Two further football openings were closed on Thursday when Arvada West hired Brad Pyatt and Pondoersa tapped Jaron Cohen.

Pyatt, an Arvada West grad, was part of the Wildcats’ Class 5A 1997 championship team coached by Dave Logan. He played at Kentucky and Northern Colorado after high school, and then for parts of four seasons in the NFL — mostly with the Indianapolis Colts.

Pyatt becomes the school’s seventh coach in 50 years, but third in four years. Greg Whisler took over for longtime coach Casey Coons prior to the 2012 season, and went 7-13 in two seasons. A-West is 9-21 since 2011 and hasn’t had a winning season since 2010, but was 11-2 as recently as 2009.

“We are excited and confident in what Brad will bring to the table in regard to leadership and an abundance of football knowledge,” Arvada West said in a statement. “Brad’s main goal is to bring back the prominence of A-West Football, much like he experienced as a member of the 1997 state championship football team.”

Cohen, meanwhile, moves over from a one-year stint at Hinkley. He confirmed the switch to the Aurora Sentinel on Thursday.

“I had to make a decision that was right for my family and Ponderosa will allow me to find balance in my life between teaching, coaching and being a husband and father to two young boys,” Cohen told the Sentinel.

“Tough decision for sure,” Cohen added later on Twitter. “I’m fired up to continue building on the Ponderosa tradition of excellence.”

Hinkley went 5-5 last season. Prior to heading the Thunderbolts’ program, Cohen was 24-27 in five seasons at Liberty.

Cohen will take over for Jamie Woodruff, who came out of retirement to return to the program in 2012. Ponderosa was 17-5 over the past two seasons.

The hires were just the latest in what’s been a busy offseason.

Last Tuesday, Wheat Ridge announced the hire of Poudre’s Dan Reardon to replace Reid Kahl. Reardon was 5-14 over the past two seasons at Poudre, and has a long history of coaching.

He spent seven years at Ursuline High School in Ohio, where he was 68-26 and won three state championships.

“Dan Reardon is a man of quality character and quality football knowledge and experience,” Wheat Ridge said in a statement. “He is an excellent role model that will help develop character and leadership with our students and athletes. He will be an asset to Wheat Ridge High School.”

Then on Wednesday, Lutheran shook up the small-school ranks when it hired Faith Christian’s Blair Hubbard, who had been there since 1999. At Faith, Hubbard went 148-30 and won three state titles.

Those followed other hires this offseason like Gene Hill at Douglas County, Tyler Knoblock at Heritage, Jeff Priestley at Palmer, Rob Royer at Rampart and Jeremi Calip at Vista Ridge.

A number of high-profile jobs remain to be filled. Highlands Ranch is expected to announce its choice on Friday, and schools like Chaparral, Faith Christian, Fossil Ridge and Poudre remain without coaches. Find a complete list of 2013-14 coaching changes here.

(Dan Mohrmann)

COLORADO SPRINGS — The Durango Demons will live to fight another day.

A quick start on offense and a suffocating full-court press propelled the Demons into the second round of the 4A state basketball tournament as they downed the Cheyenne Mountain Indians 57-40 Tuesday night. They now move on to face defending state champion Pueblo South on Friday.

The Demons got off to a quick start, building a 9-0 lead on the strength of junior Katie Wiegert’s 3-point shooting. The Demons then upped the intensity of their lead by defending the Indians with a full court man-to-man defense that wreaked havoc for most of the first half.

“There have been different things that have worked for us all year and that seems to be one that has worked the best,” coach Nancy Smith said. “Usually it’s more effective when we get a lead and we were able to get some quick buckets and that allowed us to really put pressure on them defensively.”

Wiegert’s effort was complimented by Emily McCue’s play which only helped build the Demons lead to 33-16 at the end of the first half. Wiegert would finish the game with 18 points and McCue would end up as the top scorer for the Demons with 21.

Both players were able hit enough shots to keep the lead at double digits and keep the Indians from clawing their way back into the game. They led 45-30 after the third quarter and from that point on, they were able to cruise into the next round of the playoffs.

“We wanted to jump the gun early and we wanted to pressure them so that they had no way of seeing (down the court),” Wiegert said. “We just had the momentum so we just wanted to keep pushing them. It was their home court, they had the fans, they had everyone watching so we wanted to push it and give them hell.”

