Month: November 2014

Grandview repeats as 5A volleyball state champion

Grandview players pose with the 5A volleyball championship trophy. (Ryan Casey/CHSANow.com)

DENVER — Grandview had no interest on being a part of an improbable Class 5A state volleyball champion being crowned Saturday night at Denver Coliseum.

The No. 2 seed Wolves successfully defended their title defeating “Cinderella” and No. 12 Chatfield in straight sets 25-17, 25-22, and 25-17 in the championship match.

“Honestly it was great. I loved watching Chatfield progress through the tournament. They fought their way through,” Grandview senior Haley McLaren said. “Still, we wanted to win.”

Chatfield had a remarkable run during the two-day tournament. The Chargers lost their pool play opener to Eaglecrest on Friday morning. However, the 5A Jeffco League squad rallied from a 0-2 deficit and fought off four match points against Cherry Creek to work its way into a tiebreaker situation Saturday.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my team. They never gave up,” Chatfield coach Stephanie Schick said. “The believe my girls have shown this day has been amazing and a memory forever.”

Grandview players celebrate winning the 5A volleyball championship. (Ryan Casey/CHSANow.com)

The Chargers (18-11 record) won both one-set tiebreakers against Cherry Creek and Eaglecrest to advance to the semifinals against Rampart. Chatfield defeated Rampart 25-22, 19-25, 25-21 and 26-14 on Saturday afternoon to get a shot at the defending state champs.

“It was a little nerve-wracking because Chatfield beat all these teams we didn’t expect,” Grandview senior Katie Patrick said. “We were nervous, but I think we handled it pretty well.”

Patrick had the game-winning kill in the third set against Chatfield. The Wolves (22-7) now have five volleyball championships (2004, 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2014).

It was the 10th appearance for Grandview in a 5A state championship match since 2003. On the flipside, it was Chatfield’s first trip to a volleyball title match in the school’s history.

“It’s unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable,” Patrick said.

Chatfield was no pushover in the championship match. The Chargers actually took leads of 10-5 and 10-6 in the first and second sets. Grandview coach Patty Childress took timeouts in both situations. The Wolves got things together and quickly erased the deficits.

“Same thing that has been said all season long,” Childress said when asked what was said during each timeout. “We’ve got to talk to each other with the passing lanes. We’ve got to stabilize the lanes and be better talkers. In this environment it’s tough because it’s so hard to hear.”

McLaren, Patrick, along with junior Franchesca Reed, Madisen Busler each played big rolls in the rallies to take the first two sets.

The start of the first two sets was a bit of a microseism of Grandview’s season. The Wolves dropped matches against Cheyenne Mountain and Chaparral early in September.

“Honestly, we started off pretty rough this season. We had a lot of problems clicking,” Patrick said. “We figured everything out. The reason we won is because we are a team. We are the definition of a team. We play for each other and play for our school.”

Patrick also gave a ton of credit to her coach.

“My coach (Childress) is a genius,” Patrick said. “We never gave up. It didn’t matter if we were down.”

Schick admitted Grandview just had too much firepower in the championship match for Chatfield to pull off another upset.

“What a great champion in Grandview. Awesome for them to repeat,” Schick said. “They are a great team. They were big and better.”

McLaren, who will sign Nov. 12 to continue her volleyball at the University of Oregon, led the way with 13 kills and a handful of service aces. She was on all four of the last Grandview teams that advanced to the championship match.

“It was great,” McLaren said of her high school career. “Freshman and sophomore year we were good, but there was always a team better than us. We were at the top the last two years and finished it.”

November 9, 2014
Fleming, winner of 48-straight, captures 1A volleyball

Fleming players pose with the 1A volleyball state championship trophy. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

DENVER — The deafening noise at the Denver Coliseum and the delirium of five courts of state finals volleyball would seem to get just about any person amped.

But for some strange reason, it didn’t seem to get the Fleming girls volleyball team ready to defend its Class 1A state title.

“Oh,” Fleming senior Timmi Keisel said. “That’s not something new for us. A lot of times we start slow. Like I said our slow start wasn’t anything new. It didn’t’ freak us out or anything like that.”

Touché.

The slow start and a loss in the first set to challenger Idalia, though, couldn’t erase a magical season for Fleming.

