D’Evelyn sophomore Jack McMann slides head first into third base as Golden senior James Douthit waits for the ball during Tuesday’s game at Golden High School. D’Evelyn handed the 4A Jeffco League champs its fourth straight loss with a 5-2 victory for the Jaguars. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

GOLDEN — D’Evelyn baseball continued to build some momentum heading into the postseason Tuesday afternoon at Golden High School.

The Jaguars (10-4 record) finished out the Class 4A Jeffco League round-robin tournament between D’Evelyn, Golden and Evergreen with a 5-2 road victory over the Demons (9-7).

Golden second baseman Anders Page-Roth leaps off the bag to go after a throw as D’Evelyn junior Bradley Blakemore slides into second on a steal. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“You want to be playing well going into regionals,” D’Evelyn coach Dan Porreco said. “This was a good win for us today.”

It was actually the third meeting between D’Evelyn and Golden since May 27. The Demons took the first meeting 2-0 to wrap up the conference title, but since that win Golden has dropped four straight games.

“The way we win games is we pitch well. We play defense and we have situational hitting,” Golden coach Jackie McBroom said. “If we don’t do those things we don’t win baseball games. We were doing that when we won league. It feels like we ran out of gas a little bit. We need to get back on track.”

D’Evelyn stepped on the gas early Tuesday afternoon plating four runs in the first three innings to take an early lead. Junior Bradley Blakemore got everything going with a lead-off double in the gap. Senior Matt Hatch and sophomore Kannon Perry both had an RBI in the first inning.

“(Porreco) and I actually talked about my swing right before the game,” Blakemore said. “I’ve had it really short and we made it a little longer. That really helped with the first pitch of the game that I hit for a double.”

Blakemore would single to right and score in the top of the second inning to extend the lead to 3-0. Junior Joe Zuber ripped an RBI double in the third inning to tack on another run. Blakemore struck again in the sixth inning with an RBI single to finish off his 3-for-3 game with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.

“The loss to Evergreen hurt yesterday because I was on the mound,” Blakemore admitted. “Winning 3-of-4 is good, but we definitely need to beat Faith Christian on Thursday for RPI.”

D’Evelyn sat at No. 12 in the RPI rankings before the victory Tuesday. The top 24 teams in the RPI standings advance to the regional tournaments scheduled for Monday, June 14. The seeding meeting for regionals is scheduled for Sunday, June 13.

D’Evelyn junior pitcher Troy Benko picked up the win on the mound giving up just one run in five innings of work against Golden. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“We are working on that intensity,” Porreco said of his young team that features mainly sophomores and juniors. “Every inning and every pitch counts at regionals. We’ll get them ready.”

McBroom admits that the Demons must reset after a rollercoaster regular season. Golden went 1-3 out of the gates before going on an 8-game winning streak, but now the Demons are marred in a 4-game losing streak.

“We have to play with more confidence,” McBroom said. “We have to have better situational hitting. We had 16 runners on base today and scored 2 runs.”

Golden couldn’t come up with a big hit against D’Evelyn starting pitcher Troy Benko, who went five strong innings giving up six hits and five walks. Junior Blake Reini closed out the final two innings on the hill for the Jaguars giving up a run on three hits and a walk.

“We did come through in that aspect,” Porreco said about the Demons stranding a dozen runners on the bases. “Hopefully we can continue to carry this on to regionals.”

McBroom hopes the Demons can regain their mid-season form next week to advance out of regionals and into the 8-team double-elimination state tournament.

“To be honest with you, going into the season if you would have told me we were going to win league and get into the playoffs I would have been happy with that,” said McBroom, who also has a young team with little postseason experience due to the Spring 2020 season being cancelled due to COVID.

Golden was No. 15 in the RPI rankings before the loss to D’Evelyn. Evergreen will likely be the third representative out of 4A Jeffco. The Cougars could even host a regional. They were No. 6 in RPI heading into Tuesday’s action.

