After 15 years as the head volleyball coach at Lewis-Palmer, Odenbaugh has decided to step down from the position. She informed her players of her decision on Wednesday and spoke with CHSAANow.com Friday to confirm the move.
“I don’t think you can say that it was one reason more than anything else,” Odenbaugh said. “I’ve actually thought about it the last three to four years. The biggest reason is that it’s been 34 years and it’s kind of time.
“But I’ve always wanted to be an educator because I want to be an effective teacher,” she continued. “It’s become evident in the last two to three years that students will want extra help and want to come in after school. I’ve had to tell them that I can’t help them because I have to run to volleyball practice. I think that’s been a factor.”
For her, it was always about the kids first. And she never made any secret about that. It was the kids that drove her to be a good teacher and a good coach.
She has worked in education for 34 years, been the coach of the Rangers for the last 15, but at this point she wants to have more of an impact on the kids in regard to what place athletics will have in their lives.
Which means despite stepping down as head coach, she isn’t going anywhere.
“Another opportunity has opened up for me,” she said. “Lewis-Palmer has really become involved with (the InSideOut Initiative) and the Positive Coaching Alliance that CHSAA is promoting. I have an opportunity to have a position and work alongside our athletic director, Nick Baker, and to try and work with all the athletes and coaches in our building to promote the idea that sports are about character and teaching kids intangible life skills that will allow them to be successful leaders for the rest of their lives.”
In terms of the timing of getting out, Odenbaugh believes that the program is in good enough shape that she can walk away and give the incoming coach, whomever it may be, a strong program to come into.
No hire has been announced as this time, but Odenbaugh is the first to admit that whoever takes the job will have full autonomy. It will be their program, not her’s.
(Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)
But before the Rangers can go about finding someone to fill the void, they know they have to understand the loss that they have suffered.
In her 15 years as head coach, Odenbaugh won four state championships at Lewis-Palmer. She spent the first six years of her career at Highland before jumping to Lewis-Palmer as a teacher and an assistant coach under Don Lash.
She won her first state title as a head coach in 2002, which followed up the state title run by Lash in 2001. The Rangers also won a title in 1993. Odenbaugh was a part of all six championship teams.
“What impresses me most about coach Odenbaugh is that even after all of the accomplishments she has attained as a coach, after 34 years she still sought ways to improve to the end,” Baker said. “It wouldn’t be right to not acknowledge her selflessness. For 34 years she’s given up personal time and time with friends and family all to help make our students better people.”
Stepping down from a position such as this one is a tough call for any coach to make. For Odenbaugh, it gave her time to reflect on everyone that has come through her program and everything that the last 28 years at Lewis-Palmer has given her.
Forever modest, she doesn’t want the attention focused on her, but rather the kids that made up her teams. She’ll never take credit for what she feels they accomplished.
“It’s been a very special experience,” she said. “I just want to thank all my athletes because it’s been a very unique and very special opportunity to coach athletes of that kind of caliber. They’re such strong young ladies of profound character and I really want to thank them for everything that they gave me.”
BOULDER — Fruita Monument’s Trey Morrill had himself a day.
Morrill went six innings and gave up one run in a 6-4 win over Boulder.
“Just go right after them,” Morrill said. “I trust my outfield and infield, I trust everyone on my team. So, I’m just trying to go out and make them hit it. If I strike them out, it’s just a plus.”
Through three innings, Morrill had six strikeouts. He finished with 11, mostly using his devastating slider as his out pitch.
“Trey was good, I mean, he dominated those guys,” Coach Ray McLennon said.
At the plate, Morrill went deep over the left field wall for a three-run homerun in the second inning to put the Wildcats up 5-1.
“It’s a different approach,” Morrill said. “I think base-hit and if it goes out then it goes out. I’m so proud of the guys right now, we’re playing really well.”
Fruita Monument plated two in the top of the first, taking advantage of some wild pitching. Ryan Briggs lined a ball off the wall in the right-center gap for an RBI double.
Boulder jumped right back to cut the lead to 2-1 on a two-out single by Jackson Dinkel.
“We saved Trey for them and we knew they were good. We watched them take batting practice and they were blasting balls over,” McLennon said. “I told the guys, ‘It’s just BP, Trey is going to give us a chance to win this thing. They’re not going to square him up all the time. There will be some hard-hit balls, but we need to make sure that we’re ready to play and that we’re not intimidated by them.’ I thought the guys did a good job with that.”
But, the Wildcats hit starter Sanjay Solomon hard when he left the ball over the plate. Coach Carmen Rivas took Solomon out after just two innings.
Mason Hitz came on in relief for Solomon and gave five strong.
Hitz gave up one run in the top of the seventh, and the run would prove important for Fruita Monument.
“Rule number one: we gotta add on when we get a chance,” McLennon said. “So that insurance run was big for us. Against a great team like this, you have to gain distance any way you can.”
Boulder was unable to crack Morrill until the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, an errant throw extended the game for Boulder.
Up came Dana Sullivan and knocked in two runs with a triple.
Aiden Chandler lined a single to center field to drive in Sullivan and suddenly there was hope.
