CHSAANow

Month: September 2020

  • Photos: 5A Region 2 boys tennis matches begin at Cherry Creek

    Regional boys tennis began Wednesday and several teams began their journey at Cherry Creek for the Class 5A Region 2 matches.

  • Photos: Elizabeth softball scores fast in win over Falcon

    Elizabeth softball scored six runs in the first two inning to get an 11-1 win over Falcon on Wednesday.

  • Details on football’s plan for Season A and Season C

    Strasburg Burlington football
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Following the vote on Wednesday night to allow schools to play football in the fall, if they choose to, here are further details about the season.

    • Schools can choose to play in either Season A (fall) or Season C (spring). Those selections are happening now, and schools must declare which season they will play in by Monday at 8 a.m. Declarations are for the entire program, including sub-varsity teams.
    • Schools can only play in one season.
    • The season structure will be identical in each season.
    • There will be a champion named in each season.
    • Teams will play a 6+1 season, meaning all teams will play a six-game regular season. Teams that miss the playoffs can schedule a seventh game against another non-qualifier in Week 1 or Week 2 of the postseason. Teams that make the playoffs will play at least seven games.
    • Teams must play four of the six regular-season games in order to be eligible for the postseason.
    • Playoffs will be an eight-team bracket, which is set and seeded by the CHSAA Seeding Index (RPI, MaxPreps, CHSAANow coaches poll, and Packard Rankings).
    • If possible, leagues will be kept intact if 50% of a league remains playing in a given season. However, leagues may need to be redrawn as needed to allow for six games.
    • All schools, in Season A or Season C, will have a schedule built by the CHSAA office due to the short amount of time prior to the start of the season.
    • Schools have been sent COVID-specific guidelines, and will continue to receive further information about these restrictions.

    Season A dates:

    • Start of practice: 9/24
    • First game: 10/8
    • Round 1 of playoffs: 11/21
    • Semifinals: 11/28
    • Championships: 12/5

    Season C dates:

    • Start of practice: 2/25
    • First game: 3/11
    • Round 1 of playoffs: 4/24
    • Semifinals: 5/1
    • Championships: 5/8

  • No. 2 Wheat Ridge softball gets back on track in 4A Jeffco

    WHEAT RIDGE — Wheat Ridge’s softball team didn’t have any time to dwell over its first loss of the season.

    Less than 24 hours after the Farmers — No. 2 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A rankings — suffered a 7-6 loss to Bear Creek, Wheat Ridge was back on the field to face rival Golden in another 4A Jeffco League game.

    Wheat Ridge senior Cassie Uhl rounds the bases after a 2-run home run during the Farmers’ 11-run 2nd inning Tuesday against rival Golden. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “It was drilled into us right at the end of the (Bear Creek) game,” Wheat Ridge senior Amaya Ruiz said of how important it was for the Farmers to bounce back. “We have to stay humble. We can’t be perfect every single game. We came out today and did our best.”

    Golden (4-6, 1-1 in league) came in to the Farmers’ home field on a 4-game winning streak and grabbed an early 1-0 lead with an RBI single by senior Caitlyn Stevens. However, it was all Farmers from there on out.

    Wheat Ridge (8-1, 2-1) had an 11-run bottom of the 2nd inning sending 14 batters to the plate. Ruiz had a 2-run double and senior Cassie Uhl highlighted the inning with a 2-run home run to finish off the 11-run inning.

    “We had to respond after Golden’s run,” Ruiz said after Wheat Ridge’s 13-1 victory.

    Juniors Bella Martinez and Aaliyah Arellano each had RBIs in the third inning to push the Farmers’ lead to 13-1 through three innings. Senior Jalesa Lujan got the win on the mound for the Farmers. She was able to scatter four Demon hits.

    “We still have a lot of things to address,” Wheat Ridge coach Marty Stricklett said. “I would have honestly liked to practice today, but for team morale it was probably good that we had a game today.”

    Golden sophomore Mia Rauzi (2) slides in to home during the first inning Tuesday at Pennington Field in Wheat Ridge. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Stricklett coached the Farmers to four 4A state titles — 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013 — is back at Wheat Ridge on a one year before assistant coach Dave Theis takes over the program. Stricklett most recently coached at Brighton, while Theis was at Grandview before both returned to Wheat Ridge this season. Theis coached the Wolves to a 5A state title in 2014.

    The Farmers will have to make up some ground and likely win their remaining five conference games to win the league title and clinch the automatic 4A state tournament bid.

