Doherty girls basketball jumped out to a strong start to the 2021 season by getting a 67-24 win over Bear Creek.
Month: January 2021
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No. 5 Golden boys hoops grinds out win over Arvada West
Golden junior Richie Pruett (1) battles with Arvada West sophomore Jasper Padia, left, and senior Cooper Prada (25) during the season opener for both teams Monday night at Arvada West High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) ARVADA — Richie Pruett played in a handful of varsity games as a sophomore last season for Golden’s boys basketball team.
Pruett scored 20 total points last season. He topped that Monday night in the Demons’ season opener pouring in a game-high 23 points as Golden took a 72-63 road victory against Arvada West.
“He (Pruett) has grown and matured. He has gotten a lot better,” Golden coach Lou Vullo said. “He is totally committed and bought in. He is much improved. There are a lot of guys here that are the exact same way.”
Golden sophomore Alan Acevedo (right) drives toward the basket during the first half Monday against Arvada West. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) While the Demons graduated eight seniors from last year’s Class 4A Jeffco League championship team, Golden still is held in high regard. Golden was ranked No. 5 in the CHSAANow.com 4A boys basketball preseason poll.
“We knew going in that we have talent,” Pruett said.
Some returning talent is sophomore Alan Acevedo, who was an impact player as a freshman last year. Acevedo had a solid game against the Wildcats scoring 19 points despite struggling at the free-throw line going 4-for-10.
Golden made sure Acevedo had the ball in his hands down the stretch run after A-West cut the Demons’ nearly 20-point lead to single digits in the fourth quarter.
He (Acevedo) is super crafty and what I’m really proud of him is he worked on his body,” Vullo said. “He has gotten a lot stronger. That is going to help us down the stretch.”
Sophomore Aliou Diallo also had a nice game with 10 points and junior James Lacey pitched in eight points for the Demons who don’t have a single senior on the squad this year.
“It was what I expected. A little bit sloppy,” Vullo said. “We are young and inexperienced, but coming out and beating a 5A team that is pretty scrappy is good.”
Arvada West senior Eli Ross (10) tries to avoid Golden sophomore Alan Acevedo (30) during the first half Monday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) A-West was led by the trio of Eli Ross, Zion Thomas and Carson Nichols. The three all reached double-figures, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Golden. The Demons were able to keep the Wildcats at arm’s length to close out the victory.
With the Jeffco Public Heath Department allowing just 50 people in gym due to the COVID pandemic to start the prep basketball season, it was a bit of a surreal atmosphere.
“With all the summer and fall stuff we did with no fans really prepared us for this,” Pruett said of playing in nearly an empty gym. “At the end it comes down to how we play. Not how the fans would influence how we play.”
With just 14 regular-season games, Vullo has stressed to his squad that they need to start fast and almost be in mid-season form right now.
“We want to make sure we stay together, get our practices in and stay healthy,” Pruett said. “We want to finish these six weeks out on top and get ready for playoffs. Get ready for a state run.”
Golden has its home opener against Thornton on Wednesday night. A-West attempts to get its first victory under its belt when the Wildcats host Boulder on Friday, Jan. 29.
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Arvada West girls hoops defeats Golden in season opener
ARVADA — Arvada West junior Amanda Neff started right where she left off last season.
Neff buried a 3-pointer from the corner on the opening offensive possession for the Wildcats on Monday night to start the 2021 girls basketball season for A-West. Neff did a little bit of everything during the 55-21 home victory over Golden, including dishing out some handful of nice assists after she went cold from the floor.
“I realized I was struggling with shooting,” said Neff, who finished with 11 points. “Instead of forcing it and trying to take it myself I should see the open players and get some easy baskets.”
Arvada West junior Sydney Trinder (11) goes up strong against Golden senior Maree Lenz (24) during the season opener Monday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) It looked easy for the Wildcats at times getting out to a 15-0 lead on the Demons through the first quarter. However, Golden senior Maree Lenz poured in 10 points in the second quarter to trim the Wildcats’ lead to 26-11 at halftime.
“It wasn’t pretty. Maybe I was expecting too much,” A-West coach Brady Meeks said. “The girls knew I wasn’t pleased with that first half. We have to be more consistent with the little things.”
