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Tag: Roosevelt

  • Football roundup: Roosevelt beats No. 3 Silver Creek on game’s final play

    (@SilverCreekLA/Twitter)

    In a wild matchup, Roosevelt football scored on the game’s final play to upset Silver Creek on Friday night.

    The Roughriders’ Noah Craig punched in a rushing touchdown as time expired to secure the 29-27 upset.

    “Holy cow. It was a huge win,” Roosevelt coach Lane Wasinger told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show after the game.

    To even get to that final play, though, Roosevelt first had to convert on fourth down with 25 seconds remaining.

    “It was like, ‘You know what?’ Let’s just go for it. Let’s go for the end zone,” Wasinger said.

    Roosevelt quarterback Trent Beall, a junior, scrambled for the first down — and got out-of-bounds.

    “He’s so slippery and he’s so good with his feet, and he’s just a playmaker,” Wasinger said. “It gave us a chance to put it in the end zone.”

    Craig, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior, did just that.

    “The sideline went crazy,” Wasinger said. “We just won a big football game.”

    Roosevelt had led Silver Creek 16-6 after three quarters, before both offenses broke loose in the final quarter.

    “It got pretty crazy,” Wasinger said of the fourth quarter.

    Silver Creek actually took the lead with seven minutes to play, but Roosevelt rallied and eventually won on the final play.

    Both teams are now 3-1 this season.

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    3A: (2) Mead 38, (9) Longmont 14

    Mead football continued its perfect start, beating No. 9 Longmont to improve to 4-0 this season.

    The Mavericks, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter on their cross-town rivals, and went on to win 38-14.

    Longmont did cut that early lead to 21-14 late in the second quarter, but Mead’s defense didn’t allow the Trojans to score again.

    “Our defense had our back all night,” Mead quarterback Tyler Keys told BoCoPreps.com after the game.

    Keys threw a passing touchdown and rushed for another for the Mavericks. Evan Hansen, Jake Wachter and Nathan Mackey also had rushing touchdowns. Dom Esters caught the touchdown from Keys.

    Longmont quarterback Oakley Dehning rushed for a touchdown.

    This was just the second-ever meeting between the two schools which are just 15 minutes apart. Mead won last season, 49-35, during its march to the semifinals.

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    2A/3A: (2) Bayfield 20, (8) Durango 13

    For the first time in the history of the rivalry — which dates to 1924! — Bayfield beat Durango.

    Bayfield senior Hunter Killough had a game-sealing interception in the game’s final moments, according to the Durango Herald.

    “I wanted it bad,” he told the paper after the game. “Since last year, I had been stewing on this game. It’s good to get that victory.”

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    Notables:

    • 5A No. 8 Mullen went out-of-state to play Bothell (Wash.), and had a big rally and a chance to win late, but fell 31-28. Bothell reached Washington’s 4A quarterfinals last season.
    • 5A No. 7 Cherry Creek beat No. 6 Grandview 40-20 to give coach Dave Logan the 250th win of his career.
    • In 1A, No. 2 Meeker got a top-10 win over No. 8 Monte Vista, 30-7. “Our defense did a good job of flying around the football tonight,” coach Shane Phelan told the Scoreboard Show. The Cowboys are 4-0.
    • Skyview knocked off No. 10 Thomas Jefferson 27-16 in 3A. The Wolverines have started 4-0, their best start since 2011.
    • Harrison beat Glenwood Springs 36-22, and is now 4-0 in 3A. “This is just another step forward for us,” coach Al Melo told the Scoreboard Show. “It was a good win for our kids tonight, and I’m really proud of them.
    • Check out Widefield, which is 4-0 in 4A following a 42-0 win over Palmer. The Gladiators haven’t started 4-0 since 2010. TJ Davis rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns on Friday. He also threw two touchdown passes.
    • 5A No. 3 Eaglecrest is now 4-0 after beating Cherokee Trail 28-14.
    • Berthoud upset 3A No. 5 Fort Morgan, 22-10.
    • Grand Valley and Aspen had lightning delay their game, which the Skiers ultimately won 30-26. Aspen, which won a combined four games the past two seasons, is 4-0 for the first time since 2010.
    • Sierra Grande beat Cheraw 61-6 in 6-man action, including this touchdown. The Panthers are now 4-0, something they haven’t done since 2005.
    • 6-man No. 1 Stratton/Liberty cruised to a 68-8 win over Idalia. Tyson Lichty completed four passes — all four went for touchdowns. Jacob McCormick rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
    • Levi Mair had four total touchdowns in Arvada’s 30-6 win over The Pinnacle.
    • Jaion Colbert rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns as Overland beat Rangeview 42-20.
    • Zac Hanenberg had two rushing touchdowns as Canon City beat Pueblo East 29-16. The Tigers are now 4-0, matching their win total from each of the past two seasons.
    • Peyton beat Ellicott 41-0 in 1A. Gunner Saarela rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns.
    • Trevor Reuss threw for 241 yards in 2A Basalt’s 41-33 win over 3A Battle Mountain.
    • Garrett Anderson rushed for 157 yards and a score as Lewis-Palmer topped Pueblo County 20-10 in a 3A matchup.
    • 5A Ralston Valley also went out-of-state, and beat East Bakersfield (Calif.) 35-14.

