Tag: Grand Junction

Previewing the boys lacrosse season

Our boys lacrosse preview is a compilation of information from coaches, administrators and MaxPreps statistics.

Across the state of Colorado, 67 schools with approximately 3,000 student-athletes compete in two classifications of boys lacrosse.

Class 5A is made up of 36 schools with an enrollment of more than 1,410 students. There are 31 4A schools with enrollments below 1,410.

Below is comprehensive preview of each team.

We have strived to receive, compile and publish all of the names and information as correctly as possible. We apologize in advance for any misspelled names, statistical errors or mistakes that appear in this preview. Please send corrections to rcasey@chsaa.org.

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Class 5A

Front Range League (9 teams)

Boulder Panthers

Coach: Collin Knowles
2013 record: 8-7
Returning lettermen: 17
Leading seniors: Brandon Jacobs, M; Ian Oden, A; Vito Lecesse, D; Zach Brode, M; Ben Jacobson, LSM;
Top juniors: Jack Heyman, A;
Sophomores to watch: Connor Fox, A; Cleveland McCarty, D; Jonny Colletta, G (Freshman)

2014 outlook: Five of top six scorers return in 2014 and experienced on defense. Ian Oden 39/34 and Brandon Jacobs 36/7 return with more scoring expected from Zach Brode (senior, midfield) and Connor Fox (sophomore, attack). Freshman Jonny Colletta will compete with senior Reed Morrison for the starting goalie position. Vito Lecesse and Ben Jacobson bring senior leadership to a strong veteran defense.

Chatfield Chargers

Coach: Kevin O’Brien
2013 record: 6-8
Returning lettermen: 18
Leading seniors: Eric Potts, M; Ross Steward, M; Josh Heidrick, LSM;
Top juniors: Michael Callahan-Harris, M; Connor Aycock, M; Jeremy Thompson, M; Jared Kelleher, M; Jacob Larsen, A; Lucas Gunkel, A; Dylan Thompson, D; Tanner Lewis, Defense
Sophomores to watch: Nick Lovell, A; Jordan Alexander, G;

2013 highlight: Chatfield had a strong finish to its 2013 season and played some eventual playoff teams pretty tough in its last couple games. Although the Chargers missed the playoffs, they still look back at 2013 as a successful campaign.

2014 outlook: Chatfield is looking forward to a strong 2014 season. The team has a lot of potential as its returns 18 varsity players. “Looking forward to see how our team fares against some very strong programs we have on our schedule,” O’Brien said.

Columbine Rebels

Coach: Matt Plitnick
2013 record: 12-3
Returning lettermen: 14
Leading seniors: Anthony Sanfilippo, A; Larry Munson, M; Tyler Goodwin, M;
Top juniors: Landon Kramer, M; Lucas Leyba, LSM; Dylan Compton, FOGO; Ian Lewis, D;
Sophomores to watch: Justin Gonzales, M; Nick Stasch, A;

2013 highlight: Columbine was able to produce eight all-state players, including two All-Americans. Winning back-to-back league and Littleton Cup championships was the highlight of 2013 for Columbine.

2014 outlook: Youth is the word for 2014. Many talented, yet unproven players dot the roster. The schedule remains challenging with key out of state games against Mercer Island (Wash.), Bainbridge Island (Wash.) and Lincoln (Ore.). If youth can gain experience, the Rebels look for a three-peat in the Jeffco League.

Dakota Ridge Eagles

Coach: Mike Thumim
2013 record: 8-7
Returning lettermen: 24
Leading seniors: Davis Sebald, M; Tyson Butler, M; Ryan Schneider, M; Kaden Hummel, M;
Top juniors: Alden Erickson, D; Sean Arfsten, D; Joe Brown, M/FO, Taylor Davis, A; Duncan Okubo, A; Tanner Pauley, G;
Sophomores to watch: Cody Hill, A; Matt Moscati, LSM;

2013 highlight: “Last year our first as a varsity and missed the playoffs by one game,” Thumim said. “We had two overtime losses.”

2014 outlook: “We are returning all 10 starters from last year and are a junior-class heavy team,” Thumim said. “We expect to compete for a playoff spot this year and hope to surprise many teams as we will be overlooked being so new. But, we have some kids getting recruited and have a lot of experience.”

