Neff averaged 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists last season as the Wildcats went 15-10 and advanced to the second round of the Class 5A state tournament.
Neff becomes the third known local boys basketball player of the 2015 class to commit to a college. He will join Chaparral small forward Jake Holtzmann at DU. Overland point guard Austin Conway has also committed to Wyoming.
DU went 16-15 under coach Joe Scott last season. Next season, the Pioneers will have five local products on their roster, including 2014 Mountain Vista graduate Jake Pemberton.
The feat was led by individual champion and gymnast of the year Alyssa Carroll and top-ten finisher Savannah Carlson, who helped the Eagles to a team total of 179.28 points to claim Class 4A. It was Thompson Valley’s second state gymnastics title, and first since winning AAA in 1987.
Both Carroll and Carlson will return for their senior season this fall.
A trophy was not the only thing that was new to the Eagles last year. Carroll competed for her first time in three and a half years, after suffering a debilitating back injury. The comeback included four individual medals and a gold on floor on the last day of the state championships.
The Thompson Valley athletic department has made some big changes in the coaching staff across the board. A new boys lacrosse, boys and girls golf, and girls gymnastics coach will take the stage in late August.
Former gymnastics coach Jana Madere retired on a high note and left Jaia Sattler to fill her shoes. Sattler, a former assistant coach at Loveland, coached against her new squad in the past. But she has also worked with some of her future gymnasts at Windsor Gymnastics Academy.
“Sattler comes to Thompson highly recommended with an unparalleled excitement to coach,” Thompson Valley athletic director Ernie Derrera said.
Though winning is now fresh on the minds of players and parents, a repeat success after ending the drought from 1987 isn’t the priority for Sattler.
“I want to improve these girls,” said the 24-year-old Rocky Mountain graduate.
The Eagles will begin their season on August 21.
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Class 4A gymnastics
Defending individual champion: Alyssa Carroll, Thompson Valley
Overland celebrates its 5A gymnastics title last season. (Courtesy of Overland)
Overland gymnastics has had much success in the past five years, winning the state title every other year since 2009. With three championships over that span, Overland is a clear powerhouse in Colorado gymnastics and has the makeup to continue its streak.
The Trailblazers, who just barely outscored Broomfield 187.95 to 187.500 in winning the Class 5A title last season, return two all-state seniors, Devin Bundas and Kellyn Toole. Though they graduated two major contributing seniors, they also return seniors Maddie Venegas, McKenna Turhyne and Genesis Hathaway.
Bundas, who placed first in the floor exercise at state, missed her freshman and sophomore seasons due to injury. Her immediate success after such a hiatus leaves many hopeful for her senior season. Her teammate, Toole, finished right behind her in second place on the floor. The two could be a repeat duo again in the late October.
With four girls on each event, Overland will have a strong base for the season. And its main beam, coach Lisa Sparrow, returns for her 12th season with the Trailblazers.
“Last season’s success was made possible by a group of hardworking girls who were very focused heading into the state meet,” Sparrow said.
But despite the win, Sparrow isn’t completely satisfied with last year’s performance.
“We didn’t compete to our full potential at all our meets last season, even though we showed up one hundred percent to states,” Sparrow said. “Those were the aspects that were disappointing.
“This season we will have a different goal — compete to complete. We want to show up at every meet,” she added. “That will be a successful season in our eyes.”
Overland will put this goal to the test on August 21, when regular season begins.
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Class 5A gymnastics
Defending individual champion: Taylor Molliconi, Mountain Range
Resurrection Christian claimed last year’s Class 2A championship. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
Last year, the Resurrection Christian volleyball team was somewhat of an unknown quantity.
By season’s end, all of Class 2A knew just how good the Cougars were.
Resurrection Christian, which is located in Loveland, had a perfect season, posting a 29-0 record en route to capturing the first volleyball state championship in school history.
Now, the Cougars have reloaded for another run at state supremacy.
“I have very high expectations (for 2014),” veteran coach Caleb Howard said. “The girls are not mincing words. They want to win state again.”