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    More coverage

  • Boys golf regional roundup: Mountain View’s Wes Weber wins in playoff

    (@TVHSAthletics/Twitter)

    Mountain View’s Wes Weber claimed the Class 4A Region 3 tournament in a playoff on Tuesday at Boomerang.

    Weber finished his 18 holes at 2-under after shooting 70, tied with Roosevelt’s Tyler Severin. The two players went to a playoff, where Weber claimed the region title on the fourth hole.

    Thompson Valley’s Darren Edwards finished third at 1-over, helping his Eagles win the team championship. Thompson Valley won at +13, with scoring rounds from Edwards, Nathan Dwyer (+4) and Chase Corlett (+8).

    Palmer Ridge (+20) placed second.

    The top two teams per region qualify, along with next 13 individuals.

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    4A 2: Hulen tames a tough course.

    Cheyenne Mountain’s Keaton Hulen won 4A’s Region 2, shooting a 5-over 76 at a tough course hosted at the Country Club of Colorado.

    Green Mountain’s Gabe Goodman and Valor Christian’s Jake Welch tied for second at 8-over.

    Valor Christian captured the regional title as a team, shooting a combined +37. Aside from Welch, the Eagles had scoring rounds from Hunter Khan (+14) and Ty Findlow (+15).

    Mullen was the second-place team, shooting +47.

    [button color=”white” size=”normal” alignment=”none” rel=”follow” openin=”samewindow” url=”https://old.chsaanow.com/sports/boys-golf/stats/”]Complete results from boys golf’s regionals can be found here.[/button]

  • Football roundup: Garnes leads No. 3 Eaglecrest past No. 5 Grandview

    Eaglecrest Grandview football
    More photos. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Victor Garnes had two receiving touchdowns, and third-ranked Eaglecrest football beat Grandview 21-14 in a big Class 5A game on Friday.

    Eaglecrest is now 3-0, while Grandview moves to 2-1.

    Both of Garnes’ scores came on great throws from Raptors quarterback Jalen Mergerson, a senior.

    The first came on fourth-and-11, midway through the second quarter. The second was a 34-yard catch and run that saw Garnes juke out a crowd of defenders on his way to the end zone.

    Kenny Wanting got Eaglecrest started with a 2-yard rushing touchdown late in the first quarter.

    Grandview’s Aaron Harris blocked a punt that the Wolves recovered for a touchdown to cut into Eaglecrest’s lead early in the third quarter. They had possession deep in the Raptors’ territory on their next possession, but the drive stalled and the Wolves turned it over on fourth down.

    Eaglecrest then went back up 21-7, and held that lead for most of the fourth quarter.

    Grandview did score with 31 seconds remaining to make it a one-score game again, but Eaglecrest recovered the onside kick.

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    4A: (10) Pueblo West 55, (3) Pueblo South 54 (2OT)


    In a wild one, Pueblo West took down their crosstown foe in two overtimes.

