The answer: No, at least not in the immediate future.
“This concept is so brand new to high school,” CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green said on Tuesday. “There are many things that have to be discussed before there’s a statewide conversation about it.”
Added Tom Robinson, CHSAA’s associate commissioner who also oversees officials: “Until we get a clear indication from the membership that they want to, the CHSAA office isn’t advocating that we want to do it.”
Robinson is a former on-field college football official who has served as a replay official for the Big 12 and Mountain West over the past few seasons. He served as the replay official for college football’s national championship game in 2017.
In a press release on Tuesday, the NFHS announced an addition to Rule 1-3-7 allowing states “to create instant replay procedures for state postseason contests only.”
Among the factors that would need to be sorted out with replay:
Would it be for all playoffs games? Or only the championship games?
Would it be for all classes?
Would there be a need to contract an outside company to set up the equipment? Could CHSAA use the equipment already available at certain championship sites? Would Hudl equipment, already prevalent at games, work?
How much input, if any, would the on-field officials have during the replay process?
Who would be the replay officials?
Which plays would be reviewable? Would there be coaches challenges?
“The question,” Robinson said, “is how important is it to have?”
For now, that conversation hasn’t started.
“There just hasn’t been pressure from the membership to do this,” Robinson said.
Irv Brown, far right top row, coached Arvada High School to the Class 3A state baseball championship title in the spring of 1964. (Photo courtesy of Steve Bell)
ARVADA — Irv Brown guided Arvada High School’s baseball team to a state championship in the spring of 1964.
“I was really lucky to be one of his players on his state championship team. The first state championship team Arvada High School ever had,” said Steve Bell, Jeffco Public Schools’ current Chief Operating Officer. “It was a team of players who probably weren’t the most talented around. We didn’t have any superstars. Irv taught us to be great competitors.”
Bell was a junior at Arvada when the school claimed the Class 3A baseball title. However, even before that magical spring season on the baseball diamond Brown was just starting to make an impact on athletics in Jeffco and across Colorado.
“I my opinion, Irv was one of a handful of people who helped really put Jeffco athletics on the map,” said Jim Thyfault, current Executive Director of Athletics and Activities with Jeffco Public Schools. “He was instrumental in the growth of Jeffco athletics.”
Brown was inducted into the Jeffco Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame in 2003.
Brown went on to coach baseball at the University of Colorado and Metro State College. He had a memorable college basketball officiating career where he refereed in six NCAA Final Fours. He became a Colorado sports media icon for 40-plus years before his death on Feb. 3 at the age of 83.
“Whether it was basketball, football, baseball … he knew it all and he knew the people,” Thyfault said. “He more than anyone else in the sports media who had access to TV and radio kept prep sports in the forefront. You just don’t see that anymore.”
While many remember Brown telling stories over the radio airwaves, Bell recalls the relationship of player and coach he had with Brown that started when Bell was 12 years old.
“I never changed my opinion of him. He was larger than life,” said Bell, who also had Brown as his defensive backs coach on the football field at Arvada. “Everything with Irv Brown was about being a competitor. That is the way he taught us to be. Those lessons were forever lasting for me.”
One of Brown’s many famous sayings that stood out for Bell was — “A great competitor will beat you 99-98 or they will beat you 1-0, but they will find a way.”
That competitive spirit stayed with Bell during his college baseball career at Colorado State University, along with his coaching career at the University of Arizona, Wheat Ridge High School and Northglenn High School.
Bell said one of the hardest things he did during his college baseball career was playing against Brown’s teams.
“His coaching style and the mantra in which he taught us and managed us was second to none,” Bell said of his former coach. “My goal when I started coaching was to be like him because I thought so much of him.”
Bell actually coached Brown’s youngest son, Casey, on the football field at Northglenn High School.
“He is one of the goers, starters and innovators when it comes to prep sports. He fostered programs not only in Arvada, but everywhere,” Bell said. “He had assistant coaches go on to win state titles at Lakewood and Jefferson. Irv Brown’s influence was everywhere in Jeffco.”
The memorial service for the sports legend will be held at noon Saturday, Feb. 16, at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield.
“He was one of the most impactful people I’ve ever had in my life,” Bell said. “It was my good fortune to have Irv Brown as my coach.”