Golden junior Connor Brankin slides into third but is tagged out by D’Evelyn junior Joe Zuber on the play in the first inning Tuesday at Golden High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Chatfield senior Quinton Low, far right, and the Chargers’ dugout watch Low’s 2-run bast in the first inning Saturday afternoon at Dakota Ridge High School. The Chargers edged the Eagles 7-6. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

LITTLETON — In the 90-degree heat Saturday afternoon, top-ranked Chatfield sweated out 7-6 victory over Class 5A Jeffco League rival Dakota Ridge.

“It was crazy, but that’s Jeffco baseball,” Chatfield coach Brett Pieratt said about Dakota Ridge bring the tying run to the plate after sophomore Thomas Hartman belted a 2-run home run to make it a 1-run game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Dakota Ridge senior Logan Balfanz (10) is greeted at home plate by senior Ben Gultig (6) after a solo home run by the senior in the bottom of the first inning against Chatfield. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Chatfield senior lefty Colby Cruser didn’t wilt after giving up the home run on the first pitch he threw after coming in relief for starter Matthew Lighthall. Cruser struck out the next batter — Dakota Ridge senior Ben Gultig — to end the game.

“I felt loose and my arm was feeling pretty good. There are pitch-count rules and I let my pitch-count get a little too high,” Lighthall said after coming out with 2 outs in the bottom of the seventh inning after striking out 15 batters. “We’ve got plenty of guys in the pen who can come in and close it.”

Dakota Ridge (7-6, 5-2 in 5A Jeffco) had only four hits on the game, but three of the hits were home runs. Senior Logan Balfanz had a solo run in the first inning. Senior Bennett Gregory had a 2-run blast off Lighthall in the sixth inning to cut the Chargers’ lead to 5-4. Then there was Hartman’s blast to make it a 1-run game again.

“We had our fingers crossed,” Pieratt said after Hartman hit the 2-run home run on the first pitch he saw from Cruser. “Colby does a good job. He has closed a few times for us.”

The final strikeout call was even a little strange. It appeared that the home plate umpire pointed to first base on the full-count pitch. Gultig wasn’t sure if the umpire had called a ball or a strike.

“It was crazy,” Lighthall said of the final inning. “There wasn’t a doubt in my mind he (Cruser) wouldn’t get it done.”

Offensively, senior Quenton Low did his damage early with a monster 2-run home run in the top of the first inning.

“We barreled up a couple of balls early,” Low said of his 2-run home run in the first inning that was followed up by sophomore Mason Lowe’s 2-run shot in the sixth inning. “You can’t be mad about 11 hits.”

Dakota Ridge senior Thomas Hartman steps on second base on the way to turning a double-play Saturday against Chatfield. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Chatfield (11-2, 6-1) had four straight hits from the 6 to 9 hole hitters in the top of the seventh inning that produced two key insurance runs. Junior Mason Cowgill had an RBI double and senior Drew Lytle drove in another run with an RBI single.

Dakota Ridge junior Gavin Kaiser had a strong five innings on the mound giving up just three runs on five hits.

“Every time we play Dakota Ridge it’s a grind,” Pieratt said. “It’s always a 1-run game.”

The win kept Chatfield No. 1 in the RPI standings. Valor Christian (11-2, 7-0) defeated Chatfield 3-1 a few days earlier to clinch the conference title for the Eagles.

“The goal is host a regional and hopefully see Valor again,” Lighthall said of the bounce-back win after the loss to Valor. “A loss like that you have to come back and just play your game to get the win. That is what we did today.”

Heading into the final week of the regular season, Chatfield and Valor are locks to make the 24-team regional field. Dakota Ridge, Ralston Valley and Lakewood are right on the bubble to make the postseason.

“This games are important,” Low said of the high school baseball season extended three weeks due to COVID this year. “Growing up with all these kids my entire life it’s fun getting this last round in.”

Chatfield will be without pitcher Logan Carlisle if the Chargers make it all the way to the second week of the state tournament scheduled for June 25 and 26. The hard-throwing Carlisle reports to the Air Force Academy on June 24.

“The vibe is strange,” Pieratt admitted. “Our seniors graduated three weeks ago. We are practicing sometime in the morning. It’s been a little weird for us, but the great thing is we have great senior leadership. They have adapted and have led the way. Our guys don’t seem tired.”

