LITTLETON — Josh Larsen and Conner Killion each scored four goals as Chatfield pulled off the upset, beating Class 4A No. 7 Conifer in Wednesday’s boys lacrosse game.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Even the strongest dams can break is the current is strong enough. For Conifer boys lacrosse, the dam that was their zone defense and goaltending held for the better part of three quarters.
But once the structure was cracked, there was no containing the Cheyenne Mountain attack. The Indians scored five goals in less than seven minutes en route to a 8-2 win over the Lobos on Wednesday night.
Cheyenne Mountain, the No. 3 team in the Class 4A boys lacrosse rankings, had a tough time putting a scoring attack together, trying to figure out the zone defense that No. 5 Conifer had seemingly mastered. To make matters worse, any early shot that the Indians got off were turned away from Conifer goaltender Ryan Lindsay.
“That’s what we run (defensively),” Indians coach Mike Paige said. “That goalie, oh man is he the real deal. He’s the best one we’ve seen all year.”
The offensive chances for the Indians wouldn’t have been possible without the play of Liam Hybl in goal. The sophomore turned away shot after shot from the Lobos, giving his offense an opportunity to take an early lead.
That lead eventually came at the hands of August Johnson who took a pass from Jack Egan buried a shot from the point to put Cheyenne Mountain up 1-0 in the closing seconds of the first quarter.
“Once we started to recognize (the zone), we tried some old tricks and that seemed to work,” Johnson said. “Pretty much this year, we’re quick at adapting.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Save for that early goal, Lindsay was putting on a show of his own in the Conifer net. The Indians took their time with each possession, trying to find a hole in the Lobos’ zone defense, a task that proved more difficult than Paige would have liked.
As Johnson, Egan and others tried to widen the gap in the score, Lindsay refused to let anything past him.
“For the better part of three quarters, our defense and our rotation was looking solid,” Conifer coach Dad Riecke said. “It was looking good.”
The Lobos finally got an offensive chance late in the first half when Nick Williams found Cole Hollander perched to the right of the Cheyenne Mountain net. Williams ripped a shot through traffic and it got by Hybl with 28 seconds remaining in the first to tie things up at a goal apiece.
That tie wouldn’t last long into the second half as Johnson scored his second of the game just 1:16 into the third quarter.
Jack Fillweber pulled the Lobos even again about four minutes later, catching the Indians in transition and connecting on a shot while falling backwards.
But Johnson would strike again. He completed his hat trick with an unassisted goal to put Cheyenne Mountain up 3-2.
As much as Paige would’ve liked to see other players get involved, he knew the circumstances forced some of that adaptation that Johnson had talked about.
“In that second half, we had to put some specialized lines out there,” Paige said. “Sometimes in a game you have to do that.”
Johnson’s third goal proved to be the momentum swing that the Indians needed. Wiley Burkett added another goal for Cheyenne Mountain with just under a minute remaining in the quarter. Kyle Elligott backed it up 20 seconds later and Jack Paul scored 30 seconds after that.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Cheyenne Mountain had broken the dam and taken a 6-2 lead. They were able to add two more goals in the fourth, while keeping the Lobos from tallying even just one more. The Indians finished the game on a 6-0 run after Conifer had tied the game a second time.
“Adversity is our biggest friend,” Johnson said. “Seeing an easy team then a hard team and always switching up is something we look forward to.”
Considering April is still over a week away, this loss doesn’t hurt the Lobos too badly. They have long-term goals and know that they’ll need to learn a bit about themselves along the way if they’re going to complete them.
“This will be one we can grow and learn from come late May,” Riecke said. “When the championship comes around on May 18, we want to be there. But it’s going to take a lot of hard work and learning from our losses.”
The Lobos are out of action until Apr. 4 as they’ll take advantage of spring break. The Indians head to California for a couple of games before heading back to Colorado to face Valor Christian.
