CHSAANow

Tag: Golden

  • Preseason baseball rankings headed by Cherry Creek, Cheyenne Mountain, University, Peyton, and Flatirons Academy

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    The 2020 preseason baseball rankings are out, and the No. 1 teams are: Cherry Creek, Cheyenne Mountain, University, Peyton, and Flatirons Academy.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association.

    During the regular season, new polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Baseball Polls

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

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Cherry Creek (3) 0-0 86
    2 Regis Jesuit (4) 0-0 80
    3 Heritage (2) 0-0 79
    4 Rocky Mountain 0-0 61
    5 Mountain Vista (1) 0-0 57
    6 Valor Christian 0-0 36
    7 Grandview 0-0 30
    8 Rock Canyon 0-0 29
    9 Douglas County 0-0 28
    10 Legacy 0-0 20
    Others receiving votes:
    Chaparral 16, Pine Creek 16, Legend 14, Ralston Valley 14, ThunderRidge 11, Fort Collins 10, Boulder 5, Poudre 4, Windsor 3, Lakewood 2, Vista PEAK Prep 2, Arapahoe 1, Broomfield 1.
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Cheyenne Mountain (4) 0-0 95
    2 Pueblo West (5) 0-0 87
    3 Silver Creek (1) 0-0 69
    4 Holy Family 0-0 45
    5 Fort Morgan 0-0 36
    6 Golden 0-0 34
    7 Longmont 0-0 28
    8 Ponderosa 0-0 22
    9 Wheat Ridge 0-0 21
    10 Montrose 0-0 20
    Others receiving votes:
    Erie 18, Palmer Ridge 17, Lewis-Palmer 14, Roosevelt 12, Skyview 11, Air Academy 10, Canon City 10, Discovery Canyon 8, Falcon 8, Pueblo Central 8, Denver West 7, The Classical Academy 6, Palisade 5, Pueblo South 5, Evergreen 4, Centaurus 3, Sierra 1.
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 University (5) 0-0 89
    2 Eaton (2) 0-0 84
    3 Resurrection Christian (3) 0-0 81
    4 Lutheran 0-0 67
    5 Sterling 0-0 43
    6 Colorado Academy 0-0 34
    7 Delta 0-0 31
    8 La Junta 0-0 21
    9 Alamosa 0-0 20
    10 Peak to Peak 0-0 19
    Others receiving votes:
    Faith Christian 14, St. Mary’s 14, Brush 11, Bennett 4, Kent Denver 4, Manitou Springs 4, Jefferson Academy 2, Lamar 2.
    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Peyton (6) 0-0 74
    2 Rye 0-0 59
    3 Fowler 0-0 55
    4 Yuma 0-0 53
    5 Holly (3) 0-0 50
    6 Limon 0-0 39
    7 Wiggins 0-0 37
    8 Dayspring Christian Academy 0-0 19
    9 Dawson School 0-0 16
    10 Calhan 0-0 14
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 13, Front Range Christian 11, Hotchkiss 10, Burlington 9, Dolores 8, Wray 8, Holyoke 6, Paonia 4, Denver Christian 3, Highland 3, Clear Creek 2, Rocky Ford 2.
    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Flatirons Academy (4) 0-0 67
    2 Nucla (3) 0-0 50
    3 Haxtun 0-0 46
    4 Cotopaxi 0-0 37
    5 Dove Creek 0-0 36
    6 Evangelical Christian 0-0 25
    7 Granada 0-0 24
    8 Longmont Christian 0-0 23
    9 Caliche 0-0 21
    10 Elbert 0-0 15
    Others receiving votes:
    Otis 12, Manzanola 9, Cheyenne Wells 6, Prairie 6, Springfield 5, Stratton/Liberty 3.

  • Pueblo East boys hoops upsets No. 4 Golden on revenge tour

    Pueblo East senior Darnell Kindred (20) drives on Golden senior Carter Thompson (44) during the second half Wednesday night at Golden High School. No. 13 seed Pueblo East took a 65-62 victory over No. 4 Golden in the Class 4A Sweet 16 game. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    GOLDEN — Pueblo East continues to have success against familiar foes during the Class 4A boys basketball state tournament.

    “When we saw them (Golden) on the bracket we knew it was revenge time,” said Pueblo East senior Darnell Kindred, who poured in 20 points for the Eagles on Wednesday night in the Sweet 16 game at Golden High School.

    Pueblo East opened its postseason run defeating rival Pueblo Central for the third time this season.

    The No. 13-seeded Eagles upset No. 4 Golden Demons 65-62 in what was a rematch from earlier this season. Golden got the better against Pueblo East the first time around with a 62-59 win Dec. 7 during the Golden/D’Evelyn Preview Classic.

    Golden senior Kevin Mulligan takes a jumper over Pueblo East senior Darnell Kindred (2) during the second quarter Wednesday night. The Demons suffered a 65-62 home loss to end their season in the Sweet 16 of the state tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletic)

    Pueblo East (18-7 record) flipped the script to come out on the winning end during the round of 16 state playoff game.

