CHSAANow

Month: January 2015

  • Lakewood boys hoops’ furious fourth quarter upsets No. 4 Dakota Ridge

    Lakewood coach Daryl Johnson celebrates with players after the Tigers upset previously undefeated Dakota Ridge on Monday night. Lakewood scored the final 12 points of the game to take a 68-66 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Lakewood coach Daryl Johnson celebrates with players after the Tigers upset previously undefeated Dakota Ridge on Monday night. Lakewood scored the final 12 points of the game to take a 68-66 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LITTLETON — Lakewood sophomore Jacob Storey could hardly believe what the scoreboard read as he celebrated with teammates Monday night at Dakota Ridge High School.

    “It’s ridiculous. I don’t even feel like it’s real right now,” Storey said after the Tigers handed Dakota Ridge, ranked No. 4 in this week’s CHSAANow.com Class 5A boys basketball poll, its first loss of the season.

    Storey’s layup with 10 seconds left proved to be the game-winning shot as Lakewood edged the previously undefeated Eagles 68-66 in the 5A Jeffco League game. Storey finished with 23 points, none were bigger than his uncontested layup to give the Tigers the lead for good.

    Lakewood sophomore Kolton Peterson (3) pulls up for a 3-pointer in front of Dakota Ridge senior Cody Pittman (3) as the Eagles' student section looks on Monday night. Peterson scored a game-high 25 points, including six 3-pointers as the Tigers pulled off a 68-66 upset victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Lakewood sophomore Kolton Peterson (3) pulls up for a 3-pointer in front of Dakota Ridge senior Cody Pittman (3) as the Eagles’ student section looks on Monday night. Peterson scored a game-high 25 points, including six 3-pointers as the Tigers pulled off a 68-66 upset victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “I just saw them double teaming Brandt (Christy),” Storey said of the Tigers’ final offensive possession. “I was just thinking I had to cut to the basket and get that last shot off.”

    Sophomore Brandt Christy’s pass in traffic to Storey in the paint finished off a 12-0 run over the final 5 minutes, 18 seconds of the game. Dakota Ridge (14-1, 5-1 in league) held a 66-56 lead when junior Tyler McFarland buried his third 3-pointer of the second half.

    Lakewood coach Daryl Johnson, who started all sophomores Monday night, wasn’t concerned about the double-digit deficit midway through the fourth quarter.

    “Defensively we needed stops and that is how you are going to grow up as a team,” Johnson said. “If you are going to win as a team you’ve got to do it defensively first. Offense is great, but you have to get stops.”

    The Eagles had four players reach double-figures with seniors Cody Pittman (14 points), Mason Grothuesmann (14 points), along with juniors Devante Jones (12 points) and McFarland (13 points). However, Dakota Ridge scored just seven points in the final quarter.

    McFarland had the hot-hand for the Eagles in the second half, but his 3-pointer in the final seconds was off the mark and Dakota Ridge couldn’t coral the rebound to get off another shot. The Eagles had escaped with a handful of close victories this season, but the late-game magic abandoned them against Lakewood.

    Dakota Ridge had a 15-0 run early in the second half to erase the Tigers’ lead it built to as much as six points in the first half.

    “We knew we had to make a run of our own,” said Storey, who combined with fellow sophomore Kolton Peterson to score all 19 points for the Tigers in the fourth quarter.

    Peterson was held scoreless in the third quarter, but couldn’t miss in the fourth quarter. He buried three 3-pointers, all with a hand in the face, and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Peterson’s 3-pointer with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter tied the game at 66-66.

    “I guess it was a good time to get hot,” said Peterson, who scored a game-high 25 points that included six 3-pointers. “It was fun. I had chills down my back. It’s always fun to hit those big shots.”

    Peterson is averaging nearly 28 points per game and scored a season-high 40 points and hit the game-winning shot a few weeks ago against Hinkley.

    Dakota Ridge junior Devante Jones (23) drives on Lakewood sophomore Jacob Storey (1) during the second quarter Monday night. Jones had 12 points, but Storey had a huge game with 23 points for the Tigers. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Dakota Ridge junior Devante Jones (23) drives on Lakewood sophomore Jacob Storey (1) during the second quarter Monday night. Jones had 12 points, but Storey had a huge game with 23 points for the Tigers. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “That’s him (Peterson). That’s just what he is,” Johnson said of his sharp-shooting guard. “He is a competitor and that is how he is going to go down, competing.”

    Lakewood (7-8, 4-2) had its four-game winning streak snapped last week with a 59-36 home loss to Arvada West. Clearly that loss didn’t linger into Monday’s game.

    “It’s huge. It’s the biggest win I’ve ever been apart of,” Peterson said. “Come to Dakota Ridge (ranked No. 4), great team and to knock them off is a great win for us.”

    Lakewood continues its tough schedule this week when it hosts Columbine at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Rebels (9-6, 4-2) currently sit tied in third place of the 5A Jeffco conference with the Tigers behind Dakota Ridge and Arvada West (11-4, 5-1).

