Three new No. 1 teams were crowned this week in the CHSAANow.com baseball rankings.
Silver Creek now stands atop the Class 4A poll, Paonia takes over as the top 2A team and Holly comes at No. 1 in the 1A rankings.
With new teams breaking into every poll this week, the rankings have a much different look to them than they did when the last new set was released two weeks ago.
Silver Creek made the most impressive jump out of any other team, regardless of classification. Two weeks ago, the Raptors held the No. 7 position in 4A and after rattling off three wins in Arizona, the voters saw enough to boost their position.
Canon City, Pueblo East and Valor Christian also had solid outings since spring break and played their way in the rankings. Canon City lands at No. 3, Pueblo East comes in at No. 4 and Valor Christian takes over the No. 7 spot that Silver Creek held in the previous rankings.
Regis Jesuit remains No. 1 in the 5A poll this week. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
Regis Jesuit remains the top team in 5A.
Ralston Valley gained ground in this week’s poll, jumping from No. 9 to No. 6.
Douglas County, ThunderRidge and Heritage join the 5A rankings at No. 8, No. 9 and No. 10 respectively.
Eaton may still be the top team in 3A, but it’s No. 2 Bayfield who suddenly getting attention from voters. The Wolverines completed a successful road trip to Colorado Springs where they held on to beat St. Mary’s before holding off Lamar and Manitou Springs in a double-header.
Kent Denver was the lone addition to the 3A poll at No. 9.
Paonia’s 8-0 start to the season was good enough for the Eagles to jump three spots and take over the No. 1 spot in 2A. They swept former No. 1 Resurrection Christian in a double-header on Saturday.
The Cougars fell to No. 5 as a result.
Rocky Ford (No. 6) and Limon (No. 10) joined the 2A rankings this week.
Holly made the two-spot jump after a 2-1 start to their season to become the new No. 1 team in 1A.
Granada, who was ranked No. 7 in the previous rankings, also made a significant jump this week as the Bobcats come in at No. 2.
Rocky Mountain Lutheran and Briggsdale are the two new teams to the 1A rankings, coming in at No. 7 and No. 8 respectively.
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.
Rocky Mountain (4), Columbine (8), Mountain Vista (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Silver Creek (5)
6-1
93
7
4-1
2
D’Evelyn (5)
4-1
75
1
3-1
3
Canon City
8-1
60
–
6-0
4
Pueblo East
6-1
52
–
4-1
5
Pueblo West
6-3
51
4
2-2
6
Wheat Ridge (1)
4-2
50
3
3-2
7
Valor Christian
5-2
45
–
4-1
8
Lewis-Palmer
4-2
40
2
3-2
9
Denver North
5-1
31
8
2-1
10
Longmont
3-1
24
6
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Mountain View 19, Green Mountain 15, Palmer Ridge 10, Pueblo South 10, Montrose 9, Windsor 7, Thomas Jefferson 5, Northridge 3, The Classical Academy 3, Air Academy 2, Niwot 1.
Dropped out:
Green Mountain (5), Evergreen (9), Air Academy (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Eaton (7)
4-0
87
1
4-0
2
Bayfield (2)
4-2
83
5
3-0
3
Lamar (1)
6-1
72
3
3-1
4
University
1-2
49
2
0-2
5
Gunnison
5-0
46
6
2-0
6
La Junta
6-1
44
7
4-1
7
Faith Christian
2-3
38
8
2-3
8
Brush
3-1
33
4
2-1
9
Kent Denver
2-2
18
–
0-0
10
Valley
3-2
16
9
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Colorado Springs Christian 12, St. Mary’s 11, Lutheran 7, Sterling 7, Dolores Huerta 6, Buena Vista 5, Monte Vista 5, Salida 5, The Academy 4, Coal Ridge 3, Trinidad 2, Jefferson Academy 1, Olathe 1, Sheridan 1.
It’s still early in the 2016 baseball season, but there has already been some shakeup in the Class 1A CHSAANow.com baseball rankings.
Eads takes over the top spot in the state after a 1-0 start to their season. Former No. 1 Dove Creek, who has stumbled out of the gate fell to No. 2.
