CHSAANow

Month: January 2018

  • No. 4 Valor Christian girls basketball edges No. 2 Golden, but at a high cost

    Valor Christian Golden girls basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — Valor Christian freshman Kindyll Wetta was esstenial in helping the Eagles jump out of the gate and grab an early lead over Golden.

    So it was all the more crushing when an apparent leg injury not only ended her night, but raised questions about the future of her season.

    The Class 4A No. 4-ranked Eagles came away with a 55-53 win over the No. 2 Demons. But the potential loss of the team’s leading scorer took some of the wind out of the sails of victory.

    “She’s a phenomenal athlete,” Valor coach Jessika Caldwell said. “A lot of our success pertains to her. So to see a teammate go down, any teammate go down, but especially her, that’s hard.”

    Before her injury, Wetta had scored 21 points, matching a career high. She got 17 of those points in the first half, allowing the Eagles (10-2 overall, 3-0 4A Jeffco) to go into the break up 30-16.

    But the Demons (11-1, 2-1) were far from out of it. They finally found an offensive rhythm in the third quarter and thanks in large part to Makena Prey, cut the Valor lead to just nine points heading into the final eight minutes.

    Valor Christian Golden girls basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    “They’re a competitive group,” Golden coach Mike Osborne said. “They want to win. They want to compete and they won’t quit. We just can’t dig ourselves that big of a hole.”

    Elli Garnett fueled the Golden offense in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of the team’s 18 points.

    With Wetta out of the game, someone had to step up and make the big shots for Valor. Sara Nealy knocked down a 3-pointer in the third quarter that gave her the confidence to be that person and she didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger in the fourth.

    “After I hit the first three (in the first quarter), I kind of got the momentum going,” Nealy said. “After the second one, I felt really good about it so hitting the third one felt really good.”

    The Eagles held a two-point lead heading into the possession. Golden had the ball with less than 10 seconds left and Garnett was able to get two shots up from under the basket, but neither fell and it was Valor who escaped Wednesday’s showdown unbeaten in league play. But the players’ thoughts kept shifting to their fallen teammate.

    “Since it was a top-10 showdown, (Wetta) going down was a really big part,” Nealy said. “But me hitting those shots and getting key rebounds was a big part in us being able to get the win.”

    Word out of Valor is that Wetta will get her knee examined on Thursday. There was no definitive answer on the extent of the injury, but it seem significant enough to curb the excitement of Wednesday’s win.

    Both teams will be back in action on Friday, continuing to work through the tough Jeffco League gauntlet.

    Valor Christian Golden girls basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • No. 9 Valor Christian boys basketball survives slugfest, beats No. 4 Golden

    Valor Christian Golden boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — If someone had told Valor Christian boys basketball coach Troy Pachner that Jeremy Randle wouldn’t score after the first quarter and Golden’s Adam Thistlewood would explode in the second half, he would guessed Valor would walk away with a loss.

    Joke’s on him.

    The Eagles got just enough from its supporting cast and Thistlewood’s last-second shot to tie the game went just long. Class 4A No. 9 Valor came away with a 56-53 win over No. 4 Golden to take an early edge in the 4A Jeffco League standings.

    “It was huge,” Pachner said. “Obviously Golden is the favorite and everybody knew that coming into this year. We felt like we could play with anybody in our league, so it’s convincing ourselves that even though we’re young in terms of varsity experience, we’re just as talented as anybody.”

    That was apparent early in the game when Randle knocked down a couple of quick 3-pointers to give the Eagles (6-6 overall, 3-0 4A Jeffco) an early lead. The Eagles offense overall worked very efficiently in the first quarter, scoring at a 2-1 clip compared to the Demons (9-3, 2-1).

    But then things started to change. Randle got into foul trouble and was forced to make his way to the bench. The 12 points he scored in the first would stand as his total for the game. With the leading scorer on the team unable to directly contribute, the Eagles had to find points elsewhere.

    Hunter Shkapich scored six of the teams 10 points in the second quarter, including a layup as time expired, locking up momentum for Valor heading into the locker room.

    “It was important to come off and get a good start,” Randle said. “I got in foul trouble, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t cheer my guys on from the bench and be a good teammate. They picked me up.”

    The biggest advantage for the Eagles was Thistlewood’s inability to score in the first half. He totaled just four points and one total field goal.

    Valor Christian Golden boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    That all changed starting in the third. He scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the third.

