GREENWOOD VILLAGE — Three players hit double figures as Cherry Creek boys basketball upset No. 9 Cherokee Trail 62-56 on Wednesday.
Dimitri Stanley led the way with 18 points, Rashon Johnson had 16 and 12 rebounds, and Nick Williams scored 10. Jalen Meeks added eight points for the Bruins, and Andrew Walters had six points and 10 rebounds.
Frederick High School is set to host the first-ever girls-only wrestling tournament later this month, and the school is actively seeking more participants to ensure the event is successful as possible.
The tournament, set for Jan. 14 at the high school, currently has 28 girls signed up. The plan is to use seven weight classes, with a goal of eight wrestlers per bracket.
Frederick athletic director Ernie Derrera, the chair of CHSAA’s wrestling committee, said the tournament will try and wrestle girls at the 101-, 111-, 121-, 131-, 143-, 160- and 189-pound divisions. However, he added, “We’ll be flexible in those weight classes.”
The tournament’s goal “is to get these girls matches,” Derrera said on Tuesday, adding that girls who get knocked out of the bracket would be matched up against “somebody else who’s out of the tournament.”
“There will be some flexibility just to make sure people are seeing what’s going on, that they are understanding that we are making some effort to give some serious consideration to the girls as their own sport,” Derrera said.
Girls interested in attending the event must be members of their high school teams. However, they don’t need to have been members since the start of the season. That means that, potentially, a girl could join her school’s team this week in order to get the necessary five practices in prior to competing.
“If their coach is willing to take them now, they can compete,” Derrera said.
Derrera recently reached out to all wrestling coaches seeking more females who want to take part in the tournament. Currently there are 164 female wrestlers listed on rosters for Colorado high schools, competing at 96 different programs.
Since the tournament was announced, a lot of buzz has been generated around the event both locally and nationally. In fact, Derrera recently heard from a coach in eastern Nebraska who is considering bringing six girls.
The deadline for entrants is Jan. 12. Coaches interested in the event should contact Derrera at derrera_ernest@svvsd.org.
Two further girls-only wrestling tournaments are being planned: one at Highlands Ranch on Jan. 21, and another at Silver Creek, possibly on Jan. 28.
Chatfield senior Mike Vrabel, left, drives past Doherty senior Emmanuel Burleson on Tuesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LITTLETON — An 23-5 start Tuesday night by Chatfield was enough of a cushion to give the Chargers a victory over Doherty in a Class 5A boys basketball top-10 showdown.
A layup by Chatfield senior Lucas St. Germain moments into the second quarter gave the Chargers an 18-point lead at home against the Spartans, ranked No. 6 in the current CHSAANow.com 5A boys hoops rankings. However, No. 7 Chatfield saw its lead dwindled down to four points twice in the second half before eventually taking a 69-61 victory.
“We knew they would come back,” Chatfield coach Stephen Schimpeler said of the defending 5A Colorado Springs Metro League champs. “We are a team of runs and when they cut (the lead) in the second half we went on our little run.”
A key run by the Chargers (7-1 record) started with a thunderous breakaway dunk by senior Titus Reed (15 points). Junior Keland Rumsey (six points) then converted on another steal seconds later and was able to lay the ball in and get fouled for a 3-point play.
Senior Joe Miks buried a 3-pointer and senior Alex Beckley scored on a drive to the basket to give the Chargers a 51-37 lead with just over three minutes left in the third quarter.
Chatfield’s Joe Miks (13) goes up for a shot over Doherty’s Devin Brimble. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“This is a team of runs. With all the talent we have on this team we are just so dangerous. We can score at will at times,” said Miks, who finished with a team-high 16 points. “The key is getting good shots and getting stops on defense.”
Doherty went on a run itself in the fourth quarter to get within striking distance again. The Spartans (6-3) nailed three 3-pointers in the span of 70 seconds to pull within 61-57 with two minutes to play in the fourth.
Doherty senior Brevin Brimble had two of the buckets from long range. However, Brimble fouled out in the final minute after scoring a game-high 23 points.
“Our whole team knew we had to pick it up on defense and really on Brevin (Brimble),” Rumsey said. “We had to get a hand up and make sure he isn’t shooting the 3.”
A 3-point play from Miks with just under a minute to play pushed the Chargers’ lead to 65-57 to help put the game away.
“There are always games where you just want to survive. This was one of them, especially after break,” Schimpeler said after Chatfield wrapped up its non-league schedule with a sixth straight win. “You just never know what you are going to get.”
Schimpeler admitted before the winter break that he was concerned about his players staying in shape during the nine-day hiatus that only allowed for four voluntary team practices from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1.
Chatfield senior Mike Vrabel (22) had eight points before fouling out Tuesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
One concern Schimpeler has now is the health of Beckley. The senior guard has gone through a foot injury, mononucleosis and then went down with an apparent ankle injury with just under five minutes to play Tuesday night. Beckley, who was playing in just his fourth game this season, had nine points off the bench before suffering the ankle injury.
“We need Beckley,” Schimpeler said. “All I want is to be healthy. I think we are really good if we are healthy.”
Both Chatfield and Doherty now turn their attention to defending conference titles.
The Chargers went 14-0 in 5A Jeffco during their state semifinal run last season. Chatfield opens conference play at home 7 p.m. Thursday against Pomona (3-4). A 1 p.m. showdown Saturday at Lakewood High School could be the biggest hurdle for the Chargers to repeat as league champs. The Tigers (5-2) are loaded with talent that includes Jacob Storey (20.6 points per game) and Kolton Peterson (18 ppg).
“It was a little sloppy this game, but I think come league we are going to clean it up,” Rumsey said. “We’ll take one game at a time and do well. I’m excited.”
Doherty opens conference play in the 5A Colorado Spring Metro League at home 7 p.m. Thursday against Liberty (5-4). The Spartans went 11-1 in league play last season on their way to a berth in the state quarterfinals. Their lone conference loss was to Liberty.
Chatfield senior Alex Beckley, left, puts defensive pressure on Doherty junior Duke Carey in the first half Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
PARKER — Chaparral held Fountain-Fort Carson to only six points in the fourth quarter, giving the Wolverines a 52-40 win over the Trojans on Tuesday night.
Denver North has hired a new football coach, choosing former assistant Nick Trombetta to take over the program.
The school announced the hire on its website on Tuesday.
Trombetta served as assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Vikings last season under Mike Marquez. Denver North went 5-5 in Class 3A last year, making it the most successful football season for the school in more than a decade.
Marquez stepped down after the 2016 season.
Prior to his one season at Denver North, Trombetta also served as assistant head coach, running backs coach and special teams coordinator with Marquez at Thornton.
“In my role as assistant head coach this past season, I was excited to experience how coachable these scholar-athletes are, and how hungry they are to succeed,” Trombetta said in a statement. “The potential within this program for academic excellence and athletic excellence is limitless. North Denver is where I grew up and spent many of my formative years. I have deep family ties to North and believe in the community and the school.”
Said North athletic director Kevin Bendjy: “Coach Trombetta has a commitment to excellence and is passionate about guiding our students to their fullest potential as scholars and as athletes. We are excited and welcome him to Denver North as the head varsity football coach.”