    “We were just flat,” Stricklett said of the loss against Bear Creek which was just Stricklett’s second league loss in 13 years coaching high school softball at Wheat Ridge and Brighton. “We hit one ball hard yesterday. At lot of that had to do with Bear Creek’s pitcher (Jordyn Johnson). We gave up six runs early and that buried us.”

    The last conference loss for Stricklett was in 2014 in a no-hit loss against Valor Christian.

    “If you don’t give 100 percent you are going to lose ball games. We learned that yesterday,” Stricklett said. “We learned what our true 100 percent has to be.”

    Wheat Ridge has a tough non-league test at home Friday. The Farmers face Chatfield — No. 6 in the 5A rankings.

    “We are hungry for every single game,” Ruiz said. “Every single game is important. We can’t underestimate anybody.”

    The Farmers have back-to-back road games against Evergreen (Saturday) and Conifer (Monday) to get back into conference play after facing Chatfield.

    “Pressure helps us,” Ruiz said. “If we make it to state the pressure is going to be on. We are high up in the rankings so there is already pressure on us because every team we play wants us. We just have to play our own game.”

    Wheat Ridge senior Amaya Ruiz, left, slides back into second base ahead of a tag by Golden junior Jailee Kennedy. Ruiz went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs in the Farmers’ 13-1 victory Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Big third inning powers No. 7 Riverdale Ridge softball over Northridge

    Down 4-2 heading into the bottom of the third, Class 4A No. 7 Riverdale Ridge softball scored six runs and held on to beat Northridge 9-5.

  • Photos: Elizabeth softball jumps out early in win over Mitchell

    Elizabeth softball wasted no time getting on the scoreboard and coasted to a 23-0 win over Mitchell on Tuesday.

  • Softball: Garner leads No. 4 Broomfield in upset win over No. 2 Fossil Ridge

    Broomfield Chatfield softball
    (Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)

    Kenzi Garner had herself an afternoon. While a lot of the lineup struggled to figure out Fossil Ridge pitching, the Broomfield senior put together an overall solid performance and helped the Class 5A No. 4 Eagles get a 2-1 8-inning win over the No. 2 Sabercats on Tuesday.

    Garner went 3-for-4 with a solo home run. Bryna Kapelke also hit one out for Broomfield but two solo shots were all that was needed against one of the top teams in the state.

    Broomfield (12-0 overall, 6-0 Front Range League) scored the first run of the game from one of those home runs in the first inning. Then it turned into a classic pitcher’s duel with neither team relenting a run until the bottom of the sixth when Fossil Ridge got the tying run across the plate.

    In perhaps her most important start of the season, Broomfield sophomore Breanna Fiala was everything the Eagles needed her to be in the circle. She surrendered just five hits and struck out eight batters.

    The lone Fossil Ridge run that crossed the plate was unearned but it didn’t phase her and she remained steady for the next two innings. The Eagles hit their second home run of the game in the top of the eighth inning and Fiala shut the door on the Sabercats in the bottom of the inning to help the Eagles remain undefeated.

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    (4) Lyons 6, (5) Strasburg 3

    Brooklyn Enny went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI’s to help Np. 4 Lyons top No. 5 Strasburg. The Lions held a 6-0 lead through four innings but Strasburg cut the lead in half in the top of the sixth.

    But that’d be as close as it would get as Lyons got through the seventh unscathed to improve to 6-2 on the year.

    (1) Eaton 7, (9) Brush 1

    Yaritza Puente went 2-for-3 with a home run as top-ranked Eaton continued its impressive 2020 season with a big win over Brush.

    Eaton has now won five straight games, including a 11-5 tilt against No. 2 University.

  • Jeffco golfers wrap up league play at West Woods Golf Club

    Ralston Valley’s boys golf team captured the Class 5A Jeffco League title Monday at West Woods Golf Club in Arvada. The Mustangs will host the Western Regional on Monday, Sept. 21, at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    ARVADA — The final Jeffco League boys golf tournament of the season had a very different feel than normal Monday afternoon at West Woods Golf Club in Arvada.

    There was no final gathering of Class 5A and 4A Jeffco teams to hand out individual all-conference awards and league team titles due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, golfers were able to successfully finish off the final Jeffco League tournament of the season.

    “I’m very pleased with how it turned out,” Ralston Valley boys golf coach Jeff Wasinger said. “There is a little letdown at the end of the tournament, even today. You finish your round, turn in your scorecard electrically and then go home. But we were allowed to play and actually had a season.”

