This Bennett volleyball team is forging its own path, taking footsteps where no Tiger has ever been before.
The 2017 Tigers fought and clawed their way to a regional championship last weekend, coming back to win a tiebreaker after dropping their first match. It clinched a berth to this weekend’s Class 3A state volleyball tournament — the first-ever trip to state for the program.
“People had been telling me that they didn’t think they’d ever gone before, which made me a little nervous because we hadn’t even played the regional yet,” said Bennett coach Larry Deffenbaugh, who is also the school’s athletic director. “Since we hadn’t ever gone before, I figured, well, maybe the odds are improving.
“I’ve talked to Board members, I’ve looked through all the yearbooks, I talked to the former athletic director,” Deffenbaugh continued. “There is no record of us ever going to state; not a trophy, not a plaque.”
Bennett entered the regional round as the No. 9 seed following a 19-4 regular season. But the Tigers dropped their first match of the regional, which they were hosting, to No. 28 Cedaredge, 3-2 (25-21, 19-25, 25-16, 9-25, 16-14). Their dreams of state seemed to be dashed.
“We just struggled, and I think we were uptight, and we wanted to go (to state) so bad, and we were nervous,” Deffenbaugh said. “I take nothing away from Cedaredge, they were good.”
But then No. 16 Eagle Ridge Academy beat Cedaredge in the second match of the region, meaning that if Bennett beat Eagle Ridge the three teams would be in a tiebreaking scenario.
Bennett followed through with a sweep of Eagle Ridge, 25-22, 25-21, 25-13.
“To catch a break and have Eagle Ridge beat Cedaredge, it gave us new life,” Deffenbaugh said. “We played some of our best ball of the year the rest of the day.”
In the tiebreak, Eagle Ridge and Cedaredge played first because Bennett had won a higher percentage of sets. Eagle Ridge beat Cedaredge, 25-21.
Once again, Bennett had to beat Eagle Ridge. Only this time, if the Tigers won, they would do something no other team from Bennett had ever done in the 42-year history of the sport.
They won, 25-13.
“I’ve never seen a group of girls so excited,” Deffenbaugh said. “They literally jumped three feet in the air.”
The Tigers have been led by a mix of experience and youth throughout the season. That continued during regionals.
Nakita Swingle had 33 kills and 44 digs in the nine sets the Tigers played last Saturday, Olivia Bonstead added 33 kills, and Isabelle Babi had 63 digs. All three girls are seniors.
Freshman Karissa Alsdorf had 44 assists and 24 digs during regionals, and had four aces in the tiebreaker. Sophomore Raena Schledwitz had 45 assists and 25 digs throughout the day.
Now, Bennett will head to the Denver Coliseum on Friday for their first matches. They are the No. 7 seed at state, in a pool with No. 2 Lutheran and No. 11 Sterling.
“They’ve been to the Coliseum, they know what it looks like,” Deffenbaugh said. “They’re going to have to handle it like anybody else, and we’re hoping that we perform well.
“I just hope that they take in the whole experience, from getting off the bus and going in the gate entrance, to walking underneath the Coliseum and up the stairs and out into the arena, and just soak in that arena, and just really relish the moment and take it all in even before we play,” the coach added. “Just really try and gather those memories in — and get some pictures! I mean, gosh, what do we have this technology for?”
As for their pool opponents, Lutheran and Sterling?
“Lutheran and Sterling are two very good teams steeped in tradition,” Deffenbaugh said. “We’re clearly the underdog, but we’re going to go out there and try not to be overwhelmed by the new scenery.”
AURORA — History exploded off his foot, coming at the end of a brilliant run that weaved through white shirts.
Christian Nunez, a sophomore at Centaurus, sprinted through the Niwot defense and then placed a shot in the bottom right corner of the net for a go-ahead goal in the Class 4A boys soccer semifinals on Wednesday. It was the spark that ignited a 2-0 win for the Warriors, lifting the program to its first-ever appearance in a championship game.
It is also just the second appearance in a title game in any sport for Centaurus since 1995.
“It’s unbelievable,” coach Lee Stanley said. “It’s beyond expectation. These guys have been playing with heart all season, and you talk about playoffs being all heart. They’ve done it, playing for each other.
“Our culture is being happy for each other’s successes, and they have shown it all season long. It was spectacular.”
