ARVADA — Dakota Ridge girls basketball beat Arvada West 43-36 on Wednesday.
Month: February 2015
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Photos: Van Sickle helps No. 6 Ralston Valley girls hoops top Columbine
LITTLETON — Ashley Van Sickle had 20 points to lead No. 6 Ralston Valley girls basketball to a 67-29 win over Columbine on Wednesday.
Hannah Weber and Sarah Bevington each added 10 points in the win.
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Basketball committee discusses expanding state tournaments to include all teams
Might the state basketball tournaments in Class 5A and 4A expand? (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com) AURORA — The basketball committee is exploring an idea which would expand the Class 4A and 5A boys and girls state tournaments to include all teams.
The committee began to discuss postseason formats because of last month’s changes to the classification structure which will even out teams in each class. They talked about keeping things as they are, but also about ways to change the format.
And during Wednesday’s meeting, at least for 5A and 4A, the idea of a totally-inclusive state tournament was popular among committee members. The format would be loosely modeled on what 1A and 2A have already implemented via regionals, but would incorporate all schools in the classification.
“We had a great discussion on the postseason format,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bert Borgmann, who administers basketball. “We have a very good 5A format — and a very successful format — that has been in place for over 10 years. But 5A has never addressed what might happen if the selection committee were to go away. The basketball committee wanted to address that.”
4A, meanwhile, “has struggled with a universally-accepted postseason format, and also needed to be addressed,” Borgmann said. “As the committee started looking at a variety of ideas, the concept off a format that was inclusive of all schools began to take form.”
The new CLOC structure calls for 66 teams in each classification in the 2016-18 two-year cycle. Those numbers may change slightly depending on things like play-ups, play-downs and enrollment changes among the membership.
But with that many teams, how to hold a state tournament?
The rough outline matches leagues into so-called “sectionals,” where four sectionals comprise the bracket. How teams would be placed on the bracket is yet to be discussed.
The 5A and 4A brackets would eventually pair down to a final 16 teams which would then be true-seeded.
Currently, the idea is only targeting 5A and 4A, but may expand to 3A-1A depending on feedback from the membership. (Class 2A has scheduled a meeting in September to discuss postseason format.)
Much remains to be done. CHSAA will send out a survey to member schools to gauge interest. Basketball committee members will also reach out to their respective classifications to discuss the idea, other ideas, or simply keeping things as they are.
If there’s enough to make a change, the committee will continue to work on the idea at its meeting in February 2016. From there, it would forward the idea in its report to the Legislative Council meeting in April.
If approved there, the new tournament structure would be implemented with the 2016-17 season.
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New schools placed into alignment
Five new schools were placed into regions by the committee:
- Beth Eden Baptist (Wheat Ridge) will play in 1A’s District 8
- Faith Baptist (Longmont) was placed in 1A’s District 4
- Likewise, Front Range Baptist (Fort Collins) will also be in 1A’s District 4
- Lotus School for Excellence (Aurora) will play in 2A’s District 4
- Atlas Prep (Colorado Springs) will play in the Confluence League of 3A
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Smoky Hill hires Trahan as football coach
Smoky Hill has hired John Trahan as its new football coach, athletic director Preston Davis said on Thursday.
Trahan had been the coach at Montbello from 2010-13, where he was 14-27 in four seasons. In 2013, his Warriors went 7-4 in Class 4A and lost to eventual state runner-up Montrose 31-25 in the first round of the playoffs.
He replaces Davis as coach at Smoky Hill, though Davis was only coach on an interim basis last season after the school changed coaches just prior to the season.
Smoky Hill went 3-7 last season in 5A, and missed the playoffs.
The Buffaloes return a very young roster. Key contributors at quarterback, running back and receiver were sophomores or juniors last season.
Follow all of this season’s football coaching changes in our tracker.
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Photos: No. 2 Holy Family boys basketball routs Roosevelt
BROOMFIELD — No. 2 Holy Family absolutely blew through Roosevelt, 89-46, on Tuesday night.
Holy Family (15-2, 9-0 4A Tri-Valley League) got off to a scorching start with lights out shooting, scoring 37 points in the first quarter alone.
The Tigers used intense defense and their fast break to quickly build their lead to 21 after the first quarter. At the half, they led by 26, and they finished up by 43 points, their largest lead of the game.
