Denver East (in Class 5A) and Jefferson Academy (in 3A) are the new No. 1 tams in this week’s boys soccer rankings.
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.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Denver East (8)
7-0-0
98
2
2-0-0
2
Boulder (1)
5-1-1
82
1
1-1-0
3
Broomfield
5-1-0
71
3
2-0-0
4
Fort Collins
4-0-1
65
4
1-0-0
5
Fairview
5-1-0
53
6
2-0-0
6
Fossil Ridge
4-0-1
52
5
2-0-0
7
Grandview (1)
4-1-0
47
7
1-0-0
8
Monarch
5-0-1
25
–
2-0-0
9
Hinkley
4-1-0
11
–
2-0-0
10
Cherry Creek
3-2-0
9
8
0-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Arapahoe 8, Castle View 8, FNE Warriors 8, Legacy 7, Douglas County 2, Rangeview 2, Grand Junction 1, Regis Jesuit 1.
Dropped out
Douglas County (9), Arapahoe (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Air Academy (8)
6-0-0
80
1
1-0-0
2
Niwot
6-0-1
52
4
2-0-0
3
The Classical Academy
4-1-0
50
3
2-0-0
4
Windsor
7-0-0
49
5
2-0-0
5
Durango
6-1-0
46
2
1-1-0
6
Sand Creek
6-0-0
30
–
2-0-0
7
Silver Creek
4-0-1
25
9
1-0-0
8
Littleton
7-0-1
23
–
3-0-0
9
Cheyenne Mountain
4-3-0
21
7
2-0-0
10
Montrose
5-2-0
17
8
1-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Denver North 13, Battle Mountain 10, Kennedy 9, Golden 8, Vista PEAK Prep 3, Pueblo Centennial 2, Northridge 1, Thomas Jefferson 1.
Dropped out
Battle Mountain (6), Kennedy (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Jefferson Academy (5)
5-0-1
95
2
1-0-1
2
Kent Denver (5)
5-0-1
86
1
2-0-1
3
Colorado Springs Christian
3-2-0
51
6
0-1-0
4
Colorado Academy
4-2-0
49
3
2-1-0
5
The Academy
5-0-2
40
7
2-0-0
6
DSST-Stapleton
5-1-0
39
4
2-1-0
7
KIPP Denver Collegiate
4-3-0
37
5
1-1-0
8
St. Mary’s
5-1-0
31
–
2-0-0
9
Liberty Common
4-0-0
28
8
2-0-0
10
The Pinnacle
5-2-0
17
10
1-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Peak to Peak 16, Faith Christian 10, Aurora West 9, Delta 8, Alamosa 7, Eagle Ridge Academy 6, Manitou Springs 6, James Irwin 3, Vail Mountain 3, Bruce Randolph 2, DSST-Green Valley Ranch 2, Salida 2, William Smith 2, Arrupe Jesuit 1.
There are two new teams in each classification of the boys soccer rankings this 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.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Boulder (8)
4-0-1
115
1
0-0-1
2
Denver East (2)
5-0-0
100
2
2-0-0
3
Broomfield (1)
3-1-0
93
3
1-0-0
4
Fort Collins
3-0-1
68
5
0-0-1
5
Fossil Ridge
2-0-1
50
6
2-0-1
6
Fairview
3-1-0
49
4
1-0-0
7
Grandview
3-1-0
36
10
2-0-0
8
Cherry Creek
3-1-0
24
–
2-0-0
9
Douglas County
6-0-0
19
–
2-0-0
10
Arapahoe
3-1-1
17
7
1-1-1
Others receiving votes:
Rangeview 12, FNE Warriors 10, Monarch 10, Regis Jesuit 10, Arvada West 9, Gateway 8, Hinkley 8, Adams City 6, Rock Canyon 6, Eaglecrest 4, Ralston Valley 3, Greeley West 2, Castle View 1.