The Indians got a solid offensive performance from senior guard Sara Walters, but her six points couldn’t hang with the combined efforts of Wieger and McCue. The obvious struggle to break the press was able to frustrate the Indians which took them out of their game plan, making them uncomfortable through the majority of the game.

“The press break has been one of our strengths all year long,” Indians coach Mike Armentrout said. “I don’t think I can pinpoint why we couldn’t do it this go around. I think the kids played hard. If I had the answers we wouldn’t be standing here with a 17-point deficit with no time remaining on the clock.”

The Demons now advance to play the defending state champion Pueblo South Colts. At first glance, the 10-12 Demons might be in over their head, but heading into the playoffs was the first time all year the team was healthy, and the win against the Indians showed what they were capable of.

“We’ve got 10 girls that I can send in at any point and play them at the right spot,” Smith said. “It’s a fun group. I knew we had a fantastic team, but we had some injuries. McCue was out for the first half of the year and as soon as she came back, Katie got injured. For the first time now, we’re all healthy and we just haven’t seen a chance to see what we can do.”

They’ll have a chance to see what they can do when they tip off against Pueblo South at 3:30 p.m. Friday. That game will be the first of two round of 32 games to be played Friday at the Colorado State Fair Events Center.

Sterre Van Ede.

The 2013 all-state field hockey team is presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

This team was created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and coaches, and then a vote of coaches. A breakdown of the entire process, including specific criteria, is linked here.

Colorado Academy’s Sterre Van Ede received the most votes from coaches during that process, and, as a result, has been selected as the player of the year.

Scroll down to see the entire team.

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All-state field hockey

Player of the year: Sterre Van Ede, Colorado Academy

Doherty’s Haleigh Washington, left, with coach Tara Hittle. (Courtesy @DHSAthletics on Twitter)

The 2013 all-state volleyball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These team were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and coaches, and then a vote of coaches. Find more information here.

The players who received the most votes in their classification were selected as the player of the year in their class.

Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

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Class 5A

Player of the year: Haleigh Washington, Doherty

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Class 4A

Player of the year: Alexa Smith, Lewis-Palmer

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Class 3A

Player of the year: Kortney Lockey, Eaton

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Class 2A

Player of the year: Lindsey Moss, Fowler

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Class 1A

Player of the year: Timmi Keisel, Fleming

The 2013 all-state boys soccer teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These team were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and coaches, and then a vote of coaches. Find more information here.

The players who received the most votes in their classification were selected as the player of the year in their class.

Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

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Class 5A

Player of the year: Kevin del Mazo, Smoky Hill

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Class 4A

Player of the year: Roberto Diaz, Battle Mountain

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Class 3A

Player of the year: Ethan Coit, Salida

Haley Smith is the 5A softball player of the year. (Pam Wagner)

The 2013 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These team were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and coaches, and then a vote of coaches. Find more information here.

The players who received the most votes in their classification were selected as the player of the year in their class.

Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

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Class 5A

Player of the year: Haley Smith, Legacy

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Class 4A

Player of the year: Jessica Salbato, Wheat Ridge

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Class 3A

Player of the year: Danni Klein, Strasburg

Mountain Vista is a No. 1 seed in the Ray Ball Region. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

Ball Fever is a regular installment written by Thomas Trotman which rounds up boys basketball action in Class 5A and 4A.

Colorado prep hoop fans! What an exciting time in Colorado as our big school divisions have produced one memorable regular season with some excellent team play and amazing individual performances, as well.

The buzz about Colorado hoops is legit and we can thank a growing basketball community for that from our peewee rec leagues to competitive club ball, increasing individual personal training opportunities and truly dedicated high school staffs. The basketball product hitting the Colorado hardwood is improving and colleges of all levels are taking notice! Great time to be a part of Colorado hoops and now lets get to the madness!

Now, on to the tournament previews:

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Class 5A

Ray Ball Region

The top seed coming out of this region is an extremely hot Mountain Vista (22-1) squad which is riding a 14-game winning streak. That includes their Continental League-clinching overtime thriller vs. Highlands Ranch to cap the regular season. The confident, Denver-bound Jake Pemberton leads Vista’s fast-paced attack which keeps opponents gasping for air.

