Question: What is the basis for CHSAA’s transfer rule?

Often, we’re asked why we have a transfer rule. People not associated with high school sports wonder why such a big deal is made about a student changing schools.

One of the primary objectives of the CHSAA is to ensure that student athletes are just that: students — and then athletes. As we all know, there is much documentation regarding that changing schools and curriculums is not a positive thing for a student’s academic progress. Curriculums do not always match up well enough for a smooth transition when changing schools.

We need to ensure that athletics do not play a role in a student’s decision to change schools. The transfer rule is intended to do just that.

One of the best lessons athletics can teach a student is that people are best served when they face issues head on and work through those issues. Working through our differences for a common goal is a lifelong lesson that athletics can teach better than any other vehicle. Moving or transferring when things get tough is not the best solution. Again, the transfer rule is designed to help ensure this lesson is taught.

High school athletics, unlike clubs, are designed to be centered around a community, and to teach that the individual serves the school, not vice versa. Transferring is potentially undermining this value and our rule works well to promote these values.

Participation is a privilege and the transfer rule that seeks to preserve that privilege for all who earn it.  Finally, and most important, is that the transfer rule was put in place to ensure a level playing field for all competitors. This means that winning is not the most important thing and to ensure that all students — not just the elite athlete — have a fair and equal chance to play.

(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots)

A hot topic in the aftermath of football’s Zero Week was the fact that referees are now identifying players by their numbers on penalty calls. We caught up with CHSAA assistant commissioner Tom Robinson, who oversees officials, for an explanation.

First and foremost: the new addition is not a new rule, but instead a mechanic. Mechanics are designed to help relay information to the players, coaches and crowd. And because of that, “It’s not one of those where you have to be in 100 percent compliance with it as you would with a rule book,” Robinson said.

The new mechanic should help reduce instances where coaches are trying to figure out who a penalty was called on. But don’t expect it to be called in every stadium across the state — at least not right away.

“That’s going to be the learning curve for them in terms of getting the number,” Robinson said. “So, probably you’re not going to get (the numbers) all the time, it’s going to be an afterthought until we get more experience doing it.”

Here’s a Q & A on the new mechanic with Robinson, who was a college football official for 25 years, including the last 12 as referee of his crew.

Can you take us through the basis of it and where it originated?

“I guess it got its roots not through this office (CHSAA) but through some other conversations I was having with officials in general. Really, it was from that whole topic of, ‘Are officials accountable?’ So we were just trying to come up with some different ways with all of our (officials) associations to do some things a little differently and to add to what we’re doing.

“That was a conversation I had in June, and even before. And so as the CFOA was getting ready for their season, that was one of the suggestions: Could we, instead of having a bunch of coaches asking, ‘Well, who was (the penalty) on?’ … have a mechanic where we relay the number of a fouling player (to the coach)? But a lot of times, it depends on how close you are … and there’s always a delay (in getting that information to the coach). So the question was, why don’t we alleviate the pressure around getting that number (to the coach) by just calling that number out right away when they signal the penalty?”

Are there any other states doing this?

“We’re probably one of a handful of states.”

Have you gotten any feedback from officials with it?

“I have not seen via email one thing about announcing the numbers. Not since Zero Week, which is when it started. We went out to football clinics and some of the officials were not happy about it. It’s probably one of a few. Others may have had similar feelings, because, if you’re old school, it’s just the way we’ve done it (to not call numbers) all the time. And I’m old school, too, but I always thought it would be helpful (to call numbers out), because our mechanics are designed to be a guide for people in the stands who don’t know what’s going on: the signals, signaling touchdown, all of that is important to the game, and this is just one more thing.

“I would say this: In every other sport, we identify the fouling player. … (In basketball) the announcer announces the fouling player, it goes up on a lot of scoreboards. I think (not calling numbers) was just a tradition that football had.”

On Saturday August 24 2013 the Valor Eagles squared up against the formerly 29th ranked team in the nation, the Central High School Grizzlies. After a disappointing first drive by the Grizzlies, the snap to the punter was overshot which led to a Valor recovery very close to the goal line. Even though the eagles did not score a touchdown on this drive, Paul Grizzle, the eagles kicker, shot a 41 yard attempt through the uprights putting them up 3-0.

