CHSAANow

Category: Fall Sports

  • 2A football: With a torn ACL, Caleb Allen leads Manitou Springs over Flatirons Academy for state title

    PUBELO — Facing 4th down and 12, the pass protection broke down. Manitou Springs quarterback Caleb Allen had to scramble, hoping a receiver could open. His heel got clipped and he thought he was done for but he maintained his balance and hit Davis Mack for a big a first down.

    And Allen did it with a torn ACL in his right knee.

    That play setup a game-tying field goal and after two overtime sessions, the Mustangs beat Flatirons Academy 31-30 and are the Season C Class 2A football champions.

    “Caleb’s just a warrior,” coach Cory Archuleta said. “He tore his ACL late in (Manitou’s regular season finale against Manual) and he’s been a warrior ever since. There was no way he wasn’t going to play in any of these games moving forward. He finished what he started.”

    The Mustangs (7-1 overall) were better for it. They installed some wildcat options – that turned out to be vital in overtime – and relied on athletic trainer Nick Nunley to ensure that Allen was both safe and effective. That proved to be the case when he hit Joah Armour for an 80-yard game-winning touchdown against Buena Vista just to get the Mustangs to the title game.

    “Nunley did a great job of keeping him safe,” Arch added.

    Keeping him safe was vital as the Mustangs needed him for every step of one of the most thrilling football title games in recent memory.

    A big completion from Jacob Dube to Trenton Rowan set the Bison (7-1) up for their first score of the game, but the Manitou defense held firm and the field goal attempt was blocked by Tyler Maloney.

    The Mustangs stalled offensively and the Bison took quick advantage and took a 7-0 lead.

    More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Manitou tied the game on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Armour, their first of two touchdown connections on the day. But the pass defense for the Mustangs continued to falter as Dube found Rowan for a 32-yard score to put the Bison back on top.

    They had a chance to take major momentum into halftime as Dube scrambled and found a gap that directed him toward the end zone. Manitou linebacker Caden Harris caught him and knocked the ball loose and it rolled through the end zone, giving the ball to the Mustangs on their own 20 yard line. They went into halftime down just seven points rather than 14.

    The Mustangs tied the game in the second half the second touchdown connection from Allen to Armour and the defense appeared to have adjusted from the first half. Until Deverick Dow found a hole and rumbled down the sideline, putting the Bison deep into Manitou territory.

    Facing 3rd and 12, Dube scrambled for the first, getting inside the 10-yard line, but the Mustangs limited the damage to a field goal attempt. Rowan’s kick was good, giving the Bison a 17-14 lead with 2:45 left on the clock.

    Allen got the offense moving with a completion to Ethan Boren, getting the Mustangs into Flatirons Academy territory. Facing 4th and 12, Allen scrambled and found Mack for the first down.

    “He hit my heel and I thought I was going down,” Allen said. “Somehow I stayed on my feet and I was lucky Davis caught it.

    That setup an Isaiah Thomas field goal to tie the game and send it to overtime, where Thomas earn his status as the game’s Most Outstanding Player.

    The Bison scored quick, then Thomas came out in the wildcat and got his team into the end zone where they briefly went over their options.

    “We wanted this game to win,” Thomas said. “But we trust in my leg and obviously the defense was showing up every single play.”

    Thomas added another touchdown run in the second overtime and again the Bison found the end zone quickly. They opted for the 2-point conversion.

    Dube found a gab but Jesse Jorstad made contact to slow him down before Parker Salladay wrapped up his legs and kept him just inches shy of the goal line.

    “We knew it was the last play of the game,” Jorstad said. “Everyone was going 100%, especially on that last play.”

    Through all the celebration, the Mustangs acted in the normal way that champions do. They congratulated their opponents on a hard-fought game. Allen did a much better job of hiding a slight limp with a bad knee than he did hiding his emotions.

    When he talked with his family, they evaluated the risk and the reward of playing for three more games. The reward was more than worth it.

    “I’m so glad I risked it,” Allen said. “This was pretty awesome.”

    More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • 5A girls volleyball: No. 8 Grandview knocks out undefeated No. 1 Mountain Vista

    COLORADO SPRINGS ‐ If Mountain Vista wasn’t going to win the Class 5A girls volleyball state title, someone was going to have to beat the team eventually.

