COMMERCE CITY — Air Academy’s Ryan Self sat in the stands of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park his freshman year as he watched the Kadets complete an undefeated season with a state championship.
“I was up there freshman year,” Self said, gesturing to the stands. “I was watching the 2014 team that went undefeated, and I thought, ‘That’s what I want to have happen. That’s what I want my senior year.’”
In his senior year, Self put the game winning goal into the net to give Air Academy a 1-0 win over Centaurus in the Class 4A boys soccer state championship. Self completed his goal and Air Academy’s undefeated season.
“Part of me was like, ‘Finally’ because we had so many chances,” Self said after the game. “At the same time, I was overrun with adrenaline and emotions. I thought, ‘How am I going to celebrate?’”
Self went with a slide. His teammates followed suit, jumping on the dogpile. Air Academy now moves into a tie for the third-most soccer titles with four.
“We have a great legacy, a great program here,” Self said. “It means so much to us. It means the world. I know these boys next year, they’re going to keep it going. No doubt.”
The Kadets completed an undefeated season with a state title just three years after doing exactly that.
“This is just a team thing,” Air Academy coach Espen Hosoien said. “We have everybody pulling their weight and doing their job. For me, to be 20-0 again, three years after the last one, I never thought that was going to happen.”
Air Academy had an early exit in last year’s state playoffs after getting upset by No. 20-seed Evergreen. This year, they weren’t going to let an upset end their season.
(Cannon Casey/CHSAANow.com)
“We kept trying to go over the top. We were possessing around it pretty well,” Self said. “We started going direct, and that started working for us. Beating them on the outsides and trying to whip it in. We got a lot of corners out of that, which created a lot of chances for sure.”
Each goalie made terrific saves as both teams had a couple golden opportunities in the 57th minute. Air Academy’s Thomas Beatty came up with an enormous save in the 62nd minute.
“Keep going. Keep playing and keep a clear mind,” Hosoien said on what he told his team. “That usually helps. We wanted to go in more direct instead of possessing the ball.”
Centaurus’ Fernando Ruiz was in on goal and shot, but Beatty was there to keep the game tied at zero.
The Warriors chances didn’t stop there. In the final minute of regulation, an Air Academy hand ball in the box gave Centaurus a penalty kick.
The shot went high, sending the game to overtime.
“I feel for Centaurus,” Hosoien said. “I thought they played really good and gave us a lot of problems. Somebody has to walk away not winning the championship. They played a heck of a game.”
Air Academy found the net in overtime with Self’s goal off of a set piece.
“Set piece wins it,” Hosoien said. “That”s soccer man, you could play brilliant for 90 minutes and you score on a set piece. We’ve been in overtimes before, and we’ve always prevailed. I felt like we had a shot of winning.”
And they prevailed in the ultimate moment.
“It wasn’t easy. We had a lot of tests all along, even in the regular season,” Hosoien said. “We found a way to be on the winning side of things. That’s the character of these guys on the team. All 22 of them. Keep going, keep believing, trust in the preparation and trust in eachother.
“Every year, we’re trying to add to Air Academy soccer.”
COMMERCE CITY — One goal will turn out to have such a significant impact for Liberty Common.
Colorado Academy allowed a grand total of zero goals in the Class 3A state tournament. But the Mustangs allowed one just over six minutes into the game.
The Eagles won 1-0 and as a result, claimed the first team state championship in school history.
“These are those days when you don’t put things in perspective until the next day when you wake up and think ‘did we just beat Colorado Academy to win a state championship,’” coach Cyrus Salehi said. “That Metro League has had five in a row and we broke that record today. It feels good.”
In the seventh minute, Ryan Zonnefeld found open space on the left side of the box and fired a shot right by Mustang keep Max Jack.
For the first time all tournament, a team had a lead over Colorado Academy.
“It was crazy,” Zonnefeld said. “When that went it, it was just a burst of adrenaline. I was so happy, you have no idea.”
But there was still more than 73 minutes left in regulation. That’s plenty of time for Colorado Academy to get someone like Larson Baker, who led the team with 18 goals, a chance to get the equalizer.
(Cannon Casey/CHSAANow.com)
But the Eagles defense was more than up to the task. Every time Colorado Academy looked like they had a chance to create a shot, Najy Faour or someone else would come in and break it up.
And on the rare chance that the Mustangs got a shot off, Michael Bradley stood strong in goal and turned everything away.
“(The defense) has been incredible all year,” Bradley said. “They’ve had my back, I’ve had theirs. They make it easy on easy.”
But he still has to do the dirty work every now and then. With 22:20 remaining in the game, a laser shot was heading to the top-right corner of the Liberty Common net.
Bradley timed things just right and swatted the ball away, helping his team hang on to the lead.
