NIWOT — Mark Ramirez scored two goals as the 5th-seeded Niwot Cougars beat the 28th-seeded Skyview Wolverines 4-1 on Wednesday in the first round of the Class 4A boys soccer state tournament.
The Cougars got their first goal from Terin Tadewald on a blatant hand-ball by a Skyview defender that kept the ball out of the net on a corner kick. Ramirez scored the next two goals, and Justin Barkow added one in the second half.
Jose Martinez scored Skyline’s lone goal.
Niwot moves on to the second round where they’ll face the winner of Centaurus and Standley Lake.
D’Evelyn senior Sam Van Sickle, left, clear a ball away from Steamboat Springs junior Jackson Draper during the second half Wednesday at Lakewood Memorial Field. The No. 4 Jaguars took a 4-1 victory over the Sailors to advance to the second round of the Class 4A boys soccer state tournament. (Dennis Pleuss)
LAKEWOOD — The opening round of the Class 4A boys soccer state playoffs was an ideal time for D’Evelyn senior Andreas Johnson to score his first two goals of the season.
Johnson came off the bench to tally goals in the 27th and 40th minutes of the first half Wednesday night at Lakewood Memorial Field to help the No. 4 seed Jaguars to a 4-1 victory over No. 29 Steamboat Springs. The 4A Jeffco League championship moves into the second round where it will host No. 13 Fort Lupton back at Lakewood Memorial on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
Steamboat Springs senior Will Petersen (5) is able to get to the ball before D’Evelyn sophomore Wesley Tedstrom in the first half Wednesday in the playoff opener. (Dennis Pleuss)
“We talked beforehand that there was a player in that locker room that hasn’t done a lot for us all season that this was going to be his game,” D’Evelyn coach Paul Moline said. “Tonight was his (Johnson’s) game. He was great tonight.”
Junior Giovanni Franzese put D’Evelyn (14-2 record) on the board with a goal in the 14th minute. It was actually his first goal of the season too. Steamboat Springs (9-6-1) answered with a long shot from junior Charlie Beurskens that found the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 in the 22nd minute.
D’Evelyn’s leading goal scorer quickly gave the Jaguars the lead back a minute later. Sophomore Wesley Tedstrom scored in the 23rd minute to give D’Evelyn the lead for good.
Johnson’s back-to-back goals before halftime gave D’Evelyn the 3-goal cushion going into the second half.
“Today I felt a lot different then usual,” said Johnson, who deflected his individual efforts in the postseason win. “The real reason why we won was because it was a team effort. We kept our heads and didn’t get cocky. That was the important thing. We all contributed on the field.”
Steamboat Springs put some heavy pressure early in the second half, including four corner kicks in the first 10 minutes. D’Evelyn senior goalie Chris Linden came up with a big save on Steamboat Springs senior Sam Rossman in the 43rd minute.
“The second half we talked about our defensive responsibilities and being very secure there,” Moline said of the scoreless second half on both sides. “If we got some chances we’ll go, but we just have to be secure in the back. We were good enough.”
Johnson nearly picked up the hat trick, but his shot in the 76th minute was saved by Sailors’ goalie Jake Andersen.
“Right now I’m just glad we are still in this (state tournament),” Johnson said. “Steamboat Springs plays a very good game. I’m proud to take a win away from this one.”
D’Evelyn senior Dillon Reisinger (8) holds his ground as Steamboat Springs senior Hector Lopez advances the ball up the field during the second half Wednesday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss)
D’Evelyn’s diverse offensive attack could be a big asset going forward in the state tournament. A dozen different Jaguars have scored for D’Evelyn with Johnson and Franzese getting into the scoring action Wednesday.
“It will definitely help,” D’Evelyn senior Sam Van Sickle said of the Jaguars’ balanced scoring. “Teams don’t know who is going to score next.”
D’Evelyn was one of the hottest 4A teams in the state riding a 10-game winning streak on its way to winning the program’s first conference championship. However, the Jaguars dropped their regular-season finale 3-0 last week against Centaurus. The Warriors snagged the No. 12 seed for the state tournament.
