ARVADA — It was a confident, but not over-confident undefeated Ralston Valley volleyball team that took to its home court for the final time this season on Friday night.
The No. 3-seeded Mustangs (16-0 record) faced two more hurdles before they could punch their ticket to the Class 5A state tournament scheduled for May 12 and 13 in Colorado Springs. Ralston Valley needed victories over No. 22 Brighton and No. 14 Liberty to continue its season for another week and a half.
Ralston Valley junior Jordan Wisner (7) and senior Jamie Dorczuk (16) combine on a block of Liberty junior Kori Garnhart (11) on Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“We didn’t want to overestimate any of the teams or underestimate any of the teams,” Ralston Valley senior Brianna Fay said of facing Brighton and Liberty. “Coming in with an undefeated season we were feeling great, but we didn’t want to underestimate anyone. We want to come out and play our game.”
The Mustangs might not have been perfect, but they were pretty close. Ralston Valley dominated Brighton with a 3-0 victory with set scores of 25-19, 25-23 and 25-10 to open up the 5A Region 3 tournament. Liberty cruised past the Bulldogs in straight sets to create a winner-take-all situation in the final match of the night.
Ralston Valley took care of business with another straight-set victory. The Mustangs defeated the Lancers 25-19, 25-13 and 25-10 to officially qualify for the state tournament.
“Being the top team everyone wants to play their best game against you,” Ralston Valley coach Ashley Ahlman said. “I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet. That is super encouraging. I thought we played well tonight. I thought we had moments of greatness. I’m excited to have another week and a half with this team and see how much further we can push. See how much better we can be.”
Fay was outstanding with a trio of service runs against Liberty. She was also impressive with a handful of kills from the backline on spikes in both matches.
“She (Fay) is 100 percent the most athletic kid in any gym we walk into,” Ahlman said. “She can do it all. I love that kid. She is special.”
Ralston Valley junior Emerson Reinke (9) gets ready to set up either Jamie Dorczuk (16) or Taylor Scherff (4) during the Class 5A Region 3 tournament Friday night at Ralston Valley High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Ralston Valley senior Jamie Dorczuk had a strong match against Liberty, especially in the second set. Dorczuk had a trio of kills to give the Mustangs firm control of the match.
“It was a roller coast of emotions. It’s bittersweet,” Dorczuk said after playing her final home match. “I love this team. It was exciting, but sad at the same time. I’m just excited about us getting this far.”
Ralston Valley senior Emerson Tacha’s service winner was the final point of the night. The Mustangs celebrated on its home court for the final home match of the season before being presented the Region 3 plaque.
“We’ve had eyes on the prize since the start,” Ahlman said. “The first practice of the season my setter (Emerson Reinke) walked in and said, ‘We are winning this.’ I think every single day they have walked into the gym with that mentality.”
Ralston Valley senior Taylor Scherff, left, attempts to put a spike down over Liberty sophomores Brooklyn Rinard (10) and Kyra Bishop (1) during the second set in the regional final Friday night at Ralston Valley High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
It will be a bit of a wait for the Mustangs. The state tournament was originally scheduled for May 10 and 11 the NORCO Volleyball Facility in Loveland, but moved a little over a week ago to May 12 and 13 at The Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs.
“We kind of have this gap, but what I love most about this team is they love being together,” Ahlman said. “We are going to make the most of it. These last few weeks are going to be so much fun. I love every day I get with these kids.”
Ralston Valley has paired it talent and depth to gain plenty of confidence. The Mustangs have dropped only five sets in their 16 matches this season.
“I feel super confident with our team,” Fay said. “We have every single thing you need … defense, offense and the perfect setter who can put the ball wherever we need it at any time. I think we can take state this year.”
No. 1 Mountain Vista, No. 2 Rampart and No. 9 Chatfield joined Ralston Valley on winning regional tournaments Thursday and Friday. The remaining four regionals will be played Saturday, May 1.
