Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
From left to right, the players of the year: Murphy McRoberts, Fossil Ridge (5A); Alexandria Kilponen, Valor Christian (4A); Bridgette Hutton, Valley (3A). (Photos: Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com; Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com; Kelly Thornburg/MVPSportsPics.com)
The 2014 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These team were created following a process where the coaches voted upon a list of nominees. Those nominees included every player who was a first-team all-league selection.
Coaches also voted specifically for player and coach of the year.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
Then senior Collin Root drilled a 56-yard field goal on the final play of the Mustangs’ second-round game against Eaglecrest. It made for an unbelievable, miraculous 44-43 win.
“56-yarder, with that kind of pressure, by Collin Root, it’s just an unbelievable kick,” Ralston Valley coach Matt Loyd told Colorado Preps’ Scoreboard Show on Friday night.
Ralston Valley’s Collin Root reacts to kicking the game-winning field goal against Eaglecrest. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
The two teams slugged it out the entire night, with Eaglecrest methodically marching down and kicking what looked to be a game-winning field goal with 38 seconds left following a fumble recovery.
But Ralston Valley got one last crack. With Eaglecrest in a prevent defense, and despite having just one timeout, the Mustangs dialed up three straight run plays — two by Kyle Rush, another by Andrew Wingard — to drive down to Eaglecrest’s 39-yard-line with 3.3 seconds remaining.
With the famous Legacy Stadium wind at his back, Root stepped up and drilled the kick. Eaglecrest coach Mike Schmitt later told the Aurora Sentinel that he thought the odds of it going through the uprights was “1 percent.”
“He’s such a heck of a kicker, and he’s hit 55 in practice multiple times,” Loyd said. “The key word being ‘practice.’ Different story with the game on the line in order to keep moving on.”
Root entered the game having hit 2-of-4 field goals this season, with a long of 43.
“It was unbelievable,” Loyd said. “It was pretty exciting for our guys. We’ve actually been out there three times before, and lost heartbreakers, so we were able to win that one.”
The Mustangs, a No. 1 seed, move on to host No. 2 Fairview in the quarterfinals.
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4A: (13) Falcon 28, (4) Denver South 13
Matt Bastian, Josiah Hall, Jeff Vela and Wyatt Aaberg each had rushing touchdowns for the Falcons, who pulled the biggest upset of 4A’s first round.
“We knew we had to go on the road and battle against a really tough team, and our kids really came together and found a way to get it done tonight,” Brian Green, Falcon’s co-head coach, told the Scoreboard Show.
It was Vela’s score in the third quarter which made it 21-7 as Falcon announced the upset potential to the state. The Rebels did cut it to 21-13 later in the third quarter, but Aaberg’s touchdown put the game away.
Falcon did a great job of containing South’s ground game, as well, and actually didn’t allow a rushing touchdown.
Denver South entered the game averaging 323.7 rushing yards per game. Falcon held the Rebels to 35 yards on 29 carries.
“It’s just an incredible job by our kids,” Green said. “It was a great gameplan, and just attacking. We weren’t sitting back waiting for them — but just attacking and running downhill on defense.”
Falcon jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the game. It advances to play Pueblo South in the quarterfinals, a team that beat the Falcons 24-21 on Sept. 19. Falcon will host.
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4A: (5) Pueblo South 20, (12) Greeley West 7
Ray Mitchell had two rushing touchdowns to spot Pueblo South a 14-0 lead in the first half and the Colts never looked back en route to the win. The defense had an outstanding night, as well.
“I can’t give enough praise to our defense and what they did, and getting off the field in key situations, and making plays,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids just stepped up.”
Nate Spinuzzi also kicked a pair of 23-yard field goals in the win. The final came on a long, time-consuming drive which put the game out of reach.
“It’s a tribute to our offensive line, and credit to those guys up front, and our backs,” Goddard said. They did a fantastic job of just grinding it out and getting first downs.”
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5A: (2) Fairview 45, (3) Overland 27
Quarterback Johnny Feauto threw four first-half touchdown passes, three to Tim Ryan, as Fairview opened a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back.
“To be able to get that halftime lead was a great start,” Fairview coach Tom McCartney told the Scoreboard Show.
Feauto finished with five touchdown passes, and Ryan also added a 65-yard rushing touchdown.
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Short stuff
Arickaree/Woodlin carved out a spot in 6-man’s championship game with a 72-22 win over Fleming in the semifinals.
No. 2 Fort Collins beat No. 15 Rampart 49-6 in 4A. The Lambkins get a rematch with Longmont next. “We had to battle the elements,” coach Eric Rice told the Scoreboard Show. “The skies opened up and it pretty much poured the whole second half, and we didn’t see that in the forecast. I’m proud of our kids for being able to adjust.”
