CHSAANow

Month: January 2019

  • Ball Fever: A snowstorm can’t put a damper on boys basketball’s great matchups

    Regis Jesuit Douglas County boys basketball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Our National Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and a late-January Tuesday “blizzard” slowed some of our early Week 8 action but believe there was plenty for our mid-week report!

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    The Look Back

    Monday, Jan. 21

    With the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday upon us we only had one major 5A/4A game on the docket and it was No. 3 Mountain Vista welcoming Fountain-Fort Carson along I-25 North!

    FFC was more than ready for the task jumping out by ten points 24-14 in the first quarter but we know that no Bob Wood-coached team is afraid to run and the Eagles took the second quarter 22-9 and never looked back winning by 9. Ben Grusing paced the Eagles with 19 points in the win.

    Tuesday, Jan. 22

    • Centaurus has moved up to 4A No. 8 in our new poll and they started this week right beating Niwot by 22 on the road with senior Nate Totel dropping 29 points with 8 rebounds.
    • Greeley Central dropped a bit in 4A but 32 points from Jackson Hayslip and a 14-point win over Thompson Valley gets them going week 8.
    • Joe Lombardelli scored 22 points but he needed more help from the crew as Northridge got thumped by defending champ No. 2 Longmont by 46!
    • A “FoCo/Boulder” match and 5A No. 8 Fairview didn’t play fair putting it on Fort Collins by 31!
    • Mead has worked its way into the 4A top-10, has a HUGE game with Holy Family this week, and start with a 90-65 win over Erie.
    • No. 3 Holy Family? They held Skyline to single digits in 3 of 4 quarters en route to a 49-30 road win. The Tigers look ready for Mead!
    • Lincoln is at No. 6 now in our 4A poll and our Ball Fever buddy, Marty Cesario, was all over it in his coverage of the Lancers/Spartans “city” battle that saw Lincoln put this away with big plays from Ty Foster down the stretch to win a close one over Thomas Jefferson

    Wednesday, Jan. 23

    Cheyenne Mountain Lewis-Palmer boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
    • Ball Fever (and everyone’s) game of the night was Cheyenne Mountain visiting No. 1 pound for pound “big dog” Lewis Palmer and Joel Scott did his thing on the defensive end as well as leading all scorers with 24 … check out “Digital Dan’s” coverage!
    • 5A No. 3, 15-1 Mountain Vista, was off in their biggest game at Chap but no rust has been seen in any other match this season! They raced to a 22-point win over Heritage to keep their Continental hopes alive.
    • A little “don’t look now” action with Regis finding their groove, unbeaten in league play, and Daniel Carr “monsta” double-double of 34 points 18 rebounds has the Raiders knocking on that 5A top-10 door again and beat Douglas County by 10 at home.
    • Our guy, Marty Cesario, busy in the streets again and this time caught big Zeke Van Tuyl’s overtime put back that helped Wheat Ridge to a tight 56-55 win over Evergreen. On a Ball Fever “side note,” we’ve had the pleasure of knowing the Van Tuyl family for many years and everyone should crack a smile knowing they are currently offering free meals to the Federal Workers affected by the government shutdown…great family and their big 6-foot-10 big man did his part this night too! Love it…

    • Chaparral has returned to the No. 1 spot in 5A, getting healthy, and hit their stride at Castle View winning by 16. The Wolverines are unbeaten in league and got big man Bryce Matthews back on the court, which is bad news for everyone else! Castle View is battling but yet to get a Continental league win…
    • Pueblo West now 12-4 and Pueblo County now 4-12 headed in opposite directions and the Cyclones hold on to their No. 5 spot in 4A unbeaten in league action after this 69-34 thumpin’.
    • Overland, No. 5 in 5A, has fallen to Mullen but more importantly it drops the Trailblazers to 3-4 in league play…same league record as the Mustangs in this HUGE win for them, UPSET CITY at home is fun!
    • If defense is your thing…No. 2 Grandview had it for you tonight only allowing single digits in every quarter of the 58-23 defeat of Cherokee Trail in league play Wednesday!
    • Another tough game in the Centennial, where No. 10 Eaglecrest knocked off No. 4 Smoky Hill, 82-80. Aarkon Bokol with 34 points for the Raptors! Photos from the game are available here.

