CHSAANow

Month: November 2018

  • Palmer Ridge and Pueblo East football teams tour ThunderBowl, attend press conference

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    PUEBLO — Palmer Ridge and Pueblo East got a sneak peak of the setup for the Class 3A football championship this weekend.

    The two teams visited Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl on the campus of Colorado State University-Pueblo on Wednesday morning for a tour of the facility and a press conference in advance of their matchup.

    Officials are expecting upwards of 6,000 attendees during the game on Saturday, which is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Tickets are on sale now.

    “Pueblo is an event town,” said Jim Brooks, the voice of CSU-Pueblo, as he introduced the event. “Pueblo loves high school football, and they love big events. That’s what this is.”

    It’s an environment the players are preparing themselves for.

    “It’s going to be crazy,” said Pueblo East star Kain Medrano, a senior who is committed to UCLA. “You’ve got to really focus in and focus on the task at hand, that being the football game. You can’t be distracted by how many people are in the stands, or what they’re saying in the stands. You’ve got to just go out and play football.”

    On Wednesday, the teams and coaches got a small taste of that experience when they walked through the stadium facilities, including the locker rooms, and the field itself.

    “This is a big-time experience,” said Palmer Ridge coach Tom Pulford. “This opportunity to come down, and for our players to see the stadium, walk through the locker room, that’s a big deal.”

    The players were impressed by the venue itself, home for CSU-Pueblo’s football team.

    “CSU-P is a great field, and the ThunderBowl is — you hear about the ThunderBowl all around Colorado, and I think it’s another great venue for my last high school football game,” said Palmer Ridge quarterback Ty Evans, a CU commit.

    They also enjoyed meeting the media during the press conference.

    “It’s amazing,” Medrano said. “Coming through, and getting this type of environment going into a state championship is amazing. It gives us the feel for the stadium the feel for how everything is going to be with cameras and stuff. It gives us that feeling, and it’s a pretty amazing feeling.”

    Added Evans: “It makes all those 6 a.m. workouts worth it. When you come down here and see where you’re going to be playing for a state title, and you’re getting interviewed by everybody, it makes every ounce of work worth it.”

    Ultimately, all involved know that Saturday brings a chance for a state championship. Palmer Ridge, the defending champion, is 1-0 in championship games. Pueblo East is 3-0.

    “You guys have a chance to go live a dream,” said CSU-Pueblo football coach John Wristen, who spoke to the players on Wednesday. “What a great opportunity.”

  • Boulder boys hoops tips off season with win over Chatfield

    LITTLETON — Boulder and Chatfield got their seasons officially underway Monday on opening night of the prep basketball regular season in Colorado.

    Boulder used an offensive surge in the start of the fourth quarter to take a 78-69 victory at Chatfield Senior High School. The Panthers (1-0 record) turned a 1-point lead to start the final quarter into a double-digit midway through the fourth quarter.

    “At the start of the game I was kind of nervous, but kind of came into my own and the players did that too,” Boulder’s first-year head coach Riley Grabau said. “They are just a good group of young men who compete. We showed that tonight.”

    Chatfield sophomore Ethan Johnson, right, tries to make a move in the paint on Boulder junior Giles Schmid in the first half Monday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Junior Giles Schmid led the way for the Panthers with a game-high 22 points, including going 6-for-7 from 3-point range. Senior Miller Davison (13 points), along with sophomores Alex Rucker (18 points) and Drake Arthur (11 points) were huge in the final quarter as the Panthers took advantage of their size advantage inside on the Chargers (0-1).

    “Just instilling confidence in these guys and making sure they can hit the shot when they shoot it,” said Grabau’s team that scored 51 points in the second half. “When you get pressed I was also taught to get a layup and that is what we did.”

    Chatfield just couldn’t keep pace with Boulder in the fourth quarter. Missing eight free throws in the second half didn’t help the cause either.

    “Defense is definitely our strong suit. We pride ourselves on our press,” Chatfield senior Luke Carlson said. “I think toward the end we just got tired, made mental mistakes and down the stretch our defense let us down.”

    Carlson had a monster third quarter scoring 11 straight points for Chatfield. The senior finished with 20 points.

    “I was just in the right place at the right time,” Carlson said of scoring 11 straight points in a span of just over three minutes to open up the second half.

