CHSAANow

Month: February 2017

  • No. 3 Chatfield clinches 5A Jeffco boys basketball title

    Ralston Valley’s Isaac Townsend, left, and Chatfield’s Alex Beckley battle for a rebound. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    ARVADA — Chatfield’s boys basketball team continued its domination in the Class 5A Jeffco League on Wednesday night.

    The Chargers (19-1, 11-0 in league) all but officially wrapped up their second straight conference championship with a 77-60 road victory over Ralston Valley. Chatfield, ranked No. 3 in the latest CHSAANow.com 5A boys hoops poll, also has the longest winning streak in 5A with 18 straight victories.

    “It feels good,” Chatfield senior Titus Reed said. “It’s a good achievement to put on the resume.”

    Officially, Chatfield has a 3-game lead over Lakewood (14-5, 8-3) with 3 conference games remaining. The Chargers have already defeated the Tigers twice to win the tiebreaker. However, Chatfield coach Stephen Schimpeler would like to grab the conference title outright.

    “We don’t what to share. Is that selfish or what?” Schimpeler joked.

    The Chargers have stampeded through 5A Jeffco for the past two seasons. Chatfield is on a 27-game league winning streak. The Chargers’ last conference lost was to Arvada West nearly two years ago during the 2014-15 season.

    “We know it. It’s in the back of our heads,” Chatfield senior Alex Beckley said of the Chargers’ conference winning streak. “We are just looking to win each game.”

    Chatfield has three league games remaining where it can complete a second straight undefeated record in the conference. The Chargers’ last league road game is at 7 p.m. Friday at Bear Creek. Chatfield closes out conference play with home games next week against rivals Dakota Ridge and Columbine.

    Chatfield senior Titus Reed had a game-high 26 points Monday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “It would be nice to have all of our weapons in our arsenal ready to go,” Reed said referring to the Chargers playing without leading score Joe Miks for the second straight game with an injury. “We’re just focused on getting these last three games and go into playoffs with a good mindset.”

    Reed got the Chargers off to a good start Wednesday night. The versatile 6-foot-4 forward poured in 14 points in the opening quarter as the Chargers jumped out to a 24-12 lead after the first eight minutes.

    Reed finished with a game-high 26 points. Beckley was the other Charger to reach double-digit with 11 points. Beckley missed some games early with a foot injury. The point guard said he still isn’t 100 percent, but it’s coming along.

    “We haven’t been healthy the entire year,” Schimpeler said. “I think this is good for our team if we can get those guys healthy at the right time. It will help our bench. There are a lot of good signs, but we still have to make it happen.”

    Chatfield’s full-court press led to some early turnovers that helped the Chargers get out to a comfortable lead. Ralston Valley was also shorthanded with senior Trey Sayers sidelined with a concussion.

    Chatfield senior Mike Vrabel (22) goes up for two points. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “What really hurt us was not having Trey Sayers in. He is our rebounder who gets those loose balls around the rim,” Ralston Valley coach Mitch Conrad said. “Chatfield got double-digit offensive rebounds tonight. We don’t give up those rebounds, but tonight we did without him (Sayers) in the lineup.”

    The Mustangs were led by sophomore Isaac Townsend’s 10 points. Seniors Filip Rebraca, Jerrod Parker and freshman Caden Gigstad had eight points each as Ralston Valley (11-9, 6-5) saw it’s 4-game winning streak come to and end.

    Ralston Valley got a late-season addition of an athletic 6-foot-7 transfer. Rebraca, who is from Serbia, started taking classes second semester at Ralston Valley. His father, Zeljko Rebraca, played in the NBA from 2001-07.

    “He (Rebraca) really changes the game like Coach Conrad said,” Schimpeler said of Rebraca who had an impressive dunk in transition during the second half. “He is pretty athletic.”

    The Mustangs travel to face Dakota Ridge at 7 p.m. Friday before closing out the regular season against Columbine and rival Arvada West next week. Ralston Valley could still finish in the top-3 in the league and have a home playoff game in the opening round of the 48-team state tournament.

