CHSAANow

Month: November 2015

  • Broomfield repeats as 5A boys soccer champ with OT win over Mountain Vista

    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Broomfield beat Mountain Vista in overtime to win the Class 5A championship. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    COMMERCE CITY — Before scoring the game-winning goal in the Class 5A boys soccer state finals against Mountain Vista, Broomfield senior forward Cody Ewing was actually on the bench towards the end of regulation.

    “We pulled him late in the game, because he looked like he was struggling a little bit,” legendary Broomfield coach Jim Davidson said. “Then I turned to my staff, as we were approaching the overtime, and I asked, ‘Think we should bring Cody on and give him that senior opportunity?’ I’m glad we made that decision.”

    Ewing subbed back in and, just over two minutes into overtime, got a pass he could work with. On an aggressive run out, the fourth-year striker got a little separation from the Golden Eagle defense with his speed and tucked a shot past Mountain Vista goalie Christopher Reicher.

    “I was just like, ‘Alright this is my moment.’ I hooked it with the outside of my right foot. I fell over and didn’t even see it go in,” Ewing said.

    As soon as the play was over, he sprinted to the nearby Broomfield (18-2) student section to celebrate a 2-1 overtime victory over Mountain Vista (12-7-1) at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. With the win, Davidson’s team secured back-to-back state championships for the first time in his storied career.

    Nothing came easy Saturday night though as seeds were thrown out. Nevermind the fact that Broomfield was the No. 2 seed, one of the heavy favorites to win it all, and Mountain Vista had just snuck into the 32-team state tournament as the No. 28 seed after an 8-6-1 regular season record.

    A Cinderella team in 2015, coach Theresa Echtermeyer had won three titles on the girls side, leading Mountain Vista to the 5A state title in 2005, 2011, and 2013. The closest they had come on the boys side was runner-up to Cherry Creek in 2010, a 1-0 double overtime loss.

    Broomfield Mountain Vista boys soccer
    More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Despite the odds against Mountain Vista this year, the Golden Eagles, after a scoreless first half, jumped on Broomfield first when Nolan Gao buried a shot off a wonderful cross from Davis Auth. The goal in the 45th minute gave the underdogs a 1-0 lead.

    Broomfield’s Justin Hamm, with help from Porter Milner and his amazing flip throw ability, had the answer in the 53rd minute to tie the game at one. After that, back-and-forth the teams went with neither giving an inch the rest of regulation.

    Finally, in overtime, Ewing provided the dagger.

    For Davidson, coaching his eighth state championship match on the boys side, 13th overall, trailing in a title game was anything but comfortable.

    “I’ve never been in a championship game where we’ve played from behind and won, so I was very concerned that the season was flashing before my eyes,” he admitted.

    Davidson was both relieved and joyous after this one. On top of it all, he was going against a mentor, as well, adding to the emotional element of the match, as if a thrilling overtime title-winning game wasn’t emotional enough.

    “Theresa is one of my closest coaching friends,” Davidson said. “She’s a person I admire that, early in my career, I considered a mentor. She’s a terrific friend, so it’s a little bittersweet that it ends up being against Vista, because of the job she does.”

    Echtermeyer, who said the belief factor was huge in the Golden Eagles’ run all the way to the finals, said the match was everything a title match should be.

    “Tonight was obviously a classic battle, a great championship match between two fantastic teams,” she said. “I have such great respect for Jim Davidson and what he’s doing with his program. He’s the top of the top.”

    Mountain Vista took out No. 5 Monarch 2-1, No. 12 Aurora Central 2-1, No. 4 Arapahoe 2-1, and No. 1 Fairview 1-0 during their incredible run to the finals.

    As for Broomfield, the Eagles are now tied with Cherry Creek for the most boys soccer state championships in history, regardless of class. The Eagles, after winning four in 4A between 1999 and 2007, have now won twice in 5A. Their six state titles rank No. 1 with the Bruins, just ahead of Faith Christian, Smoky Hill, Liberty, and Arapahoe, who have all won five.

  • Photos: Broomfield tops Mountain Vista in OT for 5A title

    COMMERCE CITY — No. 2-seeded Broomfield took down red-hot No. 28-seeded Mountain Vista to secure the 5A boys soccer championship on Saturday.

    Cody Ewing delivered the game-winner in the first overtime for Broomfield. Nolan Gao scored the first goal of the game to give Mountain Vista the lead, but Justin Hamm knotted the game with a goal less than ten minutes later.

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  • Photos: Pine Creek football cruises past Thompson Valley in first round

    COLORADO SPRINGS – The Pine Creek Eagles advanced to the second round of the Class 4A football playoffs with a 37-8 win over Thompson Valley.