    Dakota Ridge hosts Ralston Valley for a 7 p.m. tipoff Wednesday night before finishing off its busy week at Pomona on Friday.

    Dakota Ridge senior Mason Grothuesmann (31) drives the lane on Lakewood sophomores Tyrone Thompson (10) and Kolton Peterson (3) during the first half Monday. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Dakota Ridge senior Mason Grothuesmann (31) drives the lane on Lakewood sophomores Tyrone Thompson (10) and Kolton Peterson (3) during the first half Monday. (Dennis Pleuss)

  • Borgmann: Explaining baseball’s new pitch count proposal

    ThunderRidge Cherry Creek baseball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    AURORA — The CHSAA baseball committee and CHSAA ad-hoc baseball pitching committee agree that arm overuse in baseball is a serious issue in Colorado and the rest of the country.

    It has been discussed at all levels of the sport. All levels of the sport have begun to take action to address this epidemic of arm overuse. It is not a life-threatening problem, but it is a life-altering issue that many players are facing.

    The biggest challenge is mandating the rest that those arms need and that is what this new rule does.

    This is a significant change in philosophy and will be challenging to implement. It may require addressing some schedule changes for schools with limited pitching staffs, as well. It most certainly will require the way baseball programs look at pitching, but the change is about doing what we can to provide your players with a safe playing environment.

    Here are some quick points that need to be considered:

    • This is a player health issue that the entire sport is having to address – pre-Little League and Little League, Legion, Connie Mack, NCAA, MLB – all levels. As Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan wrote, "It’s too late to save this generation. At the highest levels of research into the pitching arm, almost all the top minds agree that baseball for the next decade, and probably more, is going to be a non-stop parade of injuries, disappointments and bewilderment. This horrifies them. It should."
    • The Baseball Committee is recommending these limits based on the experience of the coaches in the room and on the committee. It reflects health and rest at the forefront of the need for the rule. These limits are close to what many coaches are already placing on their pitchers. These recommendations are about rest and developing pitching depth.
    • USA Baseball has already issued it recommendations. Its maximums are 95 pitches for players ages 15-16 and 4 days mandatory rest after 76 pitches thrown; for players 17-18 the maximum is 105 in a day, plus the four days’ rest after 76 pitches. There are varying degrees of mandated rest depending on numbers of pitches thrown. Here is a link to those recommendations.
    • CHSAA once had one of country’s stronger pitching limitations (12 innings over 72 hours, with no limit on pitches), but now, after research has shown that using an innings limitation is unhealthy for pitchers, it has become one of the weakest and most potentially damaging rules for pitchers.
    • The NFHS is exploring its own version of these requirements and will have its recommendations for states after this summer, but Colorado felt like it needed to be out in front of those decisions so that any NFHS decision was made based on Colorado’s situations, not what is happening around the rest of the country.

    Colorado can be a leader in determining the direction of its own limitations, rather than having to be forced into a certain direction.

    Our pitching recommendations are reflective of a great deal of research that included input from baseball doctors, trainers, high school coaches and even major league players.

    Long discussions were held on the smaller school issues and the limited rosters those schools occasionally have. The result of those discussions noted that these limitations will require all schools to develop greater pitching depth than they currently have. A second piece to this was that it may take several seasons for schools to develop that depth. Those challenges could be overcome by adjusting schedules to ensure that time is available for the mandated rest.

    The recommendations in the report were reviewed by two major committees – the Baseball pitching ad-hoc committee and the CHSAA baseball advisory committee. Not everyone agreed with the final determination, but all agreed that it needed to be addressed.

    The Baseball pitching ad-hoc committee, which did the bulk of the research had two MDs (including one of the country’s top expert in pitching injuries), two trainers, seven coaches (including small school, mid-size and big school coaches), several top club/private pitching coaches, as well as input from two former major leaguers.

    (Bert Borgmann/CHSAANow.com)
    The pitching committee met three times over the past few months. (Bert Borgmann/CHSAANow.com)

    The committee met three times, and recommended a more stringent rule, but the CHSAA baseball committee amended their recommendation to get a start on this switch in philosophies. It can be adjusted after it has been in place, as needed. Additionally, while the report calls for immediate implementation, it could be delayed to the 2016 season.

    One of the issues that this does not address is the outside influence issue. CHSAA can only control the 25 percent of the year that is high school, but the committee is developing an educational video that will highlight the issue with overuse of arms, the medical needs, the importance of proper training, the need for communication between high school coaches and club coaches for the health of the player, and will conclude with former Colorado prep players who are in MLB recounting why playing more than one sport got them where they are and the need to rest the arms.

    It will also have information from collegiate and professional scouts to help give perspective that only 6.8 percent of high school players will ever play in college. The baseball committee stresses that CHSAA can only do what it can.

