Two boys tennis teams looking to make a splash at state this fall took the court as D’Evelyn and Colorado Academy met in a dual on Friday.
Month: August 2020
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Pomona softball impressive in opener against Northglenn
Pomona junior Maggie Geise tossed a no-hitter with nine strikeout in three innings Friday against Northglenn. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) ARVADA — Pomona softball couldn’t have asked for a better start to its 2020 season.
The Panthers opened with a complete-game 15-0 victory with the offensive and defensive both doing its share against Northglenn.
Pomona junior pitcher Maggie Geise was nearly perfect. Geise struck out nine batters in three innings pitched. The only baserunner that reached for the Norse was sophomore Nayelli Mora on a throwing error in the second inning.
“I just like to stay in my zone, throw and play my game,” said Geise after striking out the side in all three innings.
Pomona senior J’Lysaa Martinez, left, successfully steals third base before Northglenn junior Anissa Galarza can put down the tag. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) Pomona’s bats did their part cranking out 16 hits in three innings. Senior Kendall Hufford did her fair share of damage. Hufford had a single and double, driving in four runs during the Panthers’ 10-run first inning.
“I thought it was really fun,” Hufford said of the Panthers’ first inning where they sent 14 batters to the plate. “I’m excited because I didn’t think we would play this well. I’m super excited about how the season is going to go.”
Hufford singled in the second inning and the Panthers plated a pair of runs on the hit after an error by Northglenn. Pomona senior J’Lyssa Martinez ended the game in the bottom of the third inning with her third hit of the game with an RBI single that induced the 15-run rule after three innings.
“You’ve got to put the ball in play and run hard,” Pomona coach Jim Biddle said of Pomona’s offense. “You have to put pressure on the opposing team. If we can continue to do that then we should be OK.”
Biddle is also confident in Geise. She had a 7-4 record with a 3.44 ERA last season.
“Good experience and a good solid mental focus. Nothing rattles her,” Biddle said of Geise. “She moves the ball around, changes speeds and keeps batters off-balanced. We are expecting a lot out of her this year.”
Pomona plays five non-league games in the span of nine days to start preparing for the always tough Class 5A Jeffco League. Columbine is the defending 5A Jeffco League and 5A state champion, but without ace pitcher Korbe Otis this season the door is open a little bit more for someone to step up to win the conference.
“It’s a tough league. One of the toughest in 5A,” Hufford said of 5A Jeffco. “We have a pretty good shot from what I saw today, but it will be tough. We will work hard toward it. There are big opportunities for us.”
5A Jeffco teams Columbine, Chatfield and Ralston Valley all made the CHSAANow.com preseason Top-10. Lakewood, Arvada West, Valor Christian and Pomona also received votes.
“There are no easy games in our league,” Biddle said. “Any team can win this league. That is how it’s always been and this year is no exception.”
Pomona junior Ashlynn Hendrix prepares to take off from second base during the Panthers’ 15-0 victory over Northglenn on Friday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
Baysinger and Litchfield help Air Academy softball upset No. 4 Pueblo South
(Courtesy of Frankie Gales) Air Academy softball got its season started off on a high note.
The Kadets, led by a pair of juniors, picked up a big 2-0 upset win over No. 4 Pueblo South on Thursday.
Brina Baysinger was dominant in the circle, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out 15 over seven innings. It was her third career shutout, and the 15 strikeouts were a career high.
With the game scoreless in the top of the sixth inning, Air Academy’s Abby Litchfield hit a two-run home run. She was 2-for-3, accounting for two of the Kadets’ three hits in the game. It was Litchfield’s second career home run.
Pueblo South pitcher Emily Abraham also had an excellent game, matching Baysinger with 15 strikeouts over seven innings.
Air Academy reached the 4A regionals last season, while Pueblo South advanced to the state tournament.
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Photos: Bear Creek boys tennis tops Standley Lake
Bear Creek boys tennis grabbed its second dual win of the season after beating Standley Lake 6-1 on Thursday.
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Lakewood softball’s Destiny Martinez fans 18 of 21 hitters
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) If a softball team’s fielders are bored, that can only mean good things are happening in the pitcher’s circle.
That was the case this week for Lakewood. Destiny Martinez had herself a performance that should stand out among all sports for the entire year.
At the plate, she was fine. She went 1-for-3 and scored the only run for the Tigers as they beat Conifer 1-0.
From the rubber, it would’ve been hard to be better than what she was. She faced 21 batters through the course of the game. She stuck out 18 of them. The one batter that didn’t strike out managed to draw a walk ending Martinez’s perfect game chances, but she ended the day with one of the greatest no-hitters in all of Colorado softball history.
“We were definitely expecting a tight defensive performance from our defense as a whole,” coach Danielle Gunn said. “We know her talent, but my goodness striking out 18 of the 21 outs. She even had one of the (assists) so she was responsible for 19 of the 21 outs.”
Striking out hitters is not an uncommon accomplishment for Martinez. As a sophomore in 2019, she totaled 226 strikeouts. Her 18 strikeouts against Conifer this week matched her total from a 5-3 win over Conifer on Aug. 24 last year.
