Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Five teams joined this week’s boys soccer rankings: Hinkley (5A); Durango, Kennedy and Pueblo West (4A); and The Academy (3A).
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
Broomfield (4)
1-0-0
72
1
1-0-0
2
Boulder (2)
2-0-0
70
4
2-0-0
3
Denver East
0-0-0
58
3
0-0-0
4
Fort Collins
1-0-0
45
2
1-0-0
5
Grandview (1)
2-0-0
43
5
2-0-0
6
Fairview
2-0-0
28
6
2-0-0
7
Arapahoe (1)
1-0-0
27
7
1-0-0
8
Cherry Creek
0-1-0
17
8
0-1-0
9
Far Northeast
0-1-0
15
9
0-1-0
10
Hinkley
0-0-0
11
–
0-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Legacy 10, Legend 8, Doherty 5, Overland 5, Rampart 5, Adams City 4, Westminster 4, Cherokee Trail 3, Grand Junction 3, Ralston Valley 3, Pine Creek 2, Liberty 1, Rangeview 1.
Dropped out
Grand Junction (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Air Academy (6)
1-1-0
76
1
1-1-0
2
Centaurus (1)
0-0-0
61
2
0-0-0
3
Niwot
1-0-0
54
3
1-0-0
4
The Classical Academy
0-0-0
46
4
0-0-0
5
Durango (1)
2-0-0
40
–
2-0-0
6
Denver North
0-0-0
29
5
0-0-0
7
Kennedy
1-0-0
21
–
1-0-0
8
Skyline
0-1-0
19
6
0-1-0
9
Littleton
1-0-0
17
8
1-0-0
10
Pueblo West
3-0-0
14
–
3-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Battle Mountain 10, Green Mountain 8, Montrose 7, Palmer Ridge 7, Sand Creek 7, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Silver Creek 5, Mullen 3, Thomas Jefferson 3, Discovery Canyon 2, Lewis-Palmer 2, Coronado 1, Northfield 1, Pueblo Centennial 1, Steamboat Springs 1.
They went through a variety of different experiences: a crash course in dealing with the media and best practices in social media from the Broncos PR staff; a photo shoot; a tour of the Broncos’ training facility, where the event was held; and a Q&A session with statewide media.
“Being out here, you can feel the atmosphere,” said Eaglecrest linebacker Elijah Anderson-Taylor. “When you come here, you can feel the culture.”
On hand were players and coaches from La Junta, Chatfield, Sedgwick County, Peeetz, Eaton, Broomfield, The Classical Academy, Palmer Ridge, Columbine, Mead, Erie, Stratton/Liberty, Pomona, Eaglecrest, Grandview, West Grand, Pine Creek, Pueblo South, Strasburg and Centauri. The Broncos hope to expand the event next season.
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Each team brought between three and six players, along with a head coach or an assistant coach.
All seven classifications were represented. There were six returning champions in attendance, and seven runners-up.
One major topic of the day was starting anew, and not looking back.
“It’s a brand new start for us this year,” said Erie’s Nathan Hackney. The Tigers were runner-up in 3A. “Last year was a great memory. But this year is a whole different story. We’re going to try to make the same run, go for the same goals, but it’s a whole new game for us this year.”
Added Palmer Ridge’s Aidan Cullen, whose team won 3A last season: “I feel like the class this year understands that what we did last year is now the new standard.”
That’s not to say last year isn’t serving as motivation for some.
“We’ve been preparing since November,” said Centauri’s Bennie Chacon, whose team lost the 1A championship game in double overtime to Strasburg. “It’s been on our mind a whole lot.”
Added teammate Deontay Martinez: “It’s like eating and not getting full.”
There was talk of loaded schedules.
“You don’t get better playing weak teams,” said Grandview coach John Schultz.
“We wanted it that way,” said Stratton/Liberty coach Toby Kechter. “We want a chance to get better every week.”
Among the 5A teams, a common theme was the league realignment that returned to a more regional format.
“Those are the teams we want to play,” said Columbine’s Corbin Curry.
“It makes it more heartfelt, playing against those guys you grew up playing against,” said Grandview’s Mason Schultz.
For many players, it was their first time in such a setting — facing the media in a press conference.
Ty Evans. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Even Ty Evans, the Palmer Ridge quarterback and CU commit whose national profile has grown in recent months, admitted that he had “never been in this atmosphere.”
“This is an awesome experience for us,” Sedgwick County coach Chris Michel said. “We know it’s a long ways out there, but stuff like this is awesome for us.”
“We’re really enjoying it and taking it all in,” said Mead’s Marcel MacPhail. “We’re here to learn and we’re here to grow and just spread the word about Mead.”
Many of the players remarked on the impact of the social media training they went through. Elijah Anderson-Taylor remarked that it was the “most in-depth thing that we possibly could have done as kids.”
Ultimately, the smiles were big on Friday. It was a day the players won’t soon forget.