Our Fever Crew discussed Chatfield playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder in this region after going 14-2 in league and winning the Jeffco but earning a No. 3 seed.

Eaglecrest celebrates winning the last year’s 5A basketball championship. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

The defending champs? Oh yes, the Eaglecrest Raptors again have a balanced attack with numerous athletes who are likely very hungry to taste the title again. Junior Blend Advili continues to be a jack of all trades for the Raptors, while LaDerian King and Jaisean Jackson’s senior leadership will make the defending champ a scary matchup. 

Favorites: Mountain Vista and Eaglecrest. In our opinion, both are Boulder-capable teams but only one will get there. 

Watch out for: Fort Collins can be a sneaky No. 4 seed here in our opinion. Colorado State commit Toby Van Ry and his running mate Will Duggan (Black Hills State commit) will not go down without a fight. Possible Sweet 16 match-up with Mountain Vista for Fort Collins.

Chatfield was discussed above and they may have to face a tough, well-coached ThunderRidge squad right away. Coach Joe Ortiz and crew will use the lessons learned in the tough Continental League and be prepared should that game become reality.

Chauncey Billups Region:

Fossil Ridge is No. 1 seed in the Chauncey Billups Region. (Pam Wagner)

One year ago, we sat in the Fossil Ridge gym and watched that 2013 team battle Arapahoe to exciting last-second finish. While looking at their roster all one could think was, “This squad is going to be tough next year!”

That turned out to be a huge understatement as the SaberCats have posted a perfect 23-0 season with their first league title and many voting them as our state’s No. 1 team. The SaberCats’ lead man is Alex Semadeni, who leads their balanced attack with 14 points per game. Our Fever Crew got to see many of these young men playing club ball together as well in tough venues such as Indianapolis and Las Vegas.

Regardless of how things end up for the SaberCats, congrats are in order for coach Matt Johannsen and the entire Fossil Ridge hoops family.

With all the attention Mountain Vista and Highlands Ranch got towards the end of the season, it may have been easy to overlook Regis Jesuit but don’t make that mistake as coach Ken Shaw will have his crew prepped for postseason action. The Raiders have a No. 2 seed but some tough potential opponents in Smoky Hill, Standley Lake and possibly an Arapahoe if both can advance to Sweet 16.

Favorites: Fossil Ridge and Regis. After a tough two-point loss to Mountain Vista, Regis has quietly ran off seven in a row. Many feel Fossil Ridge/Regis have similar rosters and would love to see the two great coaches match wits as well.

Watch out for:

• A fun first-round match up in Rock Canyon and Lincoln. If you like guard play check out Lincoln’s leader Michael Sparks vs. the Jaguars tandem of Tyler Garcia and Mitch Lombard.
• Arapahoe and Smoky Hill have impressive “Centennial-tough” league wins and wouldn’t mind playing for a rubber match after splitting their season matchups.

Jim Baggot Region:

Denver East’s Dom Collier. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

The season had to have a bit of a “rock star” feel for this region’s top seed Denver East Angels while they had the opportunity to play top national competition in Utah, Florida and Nebraska.

The Angels finished the season with a 19-4 mark with each loss coming out of state. CU-bound Dominique Collier and Creighton commit Ronnie Harrell lead a very celebrated starting five who all have NCAA Division I college interest and potential.

East tasted great success last year but as we all know they came up short in the title game. They haven’t lost in Colorado this year and we’re sure coach Rudy Carey’s Angels don’t plan on it.

Highlands Ranch suffered a 20-point post-winter break loss to Denver East in January and they would love a rematch now that the Falcons are healthy and at full strength. The No. 2 seed is led by big Zach Braxton (Weber State commit) and he has serious perimeter help with a healthy Evan Motlong along with Riley Stewart playing well. 

Favorites: Clearly Denver East and Highlands Ranch in this region. Lots of work to be done but the city vs. suburbs fanatics would love to see this possible Sweet 16 matchup happen.

Watch out for: 

• Horizon will have its hands full with No. 10 seed George Washington.
• Thomas (20 points per game) and Luke Neff over at Arvada West can heat up and cause lots of trouble in the bottom half of this region.
• Twitter-verse seemed to show a lot of surprise at Grandview earning a No. 3 seed and they will be tested right away if the Arvada West match up plays out.
• Heard a lot of good things about Broderick Robinson, senior averaging 20 points per for Grand Junction, and a possible match-up vs. Cherokee Trail young guns could be intriguing. 

