Arapahoe goalie Spencer Cobb, right, makes a diving save on Ralston Valley junior Sam Keller (14) on Tuesday night at NAAC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

ARVADA — A six-minute span in the second half spoiled the season opener for Ralston Valley’s boys soccer team.

The Mustangs held a 3-1 lead thanks to a pair of second-half goals by junior Mason Miller. A lone first-half goal by sophomore Hayden Miller, Mason’s younger brother, Tuesday night at the North Area Athletic Complex had the Mustangs primed for a solid opening win.

Arapahoe, ranked No. 6 in the CHSAANow.com Class 5A boys soccer preseason poll, had other plans. The Warriors answered with three goals from the 66th to 72nd minute to erase the two-goal Ralston Valley lead. Arapahoe (2-0 record) held on for a 4-3 road victory.

“I’m not sure quite what to say, except it’s very, very difficult to sustain through 15 games of coming back,” Arapahoe coach Mark Hampshire said after a second straight come-from-behind win. “We had to do it last week against Rangeview. It shows a lot of resilience. This is a group that cares about each other very much.”

Ralston Valley’s Hayden Miller, left, and Arapahoe’s Noah Carl (3) battle for the ball. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Arapahoe got goals from non-starters Adam Hangland and Mitchell Engerman four minutes apart to tie the game at 3-3. The eventual game-winning goal came off a corner kick by sophomore Chris Grauberger in the 72nd minute.

Ralston Valley junior Ethan Watne attempted to head Grauberger’s corner kick out of trouble, but the ball deflected past Ralston Valley goalie Jared Peterson for an own-goal.

“It’s tough to swallow right off the bat, but as Coach Scar (Jamie Scarcliff) said there are a lot of positives to take. There is a lot to learn from this,” Mason Miller said. “Arapahoe is a great team. Our legs got a little tired and they took advantage of it.”

The Warriors are coming off a state quarterfinal appearance last fall and defeated Rangeview 3-2 in overtime last week to open their season. Ralston Valley sits at No. 10 in the preseason polls.

Ralston Valley defeated Arapahoe 4-2 last year in an early non-league game. Mason Miller scored a pair of penalty kick goals to help the Mustangs on to victory.

“(Ralston Valley) whooped us last year. They are only going to get better,” said Hampshire, who added that he believes Mason Miller has one of the best shots from any junior in the state. “I think the Jeffco League is going to have to look out for them. I don’t know if I want to play them again in the playoffs.”

Hayden Miller put in the lone goal of the first half. In the 32nd minute the sophomore made a successful diving header. He was able to get enough on the pass from junior Sam Keller to direct the ball to hit the left post and cross the goal line.

Ralston Valley’s Andrew Barnard (20) fends off Arapahoe’s Jack Sanders. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Arapahoe tied the game early in the second half with a penalty kick from junior Cameron Gail before the Mustangs took a 3-1 lead with back-to-back goals from Mason Miller in the 49th and 56th minutes.

“It’s eye-opening for us on how we handle leads,” Ralston Valley coach Jamie Scarcliff said. “That two-goal lead is dangerous because the game can shift either way.”

Scarcliff added she was pleased with how her Mustangs played through most of the game, despite blowing the two-goal lead in the final 15 minutes.

“I think we got a little too comfortable and settled,” Scarcliff said. “We started just kicking the ball and that got us out of our rhythm.”

The Mustangs went on to go undefeated in 5A Jeffco League play to win their second conference title in three years.

“We want to hit our peak at the end of league and heading into playoffs,” Mason Miller said. “With these first five games we love the competition. We don’t fear any challenge. Nothing is too big for us. We are excited to play the best teams in the state.”

Ralston Valley continues with non-league play with another stiff challenge. The Mustangs head to Denver East High School on Friday, Sept. 1, to face the No. 3-ranked Angels.

Arapahoe heads back into action when it hosts the annual Warrior Invitational on Sept. 5, 6 and 9 at Littleton Public Schools Stadium.

“I don’t want to keep this up,” Arapahoe goalie of Spencer Cobb said of the Warriors having to rally from behind in their two wins so far.

Arapahoe rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the final 15 minutes Tuesday at NAAC to take a 4-3 victory over Ralston Valley. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS — Things did not go the way Broomfield boys soccer coach Jim Davidson wanted them to on Saturday.

The Eagles lost a heartbreaker to Boulder and had a quick turnaround this week before facing off against another one of Colorado’s best.

But the results were more favorable as Class 5A No. 2-ranked Broomfield beat 4A No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain 4-0 on Tuesday night.

