CHSAANow

Month: December 2016

  • Bayfield cheer brings rare two-person team to state spirit competition

    (Aislyn Carrillo/CHSAANow.com)
    (Aislyn Carrillo/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — In the world of high school cheerleading, four athletes are used in a majority of all-girl stunt sequences while 12 athletes are required to perform any variation of a flipping pyramid.

    Friday marked what is believed to be the first time in the history of CHSAA’s State Spirit Championships that a team consisting of only two athletes took the mat. This rare occurrence was done by the Bayfield cheer squad under the instruction of coach Aimee Whitney during the preliminary round.

    “I am so proud of them and it took a lot of courage for them to go out there and perform on their own,” said Whitney.

    The two Bayfield cheerleaders partnered up to perform stunts such as the shoulder sit, cartwheel on thighs, and thigh stands. Although these skills lack difficulty, the Wolverines still managed to earn a top-10 finish out of the twenty teams that performed in Class 3A Cheer — with every other team having, at minimum, a full stunt group.

    A standard cheer routine is split up into three sections: two music portions, and the cheer. The purpose of the cheer is to engage the crowd while using props such as signs, megaphones, and poms — all in hopes of getting a reaction from the crowd. With a team of two, one could imagine how hard it would be to make your voice be heard throughout the entire Denver Coliseum.

    With the support of an injured teammate, proud parents, and the entire dance team, the Wolverines yelled with pride and proudly represented Bayfield High School.

    From start to finish, the two competitors gave it their all. After stepping off the mat, captain Kaitlyn Gosey described the feeling as “satisfying, relieving, and fun.”

    After previously being a part of the Bayfield dance team, the two made the transition to the cheer team. This was both of the competitors’ first time competing at State as cheerleaders.

    “They’re two great performers and it was just about representing Bayfield and not giving up on our season,” said Whitney.

    At the start of the season, there were a total of 11 cheerleaders on the team. But through injuries, and other reasons, only four remain. (One of the four is injured, and another wasn’t able to attend on Friday.)

    Whitney has come to terms with how difficult it was losing over half of her team over the course of the year, but also recognizes their dedication and hard work.

    The Bayfield cheer program is grateful for this year’s experience at State but also has high hopes for the years to come.

    “Hopefully we’ll have a much bigger team,” Whitney said. “We’re going to try and build our team back up again and hopefully compete in co-ed.”

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    Finalists move on

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Find complete results from the first day of competition here.

    Six divisions completed their preliminary rounds on Friday, advancing teams to Saturday night’s finals. Saturday will also bring more preliminary rounds in the morning and afternoon. (Find a schedule here.)

    • In 2A Cheer division, out of twenty teams that competed, Cheyenne Wells, Highland, Swink and Dove Creek will all be moving onto Day 2 of the State Championships. Cheyenne Wells holds the a strong lead with an overall score of 75.2. Highland (70.4) and Swink (69.4) trail by about 5 points. Dove Creek sits at 65.1 going into Saturday’s championships.
    • Scores are much tighter in the 3A Cheer division with Coal Ridge (73.1) holding a 0.4 point lead on Faith Christian who sits at 72.7. James Irwin Charter (71.7) and The Academy (70.4) are also in the running, and with these four teams’ scores being this close, a lot can change with placings depending on Saturday’s execution in routines.
    • With only 12 teams competing in the 2A/3A coed division, only two teams have advanced to the final round. St. Mary’s currently holds the highest score in the 2A/3A division at 77.8. With almost a 10-point deficit, Strasburg trails with a score of 67.9.
    • Six finalists advanced out of the 5A Cheer division, with Grandview (86.9) leading the way among Eaglecrest (86.5), Chaparral (84.2), Rock Canyon (82.9), Fossil Ridge (82.2) and Loveland (80.6).
    • In 4A Cheer, there were four teams grouped closely at the top among the eight finalists. Wheat Ridge (79.9) holds a slight edge on Glenwood Springs (79.7), with Palmer Ridge (78.7) and Thompson Valley (78.2) close behind. Erie (75.3), Lewis-Palmer (74.9), Valor Christian (73.2) and Ponderosa (70.2) also advanced.
    • The 4A/5A coed division also had eight finalists, with Castle View (83.5) and Mountain Vista (82.5) leading the group. Other finalists include Vista Ridge (79.3), Heritage (76.5), Skyline (76.2), Fruita Monument (75.7), Falcon (74.4) and Palisade (73.3).