Two No. 1 seeds in 5A just rolled in running clock wins: Cherry Creek beat No. 4 Bear Creek 56-21, and Grandview beat No. 5 Lakewood 40-0.
Another big win for a top seed in 5A: No. 2 Valor Christian beat No. 3 Mountain Vista 44-0. Quarterback Dylan McCaffrey threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns.
One more: No. 2 Regis Jesuit 44, Heritage 0. Alec Barnes rushed for three touchdowns.
In 4A, No. 7 Longmont beat No. 10 Pueblo Centennial 26-7. Longmont has won seven straight games after a 1-3 start. “It’s super-exciting to be able to do that,” coach Doug Johnson told the Scoreboard Show. “It’s just a tough-minded group of kids.”
Discovery Canyon, 3A’s top seed, easily handled No. 16 Berthoud, 41-0. It’s actually the first playoff win in school history. “We talked a little bit about it, and just about the disappointing exit of the previous two seasons,” coach Shawn Mitchell told the Scoreboard Show. “I feel like this group just has a different mentality. I don’t think they had too much anxiety about that. I think that they were just focused on being 1-0 at the end of this week. But for the program itself, it was a big hurdle to get over.”
The MaxPreps ranking published Oct. 27 will be the primary seeding consideration.
If there are three teams from the same league in the same pool, the committee shall look to make a switch. The committee should first look to switch teams seeded Nos. 9-12.
One team per pool advances to the semifinals. If matches remain on Saturday which have no effect on the semifinal participants, they shall be three-set matches, with each set played to 25.
Class 4A
Pool
Seed
School
W
L
I
1
Lewis-Palmer
2
0
8
Berthoud
0
2
12
Air Academy
1
1
II
2
Ponderosa
2
0
7
Mead
0
2
11
Niwot
1
1
III
3
Cheyenne Mountain
2
0
6
Mullen
0
2
10
Pueblo West
1
1
IV
4
Montrose
2
0
5
Valor Christian
1
1
9
Battle Mountain
0
2
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Schedule
Play begins at 8 a.m. each day. Matches begin 8 minutes following the completion of the match prior.
Friday
Match
Pool
Teams
Score
Match
1
IV
Montrose
3
27-25, 27-29, 26-24, 25-22
Battle Mountain
1
2
I
Lewis-Palmer
3
25-16, 25-10, 25-9
Air Academy
0
3
II
Ponderosa
3
25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23
Niwot
1
4
III
Cheyenne Mountain
3
25-19, 25-19, 25-17
Pueblo West
0
5
IV
Montrose
3
18-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-6
Valor Christian
2
6
I
Lewis-Palmer
3
25-10, 25-7, 25-20
Berthoud
0
7
II
Ponderosa
3
25-17, 25-15, 25-18
Mead
0
8
III
Cheyenne Mountain
3
25-19, 25-21, 25-18
Mullen
0
Saturday
Match
Pool
Teams
Score
Match
9
IV
Valor Christian
2
25-23, 25-21
Battle Mountain
0
10
I
Berthoud
1
22-25, 25-17, 25-23
Air Academy
2
11
II
Mead
1
18-25, 25-10, 27-25
Niwot
2
12
III
Mullen
1
25-23, 15-25, 25-22
Pueblo West
2
[divider]
Championship bracket
Pool I winner faces Pool IV winner; Pool II winner faces Pool III winner.
Semifinals will start immediately following pool play on Saturday. All finals will begin at 7 p.m.
Highlands Ranch volleyball celebrates its regional championship in 5A. (Via @RBWHRHSAthletic on Twitter)
Highlands Ranch dropped its first match of the Class 5A volleyball regionals on Saturday. It was a grueling, five-set affair — but that it went five sets later turned out to be a major advantage.
The Falcons rallied from dropping that match to later win 5A’s Region 11 in a tiebreak over Rocky Mountain, 25-15. With the win, Highlands Ranch moves on to the 5A state tournament.
But things looked bleak for a while.
For starters, since volleyball’s regionals moved to three-team pools a few years ago, the overwhelming majority of those advancing no longer drop a match. It has turned the tie-break scenario, once a common occurrence, into a rarity.
Ralston Valley, the region’s host and No. 11 seed in 5A, had already beaten No. 27 Rocky Mountain in four sets to open regional play.
So when No. 14 Highlands Ranch lost to Rocky Mountain in the region’s second match (19-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 16-14), it had one last-gasp shot at qualification: knock Ralston Valley off.
The Falcons did that, by a 3-1 margin. All three teams in the regional, at that point, were 1-1 — dusting off the tiebreak scenario. In the event of a three-way tie, two teams faceoff in a one-set playoff, with the winner facing the third in a second one-set playoff match.