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    Mid-Week Thoughts:

    Grandview George Washington boys basketball
    (Marlee Smith/CHSAANow.com)

    Just simple honesty in tonight’s mid-week “brain racing”! We have no doubts that there is a team just waiting to surprise all the “experts” but right now a 5A Chaparral/Grandview and 4A Lewis-Palmer/Longmont matchups seem to be popular and on the horizon but we can’t wait to see who may upset that easy preview…there’s someone out there!

    Get out and enjoy, folks.

  • Photos: Fast start leads Eaglecrest girls basketball over Smoky Hill

    AURORA — Eaglecrest girls basketball jumped out to a 12-point lead in the first quarter and held on to beat Smoky Hill 54-38.

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  • Mike Griebel hired as the football coach at Thomas Jefferson

    Thomas Jefferson Fort Morgan
    (Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com)

    A familiar name is returning as a head coach in Colorado high school football: Thomas Jefferson has hired Mike Griebel.

    The school announced the news on Thursday.

    “We are thrilled to welcome coach Griebel into our Spartan family and look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence on and off the field,” Thomas Jefferson athletic director Anne Rice said.

    Said Griebel: “I’m excited to head a program that is rich in football tradition. I spent my childhood in DPS and grew up playing on TJ feeder teams. It just felt like the right fit to come full circle and finish where I started.”

    Griebel brought Heritage to prominence in his 19 seasons as coach from 1995-2013, going 128-84 over that span, and leading the Eagles to the Class 4A championship in 2009 when they went 13-1. That capped a three-year span during which his teams won at least 10 games.

    Griebel was let go by Heritage after the 2013 season, and has since been an assistant at Columbine, where his son Mikey, starred and was an all-state player.

    “My goal was to leave Heritage and Columbine better than when I got there, and I think I did that,” Griebel said. “It will be my same goal here at TJ and I can’t wait to get started.”

    He has also spent time as a representative on the CHSAA football committee, and has twice been named a Denver Broncos coach of the week.

    Thomas Jefferson, which plays in Class 3A, is coming off of three consecutive eight-win seasons under former coach Derrick Martin. It’s a young roster, and a number of key contributors are expected to return.

    Follow this offseason’s coaching movement in our coaching changes tracker.

  • Power play goals help No. 10 Dakota Ridge hockey beat No. 8 Ralston Valley

    ARVADA — A victory on the road against Jeffco rival Ralston Valley is just what Dakota Ridge had in mind when it traveled to Apex Ice Arena on Tuesday night.

    Dakota Ridge forward Collin Fitzgerald, front, celebrates his power-play goal in the second period Tuesday night against Ralston Valley. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The Eagles suffered blowout losses to No. 4 Fort Collins and No. 5 Chaparral by a combined score of 16-1 last week. Dakota Ridge, No. 10 in this week’s CHSAANow.com hockey rankings, got a pair of huge power-play goals less than 90 seconds apart in the second period on the way to a 4-2 victory over No. 8 Ralston Valley.

    “This is a very important win to us as a team,” Dakota Ridge senior captain Jake Eickelman said. “We were coming off a couple of little questionable games and on a bit of a lull. I thought it was really good that we came together.”

    Ralston Valley (5-6, 2-3 in Pinnacle League) took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by forward Zack Savarise early in the first period. Dakota Ridge (8-4-1, 3-2-1) answered late in the period with a goal by senior Parker Spaan to tie things up at 1-1.

    The tide really turned when Ralston Valley forward Sam Clark was tagged with a 5-minute major for contact to the head. Dakota Ridge took full advantage of being up a man for five straight minutes.

