Team designation note: The number next to team is not a seed. Following regionals, the teams that win each regional are moved onto the state bracket and are designated as Team 1, Team 8, etc. The final eight teams are NOT re-seeded. All seeding was completed for the regional round.
The site director will flip a coin for home team in all games.
The loser of Game 11 (L11) and winner of Game 11 (W11) may change places so that previous opponents are not matched. This spot is marked by an asterisk (*) on the bracket.
If three teams remain after Game 13, the winner of Game 11 (W11) draws a bye to Game 15. If W11 loses Game 12, there will be three teams left and W11 earns the bye. W12 then plays W13 to reach finals. This spot is marked by a caret (^) on the bracket.
The state baseball brackets are out, and so is an … interesting … outlook in terms of weather this weekend.
Because of that, the schedule for the weekend may change, though no changes have been made at this point.
The Denver metro area, where both the 5A and 4A tournaments are slated to be held, is showing a significant chance of rain on both Friday and Saturday — the first two days of the tournament. Friday’s forecast is also calling for thunderstorms.
The same forecast is showing for Greeley and Niwot, which are hosting the 3A tournament.
In Pueblo, site of 2A, there is a slight chance of rain Friday evening, and most of Saturday.
The 1A title game is scheduled to be played on Thursday in Denver, and the forecast looks to be clear.
With that information in mind, the CHSAA office sent out the following communication to state participants on Monday morning:
The weather once again is showing potential challenges for this weekend. Please note that we will play the first available day if a day is postponed. Those decisions will be made by site directors and, in conjunction with, assistant commissioner Bert Borgmann. All notices will be posted on CHSAANow.com. Efforts will be made to keep the days “whole” so any postponement at one site will result in the postponement of the second site (i.e., if Niwot cannot play, then Butch Butler will also be held) to provide a consistent tournament and competitive equity in pitch counts. Weather can change quickly, so these decisions will likely be gameday decisions.
Sunday would be an option for any games that need to be rescheduled.
Lakewood freshman Mikaela Haas hits a forehand during the final day of the Class 5A girls tennis state tournament at Gates Tennis Center. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
DENVER — Junior Lauren Rice and freshman Mikaela Haas did something no girls tennis player from Lakewood High School had done since 1982.
Rice and Haas — Lakewood’s No. 4 doubles teams — advanced to the Class 5A state championship match May 11 at the Gates Tennis Center. The last girls tennis player to play in a state tournament final was Suzi Colglazier when she won at No. 3 singles 36 years ago.
Lakewood junior Lauren Rice watches the ball after hitting a backhand during the No. 4 double state final May 11. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“After all our matches is when we really realized how far we’ve gone,” said Rice, who also qualified for state last year at No. 4 doubles with partner Gabriella Bowles.
Rice and Haas won their first three matches at state in straight-set fashion against Fossil Ridge, Ralston Valley and Boulder. It was a big step for Haas.
“We just wanted to make it to state,” Haas said.
Rice and Haas did much more than just make the state tournament. The pair took the court Friday afternoon against Cherry Creek with the Class 5A No. 4 double title on the line.
Mikaela Haas and Lauren Rice became the first girls tennis players from Lakewood to play for in a state final since 1982. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“We were excited,” Haas said of facing Cherry Creek’s No. 4 doubles team of senior Emily Wilkins and freshman Dahlia Rappaport. “We had nothing to lose. We were the underdogs. We wanted to go out there and have fun.”
Wilkins and Rappaport was too much for Rice and Haas in the final. The Bruins took a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Cherry Creek won its 35th overall girls tennis state team title winning five of seven positions.
“Once we got here it was match-by-match,” Rice said. “We saw the end goal of going as far as we can.”
The success Rice and Haas had this season makes it a strong possibility that the two will remain doubles partners next year.
“We play really, really well together,” said Rice, who uses her height and athletic ability well at the net while Haas has proven to be a very strong and consistent player at the baseline.
Lakewood’s No. 4 doubles team of Lauren Rice and Mikaela Haas competed in a championship match May 11 at Gates Tennis Center. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Each tournament is scheduled to start play this Friday and Saturday. The tournaments are slated to continue next Friday (3A, 4A and 5A only) and Saturday (all classes).
The 1A bracket was released last week, and will have its championship game on Thursday.
INDIANAPOLIS — An exception to the backcourt violation and a clarification regarding specifications of the ball comprise the changes approved for the 2018-19 high school basketball season.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Basketball Rules Committee recommended the changes at its April 9-11 meeting in Indianapolis, and all changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Rule 9-9-1 states that “a player shall not be the first to touch the ball after it has been in team control in the frontcourt, if he/she or a teammate last touched or was touched by the ball in the frontcourt before it went to the backcourt.”
An exception was approved to note that any player who was located in the backcourt may recover a ball that is deflected from the frontcourt by the defense.
Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials, said the committee approved the exception to ensure that a team is not unfairly disadvantaged on a deflected pass.
The other change approved by the Basketball Rules Committee involved more clearly defining the cover of the ball in Rule 1-12-1c, which now states that the ball “shall have a deeply-pebbled granulated surface . . .”