Dropped out
Arvada West (8), Hinkley (9).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Air Academy (6)
5-0-0
78
1
4-0-0
2
Durango (2)
5-0-0
73
2
3-0-0
3
The Classical Academy
2-1-0
62
3
0-0-0
4
Niwot
4-0-1
52
4
1-0-1
5
Windsor
5-0-0
45
5
1-0-0
6
Battle Mountain
4-1-0
36
7
2-0-0
7
Cheyenne Mountain
2-3-0
18
6
1-1-0
8
Montrose
4-1-0
16
–
2-1-0
9
Silver Creek
3-0-1
14
–
2-0-0
10
Kennedy
5-0-0
11
10
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Littleton 8, Sand Creek 8, Vista PEAK Prep 6, Wheat Ridge 5, Pueblo Centennial 3, Denver North 2, D’Evelyn 2, Golden 1.
Dropped out
Pueblo West (8), D’Evelyn (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kent Denver (7)
3-0-0
88
1
1-0-0
2
Jefferson Academy (2)
4-0-0
86
3
3-0-0
3
Colorado Academy (1)
2-1-0
72
2
0-1-0
4
DSST-Stapleton
3-0-0
49
6
1-0-0
5
KIPP Denver Collegiate
3-2-0
47
–
1-1-0
6
Colorado Springs Christian
3-1-0
42
8
0-1-0
7
The Academy
3-0-2
40
7
0-0-2
8
Liberty Common
2-0-0
36
9
1-0-0
9
Peak to Peak
2-2-0
28
4
0-2-0
10
The Pinnacle
4-1-0
12
–
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
St. Mary’s 9, Alamosa 6, Faith Christian 5, Manitou Springs 5, Salida 5, Aurora West 4, James Irwin 4, Machebeuf 4, Manual 3, Bruce Randolph 2, Vail Mountain 2, Eagle Ridge Academy 1.
Air Academy moved up to the No. 1 spot in this week’s Class 4A boys soccer rankings from CHSAANow.com.
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.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Boulder (8)
4-0-0
89
1
4-0-0
2
Denver East
3-0-0
77
3
3-0-0
3
Broomfield (1)
2-1-0
74
2
2-1-0
4
Fairview
2-1-0
59
4
2-1-0
5
Fort Collins
3-0-0
45
8
3-0-0
6
Fossil Ridge
0-0-0
39
5
0-0-0
7
Arapahoe
2-0-0
38
6
2-0-0
8
Arvada West
3-0-0
28
–
3-0-0
9
Hinkley
2-0-0
22
–
2-0-0
10
Grandview
1-1-0
10
7
1-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Castle View 4, Ralston Valley 3, FNE Warriors 2, Monarch 2, Doherty 1, Greeley West 1, Smoky Hill 1.
Dropped out
Cherry Creek (9), Ralston Valley (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Air Academy (4)
1-0-0
76
5
1-0-0
2
Durango (4)
2-0-0
73
4
2-0-0
3
The Classical Academy
2-1-0
61
3
2-1-0
4
Niwot
3-0-0
49
–
3-0-0
5
Windsor
4-0-0
42
–
4-0-0
6
Cheyenne Mountain
1-2-0
29
1
1-2-0
7
Battle Mountain
2-1-0
21
2
2-1-0
8
Pueblo West
2-0-0
19
–
2-0-0
9
D’Evelyn
2-1-0
17
6
2-1-0
10
Kennedy
3-0-0
16
–
3-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Montrose 12, Silver Creek 8, Denver North 6, Sand Creek 5, Vista PEAK 3, Steamboat Springs 2, Littleton 1.
