Overland, which won last season’s title, leads the 5A boys basketball ranking. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
Overland, Longmont, Colorado Springs Christian, Sanford and Fleming lead CHSAANow.com’s preseason 2015-16 boys basketball rankings.
Of the group, Overland, Colorado Springs Christian and Sanford won championships last season. Longmont and Fleming finished as a runner-up.
Overland was the lone unanimous selection as the No. 1 team, and the Trailblazers lead the Class 5A poll with all 15 first-place votes. They return probably the top player in the state in senior De’Ron Davis, who recently committed to Indiana.
Behind Overland is Legend, a team which reached the Great 8 last season. The Titans return their top six scorers, who were all juniors last season.
In the preseason No. 3 spot, by the narrowest of margins, is ThunderRidge. Last season’s runner-up, who spent a significant time in the No. 1 5A spot during the regular season, figure to be led by Wyoming commit Austin Mueller.
George Washington is No. 4, and Rangeview rounds out the top-5. Regis Jesuit, Denver East, Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest and Dakota Ridge comprise the rest of the 5A preseason top-10.
Longmont is No. 1 in the preseason 4A poll. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
In 4A, Longmont received 14 of the 19 first-place votes to lead that classification’s preseason ranking. The Trojans return reigning 4A player of the year Justinian Jessup, a Boise State commit.
Valor Christian, under the guidance of new coach Troy Pachner, is second, and got two first-place votes. Lewis-Palmer also received a first-place vote, and is third. Pueblo Central, and it’s twoDivision I commits, is No. 4. Golden rounds out the top-5.
Defending champion Air Academy received two first-place votes and is No. 7 to begin the year.
Colorado Springs Christian leads the 3A ranking with nine of the 13 first-place votes. Colorado Academy and Harvard commit Justin Bassey, the reigning 3A player of the year, are second with four first-place votes.
In 2A, defending champion Sanford leads the way with nine of the 10 first-place votes. Their roster includes reigning 2A player of the year Miles Caldon. Resurrection Christian, runner-up a season ago, is second, and got the other first-place vote.
The 1A preseason poll is led by Fleming, which received six first-place votes. Defending champion Holly is second, and received two first-place votes.
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.
Rampart 13, Fossil Ridge 12, Mountain Vista 12, Rock Canyon 12, Arvada West 11, Boulder 8, Doherty 8, Cherry Creek 5, Abraham Lincoln 3, Aurora Central 3, Greeley West 1, FNE Warriors 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Longmont (14)
0-0
185
2
Valor Christian (2)
0-0
135
3
Lewis-Palmer (1)
0-0
128
4
Pueblo Central
0-0
90
5
Golden
0-0
65
6
Sand Creek
0-0
64
7
Air Academy (2)
0-0
58
8
Denver South
0-0
47
9
Pueblo West
0-0
46
10
Pueblo South
0-0
38
Others receiving votes:
Sierra 30, Windsor 30, Thomas Jefferson 27, D’Evelyn 26, Holy Family 19, Mead 17, Vista Ridge 8, Evergreen 7, Vista Peak 7, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Ponderosa 4, Pueblo East 3, Mesa Ridge 2, Mountain View 2, Durango 1, Falcon 1, Green Mountain 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Colorado Springs Christian (9)
0-0
126
2
Colorado Academy (4)
0-0
111
3
Faith Christian
0-0
88
4
Sterling
0-0
49
5
Alamosa
0-0
47
6
Kent Denver
0-0
44
7
Jefferson Academy
0-0
40
8
Lutheran
0-0
38
9
St. Mary’s
0-0
36
10
Brush
0-0
34
Others receiving votes:
Pagosa Springs 15, Bayfield 14, The Pinnacle 12, Bennett 10, Buena Vista 10, Eaton 9, Machebeuf 9, Manitou Springs 8, Grand Valley 5, Manual 5, Moffat County 5.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Sanford (9)
0-0
99
2
Resurrection Christian (1)
0-0
90
3
Ignacio
0-0
79
4
Rye
0-0
52
5
Holyoke
0-0
44
6
Burlington
0-0
41
7
Meeker
0-0
36
8
Sedgwick County
0-0
31
9
Simla
0-0
22
10
Paonia
0-0
14
Others receiving votes:
Akron 9, Highland 7, Rocky Ford 5, Merino 4, Yuma 4, Center 3, Crowley County 3, Swink 3, Ellicott 2, Mancos 1, Peyton 1.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Fleming (6)
0-0
74
2
Holly (2)
0-0
68
3
Sangre De Cristo
0-0
48
4
Kit Carson
0-0
43
5
South Baca
0-0
42
6
Ouray
0-0
32
7
Arickaree/Woodlin
0-0
24
8
Norwood
0-0
16
9
Heritage Christian
0-0
12
10
Jim Elliot
0-0
11
Others receiving votes:
Denver Waldorf 10, Granada 10, Primero 10, Shining Mountain 8, Wiley 8, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 6, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 6, Sierra Grande 6, Springfield 6, Prairie 4.