“I don’t know about these guys,” Bryson Long of Peetz said as he gestured to his teammates, “but I’m having a great time.”
The preseason football rankings are out ahead of the 2018 season. No. 1 teams include Cherry Creek (5A), Pine Creek (4A), Palmer Ridge (3A), Bayfield (2A), Strasburg (1A), Sedgwick County (8-man) and Stratton/Liberty (6-man).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Broomfield (5A), Air Academy (4A), Liberty Common (3A) and Dawson School (2A) are on top of the preseason rankings in boys soccer this season.
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 (7)
0-0-0
95
2
Fort Collins
0-0-0
74
3
Denver East (2)
0-0-0
67
4
Boulder
0-0-0
58
5
Grandview (1)
0-0-0
57
6
Fairview
0-0-0
49
7
Arapahoe
0-0-0
46
8
Cherry Creek
0-0-0
33
9
Far Northeast
0-0-0
23
10
Grand Junction
0-0-0
18
Others receiving votes:
Legacy 9, Rangeview 6, Fossil Ridge 3, Regis Jesuit 3, Mountain Vista 2, Ralston Valley 2, Rock Canyon 2, Aurora Central 1, Hinkley 1, Legend 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Air Academy (6)
0-0-0
78
2
Centaurus (2)
0-0-0
74
3
Niwot
0-0-0
58
4
The Classical Academy
0-0-0
45
5
Denver North
0-0-0
41
6
Skyline
0-0-0
37
7
Montrose
0-0-0
30
8
Littleton
0-0-0
18
9
Battle Mountain
0-0-0
13
10
Steamboat Springs
0-0-0
10
Others receiving votes:
Durango 8, Cheyenne Mountain 6, Kennedy 6, Standley Lake 6, Silver Creek 4, Sand Creek 3, Pueblo Centennial 2, Thomas Jefferson 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Liberty Common (8)
0-0-0
94
2
Kent Denver
0-0-0
83
3
Colorado Springs Christian (1)
0-0-0
76
4
Colorado Academy
0-0-0
75
5
Jefferson Academy (1)
0-0-0
51
6
Peak to Peak
0-0-0
28
7
KIPP Denver
0-0-0
20
8
Salida
0-0-0
16
9
Arrupe Jesuit
0-0-0
15
10
Roaring Fork
0-0-0
13
Others receiving votes:
Coal Ridge 11, Delta 10, St. Mary’s 10, Vail Mountain 10, DSST: Stapleton 9, The Academy 9, Atlas Prep 6, Manitou Springs 4, Lutheran 3, The Pinnacle 3, Faith Christian 2, SkyView Academy 2.
COLORADO SPRINGS — When Brandon Bervig needs to set the tone for a golf tournament, he should just try to remember the ninth hole at the Colorado Springs Country Club.
Bervig let loose with his driver and smashed his ball (unofficially) 343 yards down the fairway. He sat about 60 yards away from the pin. He made birdie and played consistently through the day to help Liberty claim the 2018 Doherty Spartan Invite.
But he wasn’t the best finisher for the Lancers, nor is he the longest hitter.
“Lucas (Howell) can bomb it further,” Liberty coach Stan Woodworth said while standing behind the ninth green.
Woodworth is excited about the combination he has in Bervig and Howell this year. Throughout their time with the Lancers, they’ve both shown a high level of skill. Woodward is just waiting for them to put every element of their game together and thinks that this can be the year.
“The last couple of years, it’s been mainly working on attitude because they have the ability,” Woodward said. “It was nice to see today that after they made a bogey, they came right back and made a birdie. They were doing a good job of getting it up and down and keeping their attitudes in check. It’s been fun having them since they were freshmen and it’s going to be sad to say goodbye to them at the end of this year.”
The Lancers finished with a score of 221, four team strokes better than defending Class 5A champion Regis Jesuit. A four-way for the individual medal went to a playoff where Palmer Ridge’s Elijah Harp came away the winner.
Harp, Howell, The Classical Academy’s Liam O’Halloran, and Regis Jesuit’s Freddie Ingham all shot an even-par-71 to force the four-way playoff.
Elijah Harp. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
In the playoff, all four players had a birdie putt on No. 7. Harp’s ball was in the same area as O’Halloran and Ingham’s, just a bit closer to the hole allowing him to get a read from their putts.
“I got kind of lucky,” Harp said. “I was closer than the other two, so I got to see what their putts did and they left it on the short side. I figured I would give it a little extra and I read the break perfectly and it snuck in the side door.”
Bervig just missed out on joining the playoff, finishing with a 72 on the day. But he and Howell did enough to ensure the team win, despite both having some frustrations with the way they played today.
“I made birdie (on No. 9) but I was off the tee like that seven or eight times today and just made birdie once,” Bervig said. “The putt was like 20 feet and I was 50 or 60 yards off the green (going into my second shot). If Lucas and I can get those distances nailed down, that’s when we can put some low scores out there.”