    Here are the limitations, requirements that accompany them and a recommendation to enhance the regulations:

    Varsity
    Pitches Required Rest
    86-110 3 Days
    61-85 2 Days
    36-60 1 Day
    1-35 0 Days*
    Junior Varsity
    Pitches Required Rest
    61-85 3 Days
    36-60 2 Days
    26-35 1 Day
    1-25 0 Days^

    * – Additionally, no pitcher may throw more than 60 pitches over two days. If they throw 60 pitches in two days, there will be one day of required rest.

    ^ – No sub-varsity pitcher can throw more than 35 pitches over two days. That limit will result in one day of mandated rest.

    A pitcher will be allowed to finish a batter if they hit the limit (110 in varsity play; 85 in sub-varsity) during an at-bat, but must exit the game after the hitter.

    It is strongly recommended that once a pitcher is removed, consideration be given to what position he is assigned once he is done pitching. Consideration should be given to the throwing requirement of the fielding position once the pitcher vacates the mound.

  • Ball Fever: Individual performances highlight boys basketball’s week

    Regis Jesuit Legend boys basketball fans crowd
    The always rowdy Coliseum Crazies from Legend cheered their team on against Regis Jesuit last week. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    If our league play was “heating up” previously, it is now on fire! We had record individual performances along with team surprises last week.

    Striving to be your “one-stop shop” for the hoops review and preview of the week to come …

    [divider]

    Week In Review

    Tuesday, Jan. 20:

    • Game of the night was the “city vs suburbs” match of No. 9 Denver East visiting No. 1 undefeated Regis Raiders. The Fever crew caught this great game which turned out to be the tale of two half’s as Regis was as efficient in the first as the Angels were aggressive in the second. Jack Eberhard was also in the house as Taylor Kallsen’s “fade away” won it for the Raiders. Check the photos here. We caught the game-winner of this classic:

    • Chaparral had 4 players score in double figures led by Chris Moody’s 18/10 double-double as they used a 19-10 fourth quarter to close out the 67-48 win over visiting Highlands Ranch. Ryley Stewart scored 23 for the Falcons in the loss.
    • Niwot got the 5-point win over Mountain View and check this cool one-handed shot by senior Johnny Drake courtesy of our Ryan Casey. All net AMAZING!
    • 5A No. 2 ThunderRidge kept on moving forward holding Castle View to an amazing 25 points. Can the student section yell, “DEFENSE”?
    • Rampart had twelve players hit the scoring column led by Donovan Oldham’s 15 points in the win over Pine Creek.
    • Expected this one to be a little tighter but Mitch Lombard’s 11 points, 7 rebounds helped 5A No. 8 Rock Canyon cruise to 52-36 win over Heritage.
    • Mountain Range playing well at 12-3 but a battle-tested Fossil Ridge came in and got the win by 10 led by Andrew Semadeni’s 17, Brady Menefee’s 16, and Ryan Quaid’s 11 point, 13 rebound double-double.
    • Fort Collins won big at Legacy with Brian Read scoring 18 points, with 7 rebounds. Tyler Converse scored 17 in the loss.
    • 4A top 10 match as Pueblo Central pulled the upset over Pueblo South behind Michael Ranson’s 32 points. Not to be outdone Jared Baros also scored 32 in the loss.
    • Nice statement win for Northglenn with the 54-52 decision over Montbello. Malik Hart had 20 in the loss.
    • The Fever crew expects Ponderosa to be a late season surprise in 4A but their 5A Continental foe left little doubt in this one winning 74-51 behind Ray Beresford’s 19 point, 11 rebound double-double.
    • Huge double-double for Denver South’s Chudier Bile of 30 points, 11 rebounds in the Rebels win at Gateway.
    • Our Fever crew “source” Big Herm (Herman Reese) down South has advised more than once for folks to keep an eye on Tre Pierre who had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double for Widefield in their win over Canyon City.
    • No. 1 in 4A Longmont kept the streak alive vs Thompson Valley with Blake Ogrady scoring 15. Thompson Valley played tough at home and Jake Hornick scored 21.

    Wednesday, Jan. 21:

    Overland Cherry Creek boys basketball De'Ron Davis
    De’Ron Davis helped Overland beat Cherry Creek on Wednesday. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    • The Warriors have been awaiting a break out game from athletic Troy Green and he delivered with 28 points, 8 rebounds as Montbello beat visiting Prairie View by 15. Luke Schwindaman put in 18 in the loss.
    • Blend Advili led four Raptors in double figures with 17 as Eaglecrest took down rival Cherokee Trail to remain unbeaten in league play. David Thornton continues his solid play with 21 points, 7 rebounds in the loss.
    • Dennis Pleuss was on hand as D’Evelyn got defensive only allowing 28 points to Green Mountain.
    • Check out Luke Neff knocking down 8 three point shots for 24 points as Arvada West took down Chatfield by 7.
    • Jack Eberhard was on the scene again to catch Reggie Gibson taking the lead role this night for Overland as they claimed a key league win over Cherry Creek.

