Chaparral and Cherokee Trail looked every bit the part of the state’s top two programs in their regular season opener on Friday.
Despite falling in the first set, it was the Cougars who looked strongest at the end as they came away with the 3-1 win to knock off Class 5A’s top-ranked program heading into 2019.
The Wolverines, last year’s state runners-up, jumped out to take the first set 25-18. Cherokee Trail bounced right back and grabbed an impressive 25-13 win in set two to show Chap that the first match of the year was going to be a battle.
The next two sets were tightly contested with the Cougars coming away with identical 25-23 wins to start the season with an impressive win.
The road for the Wolverines won’t get any easier as they are set to face off against Grandview on Tuesday. Other non-league opponents this year include Lewis-Palmer, Cheyenne Mountain and Ponderosa.
ARVADA — Brighton senior Angel Mollel celebrating at second base after her RBI double signaled the final swing of momentum in a wild final few innings on the softball field Thursday afternoon.
Mollel’s double drove in senior Sarah Tiffany in the top of the seventh inning to tie things up 6-6 on Ralston Valley’s home field. A deep fly ball by senior Alexia Apodaca moments later scored Mollel from third base for the eventual game-winning run in a 7-6 win for the Bulldogs (2-0 record).
Ralston Valley junior McKenna Fitzgerald takes a hard swing during Thursday’s non-league game against Brighton. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“A win like this early in the season is huge. To go through a little adversity there in the middle, but see the bats wake-up in the seventh inning,” Brighton coach Marty Stricklett said. “To watch Angel jump up and down at second base was pure joy for herself and teammates. That’s what this is about. Kids having fun and playing the game right.”
Mollel reached base on all four at-bats, scoring three times. Her double was the lone hit Ralston Valley sophomore Ashley West gave up during her four innings on the mound.
“I was kind of expecting a change-up,” Mollel said. “I just timed it.”
Brighton led for most of the game until the Mustangs (0-2) put up four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie things up 5-5. West ripped an inside-the-park, three-run home run to highlight the inning.
Ralston Valley grabbed a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with an RBI triple by junior Jaiden Geist. However, Brighton’s two-run top of the seventh inning gave the lead back to the Bulldogs and senior pitcher Tori Haug retired the Mustangs in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
“We have a lot of things to work on,” Ralston Valley coach Wendy Davies said. “I did tell them we had some good hits, but we needed more timely hits. We needed to execute.”
Ralston Valley sophomore Ashley West fires toward the plate against Brighton. West’s three-run home run help the Mustangs mount a comeback against the Bulldogs. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
A glaring issue Ralston Valley had came on the defensive side. The Mustangs committed seven errors in the loss. West and Ralston Valley starting pitcher Maya Bachman combined to give up just five hits, but the errors were costly.
“Probably a few defensive changes, but it’s a good group of girls,” Davies said after the Mustangs’ second game of the season. “They work hard, but as far as coaching goes, I’ve got some things to look at and change to make us better.”
It didn’t help Ralston Valley that it lost Class 5A Jeffco League first-team all-conference selection and starting shortstop Jordan West — Ashley’s older sister — before the season even started.
“That is a huge loss,” Davies said of losing starting Jordan due to knee surgery she had over the off-season. “She is an amazing kid. By far the best leader that we have vocally and physically. It was a horrible loss for us.”
Jordan batted .365 with 24 RBIs and six home runs during her sophomore campaign. Davies said she is still a tremendous leader in the dugout despite not being able to take the field this fall while recovering from surgery.
“I feel super confident with her (Jordan) behind me, but we just have to move on and come together as a team,” Ashley said of playing without her sister on the field. “We need to play for her and play for ourselves.”
Ashley could have more put on her shoulders with Bachman having to leave the game Thursday with an injury to her non-throwing shoulder. Ashley struggled with her control at times last season during her 56 innings pitched, but has been solid in the circle for the Mustangs through two games.
“I’ve been proud of her (Ashley). Even over the summer she struggled I think. We talked at the beginning of the year,” Davies said. “She is an amazing athlete at 6-foot-2 on the mound. Everyone, including her, thinks she should be striking everyone out and she has to get out of the mindset. She just needs to throw strikes and get ahead of the batters. She has been amazing so far.”
Ralston Valley and Brighton will actually see each other again just before regionals in early October.
“We are going to focus on the positive and we’ll see (Brighton) again in a couple of weeks,” Ashley said.