Addison O’Grady stepped back and drained a 3-pointer to give the Grandview girls basketball team a 12-point lead in the third quarter at Cherry Creek Monday.
Welcome back, hoops fans! Here is your end of the week recap for Week 10 and the preview of our final week of the regular season.
Proud to be your one-stop-shop for all the 5A/4A big school action…let’s dive in:
[divider]
The Look Back
Friday, Feb. 8
The Fever Crew made it out to No. 2 Mountain Vista hosting No. 10 Regis who have been on a tear as of late until a stumble vs. Legend.
It was a tale of two halves for the Eagles who were ice cold from the perimeter in the first half against the Regis zone, and only managed 4 points in the second quarter.
Despite the Eagles finding their range in the second half, there was no answer on the inside for Daniel Carr and Matt Wheelock. Carr finished with an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double and Wheelock only scored 4 points, but bullied 10 important rebounds and brought energy.
If it wasn’t Carr doing work outside, it was smooth Jamil Safieddiene, who had 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals!
Regis is turning into a tough playoff match up and better than last weeks No. 10 ranking showed.
Defending champ Longmont has many players who can get it done on both ends and this night it was Calvin Seamons 23 points and 6 rebounds that earned No. 2’s 21st win of the season, 75-49 over Mountain View.
Fairview held the No. 8 spot last week and the Knights were hitting on all cylinders, burying Greeley West by 33 with junior Jalen Page scoring 18.
“30-piece” alert! And make that a 38-point, 11-rebound effort for No. 7 Lincoln’s James Felton vs. a game Montbello (FNE) squad in the 80-75 home win in league play. Quite a senior night for Felton!
A bit of a shocker and upset here with Air Academy beating 4A No. 7 Cheyenne Mountain by 14! Senior Justin Graham scored 25 in the win and Javonte Johnson 22 in the loss.
A couple days after signing his baseball letter of intent for college big Bryce Matthews led No. 1 Chaparral to another league win over No. 4 ThunderRidge and our Ball Fever pal Kevin Keyser has the sweet images of the 11-point win
We were surprised Overland didn’t rise higher than 7 in last week’s poll but it will happen after another strong week for Coach Fisher’s group, who took down No. 3 Smoky Hill at home Saturday.
The Fever Crew was in the house and thoroughly impressed with the improvement and footwork of big Graham Ike, who scored 18 and pulled down 11 boards for another double-double. As if Graham wasn’t enough on the inside, Alexander Pena-Avila added 17 points hitting from the perimeter and inside.
Very impressed with the Blazers supporting cast! We know the names of Hezekiah Swanson and Ike but believe us when we say Overland has A LOT more!
We were blessed to be on the call with Blake Olson 9News game of the night…catch the action here.
In other games:
Our 4A “sleeper” Mead was running and gunning again with 11 players hitting the scoring column, led by Will Maher’s 17 in the blowout of Roosevelt by 30.
5A No. 9 Eaglecrest took down Arapahoe by 18 in #CentennialTough play and here’s a sweet video recap posted on our partner MaxPrep’s site.
The man with the mid-range game, Tanner Baird, was at it again scoring 20 for Holy Family who beat Windsor by 20!
Quincy Jewett with another double-double and Christian Speller kicked in 17 points for Rangeview, who again won by 30-plus at Vista Peak!
Grandview, last week’s 5A No. 5, used a second half surge to hold off improving Mullen and keep itself in the drivers seat at 9-2 in league play
[divider]
The Look Ahead
Monday, Feb. 11
Arvada West vs. Chatfiled
Niwot vs. Centaurus
Longmont looking for 22-0 vs. Northridge
Bear Creek/Columbine Jeffco!
Smoky Hill looks to bounce back vs. Arap…
Cherokee Trail tries to test Overland!
Somebody gets win 14 in Eaglecrest/Mullen
Cheyenne Mountain hungry vs. Falcon!
Tuesday, Feb. 12
No. 1 Chaparral vs. Heritage…
Surging Regis vs. Highlands Ranch!
Our 4A “sleeper” Mead vs. Erie
Rangeview rollin’ & face Northglenn
ThunderRidge looks to get back on track vs. Legend
Air Academy off big win try to test “big dawg” No. 1 Lewis-Palmer!