A-West’s defense locked down Golden to a tune of just three points in the third quarter and sophomore Ellie Pugliese got rolling with five points in the quarter. In fact, six different A-West players scored in the third quarter to get the Wildcats back on track.
“There was a change in the energy,” Neff said after halftime when the Wildcats outscored the Demons 17-3 to grab a 43-14 lead going into the final quarter.
Arvada West had a strong defensive effort against Golden on Monday night. The Wildcats held the Demons to single-digit points in three of four quarters. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) The Wildcats had eight different scorers as A-West continued its trend set last year of having a good balanced scoring attack.
“What I love about this group is it’s all nine,” Meeks said. “Every single one of these girls have the ability to do things and create things for this team. It’s a very unselfish group.”
A-West will look to improve on those mistakes made in the opener when the Wildcats host Boulder on Friday, Jan. 29. While Valor Christian and Ralston Valley appear to be the frontrunners in the Class 5A Jeffco League, A-West could be a darkhorse to get into the race for the conference title.
“We gave a lot of effort and were passionate,” Neff said. “We struggled with some of the easy things like finishing (shots) and rebounding. I think we’ll be looking good this season if we just settle in.”
Golden has a lot of new facing including first-year coach Jonathon Sena. The Demons have another tough road test against Chatfield coming up on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
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Preseason boys wrestling team rankings are out
The preseason team boys wrestling rankings from On The Mat.
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On The Mat Wrestling Rankings
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
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Class 2A Rank Team 1 Wray 2 Centauri 3 Buena Vista 4 Cedaredge 5 Lyons 6 Rocky Ford 7 Meeker 8 Crowley County 9 John Mall 10 Highland Class 3A Rank Team 1 Pagosa Springs 2 Eaton 3 Weld Central 4 Bennett 5 Valley 6 Platte Valley 7 Alamosa 8 Jefferson 9 Moffat County 10 Woodland Park Class 4A Rank Team 1 Pueblo County 2 Pueblo East 3 Cheyenne Mountain 4 Windsor 5 Loveland 6 Thompson Valley 7 Mesa Ridge 8 Pueblo West 9 Erie 10 Falcon and Discovery Canyon Class 5A Rank Team 1 Pomona 2 Ponderosa 3 Brighton 4 Monarch 5 Douglas County 6 Rocky Mountain 7 Pine Creek 8 Columbine 9 Prairie View 10 Denver East -
Mental Health Monday – January
Call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to everyone. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY by dialing 711 then 1-800-273-8255. All calls are confidential. Dial 911 in an emergency.
Learn more on the NSPL’s website.
SYMPTOMS
All individuals may not exhibit every symptom
These symptoms may indicate depression, particularly when lasting for more than two weeks:• Poor performance in school
• Withdrawal from friends and activities
• Sadness and hopelessness
• Lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation
• Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy
• Anger and rage
• Overreaction to criticism
• Feelings of being unable to satisfy ideals
• Poor self-esteem or guilt
• Indecision, lack of concentration or forgetfulness
• Restlessness or agitation
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Substance abuse
• Sexual promiscuity
• Risk-taking behaviors
• Problems with authority
• Suicidal thoughts or actionsTEEN SUICIDE WARNING SIGNS
• Suicide threats (direct and indirect)
• Obsession with death
• Poems, essays or drawings that refer to death
• Giving away belongings
• A sense of “hopelessness” and/or no
future vision
• Dramatic change in personality or appearance
• Irrational, bizarre behavior
• Overwhelming sense of guilt, shame or rejection
• Significantly changed eating patterns (including drastic weight gains or losses)
• Significantly changed sleeping patterns (especially contributing to school truancy)
• Severe drop in school performance or social interestGOAL SETTING:
As our student athletes’ transition to a new year, this can be a natural time to think about setting goals, perhaps for their specific sport, academics or areas of interest. This may be especially true after a very challenging year like we’ve had. When psychologists work with athletes, they often use a variety of different methods to help athletes achieve their goals. One of the most commonly used strategies is setting SMART goals. SMART stands for:Specific: Write out clear, concise goals
Measurable: Make sure to track you progress…write it out!
Achievable: Set challenging yet achievable goals.
Relevant: Set goals that are relevant to your plan, be it sports, academics, etc.
