CHSAANow

Month: November 2018

  • All-state boys soccer teams for the 2018 season

    The 2018 all-state boys soccer teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

    These team were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of coaches.

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    Class 5A

    Fairview Arapahoe boys soccer
    (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    Player of the year: Cameron Gail, Arapahoe

    Coach of the year: Mark Hampshire, Arapahoe

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Jesse Bacardi Boulder FORW Senior
    Omar Castruita Boulder FORW Senior
    Spencer Cobb Arapahoe GK Senior
    Alec Fronapfel Fort Collins FORW Senior
    Cameron Gail Arapahoe FORW Senior
    Peter Goldy Grandview D Senior
    Andres Ocampo Broomfield   Senior
    Noe Ortiz Pena Grandview FORW/MF Senior
    Anthony Priest Fort Collins FORW Senior
    Sajji Singh Fairview MF Senior
    Noah Stover Legacy MF/STRK Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Marko Babiak Denver East MF Senior
    Colton Barry Regis Jesuit MF Senior
    Ben Garcia Cherokee Trail   Senior
    Zander Hahn Arapahoe D Senior
    Cooper Harmon Fairview FORW Senior
    Raymond Jackson Grandview D/FORW Senior
    Carter Melton Fairview GK Junior
    Neon Sapkota Rock Canyon MF Senior
    Ben Tuka Legacy D Senior
    Zion Wagoner Denver East FORW Junior
    Zach Westerman Arapahoe MF Senior

    Honorable mention: Brian Aguirre, Senior, Westminster; Slayter Andolsek, Senior, Mountain Range; Antonio Banda-Ramirez, Senior, Greeley West; Miguel Camorlinga Juarez, Senior, Prairie View; Matias Campoy, Senior, Grand Junction; Connor Doolan, Senior, Denver East; Alexis Flores, Senior, Rangeview; Jose Galvan, Senior, Adams City; Corban Gamble, Senior, Mountain Vista; Alex Garcia, Junior, Grand Junction Central; AJ Garza, Senior, Eaglecrest; Dalton Georgopulos, Senior, Valor Christian; Dagm Getu, Senior, Overland; Wesley Gowdy, Sophomore, Horizon; Ransom Hall, Senior, Grandview; Jaden Henry, Senior, Castle View; Thomas Hoy, Senior, Douglas County; Judah Johnston, Junior, Arvada West; Jeffrey Koch, Sophomore, Liberty; Brady Kuzinski, Junior, Castle View; John Langenderfer, Senior, Regis Jesuit; Grey Lapiano, Senior, Chaparral; Sean Marek, Senior, Legend; Sergio Martinez, Senior, Hinkley; Mike Menzies, Senior, Cherokee Trail; Mason Miller, Senior, Ralston Valley; Dillon O’Neal, Senior, Rampart; Alex Ortiz, Junior, Far Northeast Warriors; Kevin Peterson, Senior, Chatfield; Saugat Rai, Senior, Aurora Central; Dante Russo-Delee, Sophomore, Poudre; Christian Seaquist, Senior, Pine Creek; Rashid Seidu-Aroza, Junior, Rangeview; Harry Yoxall, Senior, Rocky Mountain.

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    Class 4A

    Air Academy Denver North boys soccer
    (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)

    Player of the year: Thaddaeus Dewing, Air Academy

    Coach of the year: Clayton Porter, Denver North

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Danny Barajas Battle Mountain FORW Junior
    Thomas Beatty Air Academy GK Senior
    Thaddaeus Dewing Air Academy FORW Junior
    Andrew Hess Air Academy D/MF Senior
    Leo Mireles Glenwood Springs MF Senior
    Christian Nunez Centaurus STRK Junior
    Aaron Peck The Classical Academy MF Senior
    Fernando Ruiz Centaurus FORW Junior
    Bryan Torres Denver North GK/D/GK Senior
    Brian Uribe Skyview MF Senior
    Miles Zerwas Denver North D/FB Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Jayden Austin Sand Creek MF Senior
    Murphy Bohlmann Steamboat Springs GK/FORW Senior
    Logan Brian Thompson Valley   Senior
    Mitchell Burt Glenwood Springs D/FB Junior
    Jose Jimenez Fort Morgan D/MF/FORW Senior
    Daniel Lopez-Rojas Regis Groff MF/FORW Junior
    Riley Moore Steamboat Springs   Senior
    Mario Munoz Niwot GK Senior
    Jared Ramos Skyview FORW Junior
    Aymaro Vargas Kennedy   Senior
    Dylan Weiss Silver Creek MF Junior