    “We knew it was going to be tough. It was a very similar game from the first time,” Pueblo East coach Mike Massaro said of the second go-around against Golden. “I think we got the breaks this time. The things that hurt us last time were turnovers, shot selection and rebounding. We really tried to focus on those three things.”

    Golden (18-7) and Pueblo East were tied 33-33 at halftime, but senior Ben McLaughlin buried back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Demons a 6-point lead early in the third quarter. McLaughlin scored a game-high 24 points, including going 15-for-18 from the free-throw line to go along with a trio of 3-pointers.

    “Weather the storm,” Massaro said of McLaughlin’s back-to-back 3-pointers. “We knew we were going to take their hits. We just had to answer back. You keep plugging away and they did.”

    The Eagles did answer with a 9-0 run to take the lead. Junior Kyle Miller hit a big 3-pointer and Kindred had a pair of buckets in the paint during the run.

    “We knew we had the size,” Kindred said of the Eagles pounding the ball inside for the majority of the second half. “We knew if we could get in the paint we would have a good opportunity to win this game.”

    Pueblo East senior Marvin London, right, takes it hard to the basket on Golden senior Kevin Mulligan (32) during the fourth quarter Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Junior Brenden Harding had a solid fourth quarter pouring in eight of his 14 points in the final eight minutes before fouling out late. The Eagles closed the game making nine free throws in the final minute.

    However, a missed free throw by Pueblo East junior Jaxson Herring gave Golden the ball and one final chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer. With 11.5 seconds left the Demons had the ball. However, they never got off a shot as a pass to senior Kevin Mulligan was low and went out of bounds.

    “We were looking to put a shooter in the corner, have a little dribble penetration and get the kick out,” Golden coach Lou Vullo said of the play drawn up in an attempt to tie the game in the final seconds. “I think it was a bit of a bad pass, but those things happen.”

    For the second year in a row, Golden bowed out of the state tournament in the Sweet 16.

    “Back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances and a league title this year, this team exceeded expectations,” said Vullo, who had guided the Demons to a 32-19 record over two seasons.

    Pueblo East — having won 11-of-12 games — continues its revenge tour. Next up for the Eagles is No. 5 Northfield. The Nighthawks defeated Pueblo East 54-51 before winter break.

    “Another revenge game,” Kindred said about heading back to the Denver Metro area Saturday to face Northfield. “We lost to them in overtime in a close game at our house. We are going to go to their house and do the same thing.”

    Golden senior Ben McLaughlin (2) splits Pueblo East juniors Jaxson Herring (22) and Kyle Miller (23) during the first quarter Wednesday night. McLaughlin scored a game-high 24 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Demons lost 65-62. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • All-state girls swimming and diving teams for the 2019-20 season

    The 2020 all-state girls swimming teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

    These teams were created based upon results at the state meet. The swimmers and divers of the year were also selected based upon the state meet.

    The coaches of the year voted on by coaches at the state meets.

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Girls state swimming Lucy Bell Fossil Ridge
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Swimmer of the year: Lucy Bell, Fossil Ridge

    Diver of the year: Isabel Gregersen, Ralston Valley

    Swim coach of the year: Tom Byorick, Heritage

    Dive coach of the year: Jacob Dunbar, Denver East

    First Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Lucy Bell Sophomore Fossil Ridge 200 Medley Relay, 200 IM, 100 Free, 400 Free Relay
    Sophia Bradac Senior Regis Jesuit 100 Breast
    Ally Brown Senior Horizon 1 mtr Diving
    Mahala Erlandson Junior Fossil Ridge 200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay
    Renee Gillilan Sophomore Fossil Ridge 200 Medley Relay, 100 Fly, 100 Back, 400 Free Relay
    Isabel Gregersen Junior Ralston Valley 1 mtr Diving
    Meghan Mulvihill Junior Chatfield 200 Free Relay
    Mia Norrid Senior Chatfield 200 Free Relay
    Emily Rinker Junior Fossil Ridge 400 Free Relay
    Catherine Rodocker   Eaglecrest 1 mtr Diving
    Kathryn Shanley Junior Chatfield 200 Free, 500 Free, 200 Free Relay
    Anna Shaw Junior Heritage 50 Free
    Emma Stahl Senior Fossil Ridge 200 Medley Relay
    Avery Turney Junior Chatfield 200 Free Relay
    Second Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Dahlia Allen Sophomore Lewis-Palmer 1 mtr Diving
    Aislyn Barnett Sophomore Heritage 100 Breast
    Megan Bergstrom   Arapahoe 500 Free
    Elizabeth Brock Sophomore Cherry Creek 400 Free Relay
    Isalina Colsman Senior Regis Jesuit 200 Free Relay
    Grace Dale Sophomore Regis Jesuit 200 Free Relay
    Grace Downing Senior Heritage 1 mtr Diving
    Megan DuMond Senior Lewis-Palmer 1 mtr Diving
    Josie Graves Junior Legend 1 mtr Diving
    Julianne Jones Sophomore Fairview 200 Medley Relay, 200 IM
    Margaret Kroening Sophomore Douglas County 200 Free
    Morgan Lukinac Sophomore Fairview 200 Medley Relay
    Ariana Mitsuoka Senior Regis Jesuit 200 Free Relay
    Jenna Reznicek Junior Fairview 200 Medley Relay, 100 Back
    Madison Saldanha Sophomore Cherry Creek 400 Free Relay
    Edith Simecek Freshman Fairview 200 Medley Relay, 100 Fly
    Jenna Smith Junior Cherry Creek 400 Free Relay
    Meredith Smithbaker Junior Rocky Mountain 50 Free
    Maya Stefanski Senior Cherry Creek 1 mtr Diving
    Teagan Steinmetz Freshman Cherry Creek 400 Free Relay
    Jada Surrell-Norwood Senior Regis Jesuit 200 Free Relay