Ralston Valley senior Brianna Fay, left, had a huge regional tournament Friday night. Fay had a number of service winners and kills as the Mustangs rolled past Brighton and Liberty to capture the Class 5A Region 3 title and a berth in the 8-team 5A state tournament May 12 and 13 in Colorado Springs. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
ENGLEWOOD — A little thing a 16 seed didn’t bother Cherry Creek. The Bruins advanced to the Class 5A boys soccer championship game after beating Grandview in the semifinals. Creek will face Fairview who had a thrilling win over Liberty.
The 5A state title game will kick off at 3 p.m. at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs.
[divider]
(16) Cherry Creek 2, (4) Grandview 0
(Tim Bourke/TimBourke.com)
Rather than getting something in the area of the net, Carsten Jones just went right at it. And he was rewarded with a highlight reel goal – and a backflip to boot- that put No. 16 Cherry Creek, the last team entered on the Class 5A boys soccer state bracket, ahead.
Cyrus Gulati added another goal for the Bruins in the 30th minute and they came away with the 2-0 win over Grandview in the state semifinals. And now the Bruins are playing for a state championship. It’s been a remarkable playoff run for the Bruins (9-4 overall) who came away with a 1-0 win over top-seeded Regis Jesuit then followed it up with a 1-0 win over No. 9 Boulder.
By reaching the semifinals, the Bruins had simply come too far to not earn a trip to Weidner Field in Colorado Springs on Saturday.
“It’s crazy,” Jones said. “We lost like 14, 15 seniors last year so this is an all new lineup. It’s just been amazing. No one expected this from us and that’s why we’re here. We believed in ourselves.”
The Wolves (11-2) had a chance to cut into the Cherry Creek lead right before halftime as Knox Quarles was out of position, but the back line did a good job of cleaning the ball away from the net. From that point on, it felt as though Creek was never going to relinquish control of the game.
“We have a mindset that defense wins championships,” coach Wilmer Barerra said. “They’re so prepared and we’re going to fight until the end. Nobody thought we could go this far.”
Grandview came out with a more aggressive offensive attack in the second half and had another good look as Dylan Thompson had a wider open shot straight on the net. It sailed over the goal, allowing Creek to maintain a 2-0 lead.
With every chance the Wolves had of scoring, the Bruins defenders were able to clear the ball away from the net, rewarding the effort that the offensive had given to get the two-goal lead. It’s the kind of complementary effort that warrants a trip to the state championship game.
“We knew that they were going to press a lot,” Barerra said. “We knew that by doing that, they were going to give us that space up front. We were patient and that’s how we got those goals.”
The loss is just the second of the season for Grandview and both came against the Bruins. Back in the regular season meeting on March 23, Cherry Creek won 3-1 with Gulati scoring two goals in the effort.
This is the first trip to the state championship game since 2010 for Cherry Creek. The Bruins beat Mountain Vista 1-0 to claim the 5A title. The Bruins are 6-1 all-time in state championship games dating back to their first appearance in 1975.
[divider]
(2) Fairview 2, (3) Liberty 1
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Job Meuleman’s golden goal will be remembered for a long time. He buried a shot just over two minutes into overtime to give Fairview a 2-1 win over Liberty and a trip to a boys soccer state title game for the first time since 1984.
Neither Shane Williams or Theo Koch had any interest in letting a goal into the net. The Liberty and Fairview keepers put together solid first half performances. It was very much a chess match between the two undefeated teams in the first 40 minutes.
A corner attempt from Fairview late in the first half nearly broke the tie as Louis Kehoe gathered the ball right in front of the net. His shot sailed high, keeping the game scoreless. In the closing seconds of the half, Williams made a clutch save to fend off a late Liberty attack.
The Lancers struck early in the second half as Chase Compton broke the scoreless tie with a header off a throw in. Jake Milanski quickly answered for Fairview, tying the game up at a goal apiece.