    Boulder senior Jackson Tanner (20) is draws a foul on Chatfield sophomore Nate Jacobson (13) during the season opener for both teams Monday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Despite foul trouble for the majority of the game, senior Connor Vernon pitched in 12 points. Senior Christian Holmes came off the bench to score 13 points for the Chargers.

    “We are just a little behind,” said Chatfield coach Stephen Schimpeler who started three sophomores in the Chargers’ opener. “There are some things we haven’t worked on our put in yet. That is on me. I’ve got to do a better job.”

    Guard Dylan Carter led the number of sophomores that will get plenty of playing time for Chatfield this season.

    “We need our seniors to step up,” Schimpeler said. “Our sophomores are going to learn by being in the fire. The seniors will help them out, but we’ll go through some growing pains for sure.”

    Monday night was the head coaching debut for one of the recent prep basketball greats from Colorado. Grabau was named Boulder’s head coach just a few weeks ago, taking over for Jack Clarke.

    Grabau helped guided Faith Christian Academy in Arvada to a pair of Class 3A boys basketball state titles in 2008 and 2009. He then transferred to Boulder High School where he guided the Panthers to the 5A title game in 2011.

    He went on to have a successful four-year run at the University of Wyoming. Grabau was a three-year starter and finished his career with 852 points and 237 assists. He played professional in England before returning to Boulder where he was an assistant coach last year.

    “It’s not hard with a game like tonight when we get a W,” Grabau said when asked if it was difficult to coach instead of being on the floor as a player.

    Chatfield senior Connor Vernon (3) drive on Boulder junior Giles Schmid (14) during the first half Monday night at Chatfield High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Getting to Know … Lakewood senior Amber Boll

    Lakewood senior Amber Boll sat down with Jeffco Public Schools communications specialist Dennis Pleuss for a one-on-one interview. Boll won the individual all-around state championship at the Class 5A gymnastics state tournament in November. She also won every individual event final and became the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 at state in 30 years. Boll talks about her accomplishments and her next challenge of heading to the Air Force Academy after graduation.

    This is the fourth of the monthly series of “Getting to Know …” where we’ll have one-on-one interviews with Jeffco student-athletes.

  • 4A and 5A football finalists enjoy the moment at Mile High, meet the media

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — The Class 4A and 5A football finalists were at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Tuesday for a tour and walk-through of the facility, as well as a press conference in advance of their championship matchups.

    The games are set for 11 a.m. (4A) and 2:30 p.m. (5A) on Saturday. Tickets are on sale now. Loveland and Skyline will square off in 4A, while Cherry Creek and Valor Christian will play for the 5A title.

    “I’ve been dreaming about this day since I was a kid,” said Cherry Creek quarterback Alex Padilla. “You know, watching the Broncos, being a Broncos fan growing up, it’s been an awesome experience. To be able to play on this field is just a dream come true, really.”

    The teams gathered on Tuesday morning for a tour of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, which serves as the host of the game at Mile High. They then walked around and through the stadium, including a stop in their locker rooms for Saturday, and the field itself.

    “It’s overwhelming when you walk into that stadium,” said Loveland coach Wayne McGinn. “It’s good preparation to do it for the first time today and not Saturday. That could be a little freaky. It’s great that they let us do that and it’s amazing. I’ve been a Broncos fan my whole life.”

    Afterward, the players and coaches from all four teams gathered in the Broncos’ media room for a press conference with media members from around the state.

    “Today’s been amazing,” said Skyline running back Jeremy Hollingsworth. “It’s been really fun to go around and see things here. Saturday is going to come and it’s still going to be a surreal moment to us.”

    Come Saturday, though, the players and coaches know that the time for starry eyes will be over.

    “It’s surreal and it’s a big stage,” said Loveland’s Zach Weinmaster. “At the same time, the field is the same length, the same width and it’s just another football game.”

    “At the end of the day, a football field is a football field,” said Valor Christian quarterback Luke McCaffrey. “It’s an awesome experience, especially today. Today is a great day. Saturday is a great day. But at the end of the day, we’ve really got to get focused and play football.”

    Additional reporting by Dan Mohrmann.

    Football press conference Mile High
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

  • Ticket and game information for football’s 3A, 4A and 5A championships

    Pomona Eaglecrest 5A State
    (Renee Bourcier/bourcierphoto.com)

    There are three football championship games on Saturday, in classes 3A, 4A and 5A.