    Grandview decided sooner was better than later.

    The No. 8 Wolves battled to a 27-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-15 win over the Golden Eagles to send the No. 1 seed home for the weekend.

    “We knew we had to be disciplined,” Haley Glunz said. “We had to be sharp on our game. We knew that we weren’t going to get every point and they were going to get theirs and that we would bounce back and get ours took.”

    They set a tough tone in the first set as they edged out a 27-25 win. It was just the second set that the Golden Eagles had dropped all year and it was enough to give the Wolves confidence that they could advance through the first round.

    “It was huge confidence booster,” Glunz said. “It showed us that we belong here and that we can fight with the big dogs.”

    Mountain Vista claimed the second set to even the match, but the Wolves were able to pull away in the final to get the biggest first-round upset in any classification.

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    (2) Rampart 3, (7) Legend 0

    (Brad Cochi)

    Now the top seed in the tournament, Rampart looked strong in its 25-17, 25-15, 25-20 win over Legend. Riley Simpson and Anjelina Starck combined for 25 kills to lead the Rams offensively.

    Rampart fell just one set short of making the semifinals last year but boast two Division I hitters in Simpson and Starck and are hoping utilize their power and make a championship run. Starck was recently named the girls volleyball Gatorade Player of the Year but noted that winning a state championship is a major goal for her and the team this season.

    (4) Columbine 3, (5) Cherry Creek 1

    Columbine took the first two sets to gain a clear edge over Cherry Creek in their first round match. The Bruins avoided the sweep with a win in the third set, but the Rebels held on to get the 25-19, 25-21, 14-25, 25-22 win.

    This is the fifth straight win for the Rebels and they still only have one loss on the year. They fell to Ralston Valley on April 20 despite Abi Nua having a game-high 22 kills. She’ll be a crucial piece for the Rebels title game hopes come Thursday morning when they return to the Broadmoor World Arena for their semifinal match with Grandview.

    (3) Ralston Valley 3, (6) Chatfield 0

    Ralston Valley hadn’t dropped a match all year so there was no since in dropping one on the first night of the 5A girls volleyball state tournament. The Mustangs took care of Chatfield 25-22, 25-18, 25-22 to move into the 5A semifinals where they’ll face Rampart.

    Neither Ralston Valley or Rampart has played in a state championship game so history is on the line regardless of which team comes away with the win.

    The Rams and the Mustangs play at 11 a.m. Thursday.

  • 3A girls volleyball: Montezuma-Cortez punches ticket to Class 3A semifinals

    (Brad Cochi)

    COLORADO SPRINGS — The Montezuma-Cortez girls volleyball team has waiting a long time to have another squad capable of competing for a state title and the Panthers showed their excitement in the Class 3A quarterfinals at Wednesday’s state championships.

    Still unbeaten in Season C, the Panthers (14-0) overcame and early scare to beat No. 7 Prospect Ridge, 14-25, 25-23, 25-26, 25-20 to reach the semifinals. They will play No. 3 Sterling at 2 p.m. on Thursday with a berth into the title match on the line.

    “I think it’s been 20 years and they took third in the state back then when we were in 4A at the time,” Panthers head coach Joye McHenry said. “We haven’t been since we’ve been 3A for the past six years, so it’s exciting. This team has played together forever. We have a lot of seniors, so we have a lot of experience. A lot of them have played club and all of them have had some adversity and some struggles that they’ve had to kind of pull through, so they’re just a really tight-knit group.”

    The first game against a Prospect Ridge team that made its state tournament debut in 2018 was just the ninth Montezuma-Cortez has dropped all season. But the Panthers rebounded from the shock of defeat amidst a slew of new experiences at The Broadmoor World Arena to win the final three games in a row.

    “I was really nervous about the first game altogether because a lot of our small-town girls haven’t seen a bigger venue,” McHenry said. “But I knew that once we got the first one under our belts, we’d be fine. I’m feeling confident now.”

    The Prospect Ridge Miners, who have now reached the state tournament in two of their five varsity seasons, only lost two matches in Season C. Both were two state tournament teams in Montezuma-Cortez and No. 6-seeded Lutheran.