    The game was tied at 42 after regulation — but Pueblo West had to rally to get to that point. South led 35-21 at the half, only to see Pueblo West tie the game at 35 in the third quarter.

    South again took the lead late in the third quarter at 42-35, and West again responded with a touchdown with four minutes to play.

    In overtime, West scored first, only to miss an extra point attempt. South also scored — and also missed an extra point.

    South opened the second overtime with another touchdown, but again missed the extra point. West responded with a score, and the extra point was good, giving the Cyclones the win.

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    3A: Roosevelt 15, (3) Longmont 12

    Roosevelt scored 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to come roaring back and upset the Trojans.

    The Roughriders’ defense got their team started with a safety early in the fourth quarter, and then Angelo Hurtado cut it to 12-9 with a 21-yard rushing touchdown.

    Four minutes later, Roosevelt’s Trent Beall scored what proved to be the winning touchdown on a 14-yard rush.

    Jaydon Elkins had a rushing touchdown for Longmont.

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    4A: (4) Windsor 40, (8) Broomfield 14

    (Steve Oathout)

    Windsor jumped out to a 26-0 lead at halftime, and the Wizards kept their foot on the pedal in the second half en route to the big win.

    Quarterback Connor Apodaca, a senior, accounted for four total touchdowns, including two through the air.

    Jaedyn Traut and Gerald Mack also had rushing scores for the Wizards.

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    Notables

    • Northglenn improved to 3-0 following a 22-7 win over Far Northeast.
    • Smoky Hill beat Aurora Central 27-16 to snap a 16-game losing streak.
    • Littleton beat Kennedy 22-21, breaking a 14-game losing streak.
    • In 2A, No. 4 The Classical Academy beat No. 10 D’Evelyn 24-21. Here’s a photo gallery.
    • 1A No. 5 Centauri shut out No. 10 Olathe, 14-0.
    • Big win for No. 6 Holly in 8-man, topping No. 2 Hoehne 33-14.
    • Gilpin County upset No. 10 Caliche in 8-man, 36-30.
    • There is once again a tie atop the all-time football wins list. West Grand’s forfeit win over Nederland became official tonight, giving coach Chris Brown his 318th career win.
    • Prairie, No. 8 in 6-man, is now 3-0 after beating Arickaree/Woodlin 34-14. “You can’t be displeased with 3-0,” coach Justin Kerns told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “We’re looking forward to next week.”
    • Rock Canyon edged Denver East, 22-21. Photos from that game.
    • Skyview continued its hot start with a 29-3 win over Summit and is now 4-0. Its the first time the Wolverines are 4-0 since 2011.
    • 3A No. 7 Erie’s Noah Roper rushed for 308 yards and four touchdowns in a 47-23 win over Northridge.
    • Masiah Hudson rushed for 188 yards and four touchdowns on just five carries as Manual beat Sheridan 42-6. Corey Jones added 111 rushing yards and a score.
    • Trevor Reuss threw three touchdowns for Basalt in a 35-7 upset win over No. 6 Delta in 2A.
    • Bryce Sugden had two touchdown passes as 8-man No. 3 Dayspring Christian beat Springfield 47-17.
    • Peetz, ranked No. 2 in 6-man, beat Idalia 60-12. Bryson Long had three receiving touchdowns, while Tre Fehringer tossed two TD passes.
    • Rowan Neal threw two touchdowns in leading Vista Ridge to a 28-16 win over Dakota Ridge in 4A.
    • Eaton beat Brush 35-21, and Austin Coalson had two passing TDs. Travis Cunningham also rushed for two touchdowns.

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    More coverage

  • Boys golf roundup: Montrose’s Micah Stangebye tames The Bridges at Black Canyon

    Montrose sophomore Micah Stangebye is quickly staking his claim as one of the better ball strikers on the Western Slope.

    Stangebye shot a five-under-par 66 to claim the win at Wednesday’s Montrose Invitational. His round at the Bridges at Black Canyon included six birdies and just a single bogey.

    He got help from his teammates during the tournament as well. Dawson Hussong and fresham Jordan Jennings each shot a 73, helping Montrose claim the team win at its own tournament.

    Fruita Monument’s Blake Andersen was the only other player under par on Wednesday as he shot a 68.