LAKEWOOD — Baylee Galan-Browne won back-to-back Class 4A girls basketball state titles, so celebrating on the court is old hat to the Evergreen senior guard.
Nine days after celebrating on the court at the Denver Coliseum, Galan-Browne had a similar celebration leap and run toward the bench Monday night at the Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood. The Evergreen senior hit the game-winning shot with 7 seconds left in the inaugural Jeffco High School Senior Basketball Game to give the White squad a 78-75 victory.
Evergreen’s Baylee Galan-Browne hit the game-winning shot in the inaugural Jeffco HS Senior Basketball Game. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“I was like OK, I’m really good at last-second shots so this one is going to go in,” Galan-Browne said with all smiles after the victory. “It went in and I was like, OK. That’s cool. I like that.”
The final 30 seconds (see video above) was wild. The Blue team held a 75-73 lead, but a fed by Evergreen senior Kristina Schreiber into the post to Ralston Valley senior Samantha Van Sickle was just what White coach Chris Olson wanted. Van Sickle, who was named the White team MVP with 13 points, made a nice move in the post to tie the game at 75-75 with 27 seconds left.
“The best thing I did was not say anything and just cheer them on,” Olson said. “I just let them do there thing. Having that many great kids was awesome.”
Olson, D’Evelyn girls basketball coach, was filling in for Evergreen coach Amy Bahl who had to miss the game due to a medical issue with one of her young daughters.
Two of Bahl’s former players were key in the game-winning basket. After a miss by Lakewood senior Sassy Coleman, Schreiber grabbed the rebound and fired a pass up court to her former Cougar teammate. Galen-Browne, who will play at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. next school year, pulled up for the 3-pointer that hit nothing but net with 7 seconds to play.
Golden’s Makena Prey, left, blocks the shot of Evergreen’s Kristina Schreiber. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“We just focused on the little things and pressure on defense,” Galan-Browne said of the White team erasing an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Golden senior Abby Garnett, who was named the Blue squad MVP with a game-high 21 points, wasn’t able to get off a shot before the buzzer.
“It was awesome,” said Garnett of the experience. “I was sitting on the bench and talking with some players that I played with in eighth-grade. Coming back and having that chemistry back right away was so much fun. Win or lose it was so much fun.”
Garnett is headed to play at Ohio University.
“It was a great way to end high school for sure,” Garnett said. “It was more fun playing with some Jeffco girls instead of against them.”
The inaugural Jeffco High School Senior Basketball Games were put on by the Gold Crown Foundation, Jeffco Public Schools and 1stBank.
Olson had been big on creating a Jeffco all-star game for several years.
“I’ve been excited for years to put this together,” Olson said. “I’m glad Gold Crown stepped up and Jeffco was with them to get it all together. After this game, girls are going to want to play in it. I want to be apart of it.”
Valor’s Abby Wright, left, gets a shot up and over D’Evelyn’s Angi Reed on Monday night at the Gold Crown Field House. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
DENVER — To say Fowler’s Dahlton McGhee is having a career year would be a bit of an understatement.
After failing to qualify for the state wrestling tournament as a freshman and not placing as a sophomore and junior, McGhee is one win away from one of the most remarkable turnarounds in state history.
After his win over Wray’s Jayce Reser in the Class 2A 195-pound semifinals, he’s just one match away from claiming his first state championship and also running the table for the 2017-18.
McGhee improved his record to 41-0. Not bad for a guy who wrestled at 152 as a freshman and 160 as a sophomore and junior.
He’ll take the mat at Pepsi Center with the rest of the finalists on Saturday. The Parade of Championship is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. and championship matches will begin at 7.
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Wray has a big lead in the 2A title quest:
Wray is closing in on its first state wrestling championship since 1988. The Eagles, who have won 11 in their history, lead the 2A team race with 134.5 points.
Rocky Ford, the defending champion, sits in second with 105.5 points. Cedaredge is third with 94.5, just ahead of Paonia (94). Fowler is fifth with 75.5.