Fairview Knights

Coach: Michael Flood
2013 record: 5-10
Returning lettermen: 20
Leading seniors: Sean LaVine, D; Kipp Planchard, D; Josh Drake, D; Bobby Johnson, A; Blake Josenhans, M;¸ Matt Wantz, M;¸ Avi Becker, M;
Top juniors: Luke Miller, D; Andrew Yi, M; Steele Mercer, M; Connor May/Attack
Sophomores to watch: Quinn Carrigan, A; Rylan Squirrell, M; Daniel Rahn, M;

2013 highlight: “In 2013 we opened the season with an overtime victory against Highlands Ranch,” Flood said. “We followed up that game with an overtime win against Palmer. Both exciting finishes happened on our home turf in front of our fans.”

2014 outlook: “We have a seasoned group of seniors who are ready to take care of business this coming season,” Flood said. “Our guys have put in more work this offseason than ever before. With most of the team coming back, we expect to have a strong presence in our league and in the state.”

Fossil Ridge Sabercats/Fort Collins Unified Lacrosse

Coach: David Shigekane
2013 record: 11-4
Returning lettermen: 12
Leading seniors: Bradley Sobotka, A; Ben Braley, D; Robin Kelley, D; Cole Purdy, D; Baily Hoffman, M; Carter Nuttall, M; Tate Stuart, M; David Lund, A
Top juniors: Kevin Schultz, M; Cam Castle, G; Trey Jouard, M; Trevor DeBaere, A; Joe Cribari, M
Sophomores to watch: David Kravec, D; Alex Winkler, G; Ryan Hsin, M

2013 highlight: “We started off with a four-day spring break trip, where we played three games and had three practices. We went 1-2 and the team was worn out and not satisfied,” Shigekane said. “This helped us prepare for the rest of the season. With all the weather, we had to finish the season with playing six games in nine days, against very tough competition. The players rose to the occasion and played their best lacrosse, winning all six games and received a No. 4 (seed) in the playoffs.”

2014 outlook: “We graduated about 15 seniors and lettermen,” Shigekane said. “We are a young team. I am excited for the players to learn about leadership, community and hard work. With these behaviors in place this team will experience a great season and life-long friendships.”

Lakewood Tigers

Coach: Eric Seelbach
2013 record: 6-8
Returning lettermen: 14
Leading seniors: Adam Zimmerman, A; John Stauffer, D;
Top juniors: Will Swartz, A; Jared Taha, M; Braden Birney, M/FO, Sam Copper, D

2013 highlight: The 2013 season was Lakewood’s very first season of competition. The team worked hard to gel all season, and began to make great strides by the end of the competition to enter 2014 on a number of high notes. The team found an identity on offense, and will look to pick up momentum in other areas of the team from that success.

2014 outlook: The Lakewood Tigers return a solid core of players at every position for the 2014 season. The team’s top three scorers — Adam Zimmerman, Will Swartz, and Braden Birney — are all primed for important responsibilities in leadership on the offensive side of the ball, while defensive leadership will come from John Stauffer and Sam Copper. Looking to improve on its record from the 2013 season, the Tigers have set their sights on earning their first-ever playoff berth in 2014.

Monarch Coyotes

Coach: David Auday
2013 record: 10-5
Returning lettermen: 13
Leading seniors: Will Simonson, A; Troy Naudain, A; Mark Allen, D
Top juniors: Connor Johnson, G; Max Wiesner, M; Phil Bubernek, M
Sophomores to watch: Andrew Zweirs, M; Chad Kreuzer, M

2013 highlight: “We completed our ninth year in a row of being a playoff team,” Auday said.

2014 outlook: “We have one of the best goalies in the state in Connor Johnson and a good, D;” Auday said. “We have some talented short sticks in Max Wiesner, Phil Bubernek, Chad Kreuzer and Andrew Zweirs.”

Prairie View Thunderhawks

Coach: Dave Pucul
2013 record: 2-14
Returning lettermen: 9
Leading seniors: Austin Barnhill, LSM; Bryce Robinson, G; Cory Paterson, M
Top juniors: Caleb Strand, M; Adrian Aragon, A; Christian Jacoby, D
Sophomores to watch: Jake Zaroff, G; Josh Fielder, M

2014 outlook:
It’s hard to tell what this season may hold for the Thunderhawks. “This is my first season coaching at PVHS, and what I see is a group of young men working hard in the offseason, playing box lacrosse, and practicing on their own time,” Pucul said. “Because there is not an established feeder system in the area, most players started in the ninth grade, but what they lack in experience, they are willing to make up for in hard work. This year we will focus on building a team, constructing a community, and starting traditions within the Thunderhawk program.”