“We were not real good on Saturday against Boulder,” Davidson said. “We asked our kids to get a response and get on the rebound. So I think our kids played a little angry today and we got our confidence.”

But that confidence didn’t return right away. The first half was very much a see-saw battle that could’ve seen either team grab an edge. The Indians (1-1 overall) had the best look off a corner kick, but the ball was headed away from the net by junior Cade Austin.

“Knowing his size and seeing he got up there, I was really surprised,” Eagles keeper Jose Ogaz. “But I knew he was behind me and I knew that he had me on that.”

For over 39 minutes in the first half, both teams were scoreless. That tie was broken as Tanner Smith got the Eagles (1-1) on the board by knocking a loose ball into the net with just 13 seconds remaining in the first half.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

“That’s kind of what we do,” Smith said. “We (get it in the box) and hope it ends somewhere where someone can put it in the back of the net.”

Coming out in the second half, the Indians looked determined to tie the game and solidify their spot as one of the state’s top teams, regardless of class.

But the momentum and energy ultimately belonged to Broomfield. Michael Mooney made it a 2-0 less than eight minutes into the second half. Smith added another goal on a free kick and Cole Ross got in on the fun to get the Eagles their fourth goal of the game.

Once control of the scoreboard was established, Broomfield played with more intensity and simply wore Cheyenne Mountain down.

“Honestly, I think we just ran out of gas,” Cheyenne Mountain coach Tomas Martinez said. “They were just deeper. They were pushing the pace and we just weren’t quite as deep.”

It was a much-needed for the Eagles. The one-goal loss to the Panthers on Saturday started the season on somewhat of a sour note. Turning around and going on the road to beat Cheyenne Mountain can easily change the mood of a team mindset, even if the season is still in its infancy.

“This really brings up our spirits after last week’s loss,” Smith said. “Cheyenne Mountain is a good team so it really brings it up for us.”

The Indians haven’t won a boys state soccer title since 2013, Martinez knows that games against tough teams like Broomfield will only help prepare them for a hopeful title run.

“That’s why we schedule them,” Martinez said. “We have stuff to build on and learn from. It’s still early in the season and we have more tough games ahead of us.”

LAKEWOOD — A scoreless tie was broken in the sixth inning as Grandview softball edged Bear Creek 1-0 on Tuesday to get its first win of the year.

[divider]

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”739″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_mosaic” row_height=”180″ margins=”5″ last_row=”justify” lazy_load_enable=”1″ lazy_load_initial=”35″ lazy_load_batch=”15″ display_type_view=”default” ngg_proofing_display=”0″ captions_enabled=”1″ captions_display_sharing=”0″ captions_display_title=”0″ captions_display_description=”1″ captions_animation=”slideup” is_ecommerce_enabled=”1″ order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”10000″]

DENVER — Top-ranked Palmer Ridge’s Laurel Brewster didn’t allow a goal in 60 minutes of play on Tuesday, but neither did No. 3 Colorado Academy’s Bauer Ellie as the two teams finished their contest in a scoreless tie.

[divider]

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”740″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_mosaic” row_height=”180″ margins=”5″ last_row=”justify” lazy_load_enable=”1″ lazy_load_initial=”35″ lazy_load_batch=”15″ display_type_view=”default” ngg_proofing_display=”0″ captions_enabled=”1″ captions_display_sharing=”0″ captions_display_title=”0″ captions_display_description=”1″ captions_animation=”slideup” is_ecommerce_enabled=”1″ order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”10000″]

HIGHLANDS RANCH — Courtney Lane had nine kills, Ashley Larson added eight, and Class 4A No. 5 Valor Christian beat 5A Regis Jesuit 3-1 on Tuesday.

Maddie Allen had 18 assists for the Eagles.

[divider]

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”741″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_mosaic” row_height=”180″ margins=”5″ last_row=”justify” lazy_load_enable=”1″ lazy_load_initial=”35″ lazy_load_batch=”15″ display_type_view=”default” ngg_proofing_display=”0″ captions_enabled=”1″ captions_display_sharing=”0″ captions_display_title=”0″ captions_display_description=”1″ captions_animation=”slideup” is_ecommerce_enabled=”1″ order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”10000″]

Fossil Ridge volleyball, ranked No. 1 in Class 5A and No. 19 in Maxpreps’ Xcellent 25 Writers’ Poll, took down No. 4 Chaparral on Tuesday. 

The Sabercats took the match 15-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-18. 

