CHSAANow

Tag: Sand Creek

  • Boys basketball rankings: Lewis-Palmer jumps up in 4A poll

    Lewis-Palmer Vista Ridge boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Lewis-Palmer is making the right moves at the right time when it comes to the Class 4A CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings.

    After beating Sand Creek just over a week ago, the Rangers put on another impressive showing with a 65-56 win over PPAC front-runner Vista Ridge. With everyone now paying attention, Lewis-Palmer jumps four spots to land at No. 4 this week.

    Pueblo West, Valor Christian and D’Evelyn all stood their ground at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

    Sierra also made a significant move as the Stallions are at No. 6, three spots better than last week’s poll. Mead broke into the poll this week at No. 8.

    ThunderRidge remains the top team in the 5A poll and rightfully so considering the Grizzlies haven’t lost since Dec. 20 and are undefeated against Colorado teams. 

    Eaglecrest received two first-place votes and jumped one spot to No. 4 as a result.

    Fort Collins is the lone newcomer to the poll, rounding it out at No. 4.

    Resurrection Christian remains No. 1 in 3A after edging No. 4 Sterling on Friday. Colorado Springs Christian remains at No. 2 while Manitou Springs jumps one spot to No. 3.

    There were no new teams in the 3A rankings.

    Undefeated Highland still has a firm hold on the top spot in the 2A poll. Fowler jumped three spots from a week ago, coming in at No. 7. Haxtun joins the 2A rankings at No. 8.

    Holly is still the top team in 1A. The top four teams from last week’s ranking went unchanged this week.

    There were some big moves however as Rocky Mountain Lutheran made a three-spot jump to No. 5 and at No. 6, Longmont Christian is four spots better than they were last week.

    Kit Carson joins the 1A poll at No. 9.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (14) 18-1 155 1 3-0
    2 George Washington 17-2 137 2 1-0
    3 Chatfield 18-1 114 3 2-0
    4 Eaglecrest (2) 16-3 106 5 2-0
    5 Grandview 18-1 103 4 2-0
    6 Rock Canyon 17-2 92 6 2-0
    7 Doherty 15-3 61 7 2-0
    8 Denver East 14-5 41 9 2-0
    9 Cherry Creek 14-5 25 8 1-1
    10 Fort Collins 16-3 15 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Smoky Hill 13, Mountain Vista 7, Lakewood 5, Rampart 2, Vista Ridge 2, Far Northeast 1, Overland 1.
    Dropped out
    Smoky Hill (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pueblo West (13) 18-1 156 1 3-0
    2 Valor Christian (3) 16-4 144 2 3-0
    3 D’Evelyn 15-4 99 3 1-1
    4 Lewis-Palmer 15-4 88 8 2-0
    5 Holy Family 15-4 81 5 2-0
    6 Sierra 16-3 63 9 3-0
    7 Sand Creek 14-5 61 4 0-2
    8 Mead 16-3 55 – 2-0
    9 Northridge 15-3 47 6 2-0
    10 Golden 14-6 26 7 1-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Evergreen 19, Silver Creek 18, Pueblo South 17, Vista PEAK 4, Durango 2.
    Dropped out
    Silver Creek (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (9) 16-0 122 1 2-0
    2 Colorado Springs Christian (2) 15-2 121 2 2-0
    3 Manitou Springs (1) 14-1 99 4 1-0
    4 Alamosa (1) 15-1 94 5 3-0
    5 Sterling 14-3 83 3 2-1
    6 Kent Denver 14-2 74 6 2-0
    7 Basalt 14-1 52 8 3-0
    8 DSST-Stapleton (1) 12-3 50 7 1-1
    9 Strasburg 13-2 41 9 3-0
    10 Machebeuf 13-3 8 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    The Vanguard 7, Bayfield 5, Jefferson Academy 5, Manual 3, DSST-Green Valley Ranch 2, Faith Christian 2, Roaring Fork 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highland (10) 15-0 115 1 2-0
    2 Sedgwick County 15-1 97 2 2-0
    3 Del Norte (1) 12-3 81 3 2-0
    4 Paonia 15-2 76 5 3-0
    5 Holyoke (1) 11-3 65 6 1-0
    6 Peyton 14-1 47 7 2-0
    7 Fowler 14-2 30 10 3-0
    8 Haxtun 11-4 29 – 2-0
    9 Dawson 12-2 27 9 3-0
    10 Akron 12-3 22 4 1-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Crowley County 20, Ignacio 16, Sanford 14, Merino 11, Dayspring Christian 6, Byers 3, Sargent 1.
    Dropped out
    Crowley County (8).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holly (6) 17-0 102 1 3-0
    2 Cheyenne Wells (4) 14-0 99 2 3-0
    3 Sierra Grande (1) 13-1 73 3 2-0
    4 Flagler 13-3 68 4 2-0
    5 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 15-1 56 8 3-0
    6 Longmont Christian 12-2 53 10 3-0
    7 Peetz 12-4 46 7 2-1
    8 Front Range Baptist 14-2 41 5 2-2
    9 Kit Carson 11-4 20 – 2-0
    10 Weldon Valley 12-3 14 6 1-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Sangre de Cristo 10, Wiley 9, Creede/Lake City 5, Primero 3, South Baca 3, Fleming 2, Otis 1.
    Dropped out
    Fleming (9).