Cotopaxi and Manzanola played their way into the still young rankings, coming in at No. 6 and No. 9 respectively.
Nothing has changed at the top of the 5A rankings as Regis Jesuit and Cherry Creek remain the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in those rankings.
Ralston Valley joined the 5A baseball poll at No. 8 this week. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Columbine is one of two newcomers in the poll as they land at No. 8 with Ralston Valley, the other newcomer, joining at No. 9.
The top of the 4A rankings has the same story as the 5A poll. D’Evelyn and Lewis-Palmer remain the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the class, with both teams undefeated on the year.
Though, the 4A rankings did see more turnover this week than any other class as Silver Creek (No. 7), Denver North (No. 8) and Air Academy (No. 9) all broke their way into this week’s poll.
And it was 3A who saw the least turnover of the week. Eaton still holds the No. 1 spot, but nine of last week’s 10 ranked teams all stayed in the poll this week, although a few did jump up or down in ranking.
Buena Vista is the lone newcomer in the poll, coming in at No. 10.
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.
ThunderRidge 13, Fort Collins 10, Heritage 10, Prairie View 10, Cherokee Trail 9, Smoky Hill 9, Bear Creek 6, Arapahoe 5, Broomfield 4, Brighton 3, Douglas County 2, Fountain-Fort Carson 2, Lakewood 2, Dakota Ridge 1, Fruita Monument 1, Legend 1, Mullen 1.
Dropped out:
Cherokee Trail (8), Mullen (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
D’Evelyn (7)
1-0
70
1
1-0
2
Lewis-Palmer (1)
1-0
57
2
1-0
3
Wheat Ridge
1-0
49
5
1-0
4
Pueblo West
4-1
46
3
4-1
5
Green Mountain
0-0
42
4
0-0
6
Longmont
1-0
38
7
1-0
7
Silver Creek
1-0
32
–
1-0
8
Denver North
3-0
25
–
3-0
9
Evergreen
2-1
17
9
2-1
10
Air Academy
0-0
14
–
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Elizabeth 11, Windsor 7, Centaurus 6, Montrose 6, Mountain View 6, Palmer Ridge 4, Pueblo South 4, Standley Lake 3, Littleton 2, Erie 1.
Dropped out:
Windsor (6), Canon City (8), Palisade (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Eaton (8)
0-0
89
1
0-0
2
University (2)
1-0
84
4
1-0
3
Lamar
3-0
76
5
3-0
4
Brush
1-0
66
3
1-0
5
Bayfield
1-2
55
2
1-2
6
Gunnison
3-0
46
6
3-0
7
La Junta
2-0
39
7
2-0
8
Faith Christian
0-0
32
9
0-0
9
Valley
2-1
16
8
2-1
10
Buena Vista
2-1
11
–
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Kent Denver 7, Lutheran 7, SkyView Academy 5, Jefferson Academy 4, Sheridan 4, Colorado Springs Christian 3, Grand Valley 2, Sterling 2, Denver Science & Tech Stapleton 1, Peak to Peak 1.
Dropped out:
Kent Denver (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Resurrection Christian (6)
0-0
77
1
0-0
2
Sedgwick County (1)
2-0
69
2
2-0
3
Hotchkiss (2)
5-0
68
3
5-0
4
Paonia
2-0
53
5
2-0
5
Rye
0-0
49
6
0-0
6
County Line (McClave/Wiley)
0-0
34
4
0-0
7
Haxtun
2-0
21
7
2-0
8
Burlington
0-0
16
8
0-0
9
Swink
0-0
16
10
0-0
10
Kiowa
1-0
14
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Peyton 14, Front Range Christian 11, Crowley County 10, Evangelical Christian 8, Limon 8, Dolores 7, Sanford 7, Fowler 5, Wray 3, Akron 2, Sargent 2, Yuma 1.