  • No. 4 Golden boys basketball powers past former league foe Conifer

    Golden's Adam Thistlewood (31) battles for a loose ball with Conifer's Kasim Rana (12) and Seth Sankey on Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletic)
    Golden’s Adam Thistlewood (31) battles for a loose ball with Conifer’s Kasim Rana (12) and Seth Sankey on Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletic)

    GOLDEN — Inside the 3-point line belonged to Golden’s boys basketball team Friday night.

    The Demons, ranked No. 4 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A boys hoops poll, limited Conifer to just two made 2-point field goals in the non-league game against former 4A Jeffco League foes.

    “That 1-3-1 (zone defense) is pretty special,” Conifer coach Eric Valerio said after his Lobos suffered a 62-45 loss at Golden High School. “It’s tough with a young group to play against that type of defense. They are so long they take away the passing lanes. They are pretty athletic for their size.”

    Golden's big men Joe Madsen (22) and Kayden Sund (45) go up for a rebound. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Golden’s big men Joe Madsen (22) and Kayden Sund (45) go up for a rebound. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The one concern Golden coach John Anderson pointed out after the victory was Conifer made 11 3-pointers, eight in the second half, to keep the Demons from completely running away with a lopsided victory.

    “Part of our problem right now is every team we’ve played has shot very well from the 3-point line. It’s a concern. We’ve got to be able to contest those with our length,” Anderson said after his Demons improved to 5-1 on the season. “Playoff basketball and league basketball is won in the trenches. I think we’ve got that. We’ve just got to be able to extend.”

    Golden’s lone senior, Kayden Sund, had a stretch late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter where he scored eight straight points for the Demons. Sund, who has signed with Chadron State College, buried a pair of 3-pointers and grabbed a steal with Golden’s half-court trap defense that turned into a dunk on the other end.

    The outburst by Sund gave the Demons their first double-digit lead which they never surrendered.

    Golden's Adam Thistlewood (31) battle for a rebound with Conifer's Antonio Lucero. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Golden’s Adam Thistlewood (31) battle for a rebound with Conifer’s Antonio Lucero. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “I just wanted to go out there and build a good lead so our bench guys could play,” said Sund, who finished with a team-high 12 points. “We had a bunch of guys swinging up tonight and really wanted to give them a chance to play to get some good quality varsity minutes.”

    Ten Demons scored in the third victory this week for Golden. Juniors Riley Stoner (10 points), Joe Madsen (nine points), Adam Thistlewood (eight points) and Jake Niss (eight points) provided a nice scoring balance that Anderson likes to see.

    “Everybody knows about Adam and Kayden. Those guys can go off on any night,” Anderson said. “The scoring tonight is what I want to see. A lot of guys with six to nine points. Teams are going to take away our main guys and other guys are going to have to step up.”

    There was a solid Friday night student section for Golden. The atmosphere almost felt like a conference game against Conifer, a team the Demons used to play twice a season during league play.

    “It’s kind of a rivalry because (Conifer) always wants to come out and beat us,” Stoner said. “We wanted to come and play has hard as we can to do our best to whoop them.”

    Golden closes out play before winter break playing in the three-day Rocky Mountain Winter Showcase tournament late next week at Windsor and Brighton high schools. The Demons open conference play against at rival Wheat Ridge on Jan. 5.

    Conifer (1-4 overall) was led by juniors Seth Sankey (10 points) and David Jacobson (nine points) in the loss. Senior Abe Martin also added eight points coming off the bench.

    “That’s a fantastic team,” Valerio said of Golden. “Personally, I think Anderson is one of the best coaches in the state. I love playing against him because I know how good he is. It’s a challenge and he always has his guys ready.”

    Conifer continues its stretch of facing former 4A Jeffco League foes next week. The Lobos have road games at Wheat Ridge (Dec. 13) and D’Evelyn (Dec. 16) next week.