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South Suburban League (9 teams)

Colorado Academy Mustangs

Coach: Randy Colley
2013 record: 13-4
Returning lettermen: 14
Leading seniors: Sam Sweeney, LSM; Jack Thomas, A; Trevor Pratt, D; Jack Griswold, M; Matt Cole, D;
Top juniors: Tyler Kelly, M; Zander Naes, G;
Sophomores to watch: Winston Palmeri, A; Mac Mease, A;, M; TK Kidder, D; Carson Pratt, LSM

Denver East Angels

Coach: Sean McCarthy
2013 record: 7-9
Returning lettermen: 15
Leading seniors: Jake Sawyer, D; Griffin Heller, A; Jack Matthews, A; Kellen Self, A; Joey Cowperthwaite, G;
Top juniors: Sam Bierman, M; Sid Torrigino, A; Connor Lewis, A; Taylor Bombadiere, LSM
Sophomores to watch: Max Bragdon, M

2013 highlight: The Angels did well enough to earn the final seed in the state 5A playoffs. They faced the No. 1 seed, Cherry Creek, in the first round. The team lost but not without giving the top ranked team a tight 9-4 battle. East had strong wins against Heritage and Grandview that certainly helped push a bid for the playoffs.

2014 outlook: With 14 returning lettermen and a core senior class, 2014 looks bright for the Angels. The team will look to make a deeper push into the state playoffs backed with an experienced back line. Jack Sawyer, a returning first-team all-stater, will anchor the defense alongside returning starters, Connor Lewis and senior goaltender Joey Cowperthwaite. The team will also look to seniors for offensive production in left-handed attackman, Griffin Heller and linemate Jack Matthews. Ball possession will be a huge factor, as the Angels will have high expectations for junior Sam Bierman to hold down the face-off and to contribute on offense.

Gateway Olympians

Coach: Ben Mack
2013 record: 1-13
Returning lettermen: 9
Leading seniors: Kyler Grunewald, M; Kolby Spring, A; Christian Davis, M; Dylan Conley, M; Will Goos, M
Top juniors: La’Brian Miller, D; Christian Fritz, M
Sophomores to watch: Bryce Grunewald, G/M

2014 outlook: A strong senior class will lead the Gateway Olympian’s lacrosse team in 2014. This leadership includes returning seven starters from the previous year, and a solid core of young players to develop over the course of the season. The Olympians will be challenged early and often, playing quality opponents from Denver Metro area.

George Washington Patriots

Coach: Matt Miller
2013 record: 0-14

Heritage Eagles

Coach: Jon Cohen
2013 record: 7-8
Returning lettermen: 16
Leading seniors: TJ Florence, M; Keegan Hoefer, M; Mitch Oldenburg, G; James Marion, DM; Clay Solich, M
Sophomores to watch: Keaton Komatz, M

2014 outlook: Jon Cohen starts his first season as head coach of the Heritage Eagles. The team is loaded with senior talent, 19 seniors are on the varsity roster. The Eagles return 80 percent of their scoring and their starting goalie for the 2014 season.

Kent Denver Sun Devils

Coach: Ben Brenneman
2013 record: 10-5
Returning lettermen: 22
Leading seniors: Joey Matarazzo, M; Brooks Benson, M; Trevon Hamlet, FO/M
Matt Pinto, D/LSM; Marcus Stears, G
Top juniors: Jaden Franklin, A; Zander Ellis, A; Joe Rassenfoss, M; Gunnar Sveen, D; Jack Ammons, D
Sophomores to watch: James Hueston, M/A

2013 highlight: “A win at home against Nationally Ranked Torrey Pines (Calif.) was a great day,” Brenneman said. “A very close game with an awesome crowd in attendance for the presentation of the Kent Denver Lacrosse Alumni Award, presented to former head coach Tom Graesser.”