Dropped out:
Sanford (9).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Eads (3)
1-0
71
4
1-0
2
Dove Creek (3)
1-3
58
1
1-3
3
Holly (1)
0-0
46
2
0-0
4
Fleming
0-0
40
3
0-0
5
Community Christian
1-0
37
6
1-0
6
Cotopaxi (1)
4-1
35
–
4-1
7
Granada
0-0
29
7
0-0
8
Nucla
1-2
23
5
1-2
9
Manzanola
2-0
21
–
2-0
10
Peetz
0-1
20
8
0-1
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Mountain Lutheran 16, Cheyenne Wells 10, Stratton/Liberty 9, Gilpin County 6, Antonito 4, Springfield 4, Elbert 3, Weldon Valley 3, Cornerstone Christian 1, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 1, South Baca 1.
Lewis-Palmer senior Paul Tillotson wants to help the Rangers win a state baseball championship before he heads to Nebraska. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
MONUMENT — It’s now or never for Lewis-Palmer senior Paul Tillotson.
The senior has been a staple to the Rangers’ baseball program for three seasons and entering his fourth and final year, he’s hoping that his experience and leadership can help him get his hands on that state championship trophy, even if the makeup of the team doesn’t have the same feel.
“It’s a little bit different,” Tillotson said. “We lost some guys from last year, we got a new coach but we’re looking on the up-and-up right now.”
Having Tillotson on the roster gives the team instant credibility. They came in as the No. 2 team in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com preseason baseball rankings. That’s the kind of reputation a team has when they have a University of Nebraska commit on its roster.
That’s right. Like several other Colorado athletes, Tillotson is bound for Lincoln. That is assuming that the lure of Major League Baseball doesn’t rear its head in June.
Paul Tillotson. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
But for now, Tillotson’s only focus is on helping the Rangers become a better baseball team and continuing the string of success it has seen in recent seasons.
First-year coach Brett Lester is fortunate enough to join a squad that rosters one of the best players in the state.
“It’s a luxury that not many coaches get the chance to enjoy,” Lester said. “He’s going to be competitive every time out and he’s going to do well on the mound, even at the plate in the games that he’s not pitching, he’s going to have a huge output.”
In 2015, Tillotson was such a devastating weapon for the Rangers. From the offensive side, he batted .446 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. In 95 plate appearances, he struck out only six times.
On the mound, he went 8-1 with a 1.62 ERA. He struck out 145 hitters and walked only 22.
So which skill set are the Huskers hoping to utilize?
“I’m definitely going as a pitcher, but they wanted to know if I still want to hit,” Tillotson said. “They hinting on the subject that I’m going to hit more (than they thought I would).”
And he’s up for it.
He remains in constant communication with the Huskers and they continue to track each other’s progress.
And while it’s easy to track numbers on a boxscore, the one thing that Tillotson is working harder at this year is helping out the younger players. He and teammate Billy Cook are doing everything they can to develop young players and ensure that Lewis-Palmer will be a winning program well beyond this year.
“As returning veterans it’s kind of on us to help those young guys out,” Tillotson said. “Just the little things that go into winning games through the season. It’s our job to help kids out when we see things they need help on.”
And in the process, they’ll be helping themselves out as well. At the end of last season Tillotson and the Rangers were on hand as the state championship trophy was handed to Green Mountain. That feeling, regardless of the changes the team has gone through, made him hungry and determined to bring a state championship back to Lewis-Palmer.
The Rangers have never won a baseball crown.
“I definitely have the hunger,” he said. “I want to push myself and my team to prove that we deserve that No. 2 ranking. I’m always going to be pushing my team to make sure that we’re doing the best that we can.”
Regis Jesuit is the preseason No. 1 team in 5A baseball. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
The preseason CHSAANow.com baseball rankings show something very different from most other preseason rankings that are released through the year. They don’t have an abundance of defending state champions sitting at the top of the polls.
In Class 5A, the Regis Jesuit Raiders come into the season as the overwhelming No. 1 team in the state. They received eight of 12 first-place votes to earn that ranking.
Though the regular season is slated to start this week, the Raiders won’t play until Mar. 16.
Defending champion Rock Canyon comes in at No. 3 to start the season.
D’Evelyn comes in as the top team in 4A to start the season. The Jaguars fell just short of reaching the state championship series as they fell to eventual state champion Green Mountain in the semifinals.