    We will have complete live coverage of these games on CHSAANow.com, as well as recaps following their conclusion.

    Here’s what you need to know:

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    Class 5A championship

    Cherry Creek vs. Valor Christian

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    Class 4A championship

    Loveland vs. Skyline

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    Class 3A championship

    CSU-Pueblo ThunderBowl Stadium
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Palmer Ridge vs. Pueblo East

  • Andrada and Medrano lead Pueblo East over Erie and into 3A football title game

    Pueblo East Erie football
    (Ismael Gomez)

    PUEBLO — The final credits didn’t roll on Pueblo East’s football season Saturday afternoon.

    Quarterback Luc Andrada and UCLA-bound receiver Kain Medrano, both seniors, weren’t about to let that happen.

    Andrada had two rushing touchdowns and Medrano had one TD reception and 102 yards receiving, powering the Eagles to a 35-17 victory over Erie in a Class 3A semifinal game at Dutch Clark Stadium.

    “I was little nervous at first, but it is about adversity, and that’s when real leaders are made,” said Andrada, who overcame two first-quarter interceptions. “I had to bounce back and not let my team down and this was a huge win for us. Our defense flew around like their hair was on fire and they made play after play and made it easy on me.”

    East improved to 11-2 overall and advances to play Palmer Ridge (11-2) in the Class 3A state championship game at 1 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl in Pueblo. Palmer Ridge, which beat Palisade 42-7 on the road Saturday, is the reigning Class 3A state champ. East beat Palmer Ridge 28-21 on Sept. 7 at Don Breese Stadium in Monument.

    “We need to rest up Sunday and come back Monday and do our thing,” said Medrano, who had seven receptions and 21 yards rushing. “We need to focus all week and I think it is going to be a great game. I can’t wait.”

    In that game earlier this season against Palmer Ridge, East caused seven turnovers – five which were interceptions of Bears quarterback Ty Evans, who will play for Colorado next season in Boulder.

    “I’m excited (to play Palmer Ridge again),” said Andrada, who had a game-high 132 yards rushing and 230 yards through the air Saturday. “It was meant to be and we’re going to be ready.”

    The Eagles also are no stranger to the title game. Pueblo East won three consecutive 3A football titles from 2014-2016. Erie ended its season with a 12-1 record. The Tigers lost to Palmer Ridge a year ago in the 3A championship. Erie won its lone state football crown in 1997.

    The Tigers were playing without their star running back Noah Roper. The senior, who accounted for 2,421 yards of total offense and 37 touchdowns broke his left leg in the third quarter of the Tigers’ 34-0 win over Green Mountain in the quarterfinals last Friday. Roper also was a force on defense as a cornerback/safety.

    Pueblo East Erie football
    (Ismael Gomez)

    “We just didn’t do a good job of being consistent with all 11 guys,” Erie coach Chad Cooper said. “It was one guy here, one guy there. Sometimes Noah made up for that at times, but I just think we didn’t execute like we normally execute offensively. Credit to them on defense, but we just didn’t execute up front, outside, like we normally do with or without Noah.”

    The first quarter was marked by miscues – two interceptions by Andrada and two failed fourth-down attempts – one by Erie at the East 20-yard line and one by East at the Erie 9. On that play, the Medrano caught a short pass and tried to bull his way into the end zone but was stopped inches short.

    Moments later, the Eagles were in business when Erie punter Julian Custine bobbled a high snap in the back of his own end zone. Custine tried to run but fumbled and the ball was recovered by East at the Erie 2-yard line. After a 5-yard penalty, Andrada zigged and zagged his way in for a 7-yard score at the 11:30 mark of the second quarter.

    Erie kept battling and cut the deficit to 7-3 on Custine’s 36-yard field goal with 6:51 remaining until half.

    Then, the Eagles came alive.

    East marched down the field and Noah Rivera scored from two yards out to give East a 14-3 edge with 2:37 showing on the second-quarter clock. The key play on the drive was a 34-yard reception by Medrano from Andrada on fourth-down-and-2 from the Erie 36.

    “Our mindset was we prepared like Noah Roper was going to play,” said the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Medrano. “That’s what we did, and we executed very well. They had double coverage and it is hard to beat it, but we did well with how they covered us.”