Fleming players celebrate winning the 1A championship. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The Wildcats overcame the first set and put together three brilliant ones, winning their second consecutive state title on Saturday at the Coliseum, 3-1. Fleming won 17-25, 25-16, 25-17 and 25-15.

“It’s a pretty special group,” Fleming coach Derek Herbert said. “What a night. What a great year.”

It certainly has been a banner year for the Wildcats. The defending 1A state champions came in having won 47 in a row — Saturday was 48 — and had some stark numbers throughout.

Fleming’s last loss, a five-setter, came in September of last year. In that time span they have dropped a total of just 15 sets.

Idalia, though, came to play. After falling to the Wildcats in the second week of the season, the Wolves weren’t intimidated by any of the numbers. Jennay Terrel, Reagan Shaffer, Bryce Shafer and Stephanie Helling owned the net in the first set and provided a diverse attack.

The teams traded leads until a Bryce Shafer kill made it 12-10 for the Wolves. From there Idalia put together mini runs of 4-0 and 6-0 to close out the set.

It seemed an upset could be in the making.

“We knew if they got a second set it would be so much harder,” Keisel said. “At that point it was do or die for us.”

Not to worry for the Wolves. Early in the second set, Fleming had turned the momentum. The Wildcats jumped out to a 16-4 second set lead and dominated the third set with a slew of hitters and the calm demeanor of senior setter Rachel Frantz.

Finally, in the fourth, Keisel took over.

The senior, who had a game-high 17 kills, couldn’t be stopped. She had five kills in the deciding fourth set, including the championship clincher.

“They’re a great team,” Idalia coach Kylie Chamberlain said. “If you’re going to lose in the championship you want to lose to a great team.”

The win caps off a 30-0 season for the Wildcats, one in which dominance in Class 1A became second nature.

“We got smart kids,” Herbert said. “They just adjust. You hurt us one game and we start to figure out how you hurt us. But every time is amazing. Every time is a blessing.”

November 9, 2014
Lewis-Palmer volleyball overcomes Ponderosa rush to take 4A title

DENVER — Coming into Saturday’s Class 4A state title game, the Lewis-Palmer Rangers had only dropped four sets on the year. In what should be their toughest game of the year, they lost their fifth, but overcame a tough Ponderosa Mustangs team to repeat as state champions.

The Rangers won the match 3-1 (25-22, 15-25, 25-22, 25-12) to give coach Susan Odenbaugh and her team and undefeated season their second consecutive state championship.

“To go undeafeated in Colorado in 4A as tough as it is and as many 5A opponents that we had is a major accomplishment for these girls,” Odenbaugh said. “Ponderosa is the toughest team we’ve played. We were hitting the ball and they were getting it up defensively.”

The title win gives the Rangers a 35-match winning streak dating to back to last season.

It also begs the question as to whether or not this is the best volleyball team the state of Colorado has ever seen. Led once again by senior Alexa Smith, the Rangers dropped only five sets to the 83 that they won through the course of the season.

Smith started the match with a kill, hoping to set the tone early. The Rangers built their lead in the first set by relying on their senior hitting combination of Smith and Nicole Montgomery.

The Mustangs were able to slowly battle back, ultimately dropping the first set by a tight score of 25-22. Knowing they could hang with Lewis-Palmer, Mustangs coach Rob Graham encouraged his team to keep fighting and try to take Smith out of the next set as much as possible.

“We thought we could compete with them,” Graham said. “In game one when we came out and hung with them I think our girls realized they could win a game.”

Lewis-Palmer players celebrate winning the 4A championship

The Mustangs responded by taking a quick 8-0 lead in the second set, putting the Rangers on their heels. Smith tried to bring her team back into the set with three big kills, but she couldn’t counter the hitting of Ponderosa’s Allison Smith. The Mustang hitter recorded five kills down the stretch as Pondersoa gave the Rangers what Graham called “the worst beating (Lewis-Palmer) had ever had.”

The Mustangs continued to ride the momentum of their second set win and continued to attack the Rangers. They found themselves up 10-7 and refused to let Lewis-Palmer get comfortable in their game. With the score sitting at 22-22, Michaela Putnicki slammed two quick kills to give the Rangers a 24-22 lead, at which point Alexa Smith ended the set, gently floating the ball just over the head of the Mustangs’ front line.