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  • Photos: ThunderRidge football tops Fruita Monument to move to quarters

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — No. 6-seeded ThunderRidge beat No. 7-seeded Fruita Monument, 30-14, to advance to the quarterfinals in the 5A football playoffs.

    The Grizzlies will play the defending champion, Cherry Creek, next week.

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  • Cheyenne Mountain takes 4A state volleyball title by beating two-time defending champ Lewis-Palmer

    DENVER – In the end, Cheyenne Mountain just had too many weapons. In a rematch of October’s Pikes Peak Athletic Conference championship game, Cheyenne Mountain swept Lewis-Palmer 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 29-28), but this time for a much bigger prize.

    For the first time in three years, the Indians are the Class 4A volleyball state champions.

    “There was something magical about this team early on,” coach David Barkley said. “We knew the talent was there, but we also knew in 4A, there were plenty of good teams like Lewis-Palmer that we would have to fight through.”

    All season, the Indians (27-1) overall proved to be up to the challenge. They suffered only one setback in a 3-1 loss to Eaton (who came away with the 3A title for the third year in a row), but then cruised through the rest of their competition. That included a 3-1 win over the Rangers (25-4), the first in-state loss for the two-time defending champions in two years.

    “It gave us a lot of confidence, but it was especially humbling,” senior hitter Bethany Cullity said. “We knew we had to work that much harder to beat them again so it just made us work 10 times harder.”

    Cullity led all Cheyenne Mountain attackers with 15 kills on the match. She came through in clutch situations, putting the ball down in crucial moments that either pulled the Indians even or gave them a lead.

    But she was playing with a purpose.

    One of her best friends, Celeste James, passed away at the start of the 2015 season and the loss took an emotional toll. James was set to play for Cherokee Trail, who came away as the 5A champion.

    Cheyenne Mountain celebrates winning the Class 4A state championship. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    “(This moment) is extremely special,” she said. “I did it for her and I did it with my team. We did it together and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

    Like the league championship game from just over a month ago, the Rangers had difficulty defending the Cheyenne Mountain attack. There wasn’t a position on the floor that could be construed as a weakness and in the end, Susan Odenbaugh’s bunch could match-up.

    “They have really strong serving and a really tall front row,” Odenbaugh said. “They’ve got so many weapons on the front row at all three positions and the block was struggling a little bit.”

    If there was one thing the Indians were aware of, it was their strength in the front line. The versatility and the options they had helped them remain dominant all year and come away with their sixth championship trophy in eight years.

    “That was our biggest threat,” senior Elizabeth Wayne said. “We can go to anyone in the front row, or the back row so it’s always hard for other teams to defend that.”

    As Barkley looked as his newly won hardware, he couldn’t help but think about just how much talent was on the floor during the 4A title game. It doesn’t escape him that the last eight state titles have come from one league and only from two teams. But unlike the last two years, he wanted the first-place trophy to reside in southern Colorado Springs rather than monument.

    “I called dibs (on the big trophy),” he said with a laugh. “For us to win that against a team that good is a huge compliment to our program.”

  • Cherokee Trail overcomes season’s worth of adversity, wins 5A volleyball championship

    DENVER — Just seven points away from claiming its first state volleyball championship, Cherokee Trail took a collective deep breath Saturday night as it broke from a timeout.

    The calming effect worked to perfection. The Cougars closed out the Class 5A state title match by scoring seven of the final 10 points to take a 25-23, 25-20, 25-19 victory over Fairview to come away with the crown at the Denver Coliseum.

    “We’ve kind of been doing that for awhile. I don’t know how it started,” said Cougars senior Shannon Webb, who put the match away with a decisive kill. “We let all of the emotion out. You calm down and you let it all out.”

    Cherokee Trail (25-4) capped a whirlwind day for the 5A field and an emotional season overall with its first trophy. The Cougars overcame the passing of teammate Celeste James before the season began, along with the loss of middle blocker Amazing Ashby to an injury in September, and pulled together when it mattered most.

    “These girls fought for every point in every match that they played this season,” Cougars coach Terry Miller said. “They’ve earned every single game that they played, and I can’t be more proud. It means the whole world to these girls, and they’re going to remember this season for the rest of their lives.”

    After two of the four 5A pools went to tiebreakers, the 5A semifinals were the last matches to be played before the finals began one hour later than scheduled. Cherokee Trail, which had been idle all day after winning two matches Friday, defeated Denver East in three sets while Fairview downed Rock Canyon in four sets.

    The Knights (22-7) opened the day with a five-set loss to Coronado, but won a single-set tiebreaker over Coronado later to advance to the semis.

