This week’s girls basketball rankings saw Centauri move up to No. 1 in Class 3A, as well as 13 new teams join the polls across five classifications.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Mountain Vista 37, Chatfield 37, Westminster 36, Denver South 33, Lakewood 31, Eaglecrest 24, Arvada West 19, Cherokee Trail 17, Columbine 16, Ponderosa 13, Pine Creek 12, Fort Collins 10, Monarch 9, Denver East 8, Loveland 8, Pueblo West 7, Fountain-Fort Carson 5, Dakota Ridge 5, Fairview 4, Liberty 2, Palmer 1, Horizon 1
Dropped out
Denver East (10), Lakewood (14), Fountain-Fort Carson (15)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mullen (17)
1-1
275
1
1-1
2
Green Mountain (3)
2-0
274
3
2-0
3
George Washington (2)
3-0
243
7
3-0
4
Holy Family (1)
1-1
242
2
1-1
5
Windsor
2-0
205
–
2-0
6
Erie
1-1
197
4
1-1
7
Falcon (1)
2-0
178
8
2-0
8
Thompson Valley
2-0
137
15
2-0
9
Severance
1-1
122
8
1-1
10
Berthoud
1-1
106
5
1-1
11
The Classical Academy
2-0
98
–
2-0
12
Grand Junction Central
2-0
94
–
2-0
13
Sierra
1-0
88
10
1-0
14
Durango
3-1
78
11
3-1
15
Roosevelt (1)
2-0
71
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Palmer Ridge 63, Sand Creek 56, Mead 50, Lewis-Palmer 46, Canon City 45, Widefield 42, D’Evelyn 34, Evergreen 33, Montrose 27, Northridge 22, Coronado 22, Thomas Jefferson 20, Pueblo Centennial 16, Palisade 15, Battle Mountain 12, Glenwood Springs 12, Cheyenne Mountain 11, Northfield 10, Longmont 9, Discovery Canyon 9, Riverdale Ridge 8, Centaurus 7, Denver North 6, Wheat Ridge 5, Mesa Ridge 4, Greeley West 2, Eagle Valley 1, Littleton 1, Weld Central 1, Mountain View 1, Conifer 1, Steamboat Springs 1
Dropped out
Sand Creek (6), Evergreen (12), Canon City (13), Mead (14)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Centauri (8)
2-0
284
2
2-0
2
Lutheran (8)
2-0
278
4
2-0
3
University (1)
1-1
256
1
1-1
4
The Vanguard School (2)
1-0
238
5
1-0
5
The Academy
0-0
206
3
0-0
6
Eaton (2)
2-0
198
10
2-0
7
Delta
1-0
182
6
1-0
8
Pagosa Springs
2-0
148
8
2-0
9
St. Mary’s
1-0
147
8
1-0
10
Platte Valley
2-1
141
7
2-1
11
Manitou Springs
0-1
87
11
0-1
12
Brush
1-1
70
12
1-1
13
Moffat County
1-0
56
15
1-0
14
Grand Valley
2-0
42
–
2-0
15
Alamosa
1-2
32
13
1-2
Others receiving votes:
Faith Christian 31, Arrupe Jesuit 29, Prospect Ridge 26, Jefferson Academy 23, Lamar 23, Coal Ridge 23, Colorado Academy 19, St. Mary’s Academy 19, Valley 18, Sterling 17, Kent Denver 16, Machebeuf 15, Bennett 14, Bruce Randolph 13, Resurrection Christian 11, The Pinnacle 11, Buena Vista 11, Basalt 10, Middle Park 8, Arvada 7, DSST: Montview 6, Colorado Springs Christian 6, La Junta 6, Frontier Academy 5, Jefferson 5, KIPP Collegiate 4, Peak to Peak 4, Bayfield 4, SkyView Academy 4, Fort Lupton 3, DSST: Byers 2, Salida 1, Manual 1
Dropped out
St. Mary’s Academy (14)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Rye (10)