Her season-high as a sophomore was 20 strikeouts in a win over Standley Lake. In 134.2 innings pitched she maintained a 2.03 ERA and opposing hitters batted just .174 off her all of last season.
“We’re looking for improvement every single year,” Gunn said. “We don’t expect this many strikeouts from her each game, but we’re a strong defensive team and we want her to use her defense and know that she has great defense behind her.”
The Tigers advanced to the Class 5A state softball tournament a year ago but lost to Fossil Ridge in the first round.
The Tigers are hopeful in returning to the state tournament, but for now are just thrilled to be on the field.
“We’re just excited to be out there,” Gunn said. “Even with the adjustments that we – and everyone – have to make, it’s just great to be able to get out on the field and to be playing softball right now.”
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Football players across the state are turning to boys tennis as an alternative
(Photo courtesy of University athletic director Ryan Wehrman) Gunnar Ponzer always wanted to give tennis a shot. He and his friends would sometimes go to a court and hit some balls around just for fun, but rarely was there ever a chance to do it competitively.
At least until COVID-19 turned high school sports on their head. Boys tennis was one of four XDC V sports given the green light to compete in the fall. Ponzer had spent his previous falls making a name for himself on the University football team.
“A linebacker and a running back,” he boasted proudly.
In 2020 his shoulder pads and helmet have to wait. Instead, he’s lacing a pair of sneakers and grabbing a racket to play tennis at a competitive level.
“This was my best opportunity because nothing’s going on right now,” Ponzer said. “I might as well just play tennis because I’ve always wanted to.”
His football coaches offered encouragement that he find an activity for the fall, much like the Limon coaches toward their boys golf team.
For Ponzer it was a no-brainer but he had no desire to do it alone. He pushed fellow junior Jack Virgil to join the team, too.
“There was a little back and forth on if I’d do it but there are still fall and winter workouts,” Virgil said. “That was something I took into consideration but overall I just wanted to stay active.”
(Photo courtesy of University athletic director Ryan Wehrman) Athletically, this is one of the biggest ways for a high school kid to go out on a limb. As a couple of kids who have played football their entire lives, taking on a new challenge with no previous experience can be a risky decision.
“I’ve had people just ask me how it’s going and things like that,” Virgil said. “There were a few friends that asked why I was doing it and I should just be working out. But for the most part friends and coaches just ask how it’s going. There’s no real negative or positive reaction, it’s very neutral.”
If he needs reassurances, he doesn’t need to look far. University athletic director Ryan Wehrman pointed out that during a match against Riverdale Ridge there was an opposing player who also jumped at the chance to play tennis with football getting pushed back. Before long the players’ parents were talking about the shared experience.
About 30 miles away, Mead added an entire tennis program. It also got a boost in numbers when Brayden Keys, Nathan Bailey and Porter Eastin all grabbed a racket and jumped at the chance to compete in something different this fall.
Kids want to continue to be kids. And as the world and the Colorado high school sports world tries to claw its way back to normal, nothing is going to stop a group of competitive-minded athletes from finding different ways to battle.
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No. 1 Columbine softball begins 5A state title defense
LITTLETON — The last time Columbine’s softball team was on the diamond the Rebels were celebrating the program’s first state championship.
A 7-1 victory over Fossil Ridge on Oct. 26 at Aurora Sports Park ended a historic season for Columbine’s softball team that concluded with the Rebels hoisting the Class 5A state trophy.
Columbine junior Emma Todd lays off of a pitch during the Rebels’ home opener Wednesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) Columbine, No. 1 in the CHSAANow.com Class 5A preseason rankings, returned to the field to kickoff its 2020 campaign Wednesday afternoon at Dave Sanders Memorial Field.
“That’s the best part of it,” Columbine coach Jim Santaniello said about being back on the field. “These girls and coaches have the opportunity to be out here. It’s so refreshing and awesome to be out here.”
The Rebels made the return to the field even sweeter with a come-from-behind 8-6 victory against Douglas County. The Huskies led 3-0 after a solo home run by Emerson Williams in the second inning and a two-run shot by Genevieve Bower in the third inning.
However, a three-run home run by Columbine junior Emma Todd in the bottom of the third inning tied things up a 3-3. A three-run fifth inning by the Rebels gave Columbine it’s first lead of the game. Junior Izzy Rodriguez started a two-out rally with a solo home run to put the Rebels up 6-5.
“I just wanted to keep my head as clear as possible,” Rodriguez said of her at-bat in the fifth inning that eventually flew over the wall in left field. “Just try to help out the team and do the best I can.”
Senior Nevaeh Ogden and junior Shay Cummings scored later in the inning thanks to a pair of errors and four walks issued by Douglas County to extend the lead to 8-5.
Douglas County junior Karlie Walters throws to first base during the season opener against Columbine on Wednesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “Izzy’s home run really gave us the momentum,” Santaniello said. “Our girls really got a lot of energy from that home run. I think that put a little pressure on Douglas County. That was a clutch hit.”