Now up 2-1, and back on solid ground, the Rangers came out in the fourth set playing the way they had earned them an undefeated record going into the title game. Smith begged her teammates to feed her the ball as she wanted to put the game on her back and walk away victorious.

“We figured things out and we made a few changes and that seemed to work,” the Purdue commit said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was telling Mariah (Evans) ‘send me this, send me that’ and I can trust that she’ll either set me up, or if I draw the block to get it to someone else.”

Holding a 15-11 lead in the fourth set, the Rangers connected on eight straight points, giving them a 23-11 lead and draining the hope out of the Mustangs. Up 24-12 with match point at stake, a tandem block by Montgomery and Elziabeth Reich gave the Rangers the right to be called champions once more.

“I feel like this (title) is a lot cooler because we went undefeated this year,” Montgomery said. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling.”

Odenbaugh explained after the win that prior to the start of each season, the players get together for team building and as part of it, set goals for the year. With expectations at an all-time high coming off a state championship win, the Rangers decided to shoot for the moon and take aim at an undefeated year.

“We didn’t let anyone know,” Odenbaugh said. “But we knew that we had the potential to do that if we stayed together as a team and we worked hard. It’s nice to see a group of young girls give everything they can, pursue a goal and walk out successful.”

The Lewis-Palmer volleyball team poses with the 4A championship trophy. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

November 9, 2014
Photos: Granada tops Akron in 8-man football playoffs

AKRON — No. 4 Granada beat No. 5 Akron 58-20 to reach the semifinals of the 8-man football playoffs on Saturday.

November 9, 2014
Photos: Fort Morgan football upsets Holy Family in 3A playoffs

BROOMFIELD — No. 10-seeded Fort Morgan upset No. 7 Holy Family in the Class 3A football playoffs on Saturday, 35-18.

November 9, 2014
Pine Creek’s Hammond commits to Air Force for football

Pine Creek senior Parker Hammond has committed to Air Force to play football.

Hammond tweeted his decision on Friday.

Hammond, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound lineman is a force at tackle for Pine Creek, the No. 1 seed in the 4A football playoffs, which begin on Friday night.

He becomes the 16th local commit of the 2015 class, including the third to pick Air Force.

November 8, 2014
Surprises and comebacks highlight day one of state volleyball

More photos from the state tournament. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

DENVER — The Rampart Rams began the season with an overwhelming No. 1 ranking from the CHSAANow.com voters. After a long season that saw them lose to city rivals Lewis-Palmer and Cheyenne Mountain, the Rams found themselves in the Class 5A state volleyball tournament, looking to live up to that expectation.

Following the lead of a couple of teams, the Rams were forced to come from behind in order to advance to the semifinals and remain in the hunt for a state championship.

For the most part of the day, the higher-seeded teams reigned supreme. In the 4A bracket, Montrose fought through a tough Battle Mountain squad to win the match three sets to one. With that first win under their belt, the Indians only had to get by Valor Christian in order to cement their appearance in the 4A semis.

That proved to be a tougher task than they bargained for. The Indians dropped the first two sets 18-25 and 23-25, putting Montrose on the brink of elimination. They were able to get on the board with a 25-20 win in the third set. They continued to battle, winning the fourth set 25-19, tying the match and regaining some footing.

Montrose stormed out of the gate in the fifth set, never looking back, winning it 15-6 and securing a spot in Saturday’s semifinal round.

“I have no idea (how we came back),” Indians coach Shane Forrest said. “We had been talking about the atmosphere here for the last two weeks or so and just trying to keep them focused and that’s been our whole season; staying focused and staying in the moment.”

It was only a few matches earlier that Regis Jesuit had found itself in a 2-0 hole. Legend started the matchup playing fast and loose and took the first two sets by identical 25-23 scores. But then the beast that was Regis Jesuit awakened and began to show why they they are one of the favorites to walk away as state champions.

The Raiders rattled off the final three sets, winning by scores of 25-15, 25-20 and 15-10. Like the Indians, the Raiders didn’t let the atmosphere or moment be too big for them and they clawed their way back to put themselves in the position they were hoping for.

“It’s what we’ve done all year,” Raiders coach Laura Dunston said. “We know how to play in five-set matches. In our huddle after the second set, they knew that they had been there before, and against good teams. We just had to turn it around and make it happen.”