    “We’ve got some great opportunities to play some really great teams,” Valerio said. “I love playing those Jefferson County League teams. I think the world of those coaches and the teams they produce. It’s only going to make us better to play those teams.”

    The Lobos will play in the Colorado 7 League for at least the current two-year cycle. Valerio added the goal is to content for a conference title and Anderson believes the Lobos are capable of having a good league record.

    “Conifer is going to do very well and be a tough team in the (Colorado 7) League,” Anderson said.

    Golden's Jack McLaughlin (20) deals with pressure from Conifer's Landon Wallace as Golden's student section looks on. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Golden’s Jack McLaughlin (20) deals with pressure from Conifer’s Landon Wallace as Golden’s student section looks on. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Arnold helps No. 3 Cherry Creek hockey beat No. 4 Ralston Valley

    ARVADA — Joe Arnold had two goals and an assist to help No. 4 Cherry Creek hockey beat No. 3 Ralston Valley 5-3 on Friday night.

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  • Photos: Lottie has 23 as No. 7 Cherokee Trail boys hoops edges Lakewood

    AURORA — Jaizec Lottie had 23 points, four assists, and four steals to help No. 7 Cherokee Trail boys basketball edge Lakewood 60-59 on Friday.

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  • Photos: First day of state spirit competition

    DENVER — The first day of the state spirit championships was on Friday at the Denver Coliseum.

    Find complete results from the competition here.

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  • Evergreen boys basketball finds its range in win over Erie

    Evergreen junior Bridger Tenney (10) has the ball knocked away by Erie junior Alex Mathis on Thursday night. The Cougars still won, 61-50. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Evergreen junior Bridger Tenney (10) has the ball knocked away by Erie junior Alex Mathis on Thursday night. The Cougars still won, 61-50. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    LAKEWOOD — Opponents are going to be in for some long nights if Evergreen’s 6-foot-6 senior Michael Dillon can step back and drain NBA-range 3-pointers consistently this season.

    That was the case Thursday in the opening round of the Paul Davis Classic boys basketball tournament at Green Mountain High School. Dillon scored a game-high 18 points to help guide Evergreen (2-1 record) to a 61-50 victory over Erie (1-1).

    “I look to shoot,” Dillon said of his NBA range 3-pointer he made with 4:17 left in the fourth quarter that pushed the Cougars’ lead to 61-35. “If teams aren’t guarding me I feel confident enough, and I think coach (Scott Haebe) feels confident enough, for me to shoot it.”

    Evergreen senior Rhys Sayler (15) drives to the basket against Erie. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Evergreen senior Rhys Sayler (15) drives to the basket against Erie. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Dillon, who is averaging more than 17 points per game early this season, finished with a pair of 3-pointers. Junior Chase Rogers got on track a little bit with his shooting. The Cougars’ guard had a season-high 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.

    Rogers scored eight points in a span of two minutes in the third quarter that pushed the Cougars’ lead to more than 20 points. He did have a bit of a scare when he went down hard after jumping for a loose ball, but Rogers was OK after being checked out by a trainer.

    “I still could have hit some more wide-open shots I had,” Rogers said. “I’ve just got to get into the gym and work on it more and more. I felt like I got my groove back a little bit.”

    Haebe is hoping to Rogers develops into even a greater offensive threat this season. While Rogers’ 3-point shooting is a great weapon Haebe wants him to broaden his game a little more.

    Evergreen junior Chase Rogers gets off a pass in traffic Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Evergreen junior Chase Rogers gets off a pass in traffic Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “Chase is a great shooter, but he can do other things as well,” Haebe said. “He can penetrate and hit the pull-up jumper. That’s what we are working on.”

    Junior Bridger Tenney (14 points) and senior Rhys Sayler (10 points) both had solid games to advance the Cougars into the tournament’s semifinal 6:30 p.m. Friday back at Green Mountain High School. Evergreen faces Central of Grand Junction in the semifinal. The Warriors hung on to defeat Battle Mountain 65-53 in the third of four games Thursday night at Green Mountain High School.

