LAKEWOOD — Jeffco Stadium and the North Area Athletic Complex will turn on their stadium lights this week.
Jeffco Stadium (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Jeffco Stadium (6th Ave. and Kipling St., Lakewood) would have hosted the three-day, all-classification state track meets starting Thursday, May 21. The spring sports season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 61-year-old stadium will turn on its stadium lights at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday (May 21-23) to honor the state track meet, graduating Class of 2020 and student-athletes who missed out on the spring athletics season.
The North Area Athletic Complex (HWY 93 and 64th Pkwy., Arvada) will also join the statewide Be The Light campaign by turning on its lights at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday (May 21 and 22).
On Thursday, we brought you our most-read stories from the 2019 calendar year. Today, we list some of our favorite stories that have run on CHSAANow this year, ordered chronologically.
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Southern Colorado basketball official Nick Lave calls it a career after 41 years
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Jan. 4 | By Dan Mohrmann
For one last time on Thursday night, Nick Lave took the court to do what he has done for 41 years as a basketball official in Colorado. He wanted to make the playing field level and let the kids decide the outcome of the game.
Grandview girls basketball leaning on youth in big moments
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
March 7 | By Brian Miller
Last March, Lauren Betts was an eighth-grade student watching Grandview’s girls basketball team win a second consecutive Class 5A state championship at the Denver Coliseum.
Read the full story here
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Pine Creek baseball’s Riley Cornelio brings next-level heat
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
March 27 | By Dan Mohrmann
As the Pine Creek hitters get their practice swings in before game time, a very distinct noise can be heard off the third base foul line.
Yuma’s Paul Brophy wasn’t going to let cancer keep him off the baseball field
(Courtesy of Laurie Kjosness)
April 24 | By Dan Mohrmann
Yuma pitcher Paul Brophy might be the toughest student-athlete in Colorado. One look at his stat line in MaxPreps will show casual fans that he’s certainly good at baseball, but sometimes measuring toughness is difficult to do.
Girls track: Valor Christian’s Anna Hall puts the finishing touches on a remarkable career; other top performances from the meet
(Brad Cochi/CHSAANow.com)
May 18 | By Brad Cochi
Five weeks ago, Anna Hall’s ankle was in a boot and with her final Colorado track and field state championships in doubt, the Valor Christian senior wasn’t doing much smiling around that time.
Read the full story here
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Spurs guard Derrick White, a Legend grad, reflects on the impact of high school basketball
(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
June 27 | By Ryan Casey
In the same fieldhouse where he had once been a camper, and later a coach at camps, Derrick White hosted his inaugural Basketball Academy this week, drawing hundreds of attendees who ranged from elementary high school.
Prairie’s Hannah Kinnison shows that Division I volleyball talent is littered throughout Colorado
(Kevin Saffer/MaxPreps)
July 22 | By Dan Mohrmann
A stigma sometimes exists in high school sports that if an athlete wants to play their sport at a high level in college, they must play at a big high school.
Golden’s softball twins present double trouble for opponents
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Aug. 16 | By Dennis Pleuss
The offensive numbers Golden’s identical twins Makayla and Makenzie Middleton have put up the previous three seasons on the softball field is mind boggling.
Front Range golf tournament experiments with complete digital scoring
(Marlee Smith/CHSAANow.com)
Aug. 16 | By Dan Mohrmann
The Front Range golf tournament that was played at Riverdale Knolls this past Wednesday was yet another sign that high school athletics are moving further into the digital age.
Kit Carson’s small-town environment provides a memorable game day experience to its football team
(Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos)
Aug. 18 | By Dan Mohrmann
Roughly 20 minutes after journeying southbound from the junction of Colorado Highways 94 and U.S. Route 287, passing cars roll into a small community that houses a dominant football program.