Bill Weimar Region:

Rangeview is on a 10-game winning streak. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

The Danny Fisher-coached Overland Trailblazers (17-6) suffered a tough one-point home loss to Eaglecrest in January, but have since run off seven straight, including avenging that loss to the Raptors to lock up the Centennial League title in OT last Friday.

The young Blazers talent is well documented with two-sport stud Austin Conway running the show, big De’Ron Davis on the inside, and guards Reggie Gibson, Jervae Robinson making more consistent impact. Don’t be surprised if you hear that senior T’Aren Williams steps up for Overland somewhere during this playoff journey.

The EMAC conference hasn’t gotten a lot of respect lately but one player who could make us all take notice on any given night is future CSU Ram Jeremiah Paige. The Rangeview Raiders look good as a No. 2 seed on a 10-game win streak which includes a road victory over 4A’s No. 1 ranked squad Valor Christian to finish the season.

The Raiders could be in for a real battle if Montbello can get the win over visiting Liberty. Montbello is playing much improved ball lately and have a starting five that can compete with any in the state. The question with the Warriors will be their depth.

Favorites: Going with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds as the favorites here as well. Giving a slight edge to Rangeview over No. 3 seed Chaparral here as they beat them head-to-head, but that was a very different Chap team early in the season. Overland carrying some serious momentum into tourney.

Watch out for: 

• Speaking of young talent, Overland may just see some if Aurora Central and their young guard Ladarius Thomas can lead the Trojans to a win over Boulder.
• More strong guard play with Dakota Ridge potentially facing Monarch.
• As mentioned above, Chaparral could easily be a favorite in this region. Jake Holtzman, who reportedly just picked up an offer from Denver University, leads a Chap squad who won seven of their last eight. Only recent loss coming to Continental champ Vista.
• Senior DJ Miles is a player to watch as Bear Creek visits Cherry Creek to see who gets Chap. The Creek Bruins had a fast start and proved they can play with the best (senior Griffin Parr at 12 points per game, Ceasar Jones and Will Bower lead the strong junior class). Lets see if they can regain the steam at the right time.

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Class 4A

All season, Valor Christian has been looked at as the favorite in 4A. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

Richard Tate Region:

The consistent No. 1-ranked team most of the season in 4A has been Valor Christian and that’s hard to argue with. The Eagles have a senior-heavy roster that has gotten close to that “gold ball” and seem primed to make another Boulder run this year.

Senior Chase Foster (San Francisco commit; 20 points per game) is Mr. Versatility for the Eagles and he has a strong cast of sweet-shooting Garrett Baggett along with the toughness football studs Christian McCaffrey and Marcus Wilson bring.

Valor hoops is 19-4 and their only Colorado loss comes to 5A Rangeview.

Pueblo East got the No. 2 seed in this region. Dylan Gavin is averaging 20 points per game for East and had the team on a five-game winning streak before a season-ending loss to league champ Pueblo South.

A player who can spark his team to a run in this region is Vista PEAK’s Romello Washington. Washington can light it up, has recent games of 25, 31, 27, with a season average of 18 per game for Vista, who are undefeated league champs.

Favorites: Valor Christian and Pueblo East. 

Watch out for: Ponderosa played in the brutal 5A Continental League but now look to make some noise in the 4A tourney. Will be interesting to see how Valor handles one of our states best “bigs” in 6-foot-10 Wyoming commit Jonathon Barnes should Pondo get by Mountain View.

Guy Gibbs Region:

D’Evelyn is the No. 1 seed in the Guy Gibbs Region. (Dennis Pleuss)

The D’Evelyn Jaguars have a strong duo who have both averaged close to 20 points per game the entire season in Ty McGee and Grant Witherspoon. The 18-5 Jags had two late season losses to Thomas Jefferson and Wheat Ridge but their 13-1 Jeffco 4A league record won the league title and got them the No. 1 seed.

The No. 2 seed Sand Creek in this region has a real play maker of their own in Air Force commit Dylan Clark (averaging 20 points per game, as well).

