The boys soccer rankings got a shakeup this week, and when the dust settled, Legacy (5A) and Fountain Valley (2A) were new No. 1 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
PVS
LW
1
Legacy (3)
4-0-0
86
4
2-0-0
2
Broomfield (1)
4-0-0
72
6
2-0-0
3
Grandview
6-1-1
60
3
2-0-0
4
Boulder (1)
3-1-0
55
10
1-0-0
5
Eaglecrest
6-0-0
53
–
2-0-0
6
Fossil Ridge (2)
3-0-0
47
–
1-0-0
7
Rampart (1)
4-0-0
42
9
1-0-0
8
Arapahoe (1)
6-1-0
37
1
1-1-0
9
Regis Jesuit
2-0-1
28
–
1-0-0
10
Fairview (1)
3-1-0
17
2
0-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Cherry Creek 13, Poudre 12, Valor Christian 9, Rangeview 7, Arvada West 4, Bear Creek 3, Rocky Mountain 3, Mountain Vista 2.
Dropped out
Bear Creek (5), Far Northeast Warriors (7), Cherry Creek (8).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Battle Mountain (6)
5-0-0
92
1
3-0-0
2
Palmer Ridge (4)
4-0-0
85
3
1-0-0
3
The Classical Academy
3-1-0
66
7
2-0-0
4
Regis Groff
4-0-0
48
–
2-0-0
5
Discovery Canyon
4-0-0
46
–
2-0-0
6
Loveland
6-0-0
44
4
2-0-0
7
Air Academy
3-2-0
31
2
1-1-0
8
Silver Creek
2-1-2
30
–
0-0-2
9
Glenwood Springs
3-0-1
25
–
1-0-0
10
Golden
4-1-1
19
–
2-0-1
Others receiving votes:
Skyview 13, Northfield 12, Alameda 9, Cheyenne Mountain 9, Palisade 8, Skyline 6, Green Mountain 3, Pueblo Centennial 3, Denver North 1.
Dropped out
Skyview (5), Northfield (6), Green Mountain (8), Alameda (9), Denver North (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Kent Denver (9)
5-0-0
111
1
2-0-0
2
Salida (2)
4-0-0
75
5
2-0-0
3
Colorado Academy
3-1-0
73
2
1-1-0
4
Atlas Preparatory School
3-0-0
72
4
1-0-0
5
Roaring Fork
4-1-0
58
3
1-1-0
6
Liberty Common
1-0-0
43
7
1-0-0
7
Delta
5-1-0
34
6
2-0-0
8
The Academy
1-2-0
23
8
0-2-0
9
Aurora West College Prep Academy
3-1-0
22
–
3-0-0
10
Manitou Springs
4-0-0
20
–
2-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Middle Park 17, DSST: College View 14, KIPP Denver Collegiate 14, Lutheran 13, Arrupe Jesuit 11, Manual 10, Coal Ridge 9, Faith Christian 9, Riverdale Ridge 9, Jefferson 6, Fort Lupton 5, Lamar 4, Strive Prep – Smart Academy 3, DSST: Byers 2, Jefferson Academy 2, Eagle Ridge Academy 1.
Dropped out
Faith Christian (9), Arrupe Jesuit (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fountain Valley (5)
3-0-0
29
4
0-0-0
2
Telluride (1)
2-1-1
16
2
0-1-1
3
Crested Butte
5-2-0
14
1
2-2-0
4
Denver Christian
2-3-0
10
3
1-1-0
5
Ridgway
3-0-0
8
–
0-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Dawson School 5, Denver Academy 3, Loveland Classical 3, Heritage Christian 2.
“It was a tough battle,” Palisade coach Joe Ramunno told the Scoreboard Show.
Palisade had a few long drives in the second half which helped them keep Durango’s offense off the field.
“We were able to put some long drives together,” Ramunno said. “Early in the game, we turned the ball over and it cost us a couple of scoring opportunities. But that’s all part of it. We really rallied in the second half, and held on to the ball, and had some long drives that ate a lot of clock — we were having a really hard time stopping them, because they’re very explosive.”
Harrison was in the game because Tucker injured his ankle, Ramunno said, adding that he wasn’t yet sure how serious it was.
“It was a tough deal, but our team rallied to finish it off,” Ramunno said.
The Eagles ended Loveland’s 14-game losing streak, knocking off the defending champions.
“We really got off to a fast start in the first half,” Broomfield coach Blair Hubbard told the Scoreboard Show. “We returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and our defense really played well in the first half, as well.”