The game was a stalemate until Nunez’s goal, which came with 14:09 to play.
“This is awesome,” Nunez said. “I mean Centaurus hasn’t been to the finals, so it feels great to be the first ones to take them.”
Both teams had their chances, including a shot from Niwot’s Jason Rodriguez after a cross that ricocheted off the left post with 30 minutes remaining.
“We talked in the field house (at halftime) about not losing the game. We wanted them to have to win it. We didn’t want to lose it,” Stanley said. “We thought a mistake on our part would be the only thing that would really lose the game for us.
“If we kept playing the way we were playing, possessing the way we were possessing the in first half, the goal was going to come eventually. They just kept fighting, and got two.”
Indeed, Raudel Manjarrez, another sophomore, put the game away with a second goal for Centaurus with 3:56 to play.
It ensured a historic appearance in Saturday’s 4A championship game. Aside from an appearance by the school’s co-op girls lacrosse team in the 2013 final, no Warriors squad has made a team final since its football team did in 1995.
“There’s been so much support from the school. Everybody’s been so excited over the last couple of days. I’ve gotten uncountable messages from teachers I don’t even know congratulating us,” Stanley said. “This is huge for the school. Huge.”
Added Nunez: “I think it means a lot. We’ve got to take the opportunity, and give it our best.”
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(1) Air Academy 2, (5) The Classical Academy 0
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — Kristian Hooker gave his team an all-important first goal, and now Air Academy boys soccer is headed to play for a championship.
Hooker, an Air Academy senior, stepped up to for a penalty kick early in the first half and buried it to the right of The Classical Academy goalkeeper Brock Rowedder. The top-seeded Kadets, now 19-0-0 this season, went on to beat TCA 2-0 in the 4A semifinals on Wednesday.
“I was focusing on just getting it on net and putting it to the side,” Hooker said after the match of the goal, his team-leading 18th of the season. “I always try to look at the keeper to see what he looks like he’s about to do, especially his dominant-side hand. I just went to his right side and hoped it went in, and it did.”
The goal seemed to relax Air Academy a bit.
“That first goal is definitely a huge help for our team,” Hooker said. “The last couple of games, we haven’t gotten the first goal, so that just adds on to the pressure that comes with our record, and being (seeded) first in state.
“It’s a lot of pressure going, and everyone wants to knock us off, but we can definitely handle it. Getting that first goal definitely settles the nerves and helps us out a lot.”
Air Academy had good pressure throughout the first half, but the Titans’ Rowedder was equal to the task. He had a diving save on another chance from Hooker a few minutes later — this one coming on a free kick just outside the penalty area.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
But the Kadets kept coming. Ryan Self hit the crossbar on a long shot with 14 minutes remaining in the half, and then Luke Louthan gave his team a 2-0 lead after settling a cross in close.
“We were a little standoffish (early),” Air Academy coach Espen Hosoien said. “I think they got caught up a little bit on the circumstances, being a semifinal, so I was just kind of waiting for a little bit of spark.
“I think that (first goal) helped us settle a down a little bit, I thought we played better after that,” Hosoien added. “It was nice to get a second goal, as well.”
Air Academy moves to the championship match for the first time since 2014, when the Kadets won the 4A title. It will be the program’s seventh trip to a title game.
The loss snapped a four-year streak in which The Classical Academy had made an appearance in a championship game, including the past three 4A title games.
The 4A championship is scheduled 10:30 a.m. at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday.
Lakewood seniors Kira and Camilla will go against each other on the basketball court in college with both attending different Ivy League schools. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — The Emsbo twins — Camilla and Kira — are going their separate ways.
Lakewood High School’s 6-foot-4 identical twins made their separation official Wednesday morning during the start of early National Letter of Intent signing period. Both are headed to Ivy League schools. Kira having decided on Princeton University and Camilla signing with Yale University.
“I think it was important for me to separate from my sister,” Camilla said with a smile. “It will be a tough transition, but I think it’s really important for our growth.”
Camilla gave her verbal commitment to Yale in early October, a few months after Kira made her decision on Princeton. Both carry GPAs of 4.8 in Lakewood’s IB program.
While the twins have gone against each other in practice for years, they will get a chance to face each other for the first time and at least twice a year during their time at the Ivy League programs.