    East kept its foot on the gas and Andrada sped in for a 2-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left in the half, giving East a 21-3 advantage.

    The Eagles kept soaring in the second half. On their first possession, Medrano had a slick 22-yard reception along the left sideline during the drive. For good measure, Medrano added a nifty 3-yard touchdown catch in the left corner of the end zone, putting the Eagles up 28-3 at 7:25 of the third quarter.

    Erie tried to keep things interesting with Jaymeson Nelms’ 13-yard scoring reception from Dion Lucero to get the Tigers within 28-10 with 4:24 left in the third quarter.

    Once again East answered with 3-yard TD run by Patrick Gonzales to put the Eagles up 35-10 with 11:10 remaining in the game.

    (Tracy Renck/CHSAANow.com)

  • Limon tops Strasburg to claim 1A football crown; 18th title in program history

    Limon Strasburg football
    (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    STRASBURG — In what began as a beautiful 60-degree day at Strasburg High School in the Class 1A football state championship between Limon (13-0) and Strasburg (11-2) Saturday, dramatic temperature change and increased wind speeds put the defenses on display in the 13-7 Badgers’ victory.

    “I’m so proud of our kids,” Limon coach Mike O’Dwyer said. “This doesn’t happen without great kids and parents. I can’t tell you how much this means to me this year with this group. We had a lot of turmoil early in the season and these kids really bonded and came together, and I don’t think anybody will have any idea how difficult this year was, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

    It took some early-game resiliency by the road team after Strasburg jumped ahead 7-0 on their first offensive possession that traveled 45 yards on eight plays. Capped by a five-yard touchdown run from sophomore Trystan Graf, neither team scored the rest of the half.

    A three-and-out stand by the Limon defense to begin the second half flipped field position in favor of the Badgers following a two-yard punt by the home team that was clearly altered by the wind. Five plays later, marching 22-yards, Limon tied things at seven on the one-yard touchdown push from sophomore Kory Tacha.

    The go-ahead score and game-changing play of the afternoon was outlined by a deep shot taken by O’Dwyer and his offense with 12 seconds remaining in the third.

    Limon Strasburg football
    (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    Off the Strasburg turnover on downs, Limon’s offense took the field with the wind at their back one final time, and they made it pay off with a 37-yard pass from senior quarterback Cannan Bennett to senior Braden Sandersfeld.

    Placing themselves at the Indians’ two-yard line heading to the fourth, the second play of the final frame was a one-yard TD from Tacha to give the Badgers their first lead of the day.

    “We just tried to use the wind when we could and we thought we had a couple of opportunities,” O’Dwyer said. “We knew we didn’t have much of a shot if we started going into the wind so I thought it was a good time for us to take a shot. It was a nice luck of the draw there.”

    After taking the lead, Strasburg bounced back with a solid nine-play drive, taking them down to the Limon 21-yard line with 5:45 remaining. But as it did all day, Limon’s aggressive defense found a way to force a turnover on downs, ending the last real threat for the Indians.

    Holding on, the Badgers offensively were outgained on the ground 196-106 as the two teams combined for 91 rushes and just 14 passes (six completions). Both passing games were restricted due to the windy conditions, but the one play over 30 yards all afternoon proved to be the deciding factor.

    Limon wins their first state championship since 2005, completing an unbeaten year in which the Badgers defeated Strasburg twice. The previous win was Sept. 21. Strasburg’s quest for back-to-back-to-back state titles came up six points short.

    (Alan Versaw)

  • Sedgwick County beats Hoehne to win fourth-straight 8-man football title

    Sedgwick County Hoehne football
    (Dustin Price/DustinPricePhotography.com)

    JULESBURG — Layne Green’s style of play is symbolic of his entire team.

    The heaviest player (230 pounds) on Sedgwick County is a rugged ball-carrier. His legs, resembling tree trunks, churn through big holes and sprint around and through oncoming defenders.

    “He’s been the guy we’ve kind of all looked up to,” Cougars quarterback Ethan Walter said. “If we need some yards, we can give it to him and we can trust that he can get the yards we need.”

    As a whole group, when the Cougars faced adversity this season, a 30-game win streak snapped by Merino, they continued marching forward and eventually overpowered teams during their playoff run.