“Holy cow,” Salehi said. “He hasn’t been tested a lot. Jefferson Academy tested us and he’s been tested a lot in these last three games. We converted him into a goal keeper a few years ago and he looks like he was born there.”
The Mustangs had their chances to tie things in the end, but the defense wasn’t having any part of it after taking the lead.
A one-goal lead in the state title game against a team that has not given up a single goal in the postseason gave that team all the motivation it needed to battle and make history for its school.
“It happened in the last game too,” Zonnefeld said. “When we got up by one, we locked in. As soon as we got that goal, I knew it was game.”
He wasn’t the only one. With his teammates standing nearby snapping photos of Liberty Common’s now only state title trophy, Bradley express the same thought.
If he had been told before the game that they would score one goal, did Bradley think that the Eagles would claim the championship?
Grandview junior Jordan Billingsley (8) runs in for a 25-yard touchdown run as Lakewood’s sideline looks on. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
AURORA — Grandview staked claim to the final Class 5A football state quarterfinal spot in convincing fashion Saturday afternoon at Legacy Stadium.
The No. 8-seeded Wolves shut out No. 9 Lakewood 42-0 to join the other seven 5A football teams that advanced to the quarterfinals with wins the previous night.
“It was close,” Grandview senior Gunner Gentry said when asked if it was a perfect game for the Wolves. “We have somethings we still need to clean up. Overall, it was a good game. A good team win.”
Next up for Grandview (9-2 record) is two-time defending state champion Valor Christian. The No. 1 Eagles are undefeated on the season and rolled to a 35-7 first-round playoff victory over Chaparral on Friday night.
Lakewood QB Ezekiel Sundberg (3) gets off a pass while under pressure. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Valor has won 21 straight games dating back to last season. The Eagles last loss was Sept. 23, 2016 against Pomona in a non-league game.
“We are looking forward to the opportunity,” Grandview coach John Schultz said of facing Valor on the Eagles’ home field next week.
The Wolves were nearly flawless in the first half against Lakewood. Grandview scored on every possession except its second time with the football. That drive ended with a missed field goal. It didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
Grandview junior Jordan Billingsley had first-half touchdown runs of 4, 25 and 10 yards. He racked up 113 yards on 17 carries before halftime. Senior Aaron Harris also pitched in eight carries for 77 yards and a 23-yard touchdown run before halftime to give the Wolves a 28-0 lead.
“That is what we’ve been kind of doing all year,” Schultz said of giving Harris some carries early and then feeding Billingsley. “Harris is our senior and getting us started with some big runs like he did today popping one for 20 yard to get us going.”
Grandview senior Aaron Harris (3) breaks into the open field against Lakewood. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
A 39-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyle Smith to Andrew Turner on the first drive of the second half gave the Wolves a 35-0 advantage. Billingsley capped off his 4-touchdown performance with a 54-yard touchdown run with 3 minutes left in the third quarter to induce a running clock for the remainder of the game with the 40-point lead.
“We focused all week on controlling the football,” Schultz said. “We wanted to control the clock and we did that today.”
Grandview’s only regular-season setbacks were back-to-back losses to No. 2 Eaglecrest and No. 7 Cherry Creek — both advanced to the 5A state quarterfinals Friday night with victories.
Lakewood finished off its season with a 8-3 record and its first postseason appearance since 2014.
“They (Grandview) are just more physical and are a well-coached team. It’s a program in a place that we to get our program to,” Lakewood coach Jeff Braun said. “I can’t thank my seniors enough. My seniors three years ago said they wanted to make the playoffs, make the program and the school better. They did that.”
Grandview’s Gunner Gentry (19) zeros in on tackling Lakewood’s Elzia Sekou (32) on Saturday at Legacy Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Fruita Monument is ready to to show that an undefeated football season was no fluke. The Wildcats are for real.
It doesn’t matter if anyone else believes it as long as they do.
“We think we have as good a shot as anybody,” Wildcats coach Todd Casebier said this week. “We got a top-three seed for a reason and we’re undefeated for a reason.”
At 10-0 on the year, the Wildcats earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 4A football tournament. They earned it the old fashioned way. They had a dominant rushing attack and a physical defense that didn’t like surrendering points.
Braeden Graham and Treyton Queen accounted 2,644 of the team’s 3,323 rushing yards. They combined for 35 touchdowns. By themselves, they scored more points than the Fruita defense allowed all season.
But all that is out the window now that the playoffs are underway.
“We’re kind of starting over again at 0-0,” quarterback Zach Rush said. “That’s our mindset going into this game and we just need to play as hard as we can.”
Listed at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, Graham is regarded as the speedy one in the backfield. But the rushing attack itself isn’t built on speed as much as it is on power.
“We’ve been called the Dynamic Duo, or the Dynamic Trio with us and Zach,” Queen said.