Chatfield senior Matthew Lighthall struck out 15 Dakota Ridge batters Saturday in the Class 5A Jeffco League showdown. The Chargers will finish second in the conference behind Valor Christian. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

ARVADA — Evergreen’s girls soccer team is one win away from capturing another Class 4A Jeffco League champion title.

“League title would be huge for us,” Evergreen senior Myla Stewart said after a 2-1 victory against D’Evelyn at the North Area Athletic Complex on Thursday night. “With COVID last year we call it back-to-back. That league title is almost more important than state (qualifying) because we play in one of the hardest conferences in Colorado.”

Evergreen senior Jocelin Zimmerer (7) gets a pass away as D’Evelyn senior Kendall Dale (2) closes in Thursday night at the NAAC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Evergreen won the 4A Jeffco League title in 2019 on its way to a state runner-up finish in the 4A state tournament two years ago. The COVID pandemic completely wiped out the Spring 2020 season.

The Cougars — ranked No. 1 in the CHSAANow.com 4A poll — had to hang on against a desperate D’Evelyn squad that was coming off back-to-back losses to 5A’s No. 3 Valor and Green Mountain. The No. 5 Jaguars was in a must-win situation to have a chance to qualify for the 16-team state tournament.

“Playing D’Evelyn is always my favorite game of the year,” Evergreen coach Peter Jeans said. “I told the girls before the game I don’t believe in my 15 years either team has won by more than a goal. I love this game. It had a playoff feel to it.”

Stewart got Evergreen (9-0, 8-0 in 4A Jeffco) on the board early with a goal in the 16th minute. The ball came to the senior striker in the middle of D’Evelyn’s goal box and Stewart delivered her 9th goal of the season.

“I saw net and I took it,” Stewart said of her goal in the 16th minute. “When I turned around I had all 17 of my teammates cheering me on. I think this was one of the first games this year we’ve fully played as a team.”

Evergreen junior Rami Rapp (10) out runs D’Evelyn senior Kylee Ornstein (15) to the ball during the Class 4A Jeffco League game Thursday night at the NAAC.

The Cougars dominated possession against D’Evelyn (5-3-1, 5-2-1) for the majority of the first half. Evergreen extended its lead to 2-0 late in the first half with a penalty kick goal by senior Jocelin Zimmerer in the 35th minute.

D’Evelyn did make things interesting in the second half. Senior Lauren Cook hit the post off a direct free kick in the opening minutes. Senior Kylee Ornstein then had a header from point-blank range saved by Evergreen junior goalie Aubrey Huerta seconds later.

“Aubrey came off a big injury earlier this season and has been incredible,” Stewart said. “I couldn’t wish for a better keeper. She comes up with big saves when we need them.”

Stewart nearly made it a 3-0 goal lead in the 49th minute, but her shot rocketed off the cross bar. The posts and cross bar became the Cougars’ friend a couple of times in the second half.

“You have to have breaks, but we have also put ourselves in position to win the game,” Jeans said. “I thought we played well the whole game. To D’Evelyn’s credit they hung in there. They got a key goal at the right time.”

Cook ended the chance for Evergreen’s 8th shutout victory of the year after she gathered in an initial shot that hit the cross bar and put it in the back of the net in the 70th minute.

“Soccer is a game of inches,” D’Evelyn coach Reid Bervik said of the Jaguars nearly battling all the way back from a 2-0 deficit despite suffering a few key injuries that left D’Evelyn short-handed against Evergreen. “I’m proud of the girls. They fought their butts off and played with their hearts.”

D’Evelyn senior Eve Dalla (6) and Evergreen senior Lily Maus (14) both go airborne for a ball Thursday night at the NAAC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Evergreen was masterful controlling the ball in the corners in the final five minutes to run out the clock to clinch a top-2 spot in the 4A Jeffco League and automatic berth into the postseason.

“At the end we had to dig deep to just finish the game against a really good team,” Jeans said.

The Cougars wrap up their season against No. 7 Wheat Ridge (7-1, 6-1) next week on Wednesday, June 9 at Lakewood Memorial Field. That game will decide the conference championship.

“We know we are going to get a huge game from them,” Jeans said of Wheat Ridge. “I’m expecting another battle. Another playoff-like game.”