2-0
247
1
2-0
2
Sanford (3)
3-0
229
3
3-0
3
Holyoke
3-0
210
4
3-0
4
Limon (1)
2-0
181
2
2-0
5
Wray
2-0
174
5
2-0
6
Cedaredge (3)
2-0
161
10
2-0
7
Rocky Ford
1-0
141
6
1-0
8
Ignacio
0-1
96
7
0-1
9
Soroco
2-0
92
14
2-0
10
Del Norte (1)
2-1
75
8
2-1
11
Heritage Christian
1-0
72
12
1-0
12
Sedgwick County
2-0
69
–
2-0
13
Peyton
0-1
51
15
0-1
14
Yuma
0-2
48
11
0-2
15
Lotus School for Excellence
3-0
37
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Meeker 36, Paonia 31, Burlington 23, Rangely 22, Olathe 21, Front Range Christian 16, Hayden 15, Swink 12, Byers 12, Colorado Springs School 10, Holly 10, Denver Christian 9, Crested Butte 9, West Grand 8, Fowler 7, Lake County 7, Addenbrooke Classical 6, Wiggins 4, Dawson 4, Dayspring Christian 4, Thomas MacLaren 3, Center 2, Lyons 2, Hoehne 2, Akron 1, Crowley County 1
Dropped out
Meeker (8), Holly (13)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Briggsdale (17)
2-0
297
1
2-0
2
Kit Carson (1)
2-0
221
6
2-0
3
Sangre de Cristo
1-0
216
3
1-0
4
McClave
2-0
212
5
2-0
5
Simla
2-0
191
8
2-0
6
Fleming
1-1
178
2
1-1
7
Flatirons Academy
2-0
164
10
2-0
8
Haxtun
2-0
153
–
2-0
9
Cotopaxi
2-0
126
8
2-0
10
Shining Mountain
2-0
118
12
2-0
11
Kim/Branson
2-0
104
–
2-0
12
South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett]
0-1
78
4
0-1
13
Elbert (1)
1-0
62
15
1-0
14
Centennial (2)
2-0
49
–
2-0
15
Lone Star
0-1
43
7
0-1
Others receiving votes:
Dove Creek 41, Eads 39, Longmont Christian 32, North Park 23, Kiowa 23, Sierra Grande 20, Wiley 15, Merino 15, Springfield 14, Moffat 12, Peetz 11, Idalia 10, Cheraw 10, Genoa-Hugo 10, Caprock Academy 9, Belleview Christian 6, Aguilar 5, Miami-Yoder 5, De Beque 4, Granada 3, Liberty/Stratton 1
De Beque has taken over at this week’s Class 1A boys basketball rankings, and the polls as a whole added 14 new teams.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Fairview 45, Douglas County 36, Chatfield 26, Vista PEAK 22, Rampart 21, Legend 18, Heritage 16, Silver Creek 14, Fountain-Fort Carson 14, Rock Canyon 13, Mullen 13, Grandview 13, Highlands Ranch 10, Pomona 7, Denver South 6, Columbine 4, Arapahoe 4, Poudre 4, Legacy 3, Boulder 2, Horizon 1, Skyline 1
Dropped out
Fairview (12), Grandview (13), Legend (14)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mead (22)
1-0
402
1
1-0
2
Lewis-Palmer
2-0
345
2
2-0
3
Longmont (1)
2-0
303
3
2-0
4
Golden
2-0
293
5
2-0
5
Windsor (3)
1-0
261
4
1-0
6
Erie
1-0
207
8
1-0
7
Pueblo Central (1)
2-0
204
10
2-0
8
Evergreen
1-1
165
6
1-1
9
Montrose
1-0
133
7
1-0
10
Pueblo East
1-0
123
11
1-0
11
Centaurus
1-1
117
12
1-1
12
Frederick
2-0
115
–
2-0
13
Pueblo South
2-0
95
–
2-0
14
Harrison
1-1
73
8
1-1
15
Aurora Central (1)
3-0
72