    Honorable mention: Sean Alex, Junior, Montrose; German Alvarado, Junior, Glenwood Springs; Lincoln Andrews, Senior, Canon City; Gabe Arreola, Senior, Northfield; Dylan Baeck, Senior, Cheyenne Mountain; Jack Barkocy, Senior, Lewis-Palmer; Jack Carpenter, Junior, The Classical Academy; Francisco Chavez, Junior, Pueblo Centennial; Jesse Denk, Junior, Golden; Conrad Ellis, Senior, Berthoud; Logan Fullington, Senior, Durango; Jesus Gonzales, Senior, Niwot; Matt Harrold, Junior, The Classical Academy; Leland Heinicke, Junior, Durango; Steven Holling, Sophomore, Mountain View; Junio Lang, Junior, Thompson Valley; Aidan Lantaff, Senior, Silver Creek; Grant McCafferty, Senior, Pueblo Centennial; Dylan McIntosh, Sophomore, Holy Family; Tate Minch, Senior, Standley Lake; Hidalgo Ortega, Senior, Battle Mountain; Ryan Primeau, Senior, Skyline; Hector Rubi, Senior, Skyline; Cesar Saenz, Senior, George Washington; Blake Schell, Junior, Green Mountain; Omar Serano, Senior, Littleton; Liam Shaw, Senior, Mullen; Abraham Soto, Senior, Frederick; Connor Stephan, Senior, Centaurus; Jack Thibodeau, Senior, Thomas Jefferson; Will Thompson, Senior, Cheyenne Mountain; Eduardo Trujillo, Senior, Mitchell; Cabel Vanderwarf, Senior, Loveland; Bryan Vazquez, Senior, Skyview; Julian Vega, Senior, Woodland Park; Thomas Waggener, Sophomore, Pueblo East; Nathan Wanninger, Senior, Skyline; Evan Wolfson, Senior, Summit.

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    Class 3A

    CSCS Atlas Prep boys soccer
    (Ismael Gomez)

    Player of the year: Lookens Smith, Colorado Springs Christian

    Coach of the year: Arty Smith, Kent Denver

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Matias Alberola Kent Denver HB Junior
    Demetrio Araiza Atlas Preparatory School   Senior
    Noah Banderas Colorado Springs Christian D/MF Senior
    Gabe Calhoun St. Mary’s GK Senior
    Martin Corral Delta FORW Junior
    Max Hewitt Kent Denver HB Junior
    Charlie Parham Colorado Academy   Senior
    Jon Randall Faith Christian FORW Sophomore
    Aidan Sloan Roaring Fork   Senior
    Lookens Smith Colorado Springs Christian FORW/MF Senior
    Michael Yeh Liberty Common MF Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Gustavo Archila Coal Ridge   Senior
    Paddy Binns Jefferson Academy   Senior
    Quinn Bosanko Salida MF Junior
    Max Candela Roaring Fork   Senior
    Ronald Clemente Roaring Fork   Senior
    Roberto Garcia Arrupe Jesuit FORW/MF Junior
    Karl Gjerapic SkyView Academy   Senior
    Zach Harker Liberty Common MF Senior
    Raul Loya The Pinnacle   Senior
    Nathan Rouaud Vail Mountain   Senior
    Abe Villegas Atlas Preparatory School   Senior