Neither team could break the tie before time expired in regulation and the two teams went into extra time. It was just over two minutes into the extra period when Sebastien Mazur got behind the Liberty defense and found Meuleman for the goal.
This is Fairview’s second state championship game appearance. The Knights lost to Northglenn 2-1 back in 1984.
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing bcochi@chsaa.org. These rankings are part of the postseason seeding process.
These rankings are the result of the final coaches poll of the regular season. In the voting, Fairview, Battle Mountain, Colorado Academy and Crested Butte were voted No. 1 in their respective classifications.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing bcochi@chsaa.org. These rankings are a part of the postseason seeding process.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fairview (10)
9-0
290
2
3-0
2
Regis Jesuit (12)
7-0
285
1
2-0
3
Liberty (4)
9-0
242
3
2-0
4
Grandview (1)
9-1
228
4
0-0
5
Castle View
8-1
157
6
1-1
6
Boulder (1)
7-2
141
8
3-0
7
Pine Creek
8-1
126
10
4-0
8
Rangeview
9-0
120
3-0
9
Valor Christian (1)
8-1
86
8
1-0
10
Adams City
8-0
78
3-0
11
Legacy
7-3
67
5
1-1
12
Arvada West
6-1
57
7
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Fossil Ridge 55, Legend 54, Denver East 49, Lakewood 42, Aurora Central 40, Arapahoe 37, Broomfield 34, Cherry Creek 30, Rock Canyon 26, Hinkley 12, Silver Creek 10, Gateway 8, Monarch 8, Prairie View 7, Rocky Mountain 7, Smoky Hill 7, Ralston Valley 7, Denver South 6, Brighton 6, Vista PEAK Prep 5, Bear Creek 4, Westminster 3, Chaparral 2, Fort Collins 2, Highlands Ranch 1, Northglenn 1
Dropped out
Aurora Central (11), Arapahoe (12)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Battle Mountain (5)
10-0
235
3
2-0
2
Windsor (8)
10-0
231
1
1-0
3
Niwot
9-1
172
6
0-0
4
Skyview (2)
7-1
170
2
1-1
5
Denver North (2)
9-1
168
8
2-0
6
Lewis-Palmer
8-2
144
4
3-0
7
The Classical Academy (3)
5-0
133
5
1-0
8
Pueblo West
9-0
114
8
2-0
9
Standley Lake
7-1
107
10
2-1
10
Mullen (1)
8-2
104
7
0-0
11
Erie
9-1
76
12
2-0
12
Regis Groff
8-2
73
11
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Northfield 35, Golden 25, Air Academy 11, Glenwood Springs 10, George Washington 10, Northridge 10, Frederick 7, Grand Junction 7, Montrose 5, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Harrison 5, Littleton 4, Durango 3, Centaurus 3, Coronado 2, Greeley West 1, Denver West 1, Mesa Ridge 1
Dropped out
None
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Colorado Academy (17)
10-0
246
1
3-0
2
Liberty Common (2)
9-0
207
2
1-0
3
Lamar (1)
8-1
161
3
0-1
4
KIPP Denver Collegiate
10-0
158
5
3-0
5
Coal Ridge (1)
9-0
152
4
1-0
6
Faith Christian
6-1
100
6
1-0
7
Manitou Springs
8-2
91
–
2-0
8
Arrupe Jesuit
7-1
80
7
1-1
9
Atlas Preparatory School
7-2
76
8
2-0
10
Delta
6-0
55
2-0
11
DSST: Conservatory Green
6-1
51
8
1-0
12
Alamosa
9-1
48
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Lutheran 43, Jefferson Academy 40, Middle Park 34, Kent Denver 16, Frontier Academy 15, Peak to Peak 14, Salida 13, Vail Mountain 11, Aurora West College Prep Academy 10, The Academy 4, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 4, Bishop Machebeuf 4, Fort Lupton 3, Roaring Fork 2
Dropped out
Lutheran (10), Jefferson Academy (11), Middle Park (12)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Crested Butte (3)
7-1
116
1
1-0
2
Dawson School (1)
5-2
106
5
0-0
3
Denver Christian (2)
5-1
102
4
1-0
4
Fountain Valley (4)
7-0
93
2
2-0
5
Thomas MacLaren School
7-3
70
7
3-0
6
Loveland Classical
7-1
68
3
0-0
7
The Vanguard School
3-2
61
8
0-0
8
Front Range Christian
5-3
44
6
0-1
9
Heritage Christian
5-3
42
11
0-0
10
Ellicott
5-2
28
12
1-0
11
Telluride
6-4
27
1-0
12
Ridgway
4-3
23
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Mountain Lutheran 19, Beth Eden Baptist 17, Colorado Rocky Mountain 15, Lake County 12, Lotus School For Excellence 9, Colorado Springs School 3, Union Colony Prep 2, Dolores Huerta Prep 1
Dropped out
Beth Eden Baptist (8), Colorado Rocky Mountain (10)
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing bcochi@chsaa.org. These rankings are part of the postseason seeding process.