Rock Canyon slow grind vs. Mountain Vista get out & go…
Holy Family gets Skyline!
Wheat Ridge 4A power vs. Evergreen
Pueblo West vs. Pueblo South RIVALRY
Wednesday, Feb. 13
Longmont vs. Greeley Central looks good!
Smoky Hill vs. Mullen
Cherry Creek vs. Overland as well!
Grandview vs. Eaglecrest is heavy weight action!
Thursday, Feb. 14
Fairview/Boulder RIVALRY action!
Ooooh it’s rematch time: Mead vs. Holy Family!
Wheat Ridge vs. Golden
Another rematch: No. 1 Lewis-Palmer and Cheyenne Mountain
Friday, Feb. 15
Party IN PARKER: No. 1 Chap vs. Legend!
C-Trail & Grandview Centennial!
Mountain Vista/T-Ridge Continental Top 10!
Rangeview & Gateway Aurora braggin’ rights
Regis vs. Ponderosa…
Eaglecrest/Smoky Hill fun!
Mullen vs. Overland with big men getting it on!
Pueblo Centennial vs. Pueblo West southern action…
Saturday, Feb. 16 – Final day of REGULAR SEASON!!
Wheat Ridge closes vs. Standley Lake
Denver East/GW city pride!!
Thomas Jefferson vs. The Bellos (FNE)
Holy Family vs. Berthoud
Wow, our awesome athletes have treated us to another great regular season and some pretty good coaches have improved their teams over the regular season. Can’t wait to to see who it pays off for come playoff time!
Valor Christian junior Cole Sprout was named Colorado’s boys cross country runner of the year by Gatorade on Monday.
It is the second-straight year that Sprout has won the award. He was also named the boys track and field athlete of the year last spring by Gatorade.
Sprout now becomes a finalist for the national award.
“Cole is the grittiest athlete I’ve ever coached,” said Valor Christian coach Greg Coplen. “He has incredible self-discipline and a strong faith.”
Sprout won the Class 5A cross country championship last fall, finishing in a course-record of 15:16.1. He also won the Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Regional championships, and was third at the NXN Final.
In the classroom, Sprout has a 3.98 GPA. He volunteers locally on behalf of a soup kitchen and Operation Christmas Child.
Highlands Ranch (5A), Air Academy (4A), Colorado Springs Christian (3A), Del Norte (2A) and Kit Carson (1A) have all stayed on top of their respective girls basketball rankings this week.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Ponderosa 17, Green Mountain 16, Pueblo East 9, Skyline 5, Eagle Valley 3, George Washington 3, Sierra 3, Skyview 2, Thomas Jefferson 2, Pueblo County 1, Thompson Valley 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Colorado Springs Christian (12)
18-0
129
1
2-0
2
St. Mary’s
17-1
110
2
2-0
3
Pagosa Springs (1)
15-2
107
3
1-0
4
Delta
16-1
88
4
2-0
5
Eaton
17-1
74
5
2-0
6
Alamosa
14-5
51
7
1-1
7
Centauri
13-5
43
6
1-1
8
Lutheran
13-4
31
8
2-0
9
Platte Valley
16-2
29
9
3-0
10
The Academy
17-1
23
10
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Moffat County 22, Cedaredge 4, Grand Valley 2, Manitou Springs 1, SkyView Academy 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Del Norte (8)
17-0
106
1
2-0
2
Limon (2)
17-1
90
3
3-0
3
Wray (1)
15-2
82
2
2-0
4
Swink
16-1
72
4
2-0
5
Yuma
14-3
62
6
3-0
6
Heritage Christian
17-0
56
5
2-0
7
Meeker
17-1
52
7
3-0
8
Rye
17-1
36
9
2-0
9
Peyton
13-3
14
–
2-0
10
Soroco
15-3
13
10
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Holyoke 9, Simla 9, Sanford 3, Ignacio 1.
