Make it 2-for-2 for the Valor Christian Eagles. During the first day of the state spirit competition, the Eagles came away with gold, claiming the Class 5A/4A Gameday state championship.
It’s the second Gameday title for Valor and the second overall year of the categories inclusion in the state competition.
They won the title in the say fashion that they did in December of 2019 by beating out Smoky Hill. The Eagles finished with a score of 96.95 while the Buffaloes scored 93.8.
Greeley West took third while Rangeview took fourth.
Swink won the 3A/2A Gameday title after following up a solid prelim performance with a championship performance in the finals. The Lions finished fourth last year marking this win as their first Gameday state championship in school history.
Bishop Machebeuf placed second with Resurrection Christian taking third.
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2A and 3A Cheer
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)The Highland Huskies cheer team received a phone call from coach Michaela Runnells.
“Come meet me up near the front door,” she said.
They had no idea that she was carrying the payoff from their hard work. When the girls finally got within eyesight of Runnells, they couldn’t help but notice she was carrying something that was glistening with gold. It was a state championship trophy. The girls went crazy as they claimed the 3A crown.
After finishing second in 2A last year, they’ll enjoy a ride home with a trophy and a banner, celebrating their top performance at the Broadmoor World Arena.
Prospect Ridge Academy, last year’s state champion, finished second while Woodland Park finished third and Gunnison finished fourth.
In 2A, Front Range Christian repeated as the 2A cheer after holding off Limon. The Falcons scored 74.7 points to the Badgers’ 63.4.
Cheyenne Wells finished third and Wiley took fourth.
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4A and 5A Cheer
For the third straight year, Erie is walking out of the state spirit meet as the 4A Cheer champion. The Tigers put together a performance that gave them a score of 91.5, just under seven points better than Lewis-Palmer.
Last year, the scored 91.217 to capture the cheer title at the Denver Coliseum. This year, they’ll be able able to savor the win a little more as they drive north from Colorado Springs.
Niwot finished third while Standley Lake finished fourth.
After finishing seventh a year ago, Douglas County claimed the 5A cheer crown. They held off Chaparral by just a quarter of a point.
Rock Canyon took third with a score of 89.8 and Legend came in fourth.
COLORADO SPRINGS — As Kindyll Wetta walked off the floor, she grabbed Valor Christian coach Jessika Caldwell and wrapped her up in a big hug. The two have been through a lot together. Caldwell watched for two years as Wetta lost some or all of a basketball season because of separate torn ACLs.
But on a snowy, late-March night in the Broadmoor World Arena, the pain all felt worth it. The top-seeded Eagles had clinched a 67-42 win over No. 2 Regis Jesuit to claim the Class 5A girls basketball title.
“When she came off the court, I was really fighting back tears,” Caldwell said. “Just watching her walk through what she’s walked through and the road that she’s traveled and to see her play with such confidence and toughness, it looked like a kid out there having fun.”
She even got to have fun with her sister. Ali was the surprise of the game, scoring 14 points to double her season average. Overall, the Eagles (16-0 overall) had four players in double figures as Macey Huard (14) and Jenna Siebert (10) also had good nights.
When 2:16 remained in the first quarter, the Eagles led Regis 8-7. Then they closed that frame with a quick 7-3 burst that gave them a 19-10 advantage after the first quarter.
Ali Wetta scored five points in the quarter after coming off the bench and it was just the start of her own breakout party, a party where she finished with 14 points.
“I went in and my teammates were able to find me,” Ali said. “I had some great passes from my teammates and I just wanted to go in and give my all for the seniors.
The Eagles stretched their lead to 29-18 at halftime, thanks to another small spurt — 5-0 — to end that quarter.
Feeling a championship in their grasp, the Eagles kept up the pressure on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Kidyll scored 13 of her game-high 17 points in the second half. She also finished the game with 10 assists to get a double-double in her last high school game.
“There isn’t a better way (to end a career),” Kindyll said. “Now that my sister’s playing after missing a year (with a torn ACL), to win it this year with her is incredible.”