Favorites: Have to add Denver West as a serious problem for folks in this region along with the two top seeds. Coach Ray Valdez has the Cowboys playing fundamentally sound and with a lot of fight. Sophomore Alpha Diallo is an up and coming play maker with nice court vision, scoring ability for West.

Watch out for: Would love to have a front row seat for a potential Sweet 16 match up of Denver West vs. Sand Creek. 

Mark Randall Region:

Thompson Valley’s Collin Smith. (Brock Laue)

Two more deserving, tough Nos. 1 and 2 seeds here as well.

Thompson Valley, 22-1 with only loss coming to 5A’s Fossil Ridge, haven’t tasted defeat since mid-December. 6-foot-5 senior Collin Smith paces the Eagles with 19 points and six rebounds per game.

Got to take a look at Thompson Valley’s balanced play when they visited a squad with a strong senior leader of their own in Cheyenne Mountain’s Ghassan Nehme (Montana State commit). Nehme, who averages almost 27 points per game, has the Indians on a five-game streak headed into tourney play.

Favorites: Top two seeds look good here but Longmont and Mesa Ridge very capable of mixing things up. Senior Austin Kemp will attempt to get Longmont back on track after two late-season losses. 

Watch out for: Ghassan Nehme is an electric scorer who can put his squad on his shoulders if needed. 

Maceo Broadnax Jr. Region:

Denver South is the No. 2 seed in the Maceo Broadnax Jr. Region. (Mark Adams)

Pueblo South lost their first two games of the season and have impressively ran off 21 wins in a row. Now that’s momentum headed into the tourney.

Another impressive stat is that the Colts have four players averaging double figure scoring, led by Brian Pratt and Jared Baros right at 13 each per game.

Denver South holds this region’s No. 2 seed and their big man in the middle, Ibrahim Sylla (Northern Colorado commit), is a double-double highlight machine above the rim. Sylla averages 14 points and 14 rebounds per game.

Favorites: Hard to call in this extremely tough region. Stacked with competitive teams like Golden (won 10 of their last 11 games with sophomore Ryan Blodgett at 12-point and eight-rebound average) at the No. 3 seed and a No. 4 seed in Thomas Jefferson who could beat any of the top 3 if they bring their “A” game as they did in a late season win over No. 1 seed D’Evelyn.

Watch out for: “Watch your head” as the players would say when South’s Sylla or Thomas Jefferson’s Trey Andres take flight. Two of our state’s “freakish” athletes. Denver South played a strong season finale vs. 5A No. 1 Denver East. They could carry that momentum into a tourney run. Guards Lorenzo Snoddy and Tyson Purifoy capable of big games as well. This region is tough!

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Whew! Get ready for some fun tourney action folks.

Denver East/Fossil Ridge in 5A? Valor/Thompson Valley in 4A? Many have said it could play out just that way. Those have been your top big school squads all season, but we happen to remember a young man by the name of TreShawn Wilford who led the Eaglecrest Raptors on a special tournament run in 2013.

Who could be the Wilford of this years playoffs? We’ll be watching to find out! Enjoy …

Valor Christian running back Christian McCaffrey is the player of the year in Class 5A. (Mark Adams)

The 2013 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and coaches, and then a vote of coaches. Find more information here.

The players who received the most votes in their classification were selected as the player of the year in their class.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

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Class 5A

Player of the year: Christian McCaffrey, Valor Christian

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Class 4A

Player of the year: Kalen Ballage, Falcon

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Class 3A

Player of the year: Dallas Reins, Elizabeth

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Class 2A

Player of the year: Lance Neuerburg, Platte Valley

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Class 1A

Player of the year: Dalton Risner, Wiggins

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8-man

Player of the year: Ty Eichman, Daypsring Christian

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6-man

Player of the year: Clay Cordell, Hi-Plains

It is important for all athletes, regardless of their sport, to determine their recommended nutrition needs in order to play safe, stay healthy and participate at their optimal performance. Both golf and cheerleading are commonly played high school skill-sports, which like all other sports, demand their own set of nutritional needs.