The Rams lost a significant number of seniors from last year’s team and as a result, will start the season ranked No. 4.
In 3A, Eaton is one of two defending state champions to start the year with a No. 1 ranking. The Red received seven of nine first-place votes.
Eaton topped Brush in the 3A state championship and the Beetdiggers also came in high in the preseason polls at No. 3.
Resurrection Christian went from 2A state runner-up in the spring to preseason No. 1. The Cougars fell to Rye in an offensive battle in last year’s 2A state title game. The Thunderbolts came away with a 12-10 win and will start the season with a No. 6 ranking.
Dove Creek is the other defending champ to earn a No. 1 preseason ranking. The Bulldogs won the 1A title with an 8-5 win over Granada.
The 1A class may prove to be to the most wide-open as Dove Creek took only half of the first-place votes, the fewest of any preseason No. 1 this year.
The regular season for baseball is scheduled to begin Mar. 10.
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.
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.”
EADS — The dynamic of a 6-man football game tends to allow for the scoreboard to read more like a basketball final. But that wasn’t the case Saturday as Eads, behind a suffocating defense, topped Arickaree/Woodlin 34-12 to win the 6-man state football championship.
After allowing a 56-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game, the Eads (11-1 overall) defense only allowed six points the rest of the way, none of them coming in the second half.
“It feels pretty good,” Eads coach Dustin Upland said. “My assistant coaches, as far as defensively, they had (Arickaree/Woodlin) pegged. They should take the credit for that.”
But early in the game, it didn’t look like credit or praise would be given for defense effort. On the first play from scrimmage, Indians running back Wyatt Kolman broke for a long touchdown run to put his team up 6-0 early.
The Eagles tied the game on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Caden Parker to Dylan Dixon, but another Kolman touchdown gave the lead back to Arickaree/Woodlin at 12-6.
A 49-yard touchdown run by Fred Turner tied the game up once again and as time ticked away in the first half, the Indians drove down looking to regain the lead.
After a pass interference penalty put the Indians on the two-yard line, three straight runs were stuffed by the Eads defense, which was becoming a common theme for the day.
“They played really good defense,” Indians coach David Saffer said. “They have athletes and the have speed. They stack the line to get things to the outside and try to make us use our speed.”
Things started clicking for the Eagles in the second half as Parker again found Dixon through the air. The connection was good for a 60-yard touchdown pass, giving Eads the lead for good.
“We’re more of a second half team,” Dixon said. “We condition a lot, so we’re ready for that.”
This win is especially sweet for Dixon and his teammates. They made to the 6-man title game last year only to lose 44-26 to the Indians.
“We’ve been waiting a long time,” he said. “We’ve been waiting for this revenge.”
Reagan Lane got in on the fun with an eight-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 26-12. A desperate Indians team fumbled the ball away on the next drive and Rustin Jensen was able to recover for the Eagles, giving them the ball a feeling that a state title was imminent.
One more touchdown pass from Parker to Dixon made it 34-12 and the Eagles were celebrating their first football championship since 2007.
Dixon, who was sporting a cast due a broken hand that he suffered two weeks ago, felt an extra surge of motivation for both a rematch of last year’s title game and having to play more as a receiver than at running back, his natural position.
“The cast gave me a lot more motivation,” he said. “I played a position I never played before in my life. I was ready to try it out.”
He did more than try. Thanks to his ability to adapt, he was able to come up big for the Eagles on both sides of the ball. That, and the work of his teammates, paved the way for the Eagles to hoist championship gold.
ThunderRidge girls basketball opens the 2015-16 season as No. 1 in 5A. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Three teams which finished second last season now open this season as No. 1 in their respective classification.
ThunderRidge, Sand Creek, Manitou Springs, Yuma and Idalia are the preseason No. 1 teams in CHSAANow.com’s girls basketball rankings, which were released on Friday. Of those, ThunderRidge, Sand Creek and Yuma finished as runner-up in 2014-15. Idalia is the lone defending champion of the bunch.
