Highlands Ranch football got its first win of the season on Friday, beating Rock Canyon 42-7.
Month: October 2019
-
Photos: No. 4 Prairie volleyball outlasts No. 8 Otis in five sets
In a top-10 Class 1A volleyball matchup, No. 4 Prairie beat No. 8 Otis in five sets.
-
Photos: No. 6 Prairie football rolls past Otis
Sixth-ranked Prairie football got a 59-12 win over Otis in 6-man on Friday night.
-
Photos: Elizabeth softball beats Palmer Ridge
Elizabeth softball improved to 13-7 this season with a 11-1 win over Palmer Ridge on Friday.
-
Photos: No. 3 Pueblo South football rolls in win over Lewis-Palmer
A 26-point second quarter powered Class 3A No. 3 Pueblo South football to a 46-3 win over Lewis-Palmer on Friday.
-
David Moore III breaks over 300 yards as 4A No. 1 Pine Creek football beats 3A No. 1 Palmer Ridge
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) MONUMENT — Pine Creek running back David Moore III has a lot of good memories from playing high school football.
His freshman year, he ran for 201 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ Class 4A state championship win over Broomfield. Eight times he has rushed for over 200 yards, all games in which Pine Creek came away victorious.
But when asked about his numbers in Saturday’s 49-28 win over 3A No. 1 Palmer Ridge, the senior – the uncommitted senior – couldn’t help but smile.
“I knew coach was feeding me the ball,” he said.
That was true. Todd Miller called Moore’s number often. The big guys up front cleared running lanes that container ships could’ve passed through. And Moore ran every bit as hard as he always does on his way to rushing the ball 31 times for 351 yards and four touchdowns.
“David’s performance, it’s an all-timer,” Miller said. “There was the state championship game, when he ripped off those yards against Broomfield. I remember maybe his freshman year against Fountain-Fort Carson. I think he went over 200. There’s, there’s a bunch of games, but this is right up there.”
But it wasn’t Moore that was the catalyst to get the 4A top-ranked Eagles (4-1 overall) moving. The first score of the game came on a touchdown pass from Gavin Herberg to Braden Kramer.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Palmer Ridge (4-1) answered right away as quarterback Luke McAllister found Raef Ruel for a 57-yard strike. Ruel’s one-handed grab tied the game and gave everyone in Don Breese Stadium the impression that a shootout was looming.
That’s when the David Moore III Show started. He ripped a 75-yard touchdown run and was far from finished. Over the course of the next three and a half quarters he found the end zone three times. In the second half alone he broke off runs of more than 20 yards four times. Three of those runs for over 30 yards.
He’s earned a night off, as have the five guys making up the human wall that provides lanes and gaps for Moore to run through.
“We feel that momentum,” tackle Ethan Kramer said. “We’re chasing the ball down the field. It feels good after a long drive for us to score a touchdown.”
With a Herberg rushing touchdown on top of everything, the Eagles went into the locker room with a 35-7 lead.
The defense even helped out as Max Lofy intercepted a McAllister pass, setting up the last touchdown of the half for Pine Creek.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) “I want to thank the defense,” Moore said. “And I want to thank our defensive coordinator for making the game plan easier for our offense.”
The Bears were without wide receiver Anthony Roberson for the first half of the game and felt the immediate impact of his return in the third quarter. He helped keep Moore out of the end zone three times when the Eagles had ball inside the Palmer Ridge five-yard line.
He also ended the day with four catches for 158 yards and a touchdown.
A non-league, out of classification loss won’t hurt Palmer Ridge this season, but seeing this level of competition is crucial to the team’s hunt for a third straight state championship.
“We know that iron sharpens iron and anytime we have a chance to go against a great opponent, we know that it’s going to refine something in us and we believe that throughout the process that we’re going to get better each week,” Palmer Ridge coach Tom Pulford said.
That’s the plan with Pine Creek as well. They know that the win against Palmer Ridge will be regarded as one of their best wins on the season. But they must also learn from it and build on it.
“We just have to keep pushing and pushing,” Moore said. “We know we have an easier schedule coming up, but we can’t take anyone for granted.”
Even with a guy on the roster capable of going for over 300 yards in a game. It tends to make the rest of the game planning a tad easier.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) -
No. 2 Golden softball gets separation in 4A Jeffco title race
Golden sophomore Caitlyn Stevens (21) is mobbed by teammates after her 2-run home run in the second inning Thursday against D’Evelyn. It was all the offense the Demons needed in the 2-0 victory against the Jaguars. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) DENVER — Golden softball opened up a 1-game lead in the competitive race for the Class 4A Jeffco League title Thursday afternoon.
The Demons — No. 2 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A rankings — edged rival D’Evelyn 2-0 on the Jaguars’ home field. Despite taking the driver’s seat in the conference race, Golden coach Chad Herbers knows it far from over when it comes to repeating as league champs for the Demons (19-1, 6-1 in league).
