Tag: Stratton/Liberty

  • Baseball rankings: Three defending champions among preseason No. 1 teams

    Three defending state baseball champions are starting the season right where they left off. In the initial CHSAANow.com baseball rankings, Cherokee Trail, Valor Christian and Holly come in at No. 1 in their respective classes.

    Cherokee Trail beat Rocky Mountain for the Class 5A championship, Valor won two-straight games to beat Pueblo West for the 4A title and Holly claimed the 1A crown from Fleming.

    The Cougars claim the top spot of the 5A rankings with six first-place votes. Centennial League foe, Cherry Creek, sits right behind them at No. 2. The Bruins are looking to end a four-year championship drought in 2017.

    Last year’s runner-up, Rocky Mountain, starts the season at No. 3.

    Outside of the top three teams, only Rock Canyon (No. 7) and Pine Creek (No. 10) received first-place votes to start the season.

    Valor Christian D'Evelyn baseball
    (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)

    In 4A, Valor Christian, led by new coach Brian Bonn, claimed nine first-place votes to start the season with No. 3 Pueblo West being the only other ranked team to receive one.

    Mountain View will start the year at No. 2 with Windsor and Longmont rounding out the top five.

    Erie takes the No. 8 spot, meaning that the final four teams that remained in the 4A state tournament on the final weekend will come into the season ranked and carrying high expectations.

    University will start the season as the No. 1 team in 3A. The Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals last year before losing 3-2 to Manitou Springs, who finished as the state runner-up.

    The Mustangs enter the season at No. 7.

    Delta, a 4A team a year ago, sits right behind Manitou at No. 8. Defending champion, Fatih Christian sits high in the rankings at No. 2 as they hope to defend their title.

    Paonia enters the season as the No. 1 team in 2A. It’s the same seed the Eagles took into last year’s state tournament where they were upset by Limon in the semifinals.

    The Badgers lost in the state championship game, but will enter the season with the No. 6 ranking.

    Defending champ, Dawson will start the season at No. 2.

    Sedgwick County took enough votes to claim the No. 4 spot to start the year. 

    Like Paonia, the Cougars went into last year’s state tournament with a high seed, only to be shocked in the semifinals.

    Holly 1A baseball champions
    (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    Holly was the only team in the preseason rankings to grab a unanimous No.1 ranking as the Wildcats took all nine first-place votes.

    State runner-up, Fleming, enters the season at No. 3 with Eads sliding into the No. 2 spot.

    Dove Creek starts the season at No. 7 after reaching the semifinal game last spring. They upset Granada in the first round of the tournament.

    Granada was the No. 1 seed in the bracket this year, but will start the 2017 season with the No. 5 ranking.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association.

    During the regular season, new polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Baseball Polls

    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.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Cherokee Trail (6) 0-0 94
    2 Cherry Creek (1) 0-0 86
    3 Rocky Mountain (2) 0-0 79
    4 Mullen 0-0 46
    5 Ralston Valley 0-0 43
    6 Regis Jesuit 0-0 42
    7 Rock Canyon (1) 0-0 32
    8 Grandview 0-0 30
    9 ThunderRidge 0-0 29
    10 Pine Creek (1) 0-0 23
    Others receiving votes:
    Heritage 21, Broomfield 14, Mountain Vista 14, Dakota Ridge 12, Legend 11, Grand Junction Central 9, Chaparral 4, Legacy 4, Castle View 3, Chatfield 2, Douglas County 2, Denver East 1, Fairview 1, Grand Junction 1, Monarch 1, Prairie View 1.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Valor Christian (9) 0-0 99
    2 Mountain View 0-0 78
    3 Pueblo West (1) 0-0 67
    4 Windsor 0-0 57
    5 Longmont 0-0 42
    6 Silver Creek 0-0 35
    7 Canon City 0-0 32
    8 Erie 0-0 28
    9 Air Academy 0-0 24
    10 Denver North 0-0 19
    Others receiving votes:
    Northridge 18, Evergreen 8, D’Evelyn 6, Lewis-Palmer 6, Wheat Ridge 6, Green Mountain 5, Pueblo South 4, The Classical Academy 4, Palmer Ridge 3, Discovery Canyon 2, Fort Morgan 2, Roosevelt 2, Thompson Valley 2, Pueblo Centennial 1, Pueblo County 1.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 University (6) 0-0 101
    2 Faith Christian (2) 0-0 91
    3 Lamar (1) 0-0 90
    4 La Junta (1) 0-0 61
    5 Valley 0-0 54
    6 Eaton 0-0 51
    7 Manitou Springs 0-0 49
    8 Delta (1) 0-0 33
    9 St. Mary’s 0-0 31
    10 Bayfield 0-0 27
    Others receiving votes:
    Kent Denver 25, Colorado Springs Christian 16, Peak to Peak 10, Brush 6, Gunnison 6, Colorado Academy 5, Buena Vista 2, Lutheran 1, Resurrection Christian 1.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Paonia (5) 0-0 81
    2 Dawson (2) 0-0 65
    3 Dayspring Christian 0-0 49
    4 Sedgwick County 0-0 46
    5 Hotchkiss 0-0 37
    6 Limon 0-0 35
    7 Rocky Ford 0-0 31
    8 Akron (2) 0-0 30
    9 County Line 0-0 29
    10 Sargent 0-0 18
    Others receiving votes:
    Crowley County 15, Swink 12, Peyton 10, Front Range Christian 9, Haxtun 9, Del Norte 5, Center 4, Denver Christian 3, Yuma 3, Clear Creek 2, Burlington 1, Gilpin County 1.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Holly (8) 0-0 80
    2 Eads 0-0 61
    3 Fleming 0-0 60
    4 Nucla 0-0 48
    5 Granada 0-0 42
    6 Cheyenne Wells 0-0 30
    7 Dove Creek 0-0 25
    8 Cornerstone Christian 0-0 21
    9 Manzanola 0-0 19
    10 Stratton/Liberty 0-0 13
    Others receiving votes:
    Cotopaxi 9, Otis 9, Peetz 9, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 7, Caliche 4, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 2, Antonito 1.
  • All-state football teams for 2016 season

    The 2016 all-state football teams 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 across the state.

    Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.

    CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created entirely from the results of the coaches’ vote.

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Valor Christian Pomona football 5A state championship 2016
    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Player of the year: Dylan McCaffrey, Valor Christian

    Coach of the year: Jay Madden, Pomona

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Isiahia Banks Mullen Senior FS
    Jackson Block Columbine Senior DE/TE
    Hayden Blubaugh Grandview Senior RB/CB
    Max Borghi Pomona Junior RB/CB
    Hayden Courier Valor Christian Senior OL/DL
    Christian Cumber Mullen Senior CB/FS
    Noah Elliss Valor Christian Senior OL/DL
    Victor Garnes Eaglecrest Junior RB/CB
    Cameron Gonzales Pomona Senior RB/LB
    Mikey Griebel Columbine Senior RB/CB
    Hunter Harris Columbine Senior DT/G
    Jake Heimlicher Regis Jesuit Junior DE
    Isaac Lopez Pomona Senior OC/NG
    Dylan McCaffrey Valor Christian Senior QB
    Marcus McElroy Jr. Mullen Senior RB
    Brandon Micale Pomona Senior LB/DE
    Robert Moss Grandview Senior G/NG
    Heston Paige ThunderRidge Senior OT
    Dimitri Stanley Cherry Creek Junior WR/CB
    Jonathan Van Diest Cherry Creek Senior LB/DE
    A jon Vivens Mullen Junior WR/CB
    Trey Windham Cherry Creek Senior RB
    Jared Worrick Regis Jesuit Senior K/P
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Henrik Barndt Ralston Valley Senior DE/DT
    Evan Bergerson Fossil Ridge Senior K
    Sam Bornhorst Regis Jesuit Senior G/OT
    Elijah Brockman Eaglecrest Senior DE
    Eymon Campbell Doherty Senior MLB/FB
    Tanner Clem Mullen Senior LB
    Kobe Eller Highlands Ranch Senior RB/WR
    Ruben Estrada Cherokee Trail Senior OT
    Brenden Fannin Legacy Senior DT/G
    Gunner Gentry Grandview Junior WR
    Isiah Hirtler Pomona Senior DE/LB
    Sean Johnson Mullen Senior G/OT
    Will Kulick Regis Jesuit Senior MLB
    Gunnar Lamphere Grandview Senior QB
    Luke McCaffrey Valor Christian Sophomore QB/DB
    David McWilliams Fairview Senior WR
    Barrett Miller Eaglecrest Sophomore DE/OT
    Alex Pyzola Doherty Senior DE
    Ethan Reid Chaparral Senior OT/G
    Will Rodgers Valor Christian Senior TE/LB
    Semaj Stewart Chaparral Senior CB
    A.J. Thomas Rangeview Senior RB
    Cade Verkler Horizon Senior TB

    Honorable mention: Jake Archuleta, Douglas County, Senior, LB/SS; Tyler Campbell, Mullen, Senior, MLB/DE; Kyante Christian, Eaglecrest, Junior, DT/OT; Austin Davis, Poudre, Senior, K/DB; Chase Dixon, Arvada West, Senior, WR/KR; Christian Elliss, Valor Christian, Senior, ATH/LB; Judd Erickson, Mountain Vista, Senior, QB; Max Gonzales, Cherokee Trail, Senior; Austin Johnson, Highlands Ranch, Sophomore, G/DT; Zeke Johnson, ThunderRidge, Senior, RB/SB; Alfred Jones, Regis Jesuit, Senior, RB; Colby Keiter, Ralston Valley, Senior, DE/TE; Nolan Laufenberg, Castle View, Senior, OT/DT; Alec Lewis, Legacy, Junior, QB; Riese Lutz, Castle View, Senior, CB/K; Ashton Mansur, Columbine, Senior, OC/DT; Jalen Mergerson, Eaglecrest, Junior, QB/CB; Ben Montgomery, Grandview, Senior, K; Tim Mullin, Columbine, Senior, LB/FB; Justin Ragland, Doherty, Senior, WR/CB; Kendryk Rankin, Fountain-Fort Carson, Senior, DT/DE; Walker Rumsey, Bear Creek, Senior, QB; Brady Russell, Fossil Ridge, Senior, LS/DE/TE; Simote Samate, Grandview, Junior, DE; Tevye Schuettpelz-Rohl, Fairview, Junior, DB/K; Alex Smith, Arapahoe, Junior, SS/WR; Tyler Smith, Mountain Range, Senior, DE/TE; Michael Thompson, Aurora Central, Sophomore, ILB/OL; Zach Thomson, Cherry Creek, Senior, OT; Barry Wesley, Bear Creek, Senior, OT/LS; Tate Wildeman, Legend, Junior, DE/TE; Jake Willemsen, Fairview, Senior, QB; Garrett Zanon, Pomona, Senior, LB.