The most impressive comeback of the day belonged to Rampart. The Rams had dropped their first set of the tournament when they fell to Fairview 16-25. Rampart settled down to sweep the next three sets and win the match, inching them closer to the elimination round.

But a back and forth battle with Chaparral put the Rams in 2-1 hole, needing to win two straight sets to advance. The fourth set acted as a living analogy for the match as a whole as each team exchanged leads, but the Rams prevailed 26-24 setting up a fifth and final set.

The Wolverines jumped out to a quick 11-3 lead; appearing to squash any momentum the Rams had left over. Faced with a deep hole to dig out of, Rampart coach Nikki Kinzer called timeout and tried to calm her players.

“I knew they could pull it out and make the comeback, it was just a matter of them believing it and convincing them they could,” Kinzer said. “Our theme of the weekend has been no regrets. Just don’t walk away from this weekend feeling like you couldn’t have left anything else out there, but I told them that we could crumble right now and give them the set and our season is probably over. Or we could turn it on and show the depth of our team and show what we’re made of.”

From that point on, everything started falling for the Rams as they clawed back a point at a time to win the set 16-14, guaranteeing them a spot in the semifinals.

Not to be outdone, Cherry Creek took the court the following match, facing off against the overall No. 1 seed, Eaglecrest. Like Montrose and Regis Jesuit, the Bruins found themselves in a 2-0 hole and on the brink of elimination due to the Raptors’ win earlier in the day over Chatfield.

But in set three, the Bruins began their long climb back, winning 25-17 then taking the fourth set 25-21. With momentum and energy full in their hands, the Bruins were able to ride that emotion and win the fifth set 16-14, giving them the edge in Pool No. 1. A win over Chatfield on Saturday will put Cherry Creek in the semifinals.

“We’re a young team and the first game our nerves were all over,” Bruins coach Sally Moos said. “We knew what we had to do against Eaglecrest and the more we played, the more we were able to do what we needed.”

The remaining two- and three-seeds from each bracket will finish pool play Saturday morning. The semifinal round will be played in the afternoon with state championship games scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.

November 8, 2014
Marquez key as Pomona moves into 5A football quarterfinals

Pomona senior Isaac Marquez (27) fights his way into the end zone while being tackled by Columbine senior Jake Allen (14) and sophomore Mikey Griebel in the first quarter Friday at Jeffco Stadium. Marquez had three touchdowns in the Panthers’ 21-14 victory in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)

LAKEWOOD — Pomona senior Isaac Marquez seemed to be everywhere Friday night at Jeffco Stadium.

The running back, wide receiver and defensive back scored three touchdowns to help the No. 1 seed Panthers to a 21-14 victory against Class 5A Jeffco League rival Columbine. The win advanced Pomona (9-2) into the state quarterfinals.

Next up for Pomona is a date with the winner of Mountain Vista/Valor Christian. The Golden Eagles and Eagles had a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday night. The Panthers will be the home team in the quarterfinal game.

Columbine junior quarterback Jake Lowry (10) is tackled by Pomona junior Dillon Pace (2) during the first half Friday at Jeffco Stadium. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)

“He (Marquez) is a stud. He is one of those players you have to key on every single game,” said Columbine sophomore Mikey Griebel of Marquez who had 78 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving. “He is there go-to guy. That was obvious tonight.”

Marquez scored on a 1-yard run on a fourth-down play midway through the third quarter to give the Panthers a 13-7 lead. The game was tied 7-7 at halftime.

A botched punt attempt by Columbine set Pomona up on the Rebels’ 9-yard line prior to Marquez’s second touchdown of the game.

“We had to punch it in,” Marquez said of the go-ahead touchdown run. “Our offensive line did a great job of pushing, making a hole and I punched it in.”

Marquez’s first touchdown came on a 17-yard touchdown catch from senior quarterback Justin Roberts in the first quarter. Columbine’s lone touchdown in the first half came on a “fumblerooski” that senior Austin Norton scored from 30 yards out on a fourth-down play.

Pomona extended its lead to 21-7 on a 6-yard touchdown run by Marquez with 3:44 left. However, Columbine quickly answered.

Junior quarterback Jake Lowry threw a pass up for grabs near the sideline to Griebel. The sophomore came down with the ball and raced to the end zone for a 74-yard touchdown catch.