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Alamosa heads the 3A team chase:
Alamosa is on top of the race for the 3A team championship. The Mean Moose are way out in front with 120 points. Eaton and Lamar are tied for second with 85 points.
Berthoud (70 points) is fourth, while Pagosa Springs (69) is fifth.
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Notables:
Wray’s Cade Rockwell knocked out defending 2A 113 champion Dillon Jaramillo of Rocky Ford with a pin in overtime of their semifinal match.
Brush junior Wyatt Pfau handed Valley sophomore Jaziah Whaley (42-1) his first loss of the season in advancing to the 3A 152 final.
Javier Gonzalez of Valley knocked off a returning champ in the 3A 120 quarterfinals, beating Jacob Duran of Fort Lupton with a 5-3 decision. He fell to Ethan Andrade of Lamar in the semifinals.
Conifer freshman Cayden Condit, the lone female qualifier, advanced to the second round of the consolations after defeating The Classical Academy junior Brendan Johnston via forfeit. She battled in the second-round consolation, tying the match up late, but ultimately lost a 6-4 decision.
Josh Flanagan watched a few years ago as his brother made history at the state wrestling tournament. Macoy, a senior in 2016, tied the state record by winning 51 matches in a senior year as Valley won its second-straight team title.
Now, Josh is looking to do something that even his record-setting brother didn’t pull off in his career.
Josh is going for his second state championship. He won the 170-pound title last year and as the state tournament kicked-off on Thursday, began his quest to go back-to-back. If there’s any pressure, though, it’s all self-inflicted.
“I put a little bit of pressure on (myself) because people put a lot of pressure on me,” Flanagan said. “I know that I can do it again, so they expect me to do it again.”
A victory by pin over Del Norte’s Ruben Agosto in the first round has the younger Flanagan on track to have some bragging rights over big brother.
“I would say being a two-time state champ is a little better than having an undefeated record and going 51-0,” Josh said. “I kind of wanted to try that this year but fell a little short. I’m not sure how he did it. I think that winning two would be a little better than that but he’s a great wrestler.”
Flanagan is set to face Lamar’s Lucas Tinnes in the quarterfinals Friday morning.
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Notables
Cayden Condit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Conifer freshman Cayden Condit, the lone female qualifier at this year’s state tournament, was pinned in her first-round match by Alameda freshman Davion Chavez in 1:24. Condit will face The Classical Academy junior Brendan Johnston in the consolation bracket on Friday.
Wray leads the 2A team race with 40 points after prelims. Cedaredge (32 points) sits in second, with Rocky Ford (30.5) third. Paonia is fourth with 23 points, and Fowler (18) is fifth.
Eaton is on top of the 3A team race through the first round, leading with 31 points. Berthoud and Lamar are tied for second with 24 points each. Pagosa Springs (22 points) and Alamosa (21.5) are also firmly in the hunt for the team title.
In 3A’s 106-pound bracket, Trinidad’s Alberto Felthager knocked off the top seed, Santana Hernandez of Weld Central, with a 5-3 decision in the first round. Felthager placed fourth in his region last weekend.
Lyons’ Keegan Bean pinned Ellicott’s Matthew Brant in 26 seconds. He’s the defending champ in 2A 182. That was the fastest pin of the 2A/3A prelims.
Rocky Ford’s Greg Garcia matched Bean’s fastest pin with a takedown of Highland’s Micheal Johnson at 2A 285 in 26 seconds.
Each of the returning champions in 2A (there are four) and 3A (where there are three) advanced to their quarterfinals.
Likewise, the two unbeaten wrestlers in 2A are onto the quarters, and three three unbeatens in 3A also advanced.
The 2A and 3A tournaments continue on Friday with the quarterfinals and first-round consolation matches at 9:30 a.m. The semifinals (7 p.m.) and second-round consolation (5:30 p.m.) matches are on Friday evening.