    Thursday, Jan. 22:

    • Widefield quietly taking care of business and Brandon Branch scored 15 in win over Classical Academy. Addrienne Hampton added 12 point, 14 rebound double-double.
    • Another Sabercat stepping up as Zacc Drovdal scored 20 points and dished out 4 assists as Fossil Ridge won on the road at Greeley West. Darren DeLaCroix had 17 points in the loss.
    • Well, well, well! Certainly hope this puts the nonsense about Brian Carey having to do all the scoring for Denver East to rest! Jack Buckmelter scored 41 huge points on 11 made three pointers while Carey dished out an amazing 17 assists! Both tie state records with sixth-best in the respective 3-point makes and assist categories (Ryan Casey research there!). The Angels rocked JFK 88-39.
    • Deven Nelson scored 18 points with 9 rebounds as Mesa Ridge beat Harrison by 5.
    • Jose Arrantia scored 15 as Mountain View pulled out the 1-point win over Centaurus. Mike DeVries had a 21 point, 10 rebound double-double.

    Friday, Jan. 23:

    Regis Jesuit Legend boys basketball
    No. 1 Regis Jesuit continued to roll right along last week. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    • Zach Marburger was on hand in the emotional OT victory for Rock Canyon over Chaparral.
    • We got one of those Centennial league Friday night “classics” in Overland taking down Cherokee Trail 81-75 in overtime. Big De’Ron logged a big time triple-double of 21 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks in the win. Smooth Jaizec Lottie with 22 points, 4 assists in the loss.
    • Jack Eberhard says a “team effort” brought home the win for No. 1 Regis over Legend. Eleven points each from three players!
    • Senior guard Dalontae Kelly with a nice stat line of 5 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists as Smoky Hill beat Mullen by 19.
    • Dakota Ridge’s undefeated record was clearly tested as they were down to Bear Creek to start the fourth but won that quarter to beat Bear Creek by 3.
    • “Up Next” junior Elijah Coleman scored 21 points, with 9 rebounds as Aurora Central “put a hurtin” on Prairie View.
    • Tommy Baumgartner led with 15 points as Boulder got the road win at Broomfield.
    • Rivalry! Ralston Valley edged Pomona by four and Pam Wagner caught the action.
    • Monarch got a key league win over Fort Collins by 4 points in overtime. Triston Von Nieda scored 17 in the loss.
      Talked about this last week and Brevin Brimble is heating up for Doherty as he scores 27 points, including 6 three-pointers, as the Spartans beat Coronado by 9. Kayden Washington added a double-double of 15 points, 12 rebounds.
    • Thornton got a league win over Brighton up north and Keondre Weinand had 13 points, 9 rebounds.
    • Rangeview set a league message getting a 16 point win over Northglenn. Tarren Storey-Way led four in double figures with 16 points, 8 rebounds.
    • Nick Capaul’s 21 points helped Golden stay unbeaten in league with win over Wheat Ridge.
    • Fever crew made it out to a thriller on Friday night at Denver South as the Rebels won a 82-79 OT match vs visiting Thomas Jefferson. Big Chuck Gavin’s 20 point, 20 rebound “monsta” double-double was too much. Senior Turner Dumas Peterson had a line of 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists. Moody had 21 in the loss and Sergio Garcia added 17 but fouled out which hurt the Spartans late. Sophomore Ravel Moody sent the game to OT with this bucket:

    • Joe Decoud scored 21 helping Lewis Palmer win by 8 over Air Academy.
    • Starting to hear this name Khameron Davis mentioned among the best in class of 2016 and he scored 19 in Valor Christian’s win over Arvada. Vedin Kozic with 22 in the loss.
    • Pueblo West now in 4A top 10 and David Simental’s 18 points helped get the win over Pueblo County.

    Saturday, Jan. 24

    • The “young guns” at George Washington pulled a big DPL upset in our first Saturday “Thunderdome Throwdown” 55-45. Jeremiah Hyppolite led three in double figures with 14 points for the Patriots.
    • Chris Helbig scored 19 points for Holy Family as the won by 13 in the rivalry game vs Broomfield.
    • Big Zack Pirog put in 19 points as No. 2 ThunderRidge handled Highlands Ranch 65-42. Ryley Stewart scored 25 in the loss.
    • 4A No. 4 Pueblo South drove north to challenge 5A Cherry Creek and the Bruins used a 21-8 first quarter to grab the 70-53 win.

    [divider]

    D'Evelyn junior Owen Burke, left, wrestles the ball from a pair of Green Mountain players Wednesday night at D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. The Jaguars won the Class 4A Jeffco League game 63-28. (Dennis Pleuss)
    D’Evelyn has a monster matchup with Valor Christian looming this week. (Dennis Pleuss)

    A Look Ahead:

    Monday, Jan. 26:

    • How about starting the week off with a 5A top to match with some of the top guards in the state? Get to Denver East early as Eaglecrest comes to visit!!
    • Lakewood tries to blemish Dakota Ridge’s undefeated record.
    • Air Academy at Falcon.