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    4A girls swimming state Lindsey Immel Rampart
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Swimmer of the year: Lindsey Immel, Rampart

    Diver of the year: Maggie Buckley, Rampart

    Swim coach of the year: Susan Stone, Mullen

    Dive coach of the year: Chris Madsen, Standley Lake/Arvada West

    First Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Caroline Bricker   Cheyenne Mountain 200 IM, 100 Breast
    Laelle Brovold Senior Rampart 200 Medley Relay, 100 Fly
    Maggie Buckley Junior Rampart 1 mtr Diving
    Claire Chahbandour Junior Mullen 200 Free Relay
    Mary Codevilla Sophomore Niwot 200 Free, 500 Free
    Chase Davison Sophomore Mullen 200 Free Relay
    Lauren Gryboski Senior Coronado 1 mtr Diving
    Sophia Hemingway   Dakota Ridge 400 Free Relay
    Kira Hobbs   Dakota Ridge 400 Free Relay
    Elsa Huebsch   Dakota Ridge 400 Free Relay
    Lindsey Immel Junior Rampart 200 Medley Relay, 50 Free, 100 Free
    Melinda Johnson   Dakota Ridge 400 Free Relay
    Katey Lewicki Senior Monarch 100 Back
    Johanna Miller Junior Rampart 200 Medley Relay
    Geneva Pauly Sophomore Arvada West 1 mtr Diving
    Lindsey Sowitch Junior Mullen 200 Free Relay
    Claire Timson Sophomore Rampart 200 Medley Relay
    Gabrielle Zinis Junior Mullen 200 Free Relay
    Second Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Madison Black Senior Silver Creek 50 Free
    Sarah Cook   Grand Junction 400 Free Relay
    Nina English   Grand Junction 400 Free Relay
    Erin Esty Senior Air Academy 1 mtr Diving
    Anelise Hedges Junior Arvada West 200 IM
    Kaelyn Hinesley Junior Cheyenne Mountain 1 mtr Diving
    Emily Kahn Senior George Washington 100 Free
    Delaney Kidd   Grand Junction 400 Free Relay
    Mary Macaulay Freshman Mullen 200 Medley Relay
    Riley Pope   Grand Junction 400 Free Relay
    Clare Sanderson   Cheyenne Mountain 500 Free
    Angeline Settle Junior Monarch 1 mtr Diving
    Ashley Van Freshman Liberty 1 mtr Diving
    Kylie Walters Sophomore Rampart 200 Free Relay
    Celia Webster Sophomore Monarch 100 Fly
    Ryley Williams Senior Thompson Valley 1 mtr Diving

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Swimmer of the year: Elise Mishmash, Salida