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Fruita Monument Denver South footballl Marcus Lindsay
    (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: Marcus Lindsay, Denver South

    Coach of the year: Blair Hubbard, Broomfield

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Darrion Alton Grand Junction Central Senior WR/CB
    Marcell Barbee Pueblo South Junior
    Maxwell Bruner Ponderosa Junior G/NG
    Cole Cromer Fruita Monument Senior OL/DL
    Darren Delacroix Greeley West Senior WR/DB
    Brock Domann Pine Creek Senior QB
    Trevor Elser Monarch Senior K/P
    Esaias Gandy Denver South Senior LB/ATH
    Peter Isais Pine Creek Senior WR/FS
    Dalton Keene Chatfield Senior MLB/RB
    Marcus Lindsay Denver South Senior RB/MLB
    Ryan Mazzola Broomfield Senior LB/WR
    Matt McClurg Heritage Senior G/DT
    Griffin Moss Chatfield Junior DT/DE
    Jaxon Pallone Broomfield Senior NG/OT
    Brandon Ramirez Windsor Junior WB/KR
    Isaak Rolfe Pine Creek Junior DE
    Kahseem Stevenson Denver South Senior DT/OL
    Corte Tapia Windsor Senior ILB/DE/TE
    Michael Teesdale Loveland Senior DE/FB
    Mikey Thomas Ponderosa Senior RB/S
    Gabe Toca Pine Creek Senior OL
    Jalon Torres Broomfield Senior RB/CB/SS
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Jesse Bridge Sand Creek Junior K/P
    Steve Brock Pueblo South Junior RB
    Keenan Brown Dakota Ridge Senior WR/FS
    Payton Dietrich Wheat Ridge Junior RB/LB
    Kaleb Gaster Mesa Ridge Senior G/OC
    Chase Hansen Heritage Senior QB
    Nico Heineke magri Monarch Senior DE/TE
    Weston Hunt Pueblo West Senior DE/OT
    Keaton Kerstetter Fruita Monument Senior ILB/RB
    Mason Knighton Ponderosa Junior OT/DE
    Christion Louis Pine Creek Junior DT
    Jayden Manu Loveland Junior OL
    Devyn Morgan Pueblo West Junior RB
    Alex Oelsner Niwot Senior TE/LB
    Quinton Ostdahl Ponderosa Junior RB/LB
    Sterling Ostdahl Ponderosa Junior QB
    Brad Peeples Windsor Senior QB/WB/DB
    Tylor Rowles Chatfield Senior RB/WR
    Jalen Sami Vista Ridge Senior DL/OT
    Devin Sirio Greeley West Senior FB/DT
    Korey Viburg Broomfield Senior LS/OC
    Zach Watts Windsor Junior DT/OT
    Collin Willis Pine Creek Senior CB/SB

    Honorable mention: Jack Anderson, Standley Lake, Senior, TE/DL; Joe Arps, Denver South, Senior, DE/OL/FB; Justin Barley, Chatfield, Junior, DT; EJ Barrera, Grand Junction Central, Senior, QB/SB; Garrett Betty, Broomfield, Senior, FB/LB; Adam Burtschi, Rampart, Senior, G/DT; Keion Cross, Rampart, Junior, QB/SB; Deric Cruz, Mesa Ridge, Senior, MLB/FB; Keegan Cryder, Dakota Ridge, Senior, OT/DE; Brody Csikos, Heritage, Junior, OC/G; TJ Davis, Widefield, Junior, QB/DB/ATH; Justin Dwinell, Coronado, Junior, WR/P; James Everett II, George Washington, Senior, CB/WR; Dominick Fini, Mesa Ridge, Junior, DT/OT; Zach Garrard, Cheyenne Mountain, Senior, OL/LB; Braeden Graham, Fruita Monument, Junior, RB/LB; Easton Hall, Monarch, Senior, WR/DE; Ian Helwick, Brighton, Junior, DE/TE; Nathan Higgins, Skyline, Senior, SS/RB; Sam Hoswell, Monarch, Junior, G/OT; Mason Keeler, Broomfield, Senior, QB/FS; Jake Leone, Fort Collins, Junior, TE/DE; Josh Martin, Heritage, Junior, CB/RB; Dillon Meyers, Dakota Ridge, Senior, MLB/OL; Nate Miller, Widefield, Senior, OL/LB; Jax Nourse, Grand Junction, Senior, QB/LB; Jeremiah Ratliff, Air Academy, Senior, DE/WR; Alefosio Saipaia, Sand Creek, Junior, OL/DL; Kyle Schulman, Fort Collins, Senior, DE/OL; Zack Swartwout, Loveland, Senior, DE/TE; Ivan Thomas, Mountain View, Senior, DL/K/TE; Logan Triplett, Fruita Monument, Senior, RB/DE; Caleb Vannest, Greeley West, Senior, MLB/TE; Zach Weinmaster, Loveland, Sophomore, RB/S.

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Pueblo East Discovery Canyon football Bryson Torres
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Player of the year: Bryson Torres, Pueblo East

    Coach of the year: Andy Watts, Pueblo East

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Grant Baggett Pueblo East Senior OL/LB/FB
    Zane Bishop SIlver Creek Senior OL/DL
    Ryan Clancy Discovery Canyon Senior K
    Joe Golter Holy Family Senior
    Richard Hall Durango Senior OC/DT
    Nate Kage Fort Morgan Senior G
    Tate Kembel Fort Morgan Senior RB
    Alonzo Lopez Northridge Senior RB/MLB
    Nathan Mackey Mead Junior RB
    Trey McBride Fort Morgan Junior TE/DE
    Tyler McFarland Discovery Canyon Senior QB/CB
    Shane Miyake Mead Senior OG/DL
    Luke Padula Pueblo East Senior WR/S/ATH
    Jared Pope Lewis-Palmer Senior MLB/OL
    P.D. Riddle Palisade Senior QB/LB/MLB
    Jack Roy Discovery Canyon Senior G/ILB
    Jerred Snow Longmont Senior DT/DE
    Josh Tellez Pueblo East Senior FB/DE/P
    Josh Tomjack Discovery Canyon Senior RB/LB/KR
    Bryson Torres Pueblo East Senior HB/SS
    Sterling Watkins Discovery Canyon Senior WR/CB/KR
    Charley Young Lewis-Palmer Senior FB/RB
    Michael Zeman Holy Family Senior RB/CB/FS
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Matt Aceto Conifer Senior QB/DE
    Manny Araujo Northridge Senior DE/RB
    Garrett Borger Mead Senior DE/OT
    Kendall Carter Discovery Canyon Senior G/DT
    Nick Ciccio Lutheran Senior
    Orion Drummond Woodland Park Senior MLB/FB
    Ty Evans Palmer Ridge Sophomore QB/FS
    Tyler Gibbs SIlver Creek Senior TE/DE
    Riley Glynn Mead Senior QB
    Kyle Hall Palisade Senior OL/DT
    Khari Harrison SIlver Creek Senior WR/DB
    Austin Hassler Longmont Junior LB
    Jalen Hernandez Falcon Senior WR/FS
    Zach Maez Pueblo East Senior OC/DT
    Gavin Mestas Durango Junior WR/FS
    Mason Meyer Conifer Senior QB/CB
    Ryan Oliver Lewis-Palmer Senior G/DT
    Alex Rupe Evergreen Senior TE/DE
    Stone Samaras Holy Family Sophomore QB
    Derrick Smashum Vista Peak Prep Junior QB
    Josh Umiamaka Discovery Canyon Senior OT/DE
    Kevin Vargas Roosevelt Senior K
    Sean Willden Holy Family Junior OL/DL

    Honorable mention: Luc Andrada, Pueblo East, Sophomore, QB/CB; Austin Bernal, Palisade, Junior, RB/SS; Caleb Brown, Palisade, Senior, OL/DL; Quindell Bryant, Mitchell, Senior, LB/TE/WR; Erick Carrillo, Fort Morgan, Senior; Robert Case, Frederick, Senior, OL/DL; Alex Cordova, Rifle, Senior; Thomas Cross, Lewis-Palmer, Senior, OL/DL; Ramone Daley, Harrison, Senior, RB/LB; Connor Gould, Rifle, Junior; Caleb Grotelueschen, Discovery Canyon, Junior, RB/SS; Patrick Haggard, Lewis-Palmer, Junior, FB/NG; Cameron Hays, Evergreen, Senior, RB/LB; Kyle Helbig, Holy Family, Sophomore, TE/DE; Dylan Holt, Vista Peak Prep, Senior, WR/CB; Cameron Hurtado, Roosevelt, Senior, QB/SS; Quintin Hyrup, Erie, Senior, SS/CB; Brock Knechtel, SIlver Creek, Senior, RB/LB; Isaac Maestas, Palisade, Senior, RB/MLB; Cory McLellan, Palmer Ridge, Junior, WR/FS; Joshua Nagao, Alameda, Junior, LB/FB; Evan Price, Evergreen, Junior, K/P; Noah Roper, Erie, Sophomore, RB/WR/SS; Ben Schlieper, Green Mountain, Senior, TE/DE; Joey Shaffer, Thompson Valley, Junior, DE/OT; Jonah Stupar, Pueblo County, Senior, OT/DT; Dacian Sullivan, Canon City, Senior, WR/DB; Dante Vigil, Sierra, Senior, OC/MLB/DT; Mark Vivoda, Pueblo East, Junior, FB/LB; Chase Walkes, Palmer Ridge, Senior, OT/G; Peyton Woolverton, Durango, Senior, QB/WR.