Howard and his team has reason to be confident.
The Cougars return two first-team all-state players, outside hitter Preston Lienemann and setter Madison Webb — both seniors — and second-team all-state selection Abby Skipworth, a junior outside hitter.
“We are not going to sneak up on anybody this year,” Howard said. “We were a bit of underdog last year for sure. At the beginning of the summer I did worry some about fighting off apathy or simply resting on our laurels, but as the summer progressed I don’t have to worry about that anymore because of the competitive nature of these girls.”
Resurrection Christian defeated Lutheran (25-18, 25-19, 25-13) in the state title match a year ago, but Lutheran will not be a contender for the 2A crown this season as the school has moved up to 3A volleyball.
“Yuma was a young team last year and we expect them to be very good again this season,” Howard said. “Then, you have some teams that are always good like Fowler and Akron.”
The last time Resurrection Christian lost a match was in pool play during the 2012 state tournament.
“I loaded up the schedule this season with a couple of 4A teams and some 3A teams,” Howard said. “Our goal is to try and win every match, but we just want to be playing our best at the end of the season.”
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Class 2A volleyball
Defending champion: Resurrection Christian
Runner-up: Lutheran (moved up to 3A)
Returning All-State players: Jordan Baer, Akron, Sr. (1st); Preston Lienemann, Resurrection Christian, Sr. (1st); Tara Traphagan, Yuma, Jr. (1st); Madison Webb, Resurrection Christian, Sr. (1st); Bryna Burns, Sr., Rye (2nd); Taylor Carsten, Paonia, Jr. (2nd); Braya Hunt, Denver Christian, Jr. (2nd); Aly Ridings, Sr., Meeker (2nd); Leah Roberson, Sr., Swink (2nd); Abby Skipworth, Jr., Resurrection Christian (2nd);
Among the returning starters who received all-state recognition last fall are 5-foot-11 middle hitter Timmi Keisel, 5-foot-2 libero Megan Chintala and 5-foot-6 setter Rachel Frantz — all first-team selections — along with second-team all-state outside hitter Deborah Kurtzer. Keisel was the 1A player of the year.
“We’ve got some talent,” an understated Herbert said, “but our biggest key is how we work together. A lot still has to come together.”
Fleming lost only two games in winning pool play, the semifinals and the championship match to take last year’s state title.
“It takes a lot of chemistry,” Herbert said of the main ingredient of earning a state championship. He should know. Last year’s title victory was Fleming’s fourth in seven years.
Fleming is No. 1 in CHSAANow.com’s preseason poll. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
The road to a second straight state title will not be without its challenges. Of the eight teams qualifying for last year’s state tournament, only Dove Creek, which lost to Fleming in the title match, and Caliche were senior dominated. Caliche has since moved up to 2A.
Otis, a four-time state champion, graduated just one player. Idalia, which had no seniors on its state qualifying squad, could have perhaps the tallest team in 1A with 5-10 outside hitter Reagan Shaffer and 5-10 right-side hitter Stephanie Helling. The Bulldogs and Wolves should compete for supremacy in the YWKC League.
Sangre de Cristo, which qualified for last season’s 2A tournament, drops to and could be the team to get past in the Southern Peaks League. It also graduated just one player.
Look for 6-3 senior outside hitter Tanaia Hansen of Eads to be among the dominant forces on net. Kit Carson, another High Plains League power, is also expected to make a strong run toward a return state tournament appearance.
Another frequent state qualifier, Flager, will again be a force in the Lower Platte League.
Then there are teams such as Weldon Valley, which gave Fleming all it could handle in the district playoffs last November. The Warriors, which were a sophomore-dominated team, got better as the season progressed.
“1A’s going to be really tough,” said Herbert, who’s in his 11th season as the Wildcats’ head coach.
Fortunately for him, that starts with the defending state champs.
