The undefeated season rolls on as Class 5A No. 1 Grandview girls basketball beat Eaglecrest 87-36 on Thursday.
Month: February 2021
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Photos: Rocky Mountain boys wrestling beats Fossil Ridge
Four pins helped Rocky Mountain boys wrestling get a 52-15 dual meet win over Fossil Ridge on Thursday.
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Photos: No. 3 Highlands Ranch girls basketball downs No. 6 Chaparral
Class 5A Highlands Ranch girls basketball looked strong by getting a 59-35 win over No. 6 Chaparral on Thursday.
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Photos: Cheyenne Mountain boys wrestling sweeps Vista Ridge
In four matches, Cheyenne Mountain boys wrestling got four wins and came away with a 24-0 dual win over Vista Ridge.
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Photos: No. 1 Cherry Creek boys basketball takes down No. 7 Smoky Hill
Myles Purchase scored 23 points to lift Class 5A No. 1 Cherry Creek boys basketball to a 79-70 over No. 7 Smoky Hill.
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Blocking below the waist in free-blocking zone addressed in high school football rules
(Lance Wendt/Wendt5280.com) INDIANAPOLIS – The rule regarding blocking below the waist in the free-blocking zone in high school football has been revised for the upcoming 2021 season.
This rule change was recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee at its January 10-12 meeting, which was held virtually this year. This change to the 2021 NFHS Football Rules Book was subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
As a result of numerous interpretations of current language regarding blocking below the waist in the free-blocking zone, the committee approved another condition in Rule 2-17-2 that must be met for a legal block below the waist in the free-blocking zone, which is a rectangular area extending laterally 4 yards either side of the spot of the snap and 3 yards behind each line of scrimmage.
The new requirement (2-17-2c) is that the block must be an immediate, initial action following the snap. Under the current rule, an offensive lineman can delay and then block below the waist if the ball is still in the zone. In the committee’s ongoing quest to minimize risk in high school football, the change was approved to require the block to be immediate.
“This change makes it easier for game officials to judge the legality of blocks below the waist and minimizes risk of injury for participants,” said Bob Colgate, NFHS director of sports and sports medicine and liaison to the Football Rules Committee. “This change lets game officials observe the block and make a call without having to determine where the ball is and what formation the offense lined up in.”
Blocking in the back continues to be legal in the free-blocking zone by offensive linemen who are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap, against defensive players who are in the zone at the snap and the contact is in the zone.
The committee noted there has been no criticism of the current rules governing blocks in the back as they are delayed blocks by nature, above the waist and considered to be a safe and necessary legal block.
“I believe this rule change will help make the interpretation of blocking below the waist consistent across the country starting next football season,” said Richard McWhirter, chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee and assistant executive director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association.
The Football Rules Committee is composed of one representative from each of the NFHS member state associations that use NFHS playing rules, along with representatives from the NFHS Coaches Association, NFHS Officials Association and NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.
A complete listing of the football rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Football.”
According to the most recent NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 11-player football is the most popular high school sport for boys with 1,006,013 participants in 14,247 schools nationwide. In addition, there were 31,221 boys who participated in 6-, 8- and 9-player football, along with 2,604 girls in all four versions of the game for a grand total of 1,039,828.
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No. 1 Pomona boys wrestling, yet again, has a deep squad this season
LAKEWOOD — The announcement this week that the state wrestling tournament won’t be held at its usual site was another change during this ever changing 2020-21 prep sports season in Colorado.
However, the news that Ball Arena (formerly Pepsi Center) won’t be the site of the state tournament next month hasn’t dampened Pomona’s focus on going after its fifth Class 5A team title over the past six years and eighth team title since 2000.
“I don’t mind. I really don’t,” Pomona coach Sam Federico said of the news coming down Wednesday that all classifications for the state tournament will be held at the Southwest Motors Events Center on the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo. “I’m glad we have one. I’d do it in South Dakota if we had to. Anywhere is good for me.”
Pomona junior Jacob Judd, behind, works on getting back points during his 170-pound match against Lakewood senior Nolan Hoefner. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) The Panthers — ranked No. 1 in 5A by Tim Yount of On the Mat — has an extremely deep squad this season. Pomona has 11 wrestlers that are ranked in the top-5 of their weight class in the new rankings released this week.