Highlands Ranch volleyball poses with the regional championship trophy. (Via @RBWHRHSAthletic on Twitter)
Highlands Ranch was set aside for the first tie break because it had won a higher percentage of total sets played (5 of 9) during the regional compared to Ralston Valley (4 of 8) and Rocky Mountain (4 of 9). Rocky Mountain beat Ralston Valley 25-15 in that first tie-break, then advanced to play Highlands Ranch.
Highlands Ranch then won the second playoff match, 25-15, to advance to the state tournament.
The 5A field will consist of: Eaglecrest, Grandview, Regis Jesuit, Rampart, Chaparral, Pine Creek, Cherokee Trail, Chatfield, Cherry Creek, Fairview, Highlands Ranch and Legend
Headed to 4A’s state tournament are: Lewis-Palmer, Ponderosa, Cheyenne Mountain, Montrose, Valor Christian, Mullen, Mead, Berthoud, Battle Mountain, Pueblo West, Niwot and Air Academy.
In 3A’s tournament: Eaton, Valley, Bayfield, University, Colorado Springs Christian, Manitou Springs, Platte Valley, Sterling, Faith Christian, Pagosa Springs, Coal Ridge and Olathe.
Comprising the 2A field: Swink, Resurrection Christian, Paonia, Simla, Sargent, Yuma, Dolores and Colorado Springs School, as well as four Wildcard teams to be selected on Monday.
And 1A’s field: Sangre de Cristo, Kit Carson, Otis, Weldon Valley, Norwood, Springfield, Idalia and Fleming — as well as four additional Wildcard teams.
[divider]
Notables:
A seeding committee will meet on Monday morning to finalize the pools for the state tournaments. The Wildcard selections in 1A and 2A will be selected based on the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings published on Monday. The next four highest-ranked teams who made it to regionals but didn’t advance will be the selections.
All five defending champions have made a return trip to the state tournament. They are: Grandview (5A), Lewis-Palmer (4A), Eaton (3A), Resurrection Christian (2A) and Fleming (1A).
Chatfield is the highest-remaining regional seed of any of the 5A, 4A and 3A regions. The Chargers were No. 17, and upset No. 8 Douglas County. (The 1A and 2A regions are not seeded across the classification, but instead set by district finish.)
Of those seeded regionals (5A-3A), the host teams went an astounding 70-2 in matches, including 212-36 in terms of sets won.
5A’s Region 10 wore out the courts in its first two matches. First, No. 10 Fairview rallied to beat No. 27 Rangeview in five sets — 26-28, 25-18, 17-25, 28-26, 15-13. Rangeview then turned around and went another five sets in losing to No. 15 Arapahoe, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-9. The final match only went four sets, a 3-1 Fairview win over Arapahoe to claim the regional crown.
Kit Carson trailed its first match in 1A Region B 0-2, but rallied to take a five-set win (20-25, 12-25, 27-25, 25-15, 16-14) and later won the regional.
The Montrose volleyball team poses for a picture after winning a regional championship in Class 4A. (Tom Hoganson)
Pine Creek is the No. 1 seed in Class 4A. Falcon also made the field. (Photo: District 49)
AURORA — Pine Creek and Discovery Canyon were selected as the top seeds when the Class 4A and 3A playoff football brackets were announced on Sunday morning.
Both teams went unbeaten at 10-0 during the regular season, and were atop the final Wild Card points standings for their respective classifications.
Pine Creek is the defending 4A champion. The Eagles are riding a 21-game winning streak, the largest of any 11-man team. Their last loss came to 5A Columbine on Sept. 12 of last season. Pine Creek hasn’t lost to a 4A team since dropping a game to Ponderosa in Oct. 2012 — a span of 23 games.
The Eagles went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in CHSAANow.com’s rankings during the regular season. They own wins over five teams which made the playoff field.
Other top seeds, and those hosting first-round games, include: No. 2 Fort Collins, No. 3 Montrose, No. 4 Denver South, No. 5 Pueblo South, No. 6 Dakota Ridge, No. 7 Longmont and No. 8 Windsor.
Montrose was the runner-up in last year’s 4A title game. The Indians (9-1) have yet to lose to a 4A team this season, with the lone loss coming to 5A Lakewood.
Discovery Canyon, meanwhile, has been No. 1 in the CHSAANow.com poll and the Wild Card points for a few weeks now. The Thunder have a number of key wins, including on the road at Holy Family and over Pueblo East. They also beat Rampart, a 4A playoff team.
On Friday, Discovery Canyon held off an upset attempt by beating Canon City in overtime.
Other first-round hosts in 3A are No. 2 Evergreen, No. 3 Roosevelt, No. 4 Pueblo East, No. 5 Lutheran, No. 6 Rifle, No. 7 Holy Family and No. 8 Conifer.
One thing’s for sure: There will be a new champion in 3A. Coronado, which won last year’s title, moved up to 4A (and made the playoffs). Likewise, last year’s runner-up Silver Creek also moved up.