2014 outlook: “Every year you lose some key players to graduation,” Brenneman said, “but we are fortunate to return a lot of 2013’s starting players who are current seniors and juniors. We are excited to see which guys among them will step up as leaders, and which of the young athletes will break into the mix. The 2014 Colorado high school lacrosse landscape is sure to be one of the deepest and most competitive in recent years.”

Littleton Lions

Coach: Brad Todd
2013 record: 4-11
Returning lettermen: 18
Leading seniors: Andrew Krom, M; Josh Barrow, M; Riley Harden, A; Aaron Mountfort, G; Thatcher Bouck, D; Sean Malloy, D
Top juniors: Joe Timm, A; Ben Schreiber, D
Sophomores to watch: Donovan Crabtree, A; Nathan Gothard, M; Will Gast, D

2013 highlight: “Last season was a tough one for our program, finishing 4-11 after qualifying for the state tournament the past three years,” Todd said. “Although there were not a lot of highlights in the win/loss column, we saw high potential in the growth and improvement of our JV team and underclassmen on the varsity team. We had a lot of new faces that were not experienced enough to take on the roles we asked them to. We saw a lot of improvement the second half of the season and we are looking take that momentum into 2014.”

2014 outlook: This season, Littleton looks to turn it around with a good crop of returning varsity players and get back into the state tournament. With seven returning starters and the entire coaching staff back, we are looking to make big improvements on the field this season. Littleton is led by a strong senior class and an experienced attack unit made up of seniors Riley Harden and Charlie Hindman, junior Joe Timm and sophomore Donovan Crabtree. The midfield is led by Andrew Krom and Josh Barrow and will look to Mac Baker, Nathan Gothard and Evan Witt to take on bigger roles this season.
Junior Ben Schreiber leads a senior-heavy defensive unit along with Sean Malloy, Andy Wheeler, Michael Norwood and Thatcher Bouck. They’ll play in front of senior keeper Aaron Mountfort who split time in goal last year. “Experience is the biggest gain we made last year, and this group is ready to compete in the tough South Suburban conference,” Todd said.

Rangeview Raiders

Coach: Davin Young
2013 record: 5-10
Leading returning goal scorer: R. Zhu (12)
Leading returning assists: J. Conley (13)
Leading returning points scorer: J. Conley (25)
Leading returning ground balls: J. Hiner (34)

Regis Jesuit Raiders

Coach: Jim Soran
2013 record: 12-6
Returning lettermen: 21
Leading seniors: Liam McHugh, LSM/D; Will Denes, LSM/D; Aaron Horvat, M
Top juniors: Ben Bechter, A; Truett Davis, A; Matt Soran, A; Chase Konkel, M; Chet Dunstan, M; Mike Wegner, D; Conor Shea, D; Brett Quartuccio, G; Ben Adams, G; Simon Quan, M
Sophomores to watch: Alec Barnes, M; Cole Boland, M

2013 highlight: “Young. Bought into concept to believe they could do something special,” Soran said. “Big win in quarters. Tough loss in semis.”
2014 outlook: “They will have to earn everything they get,” Soran said

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Douglas County League (10 teams)

Castle View Sabercats

Coach: Jose Trujillo
2013 record: 8-8
Leading returning goal scorer: M. Tuttle (51)
Leading returning assists: M. Madril (17)
Leading returning points scorer: M. Tuttle (61)
Leading returning ground balls: M. Tuttle (90)
Leading returning goalie: R. Johnson (.508 save percentage)

Chaparral Wolverines

Coach: Mike Magrin
2013 record: 11-4
Returning lettermen: 8
Leading seniors: Colton McCaffrey, A; Keenan Foshe, M; Wyatt Jones, A; Alex Spindler, M;
Top juniors: Mitch Ross, M; Jake Coleman, A;
Sophomores to watch: Jared Franklin, D

2013 highlight: Great season for the Wolverines making it to the state playoffs in 2013.

2014 outlook: Chaparral returns the entire starting offense from last year. The Wolverine defense will be anchored by a tremendous freshman goalie Erik Peters. Look for the Wolverines to go deep into playoff this season.

Douglas County Huskies

Coach: Scott Evans
2013 record: 7-8
Returning lettermen: 15
Leading seniors: Stephen Wade, M; Matthew Schneider, D; Josh “Slushi” Miller, A
Top juniors: Tanya White, A
Sophomores to watch: Youn Son, A

2013 highlight: The 2013 team has its best record in four years.