D’Evelyn concludes its regular season against Wheat Ridge on Monday, June 7, at Lakewood Memorial Field. Unfortunately for the Jaguars it will likely be a season finale too.

“There is a very slim chance. We’d have to have a lot of cards fall into place,” Bervik said of the Jaguars’ postseason chances with the field limited to 16 teams instead of the normal 32 teams. “It’s definitely a bummer because (4A) Jeffco usually has five or six teams make the tournament. It is what it is. COVID has taken a lot.”

Evergreen senior Jocelin Zimmerer (7) gets boxed in by D’Evelyn freshman Camille Kollar, left, along with seniors Lauren Cook (18) and Eve Dalla (6). Zimmerer scored on a penalty kick in the 35th minute to give Evergreen a 2-0 lead. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

ARVADA — A quick early deficit didn’t rattle Evergreen’s boys lacrosse team Tuesday night at the North Area Athletic Complex.

“If you get all worked up early you are going to get all messed up,” Evergreen senior goalie Andrew Morris said of the Cougars reacting after the early goal by Green Mountain. “I know our defense is dependable and trustworthy.”

Evergreen senior Connor Dries (29) and sophomore Sam Grimshaw (2) celebrate after a goal against Green Mountain on Tuesday night at the NAAC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Green Mountain junior Beau Stratman scored for the No. 8-ranked Rams 36 seconds into the Class 4A top-10 match-up. However, it was all Evergreen after the opening goal. The No. 2 Cougars stayed undefeated in 4A Foothills League play with a 13-2 victory.

“The goal always has been to silence the noise and focus on us for 48 minutes to play great lacrosse,” Evergreen coach Jay Egger said. “We haven’t done that yet, but we are getting close. I love this group of 26 (players). It’s a special group.”

Evergreen (6-1, 4-0 in 4A Foothills League) had seven different players find the back of the net in the first half. Senior Jared Stiller and sophomore Sam Grimshaw led the way with a pair of goals each.

“We definitely don’t have to worry about having scorers out on the field,” Stiller said. “We’ve got them out there all the time.”

Senior Connor Dries kept the Cougars going in the second half with his second tally of the game to put Evergreen up 10-1. It was the Cougars’ 10th unanswered goal after the Rams (5-2, 2-0) took the early lead.

Evergreen would eventually scored 12 unanswered goals. Green Mountain junior Anthony DiDonato ended the Cougars’ run when he scored with less than 5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to make the score 12-2.

Evergreen senior goalie Andrew Morris makes a save during the first half Tuesday at the NAAC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Grimshaw ended the scoring with his fourth goal of the night in the final minutes.

“It’s beautiful to see so many people shooting and having so many talented and skilled players,” Morris said. “It’s been wonderful growing up with this group.”

Morris and Evergreen’s defense was impressive in net keeping Green Mountain from scoring during the Cougars’ offensive run.

“Our defense is our pillar,” Egger said. “We count on them for so much. We need to learn not to depend on them so heavily, but we know when we get into hard positions we can count on them.”

There will be no rest for Evergreen. The Cougars host rival Conifer at Evergreen High School tomorrow (Wednesday, June 2). The 4A Foothills League title will be on the line when Evergreen squares off against No. 5 Golden (5-2, 3-0) at 4 p.m. Friday, June 4, back at the NAAC.

Evergreen junior Brady Fairbanks (6) wins a face-off during the first quarter against Green Mountain. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“The energy right now is insane,” Morris said. “I’m so excited about tomorrow and Friday.”

It might be the biggest week of season ever for Evergreen’s boys lacrosse program as it attempts to make history.

“It’s never been done in Evergreen boys lacrosse to win a conference championship,” Egger said. “We know it’s right there. We are trying to take it one step at a time and focus on taking care of us.”

Evergreen’s lone loss this season game against top-ranked Cheyenne Mountain back on May 24. The Cougars have already defeated Conifer and Golden in non-league games.

“We are really locked in right now, especially after the Cheyenne Mountain loss,” Stiller said. “We’ve really come together as a team and decided we wanted to finish off the season with a state championship. We aren’t going to stop for anything.”