  • Sand Creek boys basketball forfeits win vs. Palmer

    Sand Creek Palmer boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Sand Creek boys basketball has forfeit its win against Palmer on Jan. 2 for using an ineligible player.

    The school self-reported the incident to the CHSAA office last week, and decided to forfeit the game on Monday, according to CHSAA assistant commissioner Bert Borgmann, who oversees basketball

    “The school accepted a transfer student, played him in a game, and later discovered that there were some issues with that transfer,” Borgmann said. “They did the right thing, and forfeit the game in which he played. They are addressing issues within the program to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

    Of the decision to self-report and forfeit the game, CHSAA commissioner Paul Angelico said, “This is a shining example of the ethics and morality that make the Association work.”

    The player in question only played against Palmer, and does not have varsity eligibility.

    As a result, Sand Creek is now 13-4 this season.

  • Boys basketball rankings: Pueblo West boys basketball returns to No. 1 in 4A

    Pueblo West Valor Christian boys basketball
    (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Pueblo West does not like falling out of the top spot of the Class 4A CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings.

    For the second time in three weeks, the Cyclones have regained the No. 1 spot after falling out (without a loss) of it.

    Valor Christian jumped a couple of spots to land at No. 2. But that’s where most of the consistency in the 4A poll ends.

    Holy Family made a five-spot jump to break into the top five and the bottom half of the poll saw three new teams. Northridge is in at No. 6, Lewis-Palmer is back in the poll at No. 8 and Sierra also makes its return at No. 9.

    ThunderRidge has shown no desire to drop out of the top spot of the 5A, despite the solid play of the rest of the teams in the top-five, each of whom also held onto their spots.

    Doherty re-enters the rankings at No. 7 this week, the only new team to enter the poll.

    Resurrection Christian remains the No. 1 team in 3A, but Colorado Springs Christian jumps up to No. 2 thanks to a last-second with over this week’s No. 4, Manitou Springs. 

    At No. 10, Machebeuf is the lone newcomer in the 3A rankings.

    Dawson Highland boys basketball
    (Katie Pickrell/CHSAANOW.com)

    Highland and Sedgwick Country remain the top two teams in the 2A rankings, but the No. 3 spot has a new look in the form of Del Norte.

    The 2A poll had no new teams this week.

    The poll in 1A overall looks very similar to what it was last week. Holly and Cheyenne Wells remain at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. 

    Sierra Grande jumped one spot to No. 3 and Rocky Mountain Lutheran also jumped a spot to come in at No. 8.