    “We had a slow start in the first half and we were playing catch-up the whole time,” Golden coach Erik Buehler said. “If he’s his normal self in the first half or the first quarter, it’s probably and completely different game.”

    The Demons were fighting hard in an effort to pull even with the Eagles. Jack Moore buried a 3-pointer in the fourth to make it 44-42, but Jack Foley answered right away with one of his own for the Eagles. Off a quick missed Golden shot Rocky Beers got out in transition and converted, forcing a Golden timeout.

    As the seconds ticked away, Jack McGlaughlin was fouled on a shot and converted the and-one attempt to pull within three points.

    Randle was fouled and went to the line looking for his first points since the first quarter, but missed the free throw. The Demons had one last chance with about eight seconds left.

    The ball went right into Thistlewood’s hands and he found an opening off a screen, but the shot attempt was no good.

    “Adam was tremendous,” Pachner said. “He’s a great player. We had some concepts on him that we did not execute, including the last shot of the game.”

    Golden will get a chance for redemption when it hosts Valor on Feb. 2.

    Valor Christian Golden boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

  • Bear Creek boys hoops 3-0 in 5A Jeffco after rally against Dakota Ridge

    LITTLETON — It didn’t take long to realize the Class 5A Jeffco League boys basketball title was clearly up for grabs this season.

    Two-time defending 5A Jeffco champ Chatfield had its 30-game conference winning streak snapped by Pomona during the first night of league games Jan. 4.

    “I’m not surprised with anything,” Dakota Ridge coach Curi Yutzy said Wednesday night after a 69-65 home loss to Bear Creek. “In any Jeffco game I think the team that plays better for those 32 minutes is going to come away with the win.”

    Bear Creek (7-3 record, 3-0 in 5A Jeffco) trailed 38-26 early in the second half when Dakota Ridge junior Alex Overlie nailed a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the third quarter. However, the Bears turned things around in a hurry pouring in 23 points in the final six minutes of the third quarter to grab a 49-47 lead heading to the final quarter.

    Bear Creek senior Jovan Dodig (2) drives to the basket Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Seniors Manuel Perez (27 points) and Jovan Dodig (13 points) led the way for the Bears in their seventh victory in eight games.

    “We’ve talked about learning from our experiences. After loses to Douglas County and Liberty we talked about how to bring that to the next game,” Bear Creek coach Will Gosch said. “At halftime we talked about limiting our mistakes and valuing every position.”

    Bear Creek lost in overtime to Liberty and blew a double-digit lead to Douglas County before winter break. Clearly the Bears have learned to make adjustments on the fly.

    Dodig was aggressive taking the ball to the basket after halftime after scoring just 2 points in the first half. Perez caught fire from outside knocking down four 3-pointers on his way to a team-high 27 points.

    “Just moving the ball around,” Perez said of the key as the Bears put up 43 points in the second half. “Jovan getting to the basket and finding open people. I think that opened up a lot of opportunities and we took them.”

    Junior Jayden Martinez actually made maybe the most important shot of the night. Martinez sank his lone field goal of the game with a 3-pointer in the corner in front of the Bears’ bench with 3:23 left in the fourth quarter. The basket put Bear Creek up 59-52.

    Dakota Ridge’s Drew Dominic takes a shot over Bear Creek’s Jordan Ramos. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “That kid (Martinez) has no fear. We trust him in that situation,” Gosch said of Martinez’s 3-pointer that gave Bear Creek its biggest lead of the game. “As soon as I saw him wide-open I was hoping he would shoot. I’m glad he did.”

    Bear Creek went 8-for-13 from the free-throw line in the final quarter to seal the victory and remain the lone undefeated team in 5A Jeffco play through the first three conference games.

    A sign that a number of teams can get into the mix for the title in the 8-team league was the fact that Bear Creek was only undefeated team in conference play entering Game 3 on the league docket for all 5A Jeffco teams Wednesday night. The Bears have been at or near the bottom of the league for a number of years.

    “As long as we take one game at a time. I think the big thing in high school is how you handle prosperity,” said Gosch of the Bears that haven’t had more than four league wins in a season since going 7-7 in conference during the 2008-09 season. “We need to stay hungry and not anoint ourselves, I think good things will happen for us.”

    Senior Cole Binder actually scored a game-high 28 points thanks to eight 3-pointers for Dakota Ridge (6-5, 1-2), but it wasn’t enough as the Eagles dropped their second straight league game.