    Honorable mention: German Alvarado, Junior, Aurora West College Prep Academy; Luis Alvarado Salazar, Junior, James Irwin; Wyatt Barton, Junior, St. Mary’s; Alexis Bonilla, Senior, Valley; Jesse Burns, Senior, Salida; Alejandro Carrillo, Junior, Arrupe Jesuit; Cullen Cote, Junior, Manitou Springs; Bryson Cuss, Senior, Prospect Ridge Academy; Reid Dimond, Senior, Peak to Peak; Nathan Favreau, Senior, Ellicott; Raymundo Flores, Senior, DSST: Stapleton; Cristian Gameros, Junior, Lamar; Jarett Hernandez, Junior, Delta; Laxmi Humagai, Sophomore, Manual; Dominic Kettle, Junior, DSST: Byers; Troy Kiefer, Senior, Sterling; Juan Loera, Senior, The Academy; Tanner Madden, Sophomore, Frontier Academy; Jose Mateo-Andres, Senior, Alamosa; Henry Morrison, Senior, Aspen; Lamario Nisbeth, Junior, Atlas Preparatory School; Oluwatobi Osifodunrin, Sophomore, The Academy; Antonio Portillo, Senior, Jefferson; Anthony Portillo, Junior, Basalt; Jaime Rios, Junior, Middle Park; Marvin Rios, Senior, DSST: College View; Jesus Rodriguez, Sophomore, Victory Prep Academy; Jesus Rojas, Junior, Bruce Randolph; Zach Shelest, Sophomore, Bennett; Jimmy Shields, Senior, Mead; Christian Terronez, Junior, Arrupe Jesuit; Jorge Trejo, Senior, Eagle Ridge Academy; Arturo Villarreal, Junior, Strive Prep – Smart Academy; Victor Villarreal, Junior, Strive Prep – Smart Academy; Evan Walter, Senior, Liberty Common; Miguel Zapata, Junior, DSST: Green Valley Ranch.

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    Class 2A

    Telluride Fountain Valley boys soccer
    (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    Player of the year: Aly Kassam, Fountain Valley

    Coach of the year: Than Acuff, Crested Butte

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Brett Carlson Denver Christian D Senior
    Nick Heinz Fountain Valley D Sophomore
    Braydan Hekkers Evangelical Christian   Senior
    Jonah Jodlowski Telluride D Junior
    Aly Kassam Fountain Valley D/FORW Senior
    Tommy Linehan Crested Butte   Senior
    Zane Reda Crested Butte   Senior
    Matheau Richard Telluride MF/FORW Junior
    Rio Sueyoshi Dawson School   Junior
    Slater Weil Crested Butte   Senior
    Nagi Williams Heritage Christian D/FORW/MF Sophomore

    Honorable mention: Ryan Beattie, Junior, Denver Christian; Brayden Becker, Junior, Denver Christian; Robert Beserra, Junior, Ridgway; Jonny Blankinship, Junior, Thomas MacLaren School; Michael DuVernet, Senior, Denver Academy; Levi Friedrich, Senior, Heritage Christian; Riki Fujimoto, Sophomore, Fountain Valley; Mahad Haji, Senior, Lotus School For Excellence; Spencer Hamilton, Junior, Evangelical Christian; Crosby Harris, Senior, Denver Academy; Robin Hopkins, Senior, Heritage Christian; Jesse Isenhart, Junior, Dawson School; Zach Johnson, Junior, Denver Christian; Collin Kendall, Junior, Ridgway; German Leanos, Senior, Lake County; Josiah Mendoza, Sophomore, Thomas MacLaren School; Daniel Muriilo-Perez, Senior, Dolores Huerta Prep; Kye Nielsen, Senior, Rye; Jo Ota, Junior, Fountain Valley; Isaac Perez, Sophomore, Union Colony Prep; Ben Squier, Senior, Rye; Collin Stokes, Senior, Thomas MacLaren School.

  • Fourth-quarter surge sends Ponderosa football to 4A state semifinals

    LAKEWOOD — The fourth quarter simply belonged to Ponderosa on Saturday in the Class 4A football state quarterfinal game.

    The Mustangs scored 21 unanswered points in the span of nine minutes in the final quarter to rally from a 7-point deficit and eventually take a 31-24 victory against Chatfield.

    “Our kids have believed all year long. We believe what we are doing and we never quit,” Ponderosa coach Jaron Cohen said after the win on a frigid Jeffco Stadium. “I’m so proud to be the head coach of the Ponderosa Mustangs.”

    Ponderosa senior quarterback Dylan Hollowell, left, tossed a pair of touchdowns in the Mustangs’ 31-24 victory Saturday against Chatfield. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The No. 5 seeded Mustangs (10-2 record) turned things around at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Dylan Hollowell connected with junior Joe Hufford on a 48-yard touchdown pass with 11:15 left in the four quarter.