“I just went up and got it,” said Griebel, who had 48 yards rushing to go with his two catches for 95 yards. “Just playing the game I love and making plays.”

Columbine attempted an onside kick, but again, Marquez was at the right place at the right time to recover the kick. The Panthers actually turned the ball over on downs with less than two minutes to play. However, the Rebels couldn’t get a game-tying touchdown.

Pomona was able to put the game away when sophomore Mile Matulik intercepted Lowry with under a minute to play. A couple of kneel downs by Roberts and Pomona punched its ticket to the state quarterfinals.

“We knew it was going to be tough,” Pomona coach Jay Madden said. “We knew Columbine would know our tricks the second time around.”

Pomona freshman Max Borghi rushed for 137 yards and five touchdowns in the Panthers’ conference meeting with rival Columbine on Oct. 11. Pomona had to overcome a halftime deficit to rally for a 47-28 victory. Borghi had 19 carries for 112 yards Friday night.

Columbine’s grinding rushing attack had success the first go-around with Pomona three weeks ago. Norton had 176 yards on the ground and Lowry posted 120 yards. Both had a pair of touchdowns in the loss.

“Columbine is the king of the South (Jeffco),” Matulik said. “They are a great team and a great school. They have kids that love to play.”

Columbine junior quarterback Jake Lowry drops back to pass during the first half Friday at Jeffco Stadium. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)

The Rebels (5-6) finished their regular season with a sub-500 record, but easily eliminated Rangeview, 5A South Metro League champion, with a 48-7 victory last week. Griebel had a four-touchdown night for the Rebels and Norton rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown.

“That’s the biggest positive out of tonight,” Griebel said of the Rebels’ young team. “We’ve got more than half our team coming back next year and this will motivate us for next year.”

Pomona had its struggles in its playoff opener last week. The banged up Panthers hung on for a 36-32 win against Arapahoe. Junior Dillon Pace helped bail out Pomona with a 300-plus game on the ground, which included three touchdowns.

Madden was pleased with his defensive effort in the second go-around with Columbine.

“I think this is four years in a row we’ve made it at least to the quarterfinals,” Madden said. “Our kids kind of thought this was a scary game because if you lose they think this season was a failure, even if that’s anything from the truth.”

Pomona freshman Max Borghi (29) runs through traffic Friday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss)

Columbine senior Austin Norton (6) carries the ball against Pomona on Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. Norton had 17 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown as Pomona took a 21-14 victory. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)

November 8, 2014
Football roundup: Ralston Valley pulls off miraculous win on 56-yard field goal
Ralston Valley’s Collin Root kicks the game-winning 56-yard field goal. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

Ralston Valley looked to be the first major upset victim of the Class 5A football playoffs.

Then senior Collin Root drilled a 56-yard field goal on the final play of the Mustangs’ second-round game against Eaglecrest. It made for an unbelievable, miraculous 44-43 win.

“56-yarder, with that kind of pressure, by Collin Root, it’s just an unbelievable kick,” Ralston Valley coach Matt Loyd told Colorado Preps’ Scoreboard Show on Friday night.

Ralston Valley’s Collin Root reacts to kicking the game-winning field goal against Eaglecrest. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

The two teams slugged it out the entire night, with Eaglecrest methodically marching down and kicking what looked to be a game-winning field goal with 38 seconds left following a fumble recovery.

But Ralston Valley got one last crack. With Eaglecrest in a prevent defense, and despite having just one timeout, the Mustangs dialed up three straight run plays — two by Kyle Rush, another by Andrew Wingard — to drive down to Eaglecrest’s 39-yard-line with 3.3 seconds remaining.

With the famous Legacy Stadium wind at his back, Root stepped up and drilled the kick. Eaglecrest coach Mike Schmitt later told the Aurora Sentinel that he thought the odds of it going through the uprights was “1 percent.”

“He’s such a heck of a kicker, and he’s hit 55 in practice multiple times,” Loyd said. “The key word being ‘practice.’ Different story with the game on the line in order to keep moving on.”

Root entered the game having hit 2-of-4 field goals this season, with a long of 43.

“It was unbelievable,” Loyd said. “It was pretty exciting for our guys. We’ve actually been out there three times before, and lost heartbreakers, so we were able to win that one.”

