HIGHLANDS RANCH — No. 9-seeded Colorado Academy beat No. 8 ThunderRidge in the second round of the girls lacrosse playoffs on Saturday.
Maddie Webster had four goals and an assist for the Mustangs, while Emma Richards had a hat trick. Bridget Sutter made eight saves in net.
PUEBLO — Mother Nature halted the Class 4A state tennis tournament Thursday afternoon. But not before the perennially powerful Cheyenne Mountain girls tennis team could make a statement at the City Park Tennis Complex.
The Indians Kalyssa Hall (No. 1 singles), Daniella Adamczyk (No. 2 singles), Jessica Metz (No. 3), Casey Ahrendsen and Ally Arenson (No. 1 doubles) and Tory Lewis and Claire Dibble (No. 2 doubles) all won a pair of matches to advance into the semifinals at 9 a.m. Friday.
“I’m real pleased to get everybody through so far,” said veteran Cheyenne Mountain coach Dave Adams, whose team has won the last five state championships in a row. “We haven’t talked about our past (state championships). We are just focused on this one. Our next focus is Friday. We are really being careful not to think too far ahead. I never thought that was a good idea.”
Cheyenne’s Megan Dibble and Chelsey Geisz (No. 3 doubles) and Tatum Mika and Rachel Perry (No. 4 doubles) have to complete their quarterfinal matches at 8 a.m. Friday.
There are 10 total quarterfinal matches that were halted by the rain and will be completed today. The tourney is scheduled to finish Saturday with the finals in all brackets beginning at 9 a.m.
Since the quarterfinal matches were not finished Thursday, no team scores were announced.
Hall, a sophomore, is the reigning state champ at No. 1 singles, and Metz was a state champion at No. 1 doubles a year ago.
Adams did point out the play of Adamczyk who outlasted Valor Christian Meghan Beer 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
“Daniella really stepped up and played well,” Adams said. “Hopefully she can keep up her momentum (Friday).”
That win by Adamczyk set up a semifinal match with senior Suzy Xiao of St. Mary’s Academy. The same Xiao who beat Adamczyk in the No. 3 singles state finals in two sets last year. Earlier this season, Adamczyk beat Xiao 6-3, 6-3, and she also defeated her once in 2013 before losing to her for the state title.
“I played really well Thursday and (Friday) I have to try and keep it up,” Adamczyk said. “She just hits really hard and I’m going to have to move her around a lot. I’m pretty excited to play her again. It helps that I have played her before because I know her game a little better. We also know how important (Friday) is for the team race.”
The 5-foot-5 Adamczyk started playing tennis in sixth grade and has never stopped.
“I really enjoy this sport and it’s something that seemed to come pretty easy for me,” Adamczyk said.
When Adamczyk isn’t on the court, she finds pleasure in writing.
“I’ve written a book, I just have to edit it a few times before I do anything with it,” Adamczyk said. “I started writing the book in seventh grade. It’s a fantasy book called The Four Seasons about kids who have super powers. I would like to get it publish it one day.”
Now, she has another chance to write her own reality state championship ending.
DENVER — The Arapahoe girls tennis team has been on a mission this spring.
The Warriors qualified all three singles players and all four doubles teams for this year’s Class 5A girls state championships.
The season took on a different meaning in December, with the death of a schoolmate in a shooting at the school.
From that point, “I think everyone’s goal was to play for Claire Davis,” Arapahoe No. 1 singles player Tate Schroeder said of dedicating the season to their fallen classmate.
Schroeder, a sophomore who placed fourth in No. 1 singles last year, said a state title for her would put a positive note on a tough school year.
“I really want to win state,” Schroeder said. “I want to represent Arapahoe because of everything that happened.”
She’s got a tall order to win the state title, however. Schroeder faces defending state champion Rebecca Weissmann of Loveland in Saturday morning’s championship match.