    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Kent Denver La Junta football 2A championship Jon Nuschy
    (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)

    Player of the year: Jon Nuschy, La Junta

    Coach of the year: Clint Buderus, La Junta

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Dax Bender La Junta Senior LB
    Evan Biays Capps Sterling Senior OL/DL
    Willy Boatman Kent Denver Junior OT/DT
    Nathan Boyles The Classical Academy Senior OL/DL
    Tristan Brown Delta Senior RB/LB
    Austin Burkholder Sterling Senior MLB/RB
    Anders Carlson The Classical Academy Senior K/P
    Ellijah Durrett Faith Christian Senior CB/RB
    Peter Flack D’Evelyn Junior MLB/OL
    Eastin Franek Platte Valley Senior NG/LB
    Apela Furtado-Tom La Junta Senior CB
    Brin Hayden Resurrection Christian Senior QB/LB/P
    Damon Jensen Delta Senior RB/DB
    T.j. Love Kent Denver Junior DT/OT
    Joe Martinez La Junta Senior G
    Joshua McDonald Kent Denver Junior FB/MLB
    Charles McKissick Kent Denver Junior WR/FS
    Jon Nuschy La Junta Sophomore QB
    Brendan Simmering D’Evelyn Senior OL/DL
    Austin Weingart The Classical Academy Senior ILB/RB
    Sam Westbrook Bayfield Senior OC/NG
    Josh Westbrook Bayfield Senior QB/LB
    Daulton Wilkinson Weld Central Senior DE/DT
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Brody Anderson Alamosa Senior OC/DT
    Mitchell Black Faith Christian Junior G/DT
    Beau Byers Delta Senior WR/CB
    Jeremy Carrillo La Junta Senior
    Logan Church Delta Junior OL/DL
    Ryan Dewald Resurrection Christian Senior OL/DL/LB
    Brian Mashak Bayfield Senior WR/FS
    Drew Neuerburg Platte Valley Senior RB/MLB
    Izaiah Petique La Junta Senior WR
    Jeron Petterson Brush Senior K/RB
    Ryan Phelps Bayfield Junior DT/OT
    Josh Reeder Delta Junior TE/DE
    Alex Ries Weld Central Senior FB/LB
    Christian Sanders Resurrection Christian Senior FB/DL/RB
    Cole Sienknecht Manitou Springs Junior QB/CB
    Conner Stahla Resurrection Christian Senior WR/DB/KR
    Michael Stevenson Resurrection Christian Senior WR/DB/K
    Max Waldbaum Kent Denver Senior TE/LB
    Sawyer Weeks The Classical Academy Senior WR/FS
    Trevon Wehrman Platte Valley Sophomore QB
    Cullen White Basalt Senior OL/DL
    Cole Wood Bayfield Junior G/MLB
    Taylor Wright Manitou Springs Junior G/DT

    Honorable mention: Kyle Bahnsen, University, Junior, DL/OT; Mason Barrows, Alamosa, Senior, RB/CB/KR; Ian Fonseca, Arvada, Senior, QB/P/K; Deondre Gordon, Arvada, Senior, WR/CB; Jaxon Hobbs, Eaton, Senior, TE/DE; Hunter Killough, Bayfield, Junior, RB/FS; Mikinzie Klimper, Moffat County, Junior, WR/MLB; Ben Lucas, D’Evelyn, Senior, FS/FB; Alec Lucero, Florence, Senior, QB; Joe Luebbers, Bishop Machebeuf, Senior, WR/LB; Lane Mangum, Gunnison, Senior, ATH/LB; Remington McKnight, Bishop Machebeuf, Junior, OT/DT; Kye Mills, Eaton, Senior, OT/DE; Ricky Mills, Middle Park, Senior, OL/LB; Bryce Noel, Florence, Senior, LB/OL; Abraham Ontiveros, Delta, Senior, K/WR; Donovan Pacht, The Classical Academy, Junior, OL/DL; RJ Peshek, Aspen, Junior, QB/MLB; Kyle Roberts, Basalt, Senior, WR/DB; Christian Rose, Sterling, Junior, WR/DB; Lincoln Rychecky, Kent Denver, Senior, FB/MLB; Riley Smith, Platte Valley, Senior, OC/DL; Josh Stephens, Gunnison, Senior, DT/G; Wyatt Thies, Elizabeth, Senior, DE; Aaron Trujillo, Valley, Senior, RB/FS; Josh Wallin, Gunnison, Senior, QB/LB/FS; Tyler Walls, Prospect Ridge Academy, Junior, MLB/OC; Corben Wilcox, University, Senior, LB/RB.

    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Strasburg Paonia football
    (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)

    Player of the year: Conner Martin, Strasburg

    Coach of the year: Jeff Giger, Strasburg

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Kevin Bailey Rye Senior QB/LB
    Jack Baroni Buena Vista Senior G/MLB
    Cade Becker Bennett Senior DE/TE
    Hunter Bergstrom Strasburg Junior LB/RB
    Justin Engesser Colorado Springs Christian Senior QB/FS
    Heyden Farley Bennett Senior G/DT
    Eddie Garcia Bennett Senior K/CB
    Chris Gudka Strasburg Junior OT/DE
    Logan Hughes Meeker Junior QB/DE
    Tyler Ilgen Meeker Senior G/DT
    Jeremy Ladd Strasburg Senior RB/LB
    Rocky Lechman Bennett Junior QB/RB/SS
    Wyatt Lee Peyton Senior MLB/RB
    Conner Martin Strasburg Senior QB/CB
    Dagan Rienks Paonia Senior TE/S/QB
    Jesse Rodriquez Bennett Junior QB/RB
    Chase Rule Meeker Senior LB/OL
    Otis Schmidt Platte Canyon Senior QB/SS
    Trevor Smith Paonia Senior MLB/TE
    Casey Turner Meeker Senior MLB/RB
    Tyler Walker Peyton Senior G/DE
    William Wallace Strasburg Senior OT/DT
    Chad Wiebelhaus Strasburg Junior OT/DE
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Jadyn Brown Bennett Junior OT/DT
    Cole Brown Meeker Senior WR/CB
    Cody Burghart Burlington Senior
    Richard Castillo Highland Senior G/DL
    Keith Dunagan Crowley County Senior NG
    Keshaun Duran Monte Vista Senior QB/FS/P
    Braden Kappel Limon Senior WR
    Tre Labossierre Cedaredge Senior OL/ILB
    Kaden Larson Limon Senior OL/DL
    Doak Mantle Meeker Junior RB/SS
    Justis Marshall Burlington Senior
    Jaden Miller Paonia Junior FB/RB
    Warren Minerich Paonia Senior
    Forest Pejsa Dolores Sophomore OL/LB
    Connor Peterson Platte Canyon Senior DT/G
    Parker Randolph Monte Vista Sophomore FS/WR/K
    Noah Sarria Clear Creek Junior HB/FS/WR
    J.C. Spence Strasburg Sophomore RB/WR/CB
    Chiante’ Stewart Ellicott Junior SB/DB
    Isaac Swoffer Cedaredge Senior RB/LB
    Isaac Tadla Platte Canyon Senior MLB/G
    Dylan Tuma Crowley County Senior RB
    Poco Van os Colorado Springs Christian Senior WR/DB

    Honorable mention: Brandon Buhr, Centauri, Junior, RB/S/WR; Toby Camp, Buena Vista, Senior, FB/LB; Cayden Camper, Rye, Sophomore, K/P; Jett County, Burlington, Senior; Luis Delgado, Manual, Senior, OL/DT; Casey Fringer, Centauri, Junior, DL/OL; Josh Gonzales, Peyton, Sophomore, RB/FS; Luke Grinnan, Burlington, Senior; Trystan Hanks, Peyton, Senior, FB/MLB; Alexander Inman, Clear Creek, Senior, OG/DL; Ty Judge, Clear Creek, Junior, QB/DB; Wade Katzdorn, Hotchkiss, Senior, RB/MLB/LB; Bryce Kullby, Front Range Christian, Senior, K/P; Tristan Laver, Crowley County, Senior, DE; Brendan Mayden, Holyoke, Senior, G/ILB; Garrett Miller, Bennett, Senior, RB/SS; Evan Munger, Front Range Christian, Senior, WR/DB; Cedric Perea, Monte Vista, Junior, OC/LB; Christian Reynolds, Cedaredge, Senior, OG/LB; Cole Rouse, Highland, Senior, QB/S/ATH; Trevor Sander, Platte Canyon, Junior; Luke Srsen, Wray, Senior, C; Chase Starman, Strasburg, Senior, WR/FS; Terren Trujillo, Rye, Senior, G/DE; Cody Venem, Rocky Ford, Senior, QB/DB; Austin Walck, Grand Valley, Senior, OT/MLB/FB; Avery Whitlock, Ellicott, Senior, OL/DL; Tory Willson, Cedaredge, Senior, DT/OL; Bradly Wright, Platte Canyon, Senior, RB/FS.

    [divider]

    8-man

    (Kevin Saffer/MaxPreps)
    (Kevin Saffer/MaxPreps)

    Player of the year: Chad Mikelson, Sedgwick County

    Coach of the year: Jerome Weers, Akron

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Levi Basler Akron Senior RB/DB
    Dylan Clifford Merino Senior DB/TB
    Nathan Crawford Dayspring Christian Academy Senior RB/DB
    Brennan Ehmke Sedgwick County Junior QB
    Jake Garnas Sedgwick County Senior DE/G
    Justin Hacsi Sargent Senior ATH
    Kyle Kreutzer Hoehne Senior TE/DE
    Chad Mikelson Sedgwick County Senior WR
    Seth Mondragon Dayspring Christian Academy Junior RB/MLB
    Michael Nein Sedgwick County Senior FS
    Anthony Payne Hoehne Senior OL/DL
    Dustin Poss Akron Senior G/OT
    Bridger Reese Akron Senior TE/DL
    Craig Schafer Hoehne Senior OL/LB
    Bo Soukup Haxtun Senior QB/FS/LB
    Caleb Urwiller Dayspring Christian Academy Senior LB/RB
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Esteban Aguilera Sargent Senior ATH
    Caleb Andersen Haxtun Senior LB/WR/RB
    Trenton Armintrout Norwood Senior QB/LB
    Brock Benson Akron Senior OL/LB
    Remmington Canfield Merino Junior ILB/QB
    Bowman Ellis Springfield Senior RB/S
    Travis Etler West Grand Senior OG/DE
    Ty Harrison Sargent Senior ATH
    Tyce Marquez Sedgwick County Junior
    Marshall Pierce Holly Senior FB/ILB/LB
    Logan Post Haxtun Senior G/DT/NG
    Jon Ramey Merino Senior MLB/G
    Hunter Robins Hoehne Senior RB/DE
    Christian Schaller Sargent Junior ATH
    Jake Trujillo McClave Senior
    Jacob Yates Hoehne Junior RB/DB

    Honorable mention: Ethan Barnes, Norwood, Senior, OC/DE; Marlon Castillo, Plateau Valley, Senior, WR/SS/SB; Bruce Cordova, West Grand, Senior, OG/ILB; Abraham Dauphinais, Justice, Junior, FB/DT; Ryan Davis, Sargent, Junior, ATH; David Flores, Granada, Senior, G/DE; Hayden Harris, Norwood, Senior, G/LB; Cade Holden, Granada, Senior, QB/S; Justin Johnson, Sargent, Senior, ATH; Jace Logan, Soroco, Sophomore, RB/DB; Issac Matson, West Grand, Senior, TE/NG; Colin Mertens, Merino, Senior, DE/OC; Tack Neugebauer, Holly, Senior, SB/HB/G; Dean Reed, Fowler, Senior, QB/DE; Jerald Romero, Justice, Senior, WR/CB; Devyn Rummel, Norwood, Senior, RB/DB.