2014 outlook: DCHS welcomes the legendary Colorado lacrosse personality Scott Evans as the new coach and program director. Douglas County returns 14 quality seniors, many of whom will start opening day. They will be led by a stout defense and all-conference candidate Matt Schneider. The Huskies are intent on moving up to be a contender in the increasingly stout Douglas County conference.

Highlands Ranch Falcons

Coach: Matthew Bocklet
2013 record: 9-7
Returning lettermen: 18
Leading seniors: Evan Wong, A; Joe Quatrochi, FO/M; Max Abbott, A; Jake Pawley, M; Jordan Jones, D; Austin Davis, D; Danny Buckley, M;
Top juniors: Bay Sherbert, A/M; Evan Baker, A; Russell Riley, G; Drew Larsen, M;
Sophomores to watch: Kyle Sterner, M; Alec Bright, D

2013 highlight: Highlands Ranch was playing against Smoky Hill late in March. “We were down 7-3 with four minutes left in the game,” Bocklet said. “We finished the game on a 5-0 run and won 8-7 in regulation. Was by far our best comeback of the season and the best four minutes of lacrosse we played all season.”

2014 outlook: “We lost some very talented seniors to graduation, but this year we have a very strong senior class that I expect to lead us to another successful season,” Bocklet said. “The team has worked harder in the offseason and we hope that translates to a couple more wins this spring.”

Legend Titans

Coach: Dorian Cagaanan
2013 record: 5-9
Leading returning goal scorer: N. Grim (20)
Leading returning assists: N. Grim (10)
Leading returning points scorer: N. Grim (30)
Leading returning ground balls: C. Keicher (37)

Lewis-Palmer Rangers

Coach: Alan Smith
2013 record: 5-9
Leading returning goal scorer: G. Helwig (24)
Leading returning assists: G. Helwig (22)
Leading returning points scorer: G. Helwig (46)
Leading returning ground balls: G. Helwig (78)
Leading returning goalie: G. Osterlund (.650 save percentage)

Mountain Vista Golden Eagles

Coach: Jake Herman
2013 record: 9-6
Returning lettermen: 20
Leading seniors: Davis Barker, M/A; Alec Womack, A; Shane Mckenna, A
Top juniors: Christian Barker, M/A; Sam Ell, D; Bryan Hancock, M; Chase Babcock, D; Kiel Brennan, M; Kyle Pless, D/LSM; Christian Brady, DM
Sophomores to watch: Paxton Boyer, G; Noah Hirshorn, M; Coby Petau, M; Jake Harvey, M; Dimitri Kambeitz, LSM

2013 highlight: The 2013 season for Mountain Vista included many tough fought games to Douglas County opponents. The Golden Eagles also fought tooth and nail against some of the state’s finest. The team came together for big wins against Chaparral and Castle View. Going into the state tournament, Mountain Vista ran into the eventual state champion, Arapahoe, and played a tough game.

2014 outlook: The 2014 season for Mountain is looking very bright. The team is setting lofty goals this year due to a shared belief that this team is built from the bottom up to succeed. “Vista lacrosse has reinvented ourselves in our offseason training that is laying the ground work for the spring season,” Herman said. “Vista is no longer under the radar and is working towards achieving success. Our fast-paced offense and pressure defense looks to compete with everyone at the highest level. Vista has a very tough schedule this year which will help us to become battle tested.”

Palmer Terrors

Coach: Sequoia Bowan
2013 record: 6-9
Returning lettermen: 17
Leading seniors: Sam Horning, M; DJ Stane, A
Top juniors: Chip Cipoletti, M; Kyle Soens, D;
Sophomores to watch: Noah Smith, M; Caleb Espinoza, G

2014 outlook: An extremely young team hoping to develop and improve throughout the course of the season.

Rock Canyon Jaguars

Coach: Louis Goldin
2013 record: 11-5
Returning lettermen: 16
Leading seniors: Conrad Coppage, A; Jeff Howard, A; Hanson Finley, M; Chris Pietra, M; Zack Anderson, D; Noah Parker, G
Top juniors: Colton Jackson, M; Michael Phelps, D
Sophomores to watch: Ian Hicks, LSM

2013 Highlight: Having Wilkins Dismuke on the team (two-time player of the year)

2014 outlook: “Even though we have many returning players, we are a very different team this year,” Goldin said. “This year, we are much more focused on the team aspect and plan on having this be our strength.”

