CHSAANow

Month: February 2019

  • Ball Fever: The final week of the regular season is here, and it’s nearly tournament time

    Highlands Ranch Regis Jesuit girls basketball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Hoop fans! It is here: the final week of the regular season. RPI Standings, league titles, and playoff momentum is what our final week is all about.

    It’s only midweek but we have a few leagues that have already been decided! Let’s take a look at how it played out:

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    The Look Back

    Monday, Feb. 11

    • Northridge hung in early vs. No. 2 Longmont, but a 24-3 second quarter looked more like what the Trojans have been doing to everyone on this undefeated run. Final score 73-38 with four players in double figure scoring led by Calvin Seamons 16.
    • Smoky Hill came in at No. 6 in this week’s coaches poll and even without their stud Kenny Foster they pulled away from Arapahoe 73-48 with their young sophs leading the way as Jordan Whittaker scored 14, Maurice Walker 13, and junior Quentin Rock 11. Balance was on display for the Buffaloes, who won without their leader!
    • Grandview is getting tuned up for a major showdown at Eaglecrest on Wednesday but they were focused and didn’t look past Creek, with Caleb McGill doing the “stat-stuffin”: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in the 17-point road win!
    • Speaking of stats how about Javonte Johnson performing again for No. 7 Cheyenne Mountain with a 24 point, 10 rebound double-double in the 91-75 race the Indians won over Falcon.
    • Eaglecrest in at No. 10 couldn’t look past ever improving Mullen in their 15-point win on the road where Aaron Bokol and Ty Robinson once again paced the Raptors in double figure scoring.
    • More Centennial action as Overland is now up to No. 3 in our coaches poll and 30 combined points from leaders Hezekiah Swanson and Graham Ike carry the Blazers to a 23 point win over C Trail.
    • Arvada West was tested by Chatfield but keep their Jeffco League hopes alive 54-51.

    Tuesday, Feb. 12

    • No. 1 Chaparral got a surprising test from Heritage and good looking soph Terrence Ferguson scored 15 points for the Eagles, but Chap countered with three in double-figure scoring, led by big Bryce Matthews’ 18 point, 11 rebound double-double! Chap wins it by 8.
    • Continued “southern dominance” by No. 1 Lewis-Palmer and 39 combined points from seniors Matt Ragsdale and Joel Scott fueled another league win, over Air Academy this time.
    • Legend was up at halftime over No. 7 ThunderRidge but a dominant second half by the Grizz earned a 13-point home win with Bailey Verk kicking in 17 points!
    • No. 5 Pueblo West won their rivalry game in a BIG way over Pueblo South 75-48…Max Preps recap here.
    • Ben Grusing “turned up” with 22 points for No. 2 Mountain Vista and the Eagles needed all of it in the tight two point win over Rock Canyon!
    • Mead looks awfully ready for their 4A top-5 rematch with Holy Family Thursday as they sprang a 40-point win over Erie to prepare!
    • No. 8 Lincoln has the ability to give any 4A squad trouble as we enter the playoffs and TJ Bamba’s 21 points was a big part of the Lancers pulling away from North.
    • No. 9 Wheat Ridge’s run has been well documented but Evergreen must have been tired of hearing about it as they pulled off a 53-40 late-season upset.
    • Daniel Carr continued his double-double mission for hot Regis with 22 points as the Raiders got a well earned win vs. a game Highlands Ranch squad on the road. Catch this game in full here with Blake Olson on the Game of the Night.
    • Fossil Ridge has steadily improved over the season but as our guy Brad Cochi is all over Fairview left little doubt in their claim on the league title.

    Wednesday, Feb. 13

    The Fever Crew had some fun at Eaglecrest’s senior night with No. 5 Grandview visiting in a Centennial Top-10 match-up.

    The Raptors rode the emotion of the night early but Grandview quickly settled and took control in second quarter along with building on that lead in the third. Once the Wolves get a lead, they have a deep roster that can spread you out and run clock or pound the ball inside and run sets to Caleb McGill and Dayne Prim.

    his night was sparked by the sharp perimeter shooting of junior guard Lian Romero, who knocked down every 3-point look behind the arc in the 21-point road win to put Grandview in the Centennial league drivers seat. We were the guest of 9News Game of the Night with Blake Olson and you can catch all the action here.