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    Woodland Park conquers Cheyenne Shadows as a team

    Woodland Park came away with a huge team win at Wednesday’s Gladiator Invitational. The Panthers shot 31-over as a team, five strokes better than second place Pine Creek.

    The Classical Academy’s Liam O’Halloran took the individual win, shooting a 77.

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    Pueblo County, La Junta winners at Elmwood

    Pueblo County grabbed the overall team win while La Junta’s Cody Schrock shot a 72 to take the solo victory at Wednesday’s Pueblo South Invite at Elmwood Golf Course.

    Brock Rodrigues shot a 74 for County and teammate Andrew Egan shot a 78 to lead the Hornets to the win.

    Mead grabs Tri-Valley tournament title

    Kellen Kudrna, T.J. Shehee and Tanner Strong all shot in the 70’s as Mead came away with the win at Wednesday’s Tri-Valley league tournament.

    Roosevelt’s Tyler Severin was the best overall golfer of the day as he shot a 71 to claim the solo win.

    [button color=”white” size=”big” alignment=”none” rel=”follow” url=”https://old.chsaanow.com/sports/boys-golf/stats/”]Find complete results of all the day’s golf tournaments by clicking here.[/button]

  • Boys golf roundup: Eaglecrest’s Davis Bryant turns in a 67 to win first Centennial League match

    Davis Bryant‘s only bogey of the day came on the second hole of the Centennial League’s first meet.

    From that point on, he was only steady and strong, turning in a three-under-par 67 to claim the win at Meadow Hills.

    He made bogey on No. 2 to move to one-over, but starting on hole four, made three straight birdies to seize the lead.

    He never relented, rattling off seven pars in a row before making birdie on No. 14.

    Arapahoe’s Tommy Packer, Alex Yano and Caleb Busta all finished in the top 10, good enough to give the Warriors the overall team win.

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    Montezuma-Cortez, Durango win at Pagosa Invitational

    Montezuma-Cortez’s Cris Rudosky claimed the individual win at the Pagosa Invitational with a 74, six strokes better than Alamosa’s Aaron Hsu.

    Durango had four golfers who finished in the top 11 which was good enough to give the Demons a decisive team win.

    Ryan Genualdi led the Durango charge, shooting a 81.

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    Brighton, Prairie View win at Aurora Hills

    Terrance Barrios made birdie on No. 15 to get back to even at Thursday’s EMAC tournament at Aurora Hills.

    He and Brighton’s Jay Audette-Smith both shot 72 to sit atop the leaderboard. Barrios is listed as the winner on iWanamaker.

    The Thunderhawks shot 15-over to claim the team title.

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    Three shoot under par at Eaton Invitational

    Sterling’s Brayden Lambrecht, Roosevelt’s Tyler Severin and Mountain Range’s Connor Jones all ended their rounds at one-under par 70 at the Eaton Invitational on Thursday.

    Josh Caridi’s 71 paced Fossil Ridge to the team win.

    Find complete results of all the day’s golf tournaments on this page.

  • Boys golf roundup: Peak to Peak, Ethan Tartaglia have record-setting day

    3A boys golf state tournament generic flag
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Peak to Peak’s Ethan Tartaglia set two records on Monday: a school record for individual score and a school record low team score.

    Tartaglia shot a four-under-par 68 — good for third place, while Peak to Peak’s team score of seven-under beat the previous school record by 13 strokes put the Pumas in first place.

    Behind the record-setting performance, Prospect Ridge’s Walker Franklin and Kent Denver’s Jackson Klutznick tied for first place. 

    Kent Denver (-5) came in second place.

    Klutznick hit an eagle on 17, then birdied 18 to come in at six-under-par.

    Franklin, who birdied the final two holes, did not have a bogey in the round.

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    Sterling wins Tri-Valley league tournament behind Lambrecht’s effort

    Bolstered by Brayden Lambrecht’s score of six-under-par, Sterling won the Tri-Valley league tournament by eight strokes.

    Lambrecht eagled a par-5 fifth hole to get to six-under on the day. His lone bogey came on a par-3 eleven.

