Month: August 2014

Arvada West softball swings past Standley Lake

Arvada West sophomore Brittany Phillips was locked in Saturday morning at Standley Lake High School. Phillips picked up the victory on the mound and also drove in three runs during the Wildcats’ 16-4 victory against the Gators. (Dennis Pleuss)

WESTMINSTER — Arvada West sophomore Brittany Phillips was all business on the softball field Saturday morning as the Wildcats took on area rival Standley Lake.

Still, Phillips was able to breakaway from her focused look and flash a quick smile after a game-ending double play wrapped up a 16-4 victory for the Wildcats in five innings. Phillips picked up her first win on the mound this season pitching a complete game. She gave up four runs off six hits on the Gators’ home field.

“I try to get her (Phillips) to smile every once in awhile, but I know she is more focused when she is locked in like that,” A-West coach Brenna Millikan said. “I just let her do her thing. I like her intensity.”

Arvada West pitcher Brittany Phillips fires toward home plate during the Wildcats’ 16-4 victory Saturday against former Class 5A Jeffco League rival Standley Lake. (Dennis Pleuss)

Phillips had a rough first two outing on the hill this season. She gave up 11 runs in a 12-0 loss to Broomfield in the Wildcats’ season opener and surrendered another three runs in less than an inning pitched against Chaparral on Wednesday in an 18-8 loss.

The sophomore looked solid against A-West’s former Class 5A Jeffco rival. She also had a big day at the plate going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run home run in the Wildcats’ 10-run fourth inning.

“That felt really good,” Phillips said of her blast that cleared the fence in centerfield. “I just saw the ball really well today.”

A five-run top of the first inning gave A-West a nice lead early. The Wildcats pilled on the runs in the top of the fourth inning with the first 11 batters in the inning reaching safely. Sophomore Delaney Fletcher had a two-run double in the inning and the Wildcats took advantage of four walks in the frame.

A-West finished the game with 15 hits while batting around in both the first and fourth innings.

“I think we had a good focus at the plate today,” Millikan said. “We were having good quality at-bats, seeing good pitches and driving in those runs when we needed to.”

Freshman Morgan Clausen had a great game at the plate going 3-for-5 with a trio of RBIs for the Wildcats (2-2 record). It was the second win in less than 24 hours. A-West took a 12-7 victory against Grand Junction on Friday.

“We are a really young team, but we are all really focused and want to win,” Phillips said of the Wildcats that have just two seniors this season.

Standley Lake (0-3) has faced a brutal early schedule facing a pair of teams ranked in the CHSAANow.com 5A softball preseason poll. No. 6 Dakota Ridge and No. 1 Legacy both defeated the Gators earlier this week.

A drop in enrollment at Standley Lake pushed the Gators into the 4A Jeffco League this season, but longtime coach Carrie Ott fully expects her team to learn from playing stiff competition.

“To keep fighting and if you want to win at the end of the season you’ve got to play tough during the season,” Ott said about what the early losses will teach her squad. “I intentionally schedule hard (teams) and I’ll never back off from that.”

Despite trailing 16-1 going to the bottom of the fourth inning Saturday, the Gators put together a nice three-run inning highlighted by an RBI double by senior Siara McCain off the bench.

“We have to keep working hard as we move forward,” Ott said. “We want to peak at the end of the season.”

Arvada West freshman Morgan Clausen (12) slides safely into home before Standley Lake junior Hannah Rose can put down a tag during the first inning Saturday at Standley Lake High School. (Dennis Pleuss)

August 23, 2014
Photos: Elizabeth scores 21-straight points to beat Sterling in football

ELIZABETH — They gave up a touchdown on the opening drive, but that was it. The Elizabeth Cardinals scored 21 unanswered points in beating Sterling 21-7 on Friday night.

August 23, 2014
Photos: No. 6 Dakota Ridge softball moves to 3-0

HIGHLANDS RANCH — Sixth-ranked Dakota Ridge improved to 3-0 with a 15-10 win over No. 9 Rock Canyon on Saturday morning. Rock Canyon drops to 0-2.

Twelve of the Eagles runs cam in the second and third innings.

August 23, 2014
Photos: No. 4 Mullen softball beats Regis Jesuit

DENVER — Mullen, ranked No. 4 in CHSAANow.com’s preseason softball poll in 4A, beat Regis Jesuit 10-0 in six innings on Saturday.

August 23, 2014
State hockey semifinals, championship moving to Loveland

Budweiser Events Center. (Courtesy photo)

Hockey’s semifinals and championship game have a new home for the next two seasons: The Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.

Home to the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles and the Indoor Football League’s Colorado Ice, the Events Center has a capacity of 5,289. It also hosts the Class 1A boys and girls state basketball tournaments.

The agreement, finalized on Friday, runs for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Budweiser Events Center,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bud Ozzello, who administers hockey. “We had the opportunity to visit, and they welcomed us with open arms and want to be venue for our state championship. They are extremely excited. Not only do they host 1A basketball, they’ll play host to hockey for the next two years.”