Arapahoe lost one quarterfinal match, then hit a bigger roadblock in the semis, losing three doubles matches. Only the Warriors’ No. 3 team of Bridget O’Brien and Laura Wilms will join Schroeder in championship matches.
Fossil Ridge, meanwhile, has one singles player, Emma Jo Wiley at No. 3, playing for a state title along with its No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams. All three entries will go against Cherry Creek in the title match.
By the time playbacks ended on Saturday, Cherry Creek had already wrapped up the team title, giving the Bruins their 18th-straight championship. Cherry Creek has 69 points through the first two days. Second-place Fossil Ridge has 45, Arapahoe is third with 40 and Denver East sits in fourth with 39.
Fossil Ridge advanced two of its three singles qualifiers and its three qualifying doubles teams. Arapahoe did the same but still has one doubles match in progress..
The SaberCats faced the Bruins in four state championship matches last year, winning just one.
“Last year we came in a little bit nervous and played a little apprehensive,” Fossil Ridge coach Mike Scimeca said. “What you hope is when there’s pressure, you play like you practice, and I think we’re getting better at that.”
State title matches should begin around 9 a.m. Saturday at Gates Tennis Center.
| Class 5A | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Cherry Creek | 69 |
| 2 | Fossil Ridge | 45 |
| 3 | Arapahoe | 40 |
| 4 | Denver East | 39 |
| 5 | Fairview | 25 |
| 6 | Loveland | 14 |
| T7 | Ponderosa | 10 |
| T7 | Ralston Valley | 10 |
| 9 | Highlands Ranch | 6 |
| 10 | Lakewood | 5 |
| 11 | Mountain Vista | 4 |
| T12 | Greeley West | 3 |
| T12 | Heritage | 3 |
| T14 | Chatfield | 2 |
| T14 | Fruita Monument | 2 |
| T14 | Legacy | 2 |
| T14 | Mountain Range | 2 |
| T14 | Rock Canyon | 2 |
| T14 | Rocky Mountain | 2 |
| T20 | Dakota Ridge | 1 |
| T20 | George Washington | 1 |
In hindsight, how big was Monday’s Rocky Mountain-ThunderRidge baseball game?
Heading into the game, we knew it essentially would be the difference between hosting a 5A district this Saturday because of the way the Wild Card point standings were set up. But we thought the loser would end up as No. 9, or thereabout.
Instead, ThunderRidge dropped all the way to No. 12 the night of the game, and wound up as the No. 11 seed in the 5A tournament. That’s because, in the end, teams Nos. 9-12 were separated be a mere 0.158 points in the final Wild Card standings. So the Lobos will play at home as the No. 7 seed, while ThunderRidge must travel to No. 6 Arvada West — a tougher road for the defending champions.
That district — it’s District 8 — could be among the most entertaining in 5A. The potential title game matchup between T-Ridge and Arvada West is an interesting storyline.
On one hand, you have Arvada West, winner of eight games in a row. I saw the Wildcats in early April during a 9-1 loss to Fairview, and they didn’t look like a team that would host a district. Needless to say, A-West has come a long way since then and is at this point a different team.
On the other, there’s ThunderRidge, the early favorite and a mainstay at No. 1 in CHSAANow.com’s poll for much of the early part of the year. But the Grizzlies had a rough week — three losses in four days — in late April which changed the complexion of their season. So this district is really their chance at redemption, of sorts.
Other interesting storylines in baseballs districts, which are this Saturday:
Much of 4A girls soccer’s postseason was interrupted by a major storm moving through parts of the state Wednesday night.
At the NAAC, Wheat Ridge and Discovery Canyon had to suspend the start of overtime roughly an hour and a half because of lightning and golf-ball sized hail. That pushed the start of Green Mountain-Longmont to close to 9 p.m.
Up north, Windsor and Palisade actually had to suspend their game with 32 minutes left in the second half to 11:30 a.m. Thursday. There were reports of softball-sized hail in that area.