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing bcochi@chsaa.org. These rankings are part of the postseason seeding process.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mountain Vista (12)
10-0
194
1
0-0
2
Cherokee Trail
11-1
158
4
3-0
3
Rampart (1)
6-1
154
7
3-0
4
Cherry Creek
11-1
142
2
2-0
5
Chaparral
6-2
119
3
1-1
6
Columbine
7-0
108
10
3-0
7
Ralston Valley
10-0
95
5
1-0
8
Grandview
9-3
81
6
3-0
9
Legend
5-3
64
8
1-0
10
Valor Christian
4-2
63
8
0-0
11
Chatfield
6-2
57
14
3-0
12
Fossil Ridge
8-1
56
–
4-0
13
Fort Collins
7-4
46
13
4-1
14
Liberty
8-3
40
11
1-2
15
Pueblo West
10-1
39
12
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Denver East 30, Pine Creek 18, Loveland 12, Heritage 10, Eaglecrest 10, Regis Jesuit 9, Ponderosa 9, Highlands Ranch 7, Brighton 7, Rocky Mountain 6, Castle View 6, Fruita Monument 6, Douglas County 5, Broomfield 5, Denver South 3, Horizon 1
Dropped out
Denver East (15)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Cheyenne Mountain (10)
7-2
285
2
1-2
2
Palmer Ridge (3)
8-3
249
1
0-2
3
Windsor (4)
11-0
213
3
5-0
4
Coronado (1)
9-0
192
4
2-0
5
Mead (1)
7-1
178
8
5-1
6
Niwot
11-2
159
5
2-1
7
Discovery Canyon
7-2
148
11
3-0
8
Eagle Valley
8-1
145
7
0-0
9
Palisade
8-2
124
10
1-1
10
Durango
9-2
110
8
1-2
11
Frederick
11-2
85
–
5-0
12
Woodland Park
8-1
84
12
1-0
13
Holy Family
7-3
79
13
3-2
14
Thompson Valley
9-2
71
6
4-2
15
Thomas Jefferson
8-1
50
14
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Skyview 47, Erie 38, Montrose 30, Lewis-Palmer 20, D’Evelyn 17, Berthoud 16, Lincoln 16, Fort Morgan 15, Falcon 15, Northfield 15, Denver West 15, Denver North 14, The Classical Academy 13, George Washington 13, Evergreen 11, Aurora Central 9, Steamboat Springs 8, Alameda 8, Battle Mountain 7, Canon City 5, Centaurus 4, Mullen 4, Golden 3, Conifer 2, Roosevelt 2, Longmont 1
Dropped out
Erie (15)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Eaton (14)
10-0
298
1
4-0
2
Sterling (2)
9-2
227
4
3-0
3
Lamar (2)
11-0
216
3
2-0
4
Lutheran
8-2
175
2
1-2
5
Montezuma-Cortez
11-0
169
7
2-0
6
DSST: Montview (1)
9-1
151
5
2-1
7
Bayfield
8-3
135
12
2-0
7
University
9-2
135
6
3-0
9
Resurrection Christian
7-3
130
8
2-0
10
Alamosa
8-3
115
8
2-0
11
Prospect Ridge Academy
11-1
105
11
2-0
12
Platte Valley
6-5
83
14
3-0
13
Middle Park
9-2
69
–
2-0
14
Manitou Springs
6-2
56
13
2-1
15
Faith Christian
6-4
49
15
