CHSAANow

Tag: Rocky Ford

  • Baseball rankings: Silver Creek returns to No. 1 in 4A

    For the third time this season, Silver Creek sits atop the Class 4A CHSAANow.com baseball rankings.

    The Raptors came away with two key wins last week, one against Northridge and one against Greeley Central. They’ll finish their regular with one game against Greeley Central and two against Mountain View this week.

    Mountain View was the No. 1 team in last week’s poll and sits at No. 2 this week.

    Denver North is the only new team in the poll, landing at No. 8.

    Pine Creek holds on to their No. 1 spot in 5A. The Eagles will see action every day this week as they close out the regular season.

    Ralston Valley (No. 6) and Rocky Mountain (No. 8) are the new additions to the 5A poll this week.

    Eaton remains the unanimous No. 1 team in 3A.

    La Junta jumped four spots this week to land at No. 6 ahead of the Tri-Peaks League crossover games this weekend.

    Brush is back in the 3A poll, taking the No. 10 spot this week.

    Paonia is still undefeated and as a result, still the No. 1 team in 2A.

    County Line (McClave/Wiley) jumped a couple of spots to land at No. 3 and even snagged two first-place votes along the way.

    Crowley County is the only new addition to the 2A poll as the Chargers land at No. 9.

    Granada hung on to the No. 1 spot in 1A.

    Gilpin County broke into that poll, taking the No. 10 spot this week.

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

    With some regular seasons already over, and others winding down, these will serve as the final rankings of the regular season in all classes. Postseason brackets will be released on CHSAANow.com when they become available.

    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 PVS LW
    1 Pine Creek (7) 12-1 107 1 2-0
    2 ThunderRidge (3) 12-3 101 3 2-1
    3 Regis Jesuit 12-4 82 7 2-0
    4 Grandview (1) 11-3 76 2 2-1
    5 Lakewood 13-4 45 5 2-1
    6 Ralston Valley 10-5 41 – 1-0
    7 Fort Collins 10-4 38 6 0-2
    8 Rocky Mountain (1) 10-4 35 – 2-0
    9 Dakota Ridge 10-5 29 10 2-0
    10 Cherokee Trail 9-4 23 9 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Heritage 22, Mullen 22, Chaparral 16, Rock Canyon 9, Legacy 6, Monarch 3, Broomfield 2, Columbine 2, Chatfield 1.
    Dropped out:
    Heritage (4), Legacy (8).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Silver Creek (7) 13-3 104 3 2-0
    2 Mountain View (4) 13-2 103 1 3-0
    3 Pueblo West 13-3 89 2 1-0
    4 Valor Christian 12-3 74 4 2-0
    5 Pueblo South 12-4 60 5 1-0
    6 Longmont 10-4 55 6 2-0
    7 Windsor 11-3 41 7 1-0
    8 Denver North (1) 13-1 26 – 2-0
    9 Wheat Ridge 10-4 21 10 2-0
    10 Pueblo Centennial 11-4 14 9 0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Canon City 11, Northridge 9, Air Academy 4, Delta 2.
    Dropped out:
    Northridge (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (10) 16-0 100 1 2-0
    2 University 13-4 84 2 2-0
    3 Faith Christian 8-4 61 6 1-0
    4 St. Mary’s 11-3 57 5 1-0
    5 Bayfield 11-4 50 4 2-1
    6 La Junta 13-4 47 10 2-0
    7 The Academy 10-2 37 8 1-0
    8 Lamar 13-4 33 3 0-2
    9 Gunnison 13-2 30 7 1-1
    10 Brush 10-4 12 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sheridan 10, Valley 9, Sterling 6, Colorado Academy 5, Peak to Peak 5, Kent Denver 4.
    Dropped out:
    Sheridan (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (6) 17-0 91 1 3-0
    2 Sedgwick County (2) 15-1 89 2 2-0
    3 County Line (McClave/Wiley) (2) 10-2 77 5 1-0
    4 Swink 13-4 75 4 2-1
    5 Hotchkiss 15-1 65 3 1-0
    6 Haxtun 12-5 39 8 0-0
    7 Rocky Ford 8-3 36 6 1-0
    8 Akron 11-4 34 9 1-0
    9 Crowley County 11-5 13 – 3-1
    10 Dayspring Christian 10-1 12 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Rye 10, Resurrection Christian 9, Limon 7, Front Range Christian 6, Peyton 5, Dawson School 2, Sargent 1, Yuma 1.
    Dropped out:
    Resurrection Christian (7).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Granada (7) 8-2 86 1 3-0
    2 Eads (1) 9-3 79 4 2-0
    3 Fleming 12-4 72 3 2-0
    4 Holly 7-5 60 2 1-1
    5 Nucla 9-10 45 7 2-1
    6 Cotopaxi (1) 12-2 39 5 1-0
    7 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 6-4 22 9 1-1
    8 Manzanola 5-4 19 6 1-1
    9 Genoa-Hugo 5-5 17 8 1-2
    10 Gilpin County 6-5 15 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Otis 10, Springfield 10, Stratton/Liberty 8, Dove Creek 5, Peetz 5, Antonito 2, Cheyenne Wells 1.
    Dropped out:
    Stratton/Liberty (10).

  • Baseball rankings: Three new No. 1 teams in the polls, including Pine Creek atop 5A

    Pine Creek baseball team
    Pine Creek baseball is the new No. 1 team in Class 5A — one of three new teams atop the polls this week. (Josh Watt/CHSAANow.com)

    Three out of the five No. 1 positions in the CHSAANow.com baseball rankings have a different look from a week ago.

    Pine Creek takes over as the top team in Class 5A, Silver Creek returns to the top spot in 4A and Granada comes in as the new No. 1 team in 1A.

    The Eagles take over as No. 1 in 5A after beating Palmer 10-0 last week, avenging a loss to the Terrors that occurred only days earlier. It is the only loss of the season for Pine Creek.

    ThunderRidge is nipping right at the heels of the Eagles as they sit only nine points back in voting. The Grizzlies took down Douglas County last Wednesday in a big Continental League win.

    Lakewood (No. 7) and Cherokee Trail (No. 8) are the new additions to the 5A rankings this week.

    Silver Creek takes back the top spot in 4A only a week after losing a grasp on the position. The Raptors went 2-0 last week, topping Northridge and Longmont to improve their record to 9-2 overall.

    The bottom half of the rankings saw an influx of new teams as Northridge comes in at No. 7, Pueblo South lands at No. 8 and Palmer Ridge rounds out the rankings at No. 10.