    [divider]

    6-man

    Hi-Plains Cheyenne Wells football
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Player of the year: Cameron Klann, Hi-Plains

    Coach of the year: Garrett Smith, Cheyenne Wells

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Jaxon Crawford Kit Carson Senior TE/DB
    Chase Flynn Stratton/Liberty Senior OL/DL/K
    Jaime Huerta Cheyenne Wells Senior
    Brad Johnson Kit Carson Senior QB/DE
    Jaxon King Fleming Senior QB/LB
    Cameron Klann Hi-Plains Senior
    Landon McCaffrey Hi-Plains Senior
    Kendall Pelton Cheyenne Wells Senior
    Bryce Schnug Pawnee Senior TB/LB/KR
    Fred Turner Eads Senior LB/RB/K
    Alex Vandenbark Fleming Senior FB/MLB/DE
    Darian Wagner Arickaree/Woodlin Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Blake Dickey Kit Carson Senior RB/DB
    Drew Ellis Pawnee Senior FB/CB/P
    Marshall Hornung Stratton/Liberty Senior LB/RB
    Bryson Long Peetz Sophomore
    Riley Marzolf Hi-Plains Senior
    Rogelio Meza North Park Senior RB/LB/TE
    Caden Parker Eads Senior LB/QB
    Tanner Patterson Otis Senior
    Caid Smith Genoa-Hugo Junior RB/S
    Wyatt Tezak Cotopaxi Senior
    Trevor Warren La Veta Senior
    Cody Wilson Peetz Senior

    Honorable mention: Dace Ball, Cheyenne Wells, Senior; Cody Lyons, Cotopaxi, Senior; Nic Martin, North Park, Junior, TE/DE/OC; Jake McClendon, Genoa-Hugo, Senior, RB/LB; Levi Muller, Fleming, Senior, OL/DL; Adam Parachini, Weldon Valley, Senior, OL/FB/DL; Noel Pizana, North Park, Senior, RB/DB; Luke Puchino, Longmont Christian, Senior, QB/ATH; Marco Ramos, Arickaree/Woodlin, Senior; Brandon Ravenkamp, Genoa-Hugo, Senior, QB/DE; Joel Smith, Elbert, Senior, CB/QB; Peyton Uhrig, Otis, Senior.

  • Football roundup: Mullen storms back to beat Fairview

    Mullen rallied from down 23-0 at halftime to stun Fairview with a 37-30 win in a top-10 game in Class 5A football on Friday.

    The second-ranked Mustangs scored right as the second half opened, and though No. 8 Fairview answered to make it 30-7 in the third quarter, Mullen just wouldn’t quit. It was 30-14, then 30-22, and then it was tied.

    Finally, with 2:16 remaining, the Mustangs took their first lead of the game. It was 37-30, with Mullen scoring 30 unanswered points.

    Fairview did have a final drive, but Mullen turned the Knights away.

    Marcus McElroy had three touchdowns for the Mustangs.

    [divider]

    (9) Holy Family 43, (8) Mead 35

    Holy Family picked up a big top-10 win this season that moved the Tigers into sole possession of first place in the Tri-Valley League.

    “We talked about what it would take to put ourselves in a situation to win a league championship, and they responded really well,” Holy Family coach Mike Gabriel told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “It was a great battle.”

    Holy Family led 9-0 after the first quarter, and 22-13 at the half. But Mead kept fighting, and kept the game close until the end.

    In fact, Mead had one final drive that Holy Family had to turn away.

    “With a few seconds left, they still had a shot,” Gabriel said. “Our kids responded to put it away.”

    [divider]

    3A: (9) Sterling 27, (6) Weld Central 13

    Not only did Sterling hand Weld Central its first loss this season, the Tigers also snapped their 12-game winning streak, which was the longest in the state.

    “It was good battle across the board, two teams that kind of wanted it pretty bad,” coach Rob Busmente told the Scoreboard Show. “It came down to two plays that we were fortunate enough to be able to capitalize on.”

    Sterling led throughout, going up 7-6 after the first quarter, and 20-13 at halftime and after the third quarter. The Tigers added another score early in the fourth quarter to finish the scoring.

    Sterling is now 5-3 following an 0-3 start, and sits in first place in its league, the Patriot East, at 4-0.

    “It’s been good, it’s been fun,” Busmente said. “The kids have been showing a lot of resiliency and a lot of perseverance to go through some of those things. We ran a pretty tough gauntlet there at the beginning with some of those top teams.

    “We were able to come back and regroup and put a pretty good push here toward the end,” he added. “Hopefully we can keep riding this momentum as we’re riding out the season.”

    [divider]

    2A: (7) Bayfield 23, (5) Delta 7

    Bayfield broke open a close game on a pick-six early in the fourth quarter, and is now 6-2.

    The game was tied at 7 at halftime.

    “I thought our team came prepared to play,” coach Gary Heide told the Scoreboard Show. “We just felt that if we stayed with it play by play by play, that we would be the one to make the plays in the second half.”

    “They are one tough team,” Heide added of Delta. “They are going to be reckoned with in the playoffs.”

    [divider]

    Notables

    • Longmont Christian beat Mountain Valley 71-20, snapping an 18-game losing streak that dated to the 2013 season. (Longmont Christian didn’t field a team last season.) Stay turned here as QB Luke Puchino broke the state passing record last week.
    • 3A No. 1 Discovery Canyon very narrowly avoided a massive upset with a 35-34 win against Canon City. The Thunder got a 99-yard kickoff return for a score from Josh Tomjack in the game, but had to rally from down 31-21 in the third quarter to win.
    • Lakewood’s Brock Miller also had a 99-yard kickoff return for a score against Poudre. Lakewood edged Poudre 35-33.
    • No. 3 Meeker won a big clash in 1A by topping No. 2 Paonia 12-7. “It was a defensive struggle most of the night,” Cowboys coach Shane Phelan told the Scoreboard Show. “It’s been a long drought against Paonia. … Our kids just played hard. We’ve got a bunch of good, tough hard-nosed kids.”
    • Pueblo West recently dropped from the 4A football rankings, but the Cyclones may soon be back: They upset No. 8 Mesa Ridge 31-17.
    • 1A No. 6 Peyton is now 8-0 following a 35-8 win over Buena Vista. “We’ve been talking about it since June, about how good this football team could be,” coach Richard Deems told the Scoreboard Show. “The kids have grasped it.”
    • 8-man No. 3 Akron beat No. 8 Haxtun on a Hail Mary, 48-43.
    • There were two top-10 matchups in 6-man: No. 10 Eads upset No. 4 Cheyenne Wells 36-34, and No. 7 Hi-Plains knocked off No. 3 Stratton/Liberty 61-50.
    • In 1A, Olathe trailed Hotchkiss 21-0 in the second quarter, but rallied to win 28-21 in overtime.

    [divider]

    More coverage

  • Football rankings: Silver Creek bumps up to No. 2 in 3A

    (@SilverCreekAD/Twitter)
    Silver Creek moved up to No. 2 in 3A football. (@SilverCreekAD/Twitter)

    Silver Creek is playing its best football at the right time.

    And thanks to a 28-14 win over Fort Morgan on Friday, the Raptors jumped to No. 2 in the Class 3A CHSAANow.com football rankings.

    They are now firmly entrenched behind Discovery Canyon, which held on to its No. 1 spot thanks to a thrilling win over Lewis-Palmer.

    Rifle was the only new team to break into the 3A poll, coming in at No. 10.

    Pomona hung on to the top spot in the 5A rankings and Mullen was able to stay at No. 2 thanks a blocked extra point in overtime that gave the Mustangs a 28-27 win over No. 5 Columbine.

    The rest of the 5A rankings remained fairly consistent as no new teams broke into the poll.

    In 4A, Denver South, Chatfield and Pine Creek all held their spots at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

    Mesa Ridge made the biggest jump of the week, gaining two spots to come in at No. 8. Greeley West (No. 9) and Monarch (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 4A poll.

    La Junta remains the undisputed No. 1 team in 2A, receiving every first-place vote in the process.

    There were no new teams in the 2A rankings this week.

    Strasburg hangs to the No. 1 spot in 1A with Paonia still hanging right behind them at No. 2.

    Meeker was able to overtake Platte Canyon as the No. 3 team in the rankings with both teams still undefeated on the year.

    The 1A poll also had no new teams this week.

    Thanks to receiving eight of 12 first-place votes, Sargent is still the No. 1 team in the 8-man rankings.

    Akron jumped one spot to come in at No. 3 and at No. 9, West Grand is the only new addition to the 8-man poll.

    Fleming edged out Kit Carson by one vote to hang on to the top spot in the 6-man rankings.

    Stratton/Liberty still hangs tight at No. 3 as each of the top three teams in the poll remain undefeated.

