CHSAANow

Month: April 2018

  • Arvada West baseball grabs momentum with win over Green Mountain

    A-West’s Raul Villarreal, left, stretches for the ball as Green Mountain’s Sage Schaller steals second base Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    LAKEWOOD — Earl Weaver, former Major League Baseball manager and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, had a theory when it came to momentum on the baseball field.

    “Momentum is only as good as the next day’s starter (pitcher),” Weaver famously said more than 30 years ago in 1985.

    While momentum can be fleeting, the one thing Arvada West and Green Mountain baseball teams were looking for Tuesday late afternoon at Keli McGregor Field at All Star Park was a shot in the arm before heading into conference play next week.

    A-West (2-6 record) came away with a much-needed forward push with an 11-7 victory over Green Mountain (2-5).

    Jackson German picked up his second victory on the hill this season for Arvada West. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “We needed this,” Arvada West coach Matt McDougal said after the win ended a 3-game losing streak for the Wildcats. “I thought down in Tucson we got better. The scores didn’t show it, but I thought we got better. We are still at the point where we can’t make mistakes to hurt ourselves.”

    A-West went 1-4 in its annual spring break trip to Arizona after season-opening losses to Mountain Vista, No. 1 in the current 5A baseball CHSAANow.com rankings, and Poudre.

    The key for A-West against Green Mountain was a 6-run top of the third inning. The Wildcats were able to open up a 8-0 lead while taking advantage of a handful of Ram miscues on defense.

    “I’m hoping we start getting those breaks,” McDougal said of the Wildcats taking advantage of Ram errors in the big third inning. “So far we’ve been the one on the short end of the breaks. We got a few today. Hopefully that continues.”

    Green Mountain did score 6 unanswered runs to cut the Wildcats’ lead to 8-6 going into the final two innings. However, A-West put up three runs in the top of the seventh inning to give senior pitcher Trent Cook a 11-6 lead going to the Rams’ half of the seventh.

    Dominic Folks, Scotty Novotny, Trevor Cook and Vinson Britton punched out four straight hits for the A-West to seal the victory in the final inning. Junior Jackson German picked up the win going five innings and Cook picked up the save working the final two innings on the hill.

    “Getting this week in huge,” said Britton, who drove in the Wildcats’ final run with an RBI single. “We are going to start getting some momentum going into league. The league is the biggest part.”

    A-West’s Dylan Capritta, left, tries to get off a throw to first base as Green Mountain’s Jeremy Pickett slides into second base. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Green Mountain junior Michael Busse singled and scored in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough as the Rams couldn’t overcome the early deficit.

    “We didn’t quit, but we made way too many mental and physical errors,” Green Mountain coach Brad Kidwell said. “A-West’s bats came alive in that last inning. That kind of iced it.”

    Kidwell is back for his second stint at the helm of Green Mountain’s baseball program where he coached more than a decade ago. He also spent four years at Bear Creek and was last an assistant coach at Colorado Christian University before returning to the high school ranks.

    Green Mountain has the tall task of playing in the tough 4A Jeffco League that features returning state champion Valor Christian, state runner-up Evergreen, along with solid teams from Golden, Littleton and Standley Lake that are off to hot non-league starts.

    “We aren’t going to have any easy games,” Kidwell said of the 4A Jeffco League. “We are a young team, so we are trying to get better every week. That is all you can do.”

    The Rams open conference play at Golden on Monday, April 9.

    A-West dives into its 5A Jeffco League schedule with games against Bear Creek and Columbine on Tuesday and Thursday night week.

    “Whatever our record is right now doesn’t really matter,” McDougal said. “It’s about can we win today, can we win Saturday and get going when we get into league next week.”

    Green Mountain and Arvada West slide into their Class 4A and 5A Jeffco League schedules starting next week. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: No. 3 Cherry Creek baseball shuts out Cherokee Trail

    GREENWOOD VILLAGE — Tanner O’Tremba homered and Jack Moss pitched six scoreless innings as No. 3 Cherry Creek baseball beat Cherokee Trail 10-0 on Tuesday.