ThunderRidge Grizzlies

Coach: Reg Weber
2013 record: 5-10
Returning lettermen: 10
Leading seniors: Blake Sandman, D; Leif Hovda, M; Connor Koslosky, A; Jimmy Fair, M
Top juniors: Dakota Ball, G; Jack Matchinsky, D; Braidon McLean, A; Cole Ogrodnick, M;
Sophomores to watch: Lucas Thornton, A; Freshman-Dylan Sandman, A;

2013 highlight: The team had significant potential but lost numerous games by one goal. “Lost our starting goalie early in the season,” Weber said.

2014 outlook: Currently have two players who received letters of intent from Division I schools. Very good combination of returning senior and junior lettermen. Good team work ethic. Expectations are high for a good season.

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Centennial League (8 teams)

Arapahoe Warriors

Coach: Guy Cerasoli
2013 record: 17-3
Leading returning goal scorer: B. Wilson (20)
Leading returning assists: Z. Runberg (9)
Leading returning points scorer: Z. Runberg (28)
Leading returning ground balls: Z. Runberg (23)

Cherokee Trail Cougars

Coach: Rowan Allen
2013 record: 4-10

Cherry Creek Bruins

Coach: Bryan Perry
2013 record: 13-6
Returning lettermen: 28
Leading seniors: Ryan Arthur, A; Matt Goettelman, D; Addison Christensen, G; Zach Yoshiaka, LSM
Top juniors: Dylan Johnson, D; Quinten Sanders, D; Jack Savage, A
Sophomores to watch: Henry Adams, A; Ben Kingdom, D

2014 outlook: Looking forward to improving throughout the season.

Eaglecrest Raptors

Coach: Brian Vickery
2013 record: 7-7
Leading returning goal scorer: M. Jung (21)
Leading returning assists: I. Towner (19)
Leading returning points scorer: I. Towner (32)
Leading returning ground balls: P. Schwinger (46)
Leading returning goalie: E. Shaw (.543 save percentage)

Grandview Wolves

Coach: Nate Mueller
2013 record: 4-9
Returning lettermen: 20
Leading seniors: Jackson Crawford, M; Keegan Martin, M; Trent Richardson, M; Quinn Moore, A; Tyler Prins, A; Troy Humphrey, D; Alex Trujillo, D; Max Bauer, LSM;
Top juniors: Brett Putzstuck, M; Jack Devereaux, M;
Sophomores to watch: Josh Melton, A; Ryland Clay, M; Matt Sciba, M; Garrett Goulding, M; Spencer Chute, M; Keaton Carney/Defense

2013 highlight: Coming out of a 2-13 season, and the third new coaching staff in three years, it was a tough transition year for the program. The team responded by increasing offensive production and doubling their wins from the previous year.

2014 outlook: Following a tough rebuilding year, and with 20 returning varsity players, led by seniors Alex Trujillo and Troy Humphries at defense; Keegan Martin, Trent Richardson, Matt Brazell and Jackson Crawford at midfield; and Quinn Moore and Tyler Prins at attack; Grandview is determined to make a statement in 2014.

Mullen Mustangs

Coach: Mitch Brin
2013 record: 13-6
Leading returning goal scorer: B. Brehm (25)
Leading returning assists: N. Philips (7)
Leading returning points scorer: B. Brehm (31)
Leading returning ground balls: B. Brehm (45)

Overland Trailblazers

Coach: Danny Barocas

2013 record: 6-8
Returning lettermen: 9
Leading seniors: Patrick Au, D
Top juniors: Kadin Rivas, A/M; Richard Au, G
Sophomores to watch: D’Angelo Rivas, A

2014 outlook: “With only two seniors in the program, we are looking towards our youth to really drive us home this year,” Barocas said. “We have a solid core of returning players who, despite their youth, bring a lot of varsity game experience. We’ve grown and matured since last year, and begun to develop what it means to play team lacrosse. On the offensive end, we will look toward the brothers Kadin and D’Angelo Rivas to anchor as scoring threats, while on the defensive end Patrick Au will lead our defensive unit, keeping the ball away from his brother and goalie Richard Au.”