Dropped out
Simla (8).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kit Carson (15)
17-0
151
1
1-0
2
South Baca
16-0
133
2
2-0
3
Briggsdale
16-1
106
3
1-0
4
Genoa-Hugo/Karval
15-2
101
4
1-1
5
Sangre de Cristo
15-2
96
5
3-0
6
Fleming
15-3
74
7
2-0
7
Haxtun
14-4
62
6
2-1
8
De Beque
14-3
38
8
2-0
9
Cotopaxi
16-2
25
9
2-0
10
North Park
13-3
21
10
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Springfield 14, Longmont Christian 12, Sierra Grande 10, Wiley 10, Belleview Christian 7, Cheraw 7, Lone Star 6, Hanover 5, Elbert 1, Merino 1.
All five No. 1 teams held firm in this week’s boys basketball rankings, meaning Chaparral (5A), Lewis-Palmer (4A), Sterling (3A), Holly (2A) and De Beque (1A) remained atop their respective polls.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Regis Jesuit has held on to its top spot in this week’s hockey rankings.
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.
INDIANAPOLIS — In an effort to establish a more consistent time period between downs in high school football, the play clock will start at 40 seconds instead of 25 seconds in many cases beginning with the 2019 season.
Colorado has successfully piloted this rule for the past two seasons.
This change was one of seven rules revisions recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee at its January 13-15 meeting in Indianapolis, which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
The play clock will continue to start at 25 seconds (a) prior to a try following a score, (b) to start a period or overtime series, (c) following administration of an inadvertent whistle, (d) following a charged time-out, (e) following an official’s time-out, with a few exceptions, and (f) following the stoppage of the play clock by the referee for any other reason. In all other cases, 40 seconds will be placed on the play clock and start when the ball is declared dead by a game official.
Previously, the ball was marked ready-for-play when, after it had been placed for a down, the referee gave the ready-for-play signal and the 25-second count began. Beginning next season, in addition to the above situations when the 25-second count is used, the ball will also be ready for play when, starting immediately after the ball has been ruled dead by a game official after a down, the ball has been placed on the ground by the game official and the game official has stepped away to position.
“The entire committee needs to be commended for its thorough discussion regarding the move to a 40-second play clock, except in specific situations that will still have a 25-second play clock to show play is ready to begin,” said Todd Tharp, assistant director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association and chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee. “This is one of the most substantial game administration rules changes to be approved in the past 10 years, and without detailed experimentation from several state associations over the past three years, along with cooperation of the NFHS Football Game Officials Manual Committee, all the elements needed to approve this proposal would not have been in place.
Another significant change approved by the committee was the addition of a note to Rule 1-3-7 to permit state associations to create instant-replay procedures for state postseason contests only. This revision would allow game or replay officials to use a replay monitor during state postseason contests to review decisions by the on-field game officials. Use of a replay monitor would be on a state-by-state adoption basis, and the methodology for reviewing calls would be determined by the applicable state association.
“The ultimate goal of each game official and each officiating crew is to get the call correct,” Tharp said. “Each state association, by individual adoption, can now use replay or video monitoring during its respective postseason contests to review decisions by the on-field game officials. Each state association, if it adopts this rules revision, will also create the parameters and scope of the replay.”
With regard to uniforms, the NFHS Football Rules Committee clarified the size requirements for numbers on jerseys through the 2023 season and added a new requirement effective with the 2024 season. Clarifications to Rule 1-5-1c (in bold) that are in effect through the 2023 state that the numbers, inclusive of any border, shall be centered horizontally at least 8 inches and 10 inches high on front and back, respectively. In addition, the entire body of the number (the continuous horizontal bars and vertical strokes) exclusive of any border(s) shall be approximately 1½-inches wide. Finally, through the 2023 season, the body of the number (the continuous horizontal bars and vertical strokes) shall be either: (a) a continuous color(s) contrasting with the jersey color; or (b) the same color(s) as the jersey with a minimum of one border that is at least ¼-inch in width of a single solid contrasting color.
Effective with the 2024 season, the entire body of the number (the continuous horizontal bars and vertical strokes) of the number shall be a single solid color that clearly contrasts with the body color of the jersey.
“The purpose of numbers on jerseys is to provide clear identification of players,” said Bob Colgate, NFHS director of sports and sports medicine and staff liaison to the NFHS Football Rules Committee. “In order to enhance the ability to easily identify players, the committee has clarified the size requirements for jersey numbers through the 2023 season and added a new requirement for the 2024 season.”