    “I think we played really hesitant in the second half,” Yutzy admitted. “I think we turned into a very passive team against a very aggressive team. That normally doesn’t end well.”

    Dakota Ridge is on the road Friday at Pomona before getting a shot against No. 1 ranked and undefeated Rock Canyon on the Jaguars’ home court in a non-conference game at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

    Bear Creek is also back on the court this weekend. The Bears host Columbine at 1 p.m. Saturday.

    Bear Creek’s Manuel Perez (23) guards Dakota Ridge’s Alex Overlie on Wednesday. Perez helped lift the Bears to a 69-65 victory with a team-high 27 points. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Wrestling meet between Conifer, Alameda and Standley Lake

    CONIFER — Conifer, Alameda and Standley Lake wrestling clashed in a tri meet on Wednesday.

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  • Ball Fever: Boys basketball producing some upsets and surprises

    Chaparral George Washington boys basketball
    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    Welcome back, hoops fans! Pretty cool experience to share as I was blessed with the opportunity to go on the XFinity Sports Report with host Brian Roth for a little 5A/4A hoops “Round Table” this week. Check it out:

    Week 1 of the 2018 season didn’t let us down and this week’s early action is producing some surprises and upsets already. Let’s dive right into the action…

    [divider]

    A Look Back

    Monday, Jan. 8

    Chaparral George Washington boys basketball
    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
    • Big game of the night was GW visiting Chaparral fresh off Chap’s take down of Denver East three nights earlier. The Patriots came out ready and with parity across the board boasting five players in double figures led by Mo Diallo (double-double of 18 & 12!). Our guy, Coach K (Kevin Keyser), has your photo journalism…
    • When we saw this score of 75-26 come across the timeline we simply yelled, “ouch!”. The states No. 1 squad Rock Canyon not only showed their scoring prowess putting up 75 (26 from Tyson Gilbert!) but they got EXTREMELY DEFENSIVE holding Columbine to 6 points or less in three quarters and only 8 in the final stage. Quite an impressive and complete game from the Jags!
    • Cam’Ron Dunfee kept Douglas County in their recent winning direction scoring 25 points for the Huskies in 12-point win over Brighton.
    • Don’t look at Overland’s record and think you have an “on paper” win. The Trailblazers have faced one of the toughest early season schedules and it’s starting to pay off early 2018 as they notch another win this time over Rangeview with senior Tucson Redding pacing three double figure scores with 16.
    • Many know of strong sophomore guard Ty Foster over at Lincoln but they had another soph step up big in their win over Prairie View with TJ Bamba scoring 21 points along with 7 rebounds.
    • Denver East was likely ready to return to the court after their loss at ThunderDome to Chap last Friday and Lakewood took the brunt of the Angels fury going down 80-68. Daylen Kountz with another 27 point effort!

    Tuesday, Jan. 9

    (Courtesy photo)
    • How about a 40 point win leading to Coach Jeff Kloster’s 400th Longmont career win?!! Our Ryan Casey has your details.
    • Deja-vu? The Patriots with another FIVE players in double figures as they claim perhaps the best back to back two-day performance our Fever Crew has seen this year. A night after beating No. 4 Chap by 16 GW traveled again to No. 6 Regis and knocked off their second top-10 team in as many days!
    • Jamil Safiddiene busted open with 26 points for No. 6 Regis but D’Auntray Pierce and Mo Diallo dominated the paint combining for 26 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks!
    • Sindou Cisse continues his strong senior session for Montbello (FNE) and scored 17 in the Warriors 9-point win over Thornton.
    • Trent Dykema and crew have Silver Creek undefeated and up to No. 2 in our latest poll. This night they kept the streak alive on the road at Greeley Central 66-58.
    • Boulder was down 4 to start the fourth quarter but 20 points from Davis Kang helped the Panthers secure the tight 50-49 comeback vs. Legacy.
    • Fever Crew is again impressed by Coach Boykins’ Huskies and DougCo took down Lincoln 56-52 at home with Cam’ron Dunfee and Brendan Temple both in double figures.
    • Liberty is knocking on the 5A top-10 door and senior Moz Dora scored 22 as they trounced Palmer by 18!
    • Holy Family dropped to No. 7 in 4A after picking up a fourth loss but bounced back this week with a 23 point win over Berthoud.
    • We’ve sighted a “30-piece” from Rampart senior Josh Kavalec but not enough points to keep Fountain Fort Carson from pulling off the road win by 4!
    • Junior Chase Hettinger was right at the doorstep of “30” scoring 28 in Castle View’s 13-point win at Prairie View.
    • In a lil “A-Town visiting D-Town” battle, Denver South left no doubt pounding Aurora Central 73-45!