    Lambrecht shot five strokes better than Mead’s TJ Shehee (-1). In the program’s first year, Mead (+13) took second place.

    Windsor (+14), Berthoud (+19) and Frederick (+26) rounded out the top five.

    Windsor’s Chandler Schulz tied for third place with Roosevelt’s Tyler Severin.

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    More coverage

    Find complete results of all the day’s golf tournaments on this page.

  • Boys golf roundup: Castle View’s Dillon Baker’s hole-in-one paces him to season-opening win

    Eight holes into his day, Castle View’s Dillon Baker sat at three-under. He fell back to even par, but birdied the 476-yard par five and sank a hole-in-one on No. 4 to finish with a three-under-par 69 to win Thursday’s Continental League golf tournament.

    Baker claimed the individual win on the day while ThuderRidge claimed the overall team title, shooting 12-over as a unit.

    Sam Ostravich led the Grizzlies by shooting an even 72 while teammate Evan Kalac nearly matched him with a 73.

    Jessen Steel led the effort for Legend with a 74 while Mountain Vista’s Elisandro Aragon was right behind him with a 75.

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    Lambrecht, Sterling claim opening Tri-Valley Invite wins

    Brayden Lambrecht shot a 72 to claim the individual win and he got plenty of support from his Sterling teammates to take the team victory at the Tri-Valley Sterling Invite.

    The Tigers finished a combined nine-over to take the team win.

    Mead, who played in its first event as a varsity golf program finished fourth as a team while TJ Shehee finished tied for second place with a 74.

    Roosevelt’s Tyler Severin and Sterling’s Riley Schaefer also shot 74.

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    Kent Denver claims Metro League opener

    Defending Class 3A boys golf champion Kent Denver is off to a good start. The Sun Devils claimed the Metro League season-opener by shooting a combined five-over par.

    It was Walter Franklin of Prospect Ridge claimed the individual title with a 69. He made only one bogey on the day, making a five on the par-four 14th.

    Kent’s Oliver Jack took second place with a 70 while Peak to Peak’s Nishant Datta (71) finished third.

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    Other notes:

    • Yuma’s Jakob Chrisman took the individual win at the Brush Invite with a 83 while the Beetdiggers won the team title, going a combined 66-over.
    • Montezuma-Cortez’s Cris Rudosky birdied two of his last four holes to shoot a 71, winning the Panther Invitational. Grand Junction went 12-over as a unit to get the team win.
    • Prairie View got the sweep at the EMAC North tournament as Jay Audette-Smith’s 75 gave him the individual win while the team went took first at 24-over.
    • Other Thursday tournaments included the Cedaredge Invtational, the EMAC South and the Mountain View League Meet. Results were not posted on iWanamaker as of Friday morning.

    Find complete results of all the day’s golf tournaments on this page.

  • Boys golf preview: Experience at U.S. Junior Amateur is fueling Eaglecrest’s Davis Bryant

    With one more chance to go for a state title, Eaglecrest’s Davis Bryant is doing everything possible to make a run for the top spot in Class 5A.

    Last September, he finished the state tournament at three-under-par, placing second to Highland Ranch’s Kyle Pearson.

    So Bryant did the most natural thing he could do as a golfer. He sought tough competition and he continued to work on his game. That work took him to the 2017 U.S Junior Amateur which was held at Flint Hills National Golf Club in Andover, Kan.

    He played well enough in the first two days to make the 64-player cut, which was then broken down into a match play bracket.

    “I played it two years ago and it was the same thing, it was an awesome experience,” Bryant said. “I played a lot better (this time) which made it more enjoyable. It was really cool, a great golf course and obviously great competition.”

    Bryant trailed Korean Won Jun Lee by one hole going into 18, but he refused to go quietly. The Colorado State commit sank a birdie on the hole to extend the match into sudden death.

    It took three additional holes, but it was Lee who finally broke the tie and was able to advance to the round of 32.

    The one-on-one atmosphere is something that Bryant admittedly doesn’t get to experience very often. Few of the junior tournaments that he plays in have a match play format.

    However, he did find it to be beneficial. In high school tournaments, there is no match play and everything is done through strokes.