“Defensively, it’s just a total team effort,” Hubbard said. “Tonight, against an offense like Loveland, it has to be a total team effort. And the guys really worked hard through the week. … It’s very difficult to stop their offense
The four-time defending champions made quite a statement as they pushed their early-season record to 2-0.
Despite leading just 6-0 at halftime, the Cougars scored 22 points in the third quarter to go ahead 28-0.
Sedgwick County had three rushing touchdowns, and two passing touchdowns in the win.
[divider]
3A/4A: (3A 3) Mead 42, (4A 7) Skyline 14
Mead raced out to a big lead in the first half and never looked back in a big win.
The Mavericks led 27-0 at the half thanks to a 20-0 second-quarter advantage, and extended that lead to 42-0 with three minutes to play in the third quarter.
“It was a fun night,” Mead coach Jason Klatt told the Scoreboard Show. “I’m proud of our guys.”
Skyline’s potent offense didn’t get on the board until the fourth quarter.
“It really shows the effort that our defense gave tonight,” Klatt said. “They’re not going to get the credit they deserve, but, man, it was one heck of an effort.”
Discovery Canyon built a 21-7 halftime lead, and then went on to secure the top-10 victory.
Marshall Pike rushed for three touchdowns, and Jonah Isakson hit Ethan Hall for a passing score.
“The guys stayed calmed and focused, and we were able to move the ball pretty well,” Discovery Canyon coach Shawn Mitchell said. “The offense did a really nice job putting together some good touchdowns.”
“Just overall really happy with the way we played tonight. It wasn’t perfect, but we did a lot of things right.”
[divider]
1A: (5) Holyoke 21, (2) Colorado Springs Christian 6
Holyoke built a 14-0 lead at halftime, and then added a fourth-quarter touchdown after CSCS cut the lead to 14-6 in the third.
“We played a great team defense, and played together,” Holyoke coach Dusty Sprague told the Scoreboard Show. “That’s what it takes. CSCS is a great team, and those backs are great backs.”
Holyoke is now 2-0 this season.
[divider]
2A: (8) Sterling 7, (10) Eaton 0
(Adam Bright/CHSAANow.com)
Scoreless through three quarters, and much of the fourth, Sterling scored the game’s lone touchdown with 2:34 to play in the final quarter.
Quarterback Brock Shalla scored on a 6-yard touchdown as the Tigers captured the top-10 victory, and improved to 2-0 this season.
With losses by Loveland and Valor Christian on Friday, the longest winning streak in the state now belongs to La Junta and Limon, who have each won 14 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Don’t look now, but Pueblo South is now 2-0 after two top-ten wins in 3A. The No. 8 Colts beat No. 4 Erie on the road Friday, 28-10.
A top-10 matchup in 1A: Strasburg 19, Burlington 6.
In 2A, No. 9 Resurrection Christian knocked off No. 3 Faith Christian 27-19.
Silver Creek, 2-8 a season ago, is now 2-0 following a 49-0 win over Centaurus on Friday.
Riverdale Ridge has won the first varsity game in program history. The Ravens, who went 0-8 in their inaugural season last year, beat Jefferson 23-6.
Lutheran, a 3A program, beat 2A No. 1 Platte Valley 26-7.
In 8-man, No. 4 Fowler beat No. 10 Sargent 50-27. The Grizzlies are now 2-0. “If the boys keep working, I think we’ll be a pretty good football team towards the end,” coach Mark Van Sickle told the Scoreboard Show.
In 6-man, No. 3 Stratton/Liberty beat No. 4 Prairie 60-34. “It was better, but still a long way to go,” said Stratton/Liberty coach Toby Kechter, whose team dropped an opening game to Kit Carson last week.
A cross-town rivalry matchup between Fossil Ridge and Fort Collins went to overtime, and Fossil won, 28-21.
Alamosa beat rival Monte Vista. “It’s huge. It gets the boys believing, and gets the town behind me a little bit,” first-year coach Drew Sandlin told the Scoreboard Show.
Chatfield softball went from unranked to No. 1 in this week’s 5A softball rankings, and University (in 3A) also moved up to No. 1.