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    (Brad Cochi)

    (1) Eaton 3, (8) Resurrection Christian 1

    It’s said to be harder to beat a team the second time around and that proved to true when No. 1 Eaton and No. 8 Resurrection Christian met for the second time in Season C, this time in the Class 3A quarterfinals. After the Eaton volleyball team swept Resurrection Christian during the regular season, the postseason rematch went four sets before the tournament favorites eventually won, 25-23, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22.

    Eaton will play No. 5 University at 8 a.m. in the semifinals on Thursday.

    (5) University 3, (4) Lamar 1

    The University volleyball team hasn’t been in the state title game since it finished the 2010 season as runner-up to Valley, but the Bulldogs are still in the hunt after Day 1 of this week’s state tournament. In the Class 3A quarterfinals on Wednesday, the No. 5 Bulldogs won 25-17, 25-15, 13-25, 25-22 over the No. 4 Lamar Savages, who were uncertain whether or not they would be able to play in the days leading up to the tournament.

    University will face No. 1 Eaton at 8 a.m. in the semifinals on Thursday.

    (3) Sterling 3, (6) Lutheran 1

    In one of the longest and certainly the latest match of Wednesday’s opening quarterfinals round, No. 3 Sterling and No. 6 Lutheran closed down The BroadMoor World Arena in exciting fashion. In a match that very nearly went to a fifth set, which would have been the only time that happened on Wednesday, Sterling edged Lutheran, 17-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23, to reach the semifinals.

    On Thursday, Sterling will take on No. 2 Montezuma-Cortez at 2 p.m.

    (Brad Cochi)

  • 2A girls volleyball: Top-seeded Wiggins takes hunt for first title to semifinals

    COLORADO SPRINGS — It has been an unusual – yet special – campaign for the Wiggins girls volleyball team.

    Now in the finals days of Season C, the Tigers have stormed through the regular season and regional round to claim the No. 1 overall seed in the Class 2A state tournament bracket. In Tuesday’s opening quarterfinals round of the state championships, the Tigers won 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 over No. 8 Yuma to solidify their spot in Wednesday’s semifinals.

    Playing for their program’s first state championship, the top-seeded Tigers will go to sleep Wednesday night intending to wake up determined to finish the tournament in the same spot they entered it when they return to The Broadmoor World Arena on Thursday.

    “The first one is nice to get by and move on,” Wiggins head coach Michelle Baker said. “We’re happy we won today and we’re just going to move on to tomorrow.”

    Seeding aside, the Tigers had their work cut out for them in the quarterfinals against Yuma, a team that has spent the past half dozen seasons among the favorites to win. Yuma played in five straight five championship matches from 2014-18, winning as recently as 2018.

    “I think that we definitely had some jitters out there on the court. I’m not real sure why,” Baker said. “A lot of the things we weren’t clicking early on, and I’m going to chalk that up to going for as long as we did with so many practices and not getting to play for a week and a half.”

    In Thursday’s semifinals, Wiggins will face No. 4 Fowler in the 8 a.m. match.

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    (Brad Cochi)

    (4) Fowler 3, (5) Vail Christian 1

    The Fowler Grizzlies rolled into the state tournament on a four-match winning streak during which they did not drop a set, and they kept that momentum going into the opening round of the Class 2A state tournament. In the quarterfinals, the Grizzlies won 25-15, 23-25, 25-17, 25-13 over No. 5 Vail Christian to advance to the state semifinals.

    Fowler will face No. 1 Wiggins in the semifinals on Thursday.

    (3) Sedgwick County 3, (6) Dayspring Christian 0

    In the final Class 2A match of a long first day, the wait proved to be worth it for Sedgwick County. The Cougars capped off the 2A quarterfinals with a sweep – 25-18, 25-22, 25-19 – of Dayspring Christian to reach the semifinals.

    In Thursday’s Final Four, Sedgwick County will play reigning champion Denver Christian at 11 a.m.

    (2) Denver Christian 3, (7) Holyoke 0

    The reigning Class 1A state champions since the fall of 2019, Denver Christian’s volleyball team waited longer than usual to defend its title. At a new venue, The Broadmoor World Arena, the Thunder hit the ground running with a sweep of No. 7 Holyoke – 25-21, 25-21, 25-20 – on Wednesday night.