    “I’m just so proud of this team,” said Hollowell, who had an 8-yard touchdown pass to junior Kayden Johnson in the first quarter. “Joe (Hufford) ran an amazing route and I just put it up to him.”

    Ponderosa was going to kick the extra point to tie the game, but when No. 13 Chatfield jumped offside on the PAT the Mustangs took advantage and went for a 2-point conversion and the lead. Hollowell bulled his way into the end zone to give the Mustangs a 18-17 lead.

    Chatfield (8-4) fumbled on the ensuing drive at midfield to give the ball back to the Mustangs. Senior running back Koby Kercher carried the ball eight times before back-up quarterback Bode Jensen scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:40 left to extend Ponderosa’s lead to 25-17.

    “Congrats to our offensive line and our blocking backs for getting after it in that fourth quarter,” Cohen said.

    The next play from scrimmage really put the game on ice. Ponderosa junior Mikee Barker intercepted Chatfield senior quarterback Zack Yanda and returned it 30 yards for a defensive touchdown.

    Chatfield junior Daniel Nickels (25) makes a catch behind Ponderosa sophomore Cael Porter on Saturday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “I just did what I’ve been taught to do on that slant,” Barker said. “I just jumped the route. I had full confidence in myself and teammates behind me.”

    Chatfield scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Yanda to senior Charlie Wildermuth in the final seconds, but it was to late for the Chargers to overcome the fourth-quarter surge by Ponderosa.

    “Ponderosa played great and we weren’t very opportunistic when we had the chances,” Chatfield coach Bret McGatlin said. “When we had big breaks we didn’t capitalize on them. In playoff football you have to do that.”

    Ponderosa will host No. 9 Skyline in the 4A semifinals next week. The game will likely be played Saturday, Nov. 24. The Falcons upset No. 1 Pine Creek 21-20 Saturday afternoon at Everly-Montgomery Field in Longmont.

    Ponderosa has now won 10 straight games after getting off to an 0-2 start this season.

    “We are just so excited to spend another week together,” Cohen said.

    Chatfield senior Derian Smith (36) tries to get past Ponderosa senior Mason Maggio (5) during a first half run Saturday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Chatfield held a 17-10 lead at halftime thanks to a pair of interceptions.

    After a long 7-minute drive by Chatfield that didn’t yield any points, junior Santi Ramirez intercepted Hollowell. Ramirez returned the pick to the Mustangs’ 19-yard line.

    Four plays later Chatfield senior Derian Smith skated into the end zone on a 4-yard touchdown run with 55 seconds left before halftime to give the Chargers a 14-10 lead.

    The next huge defensive play was by Chatfield junior Colin Simcox who picked off Hollowell with 20 seconds left before halftime. The Chargers cashed in the turnover with an eventual 32-yard field goal by Wildermuth as time expired in the first half to take a 17-10 lead into the locker room.

    Chatfield’s longest play from scrimmage was a 61-yard touchdown run by senior Hunter Barnes on the opening drive of the game. However, 1,300-plus yards rusher this season wasn’t able to find the end zone the rest of the game.

    “I guess they had a good game plan that second half,” Barnes said. “We fought our hardest. No matter what happened I didn’t what to go down without a fight.”

    Chatfield senior Hunter Barnes (1) races past Ponderosa’s sideline on a 61-yard touchdown run Saturday at Jeffco Stadium. However, the Mustangs rallied to end the Chargers’ season in the Class 4A state quarterfinal. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Palmer Ridge races past Harrison in 3A football quarterfinals

    MONUMENT — Palmer Ridge’s offense erupted for 37 first-half points, and the Bears went on to beat Harrison 51-14 in the Class 3A football quarterfinals on Saturday.

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  • Skyline football upsets No. 1 Pine Creek in 4A quarterfinals

    The Skyline football team’s first-round win over Pueblo West last Saturday was the program’s first playoff victory since 1999.

  • Three key special teams plays lift Palisade football into 3A semifinals

    A good punt, a bad punt and a fake punt helped Palisade boot Mead from the Class 3A football playoffs on Saturday.

  • Loveland football cruises into Class 4A semifinals

    Loveland and Fruita Monument both entered their second-round 4A football playoff matchup with more than 3,000 yards on the ground this season.