    Tuesday, Jan. 27:

    • Legend at Highlands Ranch would be our pick in the Continental league this night. Mountain Vista at Heritage good as well.
    • Fossil Ridge at Horizon is our pick in Front Range play.
    • Like the DPL action in Montbello at Lincoln and George Washington hosting Thomas Jefferson.
    • Grand Junction at Fruita Monument.
    • Fountain Fort-Carson at Rampart.
    • We’ll take Prairie View at Northglenn in East Metro.
    • Rock Canyon at Ponderosa.
    • Widefield at Sierra down south.
    • Silver Creek at No. 1 Longmont.

    Wednesday, Jan. 28:

    • Cherry Creek at Smoky Hill looking good in Centennial play.
    • Ralston Valley at Dakota Ridge.
    • Thornton at Aurora Central for a little East Metro separation.
    • Take your pick down south in Pikes Peak 4A!

    Thursday, Jan. 29:

    • Boulder at Fairvew renewing their rivalry!
    • Doherty at Pine Creek. Palmer at Liberty in C.S. Metro.
    • D’Evelyn at Valor Christian our 4A game of the night!

    Friday, Jan. 30:

    • Cherry Creek at Cherokee Trail caught our eye in Centennial play.
    • Mountain Vista at Highlands Ranch for southern bragging rights.
    • ThunderRidge will have their hands full with the Rock Canyon guards in a fun one!
    • Rivalry night in Jeffco led by Ralston Valley/Arvada West.
    • George Washington at Denver South.
    • Lewis Palmer at Sand Creek.
    • Pueblo West at Pueblo Central in 4A top 10 match!
    • No. 1 Longmont at Centaurus.

    Saturday, Jan. 31:

    • Rare Saturday night chance to catch No. 1 Regis as Heritage pays a visit.
    • Get in that line early as “The Bellos/Angels” is always fun at the Thunderdome!
    • Palmer at Doherty for some down south bragging rights along with Rampart at Sand Creek!
    • Our game of the night: Valor at Golden in 4A top 10 action!

    Get out there and support the hoops Colorado!

  • Regis Jesuit now No. 1 in hockey poll

    Regis Jesuit Heritage hockey
    Regis Jesuit is now No. 1 in the hockey rankings. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Regis Jesuit has taken over atop CHSAANow.com’s hockey poll, three days after former No. 1 Ralston Valley saw its long winning streak come to an end.

    The Raiders received six of the 10 first-place votes, and totalled 94 points. Cherry Creek is now up to No. 2, and had 85 total points.

    Also moving up was No. 3 Monarch and No. 4 Mountain Vista, which ended Ralston’s streak at 38 games on Friday with a 4-3 win.

    Ralston Valley dropped to No. 5 this week.

    Dakota Ridge stayed at No. 6, Resurrection Christian dropped to No. 7 after a loss Saturday to Cherry Creek, and Air Academy held at No. 8.

    Doherty is the lone newcomer to this week’s poll. The Spartans, last ranked on Dec. 8, are No. 9.

    Columbine rounds out the ranking at No. 10.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Hockey Poll

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Hockey
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Regis Jesuit (6) 12-0-0 94 2 2-0-0
    2 Cherry Creek (1) 10-0-0 85 3 2-0-0
    3 Monarch (1) 8-0-1 70 4 2-0-0
    4 Mountain Vista 9-1-1 69 7 2-0-0
    5 Ralston Valley (2) 8-1-0 68 1 0-1-0
    6 Dakota Ridge 9-1-0 48 6 2-0-0
    7 Resurrection Christian 9-2-0 41 5 1-1-0
    8 Air Academy 10-1-0 37 8 2-0-0
    9 Doherty 9-3-0 12 – 2-0-0
    10 Columbine 7-7-0 10 9 0-3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Lewis-Palmer 7, Aspen 4, Battle Mountain 3, Pine Creek 2, Denver East 1, Palmer 1.
    Dropped out
    Lewis-Palmer (10).

  • Faith Christian (3A), Resurrection Christian (2A) new No. 1s in boys basketball

    Faith Christian Denver Science & Tech boys basketball
    Faith Christian is now the No. 1 team in Class 3A. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Faith Christian has taken over as the new No. 1 team in the Class 3A boys basketball rankings, while Resurrection Christian is now atop the 2A poll.

    Faith (12-1) received 11 of the 14 first-place votes in 3A to leap over former No. 1 Colorado Springs Christian in the CHSAANow.com poll. The Eagles totalled 128 points to CSCS’s 124. CSCS is No. 2 this week.

    The 3A poll added No. 8 St. Mary’s, which knocked off Colorado Springs Christian last week, and No. 10 Moffat County.