    There were no new teams in the 6-man poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pomona (14) 6-1 159 1 W
    2 Mullen (2) 5-2 150 2 W
    3 Eaglecrest (1) 7-0 122 4 W
    4 Grandview 6-1 104 5 W
    5 Columbine 5-2 99 3 L
    6 Regis Jesuit 6-1 93 6 W
    7 Valor Christian 4-3 72 7 W
    8 Fairview 6-1 34 9 W
    9 Cherry Creek 4-3 32 8 W
    10 Doherty 6-1 25 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Chaparral 22, Highlands Ranch 21, Fossil Ridge 3, Legacy 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Denver South (13) 7-0 162 1 W
    2 Chatfield (3) 6-1 150 2 W
    3 Pine Creek 5-2 126 3 W
    4 Ponderosa 6-1 104 5 W
    5 Heritage (1) 5-2 85 6 W
    6 Broomfield 5-2 73 4 L
    7 Loveland 6-1 55 8 W
    8 Mesa Ridge 5-2 45 10 W
    9 Greeley West 5-2 25 W
    10 Monarch 4-3 24 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Rampart 22, Pueblo South 20, Windsor 20, Pueblo West 10, Dakota Ridge 8, Vista Ridge 5, Wheat Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    Windsor (7), Pueblo West (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Discovery Canyon (12) 7-0 137 1 W
    2 Silver Creek (1) 7-0 117 5 W
    3 Pueblo East 6-1 105 4 W
    4 Lewis-Palmer (1) 6-1 97 3 L
    5 Fort Morgan 6-1 77 2 L
    6 Palisade 6-1 66 6 W
    7 Longmont 5-2 46 7 W
    8 Mead 5-2 40 8 W
    9 Holy Family 5-2 38 10 W
    10 Rifle 6-1 20 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Erie 16, Conifer 5, Vista Peak 4, Durango 1, Palmer Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    Erie (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 La Junta (14) 7-0 140 1 W
    2 Resurrection Christian 7-0 117 2 W
    3 The Classical Academy 6-1 109 3 W
    4 Kent Denver 6-1 81 5
    5 Delta 5-2 73 6 W
    6 Weld Central 7-0 67 7 W
    7 Bayfield 5-2 56 8 W
    8 Manitou Springs 6-1 46 9 W
    9 Sterling 4-3 25 10 W
    10 D’Evelyn 5-2 24 4 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Bishop Machbeuf 8, Platte Valley 8, Basalt 5, University 4, Faith Christian 3, Alamosa 2, Eaton 2, Florence 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Strasburg (12) 7-0 138 1 W
    2 Paonia (1) 7-0 113 2 W
    3 Meeker 7-0 109 4 W
    4 Platte Canyon (1) 7-0 100 3 W
    5 Bennett 6-1 98 5 W
    6 Peyton 7-0 57 7 W
    7 Burlington 5-2 43 8 W
    8 Crowley County 5-1 35 9 W
    9 Cedaredge 5-2 30 6 L
    10 Limon 5-2 17 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Center 8, Clear Creek 8, Highland 6, Holyoke 4, Grand Valley 3, Buena Vista 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sargent (8) 7-0 114 1 W
    2 Sedgwick County (4) 6-1 109 2 W
    3 Akron 5-2 85 4 W
    4 Dayspring Christian 6-1 73 3 L
    5 Norwood 6-1 71 5 W
    6 Hoehne 5-2 63 6 W
    7 Merino 5-2 42 7 L
    8 Haxtun 5-2 27 8 W
    9 West Grand 6-1 25 W
    10 Pikes Peak Christian 6-1 24 9 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Granada 13, Soroco 7, Justice 3, Holly 2, McClave 1, Wiley 1.
    Dropped out
    Soroco (10).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (7) 7-0 111 1 W
    2 Kit Carson (2) 7-0 110 2 W
    3 Stratton/Liberty (3) 7-0 101 3 W
    4 Cheyenne Wells 5-2 70 5 W
    5 Peetz 5-2 50 6 L
    6 Cotopaxi 6-0 49 4 Bye
    7 Hi-Plains/Flagler 5-2 47 9 W
    8 Genoa-Hugo 5-2 30 10 W
    9 La Veta 5-1 29 8 W
    10 Eads 5-2 28 7 L
    Others receiving votes:
    North Park 23, Pawnee 8, Sierra Grande 6.
    Dropped out
    None.
  • Football rankings: Mesa Ridge, Hi-Plains join respective polls

    Mesa Ridge football team
    Mesa Ridge has joined the 4A football poll. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    With the regular season hitting the home stretch, the top teams in the CHSAANow.com football rankings are all digging their heels in.

    In fact, amongst all seven classes, there are a total of two new teams to break into the top 10 polls.

    Mesa Ridge (Class 4A) and Hi-Plains (6-man) are the only teams that make an appearance in this week’s rankings as newcomers.

    In 5A, Pomona still hangs on to the No. 1 spot after beating Rock Canyon 44-14 on Friday night.

    Cherry Creek is starting to climb back up the poll, jumping two spots from last week to land at No. 8.

    Denver South is still the No. 1 team in 4A with Chatfield hanging on to the No. 2 spot.

    Broomfield climbs to two spots to No. 4 thanks to a big win over Loveland.

    Mesa Ridge breaks into the 4A poll at No. 10.

    With Discovery Canyon still on top, the entire 3A poll went unchanged from a week ago.

    La Junta erased any doubt about whether it should be the No. 1 team in 2A with a dominant 40-0 win over Manitou Springs on Friday night.

    The Mustangs dropped to No. 9 following the loss.

    Resurrection Christian climbed a spot to No. 2 and Delta made the biggest jump on the week, gaining two spots to land at No. 6.

    Strasburg remains the No. 1 team in 1A with Paonia hanging on to the No. 2 spot.

    Cedaredge gained the most ground with a three-spot jump to come in at No. 6 this week.

    By a one-point margin, Sargent is still the top team in 8-man. Sedgwick County comes in at No. 2 with an equal number of first-place votes as the Farmers.

    Akron jumped two spots to land at No. 4 while Hoehne (No. 6) and Pikes Peak Christian (No. 9) each moved up one spot from the last set of rankings.

    Fleming keeps a firm hold on 6-man’s No. 1 spot with Kit Carson and Stratton/Liberty coming in at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

    Newcomer Hi-Plains joins the 6-man poll at No. 9.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pomona (13) 5-1 153 1 W
    2 Mullen (2) 4-2 132 2 W
    3 Columbine 5-1 119 4 W
    4 Eaglecrest (1) 6-0 110 3 W
    5 Grandview 5-1 91 5 W
    6 Regis Jesuit 5-1 82 7 W
    7 Valor Christian 3-3 72 8 W
    8 Cherry Creek 3-3 35 10 W
    9 Fairview 5-1 27 6 L
    10 Doherty 5-1 25 9 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Chaparral 14, Highlands Ranch 14, Fossil Ridge 3, Mountain Vista 2, Legacy 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Denver South (12) 6-0 138 1 W
    2 Chatfield (2) 5-1 113 2 W
    3 Pine Creek 4-2 107 4 W
    4 Broomfield 5-1 100 6 W
    5 Ponderosa 5-1 77 5 W
    6 Heritage 4-2 55 7 W
    7 Windsor 4-2 51 8 W
    8 Loveland 5-1 48 3 L
    9 Pueblo West 4-2 47 9 W
    10 Mesa Ridge 4-2 22 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo South 9, Monarch 6, Cheyenne Mountain 1, Rampart 1, Skyline 1.
    Dropped out
    Skyline (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Discovery Canyon (8) 6-0 113 1 W
    2 Fort Morgan (4) 6-0 103 2 W
    3 Lewis-Palmer 6-0 91 3 W
    4 Pueblo East 5-1 86 4 W
    5 Silver Creek 6-0 68 5 W
    6 Palisade 5-1 52 6 W
    7 Longmont 4-2 38 7 W
    8 Mead 4-2 33 8 W
    9 Erie 5-1 26 9 W
    10 Holy Family 4-2 25 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Rifle 16, Conifer 6, Evergreen 2, Skyview 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 La Junta (14) 6-0 140 1 W
    2 Resurrection Christian 6-0 114 3 W
    3 The Classical Academy 5-1 106 2 W
    4 D’Evelyn 5-1 73 5 W
    5 Kent Denver 4-1 72 6 Bye
    6 Delta 4-2 66 8 W
    7 Weld Central 6-0 63 7 W
    8 Bayfield 4-2 55 9 W
    9 Manitou Springs 5-1 43 4 L
    10 Sterling 3-3 22 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Bishop Machbeuf 5, Basalt 3, Platte Valley 3, Alamosa 2, Eaton 1, University 1, Valley 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Strasburg (12) 6-0 147 1 W
    2 Paonia (1) 6-0 131 2 W
    3 Platte Canyon (2) 6-0 108 4 W
    4 Meeker 6-0 104 5 W
    5 Bennett 5-1 103 3 W
    6 Cedaredge 5-1 62 9 W
    7 Peyton 6-0 53 7 W
    8 Burlington 4-2 37 10 W
    9 Crowley County 4-1 32 8 W
    10 Limon 4-2 19 6 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Center 13, Highland 5, Clear Creek 4, Buena Vista 2, Holyoke 2, Rye 2, Rocky Ford 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sargent (5) 6-0 101 1 W
    2 Sedgwick County (5) 5-1 100 2 W
    3 Dayspring Christian (1) 6-0 83 3 W
    4 Akron 4-2 67 6 W
    5 Norwood 5-1 57 5 W
    6 Hoehne 4-2 55 7 W
    7 Merino 5-1 46 4 L
    8 Haxtun 4-2 28 8 L
    9 Pikes Peak Christian 5-1 24 10 W
    10 Soroco 5-1 14 9 W
    Others receiving votes:
    West Grand 12, Granada 10, Justice 4, McClave 2, Wiley 2, Holly 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (7) 6-0 105 1 W
    2 Kit Carson (1) 6-0 98 2 W
    3 Stratton/Liberty (2) 6-0 87 3 W
    4 Cotopaxi (1) 6-0 55 5 W
    5 Cheyenne Wells 4-2 54 4 L
    6 Peetz 5-1 47 6 W
    7 Eads 5-1 44 8 W
    8 La Veta 4-1 33 9 W
    9 Hi-Plains 4-2 27 W
    10 Genoa-Hugo 3-2 23 10 Bye
    Others receiving votes:
    North Park 17, Arickaree/Woodlin 5, Pawnee 5, Sierra Grande 5.
    Dropped out
    Arickaree/Woodlin (7).
  • Football roundup: Stratton/Liberty pulls off massive comeback

    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Stratton/Liberty pulled off one of the biggest comebacks of the 2016 football season on Friday night.

    The Knighted Eagles trailed Cheyenne Wells 41-8 at one point in the second quarter, but scored the game’s final 41 points to rally and get a huge top-5 win in 6-man, 49-41.

    “A win like this could carry a team a long way,” Stratton/Liberty coach Toby Kechter told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “It’s just the belief that they can do anything. They stay together as a team, don’t doubt each other or get mad at each other.”

    The Knighted Eagles scored just before halftime to cut it to 41-16, and then really came out firing in the third quarter.

    “They had the momentum the whole first half, and we got it back and our guys started believing and it just snowballed after that,” Kechter said. “There wasn’t no stopping us.”

    The game, Kechter said, was a “tail of two halves. I mean, we couldn’t do anything right the first half, and they couldn’t do nothing wrong. Then it switched the other way in the second half.”

    Stratton/Liberty tied the game up at 41 with a safety in the fourth quarter. It then held Cheyenne Wells and got the ball back.