  • La Junta football holds off Faith Christian in 2A semifinal

    The La Junta football team braved the subfreezing temperatures and occasional freezing drizzle when it faced Faith Christian in the Class 2A state semifinals Saturday.

  • Erie beats Green Mountain in 3A football quarterfinals; Noah Roper injured

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    ERIE — The Erie Tigers are headed back to the Class 3A football semifinals for a second straight season.

    Erie used a strong start, and a strong defense, en route to a 34-0 win over Green Mountain in the quarterfinals. However, their enthusiasm was tempered by an injury to star running back Noah Roper, who had continued to climb up the career record book on Friday night.

    Roper injured his left leg with 7:20 to play in the third quarter, and was carted off the field to the locker room. He gave the crowd a thumbs up on his way out of the stadium.

    Roper returned to the sideline on crutches in the fourth quarter, sans shoulder pads, with his lower left leg in an air cast.

    “Obviously Noah gets all the well-deserved credit for where we’re at right now, but we’re not a one-man team,” said Erie coach Chad Cooper. “We have a lot of guys, we have 20 seniors that row the boat. I told them after the game: ‘Hey, everyone needs to just row a little bit more.’

    “If we can do that, and our defense does exactly what they did tonight, we’ll win another football game and be in the state championship.”

    Erie will know more about Roper’s status for next week on Saturday.

    (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    Roper finished the game with 140 yards rushing, and two touchdowns. He now has 94 total touchdowns in his career, which ranks 11th all-time. His 6,343 career yards also rank 11th-most all-time.

    “Everyone just needs to do a little bit more,” said Erie senior Jaymeson Nelms. “We had a good player go down, so we all need to pick up the pace and just do a little bit extra work.”

    Said Erie senior Tyler Gardner: “Having Noah out isn’t going to stop us. Everyone thinks we’re a one-man team, and we’re not.

    On a night that started with a nearly six-minute pregame fireworks display, Erie’s offense followed suit. Roper scored from 31 yards out on their second play from scrimmage. He added a 36-yard score on their next drive.

    The Tigers’ defense, too, was impressive in holding Green Mountain at bay. They forced a number of drives to end on downs, and Green Mountain only crossed midfield once before halftime. Erie led 17-0 at the break.

    In the third quarter, after Roper’s injury, Gavin Mendoza continued to lead the Erie offense down the field. He capped a long drive with a one-yard quarterback keeper to push the Tiger’s lead to 24-0.

    Julian Custine hit two field goals for Erie, including a 35-yarder, which tied his season long.

    With 4:51 to go, Erie’s Ian Vera added a seven-yard touchdown run to make it 34-0. He had an interception on defense to give the Tigers possession minutes earlier.

    Erie’s defense hasn’t given up a point all postseason.

    “We all just try to focus on doing our own specific job, and when plays need to be made, we make those plays,” Nelms said.

    Erie will be on the road next week, no matter who wins Saturday’s quarterfinal between Discovery Canyon and Pueblo East.

    Discovery Canyon would get to host due to having a fewer amount of home playoff games, and Pueblo East would host by virtue of having a higher seed.

    But Erie is undaunted by that fact.

    “It’s no different than playing on this football field,” Gardner said. “We dominate the football field, and we’re going to do it again.”

    Erie is looking to return to the 3A title game. The Tigers finished as runner-up last season to Palmer Ridge.

    “We talked about leaving a legacy. They’re 16-2 on this home field,” Cooper said. “Now we’ve got to take it to the next level to win a state title, that would be the final step for this program. We have two more games, and whoever we play next week is going to be extremely good.”

  • Columbine football ends playoff drought against Pomona

    LAKEWOOD — It had been a decade since Columbine was able to knock off rival Pomona in the football playoffs.

    That drought finally ended Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. The No. 2-seeded Rebels stayed undefeated on the season with a 41-14 victory over No. 7 and the defending Class 5A state champion Panthers.

    “I wasn’t counting, but thank you and it feels incredible,” said Columbine coach Andy Lowry who has guided the Rebels to five state championships during his tenure at Columbine.