The Mustangs, a No. 1 seed, move on to host No. 2 Fairview in the quarterfinals.

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4A: (13) Falcon 28, (4) Denver South 13

Matt Bastian, Josiah Hall, Jeff Vela and Wyatt Aaberg each had rushing touchdowns for the Falcons, who pulled the biggest upset of 4A’s first round.

“We knew we had to go on the road and battle against a really tough team, and our kids really came together and found a way to get it done tonight,” Brian Green, Falcon’s co-head coach, told the Scoreboard Show.

It was Vela’s score in the third quarter which made it 21-7 as Falcon announced the upset potential to the state. The Rebels did cut it to 21-13 later in the third quarter, but Aaberg’s touchdown put the game away.

Falcon did a great job of containing South’s ground game, as well, and actually didn’t allow a rushing touchdown.

Denver South entered the game averaging 323.7 rushing yards per game. Falcon held the Rebels to 35 yards on 29 carries.

“It’s just an incredible job by our kids,” Green said. “It was a great gameplan, and just attacking. We weren’t sitting back waiting for them — but just attacking and running downhill on defense.”

Falcon jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the game. It advances to play Pueblo South in the quarterfinals, a team that beat the Falcons 24-21 on Sept. 19. Falcon will host.

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4A: (5) Pueblo South 20, (12) Greeley West 7

Ray Mitchell had two rushing touchdowns to spot Pueblo South a 14-0 lead in the first half and the Colts never looked back en route to the win. The defense had an outstanding night, as well.

“I can’t give enough praise to our defense and what they did, and getting off the field in key situations, and making plays,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids just stepped up.”

Nate Spinuzzi also kicked a pair of 23-yard field goals in the win. The final came on a long, time-consuming drive which put the game out of reach.

“It’s a tribute to our offensive line, and credit to those guys up front, and our backs,” Goddard said. They did a fantastic job of just grinding it out and getting first downs.”

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5A: (2) Fairview 45, (3) Overland 27

Quarterback Johnny Feauto threw four first-half touchdown passes, three to Tim Ryan, as Fairview opened a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

“To be able to get that halftime lead was a great start,” Fairview coach Tom McCartney told the Scoreboard Show.

Feauto finished with five touchdown passes, and Ryan also added a 65-yard rushing touchdown.

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Short stuff
- Arickaree/Woodlin carved out a spot in 6-man’s championship game with a 72-22 win over Fleming in the semifinals.
- No. 2 Fort Collins beat No. 15 Rampart 49-6 in 4A. The Lambkins get a rematch with Longmont next. “We had to battle the elements,” coach Eric Rice told the Scoreboard Show. “The skies opened up and it pretty much poured the whole second half, and we didn’t see that in the forecast. I’m proud of our kids for being able to adjust.”
- Two No. 1 seeds in 5A just rolled in running clock wins: Cherry Creek beat No. 4 Bear Creek 56-21, and Grandview beat No. 5 Lakewood 40-0.
- Another big win for a top seed in 5A: No. 2 Valor Christian beat No. 3 Mountain Vista 44-0. Quarterback Dylan McCaffrey threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns.
- One more: No. 2 Regis Jesuit 44, Heritage 0. Alec Barnes rushed for three touchdowns.
- In 4A, No. 7 Longmont beat No. 10 Pueblo Centennial 26-7. Longmont has won seven straight games after a 1-3 start. “It’s super-exciting to be able to do that,” coach Doug Johnson told the Scoreboard Show. “It’s just a tough-minded group of kids.”
- Discovery Canyon, 3A’s top seed, easily handled No. 16 Berthoud, 41-0. It’s actually the first playoff win in school history. “We talked a little bit about it, and just about the disappointing exit of the previous two seasons,” coach Shawn Mitchell told the Scoreboard Show. “I feel like this group just has a different mentality. I don’t think they had too much anxiety about that. I think that they were just focused on being 1-0 at the end of this week. But for the program itself, it was a big hurdle to get over.”
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More coverage
- Behind Isaac Marquez, No. 1 Pomona beat No. 5 Columbine 21-14 in 5A. Photos from the game.
- Fairview aired it out to beat Overland in 5A.
- Broomfield topped Dakota Ridge in the 4A playoffs.
- Photos from Cherry Creek’s win over Bear Creek.
- Full list of scores from the night.
- Updated brackets: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man
- Replay our live coverage of the night — especially recommend following the end of the Ralston Valley-Eaglecrest game.
November 8, 2014
Broomfield powers past Dakota Ridge in 4A football playoffs