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Palmer Ridge 69, Sand Creek 57, D’Evelyn 50, Green Mountain 47, Cheyenne Mountain 44, Palisade 39, Roosevelt 35, Mountain View 35, Coronado 20, Holy Family 16, Widefield 15, Denver North 15, Canon City 13, Thomas Jefferson 12, Eagle Valley 11, Steamboat Springs 11, Lincoln 10, Thompson Valley 10, The Classical Academy 9, Mitchell 8, Discovery Canyon 8, Northfield 7, Glenwood Springs 5, Riverdale Ridge 5, Grand Junction Central 4, Weld Central 4, Severance 4, Pueblo Centennial 3, Wheat Ridge 3, Berthoud 1, Falcon 1, Pueblo County 1
Dropped out
Cheyenne Mountain (13), Holy Family (14), Green Mountain (15)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Lutheran (20)
2-0
381
1
2-0
2
St. Mary’s (4)
2-0
313
7
2-0
3
Faith Christian (2)
1-1
304
2
1-1
4
Manitou Springs
2-0
263
4
2-0
5
Centauri
1-0
228
8
1-0
6
Resurrection Christian
1-1
187
5
1-1
7
Eaton
1-1
171
8
1-1
8
Sterling
0-1
169
3
0-1
9
Coal Ridge
1-0
159
10
1-0
10
Colorado Academy
2-0
141
–
2-0
11
Manual
0-1
110
6
0-1
12
Highland
2-1
84
–
2-1
13
University
0-2
63
11
0-2
14
Englewood
2-1
61
–
2-1
15
Bishop Machebeuf
2-0
49
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Alamosa 46, Colorado Springs Christian 45, DSST: Byers 37, The Vanguard School 37, Strasburg 35, Kent Denver 32, Estes Park 24, Platte Valley 22, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 22, Gunnison 19, Salida 17, Bennett 14, DSST: College View 13, Roaring Fork 9, Brush 9, Lamar 8, Liberty Common 8, Moffat County 7, Woodland Park 7, Buena Vista 5, Aspen 4, Basalt 3, DSST: Montview 3, Grand Valley 3, DSST: Conservatory Green 2, Pagosa Springs 2, Fort Lupton 2, Montezuma-Cortez 2
Dropped out
Alamosa (12), Gunnison (13), DSST: Byers (14), The Vanguard School (15)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Limon (20)
2-0
326
1
2-0
2
Wray (1)
2-0
280
4
2-0
3
Fowler
1-1
230
3
1-1
4
Yuma (1)
0-2
226
2
0-2
5
Mancos
2-0
202
11
2-0
6
Sanford
2-1
174
5
2-1
7
Sedgwick County
2-0
166
10
2-0
8
Denver Christian
1-1
140
6
1-1
9
Holly
1-0
122
8
1-0
10
Ignacio
0-1
117
8
0-1
11
Meeker
2-0
95
13
2-0
12
Crested Butte
1-0
91
12
1-0
13
Peyton
0-1
90
7
0-1
14
Holyoke
2-1
84
14
2-1
15
Monte Vista
1-1
44
–
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Vail Mountain 33, Vail Christian 28, Wiggins 25, Clear Creek 22, West Grand 14, Dayspring Christian Academy 13, Sargent 12, Center 10, Soroco 10, Gilpin County 10, Golden View Classical 8, Del Norte 8, Cedaredge 7, Lotus School for Excellence 6, Thomas MacLaren 6, Swink 6, Olathe 6, Telluride 5, Akron 4, Byers 4, Dolores 3, Front Range Christian 3, Rye 2, Calhan 2, Heritage Christian 2, Crowley County 1, John Mall 1, Dawson School 1, Lyons 1
Dropped out
Vail Mountain (15)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
De Beque (10)
2-0
280
2
2-0
2
Mile High Academy (6)
0-0
258
1
0-0
3
Belleview Christian (3)
3-0
206
8
3-0
4
Kit Carson
2-0
189
4
2-0
5
Briggsdale
2-0
185
5
2-0
6
Merino (1)
1-0
184
3
1-0
7
Primero
2-0
159
6
2-0
8
Haxtun
2-0
122
10