    The still-undefeated Eaton Reds remain the unanimous No. 1 team in 3A this week.

    St. Mary’s is the only new team to that poll coming off a double-header sweep of La Junta on Friday. The Pirates come in at No. 8 this week.

    Paonia edged out Sedgwick County by three points to remain the No. 1 team in 2A this week. Akron and Dayspring Christian are the new additions in 2A, coming in at No. 9 and No. 10 respectively.

    A 10-6 win over then No. 1 Holly on Friday was good enough to boost Granada to the top spot in the 1A poll.

    Manzanola was able to break into the rankings at No. 6 while Stratton/Liberty is the other new addition, coming in at No. 10.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they 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 PVS LW
    1 Pine Creek (5) 8-1 111 3 1-0
    2 ThunderRidge (4) 9-1 102 2 3-0
    3 Grandview (2) 6-2 81 5 2-0
    4 Heritage 10-2 61 6 3-0
    5 Douglas County 8-3 48 7 2-1
    6 Chatfield (1) 8-4 43 1 0-2
    7 Lakewood 9-3 41 – 2-0
    8 Cherokee Trail 4-3 35 – 2-1
    9 Fort Collins 7-2 30 9 1-1
    10 Regis Jesuit 8-4 28 4 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Legacy 20, Rangeview 13, Cherry Creek 11, Mullen 11, Ralston Valley 9, Rocky Mountain 6, Dakota Ridge 4, Rock Canyon 3, Fountain-Fort Carson 2, Bear Creek 1.
    Dropped out:
    Cherry Creek (8), Ralston Valley (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Silver Creek (4) 9-2 85 2 2-0
    2 Mountain View (5) 8-1 74 5 2-1
    3 Pueblo West 9-3 68 4 1-0
    4 Canon City (1) 12-1 63 3 2-0
    5 Pueblo Centennial 10-1 51 10 2-0
    6 Wheat Ridge 6-3 37 6 1-1
    7 Northridge 8-3 32 – 1-1
    8 Pueblo South 8-3 30 – 1-1
    9 Valor Christian 7-3 24 8 1-0
    10 Palmer Ridge 10-1 22 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Denver North 17, Windsor 17, D’Evelyn 12, Lewis-Palmer 8, Pueblo County 8, Pueblo East 7, Longmont 4, Air Academy 1.
    Dropped out:
    D’Evelyn (1), Pueblo East (7), Lewis-Palmer (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (10) 11-0 100 1 3-0
    2 Bayfield 7-3 81 2 1-0
    3 Lamar 12-1 67 3 4-0
    4 Brush 7-2 57 6 1-1
    5 University 6-4 49 4 1-1
    6 Faith Christian 6-4 43 5 1-1
    7 Gunnison 10-1 41 7 3-0
    8 St. Mary’s 9-2 27 – 3-0
    9 The Academy 8-1 26 10 1-1
    10 La Junta 9-4 16 8 0-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Sheridan 14, Valley 13, Peak to Peak 6, Sterling 6, Kent Denver 3, Trinidad 1.
    Dropped out:
    Valley (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (6) 11-0 99 1 1-0
    2 Sedgwick County (2) 8-1 96 2 0-0
    3 County Line (McClave/Wiley) (2) 8-0 78 3 1-0
    4 Hotchkiss (1) 12-0 63 4 2-0
    5 Rocky Ford 5-2 46 7 0-0
    6 Resurrection Christian 4-4 41 5 1-0
    7 Swink 7-3 40 8 0-0
    8 Haxtun 9-4 31 10 3-0
    9 Akron 7-3 27 – 1-0
    10 Dayspring Christian 5-1 18 – 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Rye 16, Limon 13, Front Range Christian 11, Yuma 7, Crowley County 6, Peyton 6, Ignacio 4, Sargent 3.
    Dropped out:
    Rye (6), Front Range Christian (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Granada (7) 4-2 85 3 1-0
    2 Holly (1) 5-3 78 1 0-2
    3 Fleming 6-4 70 2 0-1
    4 Eads 6-2 68 4 1-0
    5 Cotopaxi (1) 10-1 47 5 3-0
    6 Manzanola 4-2 33 – 2-0
    7 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 4-2 32 6 1-1
    8 Nucla 5-8 25 10 2-1
    9 Dove Creek 4-10 14 7 0-3
    10 Stratton/Liberty 2-3 9 – 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Community Christian 7, Gilpin County 7, Briggsdale 6, Otis 6, Denver Jewish Day 4, Primero 3, Springfield 1.
    Dropped out:
    Gilpin County (8), Briggsdale (9).

  • Baseball rankings: Chatfield takes over as No. 1 in 5A

    Regis Jesuit Chatfield baseball
    Chatfield sits atop the 5A baseball rankings this week. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Chatfield was the big benefactor of two Regis Jesuit losses last week.

    The Chargers come into this week as the new No. 1 team in the Class 5A CHSAANow.com baseball poll. Monday they topped Arapahoe, and had a huge Thursday showdown with the then No. 1 Raiders.

    Regis Jesuit was coming off a loss to Fairview and was looking to bounce back, but a seven-run sixth inning for the Chargers was good enough to get the win. As a result, despite losing to Bear Creek on Saturday, Chatfield sits atop the 5A rankings.

    ThunderRidge made the most impressive jump of the week to land at No. 2. They were the No. 9 team in last week’s poll.

    Fort Collins has played well enough that it broke into the rankings this week at No. 9 respectively.

    The 4A rankings also saw a new No. 1 team emerge as D’Evelyn reclaims the top spot that Silver Creek had taken a week ago.

    There were two new teams in the 4A poll as Mountain View comes in at No. 5 and Pueblo Centennial rounds out the rankings at No. 10.

    The Eaton Reds remain undefeated on the year and also remain the No. 1 team in the 3A poll. The top four teams from a week ago held on to their spot this week.

    The Academy was the only new team to break into the 3A rankings, landing at No. 10.

    Paonia swept all four games they played last week to hold on to their No. 1 ranking in 2A.

    Front Range Christian, who remains undefeated on the year at 8-0, breaks into the 2A polls at No. 9. The Falcons were the only newcomer this week.

    Holly is still the No. 1 team in 1A, getting five of nine first-place votes.