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
Chatfield (2)
10-0-0
80
–
10-0-0
2
Broomfield (2)
8-1-0
76
9
8-1-0
3
Rock Canyon (3)
5-1-0
70
3
5-1-0
4
Loveland (1)
8-1-0
57
4
8-1-0
5
Arapahoe (1)
8-0-0
52
–
8-0-0
6
Legacy
5-1-0
51
6
5-1-0
7
Prairie View (1)
8-0-0
42
–
8-0-0
8
Columbine
6-0-0
40
10
6-0-0
9
Cherokee Trail
3-2-0
26
1
3-2-0
10
Fossil Ridge
5-1-0
24
5
5-1-0
Others receiving votes:
Legend 16, Brighton 13, Eaglecrest 10, Lakewood 9, Hinkley 8, Rocky Mountain 8, Grand Junction Central 7, Regis Jesuit 6, Cherry Creek 5, Smoky Hill 2, Douglas County 1, Mountain Vista 1, ThunderRidge 1.
Dropped out
Legend (2), Eaglecrest (7), Cherry Creek (8).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Holy Family (11)
4-0-0
124
1
4-0-0
2
Erie (1)
8-0-0
92
3
8-0-0
3
Golden
6-0-0
91
5
6-0-0
4
Wheat Ridge
7-1-0
65
7
7-1-0
5
Pueblo South
6-0-0
60
9
6-0-0
6
Silver Creek
4-3-0
53
2
4-3-0
7
Berthoud
3-1-0
35
6
3-1-0
8
Pueblo West
5-1-0
28
8
5-1-0
9
Pueblo Centennial
6-0-0
23
–
6-0-0
10
Green Mountain
6-0-0
22
–
6-0-0
Others receiving votes:
Pueblo Central 18, Pueblo County 18, Rifle 16, Mountain View 14, Ponderosa 11, Mullen 10, Mead 8, Niwot 8, Discovery Canyon 7, Air Academy 4, George Washington 3, Evergreen 2, Pueblo East 2, Elizabeth 1.
Dropped out
Mountain View (4), Pueblo County (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
University (7)
9-0-0
93
2
9-0-0
2
Strasburg (1)
3-1-0
82
1
3-1-0
3
Eaton
7-1-0
70
3
7-1-0
4
Brush (1)
5-1-0
58
7
5-1-0
5
Sterling
5-1-0
50
5
5-1-0
6
Basalt
4-0-0
28
–
4-0-0
7
Peak to Peak
4-3-0
26
–
4-3-0
8
Montezuma-Cortez (1)
3-0-0
22
–
3-0-0
9
Riverdale Ridge
2-1-0
21
–
2-1-0
10
Lyons
2-2-0
15
–
2-2-0
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Ford 14, Delta 13, Limon 12, Fort Lupton 9, Platte Valley 8, Valley 8, Lamar 6, La Junta 5, Gunnison 3, Meeker 2, The Academy 1.
Dropped out
Delta (4), Rocky Ford (6), Meeker (8), Lamar (9), Faith Christian (10).
The Front Range golf tournament that was played at Riverdale Knolls this past Wednesday was yet another sign that high school athletics are moving further into the digital age.
Horizon coach Mitch Dean and Mountain Range coach Tom Norfolk were on the front lines to shift away from paper scorecards and keep scores entirely on the iWanamaker gap.
The hope at the end of the day was that scoring would be more accurate and play, with awards to follow, would speed up. Dean couldn’t have been happier with what he saw as the tournament played out.
“It never slowed the course down at all,” he said. “As a matter of fact, it was very efficient because kids did not have to stop and record scores, which they always do. They can move immediately away from the green to the next tee box and record the scores while they were walking and talking. That was a huge benefit. The other benefit for us as punishment officials was we had the results at the tournament before the last kids walked off the course.”
Typically, adding up scores and sorting through scorecards can keep kids and coaches around a course for an additional half-hour or so. Dean said that wasn’t the case with this tournament. Within five minutes after the final group came off the course, the awards ceremony had started.
Fairview’s Ryder Heuston won the tournament shooting a 4-under-par 67. Fossil Ridge claimed the team win.
The tournament is part of a larger movement towards golfer-only scoring the CHSAA golf committee hopes will take hold in the state.
“This year is an effort to change the culture in how we score golf in high school to the concept of golfer-only scoring and scoring attest,” said CHSAA associate commissioner Tom Robinson, who administers golf. “The CHSAA golf app allows for this important accountability with scoring golf. If, in the future, it can be incorporated into the scoring for all of our high school events, it can create a number of positive outcomes in an effort to have accountability with live, visible scoring, to have players not afraid to share scores with each other, and overall to have a fair and acceptable system for scoring in golf.”