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Class 1A volleyball
Defending champion: Fleming
Runner-up: Caliche (moved up to 2A)
Returning All-State players: Megan Chintala, Fleming, Sr. (1st); Rachel Frantz, Fleming, Sr. (1st); Tanian Hansen, Eads, Sr. (1st); Timmi Keisel, Fleming, Sr. (1st); Kylee Kuntz, Otis, Jr. (1st); Antonya Schaffert, Otis, Jr. (1st); Hanna Herman, Fleming, Sr. (2nd); Aurelia Isenbart, Kit Carson, Sr. (2nd); Brooklyn Krehmeyer, Weldon Valley, Jr. (2nd); Deborah Kurtzer, Fleming, Sr. (2nd); Reagan Shaffer, Idalia, Jr. (2nd).
Kirk Price, coach of the hugely successful Cherry Creek boys tennis program, will retire after this season.
Cherry Creek athletic director Jason Wilkins confirmed Price’s decision on Wednesday.
“I’m sure he’ll still be around and offer input, but it’s one of those things where he’s been doing it so long that eventually you’re interested in doing something else,” Wilkins said.
Price, 68, started as an assistant and has been a coach 38 seasons, 24 as head coach. His teams won 22 state titles, including the past three since 2011. Among championships his teams has won are those in Class 6A, 5A and from when the sport was unclassified.
“It’s kind of ridiculous when you sit down and really think about it,” Wilkins said. “There’s a lot of parity now. There are 50-some 5A schools, and he pulls it off almost every year.”
As a no-cut program, Price’s teams typically have 140-160 kids taking part each year. It requires a lot of commitment.
“It’s a tremendous amount of time,” Wilkins said. “He was there at 8:30 this morning and he left at 6. He’s got kids playing challenge matches all day on all these different courts. And it’s not like he’s been doing it for one or two years; he’s been doing it for nearly 40.”
Price also coached swimming at Cherry Creek for 18 seasons, winning eight state championships and finishing runner-up five times, and was a math teacher at the school for 30 years.
“I’m sure a lot of people, when they come to Creek, are like, ‘Oh my god, there he is,’” Wilkins said. “Because he’s not a small person to begin with. And he’s not quiet. He has opinions. You know, he’s a coach. He’s not some guy sitting the corner not saying anything. He has a presence about him, as well, and obviously a reputation of years and years of success.
“When you really look at his resume, you’re probably going to be really hard-pressed to find someone that compares to him on the grand scale.”
Price was inducted into the Colorado High School Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 2004. Seven years later, he joined the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame. In addition, he’s served on national boards and rules committees.
“He’s a legend there,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens, who oversees tennis.
Added CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico, who administered tennis for 20 years: “The sport will miss him.”
Tara Hittle is the new volleyball coach at Valor Christian. (Brian Bonn/Valor Christian)
It wasn’t an easy change, but it was time.
Tara Hittle, who led Doherty to a state championship two seasons ago, is the new volleyball coach at Valor Christian.
“I’m really excited to be at Valor,” Hittle said Thursday. “And I loved Doherty. I loved everything about Doherty. It was just kind of time for me personally to make a change. I kind of wanted to get out of the Springs. I was pursuing other options, and it worked out with Valor and I was super excited to now have this opportunity.
“It’s always a challenge going into a new school. There’s always really high expectations.”
Hittle coached the Spartans for three seasons, where she had a mark of 67-15. It was a homecoming of sorts: Hittle herself was a standout at Doherty, and led the school to a championship in 2003.
She went on to play at the University of Hawaii, and later turned pro in Switzerland. In 2011, Hittle moved back to Colorado and got the Doherty job.
Hittle won a state championship at Doherty in 2012, and was also a standout player for the Spartans. (Brian Bonn/Valor Christian)
“I owe (Doherty athletic director) Chris Noll a huge thank you,” Hittle said. “I mean, he hired me just really on my playing experience and having really no coaching experience. He was an amazing boss, and I learned so much through the whole process of being at Doherty.
“I kept growing as a coach every year. That experience and learning, it’s something that can take you a lot further than you ever thought.”