    Fleming jumped two spots to land at No. 2 and Gilpin County is the only new team in the 1A poll, landing at No. 8.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they 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 PVS LW
    1 Chatfield (5) 8-2 109 3 2-1
    2 ThunderRidge 6-1 92 9 1-0
    3 Pine Creek (4) 7-1 88 5 2-1
    4 Regis Jesuit 6-3 64 1 1-2
    5 Grandview (3) 4-2 57 4 2-1
    6 Heritage 7-2 46 10 3-1
    7 Douglas County 6-2 43 8 1-1
    8 Cherry Creek 5-2 39 2 1-1
    9 Fort Collins 6-1 33 – 2-0
    10 Ralston Valley 5-3 17 6 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherokee Trail 14, Fairview 14, Dakota Ridge 13, Rangeview 10, Lakewood 7, Rock Canyon 6, Rocky Mountain 6, Legacy 2.
    Dropped out:
    Rock Canyon (7).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 D’Evelyn (8) 5-1 100 2 1-0
    2 Silver Creek (3) 7-2 91 1 2-2
    3 Canon City 10-1 67 3 2-0
    4 Pueblo West 8-3 46 5 2-0
    5 Mountain View 6-0 44 – 4-0
    6 Wheat Ridge 5-2 42 6 1-0
    7 Pueblo East 7-3 38 4 1-2
    8 Valor Christian 6-3 34 7 1-1
    9 Lewis-Palmer 7-2 32 8 3-0
    10 Pueblo Centennial 8-1 28 – 4-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Longmont 18, Pueblo South 14, Denver North 12, Windsor 10, Northridge 9, Green Mountain 8, Palmer Ridge 8, Greeley Central 6, Montrose 1.
    Dropped out:
    Denver North (9), Longmont (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (10) 8-0 100 1 4-0
    2 Bayfield 6-3 75 2 2-1
    3 Lamar 8-1 71 3 2-0
    4 University 5-3 59 4 4-1
    5 Faith Christian 5-3 58 7 3-0
    6 Brush 6-1 50 8 3-0
    7 Gunnison 7-1 35 5 2-1
    8 La Junta 9-2 32 6 3-1
    9 Valley 5-3 19 10 2-1
    10 The Academy 7-0 15 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sterling 12, Kent Denver 7, Sheridan 6, St. Mary’s 5, Liberty Common 4, Colorado Springs Christian 2, Salida 1.
    Dropped out:
    Kent Denver (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (7) 10-0 96 1 4-0
    2 Sedgwick County (3) 8-1 88 2 2-0
    3 County Line (McClave/Wiley) 7-0 73 4 3-0
    4 Hotchkiss (1) 10-0 72 3 2-0
    5 Resurrection Christian 3-4 56 5 2-4
    6 Rye 9-1 45 7 6-0
    7 Rocky Ford 5-2 40 6 1-2
    8 Swink 7-3 25 9 5-1
    9 Front Range Christian 8-0 20 – 5-0
    10 Haxtun 6-4 19 8 1-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Akron 15, Yuma 15, Limon 13, Peyton 6, Crowley County 4, Ignacio 4, Sanford 4, Sargent 4, Dayspring Christian 3, Evangelical Christian 3.
    Dropped out:
    Limon (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holly (5) 5-1 79 1 3-0
    2 Fleming 6-3 66 4 3-0
    3 Granada (1) 3-2 62 2 2-0
    4 Eads (1) 5-2 58 3 2-0
    5 Cotopaxi (1) 7-1 53 6 2-0
    6 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 3-1 48 7 1-1
    7 Dove Creek 4-7 30 5 1-2
    8 Gilpin County 4-2 23 – 3-1
    9 Briggsdale (1) 3-2 16 8 0-2
    10 Nucla 3-7 13 10 2-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Manzanola 10, Peetz 9, Community Christian 8, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 6, Otis 6, Stratton/Liberty 4, Denver Jewish Day 1, Springfield 1.
    Dropped out:
    Community Christian (9).

  • All-state boys basketball teams for 2015-16 season

    The 2015-16 all-state boys basketball players of the year. (Photos: CHSAANow.com contributors)
    The 2015-16 all-state boys basketball players of the year. (Photos: Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com; Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com; Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    The 2015-16 all-state boys basketball 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 week-long vote of coaches.

    A specific player of the year vote was held in each class, as was a vote for coach of the year.
    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Overland Doherty boys basketball De'Ron Davis
    Overland’s De’Ron Davis is the 5A boys basketball player of the year. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    Player of the year: De’Ron Davis, Overland

    Coach of the year: John Olander, Eaglecrest

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    De’Ron Davis Overland PF/C Senior
    Sam Masten Rock Canyon PG/SG Sophomore
    Tyrei Randall Rangeview W Senior
    Jervae Robinson Overland PG/SG Senior
    Colbey Ross Eaglecrest PG/SG Junior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Braxton Bertolette Fossil Ridge Junior
    Austin Mueller ThunderRidge SF Senior
    Cameron Pearson Chatfield PG Senior
    David Thornton Cherokee Trail F Senior
    Clay Verk ThunderRidge PF Senior

    Honorable mention: Jake Belknapp, Junior, Mountain Vista; Elijah Blake, Junior, Rangeview; Dalven Brushier, Senior, Doherty; Jack Buckmelter, Senior, Denver East; Danny Garrick, Senior, Legend; Will Halfon, Senior, Cherry Creek; Daylen Kountz, Sophomore, George Washington; Jaizec Lottie, Junior, Cherokee Trail; Riley Matticks, Senior, Legend; Luke Neff, Senior, Arvada West; Kolton Peterson, Junior, Lakewood; Elijah Reed, Senior, Rangeview; Landon Taliaferro, Senior, Boulder; Dallas Walton, Senior, Arvada West.

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Pueblo West Valor Christian boys basketball
    Pueblo West’s David Simental is the 4A boys basketball player of the year. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: David Simental, Pueblo West

    Coach of the year: Bobby Tyler, Pueblo West

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Justinian Jessup Longmont W Senior
    Hunter Maldonado Vista Ridge F Junior
    Michael Ranson Pueblo Central PG/SG Senior
    Jalen Sanders Valor Christian P Junior
    David Simental Pueblo West PG Junior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Cameron Horning Glenwood Springs G Senior
    CJ Jennings Sierra PG Junior
    Maleek Johnson Pueblo South SG Senior
    D’Shawn Schwartz Sand Creek Junior
    Jonathan Scott Lewis-Palmer G Senior

    Honorable mention: Noah Baldwin, Senior, Windsor; Joey Bauderer, Senior, Skyview; Chudier Bile, Senior, Denver South; Ryan Blodgett, Senior, Golden; Quincy Bryant, Senior, Mitchell; Luis Carreon, Senior, Rifle; Orion Clay, Senior, Durango; Alex Hawkins, Senior, Vista PEAK Prep; Jake Hornick, Senior, Thompson Valley; Charlie Hovasse, Senior, Lewis-Palmer; Kayle Knuckles, Junior, Valor Christian; Walker Korell, Senior, Mead; Trey McBride, Sophomore, Fort Morgan; Andy Nelson, Senior, Holy Family; Michael Scheid, Senior, Windsor; Braden Shirley, Senior, Pueblo West; Nieyeme Smyer-williams, Sophomore, Pueblo West; Patrick Vasquez, Senior, Fort Lupton.