Video: A look back at the 2019 4A and 5A football championships
Dec. 9 | By Boogie Brown Media
It was an epic Championship Saturday at Mile High during the 4A and 5A state football championships.Watch the video
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Sargent one of many schools benefiting from state spirit’s new game day division
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Dec. 6 | By Dan Mohrmann
Throughout a given school year, the most exposure that fans have to their respective schools spirit teams are what they see on the sidelines during other competitions. The purpose of those teams is to generate excitement and enthusiasm for football, basketball or volleyball teams.
Another start to the preps sports season brings another start to the monthly video piece — Jeffco Preps With Pleuss. A roundup of Jeffco prep highlights from early this Fall season with Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ sports information director. This month’s edition features Jeffco Stadium celebrating 60 years and hosting a huge Class 5A football match-up between Ralston Valley and Columbine. We take a look at how Columbine and Golden softball programs both repeated as Jeffco League champs. Golden’s boys soccer team runs the table to win the Class 4A Jeffco League title for the second straight year. Lakewood golf junior Ryan Liao was in contention again at the 5A boys golf state tournament. We wrap up with sights and sounds from the Jeffco Marching Invitational.
Arvada West junior Tyler Tyson chips out of trouble on the par 4 No. 11 hole Monday at Bear Creek Golf Club in Lakewood. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — It’s not even September, but Monday’s boys golf tournament marked the midway point of conference play for the Class 5A and 4A Jeffco League.
On the toughest of the six courses of the Jeffco League tournament schedule, Chatfield senior Max Heupel soared up 5A individual standings with a strong 1-over-par, 73. Heupel was six strokes better than Arvada West’s junior Zach Tyson and Valor Christian’s tandem of Logan Byler and Lucas Schulte, who all shot rounds of 79.
Heupel is tied with Lakewood sophomore Max Lange atop the 5A Jeffco individual standings. Valor widened its lead in the team race over second-place Ralston Valley and third-place Lakewood.
Lakewood junior Ryan Liao chips onto the No. 16 green during his round of 80 Monday at Bear Creek Golf Club. Liao had a hole-in-one on the No. 7 99-yard par 3 to highlight his round. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Defending 5A Jeffco individual medalist — Lakewood junior Ryan Liao — shot a round of 80, but did have one of the highlights with a hole-in-one on the No. 7, 99-yard par 3.
On the 4A side, Golden’s Grayson Flambures took the individual title with a round of 80. The Demons also edged Evergreen by six strokes in the team race. Golden and Evergreen are locked in a tight race for the conference team title. The Demons are one stroke ahead of the Cougars with three league tournaments remaining.
Evergreen’s Clayton Whitton and Jack Mitchell are currently one-two in the overall 4A Jeffco individual standings. Green Mountain sophomore Ollie Gibbons is third, Flambures and Conifer junior Dakota Dolph is tied for fourth.
The final three Jeffco League tournaments are scheduled for Indian Tree (Aug. 30) West Woods (Sept. 9) and The Broadlands (Sept. 17).
EDGEWATER — Wrestlers from across the state traveled the final pathway Saturday toward Pepsi Center and the state tournament.
Sixteen regional tournaments in the four classifications spread out throughout Colorado took to the mats Saturday with a grand total of 896 wrestlers punching their ticket to the 3-day state tournament (Feb. 21-23) in downtown Denver.
The journey for Jefferson junior Nicholas Gallegos has had its fair share of peaks and valleys. As a freshman, Gallegos placed third at 138 pounds during the Class 3A state tournament in 2017. He appeared poised to be on the podium against last year, but was in a bad car accident days before the state tournament.
Jefferson junior Zander Condit, right, tries to get the upper hand on Eaton senior Dylan Yancey during the 138-pound title bout Saturday at Jefferson High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“When I got in the car accident I tore my groin and severed a couple of disks in my back,” said Gallegos, who did give it a go at state despite the injuries. He lost 2-0 in his opening match and bowed out of the tournament with an injury default. “I think I’ll be taking a bike from now on.”
While Gallegos can make light of the tragic injury from last year, he was clearly focused during the Northwestern Mutual Wagner Health Management 3A Region 3 tournament at Jefferson High School on Friday and Saturday. He went 4-0 over the two-day regional tournament with three pins that totaled 71 seconds and a technical fall victory.