Doherty went undefeated (29-0) in 2012 and captured the Class 5A crown. Last season, Hittle led the Spartans to a 21-6 record. They again reached the state tournament, but fell to eventual runner-up Arapahoe in pool play.
She resigned in January, and was hired by Valor Christian this summer.
“Going into this new program,” Hittle said, “I have so much more of a base of knowing who I am as a coach, knowing what kids needs are at the high school age, and knowing all the things that play into running a volleyball program.”
At Valor, Hittle takes over for Lars Nielsen, the only coach in the school’s history who was 87-52 in six seasons. Valor Christian made the 4A tournament each of the last three years, when the team went 57-24.
The Eagles lose 6-foot outside hitter Kate Gibson, who graduated and is now playing at Memphis. But back is 6-foot-2 Cassidy Wurth — who averaged 2.4 kills and 1.2 blocks per set last season — as well as Kyleigh McDaniel (2.3 kills and 2.4 digs per set) and Megan Moritz (1.0 kills per set). Libero Savannah Cressman (4.5 digs per set) also returns.
“Yeah, we’re not too shabby,” Hittle said. “We have some talent. We’ve also got a couple of kids that may have been on JV last year, and they’ve really developed.”
Valor Christian is ranked No. 9 in the preseason poll. For now, Hittle is focused on growth.
“I felt this way at Doherty, too: Anything I do, I want to do my very best,” Hittle said. “I want us to represent the school and represent the program in a really positive way.
“I can guarantee you I’ll be learning every step of the way, and I’ll still be growing, and my staff will be growing and we’ll be working things out on a daily basis.”
AURORA — Poudre School District will add girls lacrosse and ice hockey in the 2016-17 school year, according to an official declaration sent to the CHSAA office on Thursday.
The host school in both cases is still to be determined.
This is just the latest addition in hockey, which continues to grow. This season, Denver East will join the Peak Conference. Mountain Vista, Cherry Creek and Resurrection Christian have all added programs in recent years.
“We’re always excited to expand our sport, something that’s been happening over the last few years,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bud Ozzello, who oversees hockey.
Additionally, Coronado had been considering dropping it’s hockey program, but has decided to keep it.
The new girls lacrosse program will be the first addition in recent years. It will be the second team in Northern Colorado, joining Thompson Valley.
“It’s a positive for the sport to get some more representation in the Northern part of the state,” said assistant commissioner Harry Waterman, who administers lacrosse. “Hopefully it’ll give (Poudre’s district program and Thompson Valley) two years to start developing more players in each of their districts.”
More growth in girls lacrosse could be on the way.
“There’s signs of us gaining some more girls programs in the next cycle on top of this,” Waterman said.
Most of that attitude has to do with the fact that Colorado Academy graduated four all-state athletes from last year’s state championship squad — defender Clark Gebhart, forward J.J. Myers, midfielder Robert White and goalkeeper Jack Thomas are all gone.
It’s a new challenge that Bernstein, in his second year as head coach, has considered.
“My goal is to have the guys overcome some of the challenges of losing a handful of seniors this past year and see if we can surprise some people,” said Bernstein. “I wouldn’t say we’ve been written off but I think a lot of coaches and a lot of programs have maybe thought we’ve graduated some guys and maybe we won’t be a title contender this year.
“For us, we’re looking to just continue on the course we’ve set and make progress each game to try and position ourselves for a playoff run.”
Bernstein says that while he thinks expectations for Colorado Academy are down around the classification, his team is still committed to living up to the legacy of last season. To accomplish that, he breaks down the season into a set of smaller, more manageable goals.
“Obviously the goal is to win a state title, but with us we set smaller targets, little more realistic goals: Try to earn a top seed in the playoffs, try to focus on what we do during the day, in practice,” Bernstein said. “We really try to break the season into smaller parts.”
Bernstein believes he’ll have plenty of help keeping his team focused on the day-to-day grind from a new set of seniors that are ready to take on the leadership mantle.