The Eagles also clamped down on Regis guard Avery Vansickle, holding her scoreless in the third quarter as they stretched out their lead. Vansickle eventually finished with 14 points and will go down as one of the great Regis Jesuit players of all-time.
Caldwell couldn’t help but get emotional for her players as their cheered her championship victory, but there was an element of the win that was special for her as well. She played basketball at Coronado before playing collegiately at Baylor.
She embraced her star guard on the same floor where she walked for high school graduation, showing when the time is right, it’s possible to go home again.
“This is where I picked up a basketball for the first time,” she said. “It’s where I fell in love with the game and where my dad taught me and coached me. It was kind of the beginning of my career so to be able to come back and coach these girls and stand on this sideline is pretty special.”
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings are part of the postseason seeding process.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Chaparral (5)
1-0
154
1
1-0
2
Rampart (5)
1-0
138
3
1-0
3
Valor Christian (1)
0-0
131
4
0-0
4
Cherokee Trail
2-0
130
7
2-0
5
Cherry Creek
1-1
122
5
1-1
6
Grandview (1)
1-1
114
6
1-1
7
Mountain Vista
2-0
107
8
2-0
8
Legend
0-2
105
2
0-2
9
Eaglecrest
2-0
62
14
2-0
10
Fort Collins
0-0
52
8
0-0
11
Ralston Valley
1-0
49
11
1-0
12
Chatfield
0-0
34
15
0-0
13
Highlands Ranch
1-1
30
12
1-1
14
Heritage
2-0
28
–
2-0
15
Pine Creek
1-0
25
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Columbine 24, Rock Canyon 20, Pueblo West 17, Broomfield 16, Denver East 14, Regis Jesuit 13, Castle View 12, Liberty 9, Dakota Ridge 7, Rocky Mountain 6, Doherty 5, Arapahoe 4, Lakewood 3, Boulder 3, Ponderosa 2, Fossil Ridge 2, Horizon 1, Douglas County 1
Dropped out
Broomfield (10), Castle View (13)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Palmer Ridge (11)
1-0
195
2
1-0
2
Cheyenne Mountain
2-0
192
4
2-0
3
Coronado
2-0
190
3
2-0
4
Lewis-Palmer (3)
0-1
159
1
0-1
5
Discovery Canyon
1-1
145
7
1-1
6
Mead
0-0
142
5
0-0
7
Montrose
0-0
92
6
0-0
8
Windsor (1)
0-0
86
10
0-0
9
Erie
0-0
72
8
0-0
10
Niwot
0-0
71
–
0-0
11
Thomas Jefferson
0-0
67
11
0-0
12
Holy Family
0-0
60
13
0-0
13
Pueblo County
1-0
56
8
1-0
14
Woodland Park (1)
1-0
54
15
1-0
15
D’Evelyn
0-0
51
14
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Mullen 31, Frederick 25, Longmont 18, Fort Morgan 18, Thompson Valley 17, Durango 15, Battle Mountain 15, Glenwood Springs 14, Pueblo South 13, Berthoud 12, Pueblo East 12, Roosevelt 8, Weld Central 7, Eagle Valley 6, Littleton 6, The Classical Academy 4, Riverdale Ridge 4, Evergreen 3, Palisade 3, Steamboat Springs 3, Skyview 2, Severance 2, Skyline 2, George Washington 1
Dropped out
Longmont (12)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Eaton (3)
0-0
244
2
0-0
2
Sterling (10)
0-0
226
1
0-0
3
Lutheran (2)
1-0
219
3
1-0
4
Colorado Springs Christian (2)
0-0
165
4
0-0
5
Alamosa
1-0
162
7
1-0
6
University
0-0
134
6
0-0
7
Faith Christian
1-0
133
8
1-0
8
Lamar
2-0
123
5
2-0
9
Bayfield (1)
0-0
111
11
0-0
10
Platte Valley
0-0
102
8
0-0
11
Resurrection Christian
0-0
85
12
0-0
12
Valley
0-0
65
14
0-0
13
DSST: Montview (1)
1-0
53
10
1-0
14
Coal Ridge
0-0
52
13
0-0
15
Manitou Springs
0-0
42
–