Offensively for Fossil Ridge, it was Emily Wind who led with 17 kills while Tyler Lindgren had 21 assists.

The team totaled 10 aces off serves.

Camille Giles led the front line with four blocks and Charlie Durbin recorded 28 digs.

It’s the ideal way for the defending Class 5A champions to open the season. The Sabercats hit the road on Thursday to face Golden, then will play Monarch and Loveland in league matches before heading to the Eaglecrest tournament starting Sept. 15.

Denver South volleyball beat Pomona in four sets on Tuesday. The Rebels took the match 25-17, 25-18, 24-26, 25-21.

[divider]

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”742″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_mosaic” row_height=”180″ margins=”5″ last_row=”justify” lazy_load_enable=”1″ lazy_load_initial=”35″ lazy_load_batch=”15″ display_type_view=”default” ngg_proofing_display=”0″ captions_enabled=”1″ captions_display_sharing=”0″ captions_display_title=”0″ captions_display_description=”1″ captions_animation=”slideup” is_ecommerce_enabled=”1″ order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”10000″]

The Colorado High School Activities Association’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee met Wednesday in its continuing efforts to provide a safer participation environment and lessen risks to student participants in the state.

The committee, which meets several times throughout the year, continues to examine best practices and make recommendations to the CHSAA membership on risk minimization and safety.

“The CHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee in comprised of the experts in pediatrics and children’s safety. Their voices have to be respected as we move forward to strengthen our risk minimization and safety platform,” said CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green.

Among the outcomes from Wednesday’s agenda were:

1. The launch of Head, Heart and Heat Program which focuses on three major areas of concern for student safety.
2. Mandate Venue Emergency Action Plan (VEAP) – The committee will forward a recommendation to the CHSAA Board of Directors for the creation if a bylaw that mandates VEAPS. This will be voted on by the membership at the January Legislative Council.
3. A restructuring of the CHSAA Sports Medicine Handbook to better facilitate information
4. The development of CHSAA-sponsored educational videos on numerous topics for sharing with the membership and their collective constituencies.

“Colorado is fortunate to have a diverse SMAC committee. The committee consists of leading doctors, school personnel and athletic trainers. The members volunteer their time for the betterment of students when it comes to safety and risk minimization,” said SMAC liaison Assistant Commissioner Jenn Roberts-Uhlig. “As we continue to grow and evolve the expertise around the table help us keep recommendations and policies at the forefront of what we do.”

The CHSAA SMAC has been a part of the Association’s advisory committees for nearly 25 years.

No. 2 Eaglecrest softball came away with a convincing win against No. 7 Legend on Monday.

“We knew that Legend was going to be huge,” Eaglecrest coach Yvette Hendrian said. “They’re a great team and we have the utmost respect for them. One of our things is just learning how to stay focused throughout games through their entirety and not letting off the gas at all.”

Eaglecrest did exactly that. The Raptors put up three runs in the first inning, then padded their lead with five more in the fourth for a 10-2 win.

Braelyne Crenshaw went a complete game on the mound, allowed two earned runs and had three RBIs. Anna Keefe went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in.

“(Crenshaw) has always had a good bat and she’s done a great job on the mound for us so far,” Hendrian. “She kept the ball low, which we needed her to do and she did a great job of hitting her spots tonight.”

Hannah Jensen’s sac fly and Crenshaw’s RBI single put the Raptors up 3-0 on Legend after one inning.

Eaglecrest will play Dakota Ridge Tuesday at home at 4:30 p.m.

“Mackenzie Hochstetler will start that game,” Hendrian said. “Hopefully we’ll come out swinging the bats as hard as we did tonight, and just keep being aggressive on the bases and playing good defense.”

[button color=”white” size=”big” alignment=”none” rel=”follow” openin=”newwindow” url=”https://old.chsaanow.com/sports/softball/scores/”]For other softball scores across the state, click here[/button]

Grand Junction’s Canon Olkowski and Montrose’s Micah Stangebye went toe to toe at Bookcliff Country Club on Monday.

When it was all said and done, it was Olkowski who emerged the winner.. He shot a four-under-par 67, as did Stangebye, at the Grand Junction Tiger Invite. Olkowski won the event on the second playoff hole.

Olkowski opened his day with a birdie on the par-five first hole. He made the turn at one-under before making four birdies and a bogey to end the day with his 67.

Stangebye didn’t go home empty-handed, however, as the Indians came away with the team win. They shot a total of six-over as Jordan Jennings shot a 75 and Ryan Lords ended with a 77.