ThunderRidge, led by new coach Matt Asik and Wyoming commit Taylor Rusk, received 13 of the 17 first-place votes to lead the Class 5A poll. The Grizzlies return four of their five leading scorers, including Rusk, a first-team all-state pick in 5A last season.
Grandview and super junior Michaela Onyenwere, also a first-team all-state pick, are No. 2 in the preseason. The Wolves received two first-place votes.
Highlands Ranch and its trio of Division Icommits are third, while defending champion Broomfield is fourth. Lakewood rounds out the top-5.
Also ranked in 5A’s preseason top-10 are No. 6 Cherry Creek, No. 7 Ralston Valley, No. 8 Monarch, No. 9 Fossil Ridge and No. 10 Regis Jesuit.
Sand Creek is No. 1 in Class 4A. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
In 4A, Sand Creek leads the way with 13 of the 19 first-place votes. The Scorpions, who lost to Valor Christian in last season’s 4A title game, return their top five leading scorers. That includes Division I commits Liah Davis and Oliana Squires. Both girls earned all-state recognition last season, with Squires making the first team.
Defending champion Valor Christian is second, with three first-place votes, and D’Evelyn is No. 3. Longmont and Holy Family round out the top-5.
Manitou Springs was a Final 4 team a season ago. On Friday, the Mustangs received five of the 11 first-place votes to lead 3A’s preseason rankings. All nine girls return from last season’s varsity roster, including first-team all-state pick Shelby Megyeri.
Sterling, last season’s 3A runner-up, is second, and defending champion Pagosa Springs is No. 3. Eaton and Lutheran round out the top 5.
Yuma heads the preseason 2A poll with eight of the 10 first-place votes. The team graduated just two seniors and returns more than 80 percent of its offense. Logan Hixon was a first-team all-state pick in 2014-15.
Defending champion Akron is No. 3 to begin the year, just behind No. 2 Paonia.
In 1A, the reigning champ Idalia received nine of 10 first-place votes to lead the preseason ranking. The Wolves are led by returning first-team all-state pick Reagan Shaffer. Their top three scorers are back.
Kit Carson is No. 2, and last season’s runner-up, Sangre de Cristo, is No. 3.
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.
Horizon 22, Rampart 17, Denver East 15, Pine Creek 15, Mountain Vista 14, Rock Canyon 6, Fairview 4, Fruita Monument 4, Grand Junction 4, Loveland 3, Mullen 2, Rocky Mountain 2, Grand Junction Central 1, Gateway 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Sand Creek (13)
0-0
184
2
Valor Christian (3)
0-0
154
3
D’Evelyn (1)
0-0
113
4
Longmont
0-0
94
5
Holy Family
0-0
88
6
Pueblo East (2)
0-0
85
7
Pueblo West
0-0
64
8
Mesa Ridge
0-0
44
9
Evergreen
0-0
33
10
Montrose
0-0
31
Others receiving votes:
Pueblo South 27, Palisade 19, Air Academy 17, Silver Creek 17, Falcon 15, Green Mountain 13, Golden 10, Canon City 6, Littleton 6, Mullen 6, Thompson Valley 5, Berthoud 4, Windsor 4, Durango 2, Sierra 2, Mead 1, Thomas Jefferson 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Manitou Springs (5)
0-0
98
2
Sterling (3)
0-0
89
3
Pagosa Springs (3)
0-0
84
4
Eaton
0-0
60
5
Lutheran
0-0
59
6
St. Mary’s
0-0
40
7
Centauri
0-0
35
8
Moffat County
0-0
30
9
Liberty Common
0-0
22
10
Faith Christian
0-0
18
Others receiving votes:
Trinidad 16, Kent Denver 11, Colorado Springs Christian 10, Lamar 7, Machebeuf 7, Olathe 6, Platte Valley 6, Strasburg 4, La Junta 2, Sky View Academy 1.
Prairie 15, Springfield 14, La Veta 12, Plateau Valley 10, Heritage Christian 6, Antonito 5, Cheraw 4, Dove Creek 4, Aguilar 3, McClave 3, Otis 3, Kim 2, Hanover 1, Holly 1, Walsh 1.