    [divider]

    [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”1111″ 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″]

  • Photos: Thimsen, Hirsch score as No. 2 Jefferson Academy girls soccer beats No. 7 Peak to Peak

    LAFAYETTE — Lily Thimsen and Maggie Hirsch each scored as No. 2 Jefferson Academy girls soccer beat No. 7 Peak to Peak 2-0.

    Brooklynn Kirkpatrick notched the shutout for the Jaguars, making three saves.

    [divider]

    [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”1109″ 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″]

  • Photos: Duren’s hat trick leads No. 5 ThunderRidge girls soccer over Regis Jesuit

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — Maddie Duren scored three goals and the assist on the fourth as Class 5A No. 5 ThunderRidge beat Regis Jesuit 4-1 on Tuesday.

    [divider]

    [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”1110″ 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″]

  • Morris shines for Platte Canyon baseball in win over Bruce Randolph

    Platte Canyon baseball opened Frontier League play with a 13-3 win over Bruce Randolph on Tuesday.

    Wyatt Morris struck out ten batters in 3 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit. Ryan Dikken pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, striking out six.

    “I was proud of the effort we put forth today,” Platte Canyon coach Chris Morris said. “We pitched really well for the most part, stuck to our approach at the plate. We are very aggressive on the basepaths that caused a couple of innings to be cut short, but I love the aggressiveness there.”

    Morris also went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs, while Blake Barnes was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Davian Breese and Cole Roosma each had two RBIs for the Huskies. Dikken went 4-for-4, and scored two runs.

    Platte Canyon jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the second inning thanks to a single by Barnes, a double by Keifer Grafner and singles by Josh Rummelhart and Morris.

    Morris had a double in the third inning that led to one more Husky run.

    After five innings, Platte Canyon led 8-2. The Huskies bats got going again in the top of the sixth, scoring five more runs. RBI doubles by Dikken, Morris, Roosma and Breese led the way.

    In the second game of the double-header on Tuesday, Platte Canyon (2-1) led Bruce Randolph 9-1 before it was suspended due to darkness.

  • Photos: No. 6 Rock Canyon girls soccer gets a win over Heritage

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — Catherine Brown and Arianna Sanchez each scored for No. 6 Rock Canyon girls soccer in a 2-0 win over Heritage on Tuesday.

    [divider]

    [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”1112″ 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″]

  • Riverdale Ridge hires Ray Garza to start softball program

    Brighton Monarch baseball
    Ray Garza.

    Riverdale Ridge has hired Ray Garza to be the school’s first-ever softball coach, athletic director Harry Waterman said on Wednesday.

    Garza, currently the baseball coach at Brighton, had also been an assistant for Brighton’s softball program. He has been the head baseball coach at Brighton since 2010, amassing a record of 97-42 in his seven seasons prior to this spring.

    His Bulldogs’ baseball squad is off to a 3-2 start this spring, and they gave the coach his 100th with at the school on Tuesday.

    A graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, Garza has also coached at Fort Lupton, Weld Central, Valley and Roosevelt.

    Riverdale Ridge, a new school is Thornton and part of School District 27J, is set to open this fall.

  • Fueling right for spring sports

    With the days getting longer and the trees and plants beginning to bud out, springtime is officially here. And with it comes more time outdoors as spring sports kick into high gear.

    Any athlete knows that the right food choices can optimize performance in both sport and play while laying the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle. However, the calorie and nutrient needs of an athlete are individually dependent on their body size, the demand of the particular sport, position they play, how intensely they train and how long they engage in activity each day. Still, when focusing on nutrition, a few tips remain the same regardless of the sport – “Rehydrate and Carbohydrate” – two priority areas for spring athletics.