2-0
9
Sangre de Cristo
1-0
100
8
1-0
10
Cheraw
2-0
87
–
2-0
11
Granada
2-0
75
13
2-0
12
Evangelical Christian
1-1
71
12
1-1
13
Denver Jewish Day
1-1
60
–
1-1
14
Flatirons Academy
2-0
58
–
2-0
15
Genoa-Hugo
1-1
54
7
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Mountain Lutheran 40, Cheyenne Wells 32, McClave 32, Denver Waldorf 31, Kim/Branson 23, Longmont Christian 23, Pikes Peak Christian 22, Eads 21, Fleming 20, Springfield 11, Sierra Grande 8, Cotopaxi 8, Walsh 8, Arickaree/Woodlin 7, Caliche 6, Flagler 3, Prairie 2, Ouray 2, Caprock Academy 1, Simla 1
The preseason girls basketball rankings are led by Grandview (5A), Mullen (4A), University (3A), Rye (2A), and Briggsdale (1A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Fruita Monument 34, Mountain Vista 32, Columbine 29, Denver South 28, ThunderRidge 27, Horizon 26, Cherokee Trail 25, Pueblo West 24, Fairview 24, Eaglecrest 19, Air Academy 13, Castle View 12, Chatfield 11, Doherty 10, Ponderosa 3, Vista Ridge 3, Pine Creek 2, Arvada West 2, Monarch 2, Rocky Mountain 1, Liberty 1
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Mullen (15)
0-0
276
2
Holy Family (2)
0-0
267
3
Green Mountain
0-0
196
4
Erie (1)
0-0
185
5
Berthoud
0-0
158
6
Sand Creek
0-0
155
7
George Washington (1)
0-0
150
8
Falcon
0-0
102
9
Severance
0-0
78
10
Sierra
0-0
76
11
Durango
0-0
75
12
Evergreen (1)
0-0
69
13
Canon City
0-0
65
14
Mead
0-0
63
15
Thompson Valley
0-0
54
Others receiving votes:
Montrose 47, Glenwood Springs 39, Windsor 37, D’Evelyn 28, Lewis-Palmer 22, Northridge 20, Palmer Ridge 18, Northfield 17, Thomas Jefferson 17, Greeley West 17, Golden 16, Centaurus 14, The Classical Academy 13, Pueblo County 13, Grand Junction Central 13, Fort Morgan 11, Alameda 9, Roosevelt 9, Riverdale Ridge 8, Mesa Ridge 8, Pueblo South 8, Aurora Central 6, Littleton 5, Discovery Canyon 5, Coronado 4, Frederick 4, Battle Mountain 4, Conifer 3, Weld Central 2, Harrison 1, Thornton 1
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
University (3)
0-0
197
2
Centauri (4)
0-0
184
3
The Academy (1)
0-0
178
4
Lutheran (1)
0-0
169
5
The Vanguard School (2)
0-0
167
6
Delta
0-0
151
7
Platte Valley
0-0
133
8
St. Mary’s (3)
0-0
117
9
Pagosa Springs
0-0
116
10
Eaton (1)
0-0
102
11
Manitou Springs
0-0
87
12
Brush
0-0
71
13
Alamosa
0-0
45
14
St. Mary’s Academy (2)
0-0
43
15
Moffat County
0-0
41
Others receiving votes:
Coal Ridge 28, Faith Christian 26, Sterling 23, Colorado Springs Christian 21, Valley 21, Machebeuf 20, Grand Valley 18, DSST: Byers 17, Manual 14, Bayfield 14, Kent Denver 13, Ellicott 13, The Pinnacle 13, Resurrection Christian 12, Middle Park 11, Florence 10, KIPP Collegiate 7, Jefferson Academy 6, Estes Park 6, Buena Vista 5, Lamar 5, Colorado Academy 4, Strasburg 4, SkyView Academy 4, Liberty Common 2, Bennett 2, Gunnison 2, Peak to Peak 2, La Junta 1, Salida 1, Roaring Fork 1, Stargate School 1