    In other games:

    • Seniors Jackson Hayslip and Spencer Conway score 21 each for Greeley Central, who took unbeaten Longmont to overtime but in their usual closeout manner, the Trojans closed out the OT session 11-2 to win by 9 on the road and complete an unbeaten regular season! Defending champs ready for the brackets!
    • No. 6 Smoky Hill was down double digits to Mullen but made a strong late run only to come up short by 2-points 76-74. Mullen’s improvement will really be put to the test Friday night at Overland! Christian Davis, a real scorer for Mullen, hit the game-winner to seal this big win for the Mustangs.
    • The Creek Bruins’ big 3 of Hammonds, Purchase, and Cole scored in double figures with soph Julian Hammond leading with 18 but “at Overland” is not a thing a team wants to hear this time of year and the Blazers closed this one out by 18.
    • In 5A league title action Columbine was down at the half to Arvada West but used a 11-3 third quarter advantage to turn the tide on a game Arvada West squad to secure the league title!

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    Mid-Week Thoughts

    A few more league titles to be secured and more importantly RPI Standings to be settled in our final three days of the season. Come Sunday? It’s “Bracketology Time” … can’t wait!

    Get out and enjoy the final few days, folks!

  • Boys lacrosse championship games get a change of venue for 2019

    Smoky Hill Denver East football All-City Stadium
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    AURORA — The boys lacrosse championship games are moving to a new venue this season, and they also have a new date as a result.

    The 2019 Class 4A and 5A championship games will be held at All-City Stadium in Denver, moving from Broncos Stadium at Mile High as a result of supercross and monster truck events that will be held there in the preceding weeks. The turf at Mile High would not have been ready in time for the games, which were originally scheduled for May 17, a Friday.

    “With the events that had moved into Mile High, they couldn’t guarantee what the turf would look like after being covered in dirt for a month,” said CHSAA assisstant commissioner Bud Ozzello, who oversees lacrosse. “We mutually agreed to move it to another venue for this year.”

    The 4A and 5A games will now be held May 20, a Monday — which also gives the sport its own showcase night. Game times are 5 and 7 p.m.

    “It gets us off the weekend, and gives the sport an opportunity to shine,” Ozzello said.

    CHSAA’s Board of Directors approved the change during their meeting on Wednesday.

  • No. 4 Evergreen girls basketball clinches 4A Jeffco League title

    EVERGREEN — Evergreen’s girls basketball team added to its impressive resume Tuesday night.

    The Cougars, No. 4 in the latest Class 4A CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings, wrapped up their second straight 4A Jeffco League title with a dominating 54-11 win over visiting Wheat Ridge.

    Evergreen sophomore Nicole Levine puts up a layup during the Cougars’ 20-0 run to start Tuesday game against Wheat Ridge. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “It feels really good,” Evergreen sophomore guard Nicole Levine said. “I think we can settle down now and relax. We’ll have fun these last few (regular-season) games.”

    The conference plaque will join last year’s league title, along with Evergreen’s back-to-back 4A state titles from the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Not to mention 4A state runner-up trophy from 2016 that the Cougars grabbed to start their impressive run to the top of the 4A girls basketball in the state.

    “People thought we were going to be really down this year,” Evergreen first-year head coach Maddy Hornecker said after the Cougars (18-3, 11-0 in league) celebrated on their home court with the conference trophy. “I told the girls teams were going to come gunning for us, but they could still do it. It’s really awesome to have that league championship.”

    Hornecker took over the helm of coaching the Cougars this season. Amy Bahl decided to step away from coaching last spring to spend more time with her growing family which added a third daughter a few months ago.

    Bahl had a 122-37 record (76.7 winning percentage) over six years at Evergreen. While it’s a much smaller sample size, Hornecker has the Cougars with a 18-3 record (85.7 winning percentage) in her first season and with two regular-season games remaining.

    Evergreen senior Claudia Dillon pulls up for a jumper during the first quarter Tuesday night. Dillon scored a dozen points in less than 10 minutes on the court as the Cougars cruised to a 43-point victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “We came into the season really not know what would happen,” Evergreen senior Claudia Dillon said referring to the Cougars graduating eight seniors last year.

    It has been a good thing to have Dillon on the court for four seasons. The future Division I volleyball player at the University of Missouri has played in three 4A state championship games. Evergreen has a 93-12 record since Dillon put on a Cougar jersey.