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    SkyView Academy Colorado Academy boys basketball
    Colorado Academy’s Justin Bassey is the 3A boys basketball player of the year. (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    Player of the year: Justin Bassey, Colorado Academy

    Coach of the year: Mark Engesser, Colorado Springs Christian

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Justin Bassey Colorado Academy G Senior
    Justin Engesser Colorado Springs Christian Junior
    Gabe Hegarty Faith Christian Senior
    Samuel Howard Colorado Springs Christian Senior
    Maximo Medina Denver Science & Tech Stapleton SG/PG Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Ryan Brubacher Alamosa SF Junior
    Marco Garcia Alamosa PF Senior
    Christian Hyatt Colorado Academy G Senior
    Ellis Jones DSST: Green Valley Ranch G Senior
    Jesus Martinez The Pinnacle P Senior
    John Parker Grand Valley PG/SG Senior

    Honorable mention: Briar Erskine, Senior, Pagosa Springs; Karl Giesselman, Senior, Bennett; Brad Lutz, Senior, Middle Park; Conner Martin, Junior, Strasburg; Josh Mohammed, Senior, James Irwin; Ben Pratt, Senior, Frontier Academy; Lucas Rodholm, Junior, Manitou Springs; Josh VanVleet, Senior, Liberty Common; Jimmy Velten, Senior, St. Mary’s; Robert Williams, Junior, Sheridan; Will Willis, Junior, Lutheran; Peter Wilson, Senior, Colorado Springs Christian.

    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Sanford Holyoke boys basketball
    Sanford’s Miles Caldon is the 2A boys basketball player of the year. (Jeff Tucker/jefferywtucker.zenfolio.com)

    Player of the year: Miles Caldon, Sanford

    Coach of the year: Rhett Larsen, Sanford

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Miles Caldon Sanford SG Senior
    Chance Canty Sanford PF Senior
    Tanner Ervin Resurrection Christian G Junior
    Jesus Loya Holyoke G Senior
    Tyler Woodhams Sedgwick County Senior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Luke Fick Resurrection Christian G Senior
    Jason George Simla F Senior
    Connor Hale Rye SG/PG Senior
    Wyatt Hayes Ignacio PG Senior
    Morgan Murray Ellicott PG/G Senior

    Honorable mention: Devonte Chartier-Holmes, Senior, Burlington; Bradley Clabey, Sophomore, Crowley County; Nathaniel Cook, Senior, Evangelical Christian; Eric Logan, Senior, Soroco; Cole McKinley, Senior, Sedgwick County; Ivan Mendoza, Senior, West Grand; Jonathan Montanez, Senior, Rocky Ford; Griffen Peterson, Senior, Sanford; Dagan Rienks, Junior, Paonia; Cole Rouse, Junior, Highland; Matt Thieman, Senior, Simla; Taylor Walters, Senior, Paonia; Wyatt Workman, Senior, Haxtun.

    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Fleming Shining Mountain boys basketball
    Fleming’s Jaxon King is the 1A boys basketball player of the year. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Player of the year: Jaxon King, Fleming

    Coach of the year: Thomas Hessler, Fleming

    First Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Gray Hill Shining Mountain F/F Senior
    Jaxon King Fleming G Junior
    Blake Meredith Fleming F Senior
    Caleb Preston Ouray Senior
    Yaniel Vidal Holly Junior
    Second Team
    Name School Pos. Year
    Sigi Avalos Holly Junior
    Jordan Cothran Rocky Mountain Lutheran Senior
    Christian Dellamaestra Wiley Junior
    Kendall Pelton Cheyenne Wells Junior
    Joey Stahley Fleming G Senior
    Alex Vandenbark Fleming F Junior

    Honorable mention: Chase Boulter, Senior, Gilpin County; Durham Clark, Senior, Edison; Cody Dalton, Senior, Hanover; Caden Eastin, Senior, Wiley; Jordan Ernst, Senior, Dove Creek; Eric Frank, Senior, Edison; Ravi Inmon, Junior, Ouray; Brad Johnson, Junior, Kit Carson; Antun Maricevic, Senior, Longmont Christian; Braulio Martinez, Senior, Hanover; Eli Sievert, Senior, Rocky Mountain Lutheran; Brett Wilson, Senior, South Baca.

  • All-state wrestling teams for 2015-16 season

    State wrestling tournament Pepsi Center generic
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The 2015-16 all-state wrestling teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

    These teams were created based upon results at the state meet. Coaches of the year were selected by team performance at the state meet, as well.

    Wrestlers of the year were determined by a formula which took the following information into account: season record; season winning percentage; type of wins at state (pin, tech fall, major decision); and strength of a weight classification’s bracket.

    Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A


    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Wrestler of the year: Ryan Deakin, Legacy

    Coach of the year: Sam Federico, Pomona

    First Team
    Name School Year Weight
    Dawson Cranmer Chaparral Senior 170
    Ryan Deakin Legacy Senior 138
    Gabriel Dinette Lakewood Sophomore 145
    Jacob Greenwood Poudre Sophomore 132
    Fabian Gutierrez Adams City Senior 113
    Malik Heinselman Castle View Sophomore 106
    Peter Isais Pine Creek Junior 160
    Jordan Martinez Pine Creek Junior 120
    Garrett Niel Pine Creek Sophomore 182
    Josiah Rider Grand Junction Sophomore 152
    Theorius Robison Pomona Freshman 126
    Trenton Schultz Mountain Vista Junior 195
    Cohl Schultz Ponderosa Freshman 220
    Clayton Voytilla Fruita Senior 285


    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Wrestler of the year: Parker Simington, Thompson Valley

    Coach of the year: Eddie Soto, Pueblo County

    First Team
    Name School Year Weight
    Andrew Alirez Greeley Central Freshman 120
    Deric Cruz Mesa Ridge Junior 195
    Justin Davis Pueblo County Junior 132
    Samuel Freeman Mesa Ridge Senior 145
    Dante Garcia Pueblo County Sophomore 182
    Alex Mai Fort Morgan Senior 220
    Toby McBride Fort Morgan Senior 285
    Parker Simington Thompson Valley Senior 160
    Jace Trujillo Pueblo East Freshman 113
    Sam Turner Discovery Canyon Senior 138
    Will Vombaur Windsor Freshman 106
    Grant Willits Pueblo County Junior 126
    Hunter Willits Pueblo County Junior 152
    Myles Wilson Glenwood Springs Junior 170