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Rye (3)
0-0
206
2
Limon (7)
0-0
191
3
Sanford (1)
0-0
189
4
Holyoke (3)
0-0
170
5
Wray
0-0
124
6
Rocky Ford
0-0
122
7
Ignacio
0-0
121
8
Del Norte
0-0
117
9
Meeker
0-0
94
10
Cedaredge (1)
0-0
78
11
Yuma
0-0
61
12
Heritage Christian
0-0
53
13
Holly
0-0
48
14
Soroco
0-0
47
15
Peyton
0-0
41
Others receiving votes:
Colorado Springs School 33, Hotchkiss 27, Swink 26, Sedgwick County 25, Plateau Valley 22, Custer County 17, Dawson 16, Denver Christian 15, Fowler 15, Monte Vista 15, Center 14, Hayden 12, Burlington 11, Sargent 10, Swallows Charter 10, Akron 10, Crowley County 9, Calhan 8, Addenbrooke Classical 8, Crested Butte 8, Rangely 8, Trinidad 7, Olathe 6, Hoehne 6, Lotus School for Excellence 5, Byers 4, Dolores Huerta 4, Dayspring Christian 3, Front Range Christian 2, Loveland Classical 1, South Park 1
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Briggsdale (12)
0-0
231
2
Fleming (1)
0-0
226
3
Sangre de Cristo
0-0
171
4
South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett] (2)
0-0
146
5
McClave
0-0
134
6
Kit Carson
0-0
133
7
Lone Star
0-0
129
8
Cotopaxi (1)
0-0
127
9
Simla
0-0
107
10
Flatirons Academy
0-0
96
11
Springfield
0-0
94
12
Shining Mountain
0-0
86
13
Genoa-Hugo
0-0
66
14
Merino
0-0
63
15
Elbert (1)
0-0
42
Others receiving votes:
Kim/Branson 29, Wiley 25, De Beque 23, Dove Creek 22, Sierra Grande 12, La Veta 11, Longmont Christian 10, Idalia 9, Cheraw 7, Haxtun 7, Liberty/Stratton 6, Granada 6, Mile High Academy 5, Evangelical Christian 4, Kiowa 3, Moffat 2, Prairie 1
The preseason boys basketball rankings are out. Leading the way are Cherry Creek (5A), Mead (4A), Lutheran (3A), Limon (2A), and Mile High Academy (1A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
Fossil Ridge 40, Douglas County 40, Ralston Valley 37, Vista PEAK 26, Horizon 25, Boulder 22, Doherty 20, Arapahoe 19, Rock Canyon 19, Columbine 18, Adams City 15, Chatfield 12, Rocky Mountain 6, Pine Creek 5, Mullen 4, Broomfield 4, Rampart 4, Silver Creek 3, Hinkley 3, Dakota Ridge 2, Cherokee Trail 2, Arvada West 2, Brighton 1, Far Northeast Warriors 1
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Mead (10)
0-0
238
2
Lewis-Palmer (4)
0-0
192
3
Longmont
0-0
169
4
Windsor (1)
0-0
115
5
Golden
0-0
111
6
Evergreen
0-0
109
7
Montrose (1)
0-0
87
8
Harrison
0-0
86
9
Erie
0-0
82
10
Pueblo Central
0-0
81
11
Pueblo East
0-0
80
12
Centaurus
0-0
77
13
Cheyenne Mountain
0-0
70
14
Holy Family
0-0
54
15
Green Mountain
0-0
52
Others receiving votes:
Northfield 47, Lincoln 42, Widefield 37, Sand Creek 36, Thomas Jefferson 36, Glenwood Springs 35, Frederick 34, Pueblo Centennial 27, Canon City 24, D’Evelyn 20, The Classical Academy 20, Thompson Valley 19, Wheat Ridge 17, Pueblo South 16, Discovery Canyon 16, Steamboat Springs 14, Mesa Ridge 12, Berthoud 11, Aurora Central 10, Niwot 10, Coronado 9, Riverdale Ridge 9, Eagle Valley 9, Palmer Ridge 9, Palisade 7, Mountain View 7, Mitchell 5, Falcon 4, Roosevelt 4, Sierra 3, Denver North 2, Severance 2, Rifle 2, Durango 1