Typically, there has been resistance to the idea of moving high school golf scoring completely to iWanamaker. The method is not used in college or at any professional level and making sure that there is someone will to track scores and provide updates has not always gone smoothly.
“We know there are potential issues with this system because not all golfers in the group will have a smart phone, but the hope is to have at least two smart phone devices in each group, and therefore the scoring attest can be done on various devices,” Robinson said. “The same scoring and attest can also be done with a paper scorecard, if need be, and all golfers will have one of those.”
Dean noted that there was one coach at the tournament that pushed back on the idea, but he and Norfolk explained that they wanted to make this move and see how it played. Coaches made sure each group had a kid with a working smartphone and put someone in charge of posting scores.
The first question that comes to mind is how accurate were the numbers. Scorecards were still kept primarily as a backup and everything was checked at the conclusion of the tournament.
“We had the coaches sit with their players afterwards and validate every single hole,” Dean said. “So if there was a discrepancy on the scorecard from what was on the iWanamaker app, they resolved it right there. We also had the official scorer in the group, one of the players who also was there to say, ‘This is what you told me, this is what we marked down.’ So, and there were no problems, not a single issue with scoring (Wednesday) and everything was very smooth.”
This doesn’t mean that iWanamaker will be the primary scoring method moving forward, but experimenting with it and having a successful certainly suggests golf could continue to move it that direction.
From the accuracy of the scoring to the instant availability of the results, this Front Range tournament could turn out to be a pivotal point when it comes to scoring and tracking Colorado high school golf tournaments.
“We were really happy was the results,” Dean said. “We had 164 players yesterday at this event, which is too many on what the course could realistically accommodate. But we were able to move it right along and keep the scoring up to date. We knew throughout the entire tournament how players were doing and parents could get on there and look as well and see how their son was doing.”
And that can be big for a parent who is stuck in the office on a Wednesday and can’t be there to watch those birdie putts drop.
Field hockey will be kicking off its competitive season all together.
13 of the sport’s 15 programs will gather at two sites for a scrimmage day with teams playing multiple games against one another. The event is set for Saturday.
The varsity programs will compete from noon to 5 p.m. at Kent Denver, and junior varsity programs will play from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Academy.
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.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Chaparral (6)
0-0
86
2
Cherokee Trail (2)
0-0
80
3
Valor Christian (1)
0-0
59
4
Eaglecrest
0-0
49
5
Cherry Creek
0-0
47
6
Fort Collins
0-0
41
7
Grandview
0-0
37
8
Chatfield
0-0
22
9
Mountain Vista
0-0
19
10
Fossil Ridge
0-0
15
Others receiving votes:
Rampart 11, Windsor 9, Adams City 5, Rocky Mountain 4, Columbine 3, Pine Creek 3, Rock Canyon 3, Legend 2.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Lewis-Palmer (9)
0-0
95
2
Holy Family
0-0
64
3
Longmont
0-0
61
4
Niwot
0-0
57
5
Palmer Ridge
0-0
38
6
Discovery Canyon
0-0
37
7
Mead (1)
0-0
35
8
Cheyenne Mountain
0-0
32
9
Silver Creek
0-0
31
10
Ponderosa
0-0
21
Others receiving votes:
Evergreen 17, Berthoud 14, Pueblo West 10, Air Academy 9, Thomas Jefferson 9, Erie 5, Montrose 5, Coronado 4, Palisade 3, George Washington 2, Mullen 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Lutheran (8)
0-0
88
2
Eaton
0-0
73
3
Colorado Springs Christian (1)
0-0
70
4
Alamosa
0-0
46
5
Faith Christian
0-0
42
6
Sterling
0-0
40
7
University
0-0
36
8
Platte Valley
0-0
33
9
Resurrection Christian
0-0
20
10
Valley
0-0
17
Others receiving votes:
Lamar 7, Bishop Machebeuf 5, Centauri 4, Pagosa Springs 4, Delta 3, La Junta 2, Middle Park 2, St. Mary’s 2, Peak to Peak 1.
The preseason softball rankings are out, and Cherokee Trail (5A), Holy Family (4A) and Strasburg (3A) lead their respective polls.