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Prospect Ridge Academy 36, Eagle Ridge Academy 34, Cedaredge 29, Fort Lupton 28, SkyView Academy 28, Delta 27, St. Mary’s 25, Frontier Academy 20, Pagosa Springs 18, Montezuma-Cortez 15, La Junta 15, Strasburg 15, The Academy 14, Centauri 14, Englewood 13, Bishop Machebeuf 13, Peak to Peak 12, Arrupe Jesuit 12, Buena Vista 12, Basalt 11, DSST: College View 10, Bennett 10, Estes Park 10, Colorado Academy 9, Middle Park 8, Lake County 8, James Irwin 7, Roaring Fork 6, DSST: Byers 5, Jefferson 4, St. Mary’s Academy 4, The Vanguard School 3, Highland 3, Grand Valley 3, Kent Denver 1, Salida 1, Ellicott 1
Dropped out
Prospect Ridge Academy (15)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Denver Christian (9)
0-0
176
1
0-0
2
Limon (1)
0-0
173
2
0-0
3
Wiggins (1)
0-0
154
3
0-0
4
Meeker (1)
2-0
150
5
2-0
5
Fowler
0-0
124
4
0-0
6
Yuma
0-0
92
6
–
7
West Grand
0-0
85
7
0-0
8
Union Colony Prep
0-0
81
8
0-0
9
Dolores
1-1
71
10
1-1
10
Hoehne
0-0
63
13
0-0
11
Del Norte
0-0
61
8
0-0
12
Sedgwick County
0-0
60
11
0-0
13
Dayspring Christian Academy (1)
3-0
54
–
3-0
14
Swink
0-0
45
12
0-0
15
Rocky Ford (1)
0-0
44
14
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Rye 38, Holyoke 30, Sargent 25, Fountain Valley 17, Custer County 16, Gilpin County 14, Clear Creek 13, Wray 10, Soroco 10, Ignacio 10, Vail Mountain 9, Akron 9, Olathe 8, Sanford 8, John Mall 6, Dawson School 5, Telluride 5, Rangely 4, Lyons 3, Platte Canyon 3, Heritage Christian 2, Ridgway 2
Dropped out
Rye (15)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fleming (6)
0-0
112
1
0-0
2
Briggsdale (1)
0-0
101
2
0-0
3
Kit Carson
0-0
97
3
0-0
4
Otis
0-0
70
4
0-0
5
Merino (1)
0-0
68
5
0-0
6
Simla
0-0
64
6
0-0
7
Sangre de Cristo
0-0
58
7
0-0
8
Dove Creek
1-0
53
8
1-0
9
South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett]
0-0
49
8
0-0
10
Springfield
0-0
44
10
0-0
11
La Veta
0-0
40
11
0-0
12
Haxtun
0-0
37
12
0-0
13
Genoa-Hugo/Karval
0-0
36
13
0-0
14
Wiley
0-0
20
14
–
15
McClave
0-0
14
15
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Prairie 13, Kim/Branson 13, Flatirons Academy 13, Weldon Valley 12, Cotopaxi 10, Lone Star 9, Belleview Christian 8, Elbert 6, Shining Mountain 5, Idalia 4, Pikes Peak Christian 3, Nucla 1
LOVELAND — This time, it wasn’t going to take five overtimes. Valor Christian found a more efficient way to get around Sam Simon and because of that, the Eagles are hockey champions once again.
Ryan Kayser scored twice, but it was Jameson Charles with a laser that got by Simon with 2:36 remaining in the third period to give Valor a 4-3 win over Fort Collins in the Class 5A hockey state championship game.
“I’m proud of these guys,” coach George Gwozdecky said. “Anytime you can win your last game of the season, it’s a heck of an accomplishment. Considering they’re defending a championship, that’s even tougher to do.”
Defending the title put a lot of pressure on the Eagles. Heading in, they were aware of the capabilities of Simon. They were fortunate a year ago that one goal did the trick, but at no point did they think that’d be the case in this rematch at the Budweiser Events Center.
“One hundred percent,” Kayser said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be just one. It was going to take four, five, six. We wanted to do whatever it took.”