    “I feel like no matter if you’re playing stroke play or match play, it’s going to be similar (in that atmosphere),” Bryant said. “In the end, you’re just playing golf and trying to get the ball in the least amount of shots. It’s just in stroke play, you’re playing against the course and with match play, you’re playing against another person.”

    Bryant and Pearson entered the final day of last year’s state tournament locked in a tie for second place.

    But Pearson was nearly unstoppable on the last day. He ended with a 67, including a hole-in-one on the par 3 15th to claim the title.

    “Kyle played really well that day,” Bryant said. “I just couldn’t get a putt to go in the hole.”

    But he’ll have another shot in October when the 5A state tournament rolls in CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora. It just so happens to be a course that is 15 minutes from Bryant’s house and one that he’s played often.

    When my coach (Stan Adams) texted me and told me that state was going to be at CommonGround, I was really excited,” Bryant said. “I’ve played there numerous times. I like the course and I like the layout of it. It’s a good fit for a state tournament and a good fit for my game.”

    While Bryant takes aim at the individual championship, the three team champions are all returning at least two all-state players and have their eyes on repeating.

    But as with any sport, a championship has to be earned and in order to claim one, the kids have to keep working.

    Part of that is making sure they’re playing the right level of competition in order to get better each day as the season progresses.

    Bob Austin and Oliver Jack. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    “I want us to play the very best teams that we can and I work hard on our schedule every year,” Kent Denver coach Bob Austin said. “We are going to a national tournament in Chandler, Arizona which I am really looking forward to.

    The Sun Devils claimed the 3A title last year and defending 5A champion Regis Jesuit will join them in Arizona.

    Defending 4A champion Discovery Canyon brings back Luke Trujillo, who claimed the 4A individual title, and Caleb Blackburn. The Thunder’s win back in September was the first team state championship in school history and they’re looking to grab another.

    But the common theme amongst all golf teams across the state is general excitement for the start of the season. While teams and individuals will certainly take aim ending the season at the top of the leaderboards, the coaches are also insistent that the kids just take the time to enjoy getting out on the course and playing a game that they can continue to play for the majority of their lives.

    “I want these kids to have lifetime great experiences whether they win or lose,” Austin said.

    4A boys state golf
    Luke Trujillo. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

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    Boys golf preview

    2016 individual champions:

    • 5A: Kyle Pearson, Highlands Ranch (graduated)
    • 4A: Luke Trujillo, Discovery Canyon (senior)
    • 3A: Oliver Jack, Kent Denver (senior)

    Defending team champions:

    • 5A: Regis Jesuit
    • 4A: Discovery Canyon
    • 3A: Kent Denver

    Returning All-State athletes:

    • 5A: Drew Anderson (Sr.) Regis Jesuit, Davis Bryant (Sr.) Eaglecrest, Josh Caridi (Sr.) Fossil Ridge, Cal McCoy (Sr.) Regis Jesuit, Kailer Rundiks (Sr.) Denver East
    • 4A: Caleb Blackburn (Sr.) Discovery Canyon, Darren Edwards (Sr.) Thompson Valley, Barrett Jones (Sr.) Eagle Valley, Tyler Severin (Sr.) Roosevelt, Micah Stangebye (So.) Montrose, Luke Trujillo (Sr.) Discovery Canyon
    • 3A: Nishant Datta (Sr.) Peak to Peak, Peter Grossenbacher (Jr.) Eaton, Billy Howenstein (Jr.) Dawson, Oliver Jack (Sr.) Kent Denver, Jackson Klutznick (Jr.) Kent Denver, Jacob Mason (So.) Jefferson Academy, Liam O’Halloran (So.) The Classical Academy, Ivan Richmond (Sr.) Estes Park, Ethan Tartaglia (Sr.) Peak to Peak, Ian Thorpe (Sr.) Peak to Peak, Ben Zimmerman (So.) Kent Denver

    Regular season begins: Aug. 10

    Regionals: Completed by Sept. 22

    State meets: Oct. 2-3

  • Roosevelt’s Angel Rios claims wrestling gold at the Cadet Pan Am Games

    Frederick Warrior Invite wrestling
    (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Roosevelt’s Angel Rios was one of six female wrestlers to claim a gold medal at the Cadet Pan American Championships on July 8.