Lakewood girls basketball coach Chris Poisson, middle, talks about the Emsbo twins — Kira and Camilla. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“It going to be the best and worst two days of our lives I think,” Camilla said of facing Kira on the basketball court. “Our parents are already freaking out about it. We play hard against each other in practice. It won’t be any different. There is a good possibility one or both of us foul out, but it will definitely be fun games for sure.”
Unfortunately, the next time both are on the basketball court will be in college. Kira discovered through a recent MRI on her knee that she has a torn ACL that she suffered this summer playing club basketball.
Kira has surgery scheduled to repair her torn ACL on Tuesday, Nov. 14. It will be a 6 to 9 month recovery, so she will be ready for the start of her freshman year at Princeton. Kira missed time her junior year during Lakewood’s first girls basketball state title appearance last season with an arm injury she suffered early in the season.
“I was kind of hoping this would be my year since I missed time last year and wasn’t that big of a presence on the floor,” Kira said. “But it gives me the opportunity to work on the leadership side of things and give support in other ways.”
Lakewood girls basketball coach Chris Poisson said the Tigers will make the most of the devastating injury as Lakewood attempts to make another long playoff run.
Camilla Emsbo won’t have her sister Kira on the court his season. Kira will undergo surgery Nov. 14 to repair a torn ACL. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“Your heart breaks for her,” Poisson said of Lakewood’s ‘honorary assistant coach’. “She had a great summer. She was on a mission. I was pretty excited. We’ll put a positive light on it and be the best we can.”
Camilla, who averaged nearly 20 points per game and almost nine rebounds, will have to carry a heavy load again when the season begins in December for the Tigers.
“It’s brutal,” Camilla said of Kira’s torn ACL that will prevent her from playing. “She is one of the most positive and optimistic people I’ve ever met. She isn’t letting it get her down.”
Looking beyond high school, the Emsbo twins believe their selected university are a perfect fit.
“I was originally was going to wait longer then I did, but it got halfway through the summer and I wasn’t going to change my mind,” Kira said about verbally committing to Princeton in June. “This was what I want academically. I love the coaches. I love the school. It was the prefect place for me.”
Camilla is just as excited about heading to Yale.
“Obviously, academics are a huge priority for me,” Camilla said. “I think the Ivy League is where you get that perfect balance of academics and athletics.”
It’s the first time Poisson has had a player, let alone two players, sign with Division I programs.
“My Dad (Joe Poisson, a longtime girls basketball coach at Arvada High School) always talked about that,” said Poisson about how his late father never coached a future DI player. “I got two and from the same family. Are you kidding? I’ve been lucky and blessed. You don’t take it for granted because it doesn’t come around very often.”
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List of Jeffco-area signers
Columbine High School
Kerstin Layman, volleyball, Colorado Mesa University
Maeve Hungerford, women’s lacrosse, Colorado Mesa University
Melaine Lopez, softball, Trinidad State Jr. College
Nick Darrow, men’s lacrosse, Mercer University
Brock Harmon, men’s lacrosse, Colorado Mesa University
Gavin Beilman, men’s lacrosse, Westminster College
Robert Miner, men’s lacrosse, Belmont Abbey College
Gabe Mein, men’s lacrosse, University of Utah
Maddie Samuelson, women’s soccer, Hastings College
Conifer High School
Madeleine Foster, track/cross country, Western State
Nick Williams, men’s lacrosse, Hofstra
Kyle Butler, men’s lacrosse, Adams State
Cole Hollander, men’s lacrosse, Rhodes
Isabel Arnold, soccer, LeTourneau
D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School
Peyton Wright, volleyball, University of Northwestern-St. Paul
Kendra Cerrone, volleyball, West Texas A&M
Abbey Selin, women’s swimming, University of Wyoming
Angi Reed, women’s basketball, Oregon Tech
Evergreen High School
Lauryn Jeans, women’s soccer, Claremont McKenna College
Tomah Whitney, cross country, Western State
Jack Patterson, baseball, Washburn University
Ben Muscatello, baseball, William Jewell College
Lauren Vilims, women’s swimming, University of Northern Iowa
Golden High School
Abby Garnett, women’s basketball, University of Ohio
Adam Thistlewood, men’s basketball, Drake University
Liam Johnson, men’s soccer, University of Denver
Megan Feiner, softball, Fort Hays State