Two changes were approved by the committee in an effort to reduce the risk of injury in high school football. First, tripping the runner is now prohibited. Beginning next season, it will be a foul to intentionally use the lower leg or foot to obstruct a runner below the knees. Previously, a runner was not included in the definition of tripping. Second, in Rule 9-4-3k, the “horse-collar” foul was expanded to include the name-plate area, which is directly below the back collar. Colgate said grabbing the name-plate area of the runner’s jersey, directly below the back collar, and pulling the runner to the ground is now an illegal personal contact foul.
A change in the definition of a legal scrimmage formation was approved. A legal scrimmage formation now requires at least five offensive players on their line of scrimmage (instead of seven) with no more than four backs. The committee noted that this change will make it easier to identify legal and illegal offensive formations.
The final change approved by the NFHS Football Rules Committee for the 2019 season was a reduction in the penalty for illegally kicking or batting the ball from 15 yards to 10 yards.
A complete listing of the football rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Football.”
According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 11-player football is the most popular high school sport for boys with 1,036,842 participants in 14,079 schools nationwide. In addition, there were almost 30,000 boys who participated in 6-, 8- and 9-player football, along with approximately 2,500 girls who played the sport for a grand total of 1,068,870.
THORNTON — Ahead of the 100-yard breaststroke race, Fairview freshman Emma Weber was doing everything possible to get prepared. That included not getting on the podium with her teammates after they took gold in the 200 freestyle relay.
An imposter took her place as the fourth member of the team. She was warming down for that breaststroke race, a race she went on to win. It was Fairview’s only individual championship. But that didn’t matter as the Knights used their depth to win the Class 5A swimming and diving championship at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton.
“We challenged the girls,” coach Bob Smartt said. “There are eight individual races and we challenged them to have four girls make finals in six of those, and they pulled it off.”
Fairview scored 495.5 points to 378 for Fossil Ridge who came in as the two-time defending state champion.
With eyes on that team race, the 200-yard medley relay race – the first event of the meet – became the early focal point. Fairview went with the tactic of having senior Riley Tapley start the race and letting freshman Morgan Lukinac take the anchor.
The plan paid off as the Knights’ time of one minute, 41.66 seconds just edged out the Sabercats.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Fossil Ridge bounced right back with Coleen Gillilan’s win in the 200 freestyle. Freshman Lucy Bell followed up that performance by getting a win in the 200 individual medley. Each team had three placers in the race. The Sabercats took first, fourth and seventh while Fairview’s swimmers finished third, sixth and eighth.
After Lukinac took sixth in the 50 freestyle, the Knights had begun to establish a comfortable lead.
“I don’t really know (when we had it wrapped up) but I know our medley relay was amazing,” Weber said. “The whole team performed amazing tonight.”
And that’s not an exaggeration. According to Smartt the Knights set six school records at the event. All three relay teams broke school marks, Tapley’s 55.65 in the 100 backstroke is a school record, Weber’s winning time of 1:05.5 in the breaststroke is a record and senior Mikayla Seigal’s 100 butterfly mark of 54.97 is a Fairview best.
Seigal was on the last Fairview team to claim the 5A crown back in 2016.
“I think it just shows our team camaraderie and how much depth we have as a team,” Seigal said. “I think each swimmer stepped up to the plate and swam so well for the team and themselves.”
Fossil Ridge claimed the runner-up trophy with a win in the 400 freestyle relay. Coleen Gillilan claimed gold in the 200 and 500 freestyle races while her sister Renee, a freshman, won the 100 fly.
In a meet dominated by the Knights and Sabercats, Lewis-Palmer senior Meredith Rees was the only other swimmer to come away with multiple wins. She claimed the 50 freestyle and the 100 backstroke and wasn’t the top seed in either race.
“That was one of my goals, to win state,” Rees said. “I’ve been so close all the other years and I knew it could be my year because all the other Fossil Ridge girls graduated last year.”
Rees and the Rangers finished 10th in the team race. Regis Jesuit, Cherry Creek and Arapahoe rounded out the top five in the team standings.
Saturday marked Fairview’s third team championship. They won their first back in 2004.