“I didn’t really break a sweat, but competition is competition,” said Gallegos, who pinned Weld Central sophomore Braden Baumgartner in 22 seconds in the 152-pound title bout Saturday night.
Gallegos will take a 39-7 record, along with his No. 1 ranking by On The Mat into the state tournament.
“He (Gallegos) will even be better next week,” Jefferson coach Oscar Fonseca said. “He is hungry. He is humble and he knows the hardships. He knows nothing is going to be given to you. He’ll have to earn it next week.”
Jefferson senior Andrew Sansburn earned himself a regional title at 132 pounds. Sansburn, also ranked No. 1 in his weight class, got a takedown with 20 seconds left in the third period against Eagle Valley junior Lucas Comroe, No. 2 ranked, to take a 9-7 victory.
“It was fun. I had fun out there,” said Sansburn, who never lost a match on the Saints’ home mats during his two years at Jefferson. “I started out a little chippy, but I finished out strong. I’m ready for next week.”
Sansburn started his high school career at Bear Creek, but decided to transfer over the Jefferson after his sophomore year. The change has paid off for the senior. Sansburn placed third at state at 126 pounds last year.
“It was a good move,” Sansburn said of transferring to Jefferson. “I moved in with my mom who lives in the district. The coaches and my wrestling partners are just amazing.”
Jefferson freshman Angelo Lozado, top, took the 113-pound regional title in the Class 3A Region 3 tournament Saturday at Jefferson High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The third Saint to take a regional title was freshman Angelo Lozado. The No. 2 ranked wrestler at 113 in 3A edged Elizabeth senior Kris Kramer 8-7 in the championship bout.
“He (Lozado) is a pretty tough kid,” Fonseca said. “He is going to come at you and keep going. I really like where he is at right now.”
Jefferson junior Zander Condit was the lone Saint in the finals who didn’t come away as a regional champion. Eaton senior Dylan Yancey pinned Condit in the third period.
“Zander will be 100 percent next week,” Fonseca said.
Condit battled through an injury last year at the state meet to place fifth at 132 pounds while wrestling for Conifer. The Lobos dropped their wrestling program this year so Zander and his younger sister Cayden wrestled for Jefferson this year.
Cayden, a sophomore, was attempting to become a back-to-back state qualifier. However, she lost both her of matches at regionals to fall short of her goal.
Skyview senior Jaslynn Gallegos (facing) hugs Eagle Valley junior Matthew Media after Gallegos took an 8-2 victory in the 106-pound third-place match. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Skyview senior Jaslynn Gallegos was able to successfully maneuver her way through the tough 106-pound weight class.
“I looked at the bracket, I’m a big nerd like that who likes to look at those things,” Jaslynn Gallegos admitted. “I knew it would be kind of tough, but I knew if I wrestled like I know how to wrestle I knew I’d be OK.”
She won three straight consolation matches to place third at 106 pounds to join the ranking of female wrestlers who have qualified in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s boys state wrestling tournament.
“I’m hoping. That’s my goal,” she said of her chance to be the first female wrestler to place at state. “My goal since I was really little was to make it to the boys state (wrestling) tournament. Now the new goal is to place.”
Jaslynn Gallegos came in ranked No. 8 at 106 pounds in 3A. She defeated Eaton’s Alex Castaneda (No. 6) and Eagle Valley’s Matthew Medina (No. 5) on her way to advancing to her first state tournament.
Eaton did come away with the regional team title. The Reds racked up 212.5 team points. Jefferson placed fourth, but it had a similar finish at regional two years ago before going on to finish as the 3A state runner-up.
“It’s a possibility,” Fonseca said of the Saints having a shot to repeat their second-place team finish from 2016. “What I personally want is the kids to go out there, go hard and whatever shakes out shakes out. As long as we have good attitudes I like our chances.”