    “When we got that (power-play) we knew if we were going to get on top this going to be the time,” Eickelman said of the 5-minute major. “It was very important to get those two goals.”

    Dakota Ridge goalie Riley Allen, right, cradles puck after a save on a shot by Ralston Valley forward Matt Ferguson. Allen made 24 saves in the Eagles’ 4-2 win. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Eickleman’s shot from the point found the back of the net in the opening seconds of the power-play. Junior Collin Fitzgerald gave the Eagles’ a 3-1 advantage less than two minutes later stuffing in a backdoor goal.

    Ralston Valley closed the lead to 3-2 with just under 10 minutes to play in the third period with a goal by forward Dylan McGee, but an empty net goal by Drew Eickelman — Jake’s twin brother — in the final 30 seconds sealed the win.

    “It was a great momentum swing here for the season,” Dakota Ridge senior goalie Riley Allen said after the win. “You have your ups and downs during the season. We were definitely on a low swing. It was really good to get back into it with a win, especially in a conference game.”

    While both Dakota Ridge and Ralston Valley came into Tuesday night’s game in the top-10 in the CHSAA hockey rankings, both were dealing with losing streaks.

    Dakota Ridge senior Graham Mansfield, left, prepares to get a shot off in front of Ralston Valley defenseman Garret Jackson. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The Mustangs had good wins over No. 7 Monarch and No. 6 Mountain Vista since after winter break, but dropped to No. 1 Regis by a score of 5-2 last Friday night.

    Mustangs’ starting goal Dylan Swanson and Allen were both solid in net.

    “We both really battled and showed a lot of heart,” Allen said of himself and Swanson each having 24 saves on the night. “I know He (Swanson) is a really good goalie. I train with him during the off-season actually. It all comes down to how your team works in front of you too.”

    Dakota Ridge and Ralston Valley will meet again in just 10 days. The Eagles host the Mustangs on Friday, Feb. 1, at Edge Ice Arena in Littleton.

    “I feel like it really helps us to take the first game just to let them know that they will be on their heels when they come to our place,” Allen said of the rematch coming up in less than two weeks. “We haven’t lost at home all season. It should be a good tilt when then come over to our barn.”

  • Douglas County hires Eric Rice to be its next football coach

    Ponderosa Douglas County football
    (Matt Daniels/mattdanphoto.com)

    In hiring its next football coach, Douglas County turned to a veteran with decades of experience.

    The Huskies have hired Eric Rice, who spent the past 16 seasons at Fort Collins, to head their program, athletic director Jeff Gardella said on Wednesday morning.

    Rice was selected from a pool of nine finalists and more than 50 applicants.

    “We were very deliberate in knowing what we were looking for and this is where we felt Coach Rice separated himself from the others with his unwavering work ethic, organizational skills, enthusiasm, as well as his dynamic leadership qualities,” Gardella said in a press release.

    Rice has been involved in high school football since 1996, where he got his first job at Santa Rosa High School in California. He returned home to Colorado in 1997, and was an assistant at Green Mountain from 1997-2001, helping the Rams win the 1999 4A championship.

    Rice spent one season as defensive coordinator for the Rapid City Red Dogs of the National Indoor Football League in 2002, and became defensive coordinator at New Mexico Highlands University in the fall of 2002.

    Then, in 2003, Rice was hired as the head coach at Fort Collins. He spent 16 seasons there, amassing a record of 100-72.

    “He has a proven track record of success,” Gardella said. “He is an organizer, a hard worker, a motivator, and an outstanding teacher. We feel like he will be a valuable ambassador for not only our football program, but within the walls of the school as well as within the community.”

    Rice replaces Gene Hill, who led the Huskies for the past five seasons.

    Douglas County is coming off a 1-9 year in Class 5A.

    Follow all of this offseason’s movement in our football coaching changes tracker.