    This season Dillon went over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during her prep career.

    “It’s been incredible. We (seniors) have been waiting for this day for quite a few years,” Dillon said after the Cougars celebrated Senior Night. “It was cool to get the 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 points. That was kind of a big milestone for me. I personally didn’t think I’d hit that during my career coming in my freshman year.”

    Dillon led the Cougars with a dozen points against Wheat Ridge (8-13, 0-9) despite playing only about 10 minutes. Evergreen jumped out to an early 20-0 lead with Dillon, her younger sister — Hayley Dillon — and Levine combining for 22 points in the opening quarter.

    Evergreen senior Nena Boudreaux (42) gets double-teamed under the basket Tuesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Junior Avery Leinen pitched in nine points off the bench as 10 different Cougars scored in Evergreen’s fifth straight victory.

    “We knew coming in we had to focus on this one and winning league,” Hornecker said. “Now we have to focus on the next two we have. Obviously tomorrow is pretty big.”

    Evergreen is scheduled to host No. 5 Holy Family (15-5) in a non-league game at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12. The Cougars close out their regular season and conference play with a good home test against Green Mountain (15-6, 8-2) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13. The Rams are currently on an eight-game winning streak.

    With two games getting postponed last week, Evergreen faced the challenge of playing four games in four days. The Cougars defeated Golden by 20 points Monday night.

    The Cougars’ postseason veteran has plenty of history to lean on as Evergreen attempt a fourth straight long playoff run that will begin next week.

    “That this point we’ll be a pretty high seed with a league championship is pretty good,” Claudia Dillon said. “We still have a lot to do on our end going into playoffs. It isn’t going to be easy going into playoffs. We know that from years past.”

    Evergreen junior Hayley Dillon (33) attempt to dribble past Wheat Ridge junior Dafne Bustos during the Cougars’ 54-11 victory Tuesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Grand Junction girls basketball wins important league game over No. 10 Montrose

    (Courtesy photo)

    Grand Junction girls basketball won a crucial league matchup against No. 10 Montrose on Tuesday.

    The Tigers, now 16-6 overall, beat Montrose 48-37 to remained tied atop the Southwestern League with Fruita Monument. Both teams are 5-2 in league. Montrose is 4-3 in league play.

    “We finally played offense with the same intensity as our defense,” said Grand Junction coach Sam Provenza. “I couldn’t be more proud of our kids.”

    The teams went back and forth in the first quarter. Mackenzie Yonkers scored all nine Tiger points, and Grand Junction led 9-8 after the first quarter. Grand Junction maintained its lead at halftime, 15-14, and it was 29-24 Tigers after three quarters.

    Grand Junction pulled away in the fourth quarter and went on to win 48-37.

    Yonkers finished with 22 for the Tigers.

    “I’m so proud of my teammates,” Yonkers said. “We worked really hard to make this happen.”

    Kennadie Minerich led Montrose with 14 points.

    “Tough game. My team fought hard all the way,” Montrose coach Steve Skiff said. “Give Grand Junction credit: they made plays when they needed to. We will learn from this and move on and get ready for another big one on Friday.”

  • Photos: No. 1 Highlands Ranch girls basketball grabs a big win over No. 2 Regis Jesuit

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — A 12-point lead after the first quarter set the tone for Class 5A No. 1 Highlands Ranch in its 65-49 win over No. 2 Regis Jesuit.

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  • No. 3 Pueblo South girls basketball stays composed in win over No. 2 Pueblo West

    Colorado knows how deadly a shooter Pueblo West High School girls basketball’s Hannah Simental is from beyond the arc.

  • Fairview boys basketball leaves no doubt on league title claim with win

    The Fairview boys basketball team won the Front Range League championship last season with a young roster, and in doing so set lofty expectations for itself heading into the 2018-19 campaign.

  • Photos: Carr’s 22 points lead No. 9 Regis Jesuit boys basketball over Highlands Ranch

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — Daniel Carr’s 22 points paced Class 5A No. 9 Regis Jesuit boys basketball to a 57-52 win over Highlands Ranch.

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  • Arvada West boys hoops survives scare to stay in hunt for league title

    LITTLETON — Arvada West’s boys basketball team walked off the court Monday night with a collective sigh of relief at Chatfield High School.