    “They just do not quit. We played 13 sets today,” Fairview coach Kelsey Spencer said. “They fought every point of every play. I am so impressed with the tenacity, work ethic and team chemistry.”

    Cherokee Trail jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead in the first set, then withstood a furious rally from the Knights. Fairview got to within one point at match point, but Cherokee Trail’s Kenzie Hendon put the set away with a kill.

    The Cougars rallied from a five-point deficit in the second set, going on a 13-5 run to take command. Hendon again put the set away.

    “There were times when I was a little afraid of what was going on,” Miller said. “Fairview had us on our heels when it comes down to the tips, but we made some adjustments on it and were able to neutralize that a little bit more than I think they wanted.”

    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The two teams went back-and-forth in the final set, but an 8-3 run down the stretch sealed the match for Cherokee Trail. Webb’s thunderous kill was the deciding point.

    “That was my last high school swing ever,” Webb said. “After the season we’ve had, to put that away for my team and for my school, it’s pretty awesome.”

    For the three seniors who were on the court Saturday night, going out with a state championship meant everything after all that had been endured this fall.

    “We’ve seen each other at our most vulnerable, which is pretty powerful,” Webb said. “We rebuilt together, so there’s a really strong bond of trust.”

    Fairview will graduate six seniors off a team that made an impressive run through the state tournament as the No. 8 overall seed. The Knights defeated No. 1 overall seed Chatfield on Friday night.

    “Now they’ve got a taste and they know what it feels like,” Spencer said.

    Webb said the moment was exciting but surreal. The senior is headed to American University next year, and going out on top is a moment she and her teammates will forever cherish.

    “These are the lessons that they’re going to carry on for the rest of their lives,” Miller said. “It’s not all about volleyball for us this year, but life lessons and being able to persevere through any challenges that were thrown your way.

    “Celeste was looking out for us this season.”

  • Otis rallies from a set down to take 1A state volleyball title

    DENVER — The loud crowd noise as five courts of state finals volleyball played simultaneously created an electrifying atmosphere in the Denver Coliseum that would have gotten anyone excited. The two best teams in Class 1A faced off in the finals with the No.1 Otis Bulldogs defeating No. 2 Idalia Wolves 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 22-25, 25-16, 15-12) in a match that came down to the wire.

    Senior outside hitter Lissette Lefforge dominated when she needed to, helping her team hoist the state championship trophy.

    “This is unbelievable,” said Lefforge. “This is what we worked our whole lives for. Since the first grade I’ve been working with Kylee (Kutz) and Tonya (Schaffert) and this is what we wanted our whole lives. Semifinal was not good enough this year. We took it home.”

    The final set of the game showed how much composure as team Otis had after dropping the first two consecutive sets to fall behind 2-1. They battled back in set three to tie things up, sending the match to a fifth and final set.

    Otis volleyball
    Otis celebrates winning the 1A volleyball championship game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, at the Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colo. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Otis was able to start the set off strong but Idalia rallied back tie it up six different times. Lefforge showed her dominance with powerful strikes in the most important set of her life to help lead her team to victory in 15-12 win.

    “We came back two sets to two,” Lefforge said. “Neck and neck to the very end. Mental toughness is what helped us win.”

    Bulldogs coach Bonnie Wallin-Kuntz nodded in agreement with Lefforge about mental toughness being key for their win.

    “My kids do all the talking, they know exactly what’s going on. It’s a family,” said coach Wallin-Kuntz

    Otis’s first set showed exactly why they were the No. 1 seed coming into the weekend. They controlled the game with vicious strikes from Lefforge and and well-placed tips from Schaffert, creating the perfect combo to win the first set 25-21.

    But Idalia was far from done and came back strong in the second set. The Wolves’s defense helped them maintain a comfortable lead every time the Bulldogs tried to rally back. Otis nearly pulled even after falling behind 24-20 but Wolves couldn’t afford to be down 2-0 and finished the set strong to to take a 25-23 win.

    The confident Otis team started to look flustered as Idalia carried the momentum into the third set. Senior right setter Susana Herrera and senior outside hitter Reagan Shaffer both capitalized on key opportunities throughout the set giving them the biggest lead of the match at 16-9. Once again Otis rallied back at 22-24 but fell short, losing the set 25-22

    With Idalia’s only two losses of the season coming at the hands of Otis, a 2-1 lead looked like they were on the verge to redeeming their loss in the best way possible.

    But in the fourth set, Otis had its back against the wall and Idalia had chance to win it all. The Wolves one-two combo, Herrera and Shaffer, helped tie the game at crucial moments, but it wasn’t enough. Otis built an eight-point lead that was too big for Idalia to climb back from, and suddenly, the match was tied.