    Diver of the year: Rachel Alexander, Discovery Canyon

    Swim coach of the year: Wendy Gorie, Salida

    Dive coach of the year: Josh Kinney, Discovery Canyon

    First Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Rachel Alexander Senior Discovery Canyon 1 mtr Diving
    Hope Atkins Senior Evergreen 200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay
    Caitlin Cairns Senior St. Mary’s 50 Free, 100 Fly
    Jillian Carlson Sophomore Delta 100 Breast
    Alyssa Cook Freshman Evergreen 200 Medley Relay
    Emma Diesslin Freshman Salida 200 Free Relay
    Remi Gucker Senior Evergreen 200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay
    Taylor Jacobson Sophomore Evergreen 200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay
    Jolie Kim Junior Kent Denver 200 IM, 500 Free
    Lily Lengerich Junior Salida 200 Free Relay
    Lucy Meinert Sophomore Green Mountain 100 Fly
    Elise Mishmash Senior Salida 100 Free, 200 Free Relay
    Hannah Rhude Junior Salida 200 Free Relay
    Victoria Sanders Sophomore Discovery Canyon 1 mtr Diving
    Abbie Scruton Junior Glenwood Springs 1 mtr Diving
    Sydney Silver   St. Mary’s Academy 200 Free, 100 Back
    Caitlin Smith Junior Evergreen 400 Free Relay
    Second Team
    Name Year School Event(s)
    Mackenzie Abbott   Colorado Academy 1 mtr Diving
    Caitlin Beery Junior Thomas Jefferson 500 Free, 200 Free Relay
    Alexis Behn Sophomore Durango 1 mtr Diving
    Phoebe Briney Senior Thomas Jefferson 200 Free Relay
    Amber Brooks Senior Kent Denver 400 Free Relay
    Libby Claassen Junior Glenwood Springs 1 mtr Diving
    Jamie Dellwardt Freshman Berthoud 200 IM, 100 Back
    Natalia Evans Junior Kent Denver 100 Free, 400 Free Relay
    Morgan George Senior Thomas Jefferson 200 Free Relay
    Courtney Giordano Freshman Erie 100 Fly
    Lilly Huggard Freshman Aspen 200 Medley Relay
    Payten Irwin Senior Erie 50 Free, 100 Fly
    Emily Jauch Junior Liberty Common 100 Breast
    Laila Khan-Farooqi Sophomore Aspen 200 Medley Relay
    Emily Kinney Junior Aspen 200 Medley Relay
    Kate Little Freshman Thomas Jefferson 200 Free Relay
    Juliet McGill Senior Glenwood Springs 1 mtr Diving
    Campbell Patteson Senior Kent Denver 1 mtr Diving
    Maylin Pollack Junior Kent Denver 400 Free Relay
    Kayla Tehrani Sophomore Aspen 200 Medley Relay

  • No. 6 Golden boys hoops finishes regular season in dramatic fashion

    GOLDEN — Golden’s boys basketball team couldn’t have closed out its Class 4A Jeffco League play in more of a thrilling fashion then it did Friday night.

    “To win it in this fashion was unbelievable,” Golden senior Jack Anderson said after the Demons finished 4A Jeffco play with a 11-1 conference record to reclaim the 4A Jeffco League title. “Wheat Ridge is a great team, they always are. What an unbelievable game to end the regular season with.”

    The Demons — No. 6 in the final CHSAANow.com 4A boys basketball rankings of the season — defeated rival Wheat Ridge 58-55 on Senior Night where Golden honored its eight seniors.

    Golden freshman Alan Acevedo (30) goes up strong against Wheat Ridge senior Dominic Bronk on Friday night. The Demons’ 58-55 victory competed a 11-1 record in 4A Jeffco and the league title. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    It wasn’t easy. Golden trailed last year’s conference champions Wheat Ridge 50-44 early in the fourth quarter. Golden junior Nathan Wiggins hit a big 3-pointer for the Demons to take the lead 54-53 with 2:20 left to play.

    “I guess I was just feeling it,” Wiggins said of his trio of 3-pointers and scored a team-high 13 points to helped lift the Demons. “I really have to give credit to my teammates. I felt like we played such a great team.”

    Wheat Ridge senior Dominic Bronk’s basket with just more than 2 minutes to go regained the lead for the Farmers (13-10, 8-4), but Anderson’s field goal seconds later put Golden up for good.

    Senior Ben McLaughlin and freshman Alan Acevedo both made a free throw in the final minute, but Acevedo’s miss from the charity stripe gave Wheat Ridge the chance to send the game into overtime.

    Bronk grabbed the rebound off Acevedo’s miss, dribbled almost down to the 3-point line before launching what would have been the game-tying shot. It hit the rim twice before bouncing away to give the Demons (17-6, 11-1) the win.

    “Dom is a gamer and hits big-time shots all the time,” Anderson said of Bronk. “I was scared he was going to it that. It looked good. Thank God it bounced out.”

    Bronk, who is average a double-double this season, finished with 13 points. Junior Wes Miller had another great night from long-range. Miller nailed five 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 21 points.

    Golden senior Kevin Mulligan (32) gets a shot off in front of Wheat Ridge junior Dominic Cross (23) in the first half Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “We just have to execute down at the end,” Wheat Ridge coach Tommy Dowd said of the Farmers going scoreless in the final two minutes. “We had chances and didn’t do what we needed to do. My kids played really hard. I thought the effort was outstanding.”

    Dowd was shorthanded for a lot of the night. The Farmers’ leading scorer Alex Morales picked up his third foul in the first quarter. After sitting the entire second quarter he was tagged with his fourth foul less than three minutes into the third quarter.

    “It’s a good game to test your medal and see what it’s going to be like in the playoffs,” Dowd said. “It was a playoff atmosphere tonight. I told our guys that a lot of guys will never play in a game with this kind of atmosphere.”

    Golden took a 68-61 victory on the Farmers’ home court earlier this season.

    “We knew it was going to be a battle. It’s a rivalry,” Golden coach Lou Vullo said about the nearly packed gym. “Last time I think we hit 12 3-pointers. Tonight we had to grind it out with some defense and being patient on offense.”

    The waiting game now begins. CHSAA is scheduled to reveal the state tournament brackets Sunday, Feb. 23, on CHSAANow.com.