    Wednesday, Jan. 10

    (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    • Pueblo West coming in as No. 6 in 4A rankings pulled away from St Mary’s with a 10-point second quarter advantage and never looked back for the 16-point victory.
    • Ummm…Uhhhh…I believe we mentioned before to not sleep on these Trailblazers! Coach Fisher, again, mounted the troops and knocked off No. 8 Smoky Hill with Tucson Reddings 18 which led three Overland players in double figures. Overland is STILL a strong factor in “Centennial Tough” hoops!
    • Speaking of Centennial League, Mullen and Cherry Creek looking to prove that they are here, “NOW” and not just rebuilding! This was an excellent back and forth overtime battle Creek edged by 1, 77-76!
    • Well, Hello! Highlands Ranch, 9-2, has broken into our 5A top-10 and start their top-10 run with an easy “W” over Hinkley 58-29.
    • Valor is 5-6, but still ranked in our top-10, and they showed why, taking down No. 4 Golden. Dan Mohrmann was all over it!
    • No. 1 Lewis-Palmer, with 4 players in double figures, showing what they can do beating Falcon by 26! Matthew Ragsdale with 19 in this one…
    • Dayne Prim, and the No. 2 Grandview Wolves, must be getting familiar to his 14 point, double digit rebound performances! This one led to a 14-point win at C-Trail.
    • Sooo Glad the Fever Crew was catching Bear Creek’s winning way early! Dennis Pleuss has you covered on how things are shaking up in Jeffco!

    [divider]

    Midweek Thoughts

    Wide open? Seems we have this talk annually in our big school ball but this week certainly made 5A feel that way.

    Don’t fall in love with your rankings or early thoughts/impressions of squads. We’ve seen top teams who did well out-of-state stink it up upon their return and teams who are “eye opening” after tough out of state trips.

    The theme we see is consistency, and there are a few “cream of the crop” squads showing that type of effort/energy/depth.

    Wow! This is going to be a fun run to March!

    League play, here we come…

  • Photos: Strong defense in the second quarter helps D’Evelyn boys hoops top Wheat Ridge

    DENVER — D’Evelyn clamped down defensively and allowed only five points in the second quarter in a 65-61 win over Wheat Ridge.

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  • Longmont boys basketball coach Jeff Kloster notches 400th career win

    (Courtesy photo)

    Jeff Kloster, the boys basketball coach at Longmont, won the 400th game of his career on Wednesday night.

    Kloster’s Trojans beat Niwot 68-28 to earn the coach his milestone.

    “It’s all about the kids,” Kloster told BoCoPreps.com after the game. “I told them just to live in the moment tonight, it’s going to be exciting. Now they’re part of something that’s special for Longmont High School.

    “It’s about Longmont High and all the kids who came through the program over the last 24 years. I’ve been blessed over and over and over and I’m just very appreciative that I get the chance to be in the gym with great kids.”

    Longmont led Niwot 42-8 at halftime, and cruised to the win over the Cougars.

    With the win, Longmont is now 6-1 this season.

    Kloster is the third boys basketball coach to win his 400th game this season, following Legend’s Kevin Boley and Jefferson Academy’s Mark Sharpley.

    Kloster, who took over at Longmont 24 seasons ago, is the 26th coach in state history to win 400 games in Colorado. He was an assistant under current CU basketball coach Tad Boyle at Longmont prior to becoming head coach.

    All 400 of his wins have come at Longmont, which ranks as the eighth-most in state history at one school.

  • Photos: No. 9 George Washington boys hoops stays hot in win over No. 6 Regis Jesuit

    AURORA — Five players scored in double-figures as Class 5A’s No. 9 George Washington clipped No. 6 Regis Jesuit 79-69 on Tuesday.

    The win comes just a day after the Patriots upended No. 4 Chaparral.

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  • Girls swimming rankings: Fairview takes over as No. 1 in 5A

    This week’s girls swimming rankings are below.

    These team rankings are created from the top marks of the season so far which have been entered in MaxPreps. They are compiled by PrepSwimCo.com.

