The 2019 preseason football rankings were released on Monday. No. 1 ranked teams include: Valor Christian (5A), Pine Creek (4A), Palmer Ridge (3A), La Junta (2A), Limon (1A), Sedgwick County (8-man) and Stratton/Liberty (6-man).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.
Dakota Ridge 46, Greeley West 29, Heritage 25, Longmont 23, Windsor 22, Monarch 17, Grand Junction Central 9, Denver South 7, Vista Ridge 7, Wheat Ridge 7, Fort Collins 6, Vista Peak Prep 6, Bear Creek 5, Grand Junction 2, Air Academy 1, Golden 1, Mountain View 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Palmer Ridge (17)
0-0
198
2
Pueblo East
0-0
176
3
Palisade (3)
0-0
162
4
Erie (1)
0-0
141
5
Mead
0-0
109
6
Green Mountain
0-0
79
7
Discovery Canyon
0-0
67
8
Pueblo South
0-0
53
9
Holy Family
0-0
44
10
Durango
0-0
42
Others receiving votes:
Harrison 39, Frederick 22, Fort Morgan 19, Thomas Jefferson 17, Roosevelt 11, Northridge 10, Pueblo Central 7, Lewis-Palmer 6, Canon City 4, Evergreen 3, Glenwood Springs 1.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
La Junta (3)
0-0
115
2
Platte Valley (4)
0-0
113
3
Faith Christian (4)
0-0
106
4
Resurrection Christian (1)
0-0
87
5
Rifle
0-0
82
6
Bayfield (1)
0-0
48
7
Delta (1)
0-0
47
8
Kent Denver
0-0
38
9
Aspen
0-0
31
10
Eaton
0-0
22
Others receiving votes:
Basalt 21, Salida 15, Sterling 10, D’Evelyn 7, Elizabeth 7, The Classical Academy 7, Englewood 5, Lamar 5, Bishop Machebeuf 2, Alamosa 1, Berthoud 1.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Limon (11)
0-0
140
2
Strasburg (2)
0-0
114
3
Colorado Springs Christian (1)
0-0
103
4
Centauri
0-0
84
5
Holyoke (1)
0-0
63
T6
Meeker
0-0
62
T6
Peyton
0-0
62
8
Florence
0-0
51
9
Burlington
0-0
41
10
Wray
0-0
32
Others receiving votes:
Monte Vista 21, Paonia 16, Crowley County 12, Highland 8, Buena Vista 7, Platte Canyon 6, Manual 2, Jefferson 1.
8-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Sedgwick County (11)
0-0
119
2
Hoehne (1)
0-0
87
3
Merino
0-0
78
4
West Grand
0-0
61
5
Caliche
0-0
54
6
Mancos
0-0
51
7
Pikes Peak Christian
0-0
37
8
Fowler
0-0
32
9
Rangely
0-0
31
10
Sargent
0-0
28
Others receiving votes:
Dayspring Christian Academy 24, Holly 22, Akron 18, Sanford 8, Vail Christian 6, Simla 2, Dove Creek 1, Sangre de Cristo 1.
6-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Stratton/Liberty (5)
0-0
77
2
Kit Carson (3)
0-0
75
3
Fleming
0-0
59
4
Prairie
0-0
49
5
Flagler/Hi-Plains
0-0
38
6
Peetz
0-0
34
7
Idalia
0-0
25
8
Arickaree/Woodlin
0-0
20
9
Briggsdale
0-0
19
10
Cheyenne Wells
0-0
12
Others receiving votes:
Genoa-Hugo 10, Cotopaxi 9, North Park 8, Granada 2, Cheraw 1, Mountain Valley 1, Walsh 1.
The preseason softball rankings are out, and Cherokee Trail (5A), Holy Family (4A) and Strasburg (3A) lead their respective polls.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Cherokee Trail (4)
0-0-0
83
2
Legend (2)
0-0-0
71
3
Rock Canyon (2)
0-0-0
62
4
Loveland
0-0-0
59
5
Fossil Ridge
0-0-0
55
6
Legacy
0-0-0
54
7
Eaglecrest (2)
0-0-0
49
8
Cherry Creek
0-0-0
22
9
Broomfield
0-0-0
20
10
Columbine
0-0-0
19
Others receiving votes:
Ralston Valley 17, Regis Jesuit 15, Chatfield 13, Arapahoe 11, Smoky Hill 9, Arvada West 8, Grand Junction Central 7, Mountain Vista 6, Brighton 5, Valor Christian 5, Douglas County 4, Grandview 4, Castle View 3, Hinkley 3, ThunderRidge 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Holy Family (7)
0-0-0
106
2
Silver Creek (2)
0-0-0
75
3
Erie
0-0-0
65
4
Mountain View
0-0-0
61
5
Golden
0-0-0
39
6
Berthoud
0-0-0
32
7
Wheat Ridge (1)
0-0-0
31
8
Pueblo West
0-0-0
28
9
Pueblo South
0-0-0
24
10
Pueblo County
0-0-0
23
Others receiving votes:
Longmont 16, Mullen 13, Pueblo Central 13, Cheyenne Mountain 11, Windsor 11, Evergreen 10, Mead 10, Discovery Canyon 7, Niwot 7, Ponderosa 6, Pueblo East 5, Roosevelt 5, Weld Central 3, Conifer 2, Thomas Jefferson 2.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Strasburg (6)
0-0-0
85
2
University (2)
0-0-0
70
3
Eaton (1)
0-0-0
65
4
Delta
0-0-0
42
5
Sterling
0-0-0
40
6
Rocky Ford
0-0-0
36
7
Brush
0-0-0
33
8
Meeker
0-0-0
29
9
Lamar
0-0-0
27
10
Faith Christian
0-0-0
23
Others receiving votes:
The Academy 16, La Junta 7, Limon 7, Lyons 6, Basalt 3, Cedaredge 2.