A new championship site was needed when it became clear that the Denver Coliseum had date conflicts for the coming season. The Coliseum hosted the semifinals and championship game last season. Prior to that, the games were at the University of Denver for two years, and also spent one season at the Pepsi Center. The World Arena in Colorado Springs has also hosted in the past.

Following a search, the Budweiser Events Center presented the best option for the coming seasons.

This season, the semifinals will move to a Thursday — March 5, 2015. Games will be at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The championship game, per usual, will be on a Saturday (March 7), with the game at 2 p.m.

In 2016, the semifinals will shift back to a Friday (March 4). Again those games are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. That championship game will also be on a Saturday (March 5), though that time has not yet been set.

Ralston Valley won last year’s championship over Monarch.

August 22, 2014
No. 2 Wheat Ridge rallies in softball to edge Chatfield in extras

Wheat Ridge senior Analece Apodaca (16) approaches home plate after belting a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday against Chatfield. (Dennis Pleuss)

WHEAT RIDGE — A flair for the dramatic has made a pair of early appearances for the defending Class 4A state softball championship.

“It was crazy,” Wheat Ridge senior Analece Apodaca said of the Farmers’ second straight walk-off victory this season. “We believe with one heartbeat we’ll get there. We never stop believing.”

Wheat Ridge, ranked No. 2 in CHSAANow.com’s preseason poll, needed a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday on it home field to tie 5A Jeffco’s Chatfield at 8-8. For the second straight game junior Ann Marie Torres delivered a walk-off hit to give the Farmers (2-0) a theatrical 9-8 victory.

“We are real lucky to get out of this one,” Wheat Ridge coach Marty Stricklett said. “Chatfield is a good ball club over there and they played us well today. We answered the bell in the end.”

Chatfield sophomore Natalie Gaber (24) slides into second base before Wheat Ridge senior Analece Apodaca, left, can put down a tag Thursday afternoon. (Dennis Pleuss)

Torres ripped a double to gap in right-center field in the bottom of the eighth inning that scored senior Jacquelyn Miller from first base. Miller, who opened the inning with a bunt single, was mobbed by teammates after scoring to end the game.

Torres belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday to beat Chaparral 3-2 in Wheat Ridge’s season opener.

Wheat Ridge needed several players to step up to send Thursday’s game into extra innings. Apodaca belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to trim Chatfield’s lead to 8-6. Senior Mary Sand drove in junior Christian Nelson with a single later in the inning to make it a one-run game. With two outs, sophomore Gabby Loya hit a two-out single to drive in Sand to tie the game.

“(Players) were talking in the seventh inning about finding one heartbeat,” Stricklett said. “I told the other coaches that we needed to find team comradery. They found it there in the seventh.”

Senior Erin Dalton also put a smile on her coach’s face. After having Torres and sophomore Riley Scott pitch during the first four innings, Stricklett put Dalton on the hill with one out in the fifth inning. Dalton gave up a RBI double to the first batter she faced — Chatfield freshman Ali Van Gulick — that put the Chargers (1-2) up 8-4. However, Dalton retired 11 of 13 batters to finish the game and get the win.

“I’m working for my team,” said Dalton, who had a 3-0 pitching record last season. “They needed me there (pitching) today. I stepped in and did what I could.”

Chatfield junior Jessica Jarecki throws to the plate Thursday in a non-league game against defending Class 4A state champion Wheat Ridge. Jarecki had a remarkable game at the plate with a pair of home runs while driving in six of the Chargers’ eight runs in the 9-8 loss in extra innings. (Dennis Pleuss)

Chatfield junior Jessica Jarecki took the loss on the mound. She deserved a much better fate after pitching a complete-game and having her biggest offensive game of her prep career. Jarecki was 2-for-3 from the plate with a pair of home runs and six RBIs.

Jarecki was really only touched up in the Farmers’ potent offense with the four-run third and seventh innings.

“Wheat Ridge is a great hitting team. I definitely was feeling the pressure,” Jarecki said about pitching in the seventh inning with a four-run lead. “We’ll look at the positives from this. We’ll learn from it.”

Chatfield hits the road against Mountain Vista next week on Aug. 28 before taking part in the Erie Festival of Champions. The Farmers will also be in Erie for the tournament (Aug. 29 and 30) that features some of the top teams in Colorado and a few powerhouses from Oklahoma.

Wheat Ridge’s next game will be perhaps the most anticipated non-league game this softball season pitting the defending 5A and 4A state champions. The Farmers travel to Legacy High School on Tuesday, Aug. 26, to face the defending 5A state champion Lightning. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

“We are excited for it,” Dalton said of the game against Legacy. “Every team we play is new competition.”

Wheat Ridge senior Jacquelyn Miller (9) is mobbed by teammates after she scored the game-winning run Thursday at Pennington Field in Wheat Ridge. The Farmers trailed Chatfield 8-4 going to the seventh inning, but rallied for a 9-8 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

August 22, 2014
Wheat Ridge football rolls in Dan Reardon’s first game as coach

New Wheat Ridge football coach Dan Reardon. (Ty Renck)

PUEBLO — Even if Dan Reardon wrote the script himself, it couldn’t have gone much better.

