Valor Christian is No. 1 in 5A’s preseason poll. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
As is tradition, the defending state football champions have a way of finding themselves atop the initial set of CHSAANow.com football rankings.
Of the seven teams that came away with titles in their respective classes, six will come into the 2016 season with a No. 1 ranking.
With 12 first place votes in Class 5A, Valor Christian comes in as the top dog in the states highest classification. They return MaxPrep All-American quarterback Dylan McCaffrey and emerging running back Josiah Davis on the offensive side of the ball.
Defensively, Noah Elliss leads a front seven that could rank as one of the top in the state. With balance on both sides of the ball, the Eagles will look for their seventh title in eight seasons.
State runner-up Pomona takes the No. 2 spot in the polls and are looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Valor in the 5A title game.
Mullen slides in at No. 3, while Cherry Creek and Grandview round out the top five teams.
Windsor is No. 1 in 4A. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)
In 4A, defending champion Windsor is riding high after playing its way to the fourth football title in team history. The Wizards sit atop the rankings with Pine Creek nipping closely at their heels.
The Eagles had a string of back-to-back title reigns ended last season and are looking rebound from an unexpected exit in the 4A semifinals.
With two consecutive titles in hand, Pueblo East starts the season as the top team in the 3A polls, taking seven first place votes.
The Eagles went through Fort Morgan in the 3A semifinals last year and topped Roosevelt in the title game. Those two teams follow Pueblo East in the rankings with the Roughriders sitting at No. 2 and the Mustangs coming in at No. 3.
As a newcomer to 3A, Longmont comes in at No. 4 despite receiving six first place votes.
The 2A poll starts with the most distribution among voters in the class. Bayfield comes in at No. 1 with three first place votes. Delta, a team dropping down to 2A with the new football classification cutoff numbers, received the most first place votes with five, but the Panthers come in at No. 4 to start the year.
The Classical Academy — another newcomer to 2A for this cycle — lands at No. 5.
Buena Vista is No. 1 in 1A. (Bill Cronin)
Just as they ended last season duking it out with each other, Buena Vista and Paonia battled for the top spot in the 1A polls with the Demons coming away with the top spot.
They received 12 votes for the No. 1 spot while the Panthers snagged four.
Burlington (No. 3) and Crowley County (No. 4) also received high rankings after making playoff runs last year.
Other quarterfinal teams that made the top 10 this season are Limon (No. 5) and Meeker (No. 10).
Like in the 1A polls, the 8-man state champ and runner-up come in as the top two teams this preseason. Sedgwick County and Akron take the No. 1 and No. 2 spots respectively with Sargent coming in at No. 3 and Norwood coming in at No. 4.
Overall, seven of the eight quarterfinal teams in the 8-man playoffs come into the season ranked in the top 10.
Fleming comes in as the only No. 1 team who does not have championship hardware from a year ago. The Wildcats lost in last year’s 6-man semifinals to eventual champion Eads, but come in this year as the preseason favorite to take the state title.
After coming away with the state title, Eads comes in at No. 2 despite receiving the majority of the first place votes.
State runner-up Arickaree/Woodlin comes in at No. 4.
Kit Carson (No. 3) and Pawnee (No. 5) round out the top five teams in the 6-man poll.
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.
Chatfield 25, Pueblo South 25, Fruita Monument 20, Monarch 17, Fort Collins 10, Montrose 10, Grand Junction 5, Greeley West 5, Pueblo Centennial 4, Pueblo West 4, Rampart 4.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Pueblo East (7)
0-0
126
2
Roosevelt
0-0
100
3
Fort Morgan (1)
0-0
89
4
Longmont (6)
0-0
75
5
Discovery Canyon
0-0
71
6
Palisade
0-0
65
7
Rifle
0-0
40
8
Evergreen
0-0
37
9
Holy Family
0-0
30
10
Thompson Valley
0-0
26
Others receiving votes:
Mead 23, Durango 16, Lutheran 10, Pueblo County 9, Eagle Valley 8, Lewis-Palmer 8, Silver Creek 8, Vista Peak 8, Palmer Ridge 7, Mitchell 6, Alameda 5, Conifer 1, Pueblo Central 1, Woodland Park 1.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Bayfield (3)
0-0
104
2
Kent Denver (1)
0-0
97
3
Platte Valley (2)
0-0
90
4
Delta (5)
0-0
78
5
The Classical Academy
0-0
68
6
D’Evelyn (3)
0-0
67
7
La Junta (1)
0-0
62
8
Resurrection Christian
0-0
58
9
Sterling
0-0
47
10
Brush
0-0
38
Others receiving votes:
Eaton 33, Faith Christian 20, Bishop Machbeuf 9, Manitou Springs 8, Moffat County 8, Elizabeth 7, Cortez 6, Fort Lupton 5, Steamboat Springs 5, Arvada 4, The Academy 4, Gunnison 3, Basalt 2, Weld Central 2.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Buena Vista (12)
0-0
149
2
Paonia (4)
0-0
146
3
Burlington
0-0
83
4
Crowley County
0-0
76
5
Limon
0-0
71
6
Strasburg
0-0
52
7
Bennett
0-0
50
8
Platte Canyon
0-0
41
9
Monte Vista
0-0
35
10
Meeker
0-0
34
Others receiving votes:
Rye 33, Cedaredge 24, Centauri 24, Dolores 16, Ellicott 15, Wiggins 14, Center 8, Dolores Huerta 8, Holyoke 8, Vail Christian 8, Colorado Springs Christian 6, Olathe 6, Rocky Ford 6, Grand Valley 5, Byers 4, Highland 4, Peyton 3, Trinidad 3, Hotchkiss 2, Front Range Christian 1.