  • Girls swimming rankings: Arvada West hops into 4A

    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 1
    2 Cherry Creek 2
    3 Fossil Ridge 3
    4 Valor Christian 4
    5 Arapahoe 5
    6 Chatfield 6
    7 Lewis-Palmer 9
    8 Regis Jesuit 7
    9 Legacy 8
    10 Mountain Vista 10
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rampart 1
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 2
    3 Niwot 4
    4 Mullen 3
    5 Silver Creek 6
    6 Highlands Ranch 5
    7 Monarch 7
    8 Broomfield 8
    9 Loveland 9
    10 Arvada West –
    Dropped out
    Grand Junction (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pueblo County 1
    2 Evergreen 3
    3 Kent Denver 2
    4 Aspen 4
    5 Discovery Canyon 5
    6 Salida 9
    7 Manitou Springs 6
    8 Glenwood Springs 7
    9 Colorado Academy 8
    10 Erie 10
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Mountain Vista names Garrett Looney new football coach

    Eaglecrest Grandview football
    (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Garrett Looney has been named the new head football coach at Mountain Vista, athletic director Jim Flanigan said.

    Looney spent the 2018 season as the interim coach at Eaglecrest after an unexpected coaching change just one week into their schedule. He was the Raptors’ offensive coordinator when the change was made. 

    Looney led Eaglecrest to a 9-2 record after he took over, including an appearance in the Class 5A quarterfinals.

    He’s very familiar with the Colorado high school football scene, having been the quarterback for Columbine’s 1999 championship team. He has also been an assistant at Cherry Creek, ThunderRidge, Valor Christian and Cherokee Trail.

    Looney replaces Ric Cash, who resigned after an 18-year run as the school’s first and only head coach in December.

    The Golden Eagles were 1-9 last season, but a combined 27-15 over the previous four.

    Follow all of this offseason’s coaching changes in our tracker.

  • Photos: Wrestling’s Mel Smith Husky Invite

    FLORENCE — Eagle Valley won wrestling’s Husky Invite on Saturday, an event which drew some of the top Class 3A programs.

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  • Ball Fever: Parity in 5A and 4A boys basketball making every game count

    Palmer Ridge Lewis-Palmer boys basketball
    (Ismael Gomez)

    Late January, folks! As our mid-week report took a look at, this is that time of year the league leaders start to rise mid-season but parity has 5A and 4A squads making every game count…

    Let’s take a look at the end of Week 7!

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    Thursday, Jan. 17

    Coronado Rampart boys basketball
    (Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography)
    • Good looking “big man” Eric Olsen, a sophomore, scored 16 points and added 7 rebounds for Heritage on the night, but it was not enough to hold off Highlands Ranch. The Falcons earned another league win 48-45 on the road.
    • It was Colton Sanders’ turn to step up for No. 5 ThunderRidge, scoring 13 in another balanced effort for the Grizzlies as they out-paced Douglas County by 16 on the road.
    • Regis has suffered its fair share of close game losses, but that tide is starting to turn for them in recent wins and they upset No. 8 Rock Canyon on Thursday. Jamil Saffidiene was all over scoring 16 points with 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
    • No. 2 Chaparral couldn’t afford a let down after taking down No. 1 Mountain Vista. Tanner Giles was sure to not let that happen, leading four Wolverines in double figure by scoring with 14 at home in the win.
    • Speaking of last week’s No. 1 Mountain Vista, they didn’t play their best ball in the big showdown at Chap but Simon May and crew were back in rhythm with May leading scoring at 19 points along with Ben Grusing’s 18 as they ran up 91 total as a team!
    • It what used to be a highly contested “city rivalry” game Denver East stated loud and clear that’s not the case this year. The Angels beat Denver South 89-31 with their seniors Kwane Marble and Caulin Swain combining for 39 big ones!
    • A long time coming for Coronado but they finally got over the hump vs. Rampart and Mays was a big reason why.

    Friday, Jan. 18

    The Fever Crew was blessed again to join Blake Olson for the 9News “Game of the Night” at Grandview, who was hosting Eaglecrest. After seeing Grandview three times live in the last week we’ve been totally impressed with the roster Coach Rogers has put together for the defending champs.