Here is a list of things to consider when playing a skill sport:

1. Additional calories may not be necessary. Calorie needs will depend on the intensity and duration of the activity you are participating in; however, most skill-sport athletes do not need a diet different from what is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines and MyPlate. In golf for example, a player that carries their own bag for multiple rounds (the average golfer walks five miles each round) during a tournament will burn more calories than a player that uses a pull cart for only one round. Let your hunger cue you in on when it is time to eat a well-balanced snack.
2. Carbohydrates, protein and fat are all important. Skill-sport athletes need a balanced diet to perform at their best. A Five Food Group-based diet, which can be achieved by following the MyPlate recommended guide for eating, will provide carbohydrates, protein and fat in appropriate portions for skill-set athletes. The following is a recommended daily food guide for each food group – for a more individualized plan based on your age, height, weight and activity level, visit choosemyplate.gov and sign up for SuperTracker.

Food Groups	Most female athletes: 2000 calories	Most male athletes: 2600 calories
Grains	6 ounces	9 ounces
Vegetables	2.5 cups	3.5 cups
Fruits	2 cups	2 cups
Dairy	3 cups	3 cups
Protein	5.5 ounces	6.5 ounces

3. Eat before you play. Eating before you play your sport will provide energy that you need to perform during the event. Choose a meal or a snack that contains at least three food groups – carbohydrate foods will give you energy and protein, and fat in foods will help you to stay focused and feel full longer.  
4. Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration can be very common in skill sports. When golfing on a cold spring day or cheering at a cool evening football game, it is important to remember that just because you are not sweating does not mean your body does not need water. One helpful tip for ensuring you are drinking enough water is to drink two cups of water before every event. In golf, make it a point to take a sip of water before every hole, even if you aren’t thirsty. In cheerleading, aim to drink at least ½ cup every quarter of the game. When exercising in the heat, it is important to drink even more water to replace the fluid you lose in sweat.
5. Make time to snack but avoid high-fat and high-sugar foods during exercise. During your event, choose a snack that provides more carbohydrate than protein and fat. Granola bars, dry cereal, crackers, fruit or dried fruit are quick and easy carbohydrate snacks to keep around. For all skill athletes, snacking on carbohydrate foods during an event will help you maintain energy.
6. Refuel post-exercise. After 60 minutes of exercise, rehydrate, refuel and replenish your muscles. A refreshing cup of chocolate milk can be a perfect refuel beverage for skill sport athletes.

Athletes can train harder and perform better with proper nutrition. Visit this site to read more about milk as an exercise recovery beverage and learn how to eat for peak athletic performance.

(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

AURORA — The 93rd year of Colorado High School Activities Association practice for spring sports begins just as the basketball playoffs are gearing up and ice hockey moves into Frozen Four action. Official practice starts Monday, February 24 for baseball, girls’ golf, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, girls’ soccer, boys’ swimming and diving, girls’ tennis and boys’ and girls’ track and field.

Teams may begin interscholastic scrimmages on March 1 (February 27 for golf and tennis), while the first contests may begin on Thursday, March 6. Tennis and golf may begin contests on Thursday, February 27.

In May, 1921, a group of superintendents and principals met in Boulder and organized the Colorado High School Athletic Conference. The purpose of this organization was to better regulate and develop the interscholastic school athletic program.

There were nine leagues by the time the first constitution was published, including the Northern, North Central, Western Slope, Suburban, Southeastern, Arkansas Valley, South Central and San Juan Basin leagues.

The first champions crowned that school year were Colorado Springs in football, Greeley in basketball, and Fort Collins in track and field.

In 1924, the Colorado High School Athletic Conference joined the National Federation of State High School Associations and has remained an active member of that organization ever since.

Loveland’s R.W. Truscott was the Association’s first president and Eaton’s J.C. Casey its first secretary (commissioner). Truscott replaced Casey as secretary in December, 1926 and held that post until July, 1948 when Glenn T. Wilson became commissioner. Ray C. Ball took over the commissioner’s post in 1966 and remained in the office until August, 1986 when Ray Plutko assumed the duties. Bob Ottewill became the Association’s sixth commissioner in July, 1990, followed by Bill Reader who served as Commissioner from 2002 until 2010. Angelico assumed the reins on July 1, 2010.

The CHSAA has had 58 presidents dating back to 1921. Its current president, Centauri High School Principal Curt Wilson, is in the first year of a two-year term as president.