Marrissa Malmgren, women’s lacrosse, Upper Iowa
Brennan Grass, men’s lacrosse, Adams State
Brad Banks, baseball, Kansas Wesleyan
Quinn Cusack, women’s soccer, Culver-Stockton
Green Mountain High School
Brook Thompson, women’s lacrosse, Westminster College
Emily Sammon, volleyball, Bethel University
JD Wadleigh II, baseball, South Mountain Community College
Jefferson High School
Marissa Gallegos, women’s wrestling, Grays Harbor College
Lakewood High School
Jack Castiglia, men’s golf, University of Northern Colorado
Gabe Dinette, wrestling, Stanford University
Ileana Dinette, diving, University of Denver
Camilla Emsbo, women’s basketball, Yale University
Kira Emsbo, women’s basketball, Princeton University
Avery Hughes, volleyball, University of Ottawa
Hayden Still, wrestling, Oregon State University
Audrey Woodhouse, women’s lacrosse, Colorado Mesa University
Ralston Valley High School
Anna Austin, swimming, University of Idaho
Haley Bass, softball, Dodge City Community College
Gianna Browdy, softball, Dodge City Community College
Delaynie Byrne, women’s basketball, University of Minnesota
Samuel Cowling, swimming, Southwestern Oregon CC
Isabelle Davenport, swimming, University of South Dakota
Ashley Drye, volleyball, Colorado Christian University
Giselle Eiche, volleyball, University of Nebraska-Omaha
Ian Klava, baseball, Puget Sound University
Luke Leisenring, baseball, Arizona State University
Mikeila Ruotsala, soccer, Oregon Tech
Samantha Van Sickle, women’s basketball, Colorado School of Mines
Jordan Winchester, lacrosse, Regis University
Mackenzie Winchester, lacrosse, Regis University
Elizabeth Wompey, swimming, Youngstown State University
Standley Lake High School
Garrett Martin, baseball, McLennan Community College
Elliot McNeave, baseball, Western Nebraska Community College
PARKER — A sense of joy and elation went through the Denver East players coaches and fans, only to have the officials waive it off.
An apparent game-winning goal didn’t count because an Angel had leaked offside. Five minutes into the first overtime period, it didn’t matter. Benji Gutierrez maintained the Denver East attack on the right side of the goal and with one kick, put Denver East in the Class 5A boys soccer state championship game.
“We were pressing them at the end,” Gutierrez said. “We got the ball through a couple of times and we got that goal, but it was called offsides. We just kept trying to press that right side.”
The Angels (18-1 overall) overcame their 2-1 loss to Broomfield in last year’s semifinals and are now one of two teams left playing on the last day of the season.
“It’s so different,” Denver East keeper Victor Yague-Izquierdo said. “It’s as much excitement as we’ve had in the quarterfinals or any other round for that matter. For us it’s about one game at a time.”
And apparently one game at a time. Each time had their chances when attacking in the first half.
A laser shot from East’s Sam Carson was swatted away by Wolves (16-3) keeper Eddie St. Martin. Only moments later, Ivan Luna had the ball right in front of the East net, but Yague-Izquierdo came up with a big save of his.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The further into the game the two teams got, the more it became apparent that one goal just might do the rick.
“Especially when you got down to 10 or 15 minutes left,” Denver East coach Kirk Bast said. “You knew it was going to be a close game. It was a close game the whole way.”
The big hope now for the Angels is that there is no letdown after the emotional high that they experienced in the semifinal win.
The players know it’s important to get right back into their normal schedule so that they can get rested and prepared for Saturday’s championship game.
“We just go back practice,” Yague-Izquierdo said. “We look at each other and we remember that we got this and we can trust any guy on this team.”
Saturday’s championship is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
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(7) Broomfield 3, (3) Fort Collins 1
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Being a No. 7 seed in the state soccer tournament didn’t seem to bother Broomfield at all. In fact, being down one goal didn’t seem to be too troublesome either.
The Eagles beat Fort Collins 3-1 on Wednesday night to advance to Saturday’s 5A state championship game where they’ll face Denver East.
Early on, it didn’t look like things were going to lean on Broomfield’s side.
It was Eric Thompson who gave the Lambkins (16-2-1) the early lead as he buried a shot over the middle in the ninth minute.
Broomfield continued to press the attack and was rewarded in the 25th minute as Tanner Smith snuck the equalizer by Fort Collins keeper Alex Snavely.