Brighton seniors Chloe Doyle (16) and Angel Mollel celebrate during the Bulldogs’ 7-6 road victory over Ralston Valley on Thursday afternoon. Mollel drove in the game-tying run and scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
In a rematch of a semifinal game a year ago, No. 1 Regis Jesuit and No. 4 Kent Denver field hockey played to a 2-2 tie to begin their respective seasons.
LITTLETON — It’s the million dollar question a lot of major college football programs across the country would like answered … Where will Columbine senior Andrew Gentry commit to continue his football career.
“Right now I really don’t have a timetable,” said Gentry, a 6-foot-8 and 310-pound offensive lineman who has well over 30 Division I offers on the table. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes until after the season on signing day (Dec. 18). If it feels right I’ll make that decision during the season as well.”
Columbine senior Andrew Gentry gets interviewed during the CHSAA Media Day on Aug. 9 at the UCHealth Training Center. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Gentry might go down as one of the most heavily recruited offensive linemen ever out of the state of Colorado, let alone Jeffco. He has already taken four official trips — Notre Dame, Virginia, BYU and Michigan. Gentry said Stanford would likely be his fifth and final visit during this fall season.
Some of the offers he has already received are from the likes of LSU, Auburn, Texas A&M, Alabama, Miami, Penn State, UCLA, Kansas, Tennessee, Stanford, Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida and the list seems to go on-and-on.
“It’s been fun, but at the same time I’m looking forward to getting it over with at the same time,” Gentry said of the recruiting process. “I’ve kind of put it on back for now. I’m looking forward to enjoying my senior year, having fun with these guys for one last year and having a great season.”
Gentry will provide the majority of the experience on the offensive line. He is the lone returning all-conference selection up front for the Rebels, ranked No. 3 in CHSAA’s 5A football preseason rankings.
“Andrew isn’t only a behemoth, but Andrew wants to be the best,” Columbine coach Andy Lowry said of Gentry. “He wants to be the best person. He wants to be the best student. He is the hardest worker we have in the weight room. He has the potential to be one of the best football players ever to come out of this program.”
The Rebels’ vaunted running attack features the return of the Columbine’s Triple-H attack. The trio of Tanner Hollens, Adam Harrington and Braeden Hogan are all back for their senior season.
Columbine jumps into its 2019 schedule on the road against Denver East on Aug. 30 at All-City Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“Nothing is given. We still have to fight for our positions,” Harrington said of Columbine’s Triple-H running back trio. “I do think those guys back we have a great talent pool.”
Hollens, Harrington and Hogan combined for 334 carries, 2,605 yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground last season.
“It’s a pretty special group of kids,” Lowry said of his tailback core. “They are fun kids and smart football players. All three of them will be going both ways for us. Those guys are going to have a little more on their plate.”
Lowry does have to replace two-year starting quarterback Logan DeArment. That won’t be an easy task. DeArment also played defensive back and was heavily involved with the Rebels’ kicking game.
“Logan (DeArment) was probably one of the top-3 quarterbacks we’ve ever had in our program,” said Lowry, who has guided the Rebels to five 5A state championships — 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2011 — for the last two decades.
Senior Jadon Holliday will get his chance to be the Rebels’ signal-caller behind center. Holliday did get some playing time last season in six games.
Columbine senior Jadon Holliday throws a pass during the Rebels’ practice Aug. 17. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“Jadon, No. 1 just loves Columbine football, he has been dreaming about playing in this position his entire life,” Lowry said. “He is going to execute everything really, really well.”
Defensively, senior linemen Justin Lohrenz and Andrew Lauritzen provide a formidable one-two punch up front. Senior Luke Folsom returns as a first-team all-conference linebacker and senior cornerback Mikey Sanchez was an honorable mention selection last season.
“Defensively, I think it’s going to be the same as years before,” Lohrenz said. “We are going to be physical, play our gaps and do what the coaches say. We expect the same no matter what.”
One thing Columbine would like different this season is its ending. The past two seasons, the Rebels have a 23-3 record. However, back-to-back state semifinals losses over that span has been tough.
Columbine lost in overtime to Eaglecrest in 2017 and was edged by Cherry Creek last season at Jeffco Stadium. The Rebels’ two semifinal losses were by a combined four points.
“I see that Cherry Creek game as a huge motivator for us. It’s something in the weight room you think about while you are doing extra reps. It’s in the back of your head,” Gentry said. “We are tired of losing the close ones. Hopefully that is a motivation for us this year to push through.”