8-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Sedgwick County (8)
0-0
96
2
Akron
0-0
87
3
Sargent
0-0
80
4
Norwood (2)
0-0
73
5
Dayspring Christian
0-0
61
6
Hoehne (1)
0-0
60
7
Merino
0-0
31
8
Granada
0-0
26
9
Caliche (1)
0-0
23
10
Dove Creek
0-0
20
Others receiving votes:
West Grand 15, Sangre de Cristo 14, Holly 12, Springfield 12, Sanford 10, Las Animas 9, Mancos 9, Miami-Yoder 6, Haxtun 5, Plateau Valley 3, Del Norte 2, Hayden 2, Soroco 2, Gilpin County 1, McClave 1.
The 2016 all-state baseball players of the year are (from left): Holly’s Ricardo Juarez (1A); Dawson’s Luke Feigal (2A); ThunderRidge’s Jake Eissler (5A); Lewis-Palmer’s Paul Tillotson (4A); and Faith Christian’s Austin Stone (3A). (Photos: Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com; Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com; Chris Fehrm/MaxPreps; Michael Hankins/MaxPreps)
The 2016 all-state baseball 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.
[divider]
Class 5A
ThunderRidge’s Jake Eissler is the 5A baseball player of the year. (Michael Hankins/MaxPreps) Player of the year: Jake Eissler, ThunderRidge
Coach of the year: Allan Dyer, Cherokee Trail
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Austin Alarid
Rocky Mountain
LHP/1B
Senior
Jerome Bohannon
Cherokee Trail
LHP/OF
Senior
Quin Cotton
Regis Jesuit
OF
Senior
Jake Eissler
ThunderRidge
RHP/3B/1B
Senior
Maverick Handley
Mullen
C/INF
Senior
Travis Marr
Regis Jesuit
RHP/1B
Senior
Conner Nantkes
Cherokee Trail
LHP/UTIL
Junior
Ryan Sullivan
Cherokee Trail
1B
Senior
Nate Sweeney
Cherry Creek
RHP/SS/OF
Senior
Bo Weiss
Regis Jesuit
RHP
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Peter Carlson
Ralston Valley
SS/RHP
Senior
Bailey Collins
Dakota Ridge
OF/P
Senior
Eric Cox
Cherokee Trail
RHP/OF
Junior
Cade Crader
Grandview
1B/RHP
Senior
Tommy Gillman
Columbine
SS
Senior
Jay Onken
Pine Creek
OF/RHP
Sophomore
Casey Opitz
Heritage
C/SS/RHP
Junior
Tanner O’Tremba
Cherry Creek
OF/RHP
Sophomore
Sam Schroeder
Fruita Monument
P/OF
Senior
Josh Schumacher
Rangeview
2B/SS/P
Senior
John Sorensen
Rocky Mountain
SS/RHP
Junior
Honorable mention:
Cuba Bess, Senior, Fruita Monument
Evan Bolin, Senior, Prairie View
Wade Council, Senior, Pine Creek
Aaron Dammel, Senior, Highlands Ranch
Chris Diehl, Senior, Rocky Mountain
Riley Egloff, Sophomore, Heritage
Cole Farmer, Senior, Brighton
Matt Givin, Junior, Rock Canyon
Alex Gonzales, Senior, Rocky Mountain
Tanner Hauptman, Senior, Ralston Valley
Tyson Hays, Junior, Grandview
Ryley Humrighouse, Senior, Castle View
Ricky Marshall, Senior, Fountain-Fort Carson
Jake Minnick, Senior, Douglas County
Jacob Moyer, Senior, Fort Collins
Dylan Paulsen, Senior, Gateway
Walter Pennington, Senior, Broomfield
Nick Perez, Junior, Cherokee Trail
Rocco Porreco, Junior, Mullen
Chase Powell, Senior, Lakewood
Tony Rice, Senior, Liberty
Jacob Rodriguez, Senior, Adams City
Joey Salvato, Junior, Mullen
Tyler Smith, Senior, Grandview
Jordan Stubbings, Junior, Legend
Nathaniel Swanson, Junior, Northglenn
Jadon Uhrich, Junior, Rocky Mountain
Razzo Vigil, Junior, Westminster
[divider]
Class 4A
Lewis-Palmer’s Paul Tillotson is the 4A baseball player of the year. (Chris Fehrm/MaxPreps) Player of the year: Paul Tillotson, Lewis-Palmer