Dropped out
Standley Lake (7), Silver Creek (8), Denver West (9), Mullen (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kent Denver (7)
2-0-0
79
1
2-0-0
2
Colorado Academy
2-0-0
60
3
2-0-0
3
Jefferson Academy (1)
1-0-0
58
2
1-0-0
4
Peak to Peak
2-0-0
49
7
2-0-0
5
KIPP
2-1-0
38
5
2-1-0
6
DSST-Stapleton
2-0-0
31
10
2-0-0
7
The Academy
3-0-0
27
–
3-0-0
8
Colorado Springs Christian
3-0-0
26
4
3-0-0
9
Liberty Common
1-0-0
18
–
1-0-0
10
Salida
2-0-0
10
9
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Vail Mountain 8, Faith Christian 6, Manitou Springs 6, Alamosa 5, Machebeuf 5, Bruce Randolph 4, Aurora West 2, Coal Ridge 2, Jefferson 2, Arrupe Jesuit 1, Fountain Valley 1, Manual 1, Pinnacle 1.
Strasburg is ranked No. 1 in 3A. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)
The preseason softball rankings from CHSAANow.com are out, and Broomfield (Class 5A), Valor Christian (4A) and Strasburg (3A) are the top-ranked teams.
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.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Broomfield (4)
0-0-0
78
2
Eaglecrest (4)
0-0-0
75
3
Cherokee Trail (2)
0-0-0
60
4
Fossil Ridge
0-0-0
53
5
Legacy
0-0-0
41
6
Douglas County
0-0-0
34
7
Legend
0-0-0
31
8
Grand Junction Central
0-0-0
24
9
Ralston Valley
0-0-0
22
10
Rock Canyon
0-0-0
18
Others receiving votes:
Loveland 15, Brighton 14, Arvada West 13, Cherry Creek 12, Dakota Ridge 11, Grandview 10, Mountain Vista 9, Fort Collins 7, ThunderRidge 7, Hinkley 3, Liberty 3, Vista Ridge 3, Fruita Monument 2, Rampart 2, Castle View 1, Pine Creek 1, Smoky Hill 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Valor Christian (9)
0-0-0
92
2
Air Academy
0-0-0
76
3
Wheat Ridge (1)
0-0-0
68
4
Mullen
0-0-0
64
5
Erie
0-0-0
62
6
Silver Creek
0-0-0
50
7
Pueblo West
0-0-0
45
8
Mountain View
0-0-0
35
9
Frederick
0-0-0
22
10
Pueblo Central
0-0-0
12
Others receiving votes:
Discovery Canyon 7, Thomas Jefferson 7, Evergreen 3, D’Evelyn 2, Falcon 2, Pueblo South 2, Berthoud 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Strasburg (6)
0-0-0
78
2
Rocky Ford (2)
0-0-0
62
3
Brush
0-0-0
55
4
Eaton
0-0-0
54
5
Lamar
0-0-0
41
6
La Junta
0-0-0
28
7
Valley
0-0-0
27
8
The Academy
0-0-0
26
9
Sterling
0-0-0
24
10
Faith Christian
0-0-0
16
Others receiving votes:
University 7, Delta 6, Meeker 5, Burlington 4, Basalt 3, Limon 2, Cedaredge 1, Weld Central 1.