Neither team found a scoring foothold in the first period and it was Aidan Beck breaking the scoreless tie, tipping the puck by Jace Ruth early in the second.
“That top line of theirs is really dynamic,” Gwozdecky said. “If we were going to give ourselves a chance, we had to shut them down and we didn’t do a very good job of that.”
But they were able to keep pace. The Eagles scored back to back goals as Kayser got his first and Pahos put the Eagles up 2-1 before Beck netted his second to tie the game after two periods.
A power play goal from Kayser put the Eagles back on top before Dennis White pulled the Lambkins even once again.
After an apparent goal got waved off, the Eagles moved with a bit more urgency and that’s when Charles fired a laser that got by Simon, sending the Valor fans into a frenzy.
“I thought mine was going to get called off, so I didn’t get too excited,” he said. “Our momentum was getting that goal back that we lost.”
They got it back and they didn’t give it up.
It’s the second straight championship win for Valor as they beat Fort Collins 1-0 in the final CHSAA unclassified championship game a year ago.
That game took five overtimes before Pahos broke the scoreless tie.
The Eagles were able to put 40 shots on the net through the course of the game, far fewer than the 80-plus they put on Simon last year. But this year just yielded better results.
To their credit, the Lambkins were more efficient offensively than they were a year ago as they put 19 shots on net, getting three of them past Ruth.
LOVELAND — Riley Laub thought he had the game winner with just under two minutes remaining in the game. It could have been, but a Chaparral goal with 20 seconds left on the clock just meant Fort Collins had to wait a little bit longer.
It took just 27 seconds into the third overtime as Nolan Williamson scored the game winner to give Class 5A No. 1 Fort Collins a 3-2 win over No. 4 Chaparral in the Frozen 4 at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.
In a similar fashion to last year’s state championship game, Fort Collins faced more shots than it would have like. But unlike last year’s result, Sam Simon did just enough to allow the Lambkins to emerge victorious and advance to the 5A state championship game on Thursday.
“Looking back to last year, he set a state record and almost a national one for most saves in a game,” Williamson said. “He had what, (48) saves again tonight. He stood on his head for us.”
Aidan Beck broke the scoreless tie at 9:41 in the first period, getting a shot by Wolverines goalie Ryan Burke. But Chap answered right back as Landen Shay tied the game less than a minute later.
For the next two periods, a save-off between Burke and Simon kept the game locked in a 1-1 tie. Chaparral controlled the puck more consistently firing off 38 shots to the Lambkins 19 in regulation.
Laub snuck his last shot just by Burke’s leg pad with just 1:19 on the clock, giving the Lambkins a one goal lead. With the way the goalies had played, it looked like a near certainty that Fort Collins would advance.
Blake Neil had other ideas as he slid right into the slot and fired a shot past Simon to tie the game again.
The first two overtimes yielded no goals and no winners, meaning a true intermission would take place before the teams would resume in a 4-on-4 situation.
“I knew this team could keep it together,” he Williamson said. “Through all those overtimes we had it. We were just battling.”
Williamson needed just 27 seconds of it as he buried the shot, putting the Lambkins in Thursday’s championship game with just one thing on their mind.
“Win win win,” Williamson said.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
[divider]
(3) Regis Jesuit 3, (2) Regis Jesuit 2 (OT)
Owen Walsh got Valor on the board early but Dylan Thompson’s equalizer late in the first set the tone as Regis Jesuit got the 2-1 win to advance to Friday’s championship game.
A power play goal from Robbie Dembeck put the Raiders ahead, even as Valor pressed offensively to lead the Raiders in shots 22-17 after two periods.
And with the way the Eagles were attacking, it was only a matter of time before they tied the game back up. Walsh scored his second goal of the game with just over five minutes remaining to push the game to overtime.
It was just 55 seconds in that Evan Pahos found the back of the net, setting up a rematch with Fort Collins. It was Pahos who finally got the puck by Simon in last year’s state title game.
This is the third state championship appearance for the Eagles and they are 1-1 in those two games.
The Eagles and Lambkins will face off Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