    Columbine junior Adam Harrington (29) is wrapped up by a pair of Pomona defenders on Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The state quarterfinal win ended a four-game playoff winning streak by Pomona over Columbine. The Panthers took postseason wins against the Rebels in 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2012. The last time Columbine had a playoff win over Pomona was 2008.

    “I put that all aside,” Columbine senior quarterback Logan DeArment said of facing the playoff losing streak against Pomona. “I believe in our guys. We have a special thing going on here and that is a great football team we beat tonight.”

    Columbine (12-0 record) moves on the next week’s state semifinals. The Rebels host No. 3 Cherry Creek on either Friday or Saturday next week at Jeffco Stadium. The Bruins defeated Ralston Valley 24-16 at Stutler Bowl on Friday night.

    “I’m excited we are playing here,” Columbine junior running back Adam Harrington said. “I think we just have to play our game. Creek is a great team.”

    Harrington had a big night for the Rebels scoring on touchdown runs of 2, 28 and 11. He finished with 13 carries for 98 yards to lead Columbine on the ground. DeArment threw for a pair of touchdowns and finished 6-for-9 passing for 109 yards but it was Columbine’s defense that turned the tide against Pomona (7-5).

    Columbine senior quarterback Logan DeArment drops back to pass in the Class 5A state quarterfinal game Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The Rebels came up huge forcing four takeaways. Columbine converted the four of turnovers into 24 points.

    “Defense saved us,” Lowry said. “Offensively we sputtered a lot tonight. (Pomona) is tough. They are the defending state champs and have been in the last three state championship games. Jay (Madden) and his staff do an incredible job.”

    Pomona did take an early 7-0 lead with an impressive six-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a 14-yard touchdown run by Pomona senior quarterback Riley Welsch.

    However, Columbine responded with 20 unanswered points for the rest of the first half to take a 20-7 lead at halftime. DeArment had a 20-yard touchdown pass to junior Justin Lohrenz. DeArment and sophomore Adam Tasei both had field goals in the second quarter.

    The big touchdown for the Rebels came on the first of three touchdown runs by Harrington right before halftime. Columbine junior Tanner Hollens intercepted Welsch to set up the Rebels on Pomona’s 21-yard line.

    “I just saw the ball thrown and tried to close as fast as I could,” said DeArment, who came up from his safety position to hit Pomona receiver David Ross right when a high pass got to him. The ball popped up into the air and into Hollens’s arms. “I hit him (Ross) right as the ball got to him and we got lucky to get the pick.”

    Pomona quarterback Riley Welsch (18) scores the opening touchdown Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Harrington scored with 1:20 left before halftime to extend the Rebels’ lead to 20-7. The junior running back now leads the team with 17 rushing touchdowns on the season.

    “It feels great,” Harrington said of his three touchdown runs. “When you cross that line nothing feels better when you see the ref put his arms up. I just wanted to help the team as best as I could.”

    Pomona got back into it with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Welsch to senior Therious Robison to open the third quarter and cut the Rebels’ lead to 20-14.

    Columbine got back on track converting a touchdowns on a Pomona fumble, a turnover on downs and an interception by DeArment for 21 unanswered points to close out the game.

    It was the second meeting this season between the 5A powerhouses. Columbine cruised to a 35-13 victory over Pomona less than a month ago at Jeffco Stadium. DeArment, Harrington and Hollens combined for more than 300 yards rushing and five touchdowns against a banged up Pomona squad that had lost its all-time career leading receiver Billy Pospisil to shoulder surgery.

    Pomona has been without leading tackler Kyle Moretti for the playoff too. The junior linebacker broke an ankle in playoffs before the Panthers’ postseason opener last week.

    The Panthers were hit hard this season by injuries, but Pomona coach Jay Madden didn’t make that an excuse.

    “The injuries and a great football team,” Madden said of what Pomona had to deal with Friday night. “Let’s be honest, I don’t care if all our guys were playing, that is one hell of a football team. We would have had to play a great game with all our dudes. Let’s give Columbine credit.”

    Columbine junior Adam Harrington (29) tries to break through the tackle of Pomona senior Jack Thiele (19) during the first half Friday at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Behind freshman Sawchuck, Valor Christian football tops ThunderRidge in 5A quarters

    Valor Christian ThunderRidge football
    Gavin Sawchuck. More photos.(Ryan Kosley/CHSAANow.com)

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — More often than not, playoff glory comes at the hands of veterans. Seniors and juniors tend to step up and provide big moments to propel their teams forward in brackets.