No. 11 seed Evergreen was the only other Jeffco squad to receive a first-round home game. The Cougars took a 3-1 win over Denver West on Wednesday to move into the second round where they will travel to Sports Authority Field in Park to play No. 6 Ponderosa.
Golden, Standley Lake and Wheat Ridge all had to hit the road to begin their state tournament voyages. All three suffered losses to end their seasons.
Fort Lupton (12-2-2) moved into the second round with a 1-0 home victory over Battle Mountain on Wednesday night.
“It was be a great game,” Moline said of facing the Colorado 7 League champion next Tuesday. “Fort Lupton is going to be a strong team.”
D’Evelyn sophomore Wesley Tedstrom, left, looks upfield as Steamboat Springs senior Devin de Jong closes in during the first half Wednesday at Lakewood Memorial Field. Tedstrom scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season in the Jaguars’ 4-1 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
DENVER — Hearts were left on the field in a thrilling field hockey semifinal where the undefeated Colorado Academy topped an unyielding Denver East.
Colorado Academy, the top seed, scored with 30 seconds remaining in overtime to top No. 4 East 1-0 and return to the state championship game. The Mustangs are a two-time defending champion in the sport.
“All the credit to East,” said first-year CA coach Veronica Scott. “What a tough performance they gave.”
The first half was an equal battle of sprinting, defense, and many close penalty corners as both teams headed into the half scoreless. But it was Colorado Academy which took to the field with all the steam in the second half, holding possession for the majority of play.
“We didn’t wake up until later in the game,” Scott said.
Although they hammered shot after shot, East continued to hold off the No. 1 seed, sending the game into overtime.
It seemed the game would go on yet again as time dwindled in the 10-minute extra play period, but with just under 30 seconds, Colorado Academy colored the scoreboard with a breakaway. Senior forward Henley Hall’s placed the ball in teammate Julia Murphy’s stick, who finished the play.
“We just kept chipping away,” Scott said. “I told the girls that if they kept pressuring, the goal would come. That last play was the making of sheer determination.”
The last time the two met was in the early season in late August, where Colorado Academy won 4-1. Nearly two months later, it was not such an easy feat. Denver East gave the perpetually dominant opponent their hardest challenge of the season — if not the past three.
With the win, Colorado Academy extended its unbeaten streak to an impressive 51 games (49-0-2) dating to the 2012 season, including 40-straight wins. And moved to another state final.
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(3) Palmer Ridge 1, (2) Kent Denver 0
In the second semifinal game of the night, under the lights and cool temperatures, Palmer Ridge edged Kent Denver 1-0.
Freshman Liz Philips scored less than five minutes in to give Palmer an early lead. Shortly after, Kent answered with a goal — which was overturned moments later.
The always energetic Kent crowd kept spirits high well into the second half, when the Sun Devils had all the momentum. But a strong Palmer Ridge defense maintained the lead.
In the evening’s fashion, nobody was clearing the bleachers early. With just under 21 seconds left, Kent played a beautiful progression from a penalty corner, putting the ball in the net and sending the team into a cheer. Yet, the celebration was preemptive, as their second hopeful goal of the evening would be called a no-goal with a strike above 18 inches.
With one more penalty corner and the clock at zero, Palmer Ridge kept the ball out and captured the win.
“Kent has a very strong forward line,” said Palmer Ridge’s senior goalie Cheradyn Petit. “I credit my short corner defense. They always have my back.”
They will meet Colorado Academy at All-City Stadium at 5 p.m. on Saturday, a matchup against they are all too familiar with.
Last year in the semifinals, Palmer lost to Colorado Academy 7-2. The year before that, Colorado Academy took the championship 1-0.
“They are not unbeatable,” said Palmer Ridge coach Paul Lewis. “We have to finish our corners, we have to get our goals. We got a good look at East’s run against them. We just have to find a way to make it happen.”
Regis Jesuit senior Kyle Goodwin, who has won three consecutive Class 5A individual diving championships as part of the Raiders’ swim and dive team, has committed to Missouri.