    In Thursday’s semifinals, the Thunder will continue its title defense against Sedgwick County at 11 a.m.

    (Brad Cochi)

  • 1A girls volleyball: No. 7 Sangre de Cristo stuns No. 2 Wiley

    COLORADO SPRINGS — Sangre de Cristo made one thing clear in their first round match of the Class 1A girls volleyball state tournament. Any and all teams should be ready to play when the Thunderbirds are on the court.

    It wasn’t just that they beat No. 2 Wiley to advance to the 1A semifinals, but a 25-14, 25-23, 25-22 sweep of the Panthers was more a demonstration that the road to the state title is going to be a treacherous path.

    “I think that Sangre is overlooked a lot in pretty much every sport that we play,” senior Avery Palmgren said. “We always come to play and come to prove ourselves. We always come in focused and ready to accomplish our goals.”

    There’s no mistaking that a goal was not heading to the Broadmoor World Arena just to play in one match. The Thunderbirds had the ambition to get into Saturday’s semifinals, at the very least.

    They showed a well-balanced offensive attack from Palmgren and Ashley Mortensen, the same offensive attack that got them a 13-3 record heading into the state tournament.

    At times, they found themselves either tied with Wiley or trailing, but they never let panic set in and always trusted their ability remain in the set until the final point was scored.

    “I think people doubt us, but they should be ready to play,” Palmgren said. “We definitely are.”

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    (1) Fleming 3, (8) Otis 0

    (Brad Cochi)

    The winners of 10 of the last 13 1A titles met in the first round with Fleming looking every bit the defending champion.

    The Wildcats held off the Bulldogs 25-19 and 25-23 in the first two sets before jumping out to a fast lead and dominating the third set 25-9. Fleming has advanced to the 1A semifinals every year dating back to at least 2008.

    The Wildcats will meet Simla on Thursday at 8 a.m.

    (4) Simla 3, (5) Stratton/Liberty 1

    The Cubs made it to the 2A semifinals in 2019 and have now reached the same round in their first year at the 1A level.

    They held off Stratton/Liberty in the first two sets 27-25, 25-13 before the Knighted Eagles got their lone win of the matching the third, beating the Cubs 25-18. Simla quickly rebounded and won the fourth set 25-12 to remain alive for Thursday’s matches.

    (3) Merino 3, (6) Briggsdale 0

    Merino looked dominant in the first set and establish a tone for the rest of the match. The Rams came eventually came away with a 25-12, 25-18, 25-19 win to get back into the 1A semis. They actually trailed 14-8 at one point in the third set, but a 17-5 rally sealed their bid to Thursday’s semifinal round.

    The Rams last advanced to the 1A semis last season where they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Fleming.

    Merino is one of the most accomplished volleyball programs in the state having won 10 state championships, third most among all teams regardless of classification. The Rams haven’t won a title since 2001 and are looking to end that drought this week.

  • Valor Christian’s Gavin Sawchuk named Gatorade football Player of the Year

    Rock Canyon Valor Christian football
    (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    Even as a freshman, Gavin Sawchuk was a special player. Two years later, he was instrumental in getting Valor Christian back to the Class 5A football state championship game.

    His standout season earned him first-team all-state honors and now he can add Gatorade Player of the Year to his accolades. The organization named Sawchuk the winner on Thursday.

    On top of his work on the football field, he is also an avid leader in the community. He has worked with an early childhood education program in order to maintain the mental and physical well-being of children in his community.

    Sawchuk has maintained a 3.67 GPA in the classroom.

    On the field, he has been a nightmare for opposing defenses. His freshman year he started the season as a backup but injuries forced him into a starting role. He ran for nearly 700 yards and was noticed when he ran for five touchdowns in a win over ThunderRidge.

    Since then, his role has only grown.

    In 2020, he ran for 1,239 in a COVID-shortened season. He averaged 154 rushing yards per game and scored 17 touchdowns. He ran for 153 yards in the state championship game against Cherry Creek, a game the Eagles ultimately lost.

    He’ll return for his senior season and already has scholarship offers from Colorado, Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and 22 other programs according to 247 Sports.