    Like 2A, there were no new teams in the 1A rankings.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (19) 15-1 195 1 2-0
    2 George Washington 16-2 162 2 2-0
    3 Chatfield (1) 16-1 139 3 2-0
    4 Grandview 16-1 131 4 2-0
    5 Eaglecrest 14-3 123 5 3-0
    6 Rock Canyon 15-2 119 6 2-0
    7 Doherty 13-3 62 – 3-0
    8 Cherry Creek 13-4 48 9 1-1
    9 Denver East 12-5 47 7 2-1
    10 Smoky Hill 11-6 22 10 0-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Fort Collins 20, Lakewood 11, Cherokee Trail 9, Vista Ridge 5, Chaparral 3, Denver South 3, Rampart 1.
    Dropped out
    Lakewood (8).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pueblo West (13) 15-1 164 2 2-0
    2 Valor Christian (1) 13-4 132 4 2-0
    3 D’Evelyn (1) 14-3 114 3 1-1
    4 Sand Creek (2) 14-3 100 1 0-2
    5 Holy Family 13-4 69 10 2-0
    6 Northridge 13-3 55 – 2-0
    7 Golden 13-4 54 7 1-1
    8 Lewis-Palmer 13-4 52 – 3-0
    9 Sierra 13-3 47 – 2-0
    10 Silver Creek 12-2 45 5 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Mead 44, Pueblo South 25, Vista PEAK 19, Evergreen 16.
    Dropped out
    Pueblo South (6), Mead (8), Vista PEAK (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (9) 14-0 133 1 1-0
    2 Colorado Springs Christian (1) 13-2 119 4 3-0
    3 Sterling (2) 12-2 112 3 2-0
    4 Manitou Springs (1) 13-1 104 2 2-1
    5 Alamosa (1) 12-1 89 5 3-0
    6 Kent Denver 12-2 75 6 1-0
    7 DSST-Stapleton (1) 11-2 50 8 1-1
    8 Basalt 11-1 43 7 2-0
    9 Strasburg 10-2 37 10 2-0
    10 Machebeuf 12-2 21 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Faith Christian 20, Jefferson Academy 6, Lutheran 5, The Vanguard 5, Bayfield 3, DSST-Green Valley Ranch 1, Manual 1, Roaring Fork 1.
    Dropped out
    Faith Christian (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highland (10) 13-0 118 1 2-0
    2 Sedgwick County (1) 13-1 100 2 3-0
    3 Del Norte (1) 10-3 76 6 2-0
    4 Akron 11-1 66 5 2-0
    5 Paonia 12-2 62 3 2-1
    6 Holyoke 10-3 61 4 1-1
    7 Peyton 12-1 48 7 2-0
    8 Crowley County 12-2 33 8 2-0
    9 Dawson 9-2 23 9 1-1
    10 Fowler 11-2 21 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Haxtun 13, Sanford 12, Merino 8, Ignacio 7, Denver Christian 6, Byers 4, Meeker 1, Sargent 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holly (3) 14-0 79 1 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Wells (3) 11-0 76 2 2-0
    3 Sierra Grande (1) 11-1 56 4 2-0
    4 Flagler 11-3 55 3 1-1
    5 Front Range Baptist (2) 12-0 49 5 2-0
    6 Weldon Valley 11-1 46 6 1-0
    7 Peetz 10-3 32 7 2-0
    8 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 12-1 26 9 2-0
    9 Fleming 9-3 21 8 2-0
    10 Longmont Christian 9-2 16 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sangre de Cristo 9, Wiley 9, Creede/Lake City 7, Primero 5, Aguilar 3, South Baca 3, Kit Carson 2, McClave 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Boys basketball rankings: Sand Creek now No. 1 in 4A

    Lewis-Palmer Sand Creek boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    It’s been hard not to pay attention to Sand Creek boys basketball this season. They have one of the top players in the state in D’Shawn Schwartz and now, they are the No. 1 team in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings.

    The Scorpions unseat defending champion Pueblo West, who regained the No. 1 position a week ago.

    Silver Creek made an impressive four-spot jump to break into the top five.

    Holy Family is the only new team to break into the poll, landing at No. 10.

    ThunderRidge remains the No. 1 team in 5A, beating Douglas County in its only game last week.

    Cherry Creek Eaglecrest boys basketball
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Thanks to a dominating win over No. 9 Cherry Creek on Wednesday, Eaglecrest jumps a couple of spots to come in at No. 5.

    No new teams broke into the 5A rankings this week.

    Resurrection Christian keeps the No. 1 spot in 3.

    Manitou Springs is still cemented at the No. 2 spot thanks to a win over 2A No. 7 Peyton on Saturday.

    Basalt jumps to No. 7, three spots better than last week.

    Strasburg is the only new team in the 3A poll, rounding it out at No. 10.

    Highland keeps its spot at No. 1 in the 2A poll and beat No. 5 Akron on Friday, further showing that they can contend for a state title.

    At No. 8, Crowley County is the only new team to the 2A rankings.

    Holly remains the No. 1 team in 1A with Cheyenne Wells and Flagler holding their spots at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. 