    Gavin Sawchuck is the exception to the rule. The freshman running back for Valor Christian put himself on the map by running for five touchdowns in a 34-7 win over ThunderRidge in the Class 5A quarterfinals.

    “He had such a great game today,” Valor coach Ed McCaffrey said. “I give a lot of credit to our offensive line, they worked really hard up front. You never know how a game is going to play out. Some games you throw it 50 times, some games you run it 50 times. I don’t know what his totals were, but he looked good from where I was standing.”

    His totals read like a stat line of a grinder. He ran the ball 24 times for 113 yards and scored all of Valor’s touchdowns.

    It gives the Eagles another weapon to utilize in next week’s semifinals where they await the winner of Saturday’s game between Eaglecrest and Grandview.

    “It was fun,” Sawchuck said. “We had a lot of juniors and seniors on the line who stepped up and blocked well. It was fun to run behind them and help the team.”

    It took longer than they hoped, but the Eagles (12-0 overall) found some rhythm on their second drive of the game. A poor ThunderRidge punt set up Valor on the Grizzlies 32-yard line. It took three plays for the Eagles to break the scoreless tie as Sawchuck broke into the end zone from two yards out.

    Valor Christian ThunderRidge football
    (Ryan Kosley/CHSAANow.com)

    The Grizzlies came out inspired on the ensuing drive as Ryan Gilmore orchestrated a brilliant offensive series capped with a Spencer Lambert touchdown to pull the Grizzlies (9-3) back to even with Valor.

    “We knew we were fine,” Valor quarterback Luke McCaffrey said. “We just had to get back to what we like to do and play our game. We didn’t stress and we didn’t freak out.”

    But they did run into some ball security issues. A series of turnovers stopped either team from taking further control of the game. Jack Howell picked off Gilmore giving the Eagles a chance to retake the lead. But penalties backed the Eagles into a 2nd and 42 situation. McCaffrey took to the air on third down but the ball into the waiting arms of Aden Scott.

    The Grizzlies had the ball back in their hands but Jaden Murray recovered a fumble for the Eagles. With the turnover plague in full force the Eagles finally held on to the ball and put together their second scoring drive of the game, this one also capped off by a Sawchuck touchdown run.

    “Against a team with that much talent, we couldn’t make those kinds of errors,” ThunderRidge coach Doug Nisenson said. “We knew we had to play a clean game and that just didn’t happen tonight.”

    Sawchuck added one more before the half to push the Valor lead to 21-7. In the first two quarters, the freshman went for 66 total yards and had been the difference in giving the Eagles a two-score lead.

    Neither team found the end zone in the third quarter and the Eagles sealed their win in the fourth when Sawchuck scored two more times to cap off a career night that even he couldn’t keep track of.

    “It was crazy,” he said. “I didn’t realize it was that many touchdowns until the end of the game.”

    The loss marked the end of the year for the Grizzlies in what was very much a turnaround season. In just his second year as head coach Nisenson made believers of his senior class and knew they planted the seeds for the Grizzlies return to football prominence.

    “We knew this was a special class when they were freshmen,” he said. “We told them last year it was going to be a grind, we told them there would be learning experiences and we had a really tough season. We went 3-7 and nobody was talking about us coming into this year and they just showed up and did the work.”

    The Eagles now look to the 5A semifinals for the first time in two years. They lost in last year’s quarterfinals to Grandview and came into 2018 driven and ready to rebound from that loss.

    “This team has had a steadfast focus this entire season,” Coach McCaffrey said. “They have the enough is never enough attitude. They have fun, they love football and they’re really hard workers.”

    Taking a one game at a time approach, this is not a team not is drawing on the success of two years ago or the state championship teams of any past year.

    This group of players is looking forward to standing out on its own.

    “We’re a new team and we’re ready to start our own legacy,” Luke McCaffrey said. “We came in fired up like it was any other game.”

    And they won it just as they had the 11 games prior. And they’ll look to take the same approach in next week’s semfinals.

    Valor Christian ThunderRidge football
    (Ryan Kosley/CHSAANow.com)