In his coaching debut for Wheat Ridge’s football team, his squad was dominating in all phases, cruising to a 42-0 win over Class 3A Pueblo Central Thursday night at Dutch Clark Stadium.

“I think our kids have done a great job this offseason and we really challenged them to raise the standard,” said Reardon, whose team plays at the Class 4A level. “We worked very, very hard this offseason and this summer and I’m real proud of them because they deserved to play well (Thursday night).”

Reardon spent the past two seasons as Poudre High School’s football coach, compiling a 5-14 record. Prior to arriving at Poudre, Reardon coached at Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio from 2004-2012 where he won three state championships.

Any butterflies Reardon may have had Thursday vanished immediately.

On its first offensive play, at their own 2-yard line, Farmers’ quarterback Nicco Young lofted a pass to running back Jordan Jones who split out wide and was left uncovered down the right side of the field. Jones sped untouched for the score at the 9:18 mark of the first quarter.

“We told the kids back in February that was going to be the first play of the season and it just worked out,” said Reardon, who also served as a graduate assistant at Youngstown State University from 1994-1996. “A couple of the coaches asked if that’s still what I wanted to do because we were that deep, and I thought it was a perfect situation to do it because they thought we were going to be conservative there.”

Wheat Ridge running back Jordan Jones. (Ty Renck)

That was a sign of things to come.

By halftime, the Farmers held a decisive 35-0 advantage, thanks in large part to Jones. He had 130 yards rushing, 115 yards receiving and a 67-yard punt return — and three touchdowns, one on a 70-yard run, and another on a 34-yard scamper.

“I was pretty nervous at first,” said the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Jones, a senior about starting the season with Reardon as the coach. “He obviously knows what he’s doing and he’s a good coach. On the first play, I went out there to block and no one blocked me and I went and the ball was there. It was a good team play. Coach (Reardon) told us we needed to come out strong and we did.”

Reardon replaced Reid Kahl who led the Farmers to two state championships in 2006 and 2008 in his eight seasons. Kahl was placed on leave because of a personnel issue last Oct. 28 according to Jeffco Public Schools and then he was relieved of his coaching duties.

“We did lose our old coach, but I feel like we have a good attitude,” Jones said. “These coaches are good and they know what they are doing. We are just here to win.”

Young, a junior, concurred with his teammate.

“He (Reardon) is a good coach and he knows what he’s doing,” Young said. “Obviously, we got the win, but there are tons of things we can work on and improve on.”

The Farmers’ defense also was stout in the first 24 minutes, limiting Central to 106 yards of offense while getting one interception and a fumble, both which led to Wheat Ridge scores. The second half was more of the same as Central failed to score.

Dylan Synko made a nifty catch in the end zone when the ball deflected off a Central defender pushing the Wheat Ridge advantage to 42-0 and also starting the running clock with 4:08 left in the third quarter.

“We do not have a large team as far as numbers go, but I think our kids work very, very hard and I think we have a lot of the right pieces to be successful,” Reardon said. “It’s a process, and we have to improve every game, and every week.”

August 22, 2014

Replay: Football season begins in Zero Week

MONTROSE — Football’s opening weekend continues with select games across the state on Friday.

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The live event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday from Montrose.
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Live games
Class	Game	Time	Notes
5A-4A	Grand Junction at Montrose	6 p.m.	Audio
2A-3A	Moffat County at Rifle	6:30 p.m.	Audio
8-man	Sargent at Springfield	6:40 p.m.	Audio
3A	The Classical Academy at Delta	6:45 p.m.	Audio
1A	Ignacio at Hotchkiss	6:45 p.m.	Audio
5A	Valor Christian at Bonneville (Id.)	7 p.m.	Video
5A	Columbine vs. Fountain-Fort Carson	7 p.m.	Video
8-man	Haxtun vs. Las Animas	7 p.m.	Audio

August 22, 2014

400 students and staff from Englewood complete Ice Bucket Challenge

Englewood has more than 400 students and staff participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Friday. (Harry Waterman/CHSAANow.com)

ENGLEWOOD — More than 400 students and staff from Englewood High School participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Friday after they were challenged by athletic director Paul Evans:

After dumping the buckets of ice over their heads, the school turned around and challenged other Colorado schools to top their effort.

When Evans initially issued the challenge last week, the plan was to have at least 200 students and staff participate. Friday, more than 400 turned out to the school’s football field. They raised $1,400 for the fight against ALS.

“Not only is this a worthy cause, but it is also helping us build community within our school,” Evans wrote in an email. “Additionally, it’s a fantastic demonstration of the power of our youth.”

CHSAA staff completed the Ice Bucket Challenge earlier this week.

August 22, 2014
Photos: Broomfield volleyball sweeps Pomona

BROOMFIELD — The Broomfield Eagles volleyball team won Thursday’s home non-conference match against Pomona by a score of 3-0 (25-17, 25-20 and 25-19).

August 22, 2014