    “We still have three winnable games left,” Conrad said of Ralston Valley’s schedule before the postseason. “If we can pull that off and win seven of our last eight — the loss to one of the best teams in the state — we would go in with some momentum still.”

    The 5A state bracket will be announced Sunday, Feb. 19. First-round games will be played Wednesday, Feb. 22. Chatfield is likely in line for a top seed and grab one of the 16 first-round byes for the state tournament.

    “We can’t take any of the upcoming three games for granted,” Beckley said. “We are looking for a strong push toward playoffs.”

    Chatfield senior Lucas St. Germain (10) attempts to trap Ralston Valley senior Jerrod Parker in the corner. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Ross leads the way as No. 4 Eaglecrest boys hoops tops No. 5 Grandview

    CENTENNIAL — Colbey Ross scored 22 points as No. 4 Eaglecrest avenged a loss from earlier this year, beating Grandview 56-43.

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  • Final results: State swimming and diving championships

    Swimming state generic
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    THORNTON and FORT COLLINS — Final results from the 2017 state swimming and diving championships are below. Navigate to the classification of your choosing below.

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    Final results: PDF


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    Final results: PDF

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    Final results: PDF

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  • Photos: No. 7 Fossil Ridge girls basketball starts fast in win over Boulder

    BOULDER — Seventh-ranked Fossil Ridge jumped out to a fast lead and maintained it, coming away with a 59-22 win over Boulder on Tuesday night.

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  • Skyview boys basketball hangs on for road win at Conifer

    Conifer junior Mark Studer (2) grabs a rebound in front of Skyview junior Deyvon Butler (1). (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    CONIFER — Skyview got the jolt of energy it needed Tuesday night in a big boys basketball road game at Conifer.

    The Wolverines fell behind 13-4 midway through the first quarter. Skyview coach Paul Barringer took a timeout to gather his team facing the early deficit.

    “We really didn’t know what hit us,” Barringer said of his Wolverines falling behind by nine points early. “Nobody panicked.”

    Skyview brought more energy to the court in the second quarter, which included a 10-0 run that put the Wolverines up 18-14 midway through the second quarter. Junior Deyvon Butler was big scoring 10 of his game-high 19 points in the second quarter.

    The Wolverines pushed their lead to double-digits in the second half and hung on late for a 57-54 victory to stay undefeated in the Class 4A/3A Colorado 7 League play.

    “This was a really big game,” said Butler, who added that the energy Skyview brought to the court after the slow start was the key to the win. “We fought together and came through.”

    Conifer and Skyview came into Tuesday’s game as two of the hottest teams in the Colorado 7. The Lobos were on a three-game winning streak while the Wolverines had won four straight games.

    Conifer freshman Landon Wallace (13) dribbles toward the basket. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Skyview (14-6, 8-0 in league) has the best record in the conference and already had a head-to-head win over Conifer (8-11, 4-4). The Wolverines defeated the Lobos 52-41 on Jan. 20. However, that was with senior post player Diego Mireles on the court. An injury kept Mireles out of the line-up for the rematch.

    “The first time we played them we just pounded it inside,” Barringer said. “We didn’t have that luxury this time.”

    Butler was big inside on the boards and had a key 3-point play late in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines also made four 3-pointers in the second half and was a solid 8-for-10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

    Conifer poured in 25 points in the fourth quarter to mount a comeback attempt. Senior Kellen Ireland hit a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left that cut Skyview’s lead to 53-51, but the Lobos would get no closer. Junior Mark Studer sank a 3-pointer for Conifer with under a second to play to make the final score 57-54.

    “I’m proud of the effort and the comeback, it was just too little too late,” Conifer coach Eric Valerio said.

    Skyview now has a 2-game lead over Fort Morgan in the league standings with three games left. Butler said Skyview wanted to silence the doubters who didn’t think the Wolverines could win a conference title.

    “We didn’t shoot well from 3 in the second quarter. I think we were 3-for-4 in the first quarter and then missed our next six,” Valerio said. “When you only score four points in a quarter it’s tough to beat a well-coached team.”

    The Wolverines were 34th in the updated RPI standings heading into Tuesday’s game and Conifer was in the 28th spot.