    “We were just going to try and kick a field goal to win, but we snuck her in on a fullback dive, and we got the win,” Kechter said. “It was pretty exciting.”

    [divider]

    3A: (4) Pueblo East 24, Durango 20

    Josh Tellez scored the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the game to help the Eagles avoid an upset.

    Pueblo East led 10-0 at halftime, and pushed it to 17-0 with 6:56 to play in the third quarter.

    Durango then went on a tear and rallied to take the 20-17 lead by scoring 20 unanswered points. Its last score came with 3:02 to play, but then Pueblo East had a clutch drive to go take the lead and secure the win.

    [divider]

    4A: Monarch 24, (10) Skyline 13

    Monarch football team
    (Josh Watt/CHSAANow.com)

    The Coyotes handed the Falcons their first loss of the season after jumping out to a 17-0 halftime lead.

    Skyline did cut it to 17-7 early in the third quarter, but Monarch responded to go back up by 17 points.

    “We had quite a few offensive snaps,” Monarch coach Phil Bravo told the Scoreboard Show. “When we know we can do that, we’re going to keep someone’s offense frustrated and off the field.”

    Monarch moved to 3-3 with the win, while Skyline is now 5-1.

    “We’ve been talking about it all week long, about … playing a team that just doesn’t know how to lose. They really haven’t,” Bravo said. “At 5-0, I mean, they just don’t understand what that loss column is all about. And a team that doesn’t know how to lose refuses to lose.

    “All in all, we played really well against a good football team,” Bravo said.

    [divider]

    5A: (7) Regis Jesuit 36, Legacy 8

    Regis Jesuit scored the game’s final 29 points en route to a 36-9 win over Legacy.

    The seventh-ranked Raiders, now 5-1, had a monster second half to come back to beat the Lightning, who dropped to 4-2.

    Legacy had leads of 3-0 and 9-7 in the first half, with the second lead holding up at halftime.

    But Regis Jesuit came out firing in the second half, including an early TD which game the Raiders a 15-9 lead, as well as a long interception return that pushed it to 22-9.

    With the win, Regis moved to 1-0 in the new Mt. Antero Conference.

    [divider]

    6-man: Hi-Plains/Flagler 82, (7) Arickaree/Woodlin 16

    The Patriots ran out to a hot start, and never really looked back in an upset performance that made a few dents in the record book.

    Hi-Plains/Flagler led 48-16 after the first quarter. The 48 points were the fourth-most in a single quarter, and the 64 combined points were the second-most in a quarter by two teams.

    At halftime, it was 64-16. The 64 points were tied for the sixth-most in a half by one team.

    In the end, the Patriots cruised to the 82-16 win.

    [divider]

    Notables

    • After an 0-3 start, 2A No. 10 Sterling won its third game in a row, beating Platte Valley 27-18. “They bounced back nice off the bye and we were able to take that week to get back to the basics, get back to some fundamentals, and just back to believing in ball again,” coach Rob Busmente told the Scoreboard Show. “The kids have responded really well.”
    • Holyoke upset 1A No. 6 Limon, 21-14.
    • In 8-man, No. 2 Sedgwick County rolled past No. 8 Haxtun, 56-6.
    • Another top-10 showdown in 8-man turned out to be pretty one-sided as No. 6 Akron beat No. 4 Merino 45-0.
    • In 3A, Evergreen is now 4-2 after beating Skyview 33-7. “I was very happy with the defense. We played physical,” coach Rob Molholm told the Scoreboard Show. “The defense played very consistent tonight, and very aggressive.”
    • Defending 1A champion Buena Vista has responded to a two-game losing streak with two straight wins. The Demons beat Colorado Springs Christian 34-29. “We gave away a few games, and now that should be far away from them,” Buena Vista coach Matt Flavin told the Scoreboard Show. “With this younger team, they just need to go out there and play and enjoy it and have fun. That’s kind of what we pushed this week.”
    • West Grand beat Plateau Valley 30-6, giving Chris Brown his state-leading 311th career win.
    • Kent Denver and coach Scott Yates (308 wins) play Ridge View Academy on Saturday.
    • 5A’s Cherry Creek, now 3-3, answered a few doubters about their No. 10 ranking with a dominant 42-7 win over Fossil Ridge (now 4-2).

    [divider]

    More coverage

  • Football rankings: Pueblo West, Skyline among newcomers

    Pine Creek Pueblo West football
    Pueblo West is ranked No. 9 in 4A this week. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    The Class 4A CHSAANow.com football rankings has some fresh faces with the release of this week’s rankings, and it’s happening at the right time.

    Pueblo West comes into the poll at No. 9 and Skyline is right behind them at No. 10.

    With a 28-0 win over Niwot on Friday, the Falcons remain undefeated on the year and received enough support from the voters to be regarded as a top-10 team.

    The Cyclones have won three-straight games after surrendering their first two of the season. Wins against Pueblo South and Dakota Ridge got them votes, but it was the  57-20 win over Coronado on Saturday that pushed them into the poll.

    Denver South hung on to the top spot in 4A, taking 16 of 17 first-place votes.

    Coming off a bye, Pomona hung on to the No. 1 position in 5A, but Mullen was able to jump one spot to No. 2.

    Fairview (No. 6) and Doherty (No. 9) also jumped one spot from a week ago. Despite coming up short against No. 8 Valor Christian last Thursday, Cherry Creek stayed in the rankings at No. 10 meaning no new teams broke into the 5A rankings.

    Discovery Canyon Vista Ridge football
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Discovery Canyon made a statement against Vista Ridge Friday night and as a result, hang on to the No. 1 spot in 3A.

    After snagging a couple of first-place votes, Lewis-Palmer jumped to No. 3, one spot above where they were a week ago.

    Longmont made the big 3A jump of the week, leaping three spots to come in at No. 7.

    There were no new teams in the 3A rankings this week.

    In 2A, both La Junta (No. 1) and The Classical Academy (No. 2) maintained their spots after a thrilling showdown Friday night that saw the Tigers come away with the late win.

    La Junta’s schedule does not get any easier this week as they host Manitou Springs, which jumped to No. 4 after a homecoming win over Lamar.

    At No. 10, sterling is the only new team to break into the 2A poll.

    Strasburg hangs on to the No. 1 spot in 1A as all 10 teams from last week’s rankings remained in the this week’s poll.

    Peyton made the big jump of the week to come in at No. 7, two spots better than they were previously ranked.

    In 8-man, Sargent took five of 13 first-place votes to hang on to the top spot.

    Merino made a three-spot leap to come in at No. 4.

    There were no new teams in the 8-man rankings.

    Still undefeated, Fleming holds strong as the No. 1 team in 6-man with Kit Carson hanging tight at No. 2.

    Cotopaxi (No. 5) and Peetz (No. 6) each jumped three spots from last week’s rankings.

    At No. 10, Genoa-Hugo is the only new team in the 6-man rankings.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pomona (16) 4-1 179 1 Bye
    2 Mullen (2) 3-2 141 3 Bye
    3 Eaglecrest (1) 5-0 135 4 W
    4 Columbine 4-1 126 2 W
    5 Grandview 4-1 111 5 W
    6 Fairview 5-0 98 7 W
    7 Regis Jesuit 4-1 92 6 W
    8 Valor Christian 2-3 63 8 W
    9 Doherty 4-1 24 10 W
    10 Cherry Creek 2-3 20 9 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Chaparral 19, Legacy 14, Highlands Ranch 10, Fossil Ridge 6, Aurora Central 4, Mountain Vista 2, Legend 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Denver South (16) 5-0 169 1 W
    2 Chatfield (1) 4-1 143 2 W
    3 Loveland 5-0 127 3 W
    4 Pine Creek 3-2 116 4 W
    5 Ponderosa 4-1 89 7 W
    6 Broomfield 4-1 76 6 W
    7 Heritage 3-2 74 5 W
    8 Windsor 3-2 54 8 W
    9 Pueblo West 3-2 37 W
    10 Skyline 5-0 20 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Rampart 16, Mesa Ridge 4, Mountain View 4, Pueblo South 4, Greeley West 2.
    Dropped out
    Vista Ridge (9), Mesa Ridge (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Discovery Canyon (9) 5-0 124 1 W
    2 Fort Morgan (2) 5-0 110 2 W
    3 Lewis-Palmer (2) 5-0 100 4 W
    4 Pueblo East 4-1 98 3 W
    5 Silver Creek 5-0 69 6 W
    6 Palisade 4-1 54 5 Bye
    7 Longmont 3-2 45 10 W
    8 Mead 3-2 39 9 L
    9 Erie 4-1 32 8 L
    10 Holy Family 3-2 14 7 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Rifle 13, Skyview 12, Durango 3, Conifer 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 La Junta (12) 5-0 129 1 W
    2 The Classical Academy 4-1 103 2 L
    3 Resurrection Christian 5-0 95 3 W
    4 Manitou Springs 5-0 75 6 W
    5 D’Evelyn 4-1 67 5 W
    6 Kent Denver 4-1 64 4 W
    7 Weld Central (1) 5-0 50 8 W
    8 Delta 3-2 49 7 W
    9 Bayfield 3-2 48 9 W
    10 Sterling 2-3 11 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Valley 7, Bishop Machbeuf 6, Platte Valley 4, University 3, The Academy 2, Basalt 1, Faith Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Florence (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Strasburg (9) 5-0 134 1 W
    2 Paonia (5) 5-0 120 2 W
    3 Bennett 4-1 107 4 W
    4 Platte Canyon 5-0 103 3 W
    5 Meeker 5-0 82 5 W
    6 Limon 4-1 69 6 W
    7 Peyton 5-0 48 9 W
    8 Crowley County 3-1 34 8 Bye
    9 Cedaredge 4-1 28 7 L
    10 Burlington 3-2 23 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Center 12, Grand Valley 4, Highland 4, Buena Vista 1, Ellicott 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sargent (5) 5-0 120 1 W
    2 Sedgwick County (5) 4-1 106 3 W
    3 Dayspring Christian (3) 5-0 104 2 W
    4 Merino 5-0 70 7 W
    5 Norwood 4-1 66 5 W
    6 Akron 3-2 57 4 L
    7 Hoehne 3-2 55 6 W
    8 Haxtun 4-1 48 8 L
    9 Soroco 4-1 24 10 W
    10 Pikes Peak Christian 4-1 15 9 W
    Others receiving votes:
    McClave 11, Mancos 10, West Grand 8, Granada 6, Holly 6, Plateau Valley 5, Sangre de Cristo 3, Wiley 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (7) 5-0 115 1 W
    2 Kit Carson (4) 5-0 109 2 W
    3 Stratton/Liberty 5-0 96 3 W
    4 Cheyenne Wells 4-1 69 4 W
    5 Cotopaxi 5-0 47 8 W
    6 Peetz 4-1 45 9 W
    7 Arickaree/Woodlin 2-2 42 5 L
    8 Eads 4-1 36 10 W
    9 La Veta 3-1 28 6 L
    10 Genoa-Hugo 3-2 21 W
    Others receiving votes:
    North Park 16, Hi-Plains 14, Sierra Grande 14, Cheraw 4, Pawnee 4.
    Dropped out
    North Park (7).
  • Football roundup: La Junta beats The Classical Academy on a Hail Mary

    (Bud Ozzello/CHSAANow.com)
    (Bud Ozzello/CHSAANow.com)

    It was a top-2 game, and it was a wild one.