Evergreen senior defender John Wagner, middle, is able to control the ball and break away from the Cougars’ own goal Tuesday night at the NAAC. Evergreen cruised to victory over Green Mountain in a Class 4A top-10 match-up. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Jeffco Preps With Pleuss is a monthly roundup of Jeffco prep highlights hosted by Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ sports information director. The Season C sports wrapped up with Ralston Valley, Columbine and Chatfield girls volleyball squads all advancing to the Class 5A state tournament held at the World Arena in Colorado Springs. D’Evelyn’s girls soccer team got off to a good start in the deep Class 4A Jeffco League with a victory over Standley Lake at Lakewood Memorial Field. Golden’s girls lacrosse, along with Columbine and Green Mountain boys lacrosse team pulled off victories at Trailblazer Stadium as the extended Spring 2021 season got underway. Golden baseball coach Jackie McBroom grabbed his 100th career coaching victory and Chatfield baseball showed why the Chargers are a favorite to contend for the 5A state title later this June.

ARVADA — Golden and Valor Christian girls golf programs were able to sweep the team and individual medalist titles this spring in the Class 4A and 5A Jeffco League.

Golden junior Jessica Morrissey shined winning the 4A Jeffco medalist title this spring.
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Golden junior Jessica Morrissey dominated the 4A Jeffco race to the medalist title. Morrissey shot a round of 88 during the final conference tournament of the season May 27 at Indian Tree Golf Course. Her 41.9 9-hole average over the five league tournaments was nearly 5 strokes better than runner-up Littleton senior Sarah Young that finished with a 46.50 9-hole average.

Morrissey spearheaded the Demons’ run to the 4A Jeffco League team title. Conifer placed second and Evergreen took third in the team standings.

Valor cruised to the 5A Jeffco team title winning all five conference tournaments. Valor senior Grace Young’s 37.8 9-hole average was a full stroke better than Arvada West senior Anju Ogi to claim the 5A Jeffco medalist title.

Lakewood finished second and Ralston Valley third in the 5A Jeffco team standings.

LITTLETON — It kind of felt like a summer league baseball game Friday morning at Frank DeAngelis Field on the Columbine High School campus.

“It is a little weird. I’m usually playing summer ball by now,” Dakota Ridge senior Reese Randell said of playing the morning game on a weekday. “It’s fun. I’m happy we are playing in warm weather that’s a good thing.”

Columbine junior Zach Butler (10) slides into second base ahead of the tag by Dakota Ridge freshman Cade Collins on Friday morning at Frank DeAngelis Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

The rivalry game between Dakota Ridge (5-3, 3-0 in 5A Jeffco) and Columbine (5-5, 1-3) was actually a key Class 5A Jeffco League showdown in the middle of the conference schedule. The Eagles stayed undefeated in league play with a dominating 17-3 victory.

“It is so weird. Everything is so weird. The scores everywhere are weird,” Dakota Ridge coach Jeff Legault said after the 14-run victory over Columbine. “It’s just a weird year. We are trying to keep the guys focused and our guys are doing a good job of that. They have bought in.”

Dakota Ridge got an impressive start on the mound by junior Gavin Kaiser against the Rebels. Kaiser went five innings and gave just one unearned run to pick up his third victory this season.

“I felt pretty good coming into it,” Kaiser said after giving up just two hits in five innings. “I was throwing my fastball pretty well.”

Kaiser also got plenty of run support. Dakota Ridge senior Joey Cavallaro got things going with a lead-off single to start the game. He would eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Logan Balfanz to get the scoring going.

The Eagles added four more runs in the top of the second inning that started with a solo home run from senior Reese Randall.

“He just hung me a slider and I put a good swing on it,” Randell said of his solo home run in the 4-run second inning for the Eagles. “It was a good swing and the ball went a long way.”

Dakota Ridge’s 6 through 9 hitters were extremely productive scoring nine of the Eagles’ 17 runs.

“It takes a lot of stress off me,” Kaiser said about the bottom half of the Eagles’ line-up producing during the 4-run second inning and 8-run seventh inning.

Randell actually ended the scoring for Dakota Ridge. He ripped an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning to cap off the offensive production.