    Rehydrate: Water should be an athlete’s best friend because drinking enough fluids can improve performance and prevent illness. There are many recommendations for how much water any one person should drink during the day; however, the best way to ensure proper hydration is with a quick peek at your urine. Urine should always be pale yellow in color – darker urine serves as a warning sign that the body is not getting enough liquids.

    A good rule of thumb is to drink 1-2 cups of fluid with meals – water, milk and 100% juice all count. Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day and sip on it regularly. Take a break every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise and drink two to three big gulps of water.

    Did you know that milk is nearly 90 percent water, which is why it functions as a great post-exercise go-to? Milk also rehydrates your body with natural electrolytes, which are lost with sweat and provides protein to jump-start your body’s muscle recovery post-exercise. Don’t forget to grab a glass of chocolate milk after exercise as a means of rehydrating the body.   

    Carbohydrate: Many athletes are inaccurately advised to avoid “carbohydrates.” Unfortunately, this message can have a negative impact on performance since carbohydrates provide nutrients as well as energy. It is recommended that most athletes eat at least 60 percent of their calories from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are foods such as grains (breads, tortillas, bagels, rice, noodles, etc.), as well as fruits and vegetables. This recommendation is easily followed when athletes eat the MyPlate way – filling half of their plate with colorful fruits and vegetables and a quarter of their plate with grains, making sure to choose whole grains more often.

    Many athletes benefit from balanced eating and additional carbohydrate-rich snacks throughout the day. Some healthy carbohydrate-rich snacks include:

    • Peanut butter and banana wrapped in a whole-grain tortilla
    • Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese
    • Yogurt topped with berries and a sprinkle of granola
    • Bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk
    • Fruit and yogurt smoothie – get creative with this Create-a-Smoothie guide

    Athletes can train harder and perform better with proper nutrition. Visit WesternDairyAssociation.org/health-and-nutrition/milk-and-sports-nutrition to read more about milk as an exercise recovery beverage and learn how to eat for peak athletic performance. 

  • CHSAA implements ArbiterAthlete to improve eligibility and compliance, streamline athlete registration

    ArbiterSports and CHSAA jointly announced on Tuesday that the two organizations have signed an exclusive statewide agreement with a key component being the implementation of ArbiterAthlete across all 355 CHSAA member high schools.

    The adoption of this technology solution will improve the compliance and eligibility tracking process for athletes who sign up for athletic/activity programs in the state and provide real-time access to the information athletic directors, administrators, coaches and parents need.

    “This agreement will deliver actionable benefits to every stakeholder across our state,” said CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green. “The CHSAA has seen an increase in turnover in athletic administration, and this partnership will allow us to provide resources and support to simplify the CHSAA eligibility process. It will be a win-win for both organizations but more importantly, the school communities we serve.”

    The implementation of ArbiterAthlete across the state will improve the ease and efficiency with which high schools interact with each other and with the CHSAA.

    “CHSAA saw the need to enhance its operations so it could continue to support its member high schools in a streamlined way,” said ArbiterSports President and CEO Jeff Triplette. “Not only does compliance become more automatic, but the school administrators can save time and paperwork, and spend more quality time with student athletes and their athletics programs.”

    In addition to efficiency improvements, the ArbiterAthlete solution will help Colorado stay in compliance with the latest FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) guidelines across the entire state.

    “We are excited about the endless opportunities afforded to our Association through this partnership to elevate our practices and educational outreach,” added Blanford-Green.

    ArbiterAthlete is an athlete pre-participation and registration product made possible through a joint venture between PlanetHS of Jacksonville, FL and ArbiterSports.

  • Photos: Schultz, Dorighi go deep as No. 3 Cherry Creek baseball beats No. 4 Rocky Mountain

    GREENWOOD VILLAGE — Tyler Schultz and Brennen Dorighi each homered as No. 3 Cherry Creek baseball beat No. 4 Rocky Mountain 15-8 on Monday.

    [divider]

    [ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”1108″ 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″]