    One of the only disappointments for Evergreen was the 15-0 run Erie had to close out the game. Haebe turned to his bench to finish out the game, but the Tigers closed Evergreen’s lead to 61-48 with 1:35 left in the fourth quarter. Erie junior Jadon Lucero and sophomore Ethyn Tyson, 14 points each in the loss, led the late rally.

    Haebe was forced to put his starts back in to make sure the game didn’t get away.

    “I was a little disappointed with those guys. They are much better than that,” Haebe said. “They came in and it just didn’t go well to begin with. It snowballed and they lost their heads a little bit. They’ll be OK.”

    The Cougars will get a lift with 6-foot-6 senior Reese Wilson returns soon from injury.

    “When big Reese gets back we’ve got six guys that can knock down shots and are threats on the offensive end,” Haebe said. “We’ve just got to keep working on our team chemistry on the defensive end of that.”

    Evergreen remains on the road until after winter break with games at Rifle, Battle Mountain and Conifer to get ready for the competitive Class 4A Jeffco League. The Cougars open conference play at D’Evelyn on Jan. 5.

    “It’s very important to get ready for that,” Rogers said of preparing for the Class 4A Jeffco League season. “We have a pretty good out-of-league schedule to get ready for it.”

    Evergreen senior Michael Dillon (34) looks to get a shot over Erie junior Jeffrey Farineau during the first half Thursday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Evergreen senior Michael Dillon (34) looks to get a shot over Erie junior Jeffrey Farineau during the first half Thursday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Aaris Bonds gives Far Northeast boys basketball buzzer-beater win over Rampart

    COLORADO SPRINGS — Aaris Bonds ended the night scoring 13 points for the Far Northeast Warriors. But it was the final two that mattered the most in the 68-67 win over Rampart on Thursday night.

    Jackson Ehrlin gave the Rams (3-2 overall) a one-point lead with only seconds remaining, but Bonds and the Warriors scrambled down the court. He was able to get into the paint and attempt a layup. The ball trickled through the rim as time expired.

    “We had to just get the ball and go,” Bonds said. “I wasn’t expecting that. I was expecting to shoot it. But he gave me the lane, so I took it.”

    The Warriors (4-1) led by 12 at the half, but the Rams battled in the second half. Ehrlin scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the second half.

    But it was Far Northeast who left the gym happy after one of the crazier endings in this young 2016-17 basketball season.

    “We overlooked them in the second half,” Bonds said. “I didn’t think it was going to come down to that, but it did and we did what we had to do.”

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  • Birthday boy helps Green Mountain boys basketball defeat Centaurus

    Green Mountain senior Dylan Jacob (44) goes up for a shot against Centaurus senior John Houlihan on Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Green Mountain senior Dylan Jacob (44) goes up for a shot against Centaurus senior John Houlihan on Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain senior Justin Booher was serenaded by the Rams’ student section as he walked off the basketball court Thursday night.

    Booher celebrated his 18th birthday with Green Mountain grinding out a 57-36 victory over Centaurus in the opening round of the Paul Davis Classic at Green Mountain High School.

    “It’s amazing, especially with the guys I’m surrounded by. They make it super special for me,” Booher said of playing on his birthday. “To get a win was the icing on top.”

    The 6-foot-6 senior was the only Ram to reach double-digit points. Booher hit a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter to finish with 10 points. Seniors Josh Phillips, Jake Haerti and junior Lucas Rosen all had nine points each for Green Mountain. Senior Dylan Jacob pitched in eight points for the Rams.

    “We are here to play together and here just grind,” Booher said. “We don’t have that star player. We are all here to do our part. We all know our roles.”

    Green Mountain senior Justin Booher (33) fights for a loose ball on his 18th birthday Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Green Mountain senior Justin Booher (33) fights for a loose ball on his 18th birthday Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The graduation of Austin Fritts, who averaged 18.6 points per game, has forced Green Mountain to more of a scoring-by-committee mentality. Green Mountain coach Derek Van Tassel prefers the balanced scoring model.

    “That’s what we like to be. That’s what we would rather be,” Van Tassel said of the balanced scoring. “It’s harder to guard. These kids buy into it and understand it. They are starting to play well together.”