    Extremely balanced with their inside and outside play but most impressively their interior presence hasn’t been matched yet and we weren’t sure it could be on a CO court.

    Enter Eaglecrest! The Raptors controlled 80 percent of this game until midway through the final stage where a break away “and-1” lay up by the Wolves was followed by a Raptors technical that put it out of reach.

    We will have more on the Raptors soon but Aaron Bokol and Ty Robinson’s toughness (along with a lengthy overall roster) had Eaglecrest competing at a high, confident level on the road. Highlight of the night was an unbelievable right-wing dunk by Robinson that brought everyone to their feet.

    Catch the entire broadcast here if you’d like to take a look back.

    In other games:

    • Top-10 4A action in Centaurus and Greeley Central got Friday started and junior Owen Koonce dropped 23 points on the road to help No. 10 Centaurus look to rise even higher after winning this one by 10 points on the road.
    • No. 7 Rangeview really spreads the ball around and it was junior Christopher Speller’s turn to lead this night, scoring 19 in the 30-point win over Prairie View. Speller added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals — straight “Stat-stuffin!”
    • Trey Brushke and Shane Shadowen combined for 26 points but it was not enough to slow 4A No. 2 Longmont, who beat Mountain View by 21 on the road.
    • Mark Dolan scored 23 points for Fairview, who’s trying to hold on to a top-10 spot beating Monarch by 28!
    • No. 6 Smoky Hill gets another Centennial win over Mullen and super soph Jalen Weaver stepped up with 23 points in the 12-point win.
    • Brett Finnegan and Julian Lucero combined for 30, scoring 15 points each for No. 5 Pueblo West, who downed Pueblo Central by 26.
    • Lincoln traveled to Scottsbluff, Neb., last week and came away with a sweet 2-point victory on this game winning play! TJ Bamba scored 21 in the win and Ty Foster added 19 along with the game-winning assist!

    • Windsor seems to always battle No. 3 Holy Family tough and battled again but lost this one by 10.
    • ALWAYS tough in the Centennial and No. 4 Overland knows that well! League foe Cherry Creek upset the Trailbazers by 10 with an explosive fourth quarter outscoring Overland 29-21 to seal it.

    Saturday, Jan. 19

    Pueblo East Lewis-Palmer boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Ball Fever “CHAT”: The No. 1 4A team in the state, Lewis-Palmer, had their game rescheduled but it didn’t stop their two stop studs from piling in 50 points total! Player of the Year candidate Joel Scott scored 25 and running mate Matthew Ragsdale equaled that 25 in the cruise by over 30 points vs. Air Academy.

    The Fever Crew had the pleasure to catch up with “sharp-shooting” senior Matt Ragsdale after the Rangers big win last weekend! Ragsdale, who had to miss the first five games of the season stated, “I feel really good. Sitting out gave me a different perspective and taught me to not take anything for granted. It’s a blessing to be back out there with my teammates.”

    On the current “run” the Rangers are on Ragsdale added, “We can’t let the run get in our heads or get complacent. Every team is going to give us their best. I’m really excited for this team and the opportunity we have this year…one game at a time! We are very hungry, but also willing to get better. That’s fun to be a part of!”

    Thank you, Matt Ragsdale, for the “chat”! His desire for the TEAM to excel came through clearly and we don’t doubt that team first, positive attitude will lead to results! Matt is averaging 17 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds per game for the Rangers.

