AURORA â The state softball championships wrapped up on Saturday.
Champions:
[divider]
Month: October 2014
-
5A boys soccer state tournament bracket
The 2014 state tournament bracket for Class 5A boys soccer is below.
This year’s tournament runs Oct. 23-Nov. 8. Tickets can be bought online.
-
4A boys soccer state tournament bracket
The 2014 state tournament bracket for Class 4A boys soccer is below.
This year’s tournament runs Oct. 22-Nov. 8. Tickets can be bought online.
-
3A boys soccer state tournament bracket
The 2014 state tournament bracket for Class 3A boys soccer is below.
This year’s tournament runs Oct. 24-Nov. 8. Tickets can be bought online.
-
Cherry Creek football hands Valor Christian first in-state loss since 2012
Oct. 24, 2012 was the last time that any team from the state of Colorado defeated the Valor Christian Eagles.
Friday night, No. 9 Cherry Creek, coached by Dave Logan, ended that trend as the Bruins (5-3 overall, 3-1 5A Centennial League) topped top-ranked Valor (6-2, 3-1) 33-17 in a hard-fought battle.
It was the first time the Eagles had lost to an in-state team in 28 games, dating back to that 2012 season in a 14-13 loss to Mullen.
The Bruins were trailing 17-7 at half, but a slew of halftime adjustments slowed down the Eagles’ offense and allowed them to pull ahead for the upset victory.
“I’m really happy with our kids’ effort,” Logan said. “I thought we played them as well as we could possibly play them and I’m really proud.”
The Bruins were able to utilize the emotion of the home crowd and contain the Valor offense to a three-and-out in their first series.
More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com) With the ball in their hands for the first time, Cherry Creek went with a healthy dose of running back Milo Hall, who carried the ball six times for 35 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run.
“We just had to believe in ourselves, we knew it was going to be a physical and dirty game,” said Hall, who finished with 194 yards. “(Valor) was a great team on offense and defense so we knew we had to be physical.”
After getting settled in, quarterback Dylan McCaffrey and the Eagles’ offense began to work their way down field. The youngest of Ed’s boys was able to find Nebraska commit Eric Lee Jr. for a 56-yard gain, putting Valor deep in Bruins territory.
But the Cherry Creek defense held their ground, only yielding a field goal. Not satisfied trailing 7-3, the Eagles’ defense forced a three-and-out, putting the ball back in McCaffrey’s hands.
He found Lee Jr. streaking down the sideline once again, but this time they connected for a 52-yard touchdown pass, putting the Eagles up for the first time of the night with a 10-7 lead.
Cherry Creek would stall out on offense again and the Eagles would once again take advantage. This time McCaffrey went to Ben Waters for a 37-yard completion that got his team to the Cherry Creek 10-yard line. Two plays later, McCaffrey found Waters again, this time in the end zone for the touchdown and a 17-7.
“We were able to hang in there, but we were disappointed right before halftime with a 17-play drive that didn’t result in any points,” Logan said. “We were a little demoralized at halftime, but we committed to play 48 minutes and we had to go back at them.”
The Eagles took the 10-point lead into halftime and at that point, the game got interesting. A botched snap on the first drive of the third quarter put the ball back in the Eagles’ hands. Two plays later a tipped McCaffrey pass landed in the hands of Bruins defensive back Santino Marchiol. Cherry Creek got down the field and running back D.J. Luke found the end zone to make it a 17-13 game.
The Creek defense stood tall once again, forcing the Eagles to punt the ball after only three offensive plays. A 35-yard run by Hall brought Cherry Creek back into the redzone where quarterback Joe Caplis scored the go-ahead touchdown with a quarterback sneak.
With the back in his hands, McCaffrey still had trouble moving his offense down the field. The Eagles got within field goal range but Jarred Kendziorski missed the 42-yarder to give the ball back in Cherry Creek’s possession.
“We just had trouble getting going, all of us I’d say,” McCaffrey said. “We just wanted to find that spark we had in the first half of the game and sometimes it doesn’t come.”
D.J. Luke would add another touchdown to increase the lead to 27-17 and on the final play of the game Zach Grado intercepted McCaffrey and took it to the end zone to make the final score 33-17.
Creek is now in position to end the year in a three-way tie a top the Centennial League if the Eagles can beat Grandview next week.
But in order for that to happen, the Eagles need to learn from this loss and move forward as a team.
“Character is built through the storm,” Valor coach Rod Sherman said. “We still believe we can conrtol our own destiny. As a coach if you don’t embrace these opportunities, you probably shouldn’t coach.”