    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Wrestler of the year: Jimmy Fate, Berthoud

    Coach of the year: Mike Caciari, Valley

    First Team
    Name School Year Weight
    Ricky Ayala Sheridan Junior 220
    Kyle Cisneros Jefferson Junior 126
    Zach Damian Valley Senior 145
    Isaiah DeLaCerda Alamosa Junior 113
    Sam deSeriere Mullen Junior 285
    Chad Ellis Berthoud Senior 195
    Jimmy Fate Berthoud Senior 160
    Macoy Flanagan Valley Senior 170
    Brendon Garcia Dolores Huerta Freshman 106
    Jacob Jimenez Olathe Senior 152
    Michael Johnson Lamar Senior 132
    Dalton Robertson Weld Central Senior 182
    Jody Sandoval II Fort Lupton Junior 120
    Aaron Trujillo Valley Junior 138


    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Wrestler of the year: TJ Shelton, Meeker

    Coach of the year: JC Watt, Meeker

    First Team
    Name School Year Weight
    Brandon Anderson Sedgwick County/Fleming Senior 195
    Sabyn Diamond Buena Vista Senior 160
    Keith Dunagan Crowley County Junior 285
    Morgan Fogg Highland Senior 126
    Jeremy Fraser Rocky Ford Senior 132
    Britton Holmes Peyton Junior 138
    Quinton Montague Centauri Junior 120
    Bo Pipher Paonia Senior 145
    Devon Pontine Meeker Senior 182
    Jacob Rodriguez Rocky Ford Junior 106
    TJ Shelton Meeker Senior 170
    Casey Turner Meeker Junior 152
    Tanner Watson Akron Senior 113
    Keegan Wentz Buena Vista Senior 220

  • Meeker wins 2A wrestling championship by slim one-point margin

    State wrestling
    Meeker won the 2A wrestling team championship. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — In addition to the tension of wrestling for individual state championships, 10 wrestlers entering Saturday’s Class 2A state finals had the added pressure of knowing their matches could well determine the all-prestigious team championship.

    Heading into the championship matches, just 4.5 points separated the top three teams.

    Rocky Ford, with three wrestlers in the finals, led with 130.5 points. Centauri, with four in title matches, trailed by 2.5. Meeker, also with three wrestling for titles, had 126.

    It all started in the evening’s first match, with Rocky Ford junior Jacob Rodriguez looking to defend his 106-pound title. He did it in style, pinning Centauri’s Zach Martin in 1:01.

    “Coach (Mike Jurney) talked about how important the match was and how important it was for the team,” Rodriguez said.

    Centauri suffered another loss in the next match, at 113, as Akron’s Tanner Watson held on for an exciting 10-9 decision over Joe Chavez.

    Quinton Montague got Centauri on track, winning the 120-pound title in style.

    Trailing two-time defending state champ Jonathan Andreatta 6-2 entering the third period, Montague got a takedown midway through the period, then earned back points to tie the match. He got another takedown 28 seconds into overtime.

    After watching his two teammates, lose, “It kind of made me mad,” Montague said.

    He wasn’t concerned about overcoming a four-point deficit.

    “I just kept going, couldn’t stop,” he said.

    But the Meloneers stayed in the team hunt with a victory by Jeremy Fraser by 16-1 technical fall at 132.

    Fraser made the progression each season, finishing fourth at state as a freshman, third as a sophomore and runner-up last year.

    “I knew what to expect,” he said of handling the hoopla of the Parade of Championship prior to the finals.

    As for knowing each match was important in the team race, “It motivated me way more,” he said of relishing the pressure.

    Meanwhile, looming close was Meeker, which, starting at 152, had three wrestlers competing in the next four title bouts.

    Casey Turner got it started on a positive note, pinning Hayden Harris of Norwood/Nucla in 2:44.

    Turner, a sixth seed, had beaten Harris three times during the season, but Harris got the better of them at last week’s regional tournament. That provided more motivation for Turner.

    “(The team race) was definitely on my mind,” he said, “but if each individual takes care of business, the team scores will take care of themselves.”

    That being said, getting the pin points was a big plus.

    Then it was time for a Meeker-Centauri head-to-head as the Cowboys’ TJ Shelton, looking to become Colorado’s 19th four-time state champion, took on Chris Martin at 170.

    Shelton took control in the second period, getting near falls in the second and third periods to take a 16-7 decision.

    Then it was teammate Devon Pontine’s turn at 182. He controlled Zane Barber of John Mall throughout, earning those all-important pin points in 4:46.

    The upper-weight wrestlers push each other hard in the Meeker practice room.

    “Every day somebody’s on the verge of tears in there,” Pontine said.

    It was up to Rocky Ford’s Greg Garcia, trying to pull the upset over Keith Dunagan of Crowley County in the heavyweight match.

    But Dunagan retained his perfect record (34-0) with a pin in 1:39.

    That sealed the team title for Meeker, which, with 143 points, edged Rocky Ford by a slim point.

    “Every kid we brought scored points,” Cowboys coach JC Watt said of his 10-strong state crew.

    As for bringing the team title back to Rio Blanco County for the first time in 11 years, “It’s awesome,” said Watt of upholding a strong Meeker wrestling tradition.

    Bo Pipher of Paonia became a three-time state champion, capping off his high school career with a pin of Soroco’s Jace Logan in 3:20 at 145 to complete an undefeated season (48-0).

    For Pipher, whose dad Andy is his coach, there was some pressure going for the three-peat.

    “It’s probably a little more because there’s no redeeming yourself next year,” he said.

    Then again, “This last one is sweet knowing it was my last high school match.”

    Morgan Fogg, who won the 126-pound 4A state title as a junior for Thompson Valley last year, followed that up with the 2A title for Highland in the same class, pinning undefeated Anthony Quintana of Buena Vista in a quick 1:03.

    Despite going from 4A to 2A, “You can’t take anyone for granted,” Fogg said, knowing he was going up against a 39-0 wrestler.

    Britton Holmes of Peyton got a near fall in the third period en route to a 6-4 victory over Ethan Appenzeller of Ignacio for the 138-pound crown.

    Buena Vista’s Sabyn Diamond scored four points in the third period to overtake Reagan Lane of Eads 6-4 for the 160-pound title. Teammate Keegan Wentz was the 220-pound champion, defeating previously unbeaten Kaleb Gaede of Limon 9-5 for his second state title.