    Golden was No. 4 in the RPI rankings before Friday’s games. The Demons went into the 48-team state tournament last year as the No. 26 seed. Golden upset No. 7 Glenwood Springs in the second round to advance to the Sweet 16 where the Demons lost a close one at Harrison.

    “Some of those teams in the 20s (RPI) are scary,” Vullo said looking ahead to the playoffs next week. “We have to come to play. If we don’t come to play we’ll be in trouble.”

    Wheat Ridge was the team with the bye and No. 8 seed last year. The Farmers suffered a quick second-round exit after a defeat at home against Thomas Jefferson.

    “We are happy to play on Wednesday (first round),” Dowd said. “Maybe we’ll get the draw that Golden got last year.”

    Wheat Ridge junior Wes Miller (3) prepares to put up a up 3-pointer in front of the Farmers’ bench Friday night at Golden High School. Miller scored a game-high 21 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Farmers lost 58-55 to the rival Demons. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Boys basketball rankings: Kit Carson moves up to No. 1 in 1A

    Kit Carson has taken over as the top-ranked team in Class 1A boys basketball this week.

    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.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rangeview (11) 21-0 128 1 3-0
    2 Grandview (2) 16-5 103 2 1-1
    3 Cherry Creek 17-4 88 4 3-0
    4 Ralston Valley 18-3 80 5 2-0
    5 Smoky Hill 17-4 79 3 3-0
    6 Fairview 17-3 67 6 2-0
    7 Columbine 17-3 48 7 2-0
    8 Valor Christian 15-6 42 8 3-0
    9 Boulder 18-3 29 9 3-0
    10 Chaparral 15-6 21 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Eaglecrest 17, Denver East 8, Pine Creek 5.
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Mead (12) 20-1 120 1 3-0
    2 Longmont 18-3 91 3 3-0
    3 Northfield 17-4 89 2 1-1
    4 Cheyenne Mountain 20-1 83 4 3-0
    5 Glenwood Springs 18-3 59 6 3-0
    6 Golden 15-6 56 7 1-0
    7 Harrison 15-4 55 5 1-1
    8 Skyline 16-5 23 – 2-0
    9 Pueblo West 15-6 18 8 2-1
    10 Erie 16-4 16 9 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Montrose 14, Pueblo East 12, Green Mountain 10, Thomas Jefferson 9, Silver Creek 5.
    Dropped out
    Montrose (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (15) 18-0 167 1 3-0
    2 Lutheran (1) 16-2 152 2 1-0
    3 Sterling 16-3 125 3 2-0
    4 The Vanguard School 16-1 113 4 3-0
    5 Faith Christian 15-3 107 5 2-0
    6 DSST: Byers (1) 16-1 56 7 2-0
    7 Alamosa 15-4 53 10 2-0
    8 Manitou Springs 15-3 43 9 2-0
    9 Eaton 15-3 38 8 2-0
    10 Centauri 16-2 37 6 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Gunnison 14, DSST: College View 6, Manual 6, DSST: Montview 5, St. Mary’s 3, University 3, Coal Ridge 2, Eagle Ridge 2, Jefferson Academy 2, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 1.
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highland (14) 16-1 149 1 2-0
    2 Yuma (1) 15-2 133 2 2-0
    3 Limon 16-2 109 4 3-0
    4 Fowler 16-2 94 5 2-0
    5 Denver Christian 13-3 79 3 0-1
    6 Ignacio 14-2 66 6 2-0
    7 Mancos 14-3 55 7 2-0
    8 Sedgwick County 17-1 51 8 2-0
    9 Sanford 13-4 31 9 1-0
    10 Crested Butte 15-2 23 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Vail Christian 21, Holly 7, Wray 4, Dawson School 1, Heritage Christian 1, Peyton 1.
    Dropped out
    Vail Christian (10).
    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Kit Carson (5) 16-1 70 2 2-0
    2 De Beque (3) 16-2 67 1 1-1
    3 Sangre de Cristo 16-1 63 3 3-0
    4 Walsh 15-2 57 4 2-0
    5 Flatirons Academy 14-4 37 6 2-0
    6 Mile High Academy 12-2 36 9 4-1
    7 Briggsdale 15-2 33 7 1-0
    8 Kim/Branson 14-3 30 5 1-1
    9 Evangelical Christian 14-3 20 8 1-1
    10 Denver Waldorf 11-4 11 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Ouray 10, Fleming 4, Cotopaxi 2.
    Dropped out
    Ouray (10).

  • No. 7 Golden boys basketball gets revenge on Green Mountain

    GOLDEN — With snow piling up seemingly every other day lately, Golden senior Ben McLaughlin doesn’t mind getting work in on the hardwood before taking to the baseball field this spring.

    Golden junior Nathan Wiggins (10) attempts to get a shot off in front of Green Mountain senior Matt Schlieper (44) during the first half at Golden High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “Baseball is my priority obviously,” said McLaughlin, one of the top baseball players in the state. “We are running with it right now. I’m just trying to enjoy the season. This is my last time playing basketball so I have to enjoy it.”