The 2017 all-state baseball teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
[divider]
Class 5A
(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
Player of the year: John Sorensen, Rocky Mountain
Coach of the year: Scott Bullock, Rocky Mountain
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Liam Eddy
Brighton
P/RF/3B
Senior
Matt Givin
Rock Canyon
RHP/SS/2B
Senior
Tyler Hyland
Rocky Mountain
OF/P
Senior
James Notary
Broomfield
P/INF
Senior
Casey Opitz
Heritage
C/INF
Senior
Tanner O’Tremba
Cherry Creek
OF
Junior
Caleb Sloan
Regis Jesuit
RHP
Senior
John Sorensen
Rocky Mountain
SS/P
Senior
Jordan Stubbings
Legend
3B/1B/C
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Carter Akerfelds
Dakota Ridge
RHP
Senior
Jacob Arellano
Mountain Range
Senior
Tyler Carpenter
Fairview
1B/P
Senior
Drake Davis
Ralston Valley
RHP/OF
Senior
Kalen Hammer
Rocky Mountain
INF
Senior
Jacob Hilton
Heritage
RHP/INF
Senior
Jack Liffrig
Mountain Vista
LHP
Junior
Garrett Tisdall
Eaglecrest
RHP/C/3B
Senior
Jack Winkler
Chatfield
INF/P
Senior
Honorable mention:
Sean Arnold, Highlands Ranch, 1B/OF, Junior
Michael Baer, Regis Jesuit, 1B, Senior
Alex Bumpus, Coronado, CF/P, Senior
Kyle Cardona, Legend, SS/RHP, Senior
Joshua Chamberlain, Legacy, RHP/2B, Senior
Andrew Chavez, Cherry Creek, C, Senior
Riley Cornelio, Pine Creek, SS/RHP, Sophomore
Jeff Cyr, Ralston Valley, SS/RHP, Senior
Andrew Danko, Eaglecrest, SS/RHP, Junior
Colby Deaville, Legacy, SS, Senior
Moses Dokes, Denver East, Freshman
Spencer Gendreau, Rocky Mountain, 1B/OF, Senior
Mikey Griebel, Columbine, CF, Senior
Colton Hill, Rock Canyon, OF, Senior
Sam Ireland, Mountain Vista, 1B/RHP, Sophomore
Patrick Kauffmann, Denver East, Senior
Hunter Kelchner, Grand Junction Central, RHP/1B, Senior
Ryan Kirby, Grand Junction Central, INF, Sophomore
Cooper Legault, Dakota Ridge, OF/RHP, Junior
Jordan Medina, Highlands Ranch, UTIL/P, Junior
Mitch Morales, Broomfield, P/OF, Sophomore
Trey Morrill, Fruita Monument, P/OF, Junior
Conner Nantkes, Cherokee Trail, P/UTIL, Senior
Jakob Pigati, Bear Creek, CF/LF/RF, Senior
Jack Radford, Bear Creek, P, Senior
Cody Schultz, Cherry Creek, INF, Senior
Mason Speirs, Broomfield, C/C, Senior
Jose Treto, Brighton, P/SS/OF, Senior
Matt Turner, Broomfield, 1B, Senior
Jadon Uhrich, Rocky Mountain, C/INF/OF, Senior
Quincey Ulrich, ThunderRidge,
Jake Willemsen, Fairview, OF, Senior
[divider]
Class 4A
(Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)
Player of the year: Luke Ziegler, Valor Christian
Coach of the year: Steve Jones, Evergreen
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Mike Berg
Thompson Valley
C/OF/3B
Senior
Micah Bregard
Air Academy
INF/P
Junior
RJ Dabovich
Pueblo West
Senior
Noah Kuzma
Valor Christian
C
Junior
Ben Muscatello
Evergreen
P/SS/INF
Junior
JD Wadleigh
Green Mountain
RHP/OF
Junior
Judah Wilbur
Denver North
SS/2B/RHP
Senior
Cole Winn
Silver Creek
INF/P
Junior
Luke Ziegler
Valor Christian
3B/RHP
Junior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Josh Danyliw
Valor Christian
P/RF
Junior
Alan Garcia
Pueblo West
Senior
Trystan Kimmel
Thomas Jefferson
INF/RHP
Senior
Skyler Messinger
Niwot
P/INF
Senior
Dylan Norsen
Mountain View
P/INF
Senior
Joel Pierce
Valor Christian
LF/RF
Senior
Jose Robles
Denver North
RHP/C
Senior
Andrew Shaw
Summit
LHP/OF/1B
Senior
Corte Tapia
Windsor
Senior
Honorable mention:
Mason Bennett, Ponderosa,
Matt Berg, Thompson Valley, SS/2B/OF, Senior
Aaron Berkhoff, Cheyenne Mountain, 3B, Sophomore
Brody Bettis, Green Mountain, 2B, Senior
Dalton Bishop, Mesa Ridge, C/INF/SS, Senior
Nick Bowermaster, Thomas Jefferson, SS/RHP, Sophomore
The 2017 all-state girls soccer teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
[divider]
Class 5A
(Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)
Player of the year: Haley Schueppert, Mountain Vista
COMMERCE CITY — Walking up to the box to take her turn in the shootout Tuesday night, Hannah Paschke’s emotions were running high.