    Peetz (No. 7) and Longmont Christian (No. 10) are the two newcomers to the 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (19) 13-1 190 1 1-0
    2 George Washington 14-2 165 2 2-0
    3 Chatfield 14-1 130 3 3-0
    4 Grandview 14-1 116 4 2-0
    5 Eaglecrest 11-3 109 7 2-0
    6 Rock Canyon 13-2 103 6 2-0
    7 Denver East 10-4 54 8 1-0
    8 Lakewood 11-3 41 9 2-0
    9 Cherry Creek 12-3 40 5 0-2
    10 Smoky Hill 11-4 34 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Doherty 33, Fort Collins 16, Chaparral 6, Denver South 4, Cherokee Trail 3, Rampart 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sand Creek (6) 14-1 138 2 2-0
    2 Pueblo West (6) 13-1 135 1 3-0
    3 D’Evelyn 13-2 129 4 3-0
    4 Valor Christian (3) 11-4 112 3 2-0
    5 Silver Creek (1) 11-1 87 9 3-0
    6 Pueblo South 10-4 67 8 2-0
    7 Golden 12-3 66 5 1-1
    8 Mead 12-3 45 6 1-1
    9 Vista PEAK 11-3 35 7 2-1
    10 Holy Family 11-4 34 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Northridge 30, Sierra 23, Pueblo East 10, Lewis-Palmer 8, Durango 7, Mesa Ridge 6, Evergreen 3.
    Dropped out
    Sierra (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (9) 13-0 170 1 2-0
    2 Manitou Springs (3) 11-0 156 2 2-0
    3 Sterling (2) 10-2 137 3 2-1
    4 Colorado Springs Christian (5) 10-2 134 4 2-0
    5 Alamosa 9-1 118 5 1-0
    6 Kent Denver 11-2 99 6 2-0
    7 Basalt 9-1 52 10 1-0
    8 DSST-Stapleton 10-1 38 8 2-0
    9 Faith Christian 8-4 36 7 1-1
    10 Strasburg 8-2 31 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    DSST-Green Valley Ranch 26, Machebeuf 21, Lutheran 13, Bayfield 4, The Vanguard 4, Weld Central 2, Jefferson Academy 1, La Junta 1, Manual 1, The Pinnacle 1.
    Dropped out
    Machebeuf (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highland (7) 11-0 126 1 2-0
    2 Sedgwick County (1) 10-1 111 2 2-0
    3 Paonia (3) 10-1 100 3 1-0
    4 Holyoke (1) 9-2 80 5 1-0
    5 Akron (1) 9-1 77 4 1-1
    6 Del Norte (1) 8-3 73 6 1-0
    7 Peyton 10-1 56 7 2-1
    8 Crowley County 10-2 37 – 3-0
    9 Dawson 8-1 35 9 2-0
    10 Fowler 9-2 29 8 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Haxtun 10, Ignacio 10, Sanford 9, Denver Christian 6, Merino 4, Crested Butte 3, Dolores Huerta 2, Byers 1, Sargent 1.
    Dropped out
    Dayspring Christian (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holly (4) 12-0 87 1 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Wells (3) 9-0 82 2 1-0
    3 Flagler (1) 10-2 66 3 1-1
    4 Sierra Grande (1) 9-1 62 5 3-0
    5 Front Range Baptist (1) 10-0 48 6 2-0
    6 Weldon Valley 10-1 46 4 1-1
    7 Peetz 8-3 36 – 1-1
    8 Fleming 7-3 29 7 2-0
    9 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 10-1 24 10 2-0
    10 Longmont Christian 7-2 18 – 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Wiley 14, Creede/Lake City 13, Denver Jewish Day 11, Kit Carson 9, Primero 3, McClave 1, Sangre de Cristo 1.
    Dropped out
    Kit Carson (8), Wiley (9).

  • Jeffco continues to lead in Adapted Athletics program growth

    Jeffco’s Bryan Wickoren, far right, organized the first Colorado High School Adapted Basketball Tournament on Thursday at Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    LAKEWOOD — Jeffco Public Schools’ Adapted Athletics program made to quantum leap Thursday hosting the inaugural Colorado High School Adapted Basketball Tournament.

    A total of 21 schools — 31 teams — took part in the tournament. Teams from school districts in Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Denver, Colorado Springs, Frederick, Greeley, Littleton, Longmont and Jeffco gathered at Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood first state-wide basketball tournament of its kind in Colorado for students with special needs.

    “We had a great response,” said event organizer Bryan Wickoren, Adapted Physical Education Coordinator for Jeffco Public Schools. “It’s a great representation of schools from the eastern side of the state. It’s a start.”

    The event got such a great response that 10 schools were on a waiting list for the tournament. Wickoren, who is a part of the Department of Education adapted team advisory counsel, presented his idea last fall of having a state basketball tournament that Jeffco would host.

    Wickoren said there is already talk about adding a state-wide soccer tournament in the fall, along with state-wide track and field meet next spring to serve students with special needs.

