LAKEWOOD — Evergreen’s girls lacrosse team got a must-win Saturday afternoon at Trailblazer Stadium.
The Cougars (5-2, 4-1 in Jeffco League) jumped out to an early lead as heavy snow fell in the first half against Dakota Ridge (2-7, 2-2). Evergreen sophomore Margo Miller put in seven goals as the Cougars took a 14-8 victory.
Evergreen is just a game behind conference leading Chatfield (9-3, 4-0) at the mid-way point of the league schedule in Jeffco. The Cougars suffered a 15-6 loss to Chatfield earlier this season, so Evergreen will need to win out and hope to get some help to grab the league title.
Sophomore Mallory Bowman tallied four goals for the Cougars against Dakota Ridge. Izzy Zucker, Claire Donlan and Kate Nierenberg each had a goal for Evergreen in its third straight win.
Dakota Ridge had a trio of two-goal scorers — Sami Schmidt, Stella Nefs and Tia Krats — in the loss. Lauren Toby and Rachel Steinman each had a goal for the Eagles.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Cheyenne Mountian certainly looked like a team that belonged in last year’s Class 4A baseball semifinals. The thing is, the Indians didn’t even come out of the regular season as the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference champions.
That honor went to Palmer Ride. But after a 5-3 win over the Bears on Tuesday, the 4A No. 2 Indians got perhaps a more meaningful 7-0 win on Thursday.
A few days ago, it was No. 6 Palmer Ridge (9-4 overall, 4-2 PPAC) who jumped out to the first lead of the game. Cheyenne Mountain battled back and the lineup was able to give Mike Ellis the support he needed in his time on the mound.
Thursday, it was pitcher Devin Dodson who did the heavy lifting. He threw seven innings and allowed just two hits while striking out 11 Palmer Ridge hitters. Charlie Deeds, Gabriel Rogers and Jack Wotta – the top three hitters in the Bears’ lineup – went a combined 1-for-7.
“That’s a good team,” coach Mark Swope said of Palmer Ridge immediately after the final out was made.
But his team was better. And as the end of the regular season gets closer every day, Cheyenne Mountain (11-1, 6-0) looks to have a pitching staff that is once again poised for another deep playoff run.
“We’re deep,” Swope said. “We have all our pitchers back from last year’s semifinal team. We have arms and we can work matchups.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
It’s a formula that has been successful in the playoffs for previous state champions. The biggest thing going for Cheyenne Mountain is that three guys in Ellis, Dodson and Cam Buckler can start on the bump and provide solid innings.
Each of them have made at least three starts this year and are a combined 7-1 on the year. As regimented and methodical as he is, Swope certainly has the ability to pick his poison on any given day and the boys are more than willing to deliver when needed.
“It’s always good to see everyone succeed on our staff,” Ellis said. “Especially Devon. He helped us out a lot last year in the playoffs.”
What helps is a game like Thursday where Cheyenne Mountain can grab an early lead. Aaron Berkhoff led off with a single in the first and got moved to second when Grant Mondejar was hit. A Buckler sacrifice bunt got Berkhoff to third and he scored on an Ellis ground ball to first.
Once that run came through, Dodson felt like he had all the support he needed for the day.
“After that first inning I got some insurance and really just started throwing my game,” he said.
The biggest obstacle for Cheyenne Mountain’s hopes at a league title now becomes Lewis-Palmer. The PPAC rivals won’t play each other until early May. For now, Swope and his players will enjoy avenging the losses to the Bears a year ago.
“We had our eyes on this series,” Swope said. “Taking that first game at their place was big because it took some momentum out of their sails. I sense that maybe they were down coming into this game. It was a huge series for us.”
Last spring, Fairview’s Marlena Preigh won the 800-meter run at the high-caliber indoor Simplot Games in February which signaled an impending breakout for the young runner.
As Thompson Valley’s Donovan Love entered the water ready to go in the 100-yard butterfly in Thursday’s dual with Longmont at the Dick Hewson Aquatic Center, his goggles were already sliding toward his mouth.
This season’s Class 4A state baseball tournament is moving to Colorado Springs.
Originally scheduled to be hosted in the Denver area, a lack of a second site for 4A gave the CHSAA office an opportunity to look at a different community as a host. The tournament will now be held at the Rocky Mountain Vibes’ stadium and the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs’ Mountain Lion Park for the first weekend, slated for May 24-25.
The second weekend, May 31 and June 1, will be held entirely at the Rocky Mountain Vibes’ stadium.
“We’re excited to take a baseball tournament back to Colorado Springs. The Vibes and UCCS have been extremely accommodating for the needs of high school baseball. While this will happen for 2019, we will looking at a long-term relationship in the future.”
A state baseball tournament hasn’t been hosted in Colorado Springs for at least a decade.
The Rocky Mountain Vibes are the Rookie-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Their change from a Triple-A affiliate to a Rookie-Advanced affiliate helped to open up the dates.
The 4A tournament was going to be held at All-Star Park in Lakewood, but a second site which had been used in the past, Metro State University, had a conflict of dates.
As a result, All-Star Park will be used a site for the 5A tournament, with All-City Field in Denver being the other.
Lauren Lehigh knows the feeling that comes with being a state golf champion. Two years ago she held off one of her own teammates as well as Glenwood Springs’ Lauren Murphy to capture Class 4A gold.
Loveland also claimed the team title that year.
Last year a repeat attempt failed as Cheyenne Mountain’s Maxine Choi took first at the Country Club of Colorado. Windsor claimed the team title.
Now Lehigh is out to once again put Loveland back on top of the golf scene (the team is back in 5A this year) and this time, her younger sister will lend a helping hand.
Katelyn is a freshman and has the potential to be every bit as much in the individual championship picture in the coming years. But where she’s been the biggest help to the team has been keeping the veterans, including her older sister, competitive through the year.
“We put up with each other all day then we got to the golf course and compete which is a lot of fun,” Lauren said. “We push each other to do better. It’s been a fun change.”
But along with that change has come some hope that they can do something together that they’ll only get one shot at.
(Photo courtesy of Lauren Lehigh)
As a senior, Lauren is trying to lead Loveland to its second state title in three years. To do it with family would be something truly special and it’s something that’s been talked about quite a bit between the two of them.
“We knew it coming in and it’s always in the back of our minds,” Katelyn said. “Since (state) is at our home course, we have a very good chance of winning. Even Lauren has said it, she doesn’t want the individual title as much as she wants the team title with me.”
That just means each player needs to do their part. Lauren has been outstanding all year. She has yet to play a round in which she has finished over par. Her season-best came in at the Lobo Invite at the Harmony Club. She shot a 6-under-par 66 and hit a hole-in-one on her second hole of the day — the par-3 sixth.
It helps that Taylor Bandemer also returns from last year’s team. Bandemer finished fifth at state last year.
But it’s been the addition of Katelyn that has added a ton of excitement with the team. While Loveland coach Bill Stephens can certainly see a bit of sibling rivalry play out on the course at times, the additional emotional support has been the biggest impact he’s seen.
“They’re more supporting than competitive with each other,” Stephens said. “Out on the course, if one of them has a little bit of a downturn in their game, the other will start yelling out in support. They’re usually close enough in tournaments that they can see each other.”
And they keep each other sharp. There’s enough internal competition between the Loveland players that little games played in practice force everyone to remain sharp through the course of the season.
“Nothing can just be for fun out there for us,” Lauren said. “There always has to be some kind of competition whether it’s a putting contest or chipping contest. It brings a new level to the game.”
Next up for Loveland is the third Front Range League Tournament of the year at Coal Creek Golf Course.