Golden senior Emma Graham pitched a complete-game shutout Thursday afternoon against D’Evelyn. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “I’m still not comfortable,” Herbers said of the Demons’ 1-game lead over D’Evelyn and Wheat Ridge with three league games left. “We can lose that top spot just as quickly as we gained it. It’s beautiful to see 4A Jeffco as strong as it is right now. It makes it fun.”
Golden sophomore Caitlyn Stevens was a big part in making the trip to D’Evelyn fun. The Demons’ designated hitter belted a 2-run home run over the fence in left field in the top of the second inning for the lone run-producing hit of the game.
“I just went up there and focused on the ball,” Stevens said of long blast. “I felt like it was a good hit, but I didn’t know what would happen with it.”
What happened was the ball skipped off the top of the fence to drive in senior Haley Prey to grab a 2-0 lead for the Demons. Prey was hit by a pitch to start out the inning.
“I didn’t think it would go out,” Herbers said of the home run by Stevens. “Not at 225 (feet) and the wind blowing in from left field. She really got into it.”
Herbers said Stevens had been working hard on her swing lately. It was her second home run in the past three games.
Golden senior Emma Graham pitched the complete-game shutout. Graham had to dance her way out of jams in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to keep D’Evelyn (13-7, 5-2) at bay.
D’Evelyn junior Kylee Ornstein takes a cut at the plate Thursday against Golden. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) The Jaguars actually outhit the Demons 5 to 4 in the loss, but couldn’t come up with the big hit to get on the scoreboard.
“To win ballgames like this you have to be the one to want to be at the plate,” D’Evelyn coach Dan Porreco said. “To win these game you have to come up with those big hits.”
Graham finished the game in style striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh inning after a lead-off single by D’Evelyn sophomore Mia Riebe.
“It’s always my goal to strike people out, but you can’t always do it all,” Graham said when asked about striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Graham finished with nine strikeouts.
“Emma delivered,” Herbers said. “She pitched deep in some counts and made it interesting. Defense still made the plays too.”
D’Evelyn sophomore pitcher Avery Garbarek was very impressive too. Garbarek allowed just the four hits while striking out five against the hot hitting Demons. It was the lowest scoring output for Golden on the season.
“She (Garbarek) did a fantastic job,” Porreco said of his sophomore pitcher. “After that home run she really emotionally settled in and came back. She is growing. That was impressive against Golden.”
Golden finishes league play with games against Green Mountain and Standley Lake before hosting D’Evelyn in its regular-season finale Oct. 10. The Jaguars have a tough road facing Evergreen and No. 5 Wheat Ridge before getting the rematch against Golden.
D’Evelyn junior Eve Dalla (2) prepares to slide into third base as Golden senior Makayla Middleton gets ready to put down the tag during the Class 4A Jeffco League game Thursday at D’Evelyn. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
No. 8 Pomona football leans on defense in league opener
LAKEWOOD — Pomona’s defense was definitely ready to open up conference play in the Class 5A Metro West League on Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium.
The Panthers’ defense carried Pomona to a 23-0 shutout victory over Lakewood. Pomona — No. 8 in the latest CHSAANow.com Class 5A football standings — got a pair of defensive scores in the opening half, along with shutting out the Tigers to help the cause.
Pomona sophomore Jerrick Jackson races down the sideline after an interception against Lakewood. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “We are picking up our speed and really starting to gel,” Pomona senior defensive lineman Kane Courtney said. “We are making some big plays.”
Courtney produced the first of the big defensive plays for the Panthers. He got the scoring going with a sack of Lakewood quarterback Jason Duong for a safety with just over five minutes remaining before halftime. The Panthers took a 2-0 lead.
“Honestly, we weren’t getting a fire lite,” said Courtney of the scoreless first quarter. “Someone had to set it off. I had to get us some points on the board. It was too long of a drought for us. We took it in our own hands on defense.”
Pomona senior Sanjay Strickland created more problems for the Tigers in the closing minutes of the second quarter. Strickland punched the ball out of Duong’s hands on a sack to force a fumble. Pomona junior linebacker AJ Zamora picked up the loose ball and ran it in from 10 yards out for a defensive score.
“That got us going,” Strickland said of the defensive touchdown. “The offense wasn’t clicking like they are supposed to, but defense was doing our thing.”
Pomona looked to have a third defensive score, but a pick-6 by sophomore Jerrick Jackson was called back because of a personal foul after the interception and the Panthers’ offense eventually turned the ball over to fail to score.
Pomona sophomore Jerrick Jackson, left, stands up Lakewood junior Jackson White (15) during the first quarter Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) The Panthers’ offensive took advantage of Pomona’s defense giving it a short field to open the third quarter. Pomona drove 30 yards for the first offensive score of the night. Sophomore Dominick Nichols capped off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to make the score 16-0 early in the third quarter.
Nichols, who was pressed into running back duties due to injury, capped off the scoring with a 69-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
“Dominick did a great job. He hasn’t practice at running back except for two days this whole year,” Pomona coach Jay Madden said. “Now we have a two-headed monster back there and we can put Jack (Pospisil) back at wide receiver.”