    Sand Creek senior D’Shawn Schwartz, left, served as a coach for the Adapted Basketball tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “I’m extremely proud,” Wickoren said of the growth of Adapted Athletics. “Eight years ago we had five schools doing a couple of athletic events. Now we are doing something every month in Jeffco. We are just building and growing. We have a solid foundation and base. We’ll keep going.”

    Bringing in schools from outside Jeffco has been a goal for Wickoren.

    “We want to offer this to more than just Jeffco schools,” said Wickoren, who added he hopes in the future Adapted Athletics will be sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association like it is in Minnesota.

    Bonnie Mendenhall, Adapted PE teacher for middle and high schools in Falcon School District 49 in Colorado Springs, jumped at the chance to get her students involved in Thursday’s basketball tournament. Sand Creek brought two teams to compete.

    “We’ve always wanted to get involved in unified sport, but we just didn’t have anything going on in the Springs,” Mendenhall said. “Talking to Bryan (Wickoren) he told me all about it. We decided to come up. This is our first time and our two teams we have are really excited.”

    Schools from across the state took part in the Adapted Basketball Tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Sand Creek also brought up a familiar face to Colorado prep basketball fans. Senior D’Shawn Schwartz, one of the top basketball recruits in the state that has committed to play at the University of Colorado next school year, was on hand as a coach for the Scorpions.

    “This is my first time,” Schwartz said about helping with Adapted Athletics. “We had one practice and then came out here. It’s pretty fun. It’s cool.”

    A couple of teachers at Sand Creek told Schwartz about the tournament and he decided to be apart of it. Schwartz has helped lead the Scorpions to a 13-1 record this season averaging more than 26 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game.

    “It’s different, but it feels good to get away from competition,” Schwartz said about being a coach on the basketball court instead of facing a box-and-one defense. “I can just come out here and be loose.”

    Arvada and Standley Lake high schools had members of its basketball teams on hand too as referees and scorers for games. Jeffco will hold its Adapted Athletics Basketball Day for Jeffco schools Friday, Jan. 20.

    “We want to keep more kids involved in sports. It’s a win-win for everybody,” Mendenhall said. “They see the other kids in sports and it gives them the opportunity to be in sports. It gives them great self-esteem. They can be a part of a team.”

    At the end of the day Thursday, Gateway lifted the first-place trophy.

    Gateway was crowned the first-place champions in the first Colorado High School Adapted Basketball Tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Boys basketball rankings: Pueblo West, Resurrection Christian and Highland new No. 1s

    Pueblo West Valor Christian boys basketball
    (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    The top spots of three of the five CHSAANow.com boys basketball polls have a different look to them.

    Pueblo West regains the top spot in Class 4A after relinquishing it a week ago, Resurrection Christian takes the No. 1 spot in 3A and Highland is the new top team in 2A. 

    The Cyclones fell out of the No. 1 spot after suffering its first loss of the season, falling to Rampart in overtime on Jan. 7. They regained it off the strength of a victory over Colorado Springs Christian School on Saturday.

    Sand Creek jumped two spot to land at No. 2 with Valor Christian right behind the Scorpions at No. 3.

    D’Evelyn jumped three spots, coming in at No. 4.

    Silver Creek (No. 9) and Sierra (No. 10) are the two new teams to the 4A poll.

    Resurrection Christian Sedgwick County boys basketball
    (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    In 3A, Resurrection Christian takes the No. 1 position marking the first time someone other than defending champion CSCS holds the top spot.

    The Lions fell to No. 4. Manitou Springs jumps to No. 2 with Sterling landing at N0. 3.

    Bishop Machebeuf is the only new team in the 3A rankings, coming in at No. 9.

    At 9-0, Highland takes the 2A No. 1 spot from Sedgwick County who suffered a t 43-38 loss to No. 5 Holyoke last week.

    Two newcomers broke into the 2A rankings this week with Dawson coming in at No. 9 and Dayspring Christian rounding out the poll at No. 10.

    In 5A, ThunderRidge holds the No. 1 spot after receiving 17 first-place votes.

    George Washington comfortably sits behind the Grizzlies at No. 2.

    Grandview jumped four spots, landing at No. 4.

    At No. 9, Lakewood is the only new team in the 5A poll.

    Holly remains the No. 1 team in 1A, but Cheyenne Wells jumped one spot to come in as the new No. 2.