All that had our office worried about Thursday’s start to the 5A girls tennis state tournament. Rain was in the forecast, and the area was soaked with an overnight drizzle. It was 45 degrees when players began to arrive.
But the tournament kicked off on time Thursday morning — after workers squeegeed any remaining water off the courts. By 11 a.m., the sun was out and the jackets were off. Such is life in this state.
Update: Alas, the rain did not hold off forever for 5A girls tennis. Some first-round matches were delayed to Friday. 4A was also affected by rain.
J’on St. Clair has resigned as Cheyenne Mountain’s boys basketball coach, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. He was 57-20 in three seasons, and led the Indians to the 4A final four this past season.
Update: Later Thursday afternoon, Rampart announced it had re-hired St. Clair. The veteran coach headed that program from 2004-10 before leaving to take the Doherty girls job for one season and then eventually landing at Cheyenne Mountain.
In St. Clair’s final season at Rampart (2009-10), the Rams went 23-3 and advanced to the 5A Great 8.
COLORADO SPRINGS — The tide of the game turned as quickly as a Cheyenne Mountain scoring possession as the Indians topped the Dawson Mustangs 15-6 in the first round of the 4A boys lacrosse playoffs.
With the win, the Indians will face No. 1 overall seed Wheat Ridge on Friday.
The conflicting styles of the two teams were on full display as the Indians were able to score quickly and often with their fast-paced offense. Midway through the first quarter, Cheyenne Mountain built a 3-0 lead and appeared to be on track to run away with the victory.
After falling behind 3-0 early in the game, the Mustangs were able to fight their back into the game by slowing down the pace and controlling the ball.
“With Casey Rothstein as our faceoff guy we can get (the offense) going pretty quickly,” Cheyenne Mountain coach Mike Paige said. “We had to have a discussion at one point about ball control and when we don’t have the fast break and then things came together.”
The Indians held a 6-4 lead going into halftime, well off the pace they had set halfway through the first quarter when the game was 3-0. The Indians scored quickly off the draw and added another one before Dawson was able to get on the board in the second half.
Mustangs attacker Eli Negrelli found the back of the net with 6:07 remaining in the third period to pull Dawson to within three goals. But eight seconds after the ensuing face-off Cheyenne Mountain once again stuck quickly off the stick of Rothstein. The score may have only been 9-5, but that quick score appeared to be the emotional nail in the coffin for the Mustangs who seemed unable to recover afterwards.
“We just trust our personnel and in that case, they put one on us to put us on our heels and we were able to put one back on them,” Paige said. “We wanted to put them on their heels and mentally for them I think that was a back-breaker.”
In the end, the Indians outscored the Mustangs 9-2 in the second half, paving the way for the 15-6 final score. It was halfway through the third quarter when the Indians scored that back-breaker which put them in the exact groove they were looking for coming into the game.
“We really got into a flow. We started playing together and moving the ball well,” Rothstein said. “I think we really put the goalie on his heels and the defense in general. We dominated in the mid-field, our defense was shutting them down and we just came together in the third quarter.”
Rothstein and attackers Mitch Paige and Sam Sheridan combined for 13 of the Indians 15 goals. The trio has paced the Indians through their successful season. All three will need to be on point Friday when they travel to Wheat Ridge.
“It’s usually the three of us. We always seem to start and finish well and come out with something greater than we hoped,” Paige said. “We’ve always wanted to play (Wheat Ridge) in the championship and we’ve never gotten there. The next game will be our championship. If we pull that out our momentum will be so great.”
The winner of Friday’s game between the Farmers and the Indians will advance to the 4A semifinals, which will be played May 14.
LAKEWOOD — Momentum is a finicky thing. It can be lost and regained in the blink of an eye.
Just ask Mullen’s boys lacrosse team, which watched a three-goal lead evaporate midway through the fourth quarter Wednesday in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Columbine scored three unanswered goals to take its first lead, only for the Mustangs to answer right back with three of their own in less than three minutes.
That surge proved enough to send No. 10-seeded Mullen into the second round with an 8-6 victory over the No. 7 Rebels at Trailblazer Stadium.
“Any time you go down like that, it’s hard to get back up,” said Mullen senior Brady Brehm, who notched the game-winner. “We struggled with that through the year, but we had the sideline cheering us up and we had a lot of big guys step up. That really drove us forward.”
The Mustangs (8-8) move on to face No. 2 Regis Jesuit on Saturday. The Raiders (15-1) defeated Chaparral 13-3.
It was less than two weeks ago that Mullen saw Columbine force overtime with another fourth-quarter comeback before the Mustangs secured the 8-7 victory. On Wednesday, the team led 5-3 going into the final quarter before Columbine swung the momentum back in its favor. Anthony SanFilippo cut the deficit to one before Landon Kramer tied it up at 5-5 with nine minutes, 23 seconds remaining.
A few minutes later Tyler Goodwin gave the Rebels (11-5) their first lead, biding his time before taking a shot in front of the net and beating goalie Trey Taylor.
Mullen needed a little more than a minute to regain control though, as Nick Philips put in his second goal of the night. Brehm followed suit with his second score at the 4:03 mark, and David Corral added an insurance goal less than a minute later.
“We dodged real hard and moved it backside, and I was just there,” Brehm said. “I made my move, got inside and just finished.”
Mustangs coach Mitch Brin said another factor in the momentum swing was being able to control possession down the stretch.
“The big thing I think was our faceoff play. Alec Boyd at faceoff was able to control them and get possessions,” Brin said. “That can stop the momentum for a team, and it also can help it along.”
Matt Standley, Matt Lambright and Grant Alfred also scored for the Mustangs. Nick Stasch had two goals to pace Columbine and Jake Allen added another goal for the Rebels, who were shut out in the first half before putting three goals into the net in the third quarter and three more in the fourth.
The game was delayed 50 minutes because of lightning and hail after the first quarter, where Standley put Mullen up 1-0 with a score in the final 30 seconds of play. After sitting in the locker room for the better part of an hour, the two teams resumed play and Mustangs defenseman Lambright forced a turnover, picked up the ball and sprinted the length of the field before scoring.
“In the locker room the kids were really loose, almost too loose. We had to bring them back in with about five minutes to go,” Brin said. “You’re playing, really, 100 percent with a lot of intensity. Then you go in and sit around for about 45 minutes and have to come out of that and get right back up to 100 percent energy and focus, and they were able to do that.”
Regis Jesuit will present a stiff challenge for the Mustangs, who fell to the Raiders 13-5 back on April 2. Brin said his squad has shown some maturity after playing 16 games, adding that it’s important for the players to not be intimidated by who they are playing.
“Confidence and faith in ourselves — that we play our game and play smart,” Brin said of the keys. “Not be intimidated by a really good team, a team that’s playing really well this year together and has some good talent.”
ARVADA — It took awhile, but in the end Wheat Ridge sophomore Frankee Broer was in the middle of a group hug celebration Wednesday night at the North Area Athletic Complex.
Broer scored the game-winning goal in the second minute of overtime for a 3-2 victory against Discovery Canyon. The win advanced the No. 6-seeded Farmers (12-4 record) and Class 4A Jeffco League champions into the second round of the 4A girls’ soccer state tournament.
“They are a group that as been successful by sticking together, battling and competing,” Wheat Ridge coach Dan Watkins said. “That is what it takes to win a game like this. I couldn’t be prouder.”
A lightning delay of 1 hour, 15 minutes just before the start of the overtime period forced the Farmers and Thunder to wait out the stoppage. Marble-size hail also fell before the lightning passed through.
“It was just really good energy,” Broer said of the Farmers’ attitude waiting out the delay. “Everyone was really excited to get back out there and get that goal. We knew we were going to get it. It was amazing.”