    La Junta, newly-minted as the No. 1 team in Class 2A, beat No. 2 The Classical Academy 26-21 on a Hail Mary to end the game.

    La Junta grabbed a 6-0 lead with 5 minutes left in the first quarter, and things that way until midway through the third quarter.

    TCA went up 7-6 with 6:36 remaining in the third, and expanded the lead to 14-6 early in the fourth quarter after recovering a bad snap on a punt.

    That’s when things got wild.

    La Junta made it 14-12 in with six minutes to play, but had a two-point conversion called back because of a penalty. The Tigers took an 18-14 lead with 1:20 play, and that lead turned out to be brief. That’s because TCA drove down the field to go up 21-18 with 37 seconds to play.

    All of this, of course, just served to set the stage for La Junta’s game-winning Hail Mary.

    This was the Tigers’ second huge win in a week. La Junta beat then-No. 1 Kent Denver last week in another top-2 showdown.

    [divider]

    3A: (10) Longmont 46, (7) Holy Family 35

    Longmont scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to put this back-and-forth game away.

    The team teams were tied at 8 after the opening frame, and Longmont held just a 23-21 lead at halftime. After a Trojans’ field goal, Holy Family went up on a passing score from Stone Samaras to Kyle Helbig.

    The Tigers pushed it to 35-26 on the first play of the fourth quarter, but that’s when Longmont turned it on and scored the game’s final 20 points.

    “We knew that if it came down to the fourth quarter, we were going to do the right things this time that we needed to do to get the win,” Longmont linebacker Austin Hassler told BoCoPreps.com after the win.

    [divider]

    3A: Skyview 11, Lincoln 5 (OT)

    This was a weird one.

    Skyview grabbed an early 2-0 lead on a first-half safety. Lincoln then went up 3-2 on a field goal with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter.

    The Lancers expanded that lead to 5-2 with a safety of their own with 1:57 remaining in the third, only to see Skyview tie it on this field goal with 44 seconds left:

    The game went to overtime, where Skyview won the game with this touchdown:

    [divider]

    3A: Skyline 28, Niwot 0

    Skyline is now 5-0, and off to its best start in more than a decade after a 28-0 win over Niwot.

    The Falcons were already receiving votes in this week’s 4A rankings, and could slide into the poll on Monday.

    It’s quite the turnaround for the program: Skyline has won five games in a season just once since 2014.

    “We’ve got great kids, and they’re coachable, and they buy into the mentality and the scheme and the system, and once you get buy-in, good things happen,” Skyline coach Michael Silva told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “That’s what they’ve done and they’ve showed that they have the mentality, regardless of the situation, that they’re going to find a way to win. That’s tough to do, because of our history.

    “These guys have managed to find a way, and trust in me and my staff, and it’s been a fun ride so far. And we don’t want it to stop.”

    [divider]

    Notables

    • Sand Creek broke a 20-game losing streak with a 14-8 win over Air Academy. That had been the longest drought in the state. It was the Scorpions’ first win since Sept. 19, 2014, which also came over Air Academy. That was a wild 68-62 win which set all kinds of records.
    • On the other side of the coin, 2A No. 8 Weld Central has now won 10 consecutive games, the longest such streak in the state. The Rebels, now 5-0 this season, beat Valley 28-21.
    • An update on the all-time wins list: Kent Denver beat Elizabeth 39-20 in an afternoon game. That gave coach Scott Yates his 308th career win. West Grand and coach Chris Brown beat Hayden 53-18. That’s Brown’s 310th career win.
    • Berthoud connected on a Hail Mary at halftime of its game with Thompson Valley. But TV won, 28-13, to notch its first win this season (1-4).
    • There was also a first-half Hail Mary in Rangeview/Gateway. Rangeview’s Jaelin Odegard hit Josh Hollins from near midfield (video here). Rangeview went on to win 52-7.
    • Pueblo East beat Pueblo South in the Cannon Game, 21-14. Check out this cool timelapse from the Pueblo Chieftain’s Nick Jurney.
    • Dayspring Christian had another wild game. This time, 8-man’s No. 2 team beat No. 8 Haxtun 55-53.
    • A big game in 8-man: No. 3 Sedgwick County took care of No. 4 Akron 46-8.
    • In 6-man, No. 3 Stratton/Liberty beat No. 5 Arickaree/Woodlin 54-28.
    • Another top-10 6-man game: No. 8 Cotopaxi upset No. 6 La Veta.
    • Eaglecrest is now 5-0 after a 42-20 win over Bear Creek. The Raptors, No. 4 in 5A, are off to their best start in more than a decade.
    • Fairview, ranked No. 7 in 5A, is also 5-0 after beating Arapahoe 48-7.
    • In 1A, No. 2 Paonia beat No. 7 Cedaredge 35-21.
    • Florence upset 2A No. 10 Salida 22-13. That is actually the lone upset of an unranked team over a ranked team so far in Week 5. Ranked teams are a combined 34-1 against unranked opponents through Friday’s games this week.

    [divider]

    More coverage

  • Football rankings: Polls feature four new No. 1 teams

    Denver South football team
    Denver South is the new No. 1 team in 4A football. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    To the victors go the spoils.

    After wins last week, Denver South now sits atop the Class 4A CHSAANow.com football rankings while La Junta takes the top spot in the 2A poll.

    Discovery Canyon also jumps to No. 1 in the 3A poll despite previous No. 1 Fort Morgan not losing this week. Strasburg had a similar fortune this week, taking the No. 1 spot in 1A despite Paonia winning this weekend.

    The Rebels got a hard-fought win over Heritage on Saturday and with Chatfield’s loss to Columbine earlier in the week, they traded places this week in the rankings.

    Pine Creek (No. 4) and Ponderosa (No. 7) each jumped two spots from last week’s poll.

    At No. 10, Mesa Ridge is the only new team in the 4A rankings.

    Kent Denver La Junta football
    La Junta is the new No. 1 team in 2A. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    In 2A, the Tigers ascend to No. 1 fresh off a win over Kent Denver, who held the top spot a week ago.

    After a win over Pueblo Central, The Classical Academy jumps to No. 2 and will host No. 1 La Junta on Friday.

    D’Evelyn (No. 5) and Manitou Springs (No. 6) each jumped two spots from a week ago. Florence comes in at No. 10 as the only new team in the 2A rankings.

    Pomona hangs on to the top spot in 5A thanks to a comeback win over Valor Christian on Friday night.

    Grandview made the biggest jump in the poll, ending up at No. 5 thanks to a big win over Cherry Creek.

    Doherty comes in at No. 10 and is the only newcomer to the 5A rankings.

    In 3A, the Discovery Canyon and Fort Morgan traded places at the top of the poll with the Thunder coming in as the new No. 1.

    Thanks to a huge win over Longmont, Mead arrives to the 3A poll as the only newcomer, taking the No. 9 spot this week.

    Despite Paonia receiving eight of 15 first-place votes, it’s Strasburg who lands at No. 1 in 1A. The Eagles fell only one spot to land at No. 2.

    Meeker made a two-spot jump this week, landing at No. 5.

    Peyton was the only new team to jump into the 1A poll, landing at No. 9.

    A 22-20 win over Norwood keeps Sargent in the top spot of the 8-man poll.

    The top seven teams overall from last week’s rankings held their position this week.

    At No. 9 and 10 respectively, Pikes Peak Christian and Soroco are the two new teams in the 8-man poll.

    Fleming hangs on to the No. 1 spot in 6-man with Kit Carson holding firm at No. 2.

    North Park jumped three spots to land at No. 7 this week.