Dakota Ridge junior Gavin Kaiser pitched a strong five innings giving up just two hits to pick up the win on the hill. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“We’ve had our times when we’ve struggled,” Randell said about the backend of the Eagles’ line-up. “When 6 through 9 are hitting you are pretty much unbeatable. You need to have the bottom of your order hitting.”

Seniors Bennett Gregory, Brock Hoos, Randell and sophomore Josh Ezell did an outstanding job at the back half of the line-up.

“We are not a strong offensive team. We are more pitching and defense,” Legault said after the Eagles’ largest scoring output of the season. “To score that may runs … I was pleased with that.”

Freshman Cade Collins had a big game in the No. 2 hole. Dakota Ridge’s starting second baseman went 3-for-4 from the plate with 4 RBIs. He also made an outstanding play in the field chasing down a fly ball for the second out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“He (Collins) is a special baseball player. He is really good and nothing fazes him,” Legault said of the freshman. “He is one of our best hitters and defenders. He is awesome.”

While during a normal season the high school season would just be wrapping up, during this COVID school year the baseball season doesn’t end until the state championship games scheduled for Saturday, June 26.

Dakota Ridge is scheduled for eight regular-season games between Saturday, May 29, and Friday, June 11. That’s eight games in 14 days. Legault believes his pitching staff, along with his team is up to the task.

“We’ve good four good starters and we have the right amount of breaks. We’ll see,” Legault said. “We are just trying to squeeze our way into the playoffs. Trying to find a way to that top 24.”

The top 24 teams in the RPI standings advance to regionals that are scheduled for Monday, June 14.

“We need to win the games we should win,” Randell said. “We are going to face some really good pitchers. We’ll face someone who throws 90 mph against Chatfield. Against Valor we’ll face a good pitcher no matter who they throw. We just have to go out there and play our game.”

Dakota Ridge is at No. 4-ranked Valor at 11 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, May 29). The following Saturday (June 5) the Eagles host No. 1 Chatfield.

Dakota Ridge senior Reese Randell (13) is greeted at home plate by fellow senior Bennett Gregory after Randell’s solo home run in the second inning against rival Columbine. The Eagles cranked out 16 hits in their 17-3 road victory to stay undefeated in 5A Jeffco League play. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

ARVADA — Ralston Valley boys lacrosse team responded in a big way Wednesday after suffering its first league loss to the season.

The Mustangs dominated Jeffco rival Chatfield to the tune of 16-3 late Wednesday afternoon at the North Area Athletic Complex.

Chatfield junior Will Adams (7) looks for some room as Ralston Valley junior Ethan Field applies pressure during the first quarter Wednesday at the NAAC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“We were coming off a tough loss on Monday,” Ralston Valley junior Lane Kellogg said of the Mustangs’ 8-6 defeat against Monarch in a Class 5A League #2 game. “I really think we wanted this game. We were communicating, flying around and sharing the ball really well. It was amazing to see.”

The Mustangs held a 5-2 halftime lead against Monarch, but the Coyotes outscored the Mustangs 6-1 in the second half. It was a completely different ending Wednesday against Chatfield for Ralston Valley.

Kellogg had a monster game offensively scoring six goals. Ralston Valley closed out the game with a 10-0 run and didn’t allow Chatfield (1-5, 0-5 in league) to score in the second half.

“Our focus was really just keep sharing the ball. We weren’t really thinking about the score,” ‘Kellogg said of the Mustangs’ 10-0 run to end out the game. “We really just brought it for all four quarters.”

Sam Lindsey (3 goals), Nicholas Gates (2 goals) and Payton Hevers (27) all the multiple-goal games for the Mustangs (4-3, 4-1).

Ralston Valley defense was stellar in the second half in front of senior goalie Calvin Doucette. Junior Noah Perea finished the game in net for the Mustangs in the largest margin of victory for Ralston Valley on the season.

Ralston Valley junior Zach Friedman (7) advances the ball up the field as Chatfield sophomore Vaughn Cwik (2) closes in. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“Today was a good win, but we also played a full four quarters,” Ralston Valley coach Nick Lewis said. “ That has been one of our issues so far. We’ve played some of the top teams in the state and haven’t had a four-quarter game until today.”

The Mustangs’ three losses this season have come against No. 6 Denver East, No. 11 Monarch and Cherokee Trail.