    Golden — No. 7 in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings this week — is zeroing in on a 4A Jeffco League title. The Demons (15-6, 9-1) won their sixth straight conference game Wednesday night with a 54-44 victory over Green Mountain (14-6, 6-4). The Rams handed Golden its lone league loss back on Jan. 18.

    The difference in the game was at the free-throw line. Golden went 19-for-30 from the charity stripe. Green Mountain was 5-for-11 from the line.

    “(Green Mountain) is a great ball club and we knew it was going to be a tough physical game,” McLaughlin said. “We work on free throws all the time in practice. We needed to step up and knock them down.”

    McLaughlin (14 points) and fellow senior Kevin Mulligan (17 points) led the Demons offensively. They combined to make 15 free throws.

    Green Mountain senior Matt Schlieper, right, takes a jumper over Golden senior Carter Thompson on Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Green Mountain’s senior big men — Jason Luzaydio and Matt Schlieper — had success with block shots early, but the Demons kept driving it inside with success.

    “We talked about attacking the basket. We can’t settle for jump shots,” Golden coach Lou Vullo said. “We know that (Luzaydio and Schlieper) will leave their feet. I figured we could get them in foul trouble.”

    The Demons grabbed their first double-digit lead at 26-16 with a 3-pointer by junior Jake Liedtke midway through the second quarter. Liedtke scored all seven of his points in the second quarter to help give the Demons a 30-21 lead at halftime.

    “I’m proud of the team. We were disciplined tonight. I think that is why we shot a lot of free throws,” Vullo said. “We slowed things down. We got a double-digit lead and we didn’t want to lose it. We didn’t want Green Mountain to get back in the game because they have some kids who can score the ball.”

    Golden’s defense was stellar is not letting Green Mountain get into its transition game. Senior Blake Schell scored a game-high 20 points for the Rams in the loss that ended any chance for Green Mountain to grab the league title.

    “That’s credit to them (Golden),” Green Mountain coach Mike Puccio said of the Rams’ struggles on offense. “We are executing. We are turning it over on a high clip and that’s on the coaches. We’ve got to get us easier buckets. We need to run.”

    Golden senior Kevin Mulligan (32) scored a game-high 17 points Wednesday night in the Demons’ 54-44 win over Green Mountain. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Green Mountain has its regular-season home final on Friday night against Littleton. The Rams prepare for the playoffs with back-to-back road games against Evergreen on Feb. 21 and Pueblo South on Feb. 22.

    Golden actually has a week break between games. The Demons are at D’Evelyn on Wednesday, Feb. 19, before closing out their regular season against rival Wheat Ridge on Feb. 21.

    “It’s always good to have that,” Vullo said of the six days between games. “It is going to recharge our batteries for sure. Having that week off is going to be good.”

    The showdown against the Farmers (11-7, 7-2) — defending 4A Jeffco League champs — could determine the outcome of the conference title race. It’s also something McLaughlin is looking forward to. Golden defeated Wheat Ridge 68-61 in the first meeting Jan. 22 on the Farmers’ home court.

    “Golden versus Wheat Ridge, I want it all out on the line,” McLaughlin said of the Demons’ league and regular-season finale next week. “I want to beat them in our place and win that league title.”

    Green Mountain senior Trey Towndrow (12) is fouled by Golden senior Carter Thompson (44) during the second half of the Class 4A Jeffco League game Wednesday. The Demons took a 10-point victory to stay one-game ahead of rival Wheat Ridge in the conference standing. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Boys basketball rankings: Four new teams hop in

    Alamosa boys basketball
    (@erik_melgoza/Twitter)

    Four new teams joined this week’s boys basketball rankings: Columbine (5A), Chaparral (5A), Erie (4A) and Alamosa (3A).