Roosevelt (6-12, 3-6) couldn’t keep up and was forced to take bad shots for much of the game.
Luke Golter scored the first eight points for Holy Family and finished with 15. Chris Helbig led all scorers with 17 points.
Jared Chick poured in 15 points to lead Roosevelt, while Jay Mccloughan added eight.
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No. 3 Ralston Valley hockey shuts out No. 4 Dakota Ridge
Ralston Valley goalie Scott Albertoni (31) makes a save on a shot from Dakota Ridge forward Jacob Gombos (5) during the third period Tuesday at the Edge Ice Arena. The two-team defending state champion Mustangs took a 3-0 victory over the Eagles. (Dennis Pleuss) LITTLETON — There will be no undefeated season for Ralston Valley’s hockey team this year. However, the ultimate goal of a third straight state championship is still well within reach for the Mustangs.
“It kind of always was about winning a third (state title),” Ralston Valley captain Joe Millar said of the team’s focus for the two-time defending state champions. “We just want to win a third. After you win there is a ton of pressure to keep it. All we want to do is do it again.”
Ralston Valley is zeroing in on finishing strong the final few weeks of the regular season. The Mustangs, ranked No. 3 in this week’s CHSAANow.com hockey poll, took a big step in staying atop the Foothills League with a 3-0 victory against No. 4 Dakota Ridge on Tuesday at the Edge Ice Arena.
Ralston Valley forward Ian Snedden (21) and Dakota Ridge forward Andrew Endsley (2) battle on a face-off during the second period Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss) “Dakota Ridge gave us all we could handle. They sent a message beating Monarch 5-0 last week,” Millar said. “Now I think we proved we are still relevant in the state and a contender.”
The Mustangs (12-1, 9-0 in Foothills League) got first-period goals from Cole Noel and Tony Salazar to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Stefan Fruhwirth scored on a breakaway goal midway through the third period to make the score 3-0.
Goalie Scott Albertoni and the Mustangs’ defense did the rest handing Dakota Ridge (12-2, 7-2) its first shutout loss of the season.
“My team really helped me out a lot. The defense was the key,” said Albertoni as he improved his record to 7-1 in net on the season. “If I don’t have guys in front of me battling I can’t do much. Guys were definitely sacrificing their bodies and blocking shots.”
Dakota Ridge wasn’t able to take advantage of three power plays. The Eagles even had a 6-on-3 with less than two minutes to play after they pulled goalie Joey Owston, but Albertoni denied Dakota Ridge’s late barrage.
“Things always start in the defensive zone and works out from there,” Ralston Valley coach Matt Schoepflin said of the Mustangs’ fifth shutout victory on the season. “We have really been focusing on that and I think we can get better defensively. I definitely think we are moving in the right direction.”
Ralston Valley has been trending the right way after having its 42-game unbeaten streak dating back to the 2012-13 season snapped Jan. 23 with a 4-3 loss to No. 2 Mountain Vista. Since that loss, Ralston Valley has outscored its last four opponents 26-2.
Dakota Ridge tested the Mustangs early in the first period controlling puck possession for the first five minutes. Noel was able to deflect an outside shot past Owston at the 6:59 mark to give the Mustangs the lead and momentum.
“We realized we had to pick it up,” Millar said of the opening period. “We finally did.”
Dakota Ridge defenseman Jack Bonniwell (28) attempts to clear the puck out of the Eagles’ offensive zone as Ralston Valley forward Jeff Moffat (14) closes in during the first period Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss) Salazar scored with less than three seconds remaining in the first period to provide a 2-0 lead. Ralston Valley’s leading scorer skated in front of the net before firing a shot past Owston.
Fruhwirth’s breakaway goal in the third period provided a little extra cushion.
“Tonight is one of those character wins. Dakota Ridge is a good team, a gritty team,” Schoepflin said. “It maybe wasn’t the flashiest win, but I like the way our whole team competed tonight. Top to bottom we played a strong game.”
Dakota Ridge has another huge league test when the Eagles face No. 5 Cherry Creek at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Family Sports Center in Aurora. A third conference loss would likely keep Dakota Ridge from finishing in the top two of the league and prevent the Eagles from hosting a regional.