Wynns said the term “granulated surface” should provide manufacturers a better idea of what a deeply-pebbled cover should look like.
In addition to the two rules changes approved by the committee, several points of emphasis were identified for the coming season, including concussion recognition, proper procedures for blood issues and coaches monitoring injury and research trends.
“The committee wanted to stress continued education in recognizing signs and symptoms of concussions for coaches, athletes, parents and officials,” Wynns said. “In addition, concern of overuse injuries due to sport specialization should be monitored, and recognition of blood on players and uniforms and the proper procedure for removal of blood and return to play are other areas for education.”
Wynns noted that coaches have primary responsibility for making sure players are wearing legal uniforms and are legally equipped. She said emphasis will be given to rule enforcement in the areas of traveling, legal guarding position and establishing possession during loose-ball situations. Lastly, the committee believes officials professionalism and use of proper terminology should be emphasized.
“Overall, the committee believes the rules of the sport are in great shape. These changes provide more clarification in areas where there has been inconsistency in interpretation and will help manufacturers in producing basketballs that meet NFHS specifications,” said Francine Martin, NFHS Basketball Rules Committee chair and assistant executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. “The committee evaluated input from the NFHS basketball rules questionnaire, which is available for all coaches and officials to complete and provide input for future rules changes during the meeting. The points of emphasis are geared toward sports medicine issues and consistent interpretation of playing rules.”
A complete listing of all rules changes is available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Basketball.”
Basketball ranks third in popularity for both boys and girls with 550,305 male participants and 430,368 female participants, according to the 2017-18 NFHS Athletics Participation Survey.
Evergreen players celebrate a first-half goal against Wheat Ridge in the Class 4A girls soccer 2nd round game at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — Evergreen and Wheat Ridge girls soccer teams had been here before.
The Class 4A Jeffco League teams faced off in the Class 4A state tournament quarterfinals a year ago with Evergreen hanging on to a 2-1 victory that led to an eventual state runner-up finish. The two conference rivals met up again in the postseason Saturday at Lakewood Memorial Field, this time in the second round.
Evergreen freshman Jocelin Zimmerer, left, battles with Wheat Ridge junior Paloma Rodello during the first half. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“You are just excited to be in the (state) tournament and have the opportunity. You kind of takes what comes,” said Wheat Ridge coach Dan Watkins when asked if he was disappointed to have to face the Cougars so early in the playoffs. “Evergreen is a good team and we were going to have to play really well to get through. We just didn’t do enough today.”
No. 7-seeded Evergreen (12-5 record) got goals from seniors Lauryn Jeans and Sydney Westgard six minutes apart in the opening 20 minutes of play against No. 10 Wheat Ridge. The Cougars’ defense and junior goalie Sarah Straut were able to keep the Farmers (11-6) off the scoreboard in a 2-0 victory for Evergreen.
“Our conference prepares us for games like this,” said Evergreen coach Peter Jeans who guided the Cougars to a 2-1 victory over the Farmers earlier this season in conference play. “Wheat Ridge never quits. The last 10 minutes we hung on for dear life. We were fortunate to get the win.”
Evergreen didn’t waste any time getting up on Wheat Ridge. Senior Lauryn Jeans — Coach Jeans’s daughter — rocked a shot into the back of the net in the 10th minute.
“The midfielders have been working on that shot, but it was lucky too,” Jeans admitted of her goal. “It was my left foot and I’m normally right.”
Six minutes later, Westgard fired a shot that got through Wheat Ridge goalie Morgan Davis in the 16th minute to put the Cougars up 2-0.
“It definitely gave us a cushion,” Jeans said of Westgard’s goal. “We know Wheat Ridge is a great team. We knew they definitely could still come back.”
Evergreen junior Luisa Weiner (6) and Wheat Ridge senior Rylie Pachello (15) fight over control of the ball. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Wheat Ridge senior Macie Browne led the offensive charge by the Farmers as time started to run on out the season for Wheat Ridge. However, the Farmers couldn’t get a goal to put more pressure on Evergreen.
“When you fall behind you are going to be up against it,” Watkins said. “You are going to have to compete and battle. It makes the game more challenging and more difficult. I’m really proud of our kids. They continued to put pressure on during the second half and created a few chances.”
Evergreen moves on into the quarterfinals Wednesday, May 16, where the Cougars face the winner of No. 18 The Classical Academy and No. 2 Valor Christian. That second-round game was played late Saturday night in Highlands Ranch.
“We’ll play whoever comes our way,” Coach Jeans said of the Cougars’ quarterfinal match. “We have to have a couple of great days of training and then a great game again.”
Of course there is the motivation for the Cougars of having advanced to the 4A title game last year, only to have Jeffco rival D’Evelyn come out on top with a 1-0 victory at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
“It’s huge,” Jeans said of the experience last year of making the 4A title game. “Just getting to the final is amazing. Of course I want to get back and win. We aren’t looking toward the final yet. We are looking toward the next game.”
Evergreen sophomore Sofie Cochran (2) and Wheat Ridge senior Macie Browne (3) work on settling the ball down during the state playoff game Saturday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
DENVER — Dani Torres scored twice and Colorado Academy beat SkyView Academy 4-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state girls soccer tournament.