    Two new teams joined the 1A rankings with Front Range Baptist taking the No. 6 spot with Wiley landing at No. 9.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (17) 12-1 170 1 1-0
    2 George Washington 12-2 141 2 2-0
    3 Chatfield 11-1 126 4 2-0
    4 Grandview 12-1 95 8 2-0
    5 Cherry Creek 12-1 92 7 2-0
    6 Rock Canyon 11-2 81 6 1-0
    7 Eaglecrest 9-3 72 5 1-1
    8 Denver East 9-4 71 3 0-1
    9 Lakewood 9-3 24 – 3-0
    10 Smoky Hill 10-3 23 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Doherty 21, Cherokee Trail 5, Chaparral 4, Fort Collins 3, Legend 3, Denver South 1, Rampart 1, Regis Jesuit 1, Vista Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    Doherty (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pueblo West (8) 10-1 149 2 2-0
    2 Sand Creek (6) 12-1 143 3 2-0
    3 Valor Christian (1) 9-4 117 1 1-1
    4 D’Evelyn (1) 10-2 107 7 2-0
    5 Golden 11-2 100 5 2-0
    6 Mead (1) 11-2 88 6 3-0
    7 Vista PEAK 9-2 73 4 1-1
    8 Pueblo South 8-4 49 10 1-0
    9 Silver Creek 8-1 26 – 2-0
    10 Sierra 9-3 23 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Durango 18, Holy Family 16, Northridge 12, Lewis-Palmer 7, Thompson Valley 3, Evergreen 2, Mesa Ridge 2.
    Dropped out
    Holy Family (8), Northridge (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (4) 11-0 131 2 2-0
    2 Manitou Springs (5) 9-0 120 3 2-0
    3 Sterling (1) 8-1 113 4 2-0
    4 Colorado Springs Christian (4) 8-2 104 1 2-1
    5 Alamosa (1) 8-1 84 5 2-0
    6 Kent Denver 9-2 77 7 2-0
    7 Faith Christian 7-3 44 6 1-1
    8 DSST-Stapleton 8-1 33 9 3-0
    9 Machebeuf 9-1 31 – 3-0
    10 Basalt 8-1 25 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    La Junta 11, DSST-Green Valley Ranch 10, Strasburg 10, Lutheran 9, Jefferson Academy 7, Lotus 5, Manual 5, Bayfield 4, Brush 2.
    Dropped out
    DSST-Green Valley Ranch (8).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highland (5) 9-0 90 2 2-0
    2 Sedgwick County (1) 8-1 80 1 1-1
    3 Paonia (3) 9-1 78 3 2-0
    4 Akron (1) 8-0 72 6 1-0
    5 Holyoke 8-2 62 7 3-0
    6 Del Norte (1) 7-3 56 4 0-2
    7 Peyton 8-0 46 5 1-0
    8 Fowler 8-1 32 8 2-0
    9 Dawson 6-1 21 – 2-0
    10 Dayspring Christian 6-2 12 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Crowley County 11, Sargent 9, Ignacio 7, Denver Christian 6, Haxtun 6, Merino 5, Dolores Huerta 4, Hotchkiss 3, Ellicott 2, John Mall 1, Telluride 1, Union Colony 1.
    Dropped out
    Sargent (9), Hotchkiss (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holly (3) 10-0 78 1 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Wells (4) 8-0 63 3 1-0
    3 Flagler 9-1 62 6 2-0
    4 Weldon Valley 9-0 53 2 1-0
    5 Sierra Grande (1) 6-1 52 4 1-0
    6 Front Range Baptist (1) 8-0 30 – 2-0
    7 Fleming 5-3 26 8 2-0
    8 Kit Carson 5-3 24 7 1-1
    9 Wiley 6-4 21 – 3-0
    10 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 8-1 18 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Peetz 16, Longmont Christian 13, Creede/Lake City 11, Otis 10, Denver Jewish Day 8, Primero 8, Heritage Christian 4, Arickaree/Woodlin 3, Sangre de Cristo 2, McClave 1, South Baca 1.
    Dropped out
    Peetz (5), Sangre de Cristo (9).

  • Boys basketball rankings: ThunderRidge, Valor Christian new No. 1 teams

    ThunderRidge boys basketball team
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Corey Seng’s career night paid dividends for ThunderRidge this week.

    With a 71-61 win over George Washington, the Grizzlies enter this week as the new No. 1 team in the Class 5A CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings.

    The Patriots fall just one spot, taking over at No. 2.

    Chatfield made the big jump of the week, clearing three spots to land at No. 4.

    At No. 7, Cherry Creek was the only new team in the 5A poll.

    Valor Christian boys basketball team
    (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    There was also a new top team in 4A as Valor Christian takes over the position formally held by Pueblo West.

    The Cyclones were edged by Rampart in overtime on Saturday.

    Sand Creek jumped three spots from the previous rankings to come in at No. 3.