(Steve Oathout)
Queen is a monster of a fullback (5-foot-9, 235 pounds) and provides just the right counter to what Graham is able to do. In the first two games of the season (against two playoff bound 3A teams), the duo nearly matched each other in carries.
Graham picked up 37 more total rushing yards in the two games and just one more touchdown. The similar numbers against two tough opponents set the tone for what would ultimately become a successful season.
“(Our running game is) going to be important, just like it always is,” Queen said. “Other teams know that it’s super-important in our offense.”
Fruita’s solid play only snowballed in wins over Grand Junction, Grand Junction Central and Palisade.
By the time the Wildcats were getting into their league schedule, they had been regarded as a top-10 team in the state.
And they kept winning. In the final poll of the season, the Wildcats were locked in to the No. 4 spot, sitting right behind three dominant teams in Ponderosa, Pine Creek and Chatfield. And there was no doubt in their mind that they belonged there.
“We’re 10-0 and we’re running what works for us,” Queen said. “We’re doing it well. It’s run-first and we can do that with what we have up front.”
But now the real test begins.
The Wildcats host Vista Ridge on Saturday. The Wolves aren’t without their own playmakers on offense, specifically quarterback Jaylen Thomas.
Casebier is going to have to rely on his defensive front to cause the same kind of havoc it has caused all year.
When going up against a player as talented as Thomas, it helps to have a counter attack in Kaden Jolley.
If there is anyone on the line that can put some pressure on Thomas, it would be Jolley. He only registered three sacks on the year, but he led the team in hurries with seven and caused two fumbles on the season. He also recovered four fumbles, somehow finding a way to be in the right place at the right time.
“We’re going to have to continue to create turnovers on defense,” Casebier said. “Over the last several weeks, our defense (the starters) have allowed six points a game. We need to do that. We need to play great defense.”
The combination of a dominating ground attack and an opportunistic defense can be a successful formula in playoff football.
There is no doubt on the Western Slope that the Wildcats have all the tools to claim championship gold. Those tools have kept them undefeated so far. There’s no reason why anything has to change now.
In Lamar, the belief is that champions are born, not made.
By that theory, a number of female athletes were indeed born to be champions. They’ll have the opportunity this weekend to show it once again at the Class 3A state volleyball tournament.
Lamar has an enrollment of 443 students. Like many schools in 3A or lower, the importance of sharing athletes is emphasized in order to make all sports as competitive as possible.
For the Savages, that is paying off with the current crop.
The girls basketball team won the 2017 3A state title. Six of those championship players (Baillie Kee, Taylor Chavira, Sarah Carrillo, Brecken Payne, Cassie Forgue and Cali Clark) are on the varsity roster for the volleyball team.
These girls know how to interact with each other. They know how to play together. And they know how to win together.
“Most of us know the experience and know what we need to do to win,” Clark said. “That will definitely help us.”
It needs to help them. Things won’t be easy for Lamar out of the gate. In the first match of the day, the Savages will stand across the court from the winner of the last four state titles.
If they want to be champions, the Savages have to get through Eaton.
“When we looked and saw that we were playing Eaton, it just got us even more pumped up,” Payne said. “It gave us something to prove as players.”
(Photo courtesy of Lamar Booster Club)
That attitude can’t be taught. Lamar doesn’t want an easy path to a championship. There is no pride for them in winning a title if everyone isn’t at their best. The girls want to take everyone’s best shot and show that regardless of sport they are the best.
“I don’t think most of us are intimidated,” Clark said. “Even though they’ve won, that’ll give us confidence and make us want to play better.”
Last March, Erik Melgoza led the the team to the school’s first girls state basketball title since 1998.
The Savages will be looking for their first state volleyball. They reached the 4A championship match back in 1997, but lost to Durango.
Amy Wertz is the woman tasked with using a team of gifted athletes to try and make school history.
“They have different styles,” Payne said. “But in the end, they’re both great coaches and we trust both of them so there’s not a big difference there.”
Matches begin at 8 a.m. on Friday at the Denver Coliseum and Lamar is the sixth match on the 3A docket. The team traveled to Denver on Thursday night which can be a fun, team bonding experience in itself.
But when match time rolls around, it will be all about business. The hope is that the players crossing over from basketball into volleyball can remember what it means to take care of business on the biggest stage of the year.
“State is always a scary thing,” Payne said. “When you’ve had experience with it, I think it makes it 10 times better. So using that experience, we just want to go in at full force.”
Friday marks the official start of the winter sports season as all sports (with the exception of skiing) can officially begin practice.
Boys and girls basketball, ice hockey, girls swimming, skiing and wrestling are the CHSAA sanctioned sports that will be in season from now until the middle of March.
Full contests for all winter sports will begin on Nov. 29.
The first state championship to be contested will be girls swimming starting on Feb. 8.
The winter season will conclude on Mar. 10 as all five classes of boys and girls basketball will play their state championship games on that day.