    “We needed to survive this one. This was a must win,” said A-West junior Taylor Kline, who scored all nine of the Wildcats’ points in the fourth quarter. “We are preparing for Columbine right now. We can’t celebrate this one too much.”

    Chatfield senior Christian Holmes (1) tries to dribble past Arvada West senior Jackson Conrad. Holmes scored the final seven points for the Chargers, but Chatfield came up short with a 54-51 loss. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The Wildcats escaped the upset bid by Chatfield with a 54-51 victory. A-West (16-5, 5-1 in Class 5A Jeffco) never trailed, but the Chargers (7-14, 1-5) cut a 14-point lead down to just one point in the final minute.

    A layup by Chatfield senior Christian Holmes with 50 seconds left trimmed A-West’s lead to 52-51. Kline made a pair of free throws with nine seconds left and a two-thirds court heave by Holmes at the buzzer missed its mark to allow the Wildcats to remain in the hunt for the 5A Jeffco conference title.

    “We’ve told the kids for the last couple of weeks that during this time of the season even a bad win or an ugly win a really good win,” A-West coach Jeff Parriott said. “The kids made enough shots down the stretch.”

    While Columbine (15-6, 6-0) is in the driver’s seat, A-West and Ralston Valley (15-5, 4-1) are still in the mix to claim the league title. A showdown between the Wildcats and Rebels at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, could decide the conference champ.

    “Wednesday would have been a lot less meaningful if we would have lost tonight,” Parriott admitted. “We had to win tonight in order to get there.”

    Arvada West junior Josh Yago (4) drives by Chatfield sophomore Ethan Johnson on Monday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    A-West had to get there without leading score Josh Rogers in the line-up. The senior guard suffered a wrist injury in a league loss against Valor Christian last Friday night. Rogers, who is averaging more than 20 points a game this season, had a brace on the wrist while cheering on his teammates from the bench Monday night.

    “That a good question. That’s an unknown,” Parriott said when asked if Rogers would be back on the court this week on either Wednesday night against Columbine or the regular-season finale at home against rival Ralston Valley.

    Kline finished with 15 points and senior Joseph Call had a strong game with 16 points. The Wildcats brothers — Oliver and Ethan Lindeblad — combined for 17 points.

    “Our offense struggles often without Josh, but I think this time we trusted each other and got into a rhythm offensively,” Kline said. “We came out with the win and that’s all that matters.”

    Parriott gave a ton of credit to Chatfield for giving A-West a tough test to start the final week of the regular season.

    Chatfield sophomore Nate Jacobson (13) goes up for a shot Monday against Arvada West. Jacobson led the Chargers with a dozen points in the close 3-point loss. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “We knew Arvada West is tough with or without him, but obviously it’s a big blow for them,” Holmes said of Rogers being out. “We thought we could get them and felt like we should have.”

    Holmes scored the final seven points for the Chargers. Sophomore Nate Jacobson poured in a dozen points and senior Luke Carlson added 11 points. Chatfield was No. 47 in the RPI rankings starting this week, right on the bubble to make the 48-team state tournament.

    Chatfield closes the regular season out at Valor on Wednesday and then hosts Columbine on Friday night.

    “We are obviously fighting for our playoff lives,” Holmes said. “We’ll come out ready to play these last two games.”

    Arvada West junior Taylor Kline (5) scored all nine points for the Wildcats in the fourth quarter as A-West held on for a 54-51 victory Monday night at Chatfield High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • 2019 regional wrestling schedules and brackets for all classes

    Ponderosa ThunderRidge wrestling
    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    This season’s regional wrestling tournaments are held Feb. 15-16. Find brackets and results below.

    Note: Brackets will post 15 minutes prior to the tournaments starting.

    Class 5A

    Region 1

    • Site: Fruita Monument HS
    • Teams: Pomona, Monarch, Arvada West, Fruita Monument, Denver East, Chaparral, Thornton, Gateway, Mountain Vista, Columbine, Rampart, Boulder, Highlands Ranch, Aurora Central.
    • Brackets

    Region 2

    • Site: Adams City HS
    • Teams: Grandview, Brighton, Ponderosa, Douglas County, Doherty, Adams City, Legend, Smoky Hill, ThunderRidge, Rangeview, Centaurus, Heritage, Fairview, Hinkley.
    • Brackets