Coach of the year: Keith Wahl, Valor Christian
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Clint Allen
Erie
C/INF/P
Senior
Rocco Arguto
Pueblo West
RF
Senior
Holden Bernhardt
Mountain View
P/OF/1B
Senior
Wyatt Featherston
Green Mountain
OF/P
Senior
Jake Greenwalt
Windsor
–
Senior
Cole McKissock
Air Academy
INF
Senior
Dauson Tate
Pueblo West
C
Senior
Paul Tillotson
Lewis-Palmer
–
Senior
Austin Wood
Silver Creek
1B/P
Senior
Luke Ziegler
Valor Christian
3B/RHP
Sophomore
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Mike Berg
Thompson Valley
C/OF/3B
Junior
Issac Bracken
Berthoud
–
Senior
Jaspar Carmichael
Delta
SS/P
Sophomore
Billy Cook
Lewis-Palmer
–
Junior
Nyk Crumrine
Valor Christian
INF/RHP
Senior
Bailey Hansen
Air Academy
P/OF
Senior
Davis Heller
Valor Christian
RHP/1B
Freshman
Ethan Keller
Delta
CF/P
Junior
Ruben Portillo
Erie
P/INF
Junior
Cooper Rothe
Longmont
CF
Senior
Judah Wilbur
Denver North
INF/SS/2B
Junior
Honorable mention:
Kavan Andrew, Senior, Longmont
Locke Bernhardt, Senior, Mountain View
Cameron Brosh, Senior, Canon City
Josh Crites, Senior, Erie
Kyle Daniels, Senior, Fort Morgan
Blake Donels, Junior, Valor Christian
Gavin Fesmire, Senior, Pueblo Centennial
Daniel Gurrola, Senior, Denver North
Spencer Hamilton, Senior, The Classical Academy
Jaeden Hegmann, Junior, Mesa Ridge
Dane Kapande, Senior, Evergreen
Joe Lucas, Senior, Palisade
Zach Manchester, Senior, Canon City
Garrett Martin, Junior, Eagle Valley
Lawrence Mayberry, Senior, Durango
Mitch Menard, Senior, D’Evelyn
Skyler Messinger, Junior, Niwot
Jared Miller, Sophomore, Montrose
Brett Muscatello, Senior, Evergreen
Max Noland, Junior, Palisade
Dylan Norsen, Junior, Mountain View
Gunner Pickett, Senior, Mead
Blake Reiher, Junior, Delta
Morgan Robinson, Senior, Rifle
Stephen Romero, Junior, Glenwood Springs
Andrew Shaw, Junior, Summit
Tyler Shubert, Senior, Windsor
Isiah Torres, Senior, Pueblo East
Sean Weller, Senior, Battle Mountain
Kaylor Werner, Sophomore, Northridge
Cole Winn, Sophomore, Silver Creek
[divider] Faith Christian’s Austin Stone is the 3A baseball player of the year. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
The 2015-16 all-state girls basketball players of the year. (Photos: Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com; Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com; Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)
The 2015-16 all-state girls basketball teams 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 week-long vote of coaches.
A specific player of the year vote was held in each class, as was a vote for coach of the year.
[divider]
Class 5A
Grandview’s Michaela Onyenwere is the 5A girls basketball player of the year. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
The 2015 football players of the year. From left: Dylan Dixon of Eads; Keegan Wentz of Buena Vista; JoJo Domann of Pine Creek; Dylan McCaffrey of Valor Christian; Daniel Martin of Pueblo East; Kelton McCoy of Bayfield; Trey Walter of Sedgwick County. (Photos: Jack Eberhard/JacksActoinShots.com; Bill Cronin; Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com; Jeff Tucker; and Sedgwick County HS)
The 2015 all-state football teams 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 coaches.