The 2015 all-state softball players of the year. From left: Mountain Range’s Hunter Huser, Valor Christian’s Alexandria Kilponen, and Strasburg’s Annie Oakley. (Photos: Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com; Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com; Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com
The 2015 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These team were created following a process where the coaches voted upon a list of nominees. Those nominees included every player who was a first-team all-league selection.
Coaches also voted specifically for player and coach of the year.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
Ashton Riley scores the game-winning touchdown for Cherry Creek on Friday. More photos. (Matt Minton/JacksActionShots.com)
Ashton Riley had a 1-yard score in overtime to give No. 1 Cherry Creek a 16-13 win over No. 10 Cherokee Trail on Friday night.
The win kept the Bruins’ winning streak intact, and extended it to 12-straight games. That figure is the second-longest current streak in the state.
Cherokee Trail played the defending champions as tough as anyone has this season. The Cougars actually had a chance to win the game as time expired in the fourth quarter, but a 41-yard field goal missed.
In overtime, Cherry Creek forced Cherokee Trail to settle for a field goal on the first possession. Then, after an incomplete pass, Riley ran nine yards to the 1-yard-line. The next play, he scored.
Riley had 16 carries for 65 yards and the score. Marquise Davis added 106 yards on eight carries, and a touchdown, for Cherry Creek.
Cherokee Trail was led by its defense. Michael Ward had two interceptions, and Anthony Holmes and Dan Turner also had picks. In fact, one of Wards’ interceptions went for the Cougars’ lone score.
[divider]
3A/4A: Pueblo Central 27, Pueblo Centennial 24
In the 115th edition of this rivalry, known as the Bell Game, Pueblo Central got four total touchdowns from Mike Ranson to reclaim the Bell.
It was Pueblo Central’s first win in the past six meetings between the two teams, who have been playing since 1892. The game is Colorado’s oldest rivalry.
Ranson had two passing touchdowns, and two rushing.
AJ Sena had three rushing scores for Pueblo Centennial, including one to make it 27-24 with 1:48 to go.
“Late in the game, I looked in their eyes, and there wasn’t any doubt,” Durango coach David Vogt told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “It was great.”
“We haven’t beaten them since I’ve been here, and it was kind of a statement for this program to get over that hump with Montrose,” Vogt said. “They’ve been the dominant football program in this region. So it was a great victory for our boys, and for the program.”
[divider]
3A: (9) Delta 35, (4) Rifle 21
Delta stormed out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, thanks in large part to two Jonny Ponce touchdowns, and then went on to beat Rifle.
“It was a big win,” Roosevelt coach Noland Eastin told the Scoreboard Show. “It was a crazy night with the rain. … The weather came in and kind of played havoc at the beginning from kickoff time. But, man, it was a big win and it was a great night on homecoming.”
[divider]
6-man: Holly 31, (9) Springfield 30
Holly pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the night, even though it trailed 14-11 at halftime.
The Wildcats responded following a big 64-7 loss to Sedgwick County last week.
“We had a couple kids out after our game with Sedgwick County, and I really kind of questioned them about how much heart we had, to come back and play a high-stakes game like this,” coach Dayne Eaton told the Scoreboard Show.
“We just want to get ourselves into the playoffs, and the best way to do that is win these pivotal games like we had tonight,” Eaton said. “It went down to the very end, and it went our way.”
[divider]
Notables
Weather had its way with some of the state. In Colorado Springs, it was wet and cold, and a giant fog hovered over the Pine Creek/Vista Ridge game all night. But the northern part of the state had it worse: lightning delayed a number of games, and some didn’t end until 10:34 p.m.
Fossil Ridge knocked off Poudre 17-14 on a 30-yard field goal as time expired in 5A action.
Canon City handled Air Academy 52-6 in 3A, but there was a bit of history in this one for the Kadets. Quarterback Cale Powers completed 33 of 55 passes. The 33 completions are tied for the 13th-most in state history, while the 55 attempts are tied for the 12th-most.
Another record book entry: Rye running back Trey Zupancic had five rushing touchdowns in the first half, which is tied for the third most in the state. Rye, No. 5 in 1A, beat Dolores Huerta 62-0.
Smoky Hill pull off a huge rally to beat Grand Junction 30-26. The Tigers led 26-7 late in the third quarter, but Smoky scored the game’s final 23 points. Tahir Hopkins had what proved to be the winning touchdown with 2:14 to play. Earlier in the day, Smoky Hill apparently set a world record for the loudest gym. Quite a crowd.