    The top 48 teams in the RPI standings at the end of the regular season will fill the 48-team bracket where the top 16 seeds receive a first-round bye. First-round games are schedule for Wednesday, Feb. 22.

    Skyview senior Angelo Garcia, left, take a 3-pointer. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    What has helped the Lobos in the RPI rankings is a tough non-league schedule. Conifer has played seven teams that are in the current CHSAANow.com 4A boys basketball poll or just on the outside of the top-10.

    Conifer made sure to schedule a lot of non-league games against teams in the deep 4A Jeffco League. The Lobos faced 4A Jeffco’s Golden, Wheat Ridge, D’Evelyn, Littleton and Evergreen in five straight games before winter break.

    Valerio said there has been some positive and negative things about playing in the new conference.

    “I think it’s been good,” Valerio said playing in the Colorado 7. “It’s been a little of an adjustment getting to know the styles, but I think it’s a good fit for us. Travel is tough. The guys are excited to have an opportunity every night to compete.”

    Conifer hosts Fort Lupton at 7 p.m. Friday. The Lobos are in good shape to make the 4A state tournament field for the first time since the 2009-10 season, but Valerio said he wouldn’t be satisfied by a postseason berth.

    “For me it’s not just about making the state tournament,” Valerio said. “We want to be able to play good basketball in the state tournament and not just get bounced out.”

    Conifer junior Mark Studer (2) attempts to dribble past Skyview senior Tyler Hepner. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: No. 1 ThunderRidge boys hoops tops Chaparral

    PARKER — Top-ranked ThunderRidge boys basketball beat Chaparral 69-62 in a Continental League game on Tuesday.

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  • Strong start lifts Arvada West girls hoops over Columbine

    Arvada West junior Ksana Montoya (23) drives on Columbine junior Isabel Juarez on Monday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    ARVADA — Arvada West’s girls basketball team nearly set a new season-high point total Monday night.

    The Wildcats (8-12, 4-7 in Class 5A Jeffco) held a 44-24 lead through three quarters on their home court against Columbine (9-11, 3-8).

    “The first three quarters I was really happy with how we played,” A-West coach Don Wahl said. “We’ve been working really hard on some things in practice and it’s really showing up in games.”

    A-West came up a little short of reaching its season-high total of 54 points, but the Wildcats wouldn’t complain about their 50-38 victory.

    “We need wins right now,” Wahl said. “There is no win that is disappointing.”

    Arvada West sophomore Gabby Riser (3) takes it to the basket. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    A-West sophomore Madison Pixler led the way with 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter when the Wildcats extended their lead to as many as 21 points. Sophomore Gabby Riser had eight points off the bench, including a pair of 3-pointers.

    “Arvada West shot well, which I didn’t expect,” Columbine coach Shannon Vigil said. “I think that was one of their better shooting games, kudos to them.”

    Junior Ksana Montoya scored six straight points for A-West to begin the third quarter. She dominated the offensive boards in the first few minutes of the second half that led to all six points.

    Columbine finally got things going in the fourth quarter offensively. Sophomore Ellie Barrows scored all of her nine points in the fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers. Junior Skylar Alward also finished with nine points in the loss.

    The Rebels has gone through a lot of injury hardship this season, namely losing sophomore Maura Singer to a knee injury. The Rebels’ post player was averaging 13.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 steals through five games before the season-ending injury.

    Starters — freshman Quincey Baum and sophomore Whitney Block — have also missed time, but Vigil expects both to be back on the court for the final week of the regular season next week.

    Columbine freshman Ally Distler (4) splits a pair of defenders. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “I think you take away those injuries and it’s a totally different season for us,” Vigil said. “The injuries have been hard, but that’s no excuse.”

    The new postseason format system takes the top 48 teams in the RPI rankings to fill the 48-team bracket. The formula takes in account winning percentage, opponents’ winning percentage and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage.

    Playing teams with winning records — Bear Creek (13-6, 7-3) and Ralston Valley (17-1, 10-0) — during the final stretch of the regular season should help Columbine. The Rebels were 42nd in RPI before Monday’s game. Columbine closes out the regular season at Chatfield (6-13, 0-10) on Saturday, Feb. 18.

    A-West defeated the Rebels in their first league meeting 44-29 on Jan. 18, but then lost four straight conference games. A-West did end its longest losing streak of the season last Friday night with a 38-27 win over Chatfield.

    The Chargers are actually the only 5A Jeffco team below the 48-team threshold. Chatfield sat in the 49th spot to begin the week.

    “We know where it (RPI) is at and what we need to do,” Wahl said. “Hopefully we can get to one of those playoff spots. That’s really the goal right now.”

    A-West will get an RPI boost facing Lakewood (13-5, 8-2) and Ralston Valley. The Wildcats next host Lakewood at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8.

    “We are playing some tough teams, but I’ve got confidence we can knock down shots when it’s important,” A-West senior captain Ellie Mills said.

    Brackets for the 48-team 5A state tournament are scheduled to be released Sunday, Feb. 19, with first-round games being played Tuesday, Feb. 21. The top 16 seeded teams receive a first-round bye and won’t play until Friday, Feb. 24 in the round of 32.

    Columbine junior Skylar Alward (2) puts in a layup during the third quarter Monday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: The Academy boys basketball narrowly edges Jefferson Academy

    DENVER — The Academy won a thriller Monday at Pepsi Center, beating Jefferson Academy 40-39 to improve to 12-4 on the season.

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  • Girls swimming and diving state meet ticket info and facility reminders

    Girls swimming 4A state meet VMAC generic
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Tickets to the girls swimming championships are on sale now, and online passes will permit early entry to the event.

    Tickets can be purchased at GoFan.co. The only tickets available online are all-session passes. These tickets will allow their holders to enter the facilities 30 minutes prior to the on-site tickets.

    Each site will only be selling single-sessions tickets.

    Spectators are asked to be reasonable and respectful to other fans, and not reserve entire sections when they arrive.

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    Meet info

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    Facility reminders

    Veteran’s Memorial Aquatic Centers (VMAC), Thornton

    Class 5A and Class 3A

    • Do not arrive early to the facility! Teams will not be allowed into VMAC until the schedule designates that the pool doors are open to athletes.   
    • Coaches and ADs: Due to limited parking at the VMAC, school district busses and vans will NOT be able to park in the VMAC lot. Once swimmers and coaches are dropped off, busses and vans need to exit the lot and drive east one block to Holly St., turn south and enter the Trail Winds sports complex to park.
    • Spectators: The parking lot at VMAC will not open until 8 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. In addition, spectators will NOT be allowed to park at Horizon High School from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Overflow parking will be available at the Trail Winds sports complex, one block east of the VMAC. There is a walkway from this area to the aquatics center.

    Eldora Pool and Ice Center (EPIC), Fort Collins

    Class 4A

    • Teams are encouraged to not show up prior to the scheduled time for check in. There is limited space inside the facility.
    • GoFan ticket holders will queue in the ice arena stands. Please bring a warm jacket.

  • Green Mountain hires new gymnastics coach

    Green Mountain’s gymnastics program claimed its fourth team state title in 2016. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain High School stayed in-house to guide its successful gymnastics program.

    Rams’ athletic director Tommy Dodge announced that 2009 Green Mountain graduate Taelore Fehr has been hired as Green Mountain’s new gymnastics head coach.

    “We are very proud to have a GM alumni such as Taelore on our coaching staff that will sustain the integrity and success of our program,” Dodge said. “She models all of the characteristics that we look for in an ‘inside out’ coach.”

    Green Mountain gymnastics coach Taelore Fehr

    Fehr has been an assistant coach at Green Mountain for the past six years, along with coaching at 5280 Gymnastics. During her high school career, Fehr was a member of the Rams’ Class 5A state championship gymnastics teams in 2006 and 2008. Green Mountain was the state runner-up in 2005 and 2007.

    The Rams returned to the top of the podium last fall winning the 4A gymnastics state title. It was the fourth team title in the program’s history.

    Longtime coach Sandi Patterson and her assistant coach and husband Dan Patterson decided to step away from coaching Green Mountain’s gymnastics program after the 2016 season. They wanted to spend more time supporting their three sons in their athletic activities.