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Lutheran (16)
0-0
321
2
Faith Christian
0-0
231
3
Sterling (1)
0-0
223
4
Manitou Springs
0-0
205
5
Resurrection Christian (5)
0-0
194
6
Manual
0-0
182
7
St. Mary’s
0-0
180
8
Centauri
0-0
169
9
Eaton
0-0
161
10
Coal Ridge
0-0
115
11
University
0-0
103
12
Alamosa
0-0
94
13
Gunnison
0-0
92
14
DSST: Byers
0-0
76
15
The Vanguard School (1)
0-0
60
Others receiving votes:
Colorado Academy 57, Kent Denver 51, Bishop Machebeuf 46, Highland 40, Strasburg 39, Englewood 38, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 35, Florence 33, Ellicott 26, Colorado Springs Christian 21, Salida 15, Valley 15, Jefferson Academy 14, Middle Park 12, Stargate School 12, KIPP Denver Collegiate 11, DSST: Montview 10, DSST: College View 10, Aspen 10, Moffat County 10, Frontier Academy 9, DSST: Conservatory Green 8, Woodland Park 8, Estes Park 8, James Irwin 5, Grand Valley 4, Roaring Fork 4, Lamar 3, Bruce Randolph 3, Pagosa Springs 2, Banning Lewis 2, The Academy 1, Jefferson 1, Peak to Peak 1
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Limon (14)
0-0
252
2
Yuma (3)
0-0
230
3
Fowler
0-0
180
4
Wray
0-0
171
5
Sanford
0-0
165
6
Denver Christian
0-0
153
7
Peyton
0-0
149
8
Ignacio
0-0
128
9
Holly
0-0
120
10
Sedgwick County
0-0
116
11
Mancos
0-0
114
12
Crested Butte
0-0
48
13
Meeker
0-0
32
14
Holyoke
0-0
29
15
Vail Mountain
0-0
26
Others receiving votes:
Dayspring Christian Academy 23, Heritage Christian 22, Monte Vista 19, Vail Christian 11, Dawson School 10, Wiggins 8, Burlington 6, Crowley County 4, Thomas MacLaren 4, Rangely 3, Rye 3, Cedaredge 2, Hotchkiss 2, Plateau Valley 2, Dolores 2, Olathe 1, South Park 1, Dolores Huerta Prep 1, Sargent 1
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Mile High Academy (7)
0-0
228
2
De Beque (6)
0-0
226
3
Merino
0-0
157
4
Kit Carson (2)
0-0
123
5
Briggsdale
0-0
113
6
Primero
0-0
102
7
Genoa-Hugo
0-0
95
8
Belleview Christian (1)
0-0
89
9
Sangre de Cristo
0-0
87
10
Haxtun
0-0
77
11
Walsh
0-0
69
12
Evangelical Christian
0-0
68
13
Granada
0-0
61
14
Kim/Branson
0-0
59
15
Ouray (1)
0-0
55
Others receiving votes:
Cheraw 46, Denver Jewish Day 42, Cheyenne Wells 41, Simla 41, Eads 34, Edison 32, Fleming 28, Stratton/Liberty 28, Flatirons Academy 23, Denver Waldorf 19, Pikes Peak Christian 17, Springfield 14, Prairie 11, Longmont Christian 11, Sierra Grande 10, Manzanola 8, Front Range Baptist 7, Dove Creek 6, Cotopaxi 6, Wiley 3, Caprock Academy 3, McClave 1
Sometimes, the most amazing feats can results in just a few simple actions. That’s how Sanford’s Kelton Gartrell explains the staggering numbers he put up in 2020.
