MONTROSE — Eighth-ranked Montrose girls soccer is now 5-0 this season following a 3-0 win over Grand Junction Central on Saturday.
“We played a totally solid game, especially having come off a two week period with no games,” Montrose coach Cassie Snyder said. “Our possession was consistently strong and we had a lot of opportunities to score. We are getting better all the time and plan to continue to grow and improve.”
Montrose jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first half when Euraylie Cantu scored off an assist Shayla Geesing, and Joise Coulter scored from an assist by Olivia Haga.
Tate Dunnagan scored in the second half on an assist from Coulter to give Montrose the 3-0 win.
“Montrose was well organized and physical,” Central coach Jason Clare said. “We needed to match it and we fell short. … I think Montrose was better in the first half and we were better in the second half, but chasing the game is always difficult and we rushed things in the final third.”
Montrose plays at Palisade on Monday. Central (1-2) plays at Coal Ridge on Tuesday.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mountain Vista (8)
4-2
116
1
4-2
2
Heritage (4)
1-0
112
2
1-0
3
Cherry Creek
1-1
87
3
1-1
4
Pine Creek
1-0
75
4
1-0
5
Ralston Valley
3-0
49
–
3-0
6
Rocky Mountain
0-0
42
5
0-0
7
Legend
2-3
33
–
2-3
8
Rock Canyon
4-0
29
8
4-0
9
Valor Christian
0-0
28
9
0-0
10
Dakota Ridge
2-0
19
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Cherokee Trail 11, Regis Jesuit 9, Fort Collins 8, Arapahoe 7, Broomfield 6, Douglas County 6, Highlands Ranch 4, Mountain Range 4, Chatfield 3, Fruita Monument 3, Legacy 3, Chaparral 2, Grand Junction Central 2, Castle View 1, Columbine 1.
Dropped out:
Mountain Range (6), Cherokee Trail (7), Regis Jesuit (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Pueblo West (10)
5-2
116
1
5-2
2
Cheyenne Mountain
4-1
90
2
4-1
3
Holy Family (1)
0-0
87
3
0-0
4
Roosevelt
2-0
63
6
2-0
5
Lewis-Palmer
3-1
58
–
3-1
6
Longmont
1-1
43
4
1-1
7
Montrose (1)
5-1
29
–
5-1
8
Evergreen
1-1
27
5
1-1
9
Golden
1-0
23
–
1-0
10
Wheat Ridge
0-0
22
7
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Palmer Ridge 21, Pueblo Centennial 16, Air Academy 10, Pueblo Central 9, Denver North 8, Canon City 6, Pueblo South 6, Silver Creek 6, Thompson Valley 6, Centaurus 4, Elizabeth 4, Fort Morgan 3, Berthoud 1, Erie 1, Thomas Jefferson 1.
Dropped out:
Fort Morgan (8), Palmer Ridge (9), Canon City (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
University (9)
1-0
90
1
1-0
2
Faith Christian
0-0
76
2
0-0
3
Eaton
0-0
61
8
0-0
4
Sterling
0-0
50
9
0-0
5
Lutheran
0-0
46
3
0-0
6
Kent Denver
1-0
40
6
1-0
7
Lamar
1-3
31
5
1-3
8
Peak to Peak
0-1
26
7
0-1
9
Alamosa
2-1
23
10
2-1
10
Resurrection Christian
2-2
18
–
2-2
Others receiving votes:
Colorado Academy 11, Valley 9, Bayfield 5, Delta 5, Brush 2, La Junta 2.
Dropped out:
Delta (4).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Peyton (9)
0-0
90
1
0-0
2
Dayspring Christian
3-0
73
4
3-0
3
Yuma
4-0
70
8
4-0
4
Dawson School
0-0
58
6
0-0
5
Hotchkiss
0-0
48
2
0-0
6
Rocky Ford
2-2
39
5
2-2
7
Paonia
0-0
36
7
0-0
8
Front Range Christian
2-0
26
–
2-0
9
Swink
2-1
19
10
2-1
10
Rye
2-1
16
–
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Calhan 13, Limon 6, Burlington 1.
Dropped out:
Limon (3), Calhan (9).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Nucla (3)
1-1
66
1
1-1
2
Cornerstone Christian (4)
2-0
65
3
2-0
3
Longmont Christian
2-0
58
2
2-0
4
Stratton/Liberty
0-0
49
4
0-0
5
Otis
0-0
42
5
0-0
6
Peetz
0-0
33
7
0-0
7
Dove Creek
0-0
30
9
0-0
8
Eads
0-0
16
10
0-0
9
Caliche
0-2
13
6
0-2
10
Cotopaxi
2-1
6
–
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Haxtun 4, Denver Jewish 2, Evangelical Christian 1.