Ralston Valley could still grab an automatic bid to the 12-team 5A state tournament by winning the 5A League #2 title. Fairview (4-1, 4-0) has the inside track for the conference title, but the Mustangs have a date against Fairview on June 9 at NAAC that could determine Ralston Valley’s playoff future.

“Our goal is to make the playoffs. Our goal is to win a league championship every year,” Lewis said. “We’ve got three more league games. We are going to come out ready to win for every single one.”

Ralston Valley has actually never had a winning season since the program began five years ago.

“I see the potential,” Kellogg said. “We are believing. We’ve got some really big games coming up to get into the playoffs.”

Ralston Valley junior Colton McPherson (23) races down the field after winning a face-off against Chatfield senior David Wiley. The Mustangs scored the final 10 goals in a 16-3 victory over the Chargers. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Golden junior Abby Des Cognets (7) scored the lone goal of the first half to give the Demons a lead against No. 4 Wheat Ridge in the opening half at the North Area Athletic Complex. The Demons went on to defeat rival Wheat Ridge 2-0. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

ARVADA — Golden’s girls soccer team stayed in the mix to qualify for the 16-team Class 4A state tournament scheduled to begin June 16.

The Demons knocked off rival and previously undefeated Wheat Ridge 2-0 on Wednesday night at the North Area Athletic Complex. Golden had to win to have any realistic shot at grabbing one of two automatic qualifier spots out of the highly competitive 4A Jeffco League.

Wheat Ridge sophomore Taylor Watkins (12) chases down Golden junior Skye Brion (17) during the first half Wednesday night at the NAAC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“Any chance what’s so ever. We had to get this one,” Golden coach Larry Harding said of the Demons’ playoff hopes. “The ladies worked hard. They played for each other tonight.”

Golden (4-1-1, 4-1-1 in 4A Jeffco League) already had a 1-goal loss to No. 1 ranked Evergreen (7-0, 6-0) and a tie against No. 5 D’Evelyn (5-0-1, 5-0-1). A loss or tie against No. 4 Wheat Ridge (6-1, 6-1) would all but sealed the Demons fate of missing the postseason.

“There was so much pressure, especially with Wheat Ridge being our rival too,” Golden senior captain Devyn Schaefer said. “We needed this.”

Only one team that doesn’t finished in the top two of its conference this spring will be granted an at-large bid to the reduced postseason field this spring because of the shortened COVID season. It’s impossible that Evergreen, D’Evelyn, Wheat Ridge and Golden will all qualify for the state tournament.

The loss and tie early in league play could have dashed all hopes for the Demons advancing past the regular season, but that disappointment didn’t show against Wheat Ridge.

“It’s been tough because I think with those other two games (Evergreen and D’Evelyn) we could have won those too,” Golden senior Jordyn Hyland said. “This was a must-win game and we did it.”

Golden had the majority of the scoring chances in the first half, but it wasn’t until the 32nd minute that the Demons took a 1-0 lead. Junior Abby Des Cognets was able to find the back of the net when the ball came to her with a straight-on shot attempt against Wheat Ridge junior goalie Ariel Martin.

Wheat Ridge sophomore Sadie Powers (9) breaks away from Golden senior Kylie Hard (18). Powers put the ball into the back of the net, but she was ruled offsides on the play. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

The Farmers got some great pressure in the opening minutes of the second half in an attempt to get the equalizer. Senior Jessica Brummett and sophomore Sadie Powers mouth had good scoring chances in the opening 8 minutes of the second half. However, Golden junior goalie Ella Harrison was up to the task keeping the shutout in tack.

Hyland changed the momentum with a perfected placed long kick in the 49th minute.

“Scoring that goal to start the second half totally changed the game,” Hyland said of her goal that gave the Demons a 2-0 lead. “Honestly, I didn’t think it was going in. It changed the game for the better for us.”

Wheat Ridge did continue to put pressure on the Demons, but Golden was able to get the shutout victory and stay alive for the postseason.

“From here on out we definitely want to keep on winning games,” Schaefer said. “It’s not time to let off the gas, but it’s time to slow down and focus on the things we need to fix.”