    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.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rangeview (14) 18-0 158 1 1-0
    2 Grandview (2) 15-4 130 2 2-0
    3 Smoky Hill 14-4 101 4 1-0
    4 Cherry Creek 14-4 98 6 1-0
    5 Ralston Valley 16-3 97 3 1-1
    6 Fairview 15-3 85 5 0-0
    7 Columbine 15-3 66 – 2-0
    8 Valor Christian 12-6 46 8 1-0
    9 Boulder 15-3 32 7 1-0
    10 Chaparral 14-6 21 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Eaglecrest 17, Denver East 14, Pine Creek 10, Legend 3, Arapahoe 1, Horizon 1.
    Dropped out
    Eaglecrest (9), Denver East (10).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Mead (13) 17-1 130 1 0-0
    2 Northfield 16-3 112 4 2-0
    3 Longmont 15-3 85 3 1-1
    4 Cheyenne Mountain 17-1 81 2 0-1
    5 Harrison 14-3 64 7 1-0
    6 Glenwood Springs 15-3 63 6 1-0
    7 Golden 14-6 50 8 2-0
    8 Pueblo West 13-5 36 5 1-0
    9 Erie 15-4 30 – 2-0
    10 Montrose 16-4 18 9 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Green Mountain 13, Thomas Jefferson 13, Skyline 11, Silver Creek 5, Pueblo East 4.
    Dropped out
    Green Mountain (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (18) 15-0 198 1 2-0
    2 Lutheran (1) 15-2 177 2 3-0
    3 Sterling 14-3 142 3 2-1
    4 The Vanguard School 13-1 138 4 0-0
    5 Faith Christian 13-3 121 5 1-0
    6 Centauri 15-1 63 6 2-0
    7 DSST: Byers (1) 14-1 60 7 2-0
    8 Eaton 13-3 54 8 0-1
    9 Manitou Springs 13-3 44 9 1-1
    10 Alamosa 13-4 33 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    University 31, Gunnison 12, DSST: College View 6, Coal Ridge 4, Manual 4, Strasburg 3, Jefferson Academy 2, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 1.
    Dropped out
    University (10).
    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highland (17) 14-1 179 1 3-0
    2 Yuma (1) 13-2 144 2 1-1
    3 Denver Christian 13-2 124 4 2-0
    4 Limon 13-2 122 3 2-0
    5 Fowler 14-2 84 6 2-0
    6 Ignacio 12-2 75 5 2-1
    7 Mancos 12-3 63 8 2-0
    8 Sedgwick County 15-1 62 9 2-0
    9 Sanford 12-4 43 7 1-1
    10 Vail Christian 12-2 30 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Crested Butte 18, Wray 12, Holly 10, Dawson School 6, Union Colony Prep 6, Heritage Christian 4, Peyton 2, Dayspring Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 De Beque (6) 15-1 86 1 1-1
    2 Kit Carson (3) 14-1 77 2 3-0
    3 Sangre de Cristo 13-1 66 3 1-1
    4 Walsh 13-2 55 5 2-0
    5 Kim/Branson 13-2 46 7 1-0
    6 Flatirons Academy 12-4 38 4 0-2
    7 Briggsdale 14-2 34 6 2-0
    8 Evangelical Christian 13-2 30 9 1-0
    9 Mile High Academy 8-1 28 8 2-0
    10 Ouray 9-4 11 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Denver Waldorf 9, Denver Jewish Day 4, Fleming 4, Merino 4, Cotopaxi 2, Cheraw 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • No. 8 Golden boys hoops keeps one-step ahead of 4A Jeffco foes

    GOLDEN — It’s simple math for Golden’s boys basketball team when it comes to winning the Class 4A Jeffco League title.

    The Demons — No. 8 in the CHSAANow.com 4A boys basketball rankings — can reclaim the conference crown with wins over No. 10 Green Mountain, D’Evelyn and Wheat Ridge over the next two weeks.

    “We keep talking about that we can only control what we can control,” Golden’s second-year coach Lou Vullo said after the Demons’ 59-53 home win Saturday afternoon against Evergreen. “We know if we win the next three games we would be in position to win the league. We don’t want to worry about anyone else helping us. We just want to win them all and win it (league title).”

    Evergreen senior Cameron Morlan, right, elevates toward the rim as Golden freshman Alex Acevedo goes for the block during the first half Saturday at Golden High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Golden (14-6, 8-1 in 4A Jeffco) is 1-game ahead of rival and defending league champion Wheat Ridge (10-7, 6-2) in the standings. The Demons are trying to reclaim the league title it last won during the 2017-18 season.

    Evergreen (11-7, 4-5) has morphed into a spoilers role. The Cougars can’t win the league title, but still has game ahead against Wheat Ridge and Green Mountain. Evergreen did give the Demons a challenge in the late afternoon game Saturday.

    “Jeff does a great job. He is a very good coach,” Vullo said of Evergreen’s second-year coach Jeff Dolan. “I knew going into this game it was going to be very tough.”

    What made things a little easier was the early 3-point shooting by Golden senior Kevin Mulligan. The senior guard drained three 3-pointers in the span of 80 seconds to get the offense going for the Demons.

    “I’ve just been practicing a lot after practice,” Mulligan said of his 3-point shot. “I finally hit some 3s. I’m really not a 3-point shooter, but they finally came. I was just letting them go.”

    Mulligan didn’t hit a 3-pointer after the first quarter, but finished with a game-high 21 points.

    “We tell him (Mulligan) has had to take more shots,” Vullo said. “He tries to facilitate and get to the basket, but he has a really nice 3-point shot and needs to take that more often.”

    Evergreen junior Griffin Lauritano (1) takes a jumper over Golden senior Ben McLaughlin (2) on Saturday afternoon. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    What the Demons did shoot plenty of in the final quarter to seal the victory was free throws. Golden was 8-for-10 from the charity stripe in the final quarter to hold off the Cougars.

    “We normally do a drill in practice that gets us really tired and then we shoot free throws,” Mulligan said. “It’s good we it them.”

    Golden’s last field goal came from senior Jack Anderson with 1:38 remaining in the fourth quarter. Anderson was able to lose an Evergreen defender in the paint and put up a scoop shot to put the Demons up 54-50.