    Sedgwick County capped the fall with a fourth consecutive state championship in 8-man football, topping Hoehne 58-14 on their home field. The last 8-man program to earn a four-peat was Stratton (1992-1995).

    “I remember as a kid playing 8-man football and I had a pretty good coach, maybe one of the best in the game,” said Sedgwick head man Chris Michel, a former Merino player. “He always talked about the Strattons of the 1990s and their great kids and great coaches. For me to know that we’re part of something like this is pretty special.”

    Hoehne keyed on stopping the powerful rushing attack of the Cougars (11-1), led by Green, who was named the 8-man player of the year in 2017. The Farmers did well gang-tackling the senior and holding him to under 100 rushing yards, though he still managed to plunge for a 2-yard score.

    Green did finish the season with 29 touchdowns, 75 for his career, but the Cougars had to adjust a bit to Hoehne loading the box and daring Sedgwick to pass.

    Sedgwick County Hoehne football
    (Dustin Price/DustinPricePhotography.com)

    They answered the call, dazzling through the air as the Ethan Walter-Terrance Heath connection produced four touchdowns. Heath had only one receiving score the first 11 games.

    “Hoehne knew we had a good running game and they came to stop it,” Walter said. “We would pound the ball and then go over the top. We haven’t had anything quite like that all season.

    “They’re going to be lucky to have him (Heath) next year. He’s only going to be a junior. He’s a tremendous athlete.”

    On 4th and 9 from the Hoehne 34 yard line, Walter found Heath for a score on the opening possession. Beau Parker ran in the two-point conversion to make it 8-0.

    Hoehne’s power run game was effective in stretches though as Kyle Rowe rumbled 40 yards during their first scoring chance, but a two-point conversion failed and it was 8-6 in favor of Sedgwick. Each time the 5th-seeded Farmers gained momentum, the Cougars would snatch it back as Heath caught another touchdown on 4th and 5 from the Hoehne 18 early in the second quarter.

    Then, Walter had a nifty touchdown run on an option play and Sedgwick County held a 22-6 lead at halftime.

    In trying to unseat a three-time defending champion, Hoehne grasped momentum again as Trysten Moltrer, with over 1,400 rushing yards to his credit, sprinted 65 yards to the end zone.
    The Farmers pulled within eight, but never clawed closer.

    The deadly connection, Walter to Heath, struck again in the third (27 yard pass) and fourth (68 yards) quarters. The last one was the most spectacular as the 6-foot dynamo broke three tackles on the play.

    “For a sophomore to come in to the championship game and play like that, that’s something that hopefully in the future we’ll expand on,” Michel said with a beam. “He always has big play capability, but we rely on the run a lot. Today he made the most of his opportunities.”

    The Parker brothers — Beau (junior) and Brody (freshman) — made their mark on the ground. Beau rushed for over 100 yards and Brody, checking in to the game with a few minutes left, flashed his speed with a 61 yard score.

    “We have one back who is 230 pounds and one back who thinks he’s 230 pounds (Beau Parker),” Michel said with a laugh. “He runs the ball like he’s a big, powerful back. He punishes kids and he does a great job. He has good vision.”

    Angel Nunez scooped and housed a fumble by Hoehne on a kickoff return for the final touchdown.

    Before Sedgwick County overpowered the visitors, they needed to avenge the loss to Merino (27-24 on October 26). They triumphed in a road test, 32-0, in the semifinals.

    “I hate to say it, but I’m kind of glad we lost,” Walter admitted, knowing how well the team regrouped. “That game, we just didn’t have the momentum. We thought we would just walk through it. After that, we were so fired up.”

    Hoehne was appearing in their fifth football championship game. They won the 8-man crown in 2012 and 2010, and the 1A crown in 1980. The Farmers, who finished 11-2 in large part due to a terrific rushing attack, were also the runner-up in 2011.

  • Photos: La Junta tops Platte Valley to win 2A football title

    PUEBLO — Jon Nuschy scored the game’s only touchdown and secured MVP honors as La Junta beat Platte Valley 7-3 to win the Class 2A football championship.

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  • Photos: Limon beats Strasburg to win 1A football championship

    STRASBURG — After trailing at halftime, Limon football roared back for a 13-7 win over Strasburg to claim the Class 1A championship.

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