    Ralston Valley junior Gage Messingham hits his approach shot on No. 1 Monday morning at West Woods GC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Ralston Valley wrapped up the 5A Jeffco League team title with the strong team of seniors Jack Larson, Trey Kirschner, junior Gage Messingham, along with sophomores Jordan McCaslin and Logan Forister. Messingham clinched the overall individual medalist title with a 4-under-par, 68.

    Messingham edged Lakewood senior Ryan Liao by two strokes over the five league tournaments.

    “It means a lot,” Messingham said of the Mustangs winning the league title. “Last year we couldn’t do it, but this year our team played really well throughout the season and pulled it off.”

    The Mustangs were able to hold off Lakewood thanks to Messingham and Kirschner both finishing in a three-way tie for second with round of 68. Liao also shot a 68. Larson fired an even-par, 72 to finished tied for sixth.

    “It’s a feel good thing. We set that out as a goal,” Wasinger said of Ralston Valley winning the league team title. “We knew we had a good team and it was kind of building over the years.”

    The 5A Jeffco League proved to be one of the strongest conferences in the state. In fact, a round in the 60s was shot during each of the five league tournaments. Arvada West senior Tyler Tyson, Columbine senior Drex Duffy, Lakewood junior Max Lange, Liao Messingham, Larson and Kirschner were the seven individuals who all had at least one round in the 60s this season during league play.

    “They are opening peoples’ eyes,” Wasinger said of the play of the top 5A Jeffco players this Fall. “Jeffco golf really has some powerful teams and impressive players. Going into regionals there is no reason to fear anybody.”

    Ralston Valley will host the 5A Western Regional on Monday, Sept. 21, at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton.

    “Of course we have to focus on regionals and qualifying as a team,” Messingham said. “Hopefully we win state. It is at a course we all know. Hopefully we can pull it off.”

    The 5A state tournament will be Oct. 5 and 6 at The Club in Rolling Hills in Golden.

    Lange — last year’s 5A Jeffco individual medalist — won the final league tournament with a 5-under-par, 67 at West Woods. The Lakewood junior will enter the 5A Central Regionals at Overland Golf Course on Wednesday, Sept. 23, coming off back-to-back tournament wins with rounds of 68 and 67 to close out league play.

    “I didn’t have the greatest league season,” admitted Lange, who shot a 75 and 77 in his first two league tournaments. “I wish I would have shot 10-under today, but I’m not too disappointed with 5-under.”

    Lange is excited about the location of the 5A state tournament in three weeks.

    Lakewood junior Max Lange head to regionals next week after back-to-back rounds in the 60s to close out conference play. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “I’m going to try to finish (regionals and state) how I finished my league season,” Lange said. “State will be at my home course at Rolling Hills. I play there every day.”

    Liao — 5A Jeffco individual medalist as a freshman and sophomore — finished just behind Messingham for the title this season. The Lakewood senior has had back-to-back Top-4 finishes at the state tournament that past two years.

    With Liao’s history, he is very capable of contending with a number of other strong Jeffco players at state coming up the first week of October.

    “I was actually honestly expecting this low of golf scores last year,” Liao said of Jeffco. “Everyone had the talent last year. No one was really playing that well. Now this year everyone is playing to what they are supposed to and it’s looking good.”

    Liao is one of the longest hitting players in the state and he has some wishes for the setup at Rolling Hills in a few weeks.

    “I hope they play it longer to make it a little tougher,” Liao said. “I know the greens will be tough. Overall it’s a great course.”

    On the 4A Jeffco side, Evergreen captured the team title. Senior Jack Mitchell led the Cougars winning the final 4A Jeffco League tournament with a 2-over-par, 74.

    Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons is this year’s 4A Jeffco League individual champion. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons just edged Conifer senior Dakota Dolph for the overall individual medalist title by a single stroke over the five tournaments. Gibbons shot a 76 and Dolph had a 77 on Monday at West Woods. Gibbons and Dolph entered the final conference tournament with identical 9-hole averages of 37.83 strokes.

    No matter what happens at regionals and state. Jeffco can say it completed a success conference season that might have looked a bit different.

    “We’ve got to be grateful that CHSAA gave this opportunity to us and we’ve had to adhere to the safety protocols that have been set. We didn’t want to mess it up,” Wasinger said. “CHSAA gave us a gift and we took it as a privilege.”

  • Photos: Cherry Creek boys tennis sweeps Kent Denver

    Cherry Creek boy tennis is heading into regionals with a lot of momentum after sweeping Kent Denver on Monday.

  • Photos: Lakewood and Evergreen boys golf claim Jeffco tournament wins

    Lakewood and Evergreen navigated West Woods and claimed wins at Monday’s Jeffco League boys golf tournament at West Woods.