    Brandon Anderson of Sedgwick County/Fleming won 3-0 over Jason Murphy of John Mall at 195.

  • State wrestling semifinals: T.J. Shelton set to wrestle for a fourth title

    TJ Shelton Meeker wrestling
    Meeker’s T.J. Shelton, left, will wrestle for a fourth state title on Saturday night after winning in the semifinals on Friday. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — T.J. Shelton will have a shot at a fourth-straight wrestling championship on Saturday night.

    Shelton, the Meeker senior who has won titles his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons, pinned Paonia’s Jeramiah Hillman in the semifinals of the Class 2A 170-pound bracket at the state wrestling tournament on Friday night. The match lasted 3 minutes and 58 seconds.

    Now, Shelton has a chance to join elite company and become the state’s 19th four-time champion. He will face Centauri’s Chris Martin in the final.

    Shelton has advanced to the finals with three pins, including a match earlier Friday in the quarterfinals.

    Two sets of twin brothers advance to Saturday’s finals

    Matt Finesilver Cherry Creek state wrestling
    Matt Finesilver gets his arm raised after winning his 152-pound semifinal match. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    The first person ton congratulate Cherry Creek senior Matt Finesilver on his win in the 5A 152-pound semifinal match was his twin brother, Josh.

    Both Finesilver brothers will be wrestling for state titles Saturday night. Josh had advanced earlier in the 126-pound bracket and is looking to win his first championship.

    Matt won the 152-pound title last year.

    “It’s pretty awesome,” Matt said. “I probably get more nervous to watch his matches than I do to wrestle in mine.”

    If the post-match behavior is any indicator, Josh probably feels the same way. Having already advanced, Josh was pacing around like a madman as he waited on his brother.

    In 4A, another set of twin brothers will be trying to bring home individual titles. Grant and Hunter Willits each won state championships in 2014, but Grant was disqualified last year after missing weight the morning of quarterfinals.

    On track for three titles

    Heading into Friday night’s semifinals, there were eight wrestlers who had a chance to win three titles. After the semis, all eight of those remain on track.

    John Mall junior Jonathan Andreatta narrowly advanced to the championship match in 2A 120 with a 6-3 win over Moises Juarez of Monte Vista.

    Pueblo County’s Hunter Willits, another junior, also won, as mentioned above via his 14-1 major decision.

    The six others? Well, all pinned their respective opponents:

    • Paonia’s Bo Pipher (2A 145) over Highland’s Bryson Fogg in three minutes.
    • Berthoud’s Jimmy Fate (3A 160) beat Sergio Campos of Hotchkiss in 1:16.
    • Dalton Robertson of Weld Central (3A 182) pinned Sterling’s Patrick Holtzhauser in 1:49.
    • Sam Turner of Discovery Canyon (4A 138) beat Thompson Valley’s Braydon Besse in 1:04.
    • Fort Morgan’s Toby McBride (4A 285) fell Montrose’s Sam Distel in 29 seconds.
    • Parker Simington of Thompson Valley (4A 160) over Pueblo East’s Zion Freeman in 2:25.

    Pomona’s Tomas Gutierrez also entered the tournament with two previous championships, but he fell in the quarterfinals of 5A’s 120-pound bracket.

    How other returning champions fared

    Aside from that group, every other returning champion that was alive entering the semifinals advanced to a final.

    That means that on Saturday evening, a total of 24 wrestlers will have a chance to repeat as champions. The breakdown is as follows: There are six returning wrestlers still alive in both 2A and 3A, nine from 4A, and three remaining in 5A.

    Barker’s tournament comes to an end

    Kaley Barker, the seventh girl to qualify for the state wrestling tournament, was eliminated from the competition with a loss to Thompson Valley’s Kasey Gault in the second round of the consolation bracket of the 4A 106 field.

    Gault won, 11-5.

    Barker became just the fourth girl to win a match at the tournament in the first round of the consolation bracket on Friday morning.

    Team race update

    The closest race is shaping up to be in 2A, where Centauri and Meeker head into Saturday tied with 110 points. Centauri has four finalists, and Meeker has three. And, of course, the two teams will face off in the 170-pound final as Shelton seeks his fourth championship.

    Narrowly behind them in third place is Rocky Ford with 104.5 points.

    In 3A, two-time defending champion Valley looks to have a firm grip. The Vikings lead the field with 112 points, ahead of second-place Dolores Huerta’s 91.5.

    Pueblo County continues to head the 4A race, and now has 157 points. Greeley Central is second with 105.

    Likewise, Pomona has held firm in 5A with 100 points. Pine Creek has 78 points, and is second. Legacy is third with 74.

    Notables

    • Highland senior Morgan Fogg advanced to the final in 2A’s 126-pound bracket with a pin of Paonia’s Sackett Chesnik in 3:46. He is actually a defending champion, having won 4A’s 113 title last season while at Thompson Valley. Fogg transferred to Highland.
    • Buena Vista’s Keegan Wentz pinned his opponent, Ethan Barnes of Norwood/Nucla in 15 seconds in the 2A 220 semifinals to reach the final. Wentz is a returning champion, having won 2A’s 182 title last season.
    • Centauri’s Zach Martin ended a perfect season for Merino’s Trevor Elliott in the 2A 106 semifinals with a 6-0 decision. Elliott is now 33-1. Martin will wrestle for a title on Saturday.
    • Another unbeaten lost for the first time when Widefield’s Kris Davis beat Aron Pino Valenzuela of Littleton in sudden victory. Davis will wrestle for a title in 4A’s 220-pound division.
    • Here is a look at Saturday’s schedule.

    More coverage

  • State wrestling notebook: Shelton, seeking fourth title, wins first match

    Meeker's T.J. Shelton. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Meeker’s TJ Shelton, pictured shortly after his opening-round win on Thursday. More photos from the first day of state wrestling. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — Meeker’s TJ Shelton opened his quest for a fourth title with a pin of Wiggins’ Dillon Donaghy in 49 seconds in the first round of Thursday’s Class 2A state wrestling tournament.

    Shelton, who wrestles at 170 pounds, will face Edgar Pedigo of Custer County in Friday’s quarterfinals. Pedigo pinned Rhett Uhland of Eads in 4:22.

    Shelton won 2A’s 170-point title as a freshman, 160 pounds as a sophomore, and 170 again as a junior last season.

    He is aiming to become the state’s 19th four-time champion.