“It was a tough decision, but we think he made a good choice,” Goodwin’s mother, Lisa, wrote in an email on Wednesday night.
Last spring, Goodwin’s mark of 559.25 points in the 1-meter event was the fifth-highest in state history. It set him up with a chance to be the first boy to win four diving titles in state history.
That followed championships as a sophomore (525.05 points) and a freshman (533.25).
Former St. Mary’s Academy diver Alexa Beckwith, herself a four-time diving champion, is a freshman at Missouri this fall.
Missouri finished 16th as team at the NCAA championships last season.
Cheraw junior Tristan Headrick entered his team’s Week 8 game against Cotopaxi with 24 receiving touchdowns. The state record is 25.
“We were aware of it, so we were going to try and get him touches,” Cheraw coach Brad Phillips said on Tuesday.
But with Cheraw, a 6-man program, leading 16-0 early in the second quarter, Cotopaxi had to forfeit the game when injuries meant they could no longer field a team. Headrick didn’t have a touchdown to that point, so he stayed at 24.
Fast forward to Monday, and the release of the Wild Card points. This season, 6-man football is using the formula to help in determining crossover games, which take place in Week 9 of the regular season. Sixteen teams move on to play, including the Nos. 1 and 2 teams from each conference, as well as six Wild Card spots.
Cheraw was No. 16 in that forumla, but Genoa-Hugo/Karval, No. 18 in the Wild Card points, was No. 2 in the Central League. It meant Cheraw got bumped. Their season over was over, and so was Headrick’s chance at a record.
“It’s too bad,” Phillips said. “But he had a good year.”
Headrick finished his season with 1,295 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. Perhaps most astonishingly, he only had 48 catches — meaning that every other reception he had, he scored.
Another thing to keep in mind: Heritage’s Shane Optiz set the record during the 2009 season, when his Eagles won the Class 4A championship. His mark came over 14 games. Headrick played seven games and one quarter.
In any case, Optiz will keep the record. At least until Headrick gets another shot at it next year.
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Lewis-Palmer volleyball’s national profile is rising
Just how good is this Lewis-Palmer volleyball team? The Rangers are ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps’ latest national poll. That’s astounding.
That the Rangers actually dropped a set is significant. It was only the second one they’ve lost the entire season. The other came in a 2-1 win over Valley (3A’s current No. 2 team) in a tournament in early September. They have now won 53 sets, and dropped two.
And it’s not as though the schedule has been weak. There are the wins over Chaparral and Valley, and well as sweeps of Cheyenne Mountain (at the time No. 2 in 4A), Rampart (at the time No. 1 in 5A) and Valor Christian (then No. 7 in 4A). L-P has played anyone and everyone willing to land on the schedule.
Should this dominance continue on through the state tournament, the question at that point may turn from one of a national perspective to historical. At this point, 1979 Evergreen team is widely regarded as the best in state history. In fact, they were inducted into CHSAA’s Hall of Fame last January. Recently, though, the 2011 Chaparral squad headed by Nicole Dalton was hailed as a challenger to the Evergreen squad.
That Chaparral team ended the season 31-0, ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps’ national poll, and went 93-6 in terms of sets. Spanning the 2010-12 seasons, the program had a 58-match winning streak.
Lewis-Palmer’s current winning streak sits at 25 matches. In terms of history, it may not yet match the multiyear runs of Evergreen and Chaparral. But, headed by national player of the year candidate Alexa Smith, the Rangers are having an incredibly special season.
Perhaps one of the best ever.
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Smoky Hill, Hinkley come together to make a memory
Here’s what high school sports are about: Last week, Smoky Hill and Hinkley lined up before kickoff to give a special needs student Blake Yaw a memory he won’t soon forget.
A four-year manager for the team, he lined up with Smoky’s offense, took a handoff and ran 40 yards for a touchdown through the Hinkley defense, who was in on the moment.
“The entire bench emptied to help celebrate Blake’s touchdown,” athletic director Preston Davis wrote in an email.