2-2
Others receiving votes:
The Vanguard School 47, Colorado Springs Christian 40, Liberty Common 34, Coal Ridge 29, Fort Lupton 24, Bennett 22, DSST: Byers 20, The Academy 20, Bishop Machebeuf 20, Lake County 18, The Pinnacle 17, Frontier Academy 17, James Irwin 15, SkyView Academy 15, Centauri 14, Valley 14, Cedaredge 14, Eagle Ridge Academy 13, St. Mary’s 13, Arrupe Jesuit 12, Basalt 11, KIPP Denver Collegiate 11, Moffat County 10, Estes Park 10, Delta 10, DSST: College View 9, Strive Prep – Smart Academy 8, Kent Denver 8, Colorado Academy 7, Peak to Peak 5, Strasburg 5, Buena Vista 4, Pagosa Springs 3, Highland 3, Brush 2, Ellicott 2, Sheridan 1
Dropped out
Colorado Springs Christian (10)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Wiggins (8)
11-2
219
2
3-0
2
Denver Christian (5)
6-0
208
3
3-0
3
Meeker (2)
9-0
206
1
1-0
4
Sedgwick County
10-2
177
4
2-1
5
Fowler
8-2
162
5
1-0
6
Vail Christian
7-0
135
7
2-0
7
Dayspring Christian Academy
9-1
107
6
1-1
8
Limon
5-6
100
8
1-1
9
Vail Mountain
8-2
89
12
2-0
10
Del Norte
9-3
72
8
3-0
11
Soroco
9-1
71
14
2-0
12
Heritage Christian
8-3
63
11
2-1
13
Union Colony Prep
9-2
46
–
1-1
14
Rye
4-1
38
10
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Ford 30, Monte Vista 20, Sargent 20, Addenbrooke Classical Academy 18, Holyoke 16, Dolores 16, Hoehne 16, Wray 10, Yuma 9, West Grand 9, Swink 7, Ignacio 7, Telluride 6, Byers 6, Gilpin County 2, Colorado Springs School 1, Platte Canyon 1
Dropped out
Monte Vista (15)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fleming (13)
11-0
275
1
3-0
2
Simla (4)
11-0
264
2
3-0
3
Wiley
9-1
227
4
3-0
4
Stratton/Liberty
11-0
216
3
3-0
5
Merino (1)
9-2
192
5
3-0
6
Springfield
10-1
180
7
2-0
7
Sangre de Cristo
9-3
161
6
1-1
8
Briggsdale
9-3
142
8
4-0
9
Kit Carson
8-4
124
8
2-1
10
Dove Creek
8-1
100
10
1-0
11
Belleview Christian (1)
7-0
87
15
2-0
12
Genoa-Hugo/Karval
7-3
75
14
2-1
13
Elbert (1)
7-2
66
12
1-1
14
McClave
9-4
65
11
1-2
15
Otis
7-3
49
13
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Weldon Valley 32, Flatirons Academy 18, Cotopaxi 17, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 14, Kiowa 14, De Beque 13, Antonito 11, Hanover 9, Cripple Creek-Victor 7, Evangelical Christian 7, Pikes Peak Christian 6, Kim/Branson 6, Idalia 5, Haxtun 5, Deer Trail 4, Flagler 4, South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett] 4, La Veta 1