“This is probably one of the best teams we’ve had in years,” Pomona sophomore Jakob Romero said after the Panthers’ tri meet Thursday at Lakewood High School. “We are strong everywhere. We can bump guys up and bump guys down. I’ve wrestled with everyone on this team for the past five-plus years. I’ll do anything for these guys.”
Pomona actually brought just a handful of its varsity wrestlers to the duals against Standley Lake and Lakewood. Still, the Panthers dominated with a 72-6 win over the Gators and 58-14 victory against the Tigers.
Two of the top Pomona wrestlers that saw some action with Romero and junior Jacob Judd. Romero took a 21-5 tech fall victory and managed a pin in the first period in his second match. Judd grabbed a pair of pins in his matches at 170 pounds.
“We are deep, but there are some good teams out there,” Federico said. “We’ll see this weekend when we wrestling Ponderosa and Brighton, two teams that are always good. We’ve got to stay healthy and keep working hard. If we do that good things will happen.”
The Panthers head to Ponderosa High School on Saturday for a pair of dual matches against No. 2 Ponderosa and No. 3 Brighton. It might be one of the best tests for Pomona before heading to regionals scheduled for March 5 and 6.
Federico doesn’t believe the last of tournaments will effect the Panthers. He had a lot of his wrestlers compete at a national tournament in Utah before the season started. Most of his year-round wrestlers have been able to compete at tournament during the COVID pandemic.
“There was so much stop and go,” Federico said of changing on the fly this season. “I’m just glad we got it pinned down and we are wrestling now. It’s good to see the guys out wrestling now.”
Romero is one of those wrestlers who is glad to be back on the mats. The sophomore that placed second at state last year at 126 pounds talked Thursday night about his own battle with COVID-19.
Romero actually came down with COVID in November. He went through return-to-play protocol to return to the mats after his bout with the virus.
Pomona sophomore Jakob Romero, top, controls his match with Standley Lake sophomore Aidan Carlin on Thursday night at Lakewood High School. The Panthers currently have 11 wrestlers ranked in the top-5 in their individual weight classes. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “My family got it. We are all athletes in the family,” Romero said. “We didn’t get it too bad, but I did see some in pact on my training and endurance. I took two weeks off, but still wasn’t myself. It’s just different for everyone.”
The sophomore has a realist perspective on what high school wrestling will look like for at least the near future.
“With COVID, it doesn’t seem to be dying down,” Romero said. “This may be the new norm for us. At least for a little bit.”
Romero admitted he was upset that the state tournament was moved from Ball Arena to Pueblo, but having a state tournament March 13 is what is important.
“In the end, I’m just glad we have a season,” Romero said.
Judd mirrors how everything can change. As a freshman his first tournament he wrestled at 106 pounds. He eventually placed 6th at the state tournament at 113. He wrestled at 132 and 145 pounds last year, qualifying for the state tournament at 145.
Now, Judd is all the way up to the 170-pound weight class and is ranked No. 3.
“I’ve been able to learn a whole bunch wrestling with a lot of different partners,” Judd said. “Most of the kids on the club don’t grow as fast as me. I’ve been able to practice with everyone in there.”
While Pomona has plenty of youth with a dozen varsity wrestlers either freshmen, sophomores or juniors this season they don’t want to take the 2021 season as a throwaway season.
“I’m trying to get the best out of the year,” Judd said. “One more year after this and I want to get two (individual) state championships.”