    Last season, Paonia’s Jesse Reed won a fourth championship, and Broomfield’s Phil Downing did the same in 2014. Only once before has the state has had a four-time champion in three-consecutive tournaments. The came in 2003-05, when a total of five wrestlers accomplished the feat.

    [divider]

    Willits makes triumphant return to state

    Pueblo County Grant Willits wrestling
    Grant Willits. More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Grant Willits has a lot to prove this year.

    The junior from Pueblo County came into the 2015 state wrestling tournament with his eyes on taking his second state championship. But when weigh-ins took place, Willits missed his cut by a tenth of a pound and was disqualified.

    Thursday he made a triumphant return to the floor at Pepsi Center and pinned Littleton’s Poe Di in the 4A 126-pound bracket.

    “It feels nice,” Willits said. “I definitely feel like I have a chip on my shoulder. This whole summer I just thought about it all the time and worked harder and harder to make up for what happened last year and try to chase a title this year.”

    Willits will face Riley Prough from Glenwood Springs in Friday’s quarterfinals.

    [divider]

    Returning champions, unbeatens roll on

    • In addition to Shelton, each of the other returning champions in every class advanced to the quarterfinals during the first session at the Pepsi Center. There are a total of 26 — six each in class 2A and 3A, nine in 4A, and five in 5A.
    • Included in that group are two juniors who have each won championships in their first two seasons: John Mall’s Jonathan Andreatta (2A 120), and Pueblo County’s Hunter Willits (4A 152).
    • Likewise, all wrestlers who entered the day unbeaten stayed that way. There are five undefeated wrestlers in both 2A and 4A, and three in 3A. The 5A tournament does not have an unbeaten in its field.

    Quick pins, total pins

    • 40 wrestlers finished with pins in less than a minute during the first round on Thursday. Of those, 12 came in less than 30 seconds.
    • The quickest pin of the day belonged to Sergio Campos of Hotchkiss, who took down Calhan’s Matthew Heitmann in 15 seconds at 2A 106. The record for the quickest pin is four seconds.
    • In the first round of each of the four tournaments, there were a total of 213 pins. By class, 2A had the most first-round pins with 68, 4A had 52, 3A had 51, and 5A had 42

    Team races

    • In 2A, defending champion Rocky Ford leads the field at Round 1 with 30.5 points. Meeker, runner-up a year ago, was second with 28. Centauri is third with 25.
    • The 3A race is also being led by a defending champion in Valley, which sits at 30 points after the first round. Berthoud is currently in second (24 points), and Dolores Huerta is third (22).
    • Pueblo County jumped out ahead in the 4A team race, and leads with 34.5 points. The Hornets were runner-up last season. Greeley Central is second with 29.5, Cheyenne Mountain is third with 25, and defending champion Thompson Valley sits fourth with 19.5.
    • Pomona heads the 5A race with 27 points. Legacy and Pine Creek sit in a tie for second with 21 points, Ponderosa is fourth with 16.5, and Poudre is fifth with 15.5.

    Friday’s schedule

    • The 2A/3A championship quarterfinals will begin at 10 a.m. at the Pepsi Center, with first-round consolations immediately following.
    • The 4A/5A championship quarterfinals are scheduled for 12:45 p.m., against with first-round consolations immediately following.
    • Semifinals in all classes are scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
    • Find a complete schedule here.

    Notables

    • Berthoud’s Christian Kalinoski beat Eaton’s Hayden Gavette 2-1 in a match that went three overtimes in the 3A 106-pound bracket.
    • Estes Parks’ Eric Todd also had a three-OT win, beating Coal Ridge’s Jacx Power 8-7 in 3A 160.
    • One other match went to overtime: Highland’s Bryson Fogg beat Meeker’s Hunter Garcia in 2A 145.
    • Fort Morgan’s Toby McBride, a CSU football recruit, pinned Wheat Ridge’s Nikolos Schnebly in 27 seconds. McBride is a two-time champion.

    More coverage

  • State wrestling quarterfinals: Shelton moves on, comebacks and upsets highlight Day 2

    TJ Shelton Meeker wrestling
    T.J. Shelton pins Custer County’s Edgar Pedigo in the quarterfinals on Friday. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — Meeker senior T.J. Shelton, who is aiming for a fourth wrestling championship, cruised to the semifinals with a win on Friday morning.

    Shelton, wrestling in Class 2A’s 170-pound bracket, pinned Edgar Pedigo of Custer County in 1:12 to secure the quarterfinal win. He also pinned his opponent in the first round.

    Shelton is set to face Jeramiah Hillman in the semifinals, which begin around 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Hillman has also pinned both of his opponents in the first two rounds.

    Colorado has had 18 four-time champions at this tournament. Shelton is aiming to be the 19th.

    Greeley Central’s Ben Euresti rallies from down 12-0

    Ben Euresti had himself a quarterfinal comeback.

    He found himself down early to Pueblo County’s Nathan Bonham, a freshman who was favored coming into the 106-pound quarterfinal match. And in no time, Bonham showed exactly why. Before Euresti knew what had happened, he found himself down 5-0 and knew that he had to start turning things around.

    “He was so long that I had to adjust my style to see what he was doing,” Euresti said. “He gave me a perfect little head right there and I took advantage of it.”

    By that point, Bonham had a 12-0 lead. But Eurseti was able to get Bonham’s shoulders on the mat and register a pin despite nearly being the victim of a technical fall.

    The Greeley Central junior will face Windsor freshman Will Vombaur in the 4A semifinals Friday night.

    Eurseti, by the way, beat Mountain View’s Kaley Barker in the first round. Barker became the seventh girl to wrestle at the state tournament on Thursday.

    Ponderosa’s Hunter Matney ends Tomas Gutierrez’s bid at third title

    The plan for Ponderosa junior Hutner Matney was simple: keep it close.

    He was able to do just that in his 5A 120-quarterfinal battle with two-time state champion Tomas Gutierrez. The Pomona senior held a 2-1 lead in the third period, but little did he know that Matney had him right where he wanted him.

    “I could feel him start to wear down a little bit,” Matney said. “That’s when I turned it on and went full speed.”

    This is Matney’s third year at the state wrestling tournament and he has never won a championship. He fell in the 106-pound finals in 2015 to Pomona’s Dayton Marvel.

    After taking down Gutierrez in Thursday’s early session, he feels good about his odds at coming away with with the 5A 120 title.

    “The kid I wrestle next (Poudre’s Job Greenwood) I’ve beaten so I should be good to go there,” Matney said. “Then it’s just one-by-one, match-by-match.”