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
Cherokee Trail (4)
0-0-0
83
2
Legend (2)
0-0-0
71
3
Rock Canyon (2)
0-0-0
62
4
Loveland
0-0-0
59
5
Fossil Ridge
0-0-0
55
6
Legacy
0-0-0
54
7
Eaglecrest (2)
0-0-0
49
8
Cherry Creek
0-0-0
22
9
Broomfield
0-0-0
20
10
Columbine
0-0-0
19
Others receiving votes:
Ralston Valley 17, Regis Jesuit 15, Chatfield 13, Arapahoe 11, Smoky Hill 9, Arvada West 8, Grand Junction Central 7, Mountain Vista 6, Brighton 5, Valor Christian 5, Douglas County 4, Grandview 4, Castle View 3, Hinkley 3, ThunderRidge 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Holy Family (7)
0-0-0
106
2
Silver Creek (2)
0-0-0
75
3
Erie
0-0-0
65
4
Mountain View
0-0-0
61
5
Golden
0-0-0
39
6
Berthoud
0-0-0
32
7
Wheat Ridge (1)
0-0-0
31
8
Pueblo West
0-0-0
28
9
Pueblo South
0-0-0
24
10
Pueblo County
0-0-0
23
Others receiving votes:
Longmont 16, Mullen 13, Pueblo Central 13, Cheyenne Mountain 11, Windsor 11, Evergreen 10, Mead 10, Discovery Canyon 7, Niwot 7, Ponderosa 6, Pueblo East 5, Roosevelt 5, Weld Central 3, Conifer 2, Thomas Jefferson 2.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Strasburg (6)
0-0-0
85
2
University (2)
0-0-0
70
3
Eaton (1)
0-0-0
65
4
Delta
0-0-0
42
5
Sterling
0-0-0
40
6
Rocky Ford
0-0-0
36
7
Brush
0-0-0
33
8
Meeker
0-0-0
29
9
Lamar
0-0-0
27
10
Faith Christian
0-0-0
23
Others receiving votes:
The Academy 16, La Junta 7, Limon 7, Lyons 6, Basalt 3, Cedaredge 2.
By the time the calendar turns to August, athletes and coaches are getting anxious. The anxiousness for the boys golfers ended with the start of fall practice on Monday. Competitions are set to begin on Thursday marking the official start of the 2019-20 athletic season.
The start of the boys golf season is always unique in that it happens a week earlier than every other fall sport. A bunch of factors tend to tie into that reason, but both coaches and players alike don’t mind hitting the range and getting things underway as soon as they can.
If anything, it seems normal.
“As a kid growing up in Colorado, who played high school golf, I’ve never thought anything about it,” Fossil Ridge coach Andy Stevens said. “It’s always been this way. Boys golf has always been the first sport of the fall season.”
If it’s okay for golf to get going, it begs the question as to why other outdoor focused sports aren’t starting practices and competition on a similar schedule. Why not get cross country, field hockey, boys soccer or football going as well?
It could have to do with the maintenance of the courses among other factors. Getting the kids on the tee boxes early can give them a chance to play some of the top courses while they are in the best shape.
“It’s cool to be able to come out and play in August when the golf courses are in their best shape,” Cheyenne Mountain coach John Carricato said. “The weather is usually pretty good so that’s all what makes it special.”
As far as the weather being ideal, it’s no secret that things can go south for the boys and the girls when it comes to golf and state championships. The girls tournaments were confined to just one day each this spring and two years ago, conditions were far from ideal when the boys tournaments were being played in the fall.
But that’s not the primary reason that the season starts so soon.
“Not after what the girls go through in the spring,” Carricato added.
For the players, the start of golf practice often predates the start of the school year. For the athletes that compete on the golf teams, it’s not orientation or the first day of school when classmates are able to gather and catch up over their summers. They usually do it on the driving range hitting high cuts or baby draws with their mid-irons.
(Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com)
“Today we had tryouts and we’re two weeks outside of actual school starting so it’s kind of weird,” defending Class 4A champion Micah Stangebye said. “It’s weird preparing for a high school sport when school is still several weeks out. I think we even play three events before school starts.”
He added that the big benefit there is competing in tournaments without having to miss class, another plus in the minds of coaches and especially teachers.
Perhaps the final benefit of the timing of boys golf season is the time in which the boys have already been competing over the summer. Three months of sunshine and blue sikes allows the kids to get out and play as many rounds as time allows them.
For those competing on their high school teams, it’s often encouraged that they get out and play the game to some degree.
“Our big push for our players is give them as many competitive playing opportunities as we can wherever that may be,” Stevens said. “It can be at the local level, it can be at the state level with (the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado) or like in years past when we’ve had big-time talents they can play nationally.”
It worked last year for Dillon Stewart. And Stangebye is one of many players who hope it works this year. Stangebye and several other high school players competed on the JGAC Tour this summer and are hoping to ride that momentum into the fall of 2019.