Like the first game of the night, the two teams went into halftime locked in a tie.
Eight minutes into the second half that tie was broken as Cameron Broadhurst put the Eagles (16-2-1) up 2-1.
Bryce Simms had a breakaway and a chance to tie the game with about 16 minutes left, but Jose Ogaz smothered the ball in what was his fifth save of the game. Ogaz ended with seven saves on the night.
The Eagles had a few more chances to add an insurance goal, and finally found in with 20 seconds left on the clock to lock up their 10th championship game in school history. That also ties them with Liberty for the most state championship games in state history.
“The guys just gave a colossal effort tonight,” Eagles head coach Jim Davidson said. “They had to dig really deep and survive it a bit. We weren’t able to run much of a rotation so our guys handled themselves really well.”
The only thing standing between them and a state record seventh championship, is Denver East.
ENGLEWOOD – Cyrus Salehi knew something special was brewing even before the boys soccer season kicked off in August.
Having watched his team enjoy plenty of success against Class 5A programs at a summer camp at the University of Denver, the Liberty Common coach realized big things were in store for 2017.
His players backed that up with an undefeated regular season, and after a 2-1 victory over Colorado Springs Christian on Wednesday night in the Class 3A state semifinals, the Eagles are headed to their first state championship game in any sport.
Eighth-seeded Liberty Common (19-0) will face either Kent Denver or Colorado Academy at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the 3A title game at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.
“It feels fabulous. It’s fantastic,” said Eagles junior Elliot McCormick, who scored the game-winning goal with eight minutes remaining in the first half. “We didn’t play the prettiest soccer, but we got it done.”
Salehi said that because the Metro League receives all the credit and attention in the 3A ranks, his squad plays with the “proverbial chip” on its shoulders. Even after defeating top-seeded Jefferson Academy in the quarterfinals, the players didn’t let the upset go to their heads.
“We relish the underdog role. When they knocked out Jefferson (Academy), they left and said ‘we still have two more games,’” Salehi said. “It’s that cliché. They celebrated that day and the next day we went to work.”
Liberty Common wasted no time getting on the scoreboard Wednesday, needing just two minutes before Zack Harker found the back of the net. Less than five minutes later Colorado Springs Christian (16-3) notched the equalizer on a nice shot from Noah Banderas.
McCormick put the Eagles back on top to stay with seven minutes, 51 seconds remaining in the half after his deep ball found its mark.
“We saw that when we were parking the bus, their goalie took the liberty to come off his line,” Salehi said. “When he did, we had boys that will bury that 40 yards away.
“It looked like it was a fluke goal – it’s not. He does that in training. We have four of these boys that will do that in training eight out of 10 times.”
The fourth-seeded Lions put the pressure on in the second half but couldn’t find a way to solve the Eagles’ defensive backfield. Liberty Common found a way to prevent the Lions’ high scoring tandem of Kinsley and Lookens Smith (49 goals between them) from getting a clean look.
“We have a high-pressure mentality where we’re just tenacious, and we’re deep,” Salehi said. “Our motto is go 10-15 minutes as hard as you can putting tenacious pressure on all those boys, especially the Smith brothers. When you’re tired, come out and we’ll put in new fresh legs and keep on them.”
Now Liberty Common turns its attention to another Metro League foe in either Kent Denver or Colorado Academy. Those two programs have combined to win the previous five 3A state titles.
“Either one of these two teams that we play, we’re going to have our hands full,” Salehi said before the second semifinal. “Facing either one of these two teams is a daunting task, but we’ll look to try and have one more win.”
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(3) Colorado Academy 0, (2) Kent Denver 0 (5-4 PKs)
After watching fellow goalkeeper Max Jack keep Kent Denver from finding the back of the net through 110 minutes of play, Colorado Academy sophomore Noah Rhodes found himself stepping into goal for the shootout round of the 3A state semifinals late Wednesday night.
Locked in a scoreless tie with the three-time defending state champion Sun Devils, Rhodes and his Mustang teammates rallied to the occasion. After Kent Denver took the early lead and was poised to move on, Rhodes stopped the potential game-winning shot.
One round later, Wyatt Westfall punched his attempt home to send Colorado Academy to a 5-4 shootout victory and propel the Mustangs (15-4) into Saturday’s state championship game.