A year ago in the Class 3A state semifinals, Paschke’s penalty kick in a shootout with Colorado Academy went off the crossbar. So before she take what could have been the deciding shot Tuesday, teammate Alex Loera huddled with her and whispered words of encouragement.
It worked – as did almost every decision the Wildcats made in the 3A state championship game, no matter how unconventional. Peak to Peak goalkeeper Rachel Willette couldn’t quite get a firm grip on Paschke’s shot, and as the ball crossed the line, the celebration commenced.
One year after its season ended in heartbreak in a shootout, The Academy earned redemption and the program’s first state title with a 1-1, 4-3 shootout victory at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
“I knew her emotions were going crazy,” Loera said. “We just got together and I told her ‘All you’ve got to do is put it in the back of the net. Just take a breath and put it back.’ After that we prayed and she came up big time.”
After playing to a 1-1 tie through regulation and two overtimes, Wildcats coach Kevin Davis made a unique decision headed into the shootout. Davis opted to put Loera in goal instead of keeper Kristine Honomichl – a decision that Honomichl and the team fully supported.
It was Loera’s first time in net, yet she made a save on her third go-round.
“She’s very quick laterally,” Davis said. “Kris was OK with it, the team was OK with it; they were super unselfish.”
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
It was just that kind of night for The Academy (18-1), which had fallen in the state semifinals in each of the previous two seasons.
After Peak to Peak (15-3-1) scored the go-ahead goal just more than two minutes into the second half, Loera threaded her way through four defenders and put the equalizer into the back of the net with less than 25 minutes remaining in regulation.
“The two left a gap right between, and I was like ‘I’ve got to go through there. That’s my only way,’” Loera said. “I went through and once I was on the breakaway I just slotted it. The goalie got a hand on it, but luckily there was enough power on it.”
Peak to Peak’s only shot on goal over the final 70 minutes of play came on Emma Shepherd’s hard liner that gave the Pumas the brief lead. With Peak to Peak on its heels as The Academy put the pressure on, Willette made nine saves down the stretch and the Pumas’ defense prevented the Wildcats from taking the lead.
In the shootout, Peak to Peak had three attempts go high, but Willette made two big saves. It wasn’t until Paschke earned her own measure of redemption that The Academy could finally enjoy what had been a long time in the making.
“The past two years our team has been pretty good,” Paschke said. “This year, I knew this team could do it … this team deserves it.”
“It’s just been crazy,” Loera added. “I don’t even know how to put it into words right now. I am overly emotional right now. We’ve gone four years and tried and tried and tried, and we finally did it.”
Loera finished her senior season with 42 goals, and is one of only two seniors on the roster.
“The ladies deserve that win. They worked their tails off over the last two years,” Davis said. “We talk about it’s just an opportunity and you’ve got to earn it. Tonight they earned it.”
Peak to Peak graduates only four seniors off a team that finished tied for second in the Metro League.
DENVER — Saturday afternoon was a whirlwind for The Academy’s Alex Loera.
The senior’s game-winning goal in the second half of the Class 3A girls soccer state semifinals launched the Wildcats into the school’s first championship game appearance, in any sport. Loera didn’t have much time to celebrate that accomplishment though, because she had to rush off the field to head to her graduation.
That doesn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate what had just taken place at All-City Stadium.
“I can’t even describe it what it feels like right now. We’ve gotten here the last two years,” Loera said after the Wildcats emerged with a 1-0 victory over Kent Denver. “To be able to now say that we’re going to the finals is amazing.”
The Academy (17-1) will play Peak to Peak for the 3A championship at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. It’s a moment a long time in the making for the Wildcats, who have come up just shy in recent years.
In 2014, The Academy fell 2-1 to Kent Denver in double overtime in the quarterfinals. One year later, Jefferson Academy ended the team’s run in the state semifinals.