    Green Mountain faces Rifle in the semifinals of the tournament at 8 p.m. Friday night. Rifle edged Denver West 42-36 earlier in the night during another first-round game.

    The other semifinal Friday night will feature Evergreen and Central of Grand Junction. If Class 4A Jeffco rivals Evergreen and Green Mountain both win or lose Friday they will face each other in the championship or third-place game Saturday.

    “It would be fun. I think it would be good for our conference,” Van Tassel said of possibility facing Evergreen on Saturday. “We played them three times last year and it was three battles. I love playing against Scott Haebe’s (Evergreen coach) team. I’ve been doing it for a long time.”

    After wrapping up its host tournament on Saturday, the Rams will have tough tests next week at home against Longmont on Dec. 13 before heading to Fort Collins to face Rocky Mountain on Dec. 15.

    Green Mountain sealed the victory Thursday night thanks to a quick second half start. The Rams went on a quick 8-0 run in the first 70 seconds of the third quarter to open up a 20-point lead.

    “We talked about energy coming out after half,” Van Tassel said. “We got some turnovers and pushed the ball hard. We just need that energy. Sometimes we lose that every once in awhile”

    The Rams will have to avoid those lapses once Green Mountain gets into its conference schedule. Valor Christian, Golden, D’Evelyn and Evergreen were all ranked in the top 10 of CHSAANow.com’s 4A boys basketball preseason poll.

    “League is always fun because we get to play everyone twice,” Booher said. “It is a tough schedule, but we are looking forward to it.”

    Green Mountain junior Alex Telles, right, looks to make a move on Centaurus junior Pedro Medina during the opening round of the Paul Davis Classic. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Green Mountain junior Alex Telles, right, looks to make a move on Centaurus junior Pedro Medina during the opening round of the Paul Davis Classic. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Cherry Creek poms enters state spirit looking to repeat as champions

    Centennial League spirit
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    As spirit squads from across the state take the Denver Coliseum floor over Friday and Saturday, the Cherry Creek Bruins are ready to defend the state championship they won last year.

    The Bruins are undefeated in competition so far this year, most notably Centennial League champions. A league that has had a lot of success in poms competition. Three of the four finalists last year in the poms division came from the Centennial League.

    The Bruins also know the work it requires to win a state title.

    “We’re working our absolute hardest,” senior Talia Shafer said. “(We are) making sure that everyone on the team is putting in 110 percent all the time and trying to beat ourselves and not worry about anyone else to reach our goal.”

    Maturity and experience will also help out the Bruins this season. With many returning dancers the Bruins know the stage they are about to take. Nerves will play a factor into any performance but the Bruins are not going to let their nerves get the better of them.

    “Nerves are always a good thing to boost our energy and pump adrenaline,” Shafer continued. “We just try to talk to each other and stay in the moment.”

    In the preliminary stage the Bruins will take the floor at 1:30 to look to defend their title.

  • D’Evelyn hires new girls volleyball coach from within

    Amber Emmons will take over D'Evelyn's volleyball team that finished second in the Class 4A Jeffco League last season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Amber Emmons will take over D’Evelyn’s volleyball team that finished second in the Class 4A Jeffco League last season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    DENVER — D’Evelyn has hired Amber Emmons as its new head varsity girls volleyball coach.

    Emmons is a 2001 Denver East High School graduate and Colorado native.

    “She brings a wealth of knowledge and desire for kids to work hard and improve every day,” D’Evelyn’s athletic director Jerry McWhorter said. “She has a keen act of knowing the strengths of her players and giving them every opportunity for success. We are excited to have her in this role.”

    D'Evelyn volleyball coach Amber Emmons
    D’Evelyn volleyball coach Amber Emmons

    Shortly after high school, Emmons started her coaching career running various club teams for girls ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old.

    For the last 12 years Emmons has been on D’Evelyn’s volleyball coaching staff. During that time she has held many titles including Level 3 coach, junior varsity coach and varsity assistant coach.

    Emmons is excited about the opportunity to learn and grow as the head coach of the D’Evelyn volleyball program and is looking forward to sharing her love and passion of the sport with young athletes.