    There is one newcomer in the 6-man poll with Peetz landing at No. 9.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pomona (15) 4-1 171 1 W
    2 Columbine 3-1 139 3 W
    3 Mullen (2) 3-2 135 2 L
    4 Eaglecrest (1) 4-0 129 4 W
    5 Grandview 3-1 102 9 W
    6 Regis Jesuit 3-1 83 6 W
    7 Fairview 4-0 82 8 W
    8 Valor Christian 1-3 43 5 L
    9 Cherry Creek 2-2 39 7 L
    10 Doherty 3-1 11 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Ralston Valley 10, Lakewood 8, Legacy 8, Aurora Central 7, ThunderRidge 7, Cherokee Trail 5, Mountain Vista 5, Arapahoe 3, Chaparral 3, Fossil Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    Legend (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Denver South (12) 4-0 152 2 W
    2 Chatfield (3) 3-1 136 1 L
    3 Loveland 4-0 107 3 W
    4 Pine Creek (1) 2-2 105 6 W
    5 Heritage 2-2 67 4 L
    6 Broomfield 3-1 65 7 W
    7 Ponderosa 3-1 64 9 W
    8 Windsor 2-2 60 8 W
    9 Vista Ridge 2-2 32 5 L
    10 Mesa Ridge 3-1 31 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo West 12, Pueblo South 11, Greeley West 9, Skyline 8, Standley Lake 8, Cheyenne Mountain 6, Rampart 6, Dakota Ridge 1, Montrose 1.
    Dropped out
    Rampart (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Discovery Canyon (9) 4-0 142 2 W
    2 Fort Morgan (5) 4-0 128 1 W
    3 Pueblo East 3-1 108 4 W
    4 Lewis-Palmer 4-0 99 5 W
    5 Palisade 4-1 76 6 W
    6 Silver Creek 4-0 65 7 W
    7 Holy Family 3-1 56 8 W
    8 Erie (1) 4-0 49 9 W
    9 Mead 3-1 43 W
    10 Longmont 2-2 25 3 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Conifer 17, Rifle 13, Centaurus 1, Denver North 1, Roosevelt 1, Skyview 1.
    Dropped out
    Roosevelt (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 La Junta (13) 4-0 157 2 W
    2 The Classical Academy (2) 4-0 136 3 W
    3 Resurrection Christian (1) 4-0 119 4 W
    4 Kent Denver 3-1 85 1 L
    5 D’Evelyn 3-1 83 7 W
    6 Manitou Springs 4-0 79 8 W
    7 Delta 2-2 58 5 L
    8 Weld Central 4-0 58 9 W
    9 Bayfield 2-2 32 6 L
    10 Florence 3-1 20 W
    Others receiving votes:
    University 19, Valley 9, Platte Valley 7, Gunnison 6, Bishop Machbeuf 4, Sterling 3, Eaton 2, The Academy 2, Alamosa 1, Faith Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Platte Valley (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Strasburg (7) 4-0 141 2 W
    2 Paonia (8) 4-0 137 1 W
    3 Platte Canyon 4-0 115 3 W
    4 Bennett 3-1 104 5 W
    5 Meeker 4-0 83 7 W
    6 Limon (1) 3-1 73 4 L
    7 Cedaredge 4-0 62 8 W
    8 Crowley County 3-1 39 9 Bye
    9 Peyton 4-0 33 W
    10 Burlington 2-2 27 10 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Buena Vista 10, Dolores 9, Clear Creek 8, Holyoke 8, Hotchkiss 8, Rye 5, Colorado Springs Christian 4, Highland 4, Olathe 4, Ellicott 3, Centauri 2, Front Range Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Buena Vista (6).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sargent (5) 4-0 119 1 W
    2 Dayspring Christian (6) 4-0 104 2 W
    3 Sedgwick County (1) 3-1 84 3 W
    4 Akron (1) 3-1 79 4 W
    5 Norwood 3-1 73 5 L
    6 Hoehne 2-2 67 6 L
    7 Merino 4-0 64 7 W
    8 Haxtun 4-0 48 9 W
    9 Pikes Peak Christian 3-1 15 W
    10 Soroco 3-1 14 Bye
    Others receiving votes:
    Mancos 12, Sangre de Cristo 11, West Grand 8, Plateau Valley 6, Holly 5, Wiley 5, Justice 2.
    Dropped out
    Sangre de Cristo (8), West Grand (10).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (9) 4-0 112 1 W
    2 Kit Carson (2) 4-0 106 2 W
    3 Stratton/Liberty 4-0 81 4 W
    4 Cheyenne Wells 3-1 60 5 L
    5 Arickaree/Woodlin 2-1 55 6 Bye
    6 La Veta 3-0 54 3 Bye
    7 North Park 3-1 41 10 W
    8 Cotopaxi 4-0 40 8 W
    9 Peetz 3-1 32 W
    10 Eads 3-1 31 9 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Hi-Plains 14, Sierra Grande 12, Cheraw 8, Genoa-Hugo 8, Otis 5, Pawnee 2.
    Dropped out
    Sierra Grande (7).
  • Football rankings: Fort Morgan takes over at the top of 3A

    (Brandon Boles/Fort Morgan Times)
    Fort Morgan is the new No. 1 team in 3A football. (Brandon Boles/Fort Morgan Times)

    There is a new top dog in the Class 3A CHSAANow.com football rankings.

    Following a loss to Discovery Canyon — which lands at No. 2 this week — Pueblo East fell out of the No. 1 spot and Fort Morgan took its place.

    No new teams made their way into the 3A rankings, but there was plenty of movement as Lewis-Palmer (No. 5), Palisade (No. 6) and Silver Creek (No. 7) all climbed two spots.

    The 1A rankings also saw a new team land in the No. 1 spot as Paonia now sits atop the poll. The Eagles topped Ridge View Academy to move to 3-0 and Buena Vista fell out of the top spot with a 16-8 loss to Platte Canyon.

    The Demons come in at No. 6 this week.

    Burlington is the only newcomer to the 1A poll, coming in at No. 10 this week.

    A 57-0 win over Fowler helped Sargent move into the top spot in the 8-man poll with former No. 1 Sedgwick County falling to No. 3.

    That was the only big change in 8-man as there were no newcomer to those rankings.

    In 5A, Pomona remains and No. 1 with Mullen still on its heels at No. 2.

    Columbine football team
    Columbine is up to No. 3 in Class 5A. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    Columbine jumped one spot to No. 3 after beating Bear Creek, but the big jump went to No. 4 Eaglecrest. The Raptors jumped six spots after beating Grandview on Friday night.

    Only one new team jumped into the 5A rankings this week as Legend breaks in at No. 10.

    Chatfield holds a firm grip on the No. 1 spot in 4A, taking 14 of 17 first-place votes.

    With a win over Greeley Central on Saturday, Loveland jumped three spots to land at No. 3. Vista Ridge also climbed three spots after an impressive 24-22 win over Dakota Ridge.

    With a showdown looming with No. 9 Ponderosa, Rampart is new to the 4A rankings this week. The Rams round out the rankings at No. 10.

    Kent Denver holds on to the No. 1 ranking in 2A this week as La Junta makes the one-spot jump to No. 2. The Sun Devils and Tigers play each other on Friday night.

    The Classical Academy jumps two spots to land at No. 3, just two weeks ahead of their league-opener against La Junta.

    Manitou Springs jumps into the 2A rankings at No. 8. Through three games, the undefeated Mustangs have already matched their win total from a year ago.

    Fleming got eight of 12 first-place votes to hang on to the top spot in the 6-man poll.

    Cheyenne Wells made the big jump of the week, moving up two spots to land at No. 5.

    At No. 10, North Park is the only new team to the 6-man rankings.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pomona (15) 3-1 177 1 W
    2 Mullen (3) 3-1 167 2 W
    3 Columbine 2-1 125 4 W
    4 Eaglecrest (1) 3-0 117 10 W
    5 Valor Christian 1-2 81 6 Bye
    6 Regis Jesuit 2-1 80 5 W
    7 Cherry Creek 2-1 78 8 W
    8 Fairview 3-0 76 7 W
    9 Grandview 2-1 68 3 L
    10 Legend 3-0 17 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Arapahoe 16, Ralston Valley 10, Aurora Central 5, Cherokee Trail 5, Doherty 5, Fossil Ridge 5, ThunderRidge 5, Highlands Ranch 3, Horizon 2, Lakewood 2, Legacy 1.
    Dropped out
    Ralston Valley (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Chatfield (14) 3-0 158 1 W
    2 Denver South (3) 3-0 147 2 W
    3 Loveland 3-0 108 6 W
    4 Heritage 2-1 95 5 W
    5 Vista Ridge 2-1 84 8 W
    6 Pine Creek 1-2 78 3 L
    7 Broomfield 2-1 62 9 W
    8 Windsor 1-2 51 4 L
    9 Ponderosa 2-1 44 10 W
    10 Rampart 3-1 24 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Greeley West 20, Mesa Ridge 13, Niwot 11, Skyline 11, Pueblo South 9, Pueblo West 7, George Washington 6, Dakota Ridge 5, Brighton 1, Monarch 1, Widefield 1.
    Dropped out
    Pueblo South (7).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fort Morgan (5) 3-0 124 2 W
    2 Discovery Canyon (4) 3-0 107 4 W
    3 Longmont (2) 2-1 101 3 W
    4 Pueblo East 2-1 94 1 L
    5 Lewis-Palmer (2) 3-0 84 7 W
    6 Palisade 3-1 59 8 W
    7 Silver Creek 3-0 46 9 W
    8 Holy Family 2-1 38 6 L
    9 Erie (1) 3-0 36 10 W
    10 Roosevelt 1-2 27 5 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Conifer 14, Mead 12, Rifle 7, Skyview 6, Pueblo County 5, Thompson Valley 4, Evergreen 2, Battle Mountain 1, Denver North 1, Eagle Valley 1, Palmer Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Kent Denver (7) 3-0 122 1 Bye
    2 La Junta (5) 3-0 120 3 W
    3 The Classical Academy (2) 3-0 119 5 W
    4 Resurrection Christian 3-0 100 2 W
    5 Delta (1) 2-1 82 6 L
    6 Bayfield 2-1 67 7 Bye
    7 D’Evelyn 2-1 47 4 L
    8 Manitou Springs 3-0 36 W
    9 Weld Central 3-0 35 9 W
    10 Platte Valley 1-2 22 8 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Eaton 21, Alamosa 16, Florence 15, University 8, Cortez 7, Brush 4, Gunnison 2, Sterling 1, Valley 1.
    Dropped out
    Eaton (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (11) 3-0 176 2 W
    2 Strasburg (7) 3-0 167 3 W
    3 Platte Canyon 3-0 123 8 W
    4 Limon 3-0 108 4 W
    5 Bennett 2-1 96 5 W
    6 Buena Vista (1) 2-1 91 1 L
    7 Meeker 3-0 82 6 Bye
    8 Cedaredge 3-0 50 10 W
    9 Crowley County 3-1 49 7 W
    10 Burlington 2-1 31 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Peyton 20, Rye 10, Center 9, Dolores 8, Hotchkiss 8, Clear Creek 5, Ellicott 5, Colorado Springs Christian 4, Holyoke 2, Highland 1.
    Dropped out
    Ellicott (9).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sargent (3) 3-0 105 3 W
    2 Dayspring Christian (8) 3-0 103 2 W
    3 Sedgwick County (1) 2-1 78 1 L
    4 Akron 2-1 67 5 Bye
    5 Norwood 3-0 64 4 W
    6 Hoehne 2-1 60 6 W
    7 Merino 3-0 54 7 W
    8 Sangre de Cristo 4-0 45 8 W
    9 Haxtun 3-0 34 10 W
    10 West Grand 3-0 19 9 W
    Others receiving votes:
    McClave 10, Soroco 6, Wiley 6, Plateau Valley 5, Pikes Peak Christian 3, South Park 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (8) 3-0 111 1 W
    2 Kit Carson (2) 3-0 87 2 W
    3 La Veta 3-0 68 4 W
    4 Stratton/Liberty 3-0 64 5 W
    5 Cheyenne Wells 3-0 61 7 W
    6 Arickaree/Woodlin 2-1 52 3 W
    7 Sierra Grande (2) 3-0 45 8 W
    8 Cotopaxi 3-0 41 6 W
    9 Eads 2-1 38 9 W
    10 North Park 2-1 23 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Pawnee 11, Weldon Valley 11, Peetz 10, Genoa-Hugo 8, Flagler 6, Hi-Plains 6, Briggsdale 5, Manzanola 5, Cheraw 4, Mountain Valley 2, Otis 2.
    Dropped out
    Briggsdale (10).