Douglas County freshman Jenna Madison would belt a solo home run in the sixth inning, but that was as close as the Huskies would get. Columbine sophomore pitcher Araya Ogden was able to work out of a jam in the seventh inning and strike out Alyssa Gutierrez to end the game.
“It’s amazing,” Rodriguez said after the win to start the season that will be shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s something that bring us back to reality and something that is normal for us.”
The Rebels will look different this season.
The graduation of starting catcher Ally Distler — led the team with a dozen home runs and 40 RBIs in 2019 — leaves a big hole. Also, the plan was to have three-year starting pitcher and leadoff batter Korbe Otis back for her senior year before she heads to play at the University of Louisville. However, a hand injury will prevent last year’s 5A Jeffco MVP and 5A Player of the Year from playing this season for the Rebels.
Columbine sophomore Araya Ogden takes over the pitching duties with Class 5A Player of the Year Korbe Otis out this season with a hand injury. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “This team is going to have to be a lot more active. They are going to have to be much more resilient,” Santaniello said. “It’s really unfortunate that Korbe suffered that hand injury, but we just have to keep moving forward.”
Otis had a 24-2 record with a 0.91 ERA and 315 strikeouts last season.
“I thought Korbe would be back, but she had that finger injury,” said Ogden, who did get a few appearances in the circle for the Rebels last year as a freshman. “It was my time to step up, be a good pitcher and help my team out.”
The sophomore gave up a dozen hits against the Huskies, but was able to work out of a bases-loaded situation in the sixth inning and a dicey seventh inning where she hit a pair of batters and gave up a walk.
“The game plan was to have her (Araya Ogden) take over this program when she was a junior. We had to fast-forward that,” Santaniello said. “The great thing with her is when she as adversity she has even keeled. She just keeps plugging away. She is extremely tough mentally.”
Columbine gets a big test against No. 2 Rock Canyon at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, back to Dave Sanders Memorial Field. The Jaguars handed one of the Rebels’ two losses last season.
Columbine junior Izzy Rodriguez (23) had a key solo home run in the fifth inning to help lead the way to the Rebels’ 8-6 victory over Douglas County on Wednesday at Dave Sanders Memorial Field. -
Without football in the fall, Limon football players band together to resurrect the school’s boys golf program
(Photo courtesy of Sherri Smithburg) Two weeks ago, Kory Tacha received the news that he and his Limon teammates had been fearing. High school football was getting moved to the spring to increase the chances of getting a complete season in the books.
The reigning Class 1A football player of the year had a normal reaction to the news. He was heartbroken. But he quickly decided that he wasn’t one to just sit around and wallow. He and his teammates, who have won the past two 1A championships, knew they needed something to do this fall. They had to compete. So they went to the school and asked if they could restart the Limon golf program.
“I cannot feel sorry for myself,” Tacha said. “I had to do something about it and we talked to a couple of coaches and asked if we could start a golf team. It got passed by the board and we all decided to go out for golf.”
(Photo courtesy of Sherri Smithburg) Assistant football and baseball coach Andy Love, a Limon alum, asked the administration if it was possible to get a team together and he even offered to coach. They got approval and with just a few practices under their belt, the Badgers hit the links.
Unlike what the boys were used to on the football field or even the basketball court, golf isn’t coming easy to them. But at their core, the kids are competitors and if someone like Tacha can break tackles and drag someone into the endzone, he isn’t going to let a small, dimpled ball get the better of him.
At the team’s first tournament, the Yuma Invitational, Camden Smithburg led the team with a 23-over-par 95 to finish in 16th place. Tacha shot 104 and realized right away that football might demanding physically, but golf presents every bit the challenge from an emotional standpoint.
“I have a lot more respect for golfers now than I did before,” Tacha said. “It’s a very different game and it’s very taxing mentally.”
For Love, he loves seeing a group of kids willing to go out and battle in a venue that’s unfamiliar to them. The importance to him as a coach of multiple sports is making sure that the kids are doing something as the state awaits the return of the majority of sports in January.
“Sports are our lifeline,” Love said. “That’s what people do on Friday and Saturday nights. Our community follows our sports so strongly. It gives our kids this great atmosphere and environment whether it’s the football field, the basketball court or whatever. Our community rallies around our kids.”
And they rally around the ability to compete together. There is talk about trying to improve enough to reach the state tournament. Love’s attitude with the team is that it should enter every season with the intention of winning a state title. For the first year of the relaunched golf program, he’d be thrilled to a see couple kids find their way to Dos Rios Country Club in Gunnison.
For the kids, they’re just happy that they’re getting back to competition and finding a way to battle together as they wait for football to return.
“I enjoy where I am,” Tacha said. “I’ve been going to school with the same buddies since we were four years old. One last season would mean the world to me.”
(Photo courtesy of Sherri Smithburg) -
Photos: Lakewood boys tennis tops Cherry Creek V2
Lakewood boys tennis gained valuable experience in getting a 6-1 win over Cherry Creek’s second varsity unit on Tuesday.
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Photos: Pine Creek softball opens season with win over Sand Creek
Pine Creek softball opened its 2020 season with a 19-0 win over Sand Creek on Tuesday.