    Mountain View’s Kaley Barker wins in consolation bracket

    Mountain View wrestling Kaley Barker
    Mountain View’s Kaley Barker. More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Kaley Barker, who became the seventh girl to wrestle at the state tournament Thursday, won her first round consolation match on Friday afternoon.

    Barker pinned her opponent, Evergreen’s Connor Williams in 4:00. She now advances to the second round of the consolation bracket and will face Thompson Valley sophomore Kasey Gault on Friday night.

    Of the seven girls who have qualified for state, just two — Soroco’s Lauryn Bruggink in 2010 and Grand Valley’s Cody Pfau in 2013 — have ever won multiple matches.

    No girl has ever placed at the state tournament.

    2A team race stays close

    Rocky Ford state wrestling
    Defending champion Rocky Ford sits in second place in the 2A team race. Enriquez Romero won his consolation match on Friday. More photos. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Meeker trailed Rocky Ford by 2.5 points after the first day of competition on Thursday. But, with five wrestlers advancing to the semifinals and two more advancing in the consolation bracket, the Cowboys have jumped into the team lead with 63 points following the early session on Friday.

    Rocky Ford, the defending champion, is now second with 59.5 points, while Centauri remains in third with 58.

    Meeker has won eight team wrestling championships, the most recent coming when it captured 2A in 2005. That was actually the third of three-straight titles.

    Valley aiming for a third-straight 3A title

    Valley has won the past two team championships in 3A, and the Vikings seem intent on doing it again.

    The team led the 3A race after the first day of competition, and it remains there following the quarterfinals. Valley has placed six wrestlers into the semifinals and has 64 points.

    Dolores Huerta has moved up to second place in 3A with 51.5 points.

    The most recent three-time champion was Paonia (2012-14) in 2A. And prior to Valley’s run in 3A, Alamosa won three-straight 3A titles from 2011-13.

    Pueblo County in control of 4A

    The Willits brothers aren’t going just for individual titles. Their run to the semifinals has Pueblo County in the lead for the 4A team title with 82 points as semifinals are slated to begin Friday night.

    Greeley Central trails by only eight, sitting at 74 points.

    Cheyenne Mountain, Mesa Ridge, defending 4A team champion Thompson Valley and Pueblo East are all locked in a battle for control of third place with the four teams being separated by only seven points.

    Pomona has a grip on 5A race

    Pomona was ranked No. 1 in 5A by On The Mat for most of the season. Through the first two sessions at state wrestling, the Panthers are living up to that billing.

    Pomona led the team race after Day 1 action, and continues to do so following Friday’s early session. The Panthers have 59 points, ahead of second-place Legacy (46). Ponderosa sits third with 44.5 points.

    Arvada West, the two-time defending champion, is 21st with 14 points.

    The Panthers’ last title came in 2013, just prior to Arvada West’s recent run.

    Returning champs, unbeatens continue to roll

    Each of the returning champions in 4A and 3A moved to the semifinals. Likewise, all of the unbeaten wrestlers in each of those classes, as well as 2A, also advanced.

    2A featured seven returning champions, and five undefeated wrestlers. Six returning 2A champions are still alive. On Friday, Limon’s Jayden Hilferty (285 pounds) lost in the quarterfinals. Only one 2A wrestler, Paonia’s Bo Pipher, a 145-pounder, is a returning champion who is also unbeaten at 46-0.

    In 3A, there are six returning champions, as well, and three unbeatens. Likewise, the classification only has one returning wrestler who is unbeaten: Dalton Robertson of Weld Central, who is now 43-0 in the 182-pound field.

    In 4A, there are 10 returning champions and five unbeatens. Two, Thompson Valley’s Parker Simington (160) and Fort Morgan’s Toby McBride (285), fit into both categories.

    The 5A returning champions took a hit. As noted above, two-time champ Tomas Gutierrez fell to Ponderosa’s Hunter Matney. His teammate, Dayton Marvel lost to Riley Garner-Orr of Grand Junction Central on a 4-2 decision. Heading into semifinals, three returning champions remain.

    There were no unbeaten wrestlers in 5A heading into the tournament.

    Notables

    Pueblo County wrestling Grant Willits
    Pueblo County’s Grant Willits. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    • Pueblo County’s Grant Willits, on a mission after missing weight at state a year ago, advanced to the semifinals with a 6-0 win over Windsor’s Sam Zdenek in the 4A 126 bracket. Willits was a champion two years ago at 106 pounds.
    • Willits’ twin brother, Hunter, himself a two-time champion, moved to the semifinals with a 10-0 major decision over Colin Saiz of Denver South at 4A 152.
    • For the fourth year in a row, Cherry Creek will have at least one Finesilver brother wrestling in the semifinals. This also marks the third-consecutive tournament that at least two of the Finesilver brothers have made the semifinals. This year, twins Josh (126) and Matt (152) have both advanced.
    • Of the schools with one qualifier, just five advanced their lone wrestler to the semifinals: Dolores, Holy Family, Centaurus, Douglas County, and Horizon.
    • The semifinals in all classes will begin at 7:15 p.m. at the Pepsi Center. The 2A/3A consolation bracket resumes at 5:45 p.m., and the 4A/5A consolation does so at 7:15 p.m.

  • Week 9 wrestling rankings from On The Mat

    Below are this week’s wrestling rankings from On The Mat.

    [divider]

    On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

    Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.

    To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.

    To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.

    [divider]
    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pomona 1
    2 Legacy 3
    3 Pine Creek 2
    4 Poudre 4
    5 Ponderosa 5
    6 Cherokee Trail 6
    7 Castle View –
    8 Fruita Monument 9
    9 Grandview 7
    10 Adams City –
    Dropped out
    Grand Junction (8), Broomfield (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Pueblo County 1
    2 Greeley Central 2
    3 Windsor 3
    4 Cheyenne Mountain 6
    5 Discovery Canyon 5
    6 Mesa Ridge 7
    7 Thompson Valley 4
    8 Pueblo East 8
    9 Pueblo West –
    10 Fort Morgan 10
    Dropped out
    Longmont (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Valley 1
    2 Dolores Huerta 2
    3 Berthoud 3
    4 Lamar 5
    5 Olathe 4
    6 La Junta 6
    7 Delta 7
    8 Alamosa 10
    9 Sheridan 8
    10 Sterling 9
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Rocky Ford 1
    2 Meeker 3
    3 Centauri 2
    4 Buena Vista 6
    5 Highland 8
    6 Hotchkiss 4
    7 Paonia 7
    8 Sedgwick County/Fleming 10
    9 Ignacio –
    10 Akron –
    Dropped out
    Norwood/Nucla (5), Crowley County (9).