    Resurrection Christian (12-0) got seven of the 10 first-place votes in 2A to jump Sanford. Voters were apparently impressed by the way the Cougars handled then-No. 3 Highland on Friday, moving them up over Sanford, which is also unbeaten (11-0).

    2A added Yuma at No. 9 this week.

    The other No. 1 teams stayed put: Regis Jesuit (5A), Longmont (4A) and Sangre de Cristo (1A).

    The 5A ranking added Fossil Ridge at No. 10, Denver South joined 4A at No. 9, and 1A added Sierra Grande (No. 9).

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Regis Jesuit (20) 15-0 200 1 2-0
    2 ThunderRidge 15-1 163 2 1-0
    3 Eaglecrest 11-3 144 4 2-0
    4 Dakota Ridge 14-0 137 3 1-0
    5 Overland 10-5 127 5 2-0
    6 Rock Canyon 13-3 95 8 2-0
    7 Mountain Vista 13-2 72 7 1-0
    8 Chaparral 11-4 51 6 1-1
    9 Denver East 7-7 43 9 1-1
    10 Fossil Ridge 10-5 16 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Monarch 14, Legend 11, Cherry Creek 7, Montbello 7, Mountain Range 3, Rampart 3, Boulder 2, Cherokee Trail 2, Rangeview 2, Arvada West 1.
    Dropped out
    Montbello (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Longmont (19) 14-0 208 1 2-0
    2 Golden (2) 12-2 188 2 2-0
    3 Holy Family 12-2 120 5 3-0
    4 Sand Creek 10-3 112 3 0-0
    5 Pueblo Central 12-3 96 10 2-0
    6 Pueblo West 12-3 87 8 1-0
    7 Valor Christian 9-4 82 6 2-0
    8 Sierra 11-3 67 9 2-0
    9 Denver South 10-5 32 – 2-0
    10 Pueblo South 9-5 31 4 1-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Air Academy 27, Widefield 27, D’Evelyn 23, Vista Peak 13, Conifer 8, Pueblo Centennial 7, Northridge 6, Glenwood Springs 5, Lewis-Palmer 5, Thompson Valley 4, Windsor 4, Silver Creek 3.
    Dropped out
    Air Academy (7).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Faith Christian (11) 12-1 128 2 2-0
    2 Colorado Springs Christian (3) 11-1 124 1 1-1
    3 Lutheran 11-1 97 3 1-0
    4 Jefferson Academy 11-2 90 4 1-0
    5 Colorado Academy 8-5 76 5 0-1
    6 Sterling 11-2 49 8 2-0
    7 Kent Denver 8-3 45 7 1-1
    8 St. Mary’s 8-4 34 – 2-0
    9 Grand Valley 9-2 29 6 1-1
    10 Moffat County 8-3 24 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    The Pinnacle 21, Alamosa 13, Liberty Common 10, Estes Park 9, Bennett 7, Manitou Springs 7, Buena Vista 3, Bayfield 2, Eaton 1, Roaring Fork 1.
    Dropped out
    Bayfield (9), Manitou Springs (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (7) 12-0 97 2 2-0
    2 Sanford (3) 11-0 92 1 2-0
    3 Ignacio 9-2 74 5 1-0
    4 Highland 12-1 61 3 1-1
    5 Meeker 10-0 57 6 2-0
    6 Ellicott 9-1 45 9 2-0
    7 Simla 10-1 34 4 1-1
    8 Caliche 11-1 22 10 2-0
    9 Yuma 9-3 18 – 2-0
    10 Rye 9-3 16 7 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Akron 14, Swink 13, Paonia 5, Crowley County 2.
    Dropped out
    Akron (8).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sangre De Cristo (9) 12-0 90 1 2-0
    2 Springfield 11-2 70 2 2-0
    3 Jim Elliot 11-1 64 3 2-0
    4 Arickaree/Woodlin 12-0 62 4 3-0
    5 South Baca 11-2 46 7 3-0
    6 Holly 11-2 44 6 2-0
    7 Fleming 9-2 42 8 3-0
    8 Ouray 11-1 41 5 1-0
    9 Sierra Grande 8-3 11 – 2-0
    10 Wiley 9-2 8 9 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Peetz 4, Primero 4, Shining Mountain 4, Community Christian 3, Kit Carson 1, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 1.
    Dropped out
    Kit Carson (10).

  • Rampart joins 5A girls basketball poll at No. 10

    (Courtesy of Robin Cook)
    Rampart girls basketball is ranked No. 10 in Class 5A. (Courtesy of Robin Cook)

    Rampart has joined this week’s Class 5A girls basketball rankings this week.

    The Rams (11-4) are riding a five-game winning streak. They are ranked No. 10 by CHSAANow.com’s panel of voters.

    Elsewhere in 5A, ThunderRidge continued to lead the poll, and got 15 of the 16 first-place votes. Broomfield remained at No. 2, while Grandview moved up one place to No. 3. Monarch also moved up one spot to No. 4.