“I never would have got the chance of my keeper didn’t make a great save,” Westfall said, “and if my other keeper didn’t keep us in the game all day.”
Kent Denver (16-2-2) knocked in its first four attempts of the shootout, while sophomore keeper Joey Waldbaum stopped his first attempt. But Rhodes turned away Nick Payne in the fifth round, and the Mustangs’ Eric Bear tied things up at 4-4.
Kent’s Matias Alberola saw his shot go over the crossbar, and Westfall converted his chance to put Colorado Academy back in the title game for the first time since 2014.
“We knew coming in this was going to be a really, really tough battle. We have complete trust in our goalkeepers,” Mustangs coach Gabe Bernstein said. “We practice those moments, and I think our boys rose to the occasion.
“You never want to see a game like this with young men who pour their heart and soul into the game end on PKs, but that’s the way the game is.”
Both teams had their chances, including shots by both sides in the second overtime that went off the post.
The matchup with Liberty Common will be the first this year for Colorado Academy.
“You’ve got to respect a team like that,” Bernstein said of the undefeated and eighth-seeded Eagles. “We’ll make sure we recover and get our boys ready to go, but I think Saturday will be a tough challenge.”
A banner at Arvada West’s baseball field hangs in honor of graduate Roy Halladay and his baseball accomplishments. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
ARVADA — Brad Madden starting playing basketball with Roy Halladay when both were 8-year-olds in Arvada.
Madden and Halladay went on to graduate from Arvada West High School together in 1995, helping bring a Class 6A baseball state championship to A-West during their junior year in 1994. On Tuesday, Madden reflected on his former teammate, classmate and friend who tragically died Tuesday when Halladay’s single-engine plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast.
“He was the hardest worker and a great teammate who never took himself too seriously,” said Madden, who is currently the baseball coach at Ralston Valley High School in Arvada. “He had a great sense of humor and was a great friend. I will treasure the memories we had together and will miss him dearly. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
Halladay retired from baseball in 2013. He was living in Florida with his wife Brandy and their two sons, Ryan and Braden.
A magazine Arvada West baseball great Roy Halladay signed and gave to teammate Brad Madden. (Photo courtesy of Brad Madden)
Halladay — a two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays (2003) and Philadelphia Phillies (2010), 8-time All-Star during his 16-year career — actually pitched in the NBC World Series in Wichita on July 31 this last summer for the Kansas Stars. He pitched three perfect innings.
Madden said he exchanged texts with Halladay giving his former teammate a hard time about getting back on the mound at age 40.
“He was a kid that was bound and determined to be the best pitcher that he could be,” Madden said. “Obviously he turned out to be one of the best of all time.”
Adam Miller — A-West 1993 graduate and longtime baseball coach at Wheat Ridge High School — saw first hand the incredible work ethic and determination Halladay had at a young age.
Miller recalled during the fall season, while A-West’s football team would be practicing, Halladay would be out on the baseball field at A-West and throw a bucket of balls from home plate to center field by himself. He would then throw them from center field back to home plate.
“His Dad would show up in full catcher’s gear and Roy would throw a bullpen session,” Miller said. “This was five to six days a week. He was out there every day working on how good he could be.”
Miller added he would get questions from his players about what kind of guy Halladay was in high school. Again, Miller knew at an early age Halladay knew his path and what it would take to get there.
“We would try to take Roy out and have some fun with the upperclassmen,” Miller said. “His answer was always, ‘I don’t need to chase girls, because it might mess up my game.’ He knew when he was 15 years old what his plan was and how to get there. It paid off for him, for sure.”
Miller said Halladay was an example of what a kid from Colorado could become at the professional baseball level.
“He was always the hope. The bright light,” Miller said. “In my generation, he was the guy who made it. It made it really big. He could be (Major League Baseball) Hall of Fame made it. He was just that good.”
Halladay will be eligible for the MLB Hall of Fame in 2019.
Current A-West baseball coach Matt McDougal was a senior at A-West when Halladay was just a freshman. Matt’s younger brother Kevin McDougal graduated with Halladay and Madden.
“One of the things that stands out for me is he (Halladay) was committed to Arvada West,” Matt McDougal said. “Even though during the summer he was traveling around and playing in tournaments he was at the summer games for Arvada West. He was committed to the (baseball) program and Arvada West. He brought a lot of recognition to Arvada West.”