The Wildcats made it back to the semis last May, only to lose to Colorado Academy on penalty kicks. But with only two seniors on the roster this season, the team finally broke through.
“It’s crazy,” junior Jasmine Daily said. “I just take so much pride and I’m so happy that this is the year we can make the seniors proud.”
Loera’s goal came less than five minutes into the second half. The senior launched a high ball from 30 yards out that just tucker under the crossbar and over a leaping Kent Denver freshman goalkeeper Mika Fisher.
“I was a little off-balance when I actually shot it, so I had no idea,” said Loera, who has 41 goals on the season. “But then I saw she was off her line, so I was like ‘that’s in.’”
The Academy had to withstand a late push from the Sun Devils (12-5-1), including a huge save-and-clear in the final 90 seconds after a free kick. Junior Kristine Honmichl somehow got a hand on the ball in the middle of a scrum in front of the net, and the team’s defense cleared it from there.
“It helps having one of the best players in the state. One of her strengths is winning balls in the air,” Wildcats coach Kevin Davis said of Loera. “We always know to put her on the goal line and have a strong wall. We defended it correctly and got a little bit lucky with the touch.
“We have a goalie who it’s her first year, and we told her she was going to have to make a save or two today to keep us (in it). It kind of all came together there, and our defense stepped up and was able to clear the ball.”
Honmichl made three saves for The Academy, and caught a break in the first half when a ball that was misjudged deflected off the left post. Fisher recorded four saves.
“Overall I think it was a pretty even match. Kent Denver, they’re young,” Davis said. “I think they’re going to be pretty good over the next couple years.”
[divider]
Peak to Peak 2, Jefferson Academy 1
(Brian Miller/CHSAANow.com)
A pair of perfectly-executed set pieces in the first half was all that Peak to Peak needed to punch its ticket to the 3A title game.
Rebecca Thompson and Emma Shepherd scored goals 14 minutes apart for the Pumas (15-2-1) and Peak to Peak withstood a second-half surge from the Jaguars to eliminate the top seed.
Peak to Peak advanced to the championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2013. Thompson said the foundation was laid last year, but the Pumas found a way to put it all together this spring.
“I know that was going to be my only chance. Obviously it’s my last year,” she said. “But this is definitely the best team I was going to have. That was my best chance to go, and I am so proud and so excited. It’s hard for me to form a thought right now.”
Thompson put the Pumas on top in the 11th minute, scoring off of a corner kick from teammate Alayna Mann. The corner kick was set up by that same combination after Thompson fed Mann with a cross, but Jefferson Academy freshman keeper Brooklynn Kirkpatrick deflected the junior’s shot out of bounds.
Shepherd added what turned out to be a crucial insurance goal in the 25th minute, ripping a free kick past Kirkpatrick from 34 yards out.
“We’ve been working on those a lot in practice,” Thompson said of the set pieces. “Obviously they’ve been working out really well for us.”
The Jaguars (15-2-1) got on the board a little more than a minute into the second half. Sophomore keeper Kinzie Short, who had just entered the game, came out to try and cover up a shot. The ball squirted away, and Samantha Spitz cleaned things up.
Jefferson Academy kept the pressure on down the stretch, but the Jaguars couldn’t come up with any clean opportunities.
The victory helped the Pumas erase the sting of a 5-3 regular-season loss to Jefferson Academy back in April. The challenge of emerging out of the 3A Metro League is no easy task, but Peak to Peak finished 7-1-1 in league play.
“There’s nothing like playing in the Metro League, right?” Pumas coach Joe Swanson said. “We played three non-conference and then we jumped right into it. I think Faith Christian was the first one, then we had the gauntlet of JA, CA (Colorado Academy) and Kent Denver.”
GREELEY — Faith Christian got two RBIs from Tyler Mattingley in a 8-3 win over The Academy on Saturday in regional play. The Eagles beat University later in the day to advance to the Class 3A state tournament.