Columbine opens its season on the road against Denver East on Aug. 30 at All-City Stadium. The Rebels’ home opener isn’t until Sept. 13 at Jeffco Stadium against Fountain-Fort Carson.
“I’m hyped about this year,” Lohrenz said. “I’m excited to see who steps up and what teams are going to be the teams to beat this year. I’m just excited to get out on that field and play my senior year.”
The Rebels begin play in the 5A Metro West at Mullen on Oct. 4.
“It’s a grind. It’s a battle,” Lowry said of the 5A Metro West League that features the likes of Pomona, Ralston Valley, Arvada West, Lakewood, Mullen and Columbine. “Our league is one of the top leagues in the state. We just have to stay healthy, execute and play our best.”
Columbine senior running back Braeden Hogan, far right, looks for running room during an intra-squad scrimmage. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
COLORADO SPRINGS — When Nell Taylor and her teammates jumped on the bus in Pagosa Springs, they knew they were in for a long journey. Over 250 miles and a trek over Wolf Creek Pass separate the Pirates from the Norris-Penrose Event Center. But the trip is worth it for so many reasons.
Pagosa is just one of many teams that come from far and wide to compete at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede cross country meet. There are several reasons that each team makes it a point to cross a finish line at the same site of the annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.
Chief among them is that this is where they want to be racing on the last day of the season. That’s when the state cross country meet takes place and the same site that hosts the Stampede houses the final race that kid is willing to sell out their bodies to try and win.
And while the layout of the course isn’t exactly the same as state, it gives the competitors an idea of what to expect in October.
“That definitely helps a lot,” Taylor said. “And just getting a head start on everyone, because this is, this is not a flat course. It’s not an easy course. And once we get through with the rest of the season we can say this is hard, but it’s not as hard as the state course with all the hills.”
But that’s not the only reason that teams have for going. For a team like Pagosa, it’s a chance to get the team bonding early in the season which can have benefits later in the year.
When it comes to high school athletics, there is no better way to bond than with a long bus ride with a handful of teammates.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
“I think it’s just a big part of spending time with the team and just being all together,” Taylor said. “That really helps when you run Running is my passion and I’ve been running since a very young age and Just getting together to compete and to see how far you can push yourself, I think that’s definitely worth the car ride. Just to be with the team and suffer together, that just brings me really close to them.”
Taylor finished ninth in the Class 3A girls race with a time of 21 minutes, 49.1 seconds. Between the bonding experience and the atmosphere that comes with racing at Norris-Penrose, she’s hoping for a little better finish when the Pirates return in two months.
The same can be said for Rocky Ford’s Noel Lopez. The Meloneer took second in the 2A boys race with a time of 16:51.6, but on top of a team bonding experience and the chance to race at the site of the state meet, coming to Colorado Springs had an additional benefit for those residing in eastern Colorado.
“I think it’s a good workout cause of the high elevation, we’re used to training at a low altitude,” Lopez said. “The air is definitely a lot thinner. It’s a dirt course that has good hills and everything, so really prepares us well for the the state meet.”
Each time Lopez or Taylor or any running hits this course they try to apply lessons from previous races. That has helped build the right mentality to take into even a regular season race or a race at state.
The trick is that each time the gun fires and the runners swarm out onto the course, they’re all trying to balance the competitive nature of the race with utilizing the experience they need to attain the desired finish.
“The first time I ran this course, I went way too hard in the first mile and nearly died during the rest of it,” Lopez said. “I’m not used to running on so many hills like this and at such a high altitude.”
Taylor, Lopez and all the runners who competed on Friday will do what they can so they can get one more crack at the course on Oct. 26 for the state cross country meet.
AURORA — Thursday marks the start of competition for six fall sports.
Cross country, field hockey, gymnastics, boys soccer, spirit and volleyball can all begin games, meets or matches on Thursday. The schedules in each sport are relatively light through the weekend, but pick up in earned next week.
There are a few top-10 matchups right away, including No. 1 Regis Jesuit at No. 4 Kent Denver in field hockey on Thursday, and No. 1 Chaparral at No. 2 Cherokee Trail in 5A volleyball on Friday.
Thursday also brings two cross country events, one in Aurora and another Johnstown.
The Cheyenne Mountain Stampede, held at Norris-Penrose Event Center, the same venue as the state championships, is Friday. The Vista Nation XC 2-Mile is also Friday, and that is drawing a number of the top programs from the metro area — including four defending state championship teams.
Schedules and scoreboards for some sports are available here:
