would love to get more schools offering programs.”
A massive learning curve is to be expected, but the girls of the Liberty field hockey team seem to be chugging along with more excitement than frustration.
“They’re picking up the skills pretty well – they’re excited to be playing a new game,” Amon said. “It’s not really frustration, it’s more anxiety because there is so much to learn before we start playing.
“It’s excitement, there’s not really frustration because they’re just happy to be on the field and have a team.”
Amon ran clinics in the spring and summer, but for most of the team their experience of the game ends there. The athleticism of her players is huge in their ability to pick up the game.
“I was pleasantly surprised because we have a lot to learn in a short amount of time. I have a lot of athletes so I got lucky there,” Amon said.” Some of the girls have grown very quickly. It’s pretty great to see how quickly they’re picking it up because it’s not a very easy sport to pick up right away.”
Amon spoke on the surrounding community and its efforts giving credit to both the resources around the school as well as the people.
“The community has been working many years to get this game growing here, and I’m super excited to be a part of it, and I hope that it continues to grow,” Amon said. “But it will take time.”
One of the resources Amon named is the Olympic committee being in the area. She mentioned that the team has been watching the Olympics together and getting immersed in the game.
“It’s actually really fortunate that the Olympics are right now as we’re starting because the girls are getting exposed without ever knowing what it was before,” Amon said.
The U.S. national team made it to the quarterfinals, so the success brought even more excitement to the girls.
Looking towards the season and the expectations from the new team, Amon did not shy away.
“I’m very competitive,” Amon said. “I would like to have huge expectations.”
A few of the older girls on the team have stepped up as leaders with that same mentality.
Mindful of the future of the program, Amon wants to keep the sport trending upwards.
“The biggest thing is getting the younger kids excited to come up and build our program,” Amon said. “Keep that excitement, keep that love of the game happening and passing it down so that we can continue to grow.”
“We are really excited about the growth of high school field hockey, and I see the addition of two new schools a direct reflection of hard work by the coaches, players, parents, officials, and entire field hockey community in general,” Brookens said.