    Girls wrestling has been on the rise in Colorado, but Rios has opted to continue competing against the boys, citing back in February that the competition will make her a better wrestler.

    And that approach paid off earlier this month.

    “Before we went, there was a 10-day camp we had to go to,” she said. “It was long, we had three practices a day, but all the hard work paid off.”

    Rios recorded three pins and one technical fall in her run to the gold in the 46 kg bracket.

  • Frederick Warrior Invite serves as a launching pad for girls wrestling

    Frederick Warrior Invite girls wrestling
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    FREDERICK — Every plant needs to be seeded before it can grow.

    Over the years, the participation numbers of girls in Colorado high school wrestling has only grown. There are questions as to what it would take for the numbers to reach the point that girls wrestling can become it’s own sport.

    And as with any new venture, there are concerns of the reception of the idea and how much early success will play a role into its growth.

    If the overall support that the first girls-specific wrestling tournament is any indication, something special may have just been planted at Frederick High School.

    The Warrior Invite featured seven girls only brackets consisting of 80 wrestlers representing 42 schools. Athletic director Ernie Derrera didn’t host the tournament to gain recognition. As the chairman of the CHSAA wrestling committee, he had to be willing to do what we he was asking of others.

    “One of the things I felt as chair of the committee was that if I was going to ask somebody else to do it, it was probably right for me to be able to step up and do it,” Derrera said. “We have the facility, we have great volunteers who help us do this and we had a tournament that we were running anyway. So it made sense for us to be able to carry two of them up and get it done.”

    Hosting is only part of the battle though.

    Participation numbers for girls wrestlers have only increased with each year. It’s not uncommon anymore to see a girl wrestling on the floor at Pepsi Center in the state tournament.

    But if girls wrestling is to become its own sanctioned sport, there has to be support from multiple sides.

    “In the past, if you see a girl wrestling in a boys tournament you hear the chatter in the stands of, ‘Hey, she’s pretty good for a girl,’” Golden assistant coach Brooke Sauer said. “They don’t mean anything negative by it, but (the girls) out of their element when they aren’t given the same opportunity as the guys are.”

    Sauer knows what she’s talking about. A 2006 graduate from Golden, she is the first girl in Colorado history to qualify for the state tournament. Now, just over a decade later she’s coaching in the sport in which she excelled and to see it grow to the point that girls are able to compete in their own tournament is mind-blowing.

    “Today, to hear how much positive talk there was, it took the (inequality) out of the equation,” she said. “To see that speed planted, that girls can wrestle girls and that there’s this big of a turnout, is huge.”

    Holyoke’s Jessica Mosqueda received the honor of being the first girl to win an all-girls championship with a fall victory over Liberty’s Naliah Rosales in the 101-pound final.

    The overall feeling may not have sunk in yet in the moments following her win, but the impact of that victory did not escape her.

    “It’s amazing,” Mosqueda said. “Wrestling girls, we know that we can do more and it just feels really special right now.”

    Even with seven girls brackets in the tournament, there were still girls who felt more comfortable competing against the guys and opted for that route. It paid off for Roosevelt’s Angel Rios who came away with the 106 championship. There was no boy that could stop her on Saturday.

    Frederick Warrior Invite girls wrestling
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    “When I first started, I was 3-years-old and there weren’t many girls,” Rios said. “I basically grew up wrestling boys my whole life. It feels more like home.”

    Her first-place victory was a unique feat either as she had come away with a championship in the Roosevelt Invitational back on Dec. 10.

    Saucer was quick to point out her accomplishment and acknowledge that she anticipates seeing Rios at Pepsi Center in February.

    But for now, based on the results and turnout of the Warrior Invite, the idea of girls wrestling is not as far-fetched as it was even a month ago.

    “I’ve had several coaches come up to me and say, ‘Hey, what’s next? Are you starting a girls team,’” Sauer said. “I think that’s huge to have the support from everybody here.”

    She also pointed out that Derrera, Frederick and CHSAA took a huge leap of faith by moving forward with the tournament. But they all simply planted the seed. Only time will tell what will sprout as a result.