Video courtesy of Quentin Sickafoose/The Coloradoan
(3) Windsor 20, (11) Palmer Ridge 14 (OT)
For much of the afternoon, Palmer Ridge looked like it might pull off the upset. But Windsor quarterback Brad Peeples had a 52-yard run in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
“After last year’s second-round loss, I told the boys, ‘The sun will come up tomorrow,’” Windsor coach Chris Jones told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show after the game. “And today’s speech was, ‘The sun came up. It’s tomorrow. It’s our moment.’ They just had faith that they were going to get it done no matter what.”
After Shields scored, “It was a great moment of euphoria for all of our fans, our players, our coaches,” Jones said.
Palmer Ridge led 14-7 at halftime, and it stayed that way until Peeples’ touchdown.
“We had a lot of ups and downs to overcome early in the game and in the third quarter,” Jones said. “It was a very gut-wrenching game there at the end there.”
The Wizards get a rematch with Longmont. The two teams played a tight defensive battle during the regular season, which ended in a Hail Mary score to give Longmont a win.
Longmont beat Denver South. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Longmont’s Conlan Berger rushed for two touchdowns and also had a receiving score, while Eli Sullivan returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and also added a four-yard rushing score.
In addition, Ethan Gabrielle had a rushing TD, and David Speidel threw a touchdown.
Pine Creek cruised to its 37th-straight win, this one coming after yet another fast start. It was 36-0 at halftime.
Brock Domann passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, while his brother JoJo had a rushing TD, and was on the receiving end of one of the passing score.
Joey Long scores two rushing touchdowns, and Kacin Nowlin had a receiving touchdown.
“We just didn’t give up the big plays,” Fort Morgan coach Harrison Chisum told the Scoreboard Show. “We were able to be aggressive yet disciplined on their counters. A lot of the end-arounds, we were able to set the edge.”
The Mustangs will play at defending champion Pueblo East in the semifinals.
Roosevelt advanced to the semifinals. More photos. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
(2) Roosevelt 42, (7) Evergreen 19
Roosevelt built a big lead early in cruising to the semifinals. The Roughriders led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-6 at half. It was 42-6 after three.
Carlos Ortega had two rushing touchdowns, and a receiving score for Roosevelt. Cameron Hurtado added two passing touchdowns, and also rushed for one.
“Our guys showed up to play today, and I think the scoreboard shows it,” Roosevely coach Noland Eastin told the Scoreboard Show. “It doesn’t get any easier, but it’s a good way to end a good week of practice.”
Roosevelt will face Delta in the semifinals at home.
The game was a rematch of a regular season game, also won by Pueblo East.
Pueblo East will be home in the semifinals.
(3) Delta 27, (6) The Classical Academy 14
Delta trailed 14-13 at halftime, but rallied to secure a spot in the semifinals.
Kole Roberts gave his team the lead for good with a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and then the quarterback found Tristan Brown for an insurance score in the fourth quarter.
“We knew that it was going to be a battle. It was 13-7 at the half. So we knew they were a tough team, that we just had to put our hats on,” coach Gary Heide told the Scoreboard Show.
Of the second half, Heide said, “We came out on defense, played well … and then we drove the ball down and scored. … When we scored, I knew that we were here to play the second half.”
Kelton McCoy threw four touchdowns and rushed for two more in leading Bayfield to the win. Brody McGhehey was on the receiving end of two of those scores.
Wyatt Freier and Taed Heydinger each had a receiving touchdown, while Zane Phelps scored on the ground.
Bayfield was last in a championship game in 2011, when it lost to Florence.
(3) Platte Valley 29, (2) Kent Denver 23
Platte Valley, down 17-0 in the second quarter and 23-7 at halftime, had a furious rally to reach the title game.
The Eagles rallied late to earn a chance at defending their championship yet again.
Paonia, which is a two-time defending champion, got a touchdown from Jeremiah Hillman with 3:06 to play, then got a late interception to seal the win.
“It was third down, and we just ran a little off-tackle play, and Jeremiah Hillman just buried it in,” Paonia coach Brent McRae told the Scoreboard Show.
The win sets up a rematch with Buena Vista for the 1A title. The championship game will be in Buena Vista.
“We’re pretty familiar with each other in the postseason,” McRae said. “It’s going to be very interesting, a very competitive ballgame.”
(1) Buena Vista 42, (5) Crowley County 0
The top seed rolled into the championship game, which it will host next weekend.
“The score doesn’t do the game justice. It was a pretty hard-fought battle. It was 14-0 at half,” Buena Vista coach Matt Flavin told the Scoreboard Show. “But we got the win, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
Keenan Barr had two rushing touchdowns and a defensive score, and Keegan Wentz also scored twice on the ground.