Wheat Ridge kicked the ball deep into the Thunder’s defensive zone to start the overtime period. It was a planned strategy by Watkins.
“Our plan to put the ball in their corner and make Discovery Canyon build out of the back,” Watkins said. “It was great work in the corner to get the ball. It was a great service by Carolyn (Swanson) and then Alex (Nillen) took the shot that got deflected back to Frankee (Broer) and she one-timed it.”
Alexandra Nillen’s initial shot was saved by Thunder goalie Madalyn Smalley, but Broer hammered home the rebound into the back of the net. She was then dog piled on by her teammates.
Wheat Ridge needed a goal from junior Roma Sandburg with 2:02 left in regulation time to even force overtime.
Wheat Ridge had a number of corner kicks in the final five minutes of regulation time trailing 2-1. The Farmers weren’t able to convert the set plays, but Sandburg came to the rescue with a long shot that sailed under the cross bar to tie the game at 2-2.
“I knew we needed something. We needed a lucky shot,” Sandburg said. “I had an opportunity. I just took it and luckily it went in. That boosted our energy.”
After a scoreless first half, Wheat Ridge took the lead a 1-0 in the 54th minute. Junior Carlee Flanagan hammered a low shot past Smalley. Nillen picked up an assist on the goal.
The Thunder answered five minutes later in the 59th minute. A high shot from junior Jamie Keith got through the hands of Wheat Ridge freshman goalie Abby Bausch to tie the game at 1-1. Discovery Canyon took the lead in the 69th minute with some fancy footwork by Sherry Langseth. The junior forward worked past a few Farmer defenders and fired a high shot into the back of the net for a 2-1 Thunder lead.
“Obviously, they play in that Pikes Peak League where there is very good soccer,” Watkins said. “They battle with everybody and have been very, very tested. I take my hat off to them. They were tenacious.”
Discovery Canyon (7-8-1) actually tied top-seeded Cheyenne Mountain during conference play.
The Farmers will see another Pikes Peak team in the second round. Wheat Ridge will host No. 11-seeded Palmer Ridge (9-5-1) on Saturday at the NAAC.
“It boosts our confidence a lot going into the next round,” Sandburg said of defeating Discovery Canyon.
ARVADA — Will Green Mountain ever allow a goal on the soccer pitch?
It’s a valid question after the Rams recorded their eighth straight shutout Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory against Longmont in the opening round of the Class 4A girls’ soccer state tournament.
“That back four is good. They have been doing a great job and of course you have Lindsey (Hendon) back there,” Green Mountain coach Ken Fehr said of his back four defenders of Kelli Van Tassel, Danielle Lord, MacKenzie Schaller and Cassie Allen, along with senior goalie Lindsey Hendon.
The last goal No. 12-seeded Green Mountain (13-2-1) surrendered came back on April 2 in a 1-0 loss to eventual 4A Jeffco League champion Wheat Ridge. Hendon extended her Colorado state record of career shutouts to 41 on Wednesday in making three saves against the Trojans.
“It means a lot,” Hendon said of her shutouts. “I’ve had my teammates in front of me the whole time. It’s a team effort.”
Offensively, Green Mountain broke a scoreless tie late in the first half at the North Area Athletic Complex on Wednesday night. Junior Mia Dobbin was able to knock in the first goal in the 35th minute off a corner kick from senior Christina Makatura.
“At first I thought it was going to be a header, but it ended up being kind of a thigh/knee sort of a thing,” Dobbin said of her goal. “It went it. It was good effort from all of us.”
The Rams outshot No. 21-seeded Longmont 15 to 3 in the first-round game. However, Green Mountain wasn’t able to get its second goal until junior Jenn Brunsdon beat Longmont senior goalie Maria Romo with a hard shot in the 78th minute.
“A lot of opportunities means you are going to get a goal sooner or later,” Dobbin said. “I’m just glad we got those shots off.”
Fehr had the same theory that the Rams would eventually get a little breathing room against the Trojans.