From then on, it was all Eagles. In the first half the Grizzlies fumbled the ball 3 times and did not capitalize on 3 4th down conversions. However, the Eagles played a very clean and well tuned 3 quarter game with few mistakes before the game was called due to lightning. The final score was 31-7 and the Eagles exited their season opener with a victory. Two notable players were Christian Mccaffery and Sharif Williams. Christian Mccaffery accumulated 172 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game and was the star of the show for the eagles. Sharif Williams, versatile tackle for the grizzlies and Arizona verbal committee, was forced to exit the game with about 2 minutes left in the 2nd quarter due to a severe left knee injury. Williams requires surgery and will be a season ending injury. Below is a video of Valor sending out prayers to him.

The Valor Eagles next game will be 2 weeks from now against out-of-state Utah rival Bingham High School.

Cherry Creek (5A) and Kent Denver (4A) continued to lead the CHSAANow.com boys tennis polls this week, though Niwot is closing in the 4A ranking.

Vail Mountain was the lone new team to either ranking.

Complete rankings for both classes are below.

[divider]

CHSAANow.com Boys Tennis Polls

Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org.

Go to: 5A | 4A

Legend and Brighton and cracked the CHSAANow.com softball poll this week.

Eaglecrest (3-0) remained atop the 5A ranking, while Pueblo East (4A) and Strasburg (3A) held firm atop their respective polls.

Complete rankings for all classes are below.

[divider]

CHSAANow.com Softball Polls

Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

Alexander Dawson is the new No. 1 team atop the Class 3A CHSAANow.com boys golf ranking this week.

Elsewhere, Regis Jesuit (5A) and Valor Christian (4A) retained their No. 1 spots.

[divider]

CHSAANow.com Boys Golf Polls

Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

[recruiting-menu]

A on-going list of college volleyball commitments from high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2015. Send additions, along with position and height, to rcasey@chsaa.org.

[caspio]http://b6.caspio.com/dp.asp?AppKey=d2f23000399b27c694424685ba44[/caspio]

[recruiting-menu]

A on-going list of college softball commitments from high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2015. Send additions, along with position and height, to rcasey@chsaa.org.

[caspio]http://b6.caspio.com/dp.asp?AppKey=d2f230007aa9de9a5ad4466e87e9[/caspio]

Ralston Valley beat Mullen 43-0 to open the season during Zero Week.

Photos from the game:

Prairie View’s Alex Munoz tackles Grand Junction’s Theron Verna while Jack Parsons looks on during the first half. (Kathy Schneider/MetroWest Newspapers)

HENDERSON — Mother Nature threatened to ruin the 2013 football opener for Grand Junction and Prairie View, but the teams got the last laugh in staging one of the wildest games of the early season.

After a delayed start, the visitors walked off the field at 11:12 p.m. with a 61-42 win that resembled more of a 6-man football game.

The game was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., but a severe thunderstorm prompted game managers to, wisely, postpone the start until 8:05. The teams started an abbreviated warm-up only to be pulled off the field by game officials for another delay. By the time the teams returned, it was nearly 8:45.

Prairie View’s Skylar Severance (84) grabs a hold of Grand Junction running back Austin Lewis. (Kathy Schneider/MetroWest Newspapers)

The Tigers opened the game by trying an onside kick, but Prairie View covered the kick. PVHS struggled on it first possession and GJHS’s Tanner Griffin blocked the punt and then recovered it in the end zone. PVHS got its first score when Anthony Prespotino recovered a muffed punt in the end zone. Jessica Dunn’s first of six PATs gave the Thunderhawks a short-lived lead at 7-6.

That started the scoring onslaught and created nightmares for both defenses. The score was 21-18 after the first quarter in favor of Prairie View and 31-28 Grand Junction at the half.

Grand Junction added a pair of scores early in the third, took at 46-28 lead at 9:37 in the third and thwarted numerous attempts from the potent Thunderhawk offense to start 1-0.

Both teams’ offenses had plenty of stars. The Tigers quarterback Tyler Heinsma threw for over 250 yards and three TDs. Theron Verna was a force in the game, scoring on passes of 73 and 22 yards and taking a pitch from Heinsma and sprinting 58 yards to score. Austin Lewis had three scores on a pass and two runs.

Not to be outdone, Prairie View’s RJ Martinez is a home run threat every time he touches the ball, especially on kickoffs where he amassed over 100 return yards and had an 80-yard kickoff return called back by penalty. Cole Barone had two scoreds on runs of 56 and 68 yards for Prairie View, while quarterback Ben Meraz added a 46-yard TD run of his own.

Stormy weather forced Grand Junction and Prairie View to delay their kickoff until 8:45 p.m. (Bert Borgmann/CHSAANow.com)