Perhaps the biggest benefit of Monday’s tournament for the hard-hitting duo was the ability to play at the site of the 2018 5A boys state tournament. The Colorado Springs Country Club last hosted the 5A state tournament in 2014.
That year a local team was able to take advantage of playing the course as Coronado claimed the team championship. With two talented golfers on the roster, Liberty has dreams of making some noise when the first days of October roll around.
“It’s such a beautiful course and such an honor to play here,” Howell said. “Knowing that state is going to be here, hopefully we can qualify as a team. If not, hopefully we can get someone to play really well and get top 10 or maybe top five.”
As he walked off the course at 18, Howell was disappointed in his play, quickly pointing out the things that had gone wrong. He was quick to note that those things won’t go wrong in eight weeks.
He and Bervig have between now and then to clean up some aspects of their game and show that the Lancers can contend for their first boys golf title.
The 2018 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
Mountain Vista’s Sam Ireland. (Tim Bourke/MaxPreps)
Player of the year: Sam Ireland, Mountain Vista
Coach of the year: Ron Quintana, Mountain Vista
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Brayden Brooks
Mountain Range
Senior
Garrett Declue
Arapahoe
LHP/CF
Senior
Riley Egloff
Heritage
RHP/3B
Senior
Sam Ireland
Mountain Vista
RHP/3B/1B
Junior
Niklavs Levensteins
Ralston Valley
3B/2B
Senior
Jack Liffrig
Mountain Vista
LHP
Senior
Justin Olson
Pine Creek
1B/LHP
Senior
Tanner O’Tremba
Cherry Creek
Zach Paschke
Mountain Vista
INF
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Justin Boyd
Legend
SS/CF
Junior
Matthew Boyd
Regis Jesuit
Senior
Riley Cornelio
Pine Creek
SS/RHP
Junior
Brandon Dryer
Arapahoe
LF/RHP/2B
Senior
Hayden Heinze
Rocky Mountain
OF
Senior
AJ Jergensen
Ralston Valley
OF
Junior
Arian Jimenez-Quezada
Heritage
SS/3B/RHP
Senior
Kasey Koppelmaa
Chatfield
LHP/OF
Senior
Andrew Morris
Monarch
2B/P
Senior
Josh Thompson
Highlands Ranch
P
Senior
Honorable mention:
Luke Bailey, Chaparral, OF, Senior
Jake Barber, Cherokee Trail, Senior
Simon Baumgardt, Lakewood, P/SS, Junior
Tyler Boggs, Fruita Monument, C, Senior
Alex Champagne, Heritage, SS/2B, Freshman
Colten Chase, Cherokee Trail, Senior
Dorsey Chatham, Boulder,
Pete Chronowski, Heritage, LHP/1B, Junior
Benjamin Derosiers, Castle View, LHP/1B/CF, Senior
Ozzie Dominguez, Aurora Central, P/1B, Senior
John Emerson, Denver East, Junior
Tanner Garner, Broomfield, Senior
Zach Goodman, Arapahoe, C/OF/UTIL, Senior
Jake Greiving, Legend, C/OF/3B, Junior
Zach Harstad, Loveland, 1B/LHP/OF, Junior
Calvin Hunt, Ralston Valley, RHP, Junior
Jenner Kehe, Lakewood, P/OF/SS, Sophomore
Cam Kennedy, Smoky Hill, CF/3B/2B, Junior
Reese Lansville, ThunderRidge, RHP/INF, Senior
Cale Lansville, ThunderRidge, RHP/INF, Freshman
Grant Magill, Mountain Vista, C, Junior
Jayden Martinez, Grandview, OF/DH, Junior
Nick Merone, Rock Canyon,
Trey Morrill, Fruita Monument, P/OF, Senior
Cade Nelson, Rocky Mountain, INF/P, Junior
Drew Norsen, Fort Collins, OF/LHP, Sophomore
Jay Onken, Pine Creek, OF/RHP, Senior
Ryan Overboe, Legacy, LHP/1B/RF, Senior
Quentin Parr, Cherry Creek,
Mike Polson, Mountain Range, Senior
Henry Rock, Fairview, Junior
Tyler Schultz, Cherry Creek,
Frankie Shearn, Columbine, OF, Senior
Ross Smith, Legacy, RHP/RF, Senior
Drew Stahl, Mountain Vista, INF, Junior
Ryan Stohr, Dakota Ridge, RHP/1B, Junior
Zach Sulyma, Eaglecrest, 3B/C, Senior
David Velasquez, Brighton, SS/P/3B, Senior
Wyatt Wendell, Rock Canyon,
Reggie Williams, Douglas County, Senior
Kevin Zapanta, Overland, 2B/1B/RHP, Senior
[divider]
Class 4A
Valor Christian’s Josh Danyliw. (Paul DiSalvo/MaxPreps)