Smoky Hill Buffaloes

Coach: Preston Davis
2013 record: 11-4
Returning lettermen: 8
Leading seniors: Blake Foerster, A; Davis Smestad, M; Jordan Ruhl, G; Beau Lansdown, A; Tyler Glenn, M;field
Top juniors: Austin Peper , D; Jackson Ross, A; Peter Douglas, D; Ben Champion, M; Giordan Thompson, M;field

2013 highlight: The Smoky lacrosse program finished the season in the top 10 for the first time in school history. The program had four representatives on the all-state team and Blake Foerster was the leading goal scorer in the state.

2014 outlook: Smoky Hill continues to work hard and develop as a team. There will be some new faces wearing the Buffaloes uniform this season, however the coaches feel confident that the new dynamic will continue to provide team success.

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Class 4A

Mountain League (10 teams)

Aspen Skiers

Coach: Mike Goerne
2013 record: 12-4
Returning lettermen: 17
Leading seniors: Matt Sovich, M; Donte Lizotte, Defense
Top juniors: Harry Ferguson, A; Tyler Tick, A; Ryan Fitzgerald, A; John Heaphey, M; Conner Peirce, D; Nicky Cottrell, D; Art Kelso, G;
Sophomores to watch: Zac Storm, D; Jonathan Wells, M;

2013 highlight: Aspen skiers had a successful 2013 season advancing to the playoffs for the team’s first playoff appearance making it to the quarterfinals. It was a young team with over half the roster being sophomores. The team was lead by a small group of dedicated and athletic seniors that had a strong presence for the midfield and defense.

2014 outlook: Preparing for the season and with many returning players, the team is focused on getting right back to the team chemistry that was built during the 2013 season. Offensively, all three attack from 2013 are returning as juniors with a strong and fast group of midfielders who are eager to push the transition with the changes to the substitution rules. Defensively, two junior goalies — Art Kelso and Jordan Cottrell — will continue battling and pushing each other for time in the net while the defense works to fill open positions from graduated seniors. The team has a tougher schedule with more non-conference game in the anticipation of being a strong team than 2013 when the playoffs begin.

Battle Mountain Huskies

Coach: Jerry Nichols
2013 record: 12-4
Leading returning goal scorer: T. Clark (19)
Leading returning assists: C. Davis (25)
Leading returning points scorer: C. Davis (35)
Leading returning ground balls: Q. Davis (50)
Leading returning goalie: Z. Trombetta (.591 save percentage)

Durango Demons

Coach: John Robinette
2013 record: 7-7
Returning lettermen: 17
Leading seniors: Jared Cook, A; Wesley Komick, A; Walker Brown, G; Brad Kulovitz, D; Westly Moore, D; Duncan Whitley, M; Jacob Boyle, M
Top juniors: Tevor Gabbard, M; Liam Millar, A; Hunter Hall, M; Jackson Berridge, D; Enver Djuneshbekov, M; Patrick Cunnion, M
Sophomores to watch: Hank Muir, D; Kyle Robinette (freshman), A; Conner Coleman (freshman), D; Dillon Coleman (freshman), D

2013 highlight: Started the season 0-6 against the top teams in the Mountain conference. Finished 7-1 in the remaining 8 games.

2014 outlook: With a strong core of senior players returning, and a new crop of up and coming freshman, sophomores and juniors, the Demons are poised for a breakout season. Both starting midfield and attack units will be back, as well as starting goalie and two of the three starting defensemen.

Eagle Valley Devils

Coach: Ted Boddy
2013 record: 6-9
Returning lettermen: 12
Leading seniors: Johnny Bailey, A/M; Nick Briggs, A;
Top juniors: Riley Nestlerode, D;, Joe Sheldon, G; Quinn McCord, M; Mike Ramunno, M; Ryan Monica, M
Sophomores to watch: Jared Salaz, A;

2013 highlight: 2013 marked the first time Eagle Valley made the playoffs in its five year history. “We also saw the school goals record fall; broken by three players Sam Boyd (30), Nick Briggs (30), and Johnny Bailey (25),” Boddy said. “The points record fell to Johnny Bailey with 60 points.” The team grew quite a bit over the course of the year and gave a great effort against eventual 4A champion Wheat Ridge.