    Northridge (No. 9) and Pueblo South (No. 10) are the two new teams to the 4A rankings.

    Despite a 16-point loss to Rampart on Friday, Colorado Springs Christian remains the top team in the 3A poll. Resurrection Christian maintains its spot at No. 2 and Manitou Springs holds firm at No. 3.

    Overall, the top seven teams from the previous rankings went unchanged.

    DSST-Green Valley Ranch (No. 8) and Basalt (No. 10) are the two new teams to break into the 3A rankings this week.

    At 7-0, Sedgwick County remains the No. 1 team in 2A. Like the 3A rankings, the top seven teams in 2A are unchanged from the previous rankings.

    Fowler jumped two spots to land at No. 8 this week while Sargent (No. 9) and Hotchkiss (No. 10) are the 2A newcomers.

    Holly received seven of 10 first-place votes to hold on to the top spot in 1A. 

    Sierra Grande jumped one spot to land at No. 4 and at No. 7, Kit Carson is two spots better than the previous rankings.

    Sangre de Cristo is the lone newcomer in 1A at No. 9.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

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    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (16) 11-1 178 3 4-1
    2 George Washington 10-2 136 1 2-2
    3 Denver East (1) 9-3 135 4 1-2
    4 Chatfield 9-1 108 7 4-0
    5 Eaglecrest 8-2 107 5 4-0
    6 Rock Canyon 10-2 81 2 1-1
    7 Cherry Creek 10-1 80 – 5-0
    8 Grandview 10-1 70 8 3-1
    9 Doherty (1) 7-3 34 6 2-2
    10 Smoky Hill 8-3 17 10 3-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherokee Trail 6, Mountain Vista 6, Regis Jesuit 6, Chaparral 5, Rampart 5, Mountain Range 4, Lakewood 3, Legend 3, Columbine 2, Fort Collins 2, Vista Ridge 2.
    Dropped out
    Cherokee Trail (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Valor Christian (7) 8-3 144 4 4-1
    2 Pueblo West (7) 8-1 143 1 4-1
    3 Sand Creek (2) 10-1 122 5 3-0
    4 Vista PEAK 8-1 106 2 1-1
    5 Golden 9-2 97 3 1-1
    6 Mead 8-2 66 6 2-1
    7 D’Evelyn 8-2 47 9 2-0
    8 Holy Family 7-3 30 7 2-2
    9 Northridge 7-2 29 – 1-1
    10 Pueblo South 7-4 25 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sierra 20, Silver Creek 18, Durango 16, Thompson Valley 8, Lewis-Palmer 7, Evergreen 2.
    Dropped out
    Lewis-Palmer (8), Sierra (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Colorado Springs Christian (8) 6-1 159 1 1-1
    2 Resurrection Christian (5) 9-0 146 2 2-0
    3 Manitou Springs (3) 7-0 145 3 0-0
    4 Sterling (1) 6-1 110 4 0-0
    5 Alamosa 6-1 109 5 1-0
    6 Faith Christian 6-2 87 6 1-0
    7 Kent Denver 7-2 53 7 1-1
    8 DSST-Green Valley Ranch 5-3 32 – 1-0
    9 DSST-Stapleton 5-1 31 8 1-0
    10 Basalt 6-1 19 – 0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Strasburg 17, Bayfield 10, Machebeuf 10, Frontier Academy 9, Jefferson Academy 8, Lutheran 8, Buena Vista 6, Colorado Academy 6, Roaring Fork 6, Lotus 5, Manual 5, La Junta 3, Weld Central 3, Ridge View Academy 2, Rye 1.
    Dropped out
    Colorado Academy (9), Frontier Academy (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sedgwick County (4) 7-0 81 1 2-0
    2 Highland (3) 7-0 78 2 1-0
    3 Paonia (1) 7-1 75 3 2-0
    4 Del Norte 7-1 69 4 1-0
    5 Peyton (1) 7-0 49 5 1-0
    6 Akron 7-0 47 6 2-0
    7 Holyoke 5-2 38 7 2-0
    8 Fowler 6-1 27 10 2-0
    9 Sargent (1) 4-2 26 – 1-0
    10 Hotchkiss 6-3 12 – 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Center 9, Crowley County 8, Byers 7, Dawson 6, Dolores Huerta 5, Dayspring Christian 4, Ignacio 4, Burlington 3, Crested Butte 1, John Mall 1.
    Dropped out
    Dayspring Christian (8), Ignacio (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holly (7) 8-0 93 1 0-0
    2 Weldon Valley 8-0 69 2 3-0
    3 Cheyenne Wells (1) 7-0 68 3 2-0
    4 Sierra Grande (1) 5-1 65 5 0-0
    5 Peetz (1) 7-1 57 4 1-1
    6 Flagler 7-1 53 6 2-0
    7 Kit Carson 4-2 32 9 1-0
    8 Fleming 3-3 25 7 1-2
    9 Sangre de Cristo 4-4 17 – 0-2
    10 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 7-1 16 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Cotopaxi 10, Creede/Lake City 9, Front Range Baptist 7, La Veta 7, Wiley 7, ThornCreek Christian 5, Jim Elliot 4, South Baca 4, Longmont Christian 3, Heritage Christian 2, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 1, Otis 1, Shining Mountain 1, Walsh 1.
    Dropped out
    Front Range Baptist (8).