MONTROSE — Mullen girls basketball is headed to the Class 4A Final 4 for the first time since 2010 after beating Montrose in the Great 8.
The Mustangs, seeded No. 14, got 18 points from Megan Pohs en route to a 62-28 win over No. 6 Montrose.
“It’s crazy to go to the Final 4,” Mullen senior captain Grace Oswald said. “It’s awesome and to go with these girls makes it even better. I’m so excited.”
Mullen also got 11 points from Gracie Gallegos, and nine each from Imani Perez and Elaina Martinez.
The Mustangs held Montrose to its second-lowest point total of the season.
“Very proud of the teams defense,” Mullen coach Frank Cawley said. “Montrose has an excellent team.”
Mullen led 7-5 after the first quarter, and then exploded in the second for a 37-8 halftime lead. It was 49-19 after three quarters.
“Give Mullen credit,” Montrose Coach Steve Skiff said. “They came into a tough environment on the road and made more plays then we did. I’m proud of my team for a great year and everything we accomplished.”
Montrose finishes 20-6, including a Southwestern League title, and an appearance in the Great 8.
“The game tonight was tough,” said Montrose junior Josie Eccher. “Mullen is a very skilled and finessed team. But I think we played great the whole game despite being down.”
MONTROSE — With three players in double-figure scoring, Montrose girls basketball beat Ponderosa in the Class 4A Sweet 16, and is now headed to the Great 8.
Kennadie Minerich led the way with 15 points, Josie Eccher had 11, and Ally Nichols scored 10 for No. 6 Montrose, which won 51-46.
They will now host No. 14 Mullen, which upset No. 3 Pueblo West in the Sweet 16.
“What a huge win for us,” Montrose coach Steve Skiff said. “This was the best all around game we have played. Offensively we executed our plan, and played great team basketball. I could not be more proud of our energy, enthusiasm and outstanding effort that my team played with. We are excited to host another home game in front of our great home fans.”
Montrose jumped out quickly on Wednesday, opening leads of 5-0 and 10-5 in the first quarter, but Ponderosa rallied to cut the lead to 13-10 after one.
The game stayed close in the second quarter, with Montrose clinging to a 20-19 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Montrose pushed its lead to 28-22. Again, Ponderosa rallied back, cutting the lead to 28-26. Montrose held a narrow lead after three quarters: 35-34.
In the fourth, with Montrose up 43-38, Eccher hit a 3-pointer to make it 46-38. They held on for the win.
The last time Montrose reached the Great 8 was in 2013.
“Tonight was an all around team win,” senior Brenna Moss said. “We knew it was going to be a tough one and showed up to win. Our defense led to great offense and we just kept going.
“Tonight we went out and just played ball and had fun which led us to the win,” Moss said. “We are excited to be in the elite eight, but we will have to work hard this week before facing our opponent Friday.”
Lincoln boys basketball jumped out to a 10-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back en route to clinching a spot in the Class 4A Sweet 16 by beating Montrose.
“We got out to a hot start, then Montrose settled in,” Lincoln coach Dre Calloway said.
Lincoln led 23-13 after the first quarter. The two teams traded baskets in the second quarter, allowing Lincoln to go into halftime up 37-25.
The Lancers then used a big third-quarter advantage — 17-6 — to extend the lead.
“To start the third quarter, we did a good job of guarding and rebounding which led us to get separation and holding them to six points in that quarter,” Calloway said.
Lincoln was led by James Felton, who had 18 points, and Kwaheen Brown, who had 11.
The Lancers, seeded No. 13, will now travel to face No. 4 Holy Family next Wednesday.
“We’re focusing on trying to get better each work out practice and game. Pacing ourselves through this marathon is the focus for us,” Calloway said.
Montrose, the No. 20 seed, was led by Sean Alex, who had 15 points. They end their season at 15-10.
“We lost a tough one today to a very physical and athletic Lincoln team,” Montrose coach Ryan Voehringer said. “We had a very hard time keeping them out of the paint. They are extremely athletic and also shot the ball well from the 3-point line. … Credit Lincoln’s length and athleticism to keep us out of the paint and forcing us and take a lot of perimeter shots.”
“Proud of my guys for the year we had,” Voehringer added. “This was a great learning experience and building block for next year.”
MONTROSE — Josie Eccher had 10 points to help lead No. 6 Montrose girls basketball to a win over No. 27 Battle Mountain in the second round of the Class 4A tournament.
“We played hard for 32 minutes and made enough plays at the end to get the win,” Montrose coach Steve Skiff said. “I thought our defense was solid all night and got some important stops down the stretch. We are happy to move on in the playoffs and look forward to another challenge on Tuesday.”
Montrose will host No. 11 Ponderosa next week in the Sweet 16.