Gartrell averaged over 165 rushing yards per game, but more impressively he averaged 10.4 yards per carry. If he touched the ball, there was a good chance that Sanford was getting a first down.
At season’s end, Gartrell was voted the 8-man player of the year. He and his teammates advanced to the state championship game before losing to Sedgwick County. But Gartell shined in his time at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.
He ran for 207 yards and four touchdowns and did so by trusting his teammates just as they trusted him.
“It’s easy for for me to play hard for them,” Gartrell said. “I’ve been playing football with them for a long time. They’re my teammates and my best friends. If they can just block that one person, I’ll do the rest. If they can do their part, I can do mine.”
Gartrell ran for more than 200 yards three times in 2020. He got everyone’s attention in the state championship game by breaking a pair of long touchdown runs that gave Sanford an early edge over Sedgwick County, a team that has been nothing short of dominant for the last six seasons.
“Sedgwick County has a bunch of athletes that are big, strong and fast,” Sanford coach Joe Cary said. “That just went to prove what kind of athlete Kelton is, that he can break loose and get over 200 yards on a team like that. It speaks levels of what he’s capable of doing.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The jump from Gartrell’s sophomore season to his junior season in numbers came in big part thanks to his work ethic in the offseason. He made sure to hit a solid weightlifting program and took advantage of every opportunity to get better.
The results showed once the season started in early October and Gartrell was able to perform his role on the field.
“I worked really hard this offseason, pumping iron there at the start of the summer,” Gartrell said. “The difference between my sophomore and junior years was insane. I’m hoping to stick with the same program and see the same benefit from this year to next year.”
And it didn’t take long for next year to enter into his mind. When the all-state teams were announced last week, Cary lobbed Gartrell a phone call to congratulate him on player of the year honors, but reminded him that there is still work to be done for 2021. Gartrell was way ahead of his coach.
“I said don’t be content with what you’ve done this year because you have to work twice as hard to be as good next year,” Cary said. “He said ‘Coach, you know I will.’ The mindset the kid has about being better and not being content with what he’s done is unreal.”
What makes him all the better is when Gartrell eyes his goals for next year and they’re not focused on individual accolades.
The taste of getting to the state title game was so good that Gartrell is aiming to get his team right back there and come away with a much better result than this year.
“I still need a ring,” he said. “The ring is what I’m chasing next year. Hopefully I can be the player of the year again, but if I don’t and I get a ring, I’m good with that. Winning a state championship is the goal now.”
To accomplish that goal, he’ll focus on doing his job while allowing his teammates to do theirs.
The 2020 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created from the results of the coaches’ vote.
Because there will be two football seasons during the 2020-21 school year, this is the all-state football team for Season A. There will be a separate all-state football team released for Season C.
PUEBLO — When it comes to the state record for winning consecutive football championships, Limon has company.
With its 72-32 win over Sanford at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at CSU-Pueblo, Sedgwick County claimed its sixth straight 8-man football championship. The Cougars tie a state record set by Limon in the 1960’s. Sedgwick County, however, becomes the first program to ever win six straight titles in the same classification.
And it got the record in style by adding a championship game scoring record in the process. The Cougars (9-0 overall) broke the championship scoring record of 66 points and did it on a touchdown pass that capped a drive in which coach Chris Michel let his offense call its own plays.
“They’re a special group,” Michel said. “I would’ve taken a 6-0 win with these guys. At the end of the game I promised them a long time ago that in the fourth quarter I’d give them a drive and would let them call their own plays.”