“We lost to Pueblo West, we were up 8-2 with two outs, in almost the same situation,” McLennon said. “We just couldn’t get that last out. This was important to us.”
Dinkel flew out in foul territory and Fruita Monument could breathe.
Coming into Wednesday’s game, Boulder had a team ERA of 0.33. The Panther pitching staff allowed just six hits — good for an opponent batting average of .085.
The main horse for Boulder is junior Jackson Dinkel. In 10.2 innings pitched, Dinkel has not allowed a run, or even a hit on the mound.
Against Rangeview, Dinkel took a perfect game into the sixth inning before he was taken out by Rivas.
Dinkel was replaced by the other junior on the roster, Sanjay Solomon.
Boulder has 13 seniors on the roster. The other two spots are filled by juniors.
Fruita Monument played six games in seven days.
“I was worried about our pitching, but the pitching on our back end has been really good. Our starters have gone deep, so that’s been good for us,” McLennon said. “It was tough in the beginning because we used a lot of pitching in the first two games.”
The Wildcats now get a break to rest before they’re back at it, but this win means a lot for Fruita Monument.
“It feels good to have a win,” Morrill said. “We’re rolling right now and we’re doing our thing. Just stepping up to the plate, making plays on defense and having eachother’s backs and that’s all we can ask for.”
MONUMENT — Less than a year ago, Dalton and Garrett Ziegler were celebrating a Class 4A state boys lacrosse championship that they helped Valor Christian win.
Wednesday night, they faced the Eagles as opponents. Each brother scored twice, but it was their youngest brother Cade who got the game winner as 5A Lewis-Palmer knocked off the defending 4A champs 8-6 at Don Breese Stadium.
“It’s different,” Dalton said. “I’ve enjoyed it and I’m having one of the best years of my life.”
And he gets to share it with his siblings. After the season, Dalton — a senior — will head off to the University of Utah to continue his lacrosse career, so he’s trying to soak in this one season he gets to play with both his younger brothers.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
He was the one who got the Rangers (4-1 overall) on the board with one minute, 34 seconds left in the first. That cut the lead for the Eagles (2-2) in half as Austin Saupe and and Grayson Goodyear scored less than two minutes apart to give them a 2-0 lead.
The second quarter was scoreless for more than 11 and a half minutes, but then it was Garrett Ziegler who got one by Valor goalie Logan Lee to tie the game. But 14 seconds later, Sean Traynor put Valor back on top.
And that’s how the game would play out for most of the second half. The 4A CHSAANow.com No. 2-ranked Eagles would take a one-goal lead and the Rangers would would pull even.
Valor just couldn’t seem to stretch it out.
“We fell short on fundamentals tonight,” Valor coach John Grant Jr. said. “I think my guys show tremendous heart and there was a lot at stake with this game with a couple of Valor kids over there.”
And did they ever play an essential role. Both of Garrett’s goals tied the game crucial moments. Goodyear scored his second of the game almost five minutes into the fourth quarter to put the Eagles up 6-5. But A.J. Barnes did what the Rangers were able to do all night. He pulled his team even.
Then it was Cade Ziegler, the only one of the three to not play at Valor who finally gave the Rangers the lead with 1:55 left.
“I didn’t care (who got that goal),” Lewis-Palmer coach Dan Mullins said. “But I will say that Cade Ziegler is my favorite. I love Cade Ziegler. I love all the Ziegler boys. They definitely pumped up our offense.”
Dalton got his second of the game to make it a two-goal lead and it was the Rangers rushing the field in celebration.
For a big a moment against a tough team, Cade knows that having his brothers around was a big factor in him being able to connect in a clutch situation.
“It’s really great,” Cade said. “It’s good to be able to come out here and play with my older brothers. It’s brought us together a lot and it’s a great opportunity to come out here and play together.”
This is the third time in four years that the Lewis-Palmer has been able to beat Valor.
“Last year was one of our big quality wins, but I think they had a down day,” Mullins said. “This year, they played pretty well and we matched it and came through in the end.”
ARVADA — Jeff Cyr was 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run and Luke Leisenring hit a home run as Class 5A No. 7 Ralston Valley beat No. 5 Regis Jesuit 5-2 on Wednesday.
Wheat Ridge catcher Abe Apodaca, left, makes a diving tag on Chatfield junior Blake Dickman during a wild 7th inning. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LITTLETON — The wheels came off defensively for Wheat Ridge’s baseball team at the most inopportune time Tuesday at Chatfield High School.
However, sophomore pitcher Aaron Arcilise steered the Farmers through a near disastrous bottom of the seventh inning. Wheat Ridge committed five errors in the seventh as Chatfield rallied for a pair of runs to cut the Farmers’ 3-0 lead to a single run.
“The tent came off the circus there, but we were able hold on which is good,” Wheat Ridge coach Adam Miller said after a 3-2 non-league victory. “That’s a good building point for us.”
Chatfield had the tying run on base with two outs, but Arcilise finished his complete-game on the mound in style striking out Chatfield senior Tanner Barnes to end the game.
Wheat Ridge’s Aaron Arcilise threw just 82 pitches in a complete-game victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“Everything was on today,” said Arcilise, who gave credit to pitching coach John Dowd for calling a good game. “It was a good day for me.”