“Last year we we’re fortunate to have a group of about nine or ten seniors that had played together since they were young kids and the leadership we had from that group was very strong,” said Bernstein. “So I think our junior class truly got a glimpse of what that senior leadership looks like.
Colorado Academy celebrates winning the 2013 championship in 3A. (Pam Wagner)
“We have a couple strong leaders in Ben Maffei and Noah Henry. We also have guys like Tyler Kelly and Alex Clinkscales, all of whom are going to be seniors. So that presents four strong seniors in itself. So I think we have the pieces in place to have strong leadership this year.”
Every team can point to senior leaders however; it’s talent on the pitch that’s just as — if not more — important. Bernstein thinks nobody puts more pressure on themselves than his players, and he believes this group has the potential to be better than ever.
“I really do think that the group of seniors coming up is stronger than ever in terms of their leadership ability as well as just strong soccer players,” Bernstein said. “It’s one thing to be a good leader, but to be able to be a good leader and an influential player on the field, that’s a pretty powerful thing.”
Air Academy finished runner-up a season ago in the 4A title game. (Pam Wagner)
Air Academy’s boys soccer team isn’t just a collection of friends uniting toward a shared goal.
The Kadets think of themselves as a family — in more ways than one. Austen Dewing and cousins David Louthan and James Sims are all seniors, and another cousin, John, graduated a year ago. It’s a tight-knit group, even among those not related, and that is a big reason why Air Academy advanced to the Class 4A state championship game last fall before falling 2-1 to rival Cheyenne Mountain.
“We’ve grown up playing together since I think we were 4. We know how to play with each other and we still love doing it,” Dewing said. “It makes us want to work that much harder for each other and the effort rubs off on other guys as well. They connect with it a little bit and it just makes the team chemistry amazing.”
After winning the 4A crown in 2010, the Kadets fell in the quarterfinals in 2011 and were eliminated in the first round the next season. Things turned around last year as the team dropped only two games — one to eventual 5A champion Pine Creek, the other to the Indians in the 4A championship.
“I think the players that returned last year really used that as an added inspiration,” Kadets coach Espen Hosoien said of the early exit in 2012. “We were full of hope.”
(Pam Wagner)
That mantra holds true again this fall. Hosoien is entering his 11th season and has a strong senior and junior class coming back. The defense is experienced and talented, with Sims serving as a captain as a junior, and goalkeeper Matt Pipan returns as well.
Dewing continued to evolve as a player last year, scoring 23 goals — tied for 12th overall in 4A — to also go along with a team-high 14 assists.
“It definitely helped that I grew a few inches and gained a few pounds. I was able to do a little more for my team,” he said. “But it’s not possible for me to get that without my teammates.”
Facing Pikes Peak rival Cheyenne Mountain for the state title wasn’t an ideal situation, given that the two teams had already played earlier in the season. Players from both teams compete together during the club season, so while Dewing said the loss wasn’t personal, it did motivate the Kadets to work harder and be that much better this fall.
The excitement to get 2014 underway is palpable, but Hosoien understands that his team is guaranteed nothing coming into the season.
“It’s going to take some leadership from some of the returning players,” he said of keys to success. “I feel like we have a pretty good grasp of keeping these guys hungry and ready to go, and realizing hey, people are going to be gunning for us.
“With the athletes we have, I think we’ll be able to manage that pretty well.”
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Class 4A boys soccer
Defending champion: Cheyenne Mountain
Runner-up: Air Academy
Returning All-State players: Brendan Clark, Jr., Valor Christian (2nd); Austin Dewing, Sr., Pine Creek (1st); Griffin Dorsey, Soph., Evergreen (1st); D’Angelo Escobar, Sr., Skyview (1st); Nate Flack, Sr., D’Evelyn (2nd); Cameron Guzman, Sr., Silver Creek (1st); Porter Milner, Soph., Broomfield (1st); Eric Spangler, Jr., Centaurus (2nd); Cruz Valdez, Sr., Skyline (2nd).
Regular Season begins: Aug. 21
Playoffs begin: Oct. 22
Championship: Nov. 8 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