Montrose jumped out to an 8-5 lead after the first quarter, and went ahead 18-12 at halftime.
They continued to lead 25-20 after the third quarter, and then pulled away in the fourth. Brenna Moss made six free throws in a row. She finished with nine points.
“It was all-together game,” Montrose senior Michaela Ladage said. “We struggled offensively, but our defense showed up tonight and we all guarded our man one on one super well tonight. It was a great for us all together.”
MONTROSE — In the first round of the Class 4A state tournament, Montrose boys basketball emerged with a win over Kennedy on Wednesday night.
Montrose built multiple big leads throughout the night, only to see Kennedy chip away and mount a comeback multiple times. Ultimately, though, Montrose pulled away for a 67-62 victory.
Connor Imus hit two late free-throws which helped seal the win.
“What a great basketball game,” Montrose coach Ryan Voehringer said. “I thought we played our best two quarters of the year in the second and third quarters. Credit Kennedy for turning up the pressure in the fourth quarter.
“Two clutch free throws from Connor Imus to seal the game with six seconds to go,” he added. “I thought we attacked the rim and shot the ball extremely well for three quarters. We played tentative in the fourth and most of that was due to Kennedy’s pressure.
“I’m proud of my guys for how far we’ve come since beginning of November. Survive and advance at this point.”
Sean Alex led Montrose with 16 points. Trey Reese added 13, Jordan Jennings had 12 and Imus had 11.
Kennedy led 13-10 after the first quarter, and pushed that lead to 15-10 before Montrose scored eight-straight points to go up 18-15. Montrose continued to score and soon led 24-17.
Kennedy rallied, and cut that lead to 24-23 before Montrose went on another run to lead 34-28 at halftime. The extended their lead to 57-39 after three quarters.
In the fourth, Kennedy scored the first nine points to cut the lead to 57-48. They eventually got within 65-62 with six seconds to play before Imus made two free throws to seal the win.
“We came out strong and got an early lead, but later on we sort of lost our composure,” Montrose junior Sean Alex said. “We had multiple guys step up like Connor making free throws and got the win. Now we have to move on to the next game and try and win that one.”
Kennedy was led by Riley Mayoral (16 points) and Jordan Bennett (14 points).
“It never is easy go see your season end or say goodbye to a great group of seniors but I’m proud of our body of work and proud of our fight we showed down the stretch,” Kennedy coach Adam Hooker said. “In the end we just lost to a better coach, more disciplined team. We’ve all got to grow from this; as coaches, student-athletes and men. My hat’s off to Coach Voehringer and his Montrose squad and I wish them the best of luck moving forward.”
MONTROSE — Ally Nichols scored what proved to be the winning basket with nine seconds left as No. 10 Montrose girls basketball edged Fruita Monument on Friday.
Montrose won, 45-44, and has clinched the Southwestern League title.
Nichols finished with a team-high 14 points.
“What a great win for my team and a great win for the seniors on Senior night,” Montrose coach Steve Skiff said. “It was a complete team effort and before the game we talked about going out there relaxed and play basketball. The girls did a great job of executing the game plan and playing a complete game on both ends of the floor.
“It was a great atmosphere in the gym tonight and we are looking forward to the state playoffs next week.”
Kennadie Minerich added 11 points for Montrose, and Michaela Ladage had seven.
“Fruita has always been a really tough rival for us,” Minerich said. “So we’ve always had to come out really strong and play together. Coach Wells is an incredible coach and he had a strong game plan for us. We came out and had to make some adjustments very quickly especially against a strong team like them. With their personnel we had to work so much harder on both ends of the floor.
“Ally Nichols stepped up big and was able to battle down low and make a quick shot to put us ahead.”
The win means Montrose, Fruita Monument and Grand Junction all finished tied atop the Southwestern League standings at 5-3. Among the tied teams, Montrose is 3-1, Grand Junction is 2-2 and Fruita Monument is 1-3. As a result, Montrose has won the league title.
Montrose jumped out to an 8-0 lead to start the game, but Fruita Monument roared back to tie the game at 9-9 after the first quarter.
The game remained close in the second quarter. With the game tied at 23, Nichols scored to put the Indians ahead 25-23 at halftime.
Montrose built a 29-23 lead to start the third quarter, but again the Wildcats rallied. They took at 35-31 lead going into the fourth quarter.
This time, it was Montrose who rallied, as they went ahead 36-35.
It came down to the end. Nichols scored with nine seconds left, giving Montrose a 45-44 lead. Fruita Monument couldn’t answer one final time, as Montrose held on.
Kylie Wells led Fruita Monument with 15 points.
“Great battle all game in a tough environment, just came up one point short,” Fruita Monument coach Michael Wells said. “Time to move on to the playoffs, everyone starts 0-0 and it’s a new season.”