Rock Canyon entered Week 5 unbeaten at 4-0 and looking to make a statement against 5A No. 4 Regis Jesuit. But the Raiders had other plans, and won 58-14. Regis is now 4-1. Photos from that game are here.
In 2A, No. 4 Platte Valley beat No. 6 Eaton 26-6.
8-man No. 2 Sedgwick County handled No. 7 Haxtun 52-14.
Another top-10 showdown in 8-man: No. 5 Akron beat No. 3 Merino 42-0.
Dove Creek upset No. 10 Hoehne in 8-man, 28-24.
6-man No. 1 Fleming took care of No. 7 Peetz 64-24.
Also in 6-man: No. 2 Eads 66, No. 9 Cheraw 14; and No. 3 Kit Carson held off No. 6 Hanover 36-30.
Pueblo Central and Pueblo Centennial will play in their annual rivalry game, known as the Bell Game, this Friday. It will be the 115th time the two teams have met.
The game, first played in 1892, is the oldest rivalry in the state, according to CHSAA records.
The 2015 version will be played at Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo, with a crowd of close to 15,000 expected. The winner will get the Victory Bell, a railroad bell donated by Lewis Rhoades in 1950. As a result, the game came to be known as the Bell Game.
This season, the game is part of the Great American Rivalry Series, which is showcasing 100 games across the country in 40 states. They will award an MVP trophy, and also recognize the top student-athlete from each school.
The game, which falls on Oct. 2, is the latest the Bell Game has been played since 2010, when Central and Centennial played on Oct. 1.
The two teams have met at least once every season since 1921, the year CHSAA was founded.
Pueblo Central, who plays in Class 3A, is 3-2 this season. Centennial, a 4A team, is 0-4 — though the Bulldogs have played a very tough schedule to open the season, including losses to two ranked 4A teams, and 5A Highlands Ranch.
Valor Christian softball is back to the No. 1 spot in 4A. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Powered by a week in which they went 2-0 and outscored their opponents 29-0, the Valor Christian Eagles have returned to the No. 1 spot in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com softball rankings.
That was the only change at the top of the polls as Legend held strong in 5A and Strasburg remained on top in 3A.
There was a lot of movement in the 5A rankings as Chaparral jumped from No. 7 to No. 4 and Loveland rose from No. 10 to No. 5. Broomfield was the lone newcomer in this week’s poll as they landed at No. 8.
Besides Valor Christian taking over the top spot in 4A, the biggest change of the week was Mountain View jumping from No. 7 to No. 5. There were no new teams to join the 4A rankings this week.
Burlington and Cedaredge jumped into the 3A rankings at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively. Eaton picked up some ground as they land at No. 3, up two spots from their ranking last week.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Legend is back on top of the Class 5A softball poll. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)
Legend has returned to the top of the CHSAANow.com softball rankings in Class 5A.
Following a 3-2 loss to Loveland, Mountain Range fell out of the top spot in 5A, allowing Legend to move in at No. 1 this week. The win also helped Loveland break into this week’s poll as they come in at No. 10.
Loveland was the only new addition in 5A, but plenty of other moves were made. Ralston Valley jumped from No. 5 to No. 2 on the strength of a 3-0 record from last week. Chaparral also made a significant jump this week going from No. 10 to No. 7.
In 4A, Frederick retained the top spot, and Erie stayed firm at No. 2. Valor Christian comes in at No. 3 and Wheat Ridge at No. 4, with those two teams trading places from last week.
Discovery Canyon (No. 9) and Pueblo Central (No. 10) are the new additions to the 4A poll this week.
Strasburg remains the No. 1 team in 3A after receiving every first-place vote. Brush cracks its way into the rankings at No. 9.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Betts averaged 19.8 points per game last season as the Wildcats advanced to the Class 4A Sweet 16, losing to eventual champion Air Academy. That figure was fourth-best in 4A last season, and improved upon his 10.1 average as a sophomore.
Betts, who is 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, is a four-sport athlete. Last school year, he played boys tennis, football, baseball and basketball.
Ranson averaged 25.6 points per game last season, which led all scorers in the state regardless of class. That followed stellar sophomore (18.3 points) and freshman (15.0) seasons.
As a junior, Ranson scored more than 20 points in 21 of the 23 games he played in. His season high was 38 against Vista PEAK in December.
He helped Pueblo Central go 19-6 last season, and the Wildcats reached the Class 4A Sweet 16, where they lost to eventual state champion Air Academy.
Ranson will join UNC in the 2016-17 year, when fellow Colorado products Cameron Michael (Loveland) and Jon’te Dotson (Lincoln) will be seniors for the Bears.
A two-sport athlete, Ranson is also Pueblo Central’s quarterback. He threw for 1,291 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, and rushed for six more scores.