    He is regarded as the top recruit in the state for next football season.

  • Photos: Action from the first day of the girls volleyball state tournaments

    COLORADO SPRINGS — Semifinal matchups were determined as teams advanced through the first day of the girls volleyball state tournaments at the Broadmoor World Arena.

    Coverage

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    Class 5A

    (Brad Cochi)

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    Class 4A

    (Steve Abeyta)

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    Class 3A

    (Steve Abeyta)

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    Class 2A

    (Steve Abeyta)

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    Class 1A

    (Steve Abeyta)

  • 4A girls volleyball: No. 6 Palmer Ridge tops No. 3 Palisade to advance to semis

    (Brad Cochi)

    COLORADO SPRINGS — It wasn’t the most ideal start for Palmer Ridge, but it’s not the start that counts. It’s the finish. The Bears completed a 25-17, 25-9, 25-14 sweep over No. 3 Palisade to advance to the semifinals of the Class 4A girls volleyball tournament.

    It’s the second straight state semifinal appearance for Palmer Ridge and the team is hoping to get back to the state championship match, where they made it last year before losing to rival Lewis-Palmer.

    But there is no Lewis-Palmer to overcome this season. And by knocking out the No. 3 team on the bracket, advancing to a state title match is very much in the cards and something the Bears expect out of themselves after being there in November 2019.

    “Our games this season were a little rougher than last season,” senior Riley Anderson said. “I feel like with that (win over Palisade), we finally showed what we were made of and what we could do.”

    The Bears had to battle through some nerves early as Palisade jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set. Once they found their footing, the Bears clawed right back into the match and eventually jumped out to a 10-7 lead, forcing the Bulldogs to call timeout and try to make some adjustments.

    But that was easier said than done. The Bears took firm control of the first set and never let up through the next two to get the win and remain alive for Thursday’s slate of games.

    In this single-elimination bracket, the stakes tend to feel a bit higher with each points and even after getting a win, the Bears know how much pressure each team is facing. To alleviate the pressure, the Bears have taken a stance to play more aggressively to maintain an element of control.

    “We’ve talked all season about being more aggressive,” Anderson said. “We have to give it our all from the start and we’ve shown that here.”

    [divider]

    (1) Windsor 3, (8) The Classical Academy 0

    (Brad Cochi)

    Top-seeded Windsor had to fend off a scrappy TCA team but came away with a 26-24, 25-22, 25-20 win to advance to the 4A semifinals.

    The Titans hung tough through the first set, extending it past the necessary 25-point mark to determine a winner. After the Wizards claimed the first set, they were able to keep TCA at an arm’s length for the rest of the match to remain undefeated on the year. Windsor will be back on the floor at at 2 p.m. Thursday for their semifinal match against Mead.

    (2) Cheyenne Mountain 3, (7) Discovery Canyon 0

    In the first match of the season, Discovery Canyon had Cheyenne Mountain down 2-0 before Cheyenne Mountain roared back to tie the match and send it to a deciding fifth set where they closed it out.

    Cheyenne Mountain learned a valuable lesson in starting strong so that battling from behind isn’t necessary. This time, the Thunder wasn’t given an opportunity to take the lead as Cheyenne Mountain pulled away in the third set to get a 25-17, 25-19, 25-15 win and advance to the semifinals for the second straight year.

    Cheyenne Mountain will meet PPAC rival Palmer Ridge at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

    (5) Mead 3, (4) Coronado 1

    Coronado claimed the first set, but ran out of steam allowing Mead to climb back and get a 16-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-16 win to move on to Thursday’s semifinals.

    Mead entered the 2019 tournament as the No. 4 seed but dropped their first two matches for a stunning early exit. That’s not the case this year as the Mavericks will meet Windsor on Thursday at 2 p.m.

    Windsor won the regular season meeting 3-2 on April 19.

  • Photos: TCA football battles back to beat Sand Creek in 4A semifinals

    Cade Palmer ran for three touchdowns to lead TCA to a 39-13 win over Sand Creek in the Class 4A football semifinals.

  • Photos: Thomas Jefferson football beats Falcon and runs into 4A title game

    Thomas Jefferson scored five rushing touchdowns to beat Falcon 35-21 and advance to the Class 4A football title game.