    In addition, the top individual marks of the season to date are compiled here.

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    PrepSwimCo.com Girls Swimming & Diving Rankings

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Fairview 2
    2 Fossil Ridge 1
    3 Cherry Creek 3
    4 Arapahoe 4
    5 Regis 6
    6 Lewis-Palmer 5
    7 Rocky Mountain 7
    8 Rock Canyon 8
    9 Mountain Vista 9
    10 Castle View/Douglas County 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rampart 1
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 2
    3 Heritage 3
    4 Valor Christian 4
    5 Niwot 5
    6 Mullen 6
    7 Silver Creek 7
    8 Fort Collins 9
    9 Windsor –
    10 Loveland –
    Dropped out
    Highlands Ranch (8), George Washington (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Longmont 1
    2 Pueblo County 2
    3 Durango 3
    4 St. Mary’s Academy 4
    5 Kent Denver 5
    6 D’Evelyn 7
    7 Manitou Springs 9
    8 Centaurus 8
    9 Colorado Academy 6
    10 Aspen 10
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Despite coaching change, Golden girls hoops still undefeated this season

    GOLDEN — Bumps in the road are always expected during the basketball season.

    While Golden (11-0, 2-0 in Class 4A Jeffco League) remained at No. 2 in the latest CHSAANow.com 4A girls basketball rankings that were released early Monday, the Demons have had some hurdles even with an undefeated record.

    Despite a sudden coaching change just before winter break with Golden’s first-year coach Tim Hammond stepping down and assistant Mike Osborne taking over the reins, the Demons have cruised to double-digit victories in 10 of 11 wins so far.

    The latest was a 65-18 victory Monday night against Heritage (1-10).

    “It’s been fine,” Golden senior Makena Prey said of the transition to Osborne as the head coach. “We just stay together as a team. We have stuck with the same philosophies. It’s been a pretty smooth transition.”

    Golden senior Makena Prey (32) is averaging a double-double this season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Prey has been more than just smooth on the court. The 6-foot senior came into Monday’s non-league home game against Heritage averaging a double-double in scoring and rebounds. Prey (23.7 points per game and 11.7 rebounds) continued her dominating performance this season.

    The senior had 21 points and another double-digit rebounding performance to lead the Demons. The win kept Golden perfect heading into a key Jeffco conference showdown against No. 4 Valor Christian at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10.

    “We are definitely getting ready for Wednesday because that’s going to be a tough game,” Prey said. “Valor is a good match-up.”

    Golden’s Garnett sisters — Abby and Elli — combined for 32 points in the win. Elli, a sophomore, finished with 17 points in her second game back from an injury she suffered in the Demons’ season opener.

    Golden senior Abby Garnett, left, and the Demons face No. 4 Valor on Wednesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “Having these last two game have really helped Elli. Having that connection on the court is so important,” said Abby, who finished with 15 points Monday. “Right now we are a little scattered.”

    Sophomore Haley Prey, Makena’s younger sister, has missed some games with an injury and wasn’t in the lineup Monday. However, Haley said she hopes to be on the court Wednesday against the Eagles.

    Golden split their two conference meetings last season against Valor.

    “It will be interesting to see. Our game is a half-court game while Valor’s is uptempo,” said Osborne who recently spent time as an assistant girls basketball coach at Columbine before coming over with Hammond this season. “They will try to speed us up. It will be decided by which team can keep their composure. I’m looking forward to see how our girls handle it.”

    Osborne added he excited to have the league showdown as the first part of a girls/boys varsity doubleheader in Highlands Ranch on the Eagles’ home court. Both Golden and Valor boys’ programs are both ranked in the top-10 in 4A boys basketball rankings.

    Despite a 16-point loss by the Pueblo West girls last week to Fruita Monument, No. 6 in the 5A poll, the Cyclones (10-1 record) stayed atop the 4A girls rankings.

    The only other undefeated 4A girls team in the state is Berthoud (11-0). The No. 9 Spartans have a huge test tomorrow night on the road against No. 5 Holy Family (9-2).

    “The rankings are really neat for kids because there is an energy with it, but their goals are broader than that,” Osborne said. “I expect bumps up and down. It is pretty early in the year. At the end they want to be the last team standing.”

    Golden sophomore Elli Garnett (23) goes up for a shot during the Demons’ 11th victory of the season in a 65-18 win over Heritage. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)