    Monarch rounds up 5A’s top 5 teams.

    Each of the four other No. 1 teams also remained the same. Those are Valor Christian (4A), Sterling (3A), Peyton (2A) and Kit Carson (1A).

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (15) 13-2 159 1 2-0
    2 Broomfield (1) 12-2 138 2 3-0
    3 Grandview 12-1 124 4 2-0
    4 Monarch 14-1 109 5 2-0
    5 Highlands Ranch 12-4 102 3 1-1
    6 Horizon 12-3 73 6 1-1
    7 Denver East 11-3 57 7 1-0
    8 Ralston Valley 10-4 47 8 2-0
    9 Grand Junction 12-4 20 9 2-0
    10 Rampart 11-4 19 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherry Creek 8, Lakewood 8, Fossil Ridge 5, Regis Jesuit 4, Arapahoe 3, Pine Creek 2, Rocky Mountain 2.
    Dropped out
    Lakewood (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Valor Christian (14) 13-1 176 1 2-0
    2 Canon City (4) 14-0 163 2 1-0
    3 Holy Family 11-3 110 3 2-1
    4 Pueblo West 11-4 105 4 1-0
    5 Glenwood Springs 11-2 66 10 2-0
    6 Montrose 10-3 60 5 2-1
    7 D’Evelyn 10-4 58 9 2-0
    8 Pueblo East 11-4 56 8 2-0
    9 Pueblo South 10-3 55 7 2-0
    10 Evergreen 11-3 31 6 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Greeley Central 21, Longmont 17, Mesa Ridge 14, Sand Creek 14, Durango 13, Air Academy 6, Eagle Valley 6, Mullen 6, Palisade 5, Falcon 3, Thomas Jefferson 3, Littleton 1, Mead 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sterling (10) 13-0 150 1 2-0
    2 Manitou Springs (3) 11-1 139 3 2-0
    3 Pagosa Springs (4) 10-0 133 2 2-0
    4 Lutheran 12-1 123 4 2-0
    5 St. Mary’s 14-0 111 5 3-0
    6 Eaton 11-2 69 6 1-1
    7 Olathe 9-1 51 8 1-0
    8 La Junta 10-3 28 7 1-1
    9 Machebeuf 9-3 27 – 2-0
    10 Platte Valley 9-3 20 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Faith Christian 16, Centauri 14, Salida 11, Lamar 10, Liberty Common 9, Kent Denver 7, Trinidad 6, The Vanguard 4, Valley 4, Colorado Academy 2, Alamosa 1.
    Dropped out
    Faith Christian (9), Centauri (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Peyton (7) 10-0 96 1 2-0
    2 Hoehne (2) 12-0 84 2 2-0
    3 Caliche (1) 12-0 83 3 2-0
    4 Yuma 10-2 69 6 2-0
    5 Cedaredge 13-0 63 5 2-0
    6 Akron 10-2 56 4 1-1
    7 Meeker 8-2 31 7 2-0
    8 Highland 9-3 18 10 2-0
    9 Paonia 8-4 17 8 0-1
    10 Del Norte 10-3 7 – 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 5, Ellicott 4, Ignacio 4, Wray 4, Sanford 3, Soroco 3, Sedgwick County 2, Kiowa 1, West Grand 1.
    Dropped out
    Sedgwick County (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Kit Carson (5) 10-0 76 1 1-0
    2 Sangre De Cristo (3) 10-0 74 2 2-0
    3 Idalia 10-1 61 3 2-0
    4 Norwood 10-0 59 4 1-0
    5 Genoa-Hugo 11-1 46 6 2-0
    6 Briggsdale 9-3 37 5 2-1
    7 South Baca 11-2 31 7 3-0
    8 Cheraw 8-3 19 – 1-0
    9 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 9-2 10 – 1-0
    10 Heritage Christian 9-3 9 9 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Fleming 6, La Veta 5, Eads 2, Prairie 2, Hi-Plains 1, Jim Elliot 1, Shining Mountain 1.
    Dropped out
    Fleming (8), Plateau Valley (10).

  • Rampart kicker Tristan Bailey chooses Wyoming

    (Courtesy of Tristan Bailey)
    (Courtesy of Tristan Bailey)

    COLORADO SPRINGS — Just over a week before signing day, another FBS prospect has decided to play football outside of Colorado.

    Rampart kicker Tristan Bailey, who was named to the CHSAANow.com All-State team, has decided to attend school at Wyoming and continue his kicking career with the Cowboys. Bailey was being recruited by both Colorado State and the University of Colorado, but found that Wyoming was a better fit for him.

    “I visted there, this past weekend and just seeing everything that’s going on just really sold me,” Bailey said. “When I went to Boulder and Fort Collins I just felt unsure about everything. When I went to Wyoming, everything seemed to fit.”