Golden has a non-league game against Pomona tomorrow back at NAAC. After Memorial Day, the Demons have league games against Conifer, Littleton and Green Mountain from June 1 to June 7.

The Demons must get some help to finish either first or second in the conference to grab that automatic bid.

“It is tough, but we are just hoping for the best,” Hyland said.

Wheat Ridge still in the mix despite the loss. The Farmers control their own destiny. If Wheat Ridge defeats D’Evelyn (June 7) and Evergreen (June 9) the Farmers will claim a top-2 spot in the conference and be headed to the postseason.

Wheat Ridge senior Emily Morrissey (14) and Golden senior Jordyn Hyland (21) get tangled up during the first half of the rivalry showdown Wednesday night at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

Green Mountain junior Caton Lodice (22) is greeted at home plate by teammates after his grand slam in the first inning. The home run tied things up 4-4 against Alameda late Thursday afternoon at Green Mountain High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain senior Jose Luis Cedillo had himself an impressive first inning late Thursday afternoon.

The Rams’ lead-off batter went 3-for-3 from the plate with four RBIs in the opening frame against Alameda International. Cedillo came to the plate three times as Green Mountain scored 17 runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Green Mountain junior Dylan Hearn fouls off a pitch at the plate during the second inning Thursday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

“It’s always good to see that bats come alive,” said Cedillo, who finished 4-for-5 from the plate with five RBIs in the Rams eventual 26-6 victory. “When we string the hits together it takes the pressure of the pitching. They just have to go in there and throw strikes.”

Green Mountain (3-4, 3-2 in Class 4A Jeffco League) actually fell behind 4-0 against the Pirates (1-5, 0-4). The Pirates scored 4 runs on three hits, including a 2-run single by sophomore Oscar Nguyen to cap off the nice top of the first inning.

However, it didn’t stand up to what the Rams did in the bottom of the frame. The first eight batters reached the scored. Green Mountain sent 21 batters to the plate in the inning.

Junior Caton Lodice delivered the most impressive hit that nobody saw. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Rams’ clean-up hitter rocketed a high shot to dead centerfield. With the sun behind home plate nobody really picked up the flight off the ball of the bat, including Lodice.

“I did not see that ball,” Lodice said. “It was launched straight up.”

Alameda’s centerfield didn’t pick the ball up either. It wasn’t until everyone could see the ball land beyond the centerfield fence did people realize it was a grand slam home run.

“It definitely sparked something,” Lodice said. “It started our offense off strong and finished strong.”

Green Mountain sophomore Donovan Baca was solid on the mound striking out four of the five batters he faced in an inning and 2/3 work against Alameda. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

It was the start of the largest scoring output of the season for Green Mountain. The Rams scored seven more runs in the bottom of the second inning to extend the lead to 24-6. Green Mountain induced the 20-run mercy rule to end the game in the bottom of the third inning with a RBI pinch-hit single by Sebastian King.

Sophomore Donovan Baca picked up the win on the mound. He took over for junior Luke Davis on the mound in the top of the first inning after Davis had some control issues. Baca struck out the first two batters he faced in the second inning and gave up just a single in the third inning.

“We didn’t get to see him earlier in the year because of the weather during tryouts,” Green Mountain coach Brad Kidwell said of his sophomore pitcher. “We are seeing what he can do and he’s been impressive.”

Pitching will be a key element as Green Mountain has four games in six days starting Saturday, May 22, against Golden.

“Of course Golden is going to be tough competition,” Cedillo said of the showdown against the Demons. “We need to compete through seven innings and hopefully string some hits together and the pitching comes in clutch as well.”

Behind focusing on finishing strong to hopefully make a run at qualifying for the 24-team postseason, Green Mountain’s handful of seniors also have graduation on their minds.

“It has been hard because everyone’s mindset has been different,” said Cedillo, who is one of the four seniors that will graduate Friday at Red Rocks. “It has been a little tough.”

It has been a rough season with the Rams losing three games by 1-run. The latest was Wednesday with a heartbreaking walk-off victory by Ralston Valley.

Green Mountain senior Dylan Green laces a base hit during the Rams’ 17-run bottom of the first inning Thursday against Alameda. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)