    “He (Anderson) is just kind of a squirmy little guy,” Mulligan said of his fellow senior. “He gets in there. Teams forget about him and he shoots it.”

    Evergreen junior Aaron Browne had a 3-point shot with under 20 seconds to play that could have tied the game. However the shot was off the mark. Golden made 3-of-4 free throws in the final seconds to extend the winning margin to six points.

    Evergreen juniors Jackson Mott (14 points), Griffin Lauritano (12 points) and Jared Stiller (11 points) carried the Cougars offensively.

    Freshman Alan Acevedo had another strong game off the bench for the Demons with 12 points. Senior Ben McLaughlin poured in all of his 8 points in the third quarter.

    Golden hosts Green Mountain (14-5, 6-3) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12. The Rams handed the Demons their lone conference loss back on Jan. 18. Evergreen has a non-league home game against Pomona at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

    Golden senior Jack Anderson drives baseline on Evergreen senior Cooper Dyess during the Class 4A Jeffco League game Saturday afternoon. The Demons stayed 1-game ahead of rival Wheat Ridge in the conference standings. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Golden wrestling hosts Bear Creek and Wheat Ridge

    With regionals quickly approaching, Golden wrestling hosted Bear Creek and Wheat Ridge in a Jeffco showdown.

  • Boys basketball rankings: Mead moves up to No. 1 in 4A

    Mead boys basketball
    (@MeadAthletics/Twitter)

    Mead has moved up to the No. 1 spot in this week’s Class 4A boys basketball 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.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rangeview (14) 17-0 140 1 2-0
    2 Grandview 13-4 105 3 2-0
    3 Ralston Valley 15-2 102 5 2-0
    4 Smoky Hill 13-4 77 2 0-2
    5 Fairview 15-3 75 6 2-0
    6 Cherry Creek 13-4 66 7 2-0
    7 Boulder 14-3 43 9 2-0
    8 Valor Christian 11-6 38 8 1-1
    9 Eaglecrest 12-5 33 4 1-1
    10 Denver East 15-2 27 – 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Legend 20, Columbine 15, Pine Creek 10, Chaparral 9, Mountain Vista 9, Overland 1.
    Dropped out
    Columbine (10).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Mead (6) 17-1 105 2 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Mountain (5) 17-0 97 1 2-0
    3 Longmont 14-2 91 3 2-0
    4 Northfield 14-3 72 4 2-0
    5 Pueblo West 12-5 43 5 1-1
    6 Glenwood Springs 14-3 42 6 2-0
    7 Harrison 13-3 36 7 2-0
    8 Golden 12-6 29 9 2-0
    9 Montrose 15-3 20 8 2-0
    10 Green Mountain 13-4 19 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Erie 18, Thomas Jefferson 15, Centaurus 8, Lincoln 8, Pueblo East 1, Silver Creek 1.
    Dropped out
    Thomas Jefferson (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (14) 13-0 158 1 1-0
    2 Lutheran (1) 12-2 130 2 2-0
    3 Sterling 12-2 119 4 2-0
    4 The Vanguard School 13-1 103 3 3-0
    5 Faith Christian 12-3 93 5 2-0
    6 Centauri 13-1 72 6 0-1
    7 DSST: Byers (1) 12-1 61 7 2-0
    8 Eaton 13-2 52 8 2-0
    9 Manitou Springs 12-2 41 9 2-0
    10 University 12-3 16 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Gunnison 12, Alamosa 11, Jefferson Academy 6, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 3, St. Mary’s 2, Englewood 1.
    Dropped out
    Englewood (10).
    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highland (11) 11-1 182 1 1-0
    2 Yuma (8) 12-1 166 2 2-0
    3 Limon 11-2 122 4 2-0
    4 Denver Christian 11-2 115 3 2-0
    5 Ignacio 10-1 107 5 0-0
    6 Fowler 12-2 89 7 2-0
    7 Sanford 11-3 75 8 2-0
    8 Mancos 10-3 62 6 1-0
    9 Sedgwick County 13-1 45 9 2-1
    10 Vail Christian 10-2 30 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Holly 18, Vail Mountain 7, Dawson School 6, Wray 5, Heritage Christian 4, Dolores Huerta Prep 3, Front Range Christian 2, Crowley County 1, Dayspring Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 De Beque (7) 14-0 88 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson (2) 11-1 78 2 1-0
    3 Sangre de Cristo 12-0 64 3 2-0
    4 Flatirons Academy 12-2 56 4 1-0
    5 Walsh 11-2 54 6 2-0
    6 Briggsdale 12-2 41 5 2-1
    7 Kim/Branson 12-2 33 7 2-1
    8 Mile High Academy 6-1 32 8 1-0
    9 Evangelical Christian 12-2 18 9 2-0
    10 Ouray 8-3 13 10 0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Denver Waldorf 8, Fleming 5, Denver Jewish Day 2, Cheraw 1, Cotopaxi 1, Merino 1.
    Dropped out
    None.