Broomfield senior Nate Knowles (25) breaks off a long run as Dakota Ridge defenders Jackson Abeyta (30), Brandon Braun (41) and Chris Naviaux (20) attempt to bring him down Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. Broomfield took a 27-17 road victory in the first round of the Class 4A football playoffs. (Dennis Pleuss)

LAKEWOOD — Broomfield might have preferred higher than a No. 11 seed for the Class 4A state football playoffs, but the Eagles had no issues when they left Jeffco Stadium in a driving rain Friday night.

“You are never satisfied with a low seed, but we made the best of it,” Broomfield senior defensive back Shane Watzel said after a 27-17 victory over No. 6 Dakota Ridge. “It turned out alright.”

21-unanswered points by Broomfield propelled the Eagles to a 24-3 lead late in the third quarter. The big turning point was a span of less than four minutes in the second quarter where Broomfield turned a 3-3 game into a 17-3 lead.

Broomfield junior Noah Dohm (87) bottles up Dakota Ridge junior running back Jeremy Lujan (1) during the second quarter Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss)

Dakota Ridge kicker Zach Barwick tied the game with a 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Broomfield quickly responded on the next play from scrimmage with a 74-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jalon Torres with 8:45 left in the second quarter.

“We kind of took the momentum back and never gave it back to them (Dakota Ridge),” Broomfield coach Gary Davies said of the Eagles’ 14-point barrage in less than four minutes.

Broomfield intercepted a pass on Dakota Ridge’s next offensive drive. Senior Jack Sherwood scored on a 20-yard touchdown run with 4:51 left before halftime to extend the lead to 17-3.

“We knew coming in the run game was going to be big for us,” Broomfield senior quarterback Logan McCormick said. “Dakota Ridge manned us up and made us throw the ball a little, but it was all our run game. Our (offensive) line did a good job. That was key.”

McCormick got into the running action himself with a 2-yard touchdown run with 3:38 left in the third quarter to make the score 24-3.

Broomfield was able to control the line-of-scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

“We don’t do a lot very well, but we will play physical,” Davies said. “That’s what we try to do. We were pretty physical tonight.”

Dakota Ridge junior Jeremy Lujan has been unstoppable for most of the season. The tailback had an 8.5 yards per rush average while racking up 1,714 yards on the ground coming into Friday’s playoff opener.

“I’m totally please with how the defense played,” Davies said. “It was awesome.”

Dakota Ridge senior Mark Hall (8) is tackled by Broomfield senior Dante Panicucci (4) during the first half Friday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss)

Broomfield was able to bottle up Lujan for the most part. The tailback had a 25-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and a touchdown catch from junior quarterback Adam Clary in the final minutes, but it wasn’t enough for Dakota Ridge.

“We knew Broomfield was going to be physical and they are a senior-laded team. They are going to do some damage in the playoffs,” Dakota Ridge coach Ron Woitalewicz said. “We’ve got good some good players coming back, but it just sucks right now for these seniors. We had a great group of seniors.”

Following a 28-16 loss to Ponderosa on Oct. 2, Dakota Ridge rolled to four straight victories entering the postseason. The Eagles outscored opponents 188 to 13 in the four-game stretch.

After a 0-2 start, Broomfield racked up a six-game winning streak before suffering a 30-21 loss to undefeated and No. 2 seed Fort Collins.

Broomfield will now host the winner of No. 14 Coronado and No. 3 Montrose next week in the quarterfinals. Coronado, last year’s 3A state champion, and Montrose, last season’s state runner-up in 4A, square off at 1 p.m. Saturday on the Western Slope.

Davies said he would leave around 7 a.m. Saturday morning to make the trip to Montrose to scout his quarterfinal opponent.

Dakota Ridge junior quarterback Adam Clary (3) attempt to escape the pressure of Broomfield seniors Cooper Gardner (57) and Blake Whitsell (50) during the first round of the Class 4A state football tournament Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss)

November 8, 2014