    Region 3

    • Site: Westminster HS
    • Teams: Grand Junction, Poudre, Valor Christian, Cherokee Trail, Overland, Cherry Creek, Horizon, Arapahoe, Bear Creek, Ralston Valley, Chatfield, Westminster, Pine Creek, Lakewood.
    • Brackets

    Region 4

    • Site: Legacy HS
    • Teams: Legacy, Castle View, Rocky Mountain, Fountain-Fort Carson, Prairie View, Eaglecrest, Northglenn, Fossil Ridge, Regis Jesuit, Mountain Range, Fort Collins, Far Northeast, Rock Canyon.
    • Brackets

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    Class 4A

    Region 1

    • Site: Thomas Jefferson HS
    • Teams: Windsor, Grand Junction Central, Longmont, Thomas Jefferson, Montrose, Palisade, Lincoln, Evergreen, Silver Creek, Wheat Ridge, Battle Mountain, Kennedy, Standley Lake, Summit.
    • Brackets

    Region 2

    • Site: Discovery Canyon HS
    • Teams: Pueblo East, Discovery Canyon, Pueblo West, Canon City, Mitchell, Vista Ridge, Sand Creek, Widefield, Harrison, Liberty, Durango, George Washington, Palmer, Falcon.
    • Brackets

    Region 3

    • Site: Lewis-Palmer HS
    • Teams: Pueblo County, Cheyenne Mountain, Pueblo South, Coronado, Mesa Ridge, Air Academy, Lewis-Palmer, Denver South, Palmer Ridge, Vista PEAK, Denver North, Littleton, Golden.
    • Brackets

    Region 4

    • Site: Mead HS
    • Teams: Greeley Cental, Pueblo Centennial, Thompson Valley, Broomfield, Loveland, Roosevelt, Skyline, Mountain View, Frederick, Mead, Erie, Greeley West, Northridge, Niwot.
    • Brackets

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    Class 3A

    Region 1

    • Site: Montrose Event Center
    • Teams: Alamosa, Pagosa Springs, Moffat County, Grand Valley, Olathe, Montezuma-Cortez, Bayfield, Delta, Rifle, Steamboat Springs, Basalt, Glenwood Springs, Coal Ridge, Gunnison.
    • Brackets

    Region 2

    • Site: Platte Valley HS
    • Teams: Berthoud, Sterling, Fort Morgan, Valley, Fort Lupton, Platte Valley, Holy Family, Bennett, Estes Park, Univesity, Denver West, Faith Christian, Resurrection Christian, Riverdale Ridge.
    • Brackets

    Region 3

    • Site: Jefferson HS
    • Teams: Eagle Valley, Eaton, Jefferson, Weld Central, Elizabeth, Skyview, Conifer, Sheridan, Alameda, Mullen, Strasburg, Arvada, Englewood, Middle Park.
    • Brackets

    Region 4

    • Site: Pueblo Central HS
    • Teams: Lamar, Brush, The Classical Academy, La Junta, Salida, Woodland Park, Florence, Pueblo Central, Colorado Springs Christian, Manitou Springs, Ridgeview Academy, James Irwin, Sierra.
    • Brackets

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    Class 2A

    Region 1

    • Site: Montrose Event Center
    • Teams: Paonia, Highland, Hotchkiss, Norwood, Meeker, Soroco, Hayden, Mancos, Dolores, Dove Creek, West Grand, Ignacio, Nucla, Rangely, North Park.
    • Brackets

    Region 2

    • Site: John Mall HS
    • Teams: Cedaredge, John Mall, Dolores Huerta, Del Norte, Custer County, Sierra Grande/Centennial, Rye, Hanover, Center, Sanford, Sargent, Mountain Valley, Centauri, Monte Vista, Platte Canyon, Colorado D&B.
    • Brackets

    Region 3

    • Site: Akron HS
    • Teams: Wray, Fowler, Burlington, Yuma, Akron, Lyons, Sedgwick County/Fleming, Holyoke, Wiggins, Merino, Byers, Gilpin County, Clear Creek, Limon, Stratton, Loveland Classical.
    • Brackets

    Region 4

    • Site: Otero JC
    • Teams: Rocky Ford, County Line, Peyton, Crowley County, Holly, Swink, Ellicott, Kiowa, Cheyenne Wells, Baca County, Calhan, Miami-Yoder, Las Animas, Lotus, Trinidad, Buena Vista.
    • Brackets