“With me traveling a lot, my game has stayed right where it should be with me playing almost every week,” Stangebye said. “Our whole team has been out here grinding even without starting school.”
Monday marked the official start of the 2019 fall sports season as boys golf teams took to driving ranges and putting greens to start refining their games.
This means the start for team sports is right around the corner. As we have all summer, we have taken a look at stat leaders from a year ago that will be returning to their sports this season. Last week we highlighted the returning offensive stars on the football field. This week, it’s onto the defense.
As teams get closer to strapping on the pads for real, here is a look at some names to watch on the defensive side of the ball.
[divider]
Tackles
Arvada West’s Elijah Olson was nothing short of ball hawk last year. His 153 were good enough to place him fifth in the state across all classifications. He returns in 2019 as the top tackler both in the state and in Class 5A. Fossil Ridge’s Caden Dollar and Lakewood’s Luke Hittle (both incoming juniors) also recorded solid numbers last year, totaling 119 and 116 tackles, respectively.
In 4A, Montrose’s Cole Simmons made 144 tackles last year. Ponderosa’s Ben Beecher wasn’t far behind with 124 but a big name to watch will be Greeley Central’s Yahir Chairez-Salazar who fifth in the classification with 116 tackles. Chairez-Salazar will be a sophomore in 2019.
Heavy tackling numbers weren’t just reserved for the large schools. Merino’s Trent Elliott recorded 143 of them as just a sophomore which tops all returning 8-man players. In 6-man, Cheyenne Wells’ Quade Pelton made 141 tackles proving himself as one of the top defensive players in a classification known more for heavy offensive numbers.
Mead’s Devon Edwards led all returning 3A players with 147 tackles in 2018. Platte Valley’s Josh Yancey was best among 2A returners with 117 and Monte Vista’s Cobi Garcia totaled 116 to top all 1A players coming back in 2019.
Sacks
Across all classifications, no player that’s returning this year registered more sacks than Swink’s Noah Zumwalt. His 14 from last season ranked sixth in the entire state and he is back in 2019 to once again terrorize 8-man quarterbacks.
The 6-man class has a pair of pass rushers that are looking to put up solid numbers once again this fall. Stratton/Liberty’s Trevor Frank recorded 11 sacks last year which ranked him No. 3 in the class. Fleming’s Brady Kuntz was right behind him with 10.
Cherokee Trail’s Kobe Thompson recorded 11, leading all 5A players returning in 2019. ThunderRidge’s Kaden Stewart was just a half-sack away from tying Thompson’s 11.
Green Mountain’s Will Banks and Pueblo East’s Brandon Hall each had eight sacks to lead the pack of 3A players returning in 2019.
The 4A class had three players match those eight sacks. Vista Ridge’s Emmanuel Taylor, Air Academy’s Aidan Diller and Standley Lake’s Jaren Cosby are all anxious to get after opposing quarterbacks this fall.
Resurrection Christian’s Tanner Applebee and Alamosa’s Cash Mueller each recorded seven sacks last season to lead all 2A returners.
Colorado Springs Christian’s Rian Chavez had 6.5 sacks last year and will enter the season as 1A’s biggest pass rushing threat.
Interceptions
In 2018, Regis Jesuit’s Bryce Parson’s subscribed to the theory that the opposing team can’t score if it doesn’t have the ball. He picked off 10 passes last year and will enter the 2019 season as the only player to record double-digit interception numbers a year ago.
He was nearly matched by Palmer Ridge’s Kaden Dudley who picked off nine passes while helping the Bears win the 3A state title. His defensive output will be challenged by Mead’s Trey Ward who grabbed eight interceptions last year.
Lamar’s Damian Ramos and Bishop Machebeuf’s Jack Farmer will each be back this year after picking off eight passes in 2A. They were tied for second in the category across the entire class last year making them a big threat should opposing teams take to the air with them on the field.
Dove Creek’s Gauge Thompson led all 8-man returners with seven picks and that number was matched in 6-man by Stratton/Liberty’s Jaret Lichty.
Jefferon’s Devon Kemp and Holyoke’s Luis Chafino each picked off six passes to top 1A’s returning players.
Interceptions were spread around 4A as three players who will take the field in 2019 pulled down five of them. Gateway’s Lanier Deruso, Rampart’s Cale Cormaney and Montrose’s Aaron Dietrich will look to defend the skies once again this fall.