Timely: Make sure your goal has a target finish time.Some common pitfalls that can happen in goal setting:
- Focusing only on the outcome of winning or losing. It is really important for individuals to set goals based on their own levels of performance. When you focus on the performance goal, you’re chances of winning increase.
- Don’t set too many goals at once. The more you set, the more difficult it can be to evaluate your goals or change them if an injury or other life situation happens.
- Setting unspecific or unmeasurable goals: the less specific, the harder it will be to measure. For example, “Improving my passing in soccer” is a difficult goal to measure. A baseball catcher wanting to improve his throws to 2nd base when a runner is stealing is much more specific and measurable.
As a reminder, if your child, teen or athlete appear to be struggling with symptoms of anger, stress, depression or anxiety, let them you know you are there to support them. Scheduling an appointment with their pediatrician or family doctor can be an important step to getting them the help they need. Students can also reach out to the Colorado Crisis Line and text or talk with a professional. Text “Talk” to 38255 or call 1-844-493-8255.
Information provided by:
Alex J. Reed, PsyD, MPH
Assistant Professor, University of Colorado School of MedicineRESOURCES
Suicide and Mental Health Resources in your area of the state
Principles of Effective Goal Setting
Strides (App)For more Mental Health Information, please click HERE.
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Chatfield leads the preseason girls wrestling rankings
Below are the preseason girls wrestling rankings from On The Mat.
[divider]
On The Mat Wrestling Rankings
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
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Rank Team 1 Chatfield 2 Doherty 3 Denver East 4 Loveland 5 Poudre 6 Legacy 7 Douglas County 8 Olathe 9 Mountain Vista 10 Riverdale Ridge -
State’s dial level determines all capacity limitations for local counties
The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) does not have the authority to interpret or change CDPHE, Local Health Departments or the Governor’s Executive Orders in regards to capacity limitations for sport arenas, gyms, pools, recreational facilities, ice rinks, classrooms, restaurants, theaters, and so on.
CHSAA is required to follow CDPHE’s dial level guidance which dictates the capacity restrictions followed by your school, districts and local county health departments unless CDPHE issues specific variances to the dial for certain activities.
In these unprecedented times, we understand the amount of miscommunication and misdirected angst that develops through our member school communities as the CHSAA resumes athletics and activities in 2021 for student-participants statewide. Setting public or private capacity limitations which may include players, officials, event workers, spectators are not made or interpreted at the Association level.
We celebrate the start of Season B programs today. Tireless work and hours happen behind the scenes, so I would like to personally thank the CHSAA administrators, directors and their executive assistants, member school administrators, coaches, officials, volunteers and state officials, that have worked through the many challenges to provide these opportunities, which are not taken for granted or owed on behalf of Colorado High School student-participants.
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Horizon football coach Frank Ybarra calls it a career
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) After 34 years of prowling a football sideline, Frank Ybarra is opting for a seat in the stands.
The Horizon football coach got his team through a tricky Season A schedule but has decided that the 2020 season has been his last. After coaching and educating for more than three decades, he’s heading into retirement.
He leaves behind a life dedicated to the service of young student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom.
“It was my life,” Ybarra said. “I’ll remember all the relationships built with my kids and fellow coaches. I’ve met some of my best friends of the world through coaching. Some of the kids I coached are now in their 40’s and we still keep in contact and they’re still a big part of my life.”
His coaching career featured an even split as an assistant and as a head coach. The first 17 years of his coaching career were spent at Northglenn as an assistant. He then took the job to be the head coach at Horizon, where he remained for the final 17 years of his career.
“I never thought I’d leave Northglenn,” Ybarra said. “I played there and that was my whole life growing up. I never thought I’d go anywhere else, but I’ve been here just as long.”
Although the Hawks had struggled recently, they had put together a solid year back in 2015. They claimed the Class 5A Front Range League title and beat Doherty in the first round of the state tournament before falling to Pomona.
But Ybarra never measured success by wins and losses. He measured it on whether or not his players lived up to and exceeded their potential and how they applied the lessons learned on the field to their lives.
Coaching is admirable profession to get into, yet has its challenges. He wants to encourage the growth of the coaching ranks, but knows that support is needed not just in his building but throughout the community overall.
“New coaches want everybody to love them,” Ybarra said. “It just doesn’t work that way. You have to earn that trust and earn that love. You’re going to take some bumps along the way, you just have to fight through it.”