    In other action:

    • Don’t look now but Wheat Ridge was No. 9 in 4A last week, 12-3 overall, and put something on D’Evelyn 82-64 at home!
    • Not the GW/Bellos “Saturday ThunderDome” 2:30pm match-up that we know from the past but the Patriots and Warriors rekindled the city DPL tradition and Myron Hamilton scored 23 for the Bellos. It was not enough as GW pulled it off by 6 and bounced back from the Standley Lake loss.
    • How about a “don’t look now” southern edition? Harrison is 11-3 and unbeaten in league play with a SUPER SOPH Donta Dawson, who is aggressive as they come, and hitting his perimeter buckets/free throws as well! Harrison beats Sierra by 7. Donta different man.
    • Steamboat Springs in our 4A top-10 last week but Glenwood Springs said, “hold up!” and beat Steamboat on the road 54-51!
    • TEN players in the scoring column and FIVE players in double figures equals Coach Wood’s Mountain Vista Eagles throwing up 91 points on visiting Falcon in non league play.
    • ThunderRidge, No. 5 last week, had three players drop 12 points each in the road win vs. Arvada West.
    • Make it 9 straight for Ralston Valley and Dennis Pleuss is our guy all over Jeffco action.
    • Luke O’Brien’s 24 and a last-second stop propel Columbine over Valor.

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    The Look Ahead

    Monday, Jan. 21

    • Martin Luther King Jr. Day! “Life”s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”
    • Fountain Fort Carson/Mountain Vista!

    Tuesday , Jan. 22

    • Greeley Central vs. Thompson Valley
    • Longmont (unbeaten!) back in action vs. Northridge
    • Centaurus vs. Niwot
    • Denver South vs. Da Bellos (FNE) in city ball!
    • Pueblo County/Pueblo West “steel city”
    • No. 3 Holy Family vs. Skyline
    • Lincoln/Thomas Jefferson “city ball”

    Wednesday, Jan. 23

    • Game of Night! Cheyenne Mountain vs. No. 1 Lewis-Palmer!!
    • Mountain Vista/Heritage Continental!
    • Legend vs. Highlands Ranch
    • Chaparral vs. Castle View in more league play…
    • Wheat Ridge vs. Evergreen
    • Overland vs. Mullen
    • Smoky Hill vs. Eaglecrest to Centennial!
    • Grandview & C-Trail too…

    Thursday, Jan. 24

    • Pueblo West & Pueblo South get it on!
    • Mead 10-3 vs. Holy Family 11-2…That #GOTN action…
    • Tough task for Vista Peak vs. Rangeview

    Friday, Jan. 25

    • No. 1 Lewis-Palmer/Falcon
    • Fairview & Legacy up north…
    • Top 4A action! Longmont vs. Greeley Central!
    • Highlands Ranch challenges Chaparral!
    • Mountain Vista vs. Ponderosa
    • Castle View vs. ThunderRidge
    • Douglas County & Legend crowds ready to roll!
    • Let’s get Private Mullen & Regis!

    Saturday, Jan. 26

    • Centennial Saturday!
    • Smoky/CT, Eaglecrest/OVE, Grandview/Arap
    • Frederick & Holy Family 4A!
    • Mullen & Cherry Creek late weekend fix…

    2019 hoops has not let us down, folks…let’s get out there and support!

  • Hockey rankings: Mountain Vista joins the poll at No. 6

    Monarch Mountain Vista hockey
    (Steve Oathout)

    Mountain Vista has jumped into the hockey rankings this week at No. 6.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

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    CHSAANow.com Hockey Poll

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Hockey
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Regis Jesuit (9) 11-0-0 90 1 2-0-0
    2 Valor Christian 10-1-1 80 2 0-0-0
    3 Cherry Creek 9-3-0 64 3 0-0-0
    4 Fort Collins 9-3-2 58 4 2-0-0
    5 Chaparral 8-4-0 56 5 2-0-0
    6 Mountain Vista 5-7-0 29 – 1-1-0
    7 Monarch 4-5-2 27 6 0-1-1
    8 Ralston Valley 5-5-0 26 9 0-1-0
    9 Denver East 7-4-1 16 8 1-1-0
    10 Dakota Ridge 7-4-1 15 7 0-2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Pine Creek 10, Battle Mountain 7, Resurrection Christian 5, Doherty 4, Kent Denver 4, Heritage 3, Crested Butte 1.
    Dropped out
    Pine Creek (10).