Pomona’s 113-pounder Gino Cardenas, top, took a 16-0 tech fall against Standley Lake junior Chance Clarke on Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
Girls wrestling rankings: Pomona and Vista Ridge join
Below are this week’s girls 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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Girls wrestling Rank Team LW 1 Chatfield 1 2 Doherty 2 3 Denver East 3 4 Loveland 4 5 Poudre 5 6 Legacy 6 7 Pomona – 8 Olathe 8 9 Vista Ridge – 10 Riverdale Ridge 10 Dropped out Douglas County, Mountain Vista -
Boys wrestling rankings: Hotchkiss, Lamar and Falcon join
Below are this week’s boys 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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Class 2A Rank Team LW 1 Wray 1 2 Centauri 2 3 Buena Vista 3 4 Cedaredge 4 5 Lyons 5 6 Rocky Ford 6 7 Meeker 7 8 Hotchkiss – 9 Crowley County 8 10 John Mall 9 Dropped out Highland Class 3A Rank Team LW 1 Pagosa Springs 1 2 Eaton 2 3 Weld Central 3 4 Bennett 4 5 Valley 5 6 Platte Valley 6 7 Alamosa 7 8 Jefferson 8 9 Moffat County 9 10 Lamar – Dropped out Woodland Park Class 4A Rank Team LW 1 Pueblo County 1 2 Pueblo East 2 3 Cheyenne Mountain 3 4 Thompson Valley 6 5 Windsor 4 6 Loveland 5 7 Falcon – 8 Mesa Ridge 7 9 Pueblo West 8 10 Erie 9 Dropped out Discovery Canyon Class 5A Rank Team LW 1 Pomona 1 2 Ponderosa 2 3 Brighton 3 4 Monarch 4 5 Douglas County 5 6 Pine Creek 7 7 Columbine 8 8 Rocky Mountain 6 9 Prairie View 9 10 Denver East 10 Dropped out None -
Last year’s success providing a major influence for Holyoke girls basketball
(Holyoke yearbook staff) It was hard for Holyoke girls basketball to say goodbye to Emily Jelden and the other seniors from last year’s team.
The Dragons had put together a strong season, dropping just one game to Limon, and had a solid chance to make a run at the Class 2A state championship. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down everyone’s hopes, but as the 2021 season got underway, Holyoke had clearly picked up right where they left off.
In Jelden’s absence from a leadership standpoint, Kristin Vieselmeyer and Lauren Herman have filled the role quite nicely.
“We had some big holes to fill,” coach John Baumgartner said. “Losing a four-year point guard is tough. Our guard play… we’re working on that right now. The kids want to get back (to the state tournament) and hopefully finish the season. That’s the goal right now.”
That doesn’t just happen with a seamless transition of players on the court. Perhaps one of the biggest strengths of the Dragons’ game is the chemistry between the players. That was felt a year ago when they advanced to the state tournament and it’s something that Vieselmeyer knows is every bit as important this year.
“They had a big impact on the mentality of our team,” she said. “Coach Baumgartner runs a great program where he keeps the same type of mindset throughout the whole season and we try to implement that into this year, especially with our incoming freshmen.”
Vieselmeyer has done an admirable job of being the team leader the Dragons (4-0 overall) need both with her attitude and her play.
Through four games this season, she’s averaging 25.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and three steals per game. As of Friday, she’s second in the state in scoring average regardless of classification.
The challenge for the next month is going to be maintaining those numbers against teams that are a little more familiar with her work.
“I think our league opponents know who she is,” Baumgartner said. “I don’t think she’s going to have that much freedom as we get into our league games.”
With league teams paying more attention to her abilities, Baumgartner says it’s key that she not get frustrated if her production isn’t where it stands today. The best way for the Dragons to keep playing at a level that has earned them the 2A No. 3 ranking is to make sure that everyone is getting involved.
“Other players players are going to have to step up to give her more room if other teams are going to try and take her out of the game,” Baumgartner said.
Herman has taken that to heart as she scores nearly 12 points and pulls down almost 10 rebounds per game. Correy Koellner and Elyce Talavera are also contributing sold scoring numbers and also getting work done with rebounding and assists.
That’s why the team dynamic off the court is so essential. It helps build an element of trust so when the time comes where opponents aren’t going to let Vieselmeyer beat them, she knows that the others on the roster will get the job done.
“The seniors last year talked a lot about body language and controlling what you can control which is your attitude and effort,” she said. “That’s what I’m doing most this season. I’m playing my role to the best of my abilities and and I’m trying to do whatever I can to help the team, whether that be scoring, rebounding, getting good assists. It doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m contributing to the team.”
Thus far, it’s worked like a charm. And if the Dragons keep playing with positive attitudes and the ability to get everyone involved, they’ll play their way into those late-March playoff games.
(Holyoke yearbook staff)