  • Schwartz and Gary lead No. 5 Sand Creek boys basketball over No. 8 Lewis-Palmer

    Lewis-Palmer Sand Creek boys basketball
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    MONUMENT — Prior to Wednesday’s Class 4A top 10 showdown between Sand Creek and Lewis-Palmer, Rangers coach Bill Benton couldn’t help but point out that the Scorpions had two distinct advantages.

    They were No. 25 and No. 4 on the roster.

    Almost prophetically, it was D’Shawn Schwartz and Jeffrey Gary – the two players Benton referenced – who carried Sand Creek to a 74-66 win.

    The Sand Creek dynamic duo was firing on all cylinders early and often. The Scorpions (9-1 overall, 1-0 Pikes Peak Athletic Conference) jumped out to a 6-2 lead as Schwartz and Gary each knocked down a 3-pointer on their first shots of the game.

    They would combine to connect on eight more before the night was over.

    “With two kids that can knock it down like that, it spreads the floor,” Sand Creek coach Rob Hawkins said. “We run our entire offense through those two guys. The biggest thing is we were able to get the ball to other guys.”

    Devon Young added 10 for the Scorpions, getting most of them on easy shots under the basketball when the Lewis-Palmer defense collapsed on Schwartz who led the game with 33 points.

    But it was the focus on what Sand Creek was going to defensively that took the Rangers (4-3, 0-1) away from what they do best as a team. Benton spoke with regret after the game, acknowledging that worrying about what the other team’s style rather than concentrating on what his guys do well ending up hurting.

    “Over the last week, I changed part of my focus and I think our guys were hurt by it,” Benton said. “We are a defensive-minded team and we spent a lot of the last couple days focusing what (Sand Creek) was going to do to us defensively. Scoring 66 points, we weren’t struggling on the offensive end.”

    Sand Creek came into the game with rhythm on offense partially because they had already seen game action since the end of the holiday break. They beat Palmer 87-53 on Monday night, the first day completion was allowed.

    Schwartz exploded for 43 points in that win, just setting the tone for what he needed to do to knock off the defending PPAC champions.

    “It helped us prepare,” Schwartz said. “We had a good game, we could get some rest get a little bit of practice and get some shots up.”

    The Rangers are a very different team from what they were a year ago. They lost key seniors from a team that ran the table in league, but were able to get solid production from Joel Scott and Billy Cook.

    Cook led the team with 21 points and Scott added 13.

    “Joel had a heck of a game,” Schwartz said. “I didn’t expect him to come out blazing like he did. I knew even though they graduated a lot of players that they’d be tough. Their coaching is great.”

    The most important thing for Benton as a coach is to make sure his boys learn from defeat. The last time Lewis-Palmer lost a PPAC game was back on Feb. 18, 2015 to eventual state champion Air Academy.

    “We have our goals in our team room,” Cook said. “This loss, we have to learn from it, but it’s not going to affect any of those long term goals. Coach said it’s a good loss as long as we learn from it.”

    And for the Scorpions, opening league play with a win over the defending champion is a good message to send.

    “I was good with this,” Hawkins said. “It was nerve-racking. They beat some good teams. They were good. I knew they were going to be tough.”

  • Photos: Sand Creek boys basketball opens league play with win over Lewis-Palmer

    MONUMNET — D’Shawn Schwartz scored 33 points as Sand Creek knocked off defending Pikes Peak Athletic Conference champion Lewis-Palmer 74-66.

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  • Photos: Sand Creek boys basketball kicks off 2017 with big win over Palmer

    COLORADO SPRINGS — D’Shawn Schwartz scored 43 points as Sand Creek boys basketball returned from the holiday break with a 87-53 win over Palmer.

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