Arcilise was masterful facing just one batter over the minimum through sixth innings. The sophomore ended up throwing just 82 pitches for the win. He finished with six strikeouts.
Chatfield senior Jack Winkler had a double in the bottom of the fourth inning that broke up Arcilise’s no-hit bid. Seniors Alec Roach and Nate Semmler both had singles off the righty, but the Chargers’ error-fueled rally came up just short.
“He (Arcilise) was great. He was absolutely outstanding,” Miller said. “He kind of befuddled them all day. He commanded his pitches.”
Wheat Ridge senior centerfielder Jack Marvel was also impressed with Arcilise’s first start on the hill this season.
“He surprised me,” Marvel said. “He pitched a heck of a game. I’m so proud of him. I don’t know how he kept his composure playing a pretty good 5A team. He didn’t show any emotion. He was the man today.”
Chatfield’s Kasey Koppelmaa (14) cruises into third base Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Marvel gave the Farmers an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with an RBI single driving in senior Travis Cowan. An RBI groundout by freshman Cael Yenzer pushed Wheat Ridge’s lead to 2-0 in the third inning.
Wheat Ridge (2-0 record) had the bases loaded with just one out in the fifth inning, but could only get one run when Cowan scored on a wild pitch.
“If we would have got two or three more runs before the seventh I believe the game would have been over,” Marvel said. “Those errors wouldn’t have mattered as much.”
Chatfield (0-1) threw a trio of pitchers in its season opener. Junior Blake Dickman got the start and went three innings. Junior lefty Kasey Koppelmaa went three innings before giving way to Winkler in the seventh inning.
The Chargers and Farmers both head to Arizona next week for the Coach Bob Tournament in Arizona. Chatfield is schedule to get in four games, while Wheat Ridge will play five games during the spring break trip.
“The goal is we wanted to be ready heading to Arizona,” Miller said. “The goal is to win the league (Class 4A Jeffco) that is always our goal. We’ve got six more games to prepare us for the league. Hopefully the situation we just went through will be common and we’ll handle it a little bit better.”
The 4A Jeffco League will be tough this season. Defending 4A state championship Valor Christian currently holds the top spot in the CHSAANow.com 4A baseball poll and Evergreen is ranked No. 8. Wheat Ridge, Green Mountain, D’Evelyn and Golden also received votes this week.
Chatfield and Wheat Ridge both head to Arizona next week during spring break. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Jamie Burke takes a free kick resulting in a goal and a 1-0 lead for Cheyenne Mountain. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
COLORADO SPRINGS — If Tuesday night was any indication, Cheyenne Mountain is going to be a very dangerous team when healthy.
Sure the CHSAANow.com No. 4-ranked Indians came away with a 4-1 win over No. 10 Evergreen, but they came into the game plagued with injuries and needing spring break to come sooner than later.
“We have a game against Doherty (Wednesday),” coach Tomas Martinez said. “Then we’re going to take 10 days off, get healthy and enjoy spring break.”
Jamie Burke had already put the Indians (2-2 overall) up 1-0 off a free kick from 20 yards out and that goal gave her teammates a little jolt. Marrisa Dowlin found the night right away. Nine minutes later, Piper Negaard caught Evergreen keeper Sarah Straut out of position and, scoring easily to make it a 3-0 game.
“Everyone was a little nervous especially coming off a loss to Broomfield,” Burke said. “Getting that goal under our belt, we were able to regroup and know that we can handle our business here even with players down from injuries and sickness.”
The Cougars (2-2) were not without their chances on the day. Sofia Weiner pushed the attack early and even fire off a couple shots, but they were all swatted away by Bella Zanotelli, Cheyenne Mountain’s freshman keeper.
Weiner even had a penalty kick opportunity early in the second half, but the shot sailed well above the crossbar. It was a night where things just weren’t going Evergreen’s way and the players know how vital it is to convert on every chance that they can get against a team like the Indians.
“I definitely think we dominated,” Weiner said. “But we didn’t capitalize on the opportunities. I had a lot of opportunities that I shouldn’t have missed.”
The scoring stream stayed with the Indians as Amanda Beach made it a 4-0 game in the 52nd minute. Beach was the usual keeper for Cheyenne Mountain, but has been moved to the field with Martinez being excited about his freshman keeper.
He was more excited that his team was able to come away with a win over a top-10 team even if they were short-handed.
“I think the score was extremely deceiving,” he said. “I think more than anything it was a good test of character for our girls to fight while missing some people.”
Weiner finally broke through for the Cougars in the 65th minute, ending Zanotelli’s bid for a shut-out.
But that didn’t change the fact that the freshman stood out while guarding the net.
“I think (she succeeds) with her confidence,” Martinez said. “She’s very confident about everything. She thinks she’s great so then she portrays that when she plays.”
Martinez’s hope is that her confidence will only grow as the Indians are able to take next week off and get healthy.
Cheyenne Mountain’s first game back from break will be against No. 8 The Classical Academy. If they’re healthy by then, that game will be a good indication of what this Cheyenne Mountain squad will be capable of in 2017.