Then there are the stories of Halladay being a bit of a prankster.
“There is one story where Roy came to baseball practice with a cast on his arm, pretending he had broke it in gym class playing basketball,” McDougal said. “I think Capra (former A-West baseball coach Jim Capra) kind of flipped out. He didn’t know what he would do without Roy.”
A-West has had a banner on its press box at the baseball field honoring Halladay for several years, along with having retired his number that hangs out the outfield wall. McDougal said the Wildcats will do something to honor the memory of Halladay at the start of this coming spring baseball season.
Wednesday marks the start of the early signing period for many athletes in the Class of 2018.
Those seniors who play basketball and all other sports except football, soccer and men’s water polo may sign National Letters of Intent with their respective college choices. They may sign anytime between now and Nov. 15 if they choose to sign during the early period.
We are tracking those signing and other commitments here:
The regular signing period for basketball and all sports except football, soccer and men’s water polo is April 11-May 16 (for Division I) or August 1 (for Division II).
For the first time this year, football will have an early signing period for Division I enrollees, from Dec. 20-22. The regular signing period for football, soccer and men’s water polo opens on Feb. 7.
Jared Yannacito always wanted to be involved with sports, it just didn’t hit him how until he was a senior in college.
He decided he wanted to trade in his broadcasting headset for one that would let him be involved in the outcome as opposed to reporting it.
Yannacito wanted to coach.
He again leaned on school to get his teaching license. He got his coaching education from one of the greats. He spent seven years on staff at Pomona, including his last three as the offensive coordinator.
Jay Madden was Yannacito’s mentor and is someone he still talks with on a regular basis. But Yannacito is now on his own. He took the job at Golden and became tasked with reviving a program that hadn’t seen a winning season since 2009.
Previous stops: Boulder High School assistant coach (2009), Pomona assistant coach (2010-2016), Golden head coach (2017-present)
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Question: Why did you get into coaching?
Yannacito: Originally, I was going to school to be a sports broadcaster. My senior year of college, I felt like something was missing. It was coaching.
As a sports broadcaster I was watching these games and getting pretty critical and realized instead of being the person who talked about these games, I wanted to be involved in it and have an impact. So I went back and got my teaching license and started working with kids and I loved it.
The main reason I coach is to be a positive mentor and influence on young student-athletes. When I first got into coaching I thought I wanted to get into the college level. But I think at the high school age, you can have a tremendous impact that will last forever on these kids.
Q: Why do you coach the way that you coach?
Yannacito: That’s a tough question. I coach with a lot of energy and passion. Even with my team at Golden, we had to get them to believe in themselves. I coach to make the kids confident and make them believe in themselves.
Question: What do you think it’s like to be coached by you?
Yannacito: I would say it’s exciting. I try to bring positive energy every day to practice. I challenge the kids. I make them compete. I make them work harder and they know that I have their back at all times.
I think that’s why my coaches and I were able to get the most out of the kids. They know we’re pushing them because we care about them.
Question: What are your favorite coaching memories?
Yannacito: This year is extremely memorable. We took over a team that was 1-9 and got outscored 327-74 the previous year.
To come in and make the kids believe in themselves and believe in the process and have that family bonding atmosphere has been an extremely fun year.
I was also the offense coordinator and an assistant coach at Pomona for seven years. There are some memories I’ll never forget. Going to back-to-back state title games.
Coach Madden, who I have a ton of respect for. He’s been my mentor. Working with him are some of my best memories as well.
Yannacito: Incredible. It’s also been extremely challenging at times, but I cannot ask for more from the kids and the community. This is not a one-man show turnaround.
I told the kids, it takes an army. It takes commitment from the administration, the school, the kids, my coaches for this thing to happen.
From day one they bought in. The biggest thing we preach is family. But fix our family. We very rarely talk about any other team that we’re playing.
How can we fix us? How can we get better? That’s been our approach all year.
Our motto has been “Close the gap.” That gap was 327-74 and 1-9. We just focused on that. If we create a team, we create a family and we can do that.
Question: A lot of coaches talk about building cultures and I know that’s something you wanted to do coming in. Given everything that’s been accomplished this season, is it possible to build the majority of a culture in a single season?
Yannacito: Absolutely. I think we set the foundation for the expectations for the future.
We did set that precedent that if you commit to this and you work hard and you’re coachable. Things like this can happen.