    The final set of the game came down to the team who could make the clutch plays at the right moment. The teams traded back and forth points and were tied at 12-12. Otis was able to step it up and score the last three points winning the final set 15-12 and bringing home a state title.

    “I feel great,” said coach Wallin-Kuntz “These kids have worked so hard. I told them their hard work will payoff, just believe it. Just keep working because there is no better feeling when your hard work pays offs.”

  • Yuma beats two-time defending champ Resurrection Christian, wins 2A volleyball

    DENVER — The Yuma girls volleyball team was tired of finishing second.

    The Indians were runner-up for three consecutive years at the Class 2A girls state basketball tournament.

    Last year Yuma finished second at the 2A volleyball tournament, watching Resurrection Christian win its second straight title.

    Faced with the task of meeting Resurrection Christian in this year’s state final, the Indians were determined to change fate.

    It took five games, but Yuma brought the state championship trophy back to the northeast corner of the state with a hard-fought 17-25, 29-27, 25-21, 21-25, 15-7 victory over the Cougars.

    “It means everything to us,” Yuma senior outside hitter Tara Traphagan said.

    Yuma’s last and only previous volleyball championship was 1990, in 3A.

    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The Indians knew the daunting task facing them, Traphagan said. But they couldn’t worry about what Resurrection Christian was going to do.

    “We just knew we had to take care of our side,” she said.

    Traphagan was Yuma’s major force in the deciding game. At 4-4, the Indians reeled off eight straight points including two kills, a tip and a direct with her at the net.

    “I just told myself there’s no way we’re losing this game,” Traphagan said.

    “She was on fire tonight,” Yuma coach Jenny Noble said.

    The team was not where it needed to be at mid-season, Noble said, so she tweaked the lineup. The changes worked as the team’s fortunes took a rise.

    Resurrection Christian traditionally has some big hitters, and this year was no different. The Indians countered that with strong play at the net.

    “Our blocking was huge tonight,” Noble said.

    Yuma’s celebration was increased when it joined another school from the northeast corner, Otis, in celebrating a state title. The Bulldogs went five games to capture the 1A crown.

  • Eaton wins third-straight state volleyball championship with sweep of Valley

    DENVER — The Eaton Reds came in with an agenda, and it didn’t take them long to deliver.

    The top-seeded Reds (28-0 overall) capped an impressive weekend of volleyball with a three-set sweep of the sixth-seeded Valley Vikings (20-9) to three-peat as state champions in Class 3A.

    “I’m so proud of this squad,” said coach Gwen Forster. “Every year is different and honestly I’m not sure that this team got as much due as they should have in Colorado, being ranked nationally and all. But to see them finish the way they did really makes it all worth it.”

    How dominant was Forster’s squad? They only lost four sets all season long, and the team’s current winning streak stands at 38 matches following the championship.

    The match against the Vikings began with high energy on both sides, but early miscues by both teams kept it close during the early going. Eventually Eaton would turn on the pressure, and senior Lindy Dixon would finish the set off with an ace as the Reds took the first frame comfortably, 25-15.

    Eaton volleyball
    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The second set began with more of the same, as the Reds gradually built a lead. Then, with standout junior Tarryn Sieg on the bench, Valley went on a short run, tying the set at 17 and prompting a timeout from Forster.

    “Tarryn really got us back on track there,” Forster said. “She came in and we got, what, five points in a row? The whole squad though, there was never any doubt for them.”

    Sieg’s presence indeed lifted the Reds in that second set, with several finishes and two blocks in the final nine points played.

    After such a hard battle in the second set, the third was almost a formality, as Eaton rolled to a 25-10 victory.

    “It’s so special for me (to get this championship) as a senior,” said Caiden Rexius after the game. “There’s never been a three-peat in our history, so making history as a team with these girls has just been so, so special.”

    For Valley, their second straight appearance in the 3A title game was bittersweet, but they have a lot to be proud of after a season of adversity.

    “We lost six seniors last season,” said Vikings coach Rene Aafedt, “ and a lot of people, even in our own school, thought that this team wasn’t going anywhere.

    We came in as the sixth seed and we knew how good Eaton is and we’re so familiar with them, I just told my girls to go out and play their game. We’re disappointed, but I so proud of everything these girls accomplished.”

    Both squads graduate only three seniors this season, so they’ll be poised for another run in 2016. Forster insists though, that the focus should be on the individual players that make up each of her vaunted teams.

    “I know people like to talk about the titles and the streak,” she said, “but it’s really all about the girls. It’s a smaller school and to keep having such great talent is really a testament to how hard they all work.”

  • Photos: State volleyball championships for all classes

    DENVER — Photos from the state volleyball championships for all five classes, which got underway on Saturday at the Denver Coliseum.

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