Of the rematch with Paonia, Flavin said, “Those guys, the last few years, have just been the dominant team. … I hope we can rise to that occasion.”
(1) Sedgwick County 50, (4) Sargent 8
The Cougars led 20-0 after the first quarter and 42-0 at halftime in rolling to the championship game.
“We got a couple of quick scores, and that always helps,” Sedgwick County coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show.
This marks the first appearance in a title game for the Sedgwick County football co-op, which is comprised of Julesburg and Revere. Julesburg has won four titles in school history, and Revere has won nine. That program was last in a title game in 2004, when it lost to Hi-Plains for the 6-man championship.
“The boys are excited, the community is excited,” Michel said. “It should be a fun week.”
The championship against Akron will be a rematch of a 22-3 Sedgwick County win on Oct. 30.
“They say it’s always hard to beat a good team twice, and Akron’s a very good program,” Michel said. “They’ve got a good defense. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
(3) Akron 16, (2) Norwood 0
Akron’s defense pitched a shutout as the Rams advanced to a title game for the first time since 2009. That was the last appearance in a stretch of five-straight for the program.
“Our kids just showed up to play today and did a really good job,” Akron coach Jerome Weers told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids definitely have a very good defensive mindset, and they like playing it. They’re going to have to play good next week against SedgCo.”
Columbine is one of four No. 1 seeds in the Class 5A football playoffs. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
AURORA — The state playoff brackets for five classifications — 5A, 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man — were released on Sunday. Postseason play in each class begins this week.
The 5A bracket, a 32-team field, is the only playoff of the bunch that does not feature a No. 1 overall seed. Instead, it seeds teams Nos. 1-8 into one of four quadrants. The four No. 1 seeds are Columbine (9-0), Valor Christian (7-2), Grandview (7-2) and defending champion Cherry Creek (7-2).
No. 2 seeds, who are also hosting first-round games, include Regis Jesuit (7-2), Arapahoe (9-0), Pomona (6-3), and Westminster (9-0).
There were some questions as to why Arapahoe got a No. 2 seed behind Grandview, who the Warriors beat this season. Asked about that specific situation, the 5A committee said it “was due to the quality of (Grandview’s) wins late, how early Arapahoe and Grandview played, and overall strength of Arapahoe’s schedule.”
Also hosting first round games in 5A are No. 3 seeds — Legacy, Ralston Valley, Horizon, and Fountain-Fort Carson — and No. 4 seeds — Heritage, Fairview, Mountain Vista and Mullen.
The 32-team 5A field is set by the final Wild Card points, which were released on Saturday morning. From there, the committee has a number of criteria it can use to seed the teams, including the use of the CHSAA RPI formula.
The 5A title game will be played on Dec. 5 at Mile High.
Kent Denver is seeded No. 2 in 2A. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
In 2A, Bayfield heads the field as the No. 1 overall seed. The Wolverines are 8-0.
Other top seeds in the 2A field who will host games in the first round include No. 2 Kent Denver, No. 3 Platte Valley, No. 4 La Junta, No. 5 Sterling, No. 6 Alameda, No. 7 Bennett and No. 8 Moffat County.
Brush, the defending champion, is seeded No. 9.
The 2A championship game is set for Nov. 28 at a home site.
Leading the 1A field is top overall seed Buena Vista. Also hosting games in the first round are No. 2 Resurrection Christian, No. 3 Paonia, No. 4 Monte Vista, No. 5 Crowley County, No. 6 Burlington, No. 7 Platte Canyon and No. 8 Wiggins.
Paonia is the defending champion.
The 1A title game will be played No. 28, also at a home site.
8-man’s playoff field is led by No. 1 Sedgwick County. Other first-round hosts include No. 2 Norwood, No. 3 Akron, No. 4 Sargent, No. 5 Springfield, No. 6 Dayspring Christian, No. 7 West Grand and No. 8 Hoehne.
Defending champion Caliche did not make the field.
The 8-man title game will be played No. 28 at a home site.
In 6-man, Kit Carson got the top seed. Those teams also hosting first-round games are No. 2 Fleming, No. 3 Eads and No. 4 Arickaree/Woodlin. Arickaree/Woodlin is the defending champion.
The 6-man title tilt will kick off the championship slate with its game scheduled for Nov. 21. It will be played at a home site.
No. 3 Valor Christian beat No. 2 Grandview in a big 5A game at Valor on Friday. The Eagles won the Centennial League. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
A complete schedule and scoreboard for football’s top-10 teams during Week 9 of the 2015 season.