Arvada junior Enoc Macias-Castilo, bottom, attempts a bridge in his effort to not get pinned by Eaton junior Logan Bean during the 195-pound third-place match Saturday during the Class 3A Region 3 tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Irv Brown, far right top row, coached Arvada High School to the Class 3A state baseball championship title in the spring of 1964. (Photo courtesy of Steve Bell)
ARVADA — Irv Brown guided Arvada High School’s baseball team to a state championship in the spring of 1964.
“I was really lucky to be one of his players on his state championship team. The first state championship team Arvada High School ever had,” said Steve Bell, Jeffco Public Schools’ current Chief Operating Officer. “It was a team of players who probably weren’t the most talented around. We didn’t have any superstars. Irv taught us to be great competitors.”
Bell was a junior at Arvada when the school claimed the Class 3A baseball title. However, even before that magical spring season on the baseball diamond Brown was just starting to make an impact on athletics in Jeffco and across Colorado.
“I my opinion, Irv was one of a handful of people who helped really put Jeffco athletics on the map,” said Jim Thyfault, current Executive Director of Athletics and Activities with Jeffco Public Schools. “He was instrumental in the growth of Jeffco athletics.”
Brown was inducted into the Jeffco Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame in 2003.
Brown went on to coach baseball at the University of Colorado and Metro State College. He had a memorable college basketball officiating career where he refereed in six NCAA Final Fours. He became a Colorado sports media icon for 40-plus years before his death on Feb. 3 at the age of 83.
“Whether it was basketball, football, baseball … he knew it all and he knew the people,” Thyfault said. “He more than anyone else in the sports media who had access to TV and radio kept prep sports in the forefront. You just don’t see that anymore.”
While many remember Brown telling stories over the radio airwaves, Bell recalls the relationship of player and coach he had with Brown that started when Bell was 12 years old.
“I never changed my opinion of him. He was larger than life,” said Bell, who also had Brown as his defensive backs coach on the football field at Arvada. “Everything with Irv Brown was about being a competitor. That is the way he taught us to be. Those lessons were forever lasting for me.”
One of Brown’s many famous sayings that stood out for Bell was — “A great competitor will beat you 99-98 or they will beat you 1-0, but they will find a way.”
That competitive spirit stayed with Bell during his college baseball career at Colorado State University, along with his coaching career at the University of Arizona, Wheat Ridge High School and Northglenn High School.
Bell said one of the hardest things he did during his college baseball career was playing against Brown’s teams.
“His coaching style and the mantra in which he taught us and managed us was second to none,” Bell said of his former coach. “My goal when I started coaching was to be like him because I thought so much of him.”
Bell actually coached Brown’s youngest son, Casey, on the football field at Northglenn High School.
“He is one of the goers, starters and innovators when it comes to prep sports. He fostered programs not only in Arvada, but everywhere,” Bell said. “He had assistant coaches go on to win state titles at Lakewood and Jefferson. Irv Brown’s influence was everywhere in Jeffco.”
The memorial service for the sports legend will be held at noon Saturday, Feb. 16, at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield.
“He was one of the most impactful people I’ve ever had in my life,” Bell said. “It was my good fortune to have Irv Brown as my coach.”
Arvada West High School took first in the coed cheer division at the Jeffco Spirit Invite on Nov. 6 at Ralston Valley High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
ARVADA — The Jeffco League held its spirit (dance and cheer) conference championships Nov. 1 and Nov. 6 at Ralston Valley High School.
Here is a list of winners:
Class 5A Cheer: Ralston Valley
Class 5A Pom: Dakota Ridge
Coed Cheer: Arvada West
Hip Hop: Chatfield
Jazz: Valor Christian
Class 4A Cheer: Wheat Ridge
Class 4A Pom: Standley Lake
JV Cheer: Ralston Valley
JV Pom: Standley Lake
JV Hip Hop: Pomona
Freshman Cheer: Ralston Valley
Spirit squads from across the state will compete at the CHSAA Spirit State Championships Dec. 7 and 8 at the Denver Coliseum.