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Dates and sites set for the skiing state championships
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) Dates and details have been finalized for the 2021 state skiing championships.
The state event will be held on separate dates due to facility availability.
The nordic races will be March 6, held at Gold Run Nordic Center in Breckenridge. This means both the nordic classic and nordic skate will be held the same day.
The alpine events will be March 11 and 12 at Loveland Ski Area. These events are the slalom and giant slalom.
“We are very excited to host our state ski championships in March, and we extremely thankful for the coaches, the administrators for their hard work, and to the race facilities for allowing our high school students to participate this year,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens, who oversees skiing.
Races are capped at 75 racers per gender for both nordic and alpine.
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Dakota Ridge boys hoops prepared to maneuver through upcoming season
Dakota Ridge’s boys basketball team hopes to be in the mix for a Class 5A Jeffco League title this year after finishing tied for third last season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) LITTLETON — Dakota Ridge’s boys basketball team won’t be making any excuses this season.
“I’ve decided as a program that we were never going to complain about rules, masks, games or the season,” Dakota Ridge boys basketball coach Sean Kovar said after practice Jan. 20. “As long as we get a chance to come together as brothers to be a family. We are just super excited to be here with balls bouncing and shoes squeaking.”
While every high school basketball team across the state will be dealing with COVID-19 pandemic rules and regulations, the Eagles took a big hit before players took the court for official practices this week. Taeshaud Jackson Jr. — Class 5A Jeffco League first-team all-conference selection last season as a junior — won’t be on the court for Dakota Ridge.
Dakota Ridge boys basketball coach Sean Kovar works with players during the first week of practice. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) Jackson decided to leave Dakota Ridge and Colorado to enrolled in a California prep school. He averaged a double-double last season with 15.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
“I was obviously disappointed for our program because I knew what an awesome kid and player he was, but we totally supported him in his decision,” Kovar said of Jackson. “Anyone who comes through our program we want the best for them. He was in a situation where he could better his situation and we completely supported that. We are excited to see where he ends up playing at the next level.”
Jackson had been catching the eyes of Division I programs.
Dakota Ridge would have had a formidable one-two inside punch with the 6-foot-6 Jackson and 6-foot-8 senior Gino Corridori.
“It was for sure disappointing, but Taeshaud is my brother and I want the best for him,” Corridori said. “Obviously I would have liked him to stay, but it was his decision at the end of the day.”
A positive for the Eagles is having Corridori back at 100 percent. Corridori averaged 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds last season, but in only 10 games. A broken wrist kept Corridori on the bench for the first half of the season.
“It’s huge,” Kovar said of having Corridori back. “He is a leader and is one of our rocks. We play through him a lot. Over the last four years he is one of the most improved players we’ve ever seen come through our program. He can do it all.”
Dakota Ridge senior Gino Corridori has already signed to continue his basketball career at Western Colorado University after graduation. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) Western Colorado University saw the talent too. Corridori has already signed to play basketball at the Division II program in Gunnison. Before heading off to the next level, Corridori sees the Eagles as a 10-win team during the shorted 14-game regular season.
“It feels great because I know I can contribute right way this year,” Corridori said. “It was hard to watch last year.”
Dakota Ridge played its best basketball last year in the playoffs. As the No. 41 seed in the state tournament, the Eagles upset No. 24 Doherty in the opening round. Dakota Ridge nearly clipped rival and No. 9 Columbine in the second round. The Rebels were able to rally late to escape with a narrow 59-54 victory.
“We always talk about playing our best basketball at the end during the state tournament,” Kovar said. “I felt like we were there last year and had a really good chance to beat a really good team. It just didn’t go our way.”
Kovar is counting on his other three seniors — Hunter Hickman, Joel Dominic and Jonathan Junker — on leading Dakota Ridge into the Eagles’ season that begins Jan. 27 with a road game at Legend.
“You definitely have to come out with a different mindset,” said Hickman, who was a 5A Jeffco League honorable mention selection last season. “You can’t just go out and get a handful of preseason games under your belt. We have to come out hitting it hard.”
Dakota Ridge senior Hunter Hickman, left, returns as a Class 5A Jeffco League honorable mention selection last year. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)