After surviving a a pair of long touchdown runs from Sanford’s Kelton Gartrell, Sedgwick County quarterback Jared Ehmke got his offense in gear.
He threw for four touchdown passes in the first half, with Jaciel Villabolos and Terrance Heath each catching two. The Cougars also got rushing touchdowns from Brody Parker and Kaleb Fowler.
“I have a lot of confidence in my offense and my offensive line,” Ehmke said. “They scored a few but I had faith that we could score a few too.”
While playing in the first state championship game in program history, Sanford (7-1) had no intention of being just a footnote for this historical feat. It was going to make the Cougars earn it. Through just four carries, Gartrell amassed 108 yards and two touchdowns to give the Cougars an early scare.
Sanford kept itself in the game with a halfback pass as Cash Caldon found Ruben Chavez in the back of the end zone to cut the Sedgwick County lead to 22-18.
But the Cougars had the horses to pull away. They scored three straight touchdowns to close the first half, getting a firm grip on Colorado football history.
“It’s going to take a second to really feel like we made history,” Heath said. “Only one other team in the state has done this. It’s going to take a long time for this to set in.”
In a way, the fact that it came during an unpredictable 2020 season was fitting. Because of the nature of the way the season played out during the COIVD-19 pandemic, all football games were moved to CSU-P which gave the 8-man players an experience never before seen at in the classification.
Under the bright lights normally occupied by a national championship winning program, the Cougars put their now all-time great program on display.
“I love the atmosphere here,” Heath said. “Eight-man, 6-man, 1A, we all play at home fields and this is the first time we’ve played on a big field. To win a championship on it is pretty awesome.”
Ehmke’s day ended with five touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown. He was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player despite solid performances from several players on the team.
“They have a really good offense and we have a really good offense,” Ehmke said. “It was a lot of fun at the beginning. My coach called some great plays, my o-line blocked for me, my wide receivers caught the passes I threw to them so all the credit to them.”
The Cougars historical performance is a fitting cap to a historic six-year championship run, and it’s not necessarily a run that is ready to end.
For the last several years, the 8-man football championship game has felt more like a game show than anything else. The point of the contest? Seeing if anyone can stop Sedgwick County’s run of dominance in the championship game.
Come on down, Sanford. You’re the next contestant.
Since the 2015 season, the Cougars (8-0) have been nothing short of dominant and have rattled off five straight state championship in a row. In fact, in this entire six-year run, they’ve lost just two total games. Perkins County (Neb.) got them in 2016 and Merino got a 27-24 win during the 2018 regular season.
Other than that, Sedgwick County has rattled off win after win and that includes zero playoff losses in its last six tournament runs.
This year has shown to be no different.
Sedgwick County coach Chris Michel is trying to lead his team to a sixth straight state championship. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The Cougars won their first three games by a combined score of 156-26. They finished the regular season strongly and then proceeded to win their first two playoff games by a 91-18 margin. And if history is any indicator, they have the experience needed in a state championship game to continue their historic run.
If the Cougars win this week, they’ll become just the second team in state history to claim six straight titles. Limon won six in a row from 1963-68. Valor Christian won five in a row from 2009-13.
If the 2020 postseason has done anything for Sanford, it has made the team battle-tested. The program was outscored its regular season opponents 244-46 before having to battle in the first two rounds of the 8-man tournament.
Sanford (7-0) beat Mancos 36-28 before edging Merino 16-14. Should Thursday’s state championship game remain close, Sanford is a team that has twice battled in close contests only to come away with the win, showing a high level of on-field maturity needed in that atmosphere.
The only catch is that the is the first football championship game that Sanford has ever played in. While their on-field composure has been clutch so far in the playoffs, the nerves that come with playing in a championship game is an entirely different beast and one the Cougars have been dealt with for six straight years now.
The 8-man championship game will the second state football title game to be played on Thursday and will follow Fleming vs. Stratton/Liberty in the 6-man game. Kick is scheduled for 6 p.m.