The start of football season in Colorado is just two short weeks away. With some players having graduated and moved on from every team, a new set of standout student-athletes will be in the spotlight in 2019.
But there are plenty of players coming back this season and with them come numbers that were impressive even a year ago.
Looking at the offensive side of the ball, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for the start of football season in 2019.
[divider]
Passing:
When it comes to passing stats, Fairview quarterback Aidan Atkinson led the way for all quarterbacks in 2018. The senior to be threw for a staggering 3,952 yards last year. It was a record-setting year all the way around for him and the Knights.
For comparison, Highlands Ranch quarterback Jake Rubley threw for 1,951 yards and comes into the season No. 2 behind Atkinson in returning passing yards.
The top-three passers in 4A all return in 2019 making the prospect of an aerial battle late in the season very intriguing.
(Kevin Prickett/prickettpix.com)
Skyline’s Chase Silva threw for 2,829 yards as he helped the Falcons reach the 4A championship game. Centaurus’ Nick Faraca threw for 2,436 yards with Grand Junction Central’s Max Marsh threw for 2,296. The combination of Marsh and LSU football commit Kole Taylor is going to be a major attraction on the Western Slope this fall.
The top five passers from 3A all graduated a year ago making George Washington’s Jaydon Green the top returning passer in the class as he threw for 1,722. Pueblo South’s Logan Petit (1,581 yards) and Durango’s Jordan Woolverton (1,560 yards) are other 3A names to keep an eye on.
Aspen’s Tyler Ward led 2A with 2,202 yards last year and will be back as a junior in 2019 as will Meeker’s Ryan Phelan who topped all 1A passers with 1,869 in 2018.
Front Range Christian’s Luke Hiltman led all 8-man passers with 2,079 yards and will be back this fall. Briggsdale senior Tyler Blickem returns with 2,368 passing yards from last year which topped all of 6-man.
Granada sophomore Dominic Coleman got the attention of the class by throwing for 1,609 yards as a freshman.
In terms of touchdowns, Atkinson set the standard state-wide with 55. Blickem threw for 36 and Silva connected on 30 touchdown passes.
Rushing:
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The ground attack throughout the state lost a lot of spild performers from last year. Smoky Hill’s Obasanjo Sanni returns as the top returning rusher as he cleared the 2,000-yard mark last year and averaged 181 yards per game.
Legacy’s Dakota Key (1,799) and Fountain-Fort Carson’s Q. Jones (1,406) round out 5A’s top three returning rushers.
There were standout runners from 3A that are also making their way back this year. Palisade’s Cam Tucker ran for 1,662 and Thomas Jefferson’s Daveon Hunter ran for 1,410 yards in nine games.
In 4A, the top two returners both come out of Academy District 20 as Pine Creek’s David Moore III returns with 1,494 yards from last year. Down the road at Rampart, Chris Yoo totaled 1,317 yards and both backs will be seniors this fall.
The biggest loss of production on the ground comes in 2A where 10 of the top 12 rushers from last year were seniors. Coming into this season, just Brush’s Nick Wellen (1,250) and Bishop Machebeuf’s Darius Richards (1,012) return with over 1,000 rushing yards from last year.
That’s a big difference in 1A where the top two rushers from 2018 will be back as seniors this fall. Colorado Springs Christian senior Peyton Brones led all of 1A with 1,724 yards last year while Monte Vista’s Kaidon Wenta sat right behind him on the leaderboard with 1,475.
Dove Creek’s Chorbin Cressler broke into the top five of all 8-man rushers as just a freshman last year with 1,243 yards and will look to build on that momentum this season. Pikes Peak Christian’s Hudson Grant is 8-man’s No. 2 returning rusher with 1,188 yards in 2018.
Tucker returns with the most rushing touchdowns from last year with 28. Stratton/Liberty’s Jaret Lichty ran for 27 and Brones punched the ball in 24 times.
Receiving
Losing Kain Medrano was always going to be a big deal for Pueblo East. But if there is a silver lining, it’s that Marvon London, Jr. appears ready to fill the void.
The senior receiver for the Eagles amassed more receiving yards than any other player returning in 2019. His 1,083 yards were seventh in the state last fall and with Medrano gone, the number has a chance of increasing this season.
Palmer Ridge’s Deuce Roberson (937) and Harrison’s Seth Fuller (928) are the other top 3A receivers coming back.
Fairview’s Henry Blackburn hauled 890 receiving yards to lead all 5A returners and should thrive again with Atkinson still tossing passes for the Knights.
Heritage junior Terrance Ferguson totaled 972 receiving yards making him the top returning 4A receiver this season.
Two of last season’s top three receivers will be back in 2A. Aspen’s Max Ufkes led the class with 920 receiving yards and Englewood’s Nate Gravagno ranked third with 824.
As much as 1A had coming back in terms of rushing production, that is not the case with receiving. Estes Park sophomore Calum Torrey had 442 receiving yards last year which is the most for anyone who was not a senior.
Sangre de Cristo’s Mario Enriquez leds all 8-man returners with 594 yards while Deer Trail’s Dayne Woodis comes back with 730 yards which was second in 6-man last year.
Blackburn returns with the most receiving touchdowns form last year with 17. Woodis and Roberson each hauled in 11 touchdown catches last year.
The 2019 all-state girls soccer teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
DENVER – It wasn’t like Mullen’s girls basketball team played poorly in the first half Saturday afternoon.
But for the Mustangs, who went into halftime of the Class 4A state championship game trailing by two points, a fire had been lit. Mullen came out of the locker room looking like the team that had made such an impressive run through the state tournament, taking control with a long-range barrage that seemingly couldn’t miss.
The 14th-seeded Mustangs outscored No. 4 Pueblo South by 23 points over the final 16 minutes, capturing their first state championship since 2006 with a 63-44 victory over the Colts at Denver Coliseum.
“Honestly at halftime, we were mad. We did not come this far to lose this game,” said senior guard Iliana Perez, who finished with a game-high 17 points off the bench. “We came to show everybody that had underestimated us and everybody that had told us that we couldn’t do it, that we could do it.”
Mullen (20-8) was 10-of-21 from 3-point range on the afternoon, knocking down eight of its 13 attempts in the second half. Megan Pohs finished with 16 points and Abby Webster poured in 12 points off the bench.
“You’ve got two people off the bench (scoring) 17 and 12,” said Pueblo South coach Shannan Lane, who was coaching her final game after more than two decades with the program. “We held (Imani Perez) to six points, and we knew what a terrific player (Pohs) is, but Jada (Dupree) kind of evened her out.
“I think the difference really for Mullen was their bench play.”
The Mustangs won only eight games a year ago and didn’t make the postseason. But after a strong showing during the regular season – four of the team’s five in-state losses came to Centennial League rivals Cherry Creek and Grandview, which played for the 5A title Saturday night – Mullen powered through four of the top six seeds in the 4A tourney field.
“To come in this year and win it, is just so different,” Webster said. “Every girl we’ve had has contributed to this team. We’re so proud of each other, and it’s just an awesome experience. We just hope it will happen again.”
Pueblo South (24-4) was making its third consecutive appearance in the 4A title game. The Colts led 23-21 at halftime behind a strong showing from senior Gabi Lucero and Dupree, but couldn’t pull away from Mullen.
Pohs gave the Mustangs the lead early in the second half with a 3-pointer, igniting a 29-10 run that lasted early into the fourth quarter. Webster, who averaged only three points a game this season, hit two big 3-pointers in the third quarter and another early in the fourth. Perez scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half.
“I guess we came out with a little bit of spitfire,” Iliana Perez said. “Once one girl hits a shot, we just pick up energy and we feed off each other’s energy.”
“We’ve never had anything like this. We had so much energy at halftime in our talk,” Webster added. “We just wanted to keep it going through that talk.”
Pueblo South couldn’t find its shot in the second half, and Lucero – who finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds – scored four points over the final two quarters as the Colts shot just 22 percent as a team.
Dupree led Pueblo South with 16 points before fouling out late in the game.
Asked what she said to the team in the locker room, Lane – who was the head coach for the past 11 years and led the team to four title-game appearances and a championship in 2013 – said it was no different than what any coach would have said.
“Everybody wants to win in that game, and they were in that game. This is our third one losing,” she said. “That speech is very well known. I kind of told them they don’t want to hear those words – it doesn’t ease the pain. They’re going to cry, but the sun’s coming up in the morning.”
Mullen graduates five seniors, but the core of its lineup was sophomores and freshmen.
Perez said for her though, getting to go out on top meant everything.
“I’m not necessarily in shock, but I’m just so overjoyed that we are getting to do this. I’m getting to share this moment with my sister (Imani),” she said. “Actually, I get to share this with all of my sisters – that team is my family. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. I couldn’t have asked for a better senior year.”