“The pressure was good. We were pressuring them really hard,” Fehr said. “I knew something would eventually come. We had some good opportunities.”
Longmont closes it season with a 9-6-1 record. All six of the Trojans’ loss and their lone tie all came in games that Longmont’s offense was shut out.
“Green Mountain has an outstanding team,” Longmont coach Mike DiGiallonardo said. “Defense and offense wise they are very disciplined.”
The Rams move into the second round where it will travel to No. 5-seeded Niwot on Saturday. The Cougars (13-3) handled Pueblo South in their postseason opener with a 5-0 victory Wednesday.
Green Mountain is hoping it can ride its strong defense make a return to the 4A championship game. The Rams lost the title game in 2012 to Air Academy.
“We aren’t going to give up a cheap goal,” Fehr said. “Teams are going to have to earn it.”
PARKER — No. 16-seeded Ponderosa held off No. 17 Durango 2-1 at home in the first round of the Class 4A girls soccer playoffs on Wednesday.
WINDSOR — The temperature was dropping, the wind was swirling, rain was pouring, and bolts were striking under ominous clouds. The Windsor girls soccer team overcame two half-hour delays, one rainstorm, one rescheduling — and Palisade — to claim a 2-1 victory in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.
In a game originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Windsor’s Bailey Zehr found net first. Zehr controlled possession, then used her speed in the open field to blow by two defenders. Palisade’s goalkeeper, Katie Dunn, sprinted out and Zehr nestled the ball into the right corner to give Windsor a 1-0 lead ten minutes into the game.
Kelsey Steffens gave the Wizards a 2-0 margin eight minutes later after scoring off a deflected shot.
Then, the delays began. The first lasted for 30 minutes before the teams resumed play for the rest of the half and into the second as lightning waned. But the school’s athletic directors were forced to call another delay with 33 minutes left in the second half. The storm rolled in, causing the game to be postponed to 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
“It was very challenging to keep the girls focused, especially after you get an early 2-0 lead,” Windsor coach Mario Garcia said. “I think if it had been 1-0, their minds would have been more in it. It makes you relax a little bit. At the end of the day, we’re talking about human nature. The psychology of knowing you’re up, you can relax a little bit, and (Palisade) played hard.”
The Palisade Bulldogs were the aggressors Thursday. They had several opportunities early and often for goals throughout the game, but were finally able to convert as Audrey Rose Kachin scored off a through ball with 15 minutes left, giving Palisade life.
Windsor’s defense was out of sorts as the Bulldogs threatened to tie the game late, but the Wizards gained possession, stalled, and ran out the clock the last two minutes to secure a second round bid with a 2-1 survival.
Garcia and his players seemed more relieved than anything about winning the bizarre playoff opener.
“I think we could have played better, but I’m just glad we made it out in the end,” Zehr said. “We honestly just need to play as a team. That’s always been our problem is not staying consistent and not playing as a team. We have great individual players, but playing together, like working passes and playing up the field as a team, is what we struggle with.”
“It’s all about getting the win, however you get it,” Garcia noted.
Windsor, now 14-2 this season, will be making its third trip in four years to the round of 16, but have yet to advance to the quarterfinals during that stretch.
They have their hands full Saturday at 2 seeded Broomfield, 10-0 winners over Kennedy in the first round and last year’s state runner-up. The game will be held at 10 a.m.
“Playing Broomfield will be a different kind of animal,” Garcia said. “We’ll have to be very, very prepared to have a game, to make it a game. I think we’ll be ready.”
“I know they have four or five girls who are signed to play D-I somewhere,” Garcia added. “It’s kind of like a David vs. Goliath type match, but we play the game because anything can happen.
“We’ll have to be special that day to win. We’ll have to play defense like we’ve never played before. Everyone will have to play their assignment, their position and we’ll have to play with heart.”
Windsor already overcame one storm. The Wizards hope to work their magic and outlast another, the powerful Broomfield Eagles, on Saturday.