    Bailey was successful on 10 of his 12 field goal attempts for the Rams this fall, with his longest boot coming from 53 yards out.

    National Letter of Intent Day is just over a week away, and on Feb. 4, players will make their college choices official. CHSAANow will maintain an updated recruiting database.

  • Arvada picks Bortner as new football coach

    Arvada hired Richard Bortner as its football coach last week, according to athletic director Justin Carpenter.

    Bortner was most recently been the offensive coordinator at Hinkley, and has also been an assistant at Skyline. He played high school football in Florida, and in college at Middle Tennessee State. Bortner was also a student assistant at MTSU for two seasons.

    The coach will take over for Matt Cisneros, and inherits a Class 3A program that went 0-10 last season. In fact, the Bulldogs are currently mired in a 17-game losing streak.

    “Success is not won overnight,” Bortner wrote in an email. “Success is determined by growth and the understanding that with each passing day we never stay the same — we either gain ground or lose ground.

    “At Arvada we are going to set high expectations with the understanding that we might not reach those expectations right away,” he continued. “We will understand that through the journey to achieve these high expectation we will become better people.”

    Follow all of football’s offseason coaching movement in our tracker.

  • Pomona’s Gutierrez shines at wrestling’s Top of the Rockies tourney

    (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com)
    (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com)

    LAFAYETTE — Performing under pressure is nothing new for Pomona wrestler Tomas Gutierrez.

    The junior was in the spotlight again Saturday night at the prestigious Top of the Rockies tournament — and he thrived.

    Gutierrez muscled past Pueblo County’s Grant Willits 6-4 in overtime of the 113-pound championship match before a capacity crowd at Tom Sutak Gymnasium.

    “I was just trying to shoot to score,” said Gutierrez about his strategy in the 1-minute overtime. “I stayed positive and I’m pretty confident on my feet and I knew that’s where I could beat him.”

    Gutierrez captured the victory with a takedown with 12 seconds remaining in the sudden-death session. This was Gutierrez’s second consecutive championship at the Top of the Rockies as he won the 106-pound class a year ago.

    (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com)
    Pomona’s Tomas Gutierrez. (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com)

    “It feels pretty good to win a great tournament like this again,” Gutierrez said. “This is good preparation for me for the upcoming state tournament.”

    Gutierrez also is the reigning 106-pound Class 5A state champ and is No. 1 in 5A in the latest On the Mat rankings. The Class 2A-5A state wrestling tournament is Feb. 19-21 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

    “After state last year there has been a lot of pressure, but with that title you have to learn to deal with the pressure and all that comes with it,” the 5-foot-3 Gutierrez said. “That’s when you have to push yourself and do everything as good as you did last year or better.”

    Against Willits, Gutierrez took a quick 2-0 lead with a takedown 59 seconds into the match. With time winding down in the first period, Gutierrez stretched his lead to 4-1 with a reversal.

    The sophomore Willits, who won the Class 4A title last season at 106 pounds, didn’t surrender. Instead, he battled back and cut the deficit to 4-3 with a takedown with 44 ticks left in the second period. Late in the third, Willits’ escape tied the match setting the stage for overtime.

    “Going into the match, I knew how he stayed low and I had to keep good position and protect my legs and not let him get shots,” said Willits, who is ranked No. 1 in 4A at 113 pounds by On the Mat. “I thought I could win it in overtime, but he caught me flat footed. I tried to roll him, but he had me locked up pretty good and I didn’t expect his shot.”

    Hunter Willits, Grant’s fraternal twin who was the 132-pound 4A state winner in 2014, is ranked No. 1 at 138 pounds by On the Mat. Grant, however, missed the Top of the Rockies tournament because of an illness.

    Pomona coach Sam Federico praised Gutierrez’s effort.

    (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com)
    (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com)

    “That weight bracket (113 pounds) at this tournament was nasty, it was probably the toughest weight bracket here,” Federico said. “He beat some really good kids to make it to the finals and then he beat a state champ in the finals, so it was a job well done. I knew if he (Tomas) continued wrestling in overtime and stayed after it, he would score. That’s how he scored early on in the match and then we kind of hit the brakes a little bit and you can’t do that, you have to wrestle for six minutes straight.”

    Gutierrez acknowledged winning another state crown is square on his radar.

    “Wrestling is a great sport and I’m going to keep working hard so I can be a state champion again,” said Gutierrez, who was fourth at state his freshman season at 106s. “I also definitely don’t want my wrestling career to stop in high school. I want wrestle in college one day.”

    Federico also believes Gutierrez will be wearing another state gold medal on Feb. 21

    “I expect him to be a state champion again,” Federico said. “He’s that kind of kid, he a hard worker and he’s a leader on this team.”

  • Photos: Woodley leads Regis Jesuit hockey over Denver East

    CENTENNIAL — Cale Woodley had two goals and two assists to lead No. 2 Regis Jesuit hockey past Denver East on Saturday, 8-1.