Ralston Valley also skates Saturday. The Mustangs return to their home ice at the Apex Ice Arena in Arvada where they will drop the puck against Aspen at 2:30 p.m.
Earning a top seed and hosting in the early rounds of the playoffs on Feb. 27 and 28 is a goal the Mustangs have had since the beginning of the season.
“I think it’s a big advantage to us playing on our home ice,” Schoepflin said. “We get great crowds and a great atmosphere.”
Ralston Valley forward Cody Noel (6) dives for a loose puck in front of Dakota Ridge goalie Joey Owston (1) and forward Tony Carpenito (17) during the Foothills League game Tuesday at the Edge Ice Arena. Noel’s scored in the first period on the way to a 3-0 victory for the Mustangs. (Dennis Pleuss) -
No. 4 Pueblo West girls hoops beats No. 9 Pueblo South at home for first time
PUEBLO — Success is not a foreign concept in the Pueblo West High School girls basketball program.
The Cyclones have advanced to Class 4A Final Four twice in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Yet, since the school opened in 1997 they had never beat perennial power Pueblo South at the Colts’ home gym.
Until Tuesday that is.
Haley Simental scored 26 points and Shannon Sanchez added 12 points, powering West to a 48-40 victory over South in a key South-Central League game.
Pueblo West’s Shannon Sanchez, left, and her teammate Haley Simental. (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com) “Any win in the South-Central League is great,” West coach Gil Lucero said. “This is a huge win for us to beat South at South. We had to be able to weather the storm and keep our composure and that’s what we were able to do.”
The Cyclones (14-4) are ranked No. 4 in the latest CHSAAnow.com poll, and improved to 5-0 in the S-CL. South (11-5) dropped to 3-2 in the S-CL. The Colts have won five girls state basketball championships, the last one coming during the 2012-2013 season.
Simental scored 10 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter and was 6-for-6 from the free throw — 4-for-4 in the final 58.3 seconds of the game.
“I practice free throws all the time and coach (Lucero) emphasizes free throws,” the senior Semintal said. “We all work on free throws and I think it makes it easier knowing my teammates trust me and I just knocked them down.”
The first half was sluggish as West had a 20-12 lead. The Cyclones controlled the tempo once again after they came out of the locker room, but the Colts kept hanging around and cut the deficit to 35-29 on Jenny Hugins’ 3-pointer at 4:24 of the fourth quarter. Hugins had a team-best 15 points for the Colts.
South kept applying the pressure and when Jaylyn Duran made a bucket the Colts still were within six points – 42-36 with 1:17 remaining.
Simental was fouled on West’s next possession, and made two free throws with 58.3 ticks left and two more at the 32-second mark. The latter two gave the Cyclones a 46-38 edge and the Colts would get no closer than eight points before the final buzzer.
“We wanted to keep the lead so we could win,” Simental said.
Sanchez scored all her points on 3-pointers — her last trey was with 3:26 on the clock.
“It feels great to get this win at South,” Sanchez said. “My teammates were setting me up (for shots) and I was able to knock them down for them.”
South played the game without its veteran coach Shannan Lane, who didn’t attend the game because of a family emergency, but senior Colt post player Sissy Hall wasn’t making any excuses for the defeat.
“We knew coach had her family emergency and we wanted to (win) for her family,” Hall said. “We just had a tough game. We tried fighting back, but it didn’t end up how we wanted. Our shots started to fall toward the end, but by that time it was too late.”
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Submit your photos from the signing day ceremonies
National Signing Day is upon us. If you or someone you know is signing a national letter of intent, use the form below to upload your photo from the event.
Be sure to include the athlete’s name, school, and sport.
Additionally, browse our Class of 2015 recruiting database to ensure we have the commitment listed. If your commitment is not listed, email rcasey@chsaa.org with the athlete’s name, position, sport and college choice.
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Photos: National Signing Day ceremonies around the state
National Signing Day was Wednesday. We gathered photos from ceremonies around the state.
You can browse the Class of 2015 recruiting database.
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Photos: Ralston Valley hockey tops Dakota Ridge
LITTLETON — No. 3 Ralston Valley hockey shut out No. 4 Dakota Ridge 3-0 on Tuesday.