The full video:
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Short stuff
The state playoff brackets for five of the seven classes of football come out on Sunday. I’m very interested to see how 5A plays out. This is the first year of a new system which gives the seeding committee to move the qualifiers anywhere on the bracket. At this point, I think Grandview has the inside track at the No. 1 seed, assuming the Wolves beat Valor Christian on Friday. If Valor wins, I expect Ralston Valley to take the top seed — again, assuming a win against Mullen this week.
BoCoPreps had a powerful story on how Nederland football is dealing with a severe spinal cord injury to senior Miles Pancoast.
Eaglecrest’s Jordyn Poulter is on the same national volleyball player of the year watch list as Alexa Smith. It was produced by MaxPreps.
Ralston Valley’s super athlete Andrew Wingard committed to Wyoming to play football on Tuesday night.
Ridge View Academy, a 2A program, forfeit two football wins due to use of an ineligible player. Wins over Manual (Oct. 4) and Denver West (Oct. 11) were forfeit. And, actually, that forfeit win may have guaranteed Manual a playoff spot. Manual moved from No. 15 to No. 9 in the Wild Card points standings as a result.
There may be a change to CHSAA’s playoff structure coming down the road in the form of an expansion. The staff had some internal discussions last week about exploring the possibility. In essence, it would create true district/regional fields where every team would qualify and then have to play their way into the state tournament. It’s still an idea at this point.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Anything can happen in the midst of an intense rivalry game.
The No. 1-ranked Rampart Rams were forced to learn that lesson the hard way as they suffered their first league loss of the year, falling to rival, and No. 9, Pine Creek.
The Rams (16-3 overall, 5-1 5A Colorado Springs Metro League) were able to take the first set 25-13, but that was all the momentum he could muster as the Eagles (12-5, 6-0) rode the energy from the home crowd to sweep the remaining sets 25-23, 25-19, 26-24 to claim the Metro League title.
“I told my team to expect to play five (sets) because it was going to be a war,” Eagles coach Paul Waring said. “It was that way last year and it’s going to be that way forever as long as Pine Creek and Rampart are around.”
It appeared that the Rams were going to maintain the strong play they exhibited in the first set as they built a 12-7 lead early in set No. 2. But that’s when the Eagles went with a heavy dose of Alyssa Brinton who totaled five kills down the stretch to take that second set.
The rest of the match almost played out as a slugfest between Brinton and Rams hitter Janice Jin. Jin became the go-to hitter for the Rams to try and counter the offensive output from Brinton.
“(Brinton) is a good hitter and I think our blocking and defense had a hard time adjusting to her,” Rams coach Nikki Kinzer said. “We tried to work on it in practice but she had some shots that we haven’t seen yet, so kudos to her for figuring out how to take advantage of that against us.”
The ultimate downfall for the Rams came from a combination of unforced errors and struggling to get a side-out for long stretches. The Rams led the third set 10-7. but a 6-0 run for the Eagles gave them a quick three-point lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
“We just kept our composure the whole match,” Brinton said. “Rampart’s a very composed team as well so we just had to keep each other up.”
With their backs against the wall going into the fourth set, the Rams came out swinging. Early on, the two teams battled back and forth, trading points along the way. Of the Rams’ first 11 points, four came on kills from Jin, who continued to try and will her team to a win.
“Janice is quick — real quick,” Waring said. “She’s such a dynamic player and when she’s moving laterally across the net there’s so much to watch that if you’re a half-second behind, the ball is down.”
League play has concluded for both teams, although they will play more regular season games prior to diving into districts, regionals and the state tournament.
Thursday, the Eagles host Fruita Monument, then travel to Ponderosa for the Mustang Classic on Saturday.
The Rams will play in the Cheyenne Mountain Tournament on Friday and Saturday where they could see either Cheyenne Mountain or Lewis-Palmer again. Both team beat Rampart earlier in the year.
The Rams will use the loss to the Eagles and the tournament this weekend to overcome adversity and prepare for playoffs where they are expected to make a deep run.
“Tonight (Pine Creek) did a good job on defense figuring us out,” Kinzer said. “We’re going to see more of that as we get into the postseason so it’s something we need to work on.”