Madden said he hopes to have starting quarterback Brady Ritzmann back full-time next week, along with junior running back Ben Cruz to help out the offense.
“We are just waiting for the offense to get healthy,” Strickland said. “For right now, we’ll just do everything to help us win.”
In what will be one of the toughest conference that currently features three ranked teams in the CHSAANow.com 5A football poll — No. 1 Columbine, No. 5 Ralston Valley and No. 8 Pomona — the Panthers quickly ascended to the top of the league standings with the victory.
Pomona (3-3, 1-0 in league) has played its typical challenging non-league schedule. The Panthers losses have come against No. 2 Cherry Creek, No. 3 Valor Christian and No. 6 Regis Jesuit. The Bruins, Eagles and Raiders had a combined 14-1 recording heading into this week.
“We are tired of losing,” Strickland said. “We are going to keep winning.”
Madden’s squad has the luxury of finishing out the regular season with four straight games on the Panthers’ home turf — the North Area Athletic Complex — starting next week. Pomona faces rival Arvada West next Thursday night at the NAAC.
“It’s about time,” Madden said of playing at NAAC after four of Pomona’s first five games on the road. “We have all these new black uniforms and we don’t even know what they look like. We’ve only worn them for pictures. It will be fun to get back home and get our (students) back in the stands to get going.”
Lakewood is back at Jeffco Stadium for a Thursday’s night tilt against No. 1 Columbine. The Rebels open league play on the road against the only non-Jeffco team in the conference, Mullen, at 7 pm tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 4) at De La Salle Stadium.
Pomona senior Sanjay Strickland, middle, knocks the ball out of the hands of Lakewood quarterback Jason Duong in the second quarter. Pomona junior AJ Zamora picked up the fumble to score the lone touchdown of the first half Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
Burr attacks on the ground and in the air as No. 4 Grandview football tops No. 7 Eaglecrest
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) AURORA — If there is a way to beat someone, Jacob Burr is going to find it. The Grandview quarterback was elusive on the ground and opportunistic through the air to help Class 5A No. 4 Grandview football beat No. 7 Eaglecrest 14-11.
With each win, the Wolves are further staking their claim as a legitimate contender for the 5A championship.
Thursday night was the latest example. Against an undefeated cross-town rival, the Wolves (5-0 overall, 1-0 Metro East) had to battle a little tougher than they’ve been forced to all year. But it was a battle they were willing to take on.
“That’s a big game,” Burr said. “It’s our first league game, it’s a rivalry game and we got the victory.”
From the very start of the game, it looked like it was going to be Grandview’s night. The Raptors (5-1, 0-1) tried to knock Grandview off its feet with a deep pass on the first play of the game.
Max Marsh’s pass was intercepted by Kahden Rullo. But that’s not where Grandview started causing damage. The first quarter ended with neither team finding points and it looked for a while as though scoring overall was going to be difficult.
Two red zone trips for the Wolves resulted in zero points as a field goal was missed wide left, then another sailed wide right.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) That’s when Burr decided enough was enough. He started utilizing his feet, gaining 101 yards on the ground in the first half. That single yard over the century mark came on a one-yard touchdown run to put the Wolves up 7-0 heading into halftime.
“That was big for momentum going into the locker room,” Burr said. “We didn’t want to in there at 0-0. We wanted to go in on top and that’s what we did.”
To start the second half, it was Eaglecrest forcing the early turnover as the Wolves fumbled on the second play of their drive putting the Raptors on offense. But without wide receiver Ty Robinson, who left the game in the first half with an apparent leg injury, Eaglecrest had problems moving down the field. Their first points of the game came on a 39-yard field goal from AJ Heber.
Burr responded with just two passing plays, a 41-yard strike to Evan Johnson followed by a 33-yard touchdown pass to Noah Salazar.
“We had that one drive in the second half where we threw a little bit,” coach John Schultz said. “We just weren’t accurate enough to keep doing it.”
Staying committed to the run was the plan, but Eaglecrest was up to the task. Aside from Burr’s performance in the first half there was little give on the ground for the Raptors and it’s something that coach Shawn Marsh was happy to see.
“I was very happy from a defensive standpoint,” he said. “We’ve struggled a bit and we’ve battled through so many injuries and those kids tonight went out and battled.
The Raptors finally found the end zone on a six-yard pass from Marsh to David Creal. The two-point conversion was good, but the Raptors couldn’t recover the onside kick and with no timeouts could no longer stop the clock.
The way the game played out will leave each team chomping at the bit to see each other again, much like they did a year ago. But for now, the Wolves will happily the win with them as they prepare to hang with the top teams in the state for the remainder of the year.
With just three points deciding this one, it turned out to be the game the two rivals thought they would have all along.
“Just another Grandview/Eaglecrest football game,” Schultz said. “Down to the last second.”
-
Photos: No. 4 Grandview football fends off rival No. 7 Eaglecrest
In a classic showdown between the two Aurora rivals, No. 4 Grandview football beat No. 7 Eaglecrest 14-11 on Thursday.