More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com) -
Football roundup: Fairview holds off Fossil Ridge’s upset bid
Fairview’s defense stuffed Fossil Ridge’s late two-point conversion attempt to preserve a 42-40 win in Fort Collins, and keep the No. 5 Knights (8-0) unbeaten this season.
Senior quarterback Johnny Feauto had another stellar night, including a few of his characteristic creative scores. Feauto finished with three touchdowns, including two passing scores, but did get a scare late when he took a hit and had to miss a few plays while having his knee attended to.
Feauto returned to finish out the win, and indicated afterward that he should be fine.
Fairview, meanwhile, had built a 42-28 lead after three quarters. But Fossil Ridge kept fighting. The SaberCats got a touchdown pass from Mitchell Salmela to Josh Visee, and eventually cut it to 42-40 with 41 seconds to play. Andrew Spraberry then took a handoff up the middle, but a number of Knights were there to meet him.
The ensuing onside kick failed, and Fairview ran out the clock to win.
Spraberry finished with three touchdowns, and 173 yards according to the Fort Collins Coloradoan. Feauto had 445 yards of total offense, according to the paper.
[divider]
5A: Eaglecrest 23, Cherokee Trail 17
This Centennial League is no joke.
Darian Turner scored what proved to be the winning touchdown on a four-yard run with 6:12 to play as Eaglecrest topped Cherokee Trail 23-18 on Friday night in Class 5A.
Turner had set up the play with a 44-yard reception on a screen. He then recovered a game-sealing fumble deep in Eaglecrest’s territory with less than a minute to play.
Though it was back-and-forth for much of the early going, Eaglecrest was able to build a 17-9 lead at halftime. Cherokee Trail chipped away with a field goal in the third quarter, then took an 18-7 lead with 11:25 remaining in the game.
That set the stage for Turner’s score, and Eaglecrest’s answer.
[divider]
5A: (6) Regis Jesuit 35, (7) Mountain Vista 7
More photos. (Mark Adams/CHSAANow.com) Alex Barnes rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns as the Raiders cruised to a win in this top-10 showdown.
Regis quarterback Matt Houghtaling threw for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 33 yards.
The Raiders led 28-0 at halftime, and cruised to a win in this top-10 showdown.
[divider]
6-man: (6) Walsh 76, (5) Kit Carson 52
The two teams combined for 128 points, with Walsh coming out on top.
“It was kind of an introduction to 6-man football, wasn’t it?” coach Ronny Tate told Colorado Preps’ Scoreboard Show. “They were pretty tough. That wide-open thing, that makes a coach pull his hair out.”
[divider]
5A: Prairie View 42, Denver East 38
Ben Meraz scored the winning touchdown with 39 seconds to play as the Thunderhawks moved to 7-1 this season.
“That last drive, our O-line came up big,” Prairie View coach Todd Riccio told the Scoreboard Show. “We had to drive 80 yards. There were two minutes left on the clock when we got the ball back.”
It was a back-and-forth game, with Denver East rallying from down 28-16 early in the third quarter to take a 30-28 lead in the fourth. The Angels were clinging to a 38-35 lead prior to Meraz’s score.
“I’m still catching my breath from it,” Riccio said. “It was a shootout, and it was fun to be a part of.”
[divider]
3A: Northridge 37, Mead 31
Mead led 33-24 late into the fourth quarter before Northridge scored 14 points within a span of 15 seconds to steal a win.
Northridge got a pick-six with 2:24 remaining. On the ensuring kickoff, Northridge recovered a fumble. The Grizzlies scored on the next play, with 2:09 remaining. They held on to win.
“We were lucky tonight. We didn’t deserve to win,” Northridge coach Jeff Fulton told the Scoreboard Show. “Mead dominated most facets of the game. … We snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat.
“We’re going to wake up in the morning and feel pretty good,” he added later. “But we were very fortunate. Our kids just never died. They never gave up.”
[divider]
Notables
- In 8-man, No. 2 Caliche beat No. 3 Akron 49-24.
- No. 2 Buena Vista beat No. 8 Rye 40-14 in 1A. “We got a couple of turnovers and kind of changed the momentum,” Buena Vista coach Matt Flavin told the Scoreboard Show. “It was a dog-fight there in the beginning, and when that momentum changed over, it definitely helped us out.”
- Pine Creek appears to be rolling. 4A’s No. 1 team (and defending champion) is now 8-0, with consecutive shutouts under its belt. Last week, it was a 47-0 decision over Liberty. This week, it was 56-0 at Durango.
- Crowley County knocked off 1A No. 10 Limon, 25-0. “I thought our ‘D’ did a good job getting to the ball … and making big stops when they had to,” Crowley County coach Brandon Roe told the Scoreboard Show.
- St. Mary’s upset 2A No. 7 Florence, 42-19.
- Eagle Valley upset 3A No. 6 Delta, 18-7.
- 6-man’s Genoa-Hugo/Karval went winless last season (0-8), but is now 4-4 following a 49-13 win over South Park on Friday.
- Worth noting from Thursday night: Palmer Ridge and Air Academy combined for 142 points.
- With Valor Christian’s in-state winning streak stopped at 28, we looked up the longest current streaks. In order: 8-man’s Dayspring Christian (20), Pine Creek (19) and 1A’s Paonia (18). All three won titles last season.
[divider]
Other coverage
-
Photos: Barnes leads the ways as Regis Jesuit football beats Mountain Vista
AURORA — Alex Barnes rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns as No. 6 Regis Jesuit cruised to a 35-7 win over No. 7 Mountain Vista.
Regis quarterback Matt Houghtaling threw for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 33 yards.
-
No. 4 Ralston Valley’s fourth-quarter TD edges No. 3 Pomona in 5A football
Ralston Valley seniors Andrew Wingard (28) and Collin Root (9) celebrate the Mustangs’ 22-15 victory Friday night over Pomona at the North Area Athletic Complex. Wingard had 18 carries for 138 yards to help lead Ralston Valley to victory. (Dennis Pleuss) ARVADA — There was no panic in the fourth quarter Friday night by Ralston Valley’s football team.
After leading the entire game against cross-town rival Pomona, ranked No. 3 in this week’s CHSAANow.com Class 5A football poll, the No. 4 Mustangs suddenly found themselves down 15-14 with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter when Pomona freshman Max Borghi kicked a 22-yard field goal.
In front of one of the biggest crowd at the North Area Athletic Complex’s 15-year history, Ralston Valley responded by marching down the field for an 11-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off with a 14-yard touchdown run by junior Kyle Rush.
“The crowd on both sides. It was a terrific football game. It’s always tight,” said Ralston Valley coach Matt Loyd, who had a 4-2 record against Pomona since the Mustangs moved up to 5A. “Both of us are definitely two of the top teams in the state. There is no doubt about it.”
Ralston Valley junior Kyle Rush, middle, weaves his way past Pomona defenders Peyton Hayes (6) and Isaac Marquez (27) on his way to a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter Friday night at NAAC. Rush had two scores, including the eventual game-winning touchdown run. (Dennis Pleuss) A two-point conversion run by senior Andrew Wingard after Rush’s touchdown made the score 22-15 and the Mustangs held on to stay undefeated and pretty much win the 5A Jeffco League title.
“Nothing was said,” Wingard said about when the Mustangs’ game-winning drive. “Coach Loyd told us that the game would come down to the end and we just needed to do our stuff.”
Wingard (18 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown) and Rush (14 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns) shouldered the load on the final drive with some help from senior Anthony Falbo. The bruising fullback had four carries for 22 yards, including a key 9-yard run on a fourth-and-one in Ralston Valley territory.
“We just needed not to make a mistake,” Loyd said. “We knew we could move the football. It showed good resiliency to come back and fight there.”
Rush’s second touchdown run of the night came with 4:46 left in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like the entire team knew the situation. It was now or never,” Rush said. “We had to get it done. We punched it in. It was awesome.”
Pomona was able to drive down to Ralston Valley’s 21-yard line in the final minute thanks to a couple of key pass plays from quarterback Justin Roberts to senior Isaac Marquez. However, Roberts’ fourth-down pass with less than 20 seconds to play sailed into the back of the end zone and Ralston Valley took over on downs.
“It was a great game,” Pomona coach Jay Madden admitted. “We just didn’t make enough plays and made too many mistakes in the first half that put us in a hole, but we’ll come back.”
Pomona fell behind 14-0 midway through the second quarter. Marquez had his first of two 1-yard touchdown runs late in the second quarter to get the Panthers on the scoreboard. Marquez also had 10 receptions for 98 yards for Pomona.
Pomona senior Isaac Marquez cuts up field during the second quarter Friday night against Ralston Valley. Marquez scored a pair of touchdown for the Panthers, but it wasn’t enough as the Mustangs took a 22-15 victory. (Dennis Pleuss) The Panthers scored 15 straight points to take the lead before Ralston Valley was able to put in their only score of the second half. Pomona freshman running back Max Borghi was impressive again filling in for sophomore Cameron Gonzales, who sat out his third straight game with an ankle injury.
Borghi had 17 carries for 108 yards.
Pomona (6-2, 5-1 in league) has its final tune-up prior to the start of the 32-team 5A state tournament at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at NAAC against Chatfield.
Ralston Valley concludes its regular season against Mullen at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, at NAAC.
“This is a huge win,” Rush said of beating Pomona. “We try not to look forward to opponents, but winning tonight was important for all the players and coaches.”
The Mustangs (8-0, 6-0) have a chance now to go undefeated in the regular season and run the table in the tough Jeffco conference.
“It’s surreal. I never thought we would be undefeated,” Wingard said. “This team has proven me wrong. I’ve proven myself wrong. Being undefeated is a great thing.”
Pomona senior Isaac Marquez, left, is upended by Ralston Valley junior Gregg Castanuela in the first quarter Friday night at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss) -
State softball roundup: 5A tourney up for grabs after upsets
Castle View took a 11-1 victory over Pine Creek in five innings against Pine Creek to open its Class 5A state tournament run Friday at Aurora Sports Park. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss) AURORA — One thing is for sure when the winning team hoists the Class 5A state softball trophy Saturday at Aurora Sports Park.
It will be a first for somebody.
None of the four teams remaining have ever won a state softball champions in the program’s history. Top-seed Fossil Ridge and No. 4 Castle View square off in one semifinal. No. 6 Grandview and No. 7 Broomfield face each other in the other semifinal at 10 a.m. Saturday at Aurora Sports Park.
The winners are schedule to play in the title game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. See the full bracket here.
“That No. 1 seed doesn’t scare me,” Castle View coach Caley Mitchell said after her squad advanced into the semifinals with a 1-0 victory against Eaglecrest late Friday afternoon. “It’s going to be Sabercat versus Sabercat.”
Castle View moved on thanks largely because of its senior Savannah Heebner. The 6-foot pitcher allowed just two hits in the Sabercats’ 11-1 victory in the opening round Friday morning against Pine Creek.
Heebner then won a pitching duel a few hours later with Eaglecrest’s ace Alexa Romero. Heebner threw a complete-game shutout allowing just three hits and striking out 10 batters in a 1-0 victory. Castle View’s lone run came in the first inning when junior Kayla Gau’s double drove in sophomore Lexi Kagan.
“She (Heebner) was fired up to play this game,” Mitchell said. “Last year we lost in the first round so our goal this year to make it here and we did. She gets better as she throws longer.”
Castle View had high hopes last year going into the state tournament, but Eaglecrest bounced the Sabercats out in the first round with a 5-4 victory.
“It is our time. Our school motto this year is ‘Our Time’. I believe in that 100 percent,” said Heebner, who has committed to play at the University of Houston next year. “I believe we are going to go all the way.”
Fossil Ridge shut out Arvada West 2-0 in the opening round and then got hot with the bats against Douglas County in the quarterfinals. Fossil Ridge took a 9-5 win to advance to Saturday.
Grandview cruised through into the semifinals with dominating wins against Chaparral and Columbine. While, Broomfield had the most interesting two games having to score double-digit runs against Central of Grand Junction and Horizon to survive.
“That is our thing. Our girls can hit the ball,” Broomfield coach Paula Seifried said after a wild 11-9 victory against Horizon in the quarterfinals.
The Eagles took a 6-0 lead, but gave up eight runs to Horizon in the top of the fourth inning to fall behind 8-6. Broomfield rallied to regain the lead, but the Hawks wouldn’t go do without a fight.
Horizon tied the game at 9-9 going to the bottom of the sixth inning. Broomfield senior Kenzie Brock drove in the eventual-game winning run.
[divider]
Class 4A tournament
D’Evelyn senior pitcher Megan McGinley throws to the plate during the Jaguars’ first-round game against Class 4A’s top-seed Frederick on Friday at Aurora Sports Park. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss) A lot of familiar faces and usual suspects advanced into the 4A semifinals.
Defending state champion and No. 4 Wheat Ridge squeezed out a pair of one-run victories against Air Academy and Discovery Canyon to keep the Farmers’ hopes for a repeat alive.
Wheat Ridge faces top-seeded Frederick in one semifinal Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The Warriors got victories over D’Evelyn and Ponderosa on Friday.
No. 2 Valor Christian got back Niwot and Mullen to advance into the state semifinal for the first time in the program’s history. The Eagles get 11-time state champion Erie in the other 4A softball at 10 a.m. Saturday.
[divider]
Class 3A tournament
No surprises on the 3A side.
The top four seeds advanced to Saturday. No. 1 Strasburg, No. 2 Valley, No. 3 La Junta and No. 4 Sterling will battle it out Saturday.
Defending state champion Strasburg has to beat league rival Sterling for the third time this season to advance to the state championship game. The previous two meeting were one-run victories.
Valley, who also has two losses to Strasburg this season, squares off against La Junta in the other semifinal.