2014 outlook: Coming into 2014, the Devils will be focused on their first .500 record and improving their seeding in the 4A playoffs. Anchored by the school record holder in points (J. Bailey) and goals (N. Briggs) their attack looks to lead the way along with Noah Ejnes and sophomore Jared Salaz. The defense will be anchored by Joe Sheldon in net, taking over after two years as the varsity backup, and junior defenseman Riley Nestlerode. This season looks to be a strong one for a growing program with over 50 players in it.

Fruita Monument Wildcats

Coach: Mark Young
2013 record: 6-9
Leading returning goal scorer: D. Weihl (13)
Leading returning assists: J. Lynch (10)
Leading returning points scorer: T. Peterson (18)
Leading returning ground balls: J. Lynch (53)
Leading returning goalie: C. Brown (.457 percentage)

Glenwood Springs Demons

Coach: Rick Stevens
2013 record: 2-12
Returning lettermen: 14
Leading seniors: Karros Huang, D; Scott Gilmore, G; Nikko Medina, M;
2013 highlight: “We won our last couple of games,” Stevens said.
2014 outlook: ” This year we will be doing a team community project,” Stevens said. “We are bringing Joe Ehrmann, author of ‘Inside Out Coaching’ to Glenwood Springs to deliver a keynote address and conduct a coach’s clinic. Joe is well known around the country and it will be a privilege to host him. He will be here May 23-24.”

Grand Junction Tigers

Coach: James States
2013 record: 7-7
Leading returning goal scorer: M. Combs (10)
Leading returning assists: Stephen Foster (16)
Leading returning points scorer: Stephen Foster (21)
Leading returning ground balls: N. Gookin (45)

Steamboat Springs Sailors

Coach: Bob Hiester
2013 record: 14-4

Summit Tigers

Coach: Karl Barth
2013 record: 8-8
Returning lettermen: 8
Leading seniors: Josh Braun, LSM;
Top juniors: Jorden Nelson, G; Jack Bilenduke, A; Jesse Reller, D; Sam Herwig, D; Mike Farley, LSM
Sophomores to watch: Wil Laidlaw, M

Telluride Miners

Coach: Jon Martin
2013 record: 5-9
Returning lettermen: 17
Leading seniors: Tristan Purdy, LSM; Irah Wooten, A; Conner Lawson-Huskey, M; Nico Shapiro, M; Matt Sandoval, M; Oscar Lopez, M; Trey Huska, M; Tate Hobbs, A; Sam Demas, M; Max Bailis, A; Joey Treston, D; Avery Valerio, D
Top juniors: TJ Fulton, D; TJ Montes, G; Lawson Omer, A
Sophomores to watch: Kole Shugars, A; Cody Chacon, A/M

2013 highlight: 2013 was a huge leap forward for Telluride lacrosse. In its third CHSAA season, Telluride notched five wins including two against Mountain Conference teams — after going winless in the first two.

2014 outlook: “2014 is promising for Telluride lacrosse as we have the most returning senior lettermen in the history of the program,” Martin said. “We hope to build on the momentum created last year and extend our win tally.”

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Foothills League (8 teams)

Alexander Dawson Mustangs

Coach: Peter Devlin
2013 record: 8-8
Returning lettermen: 14
Leading seniors: Eli Negrelli, A; Sam Martin, G;
Top juniors: Chase Brown, A; Keenan D’Arcy, D;
Sophomores to watch: Wyatt Watts, M

2013 highlight: The team was excited to have made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. “The boys worked extremely hard to achieve several of their season goals and succeeded by working as a team,” Devlin said.

2014 outlook: “We will look to build off of the momentum gained in 2013 and continue progressing,” Devlin said. “The team shows a lot of potential and is looking forward to challenges ahead of us. We will continue to work hard each day and put our best foot forward.”

Clear Creek Golddiggers

Coach: Jake Buescher
2013 record: 0-8

Conifer Lobos

Coach: Tyler Knauer
2013 record: 4-11
Leading returning goal scorer: D. Williams (21)
Leading returning assists: D. Williams (24)
Leading returning points scorer: D. Williams (45)
Leading returning ground balls: S. Henderson (38)
Leading Returning Goalie(s): A. Lund (.481 save percentage), W. Dale (.532)

Evergreen Cougars

Coach: Toby Gerard
2013 record: 6-11
Leading returning goal scorer: D. Haga (25)
Leading returning assists: D. Haga (6)
Leading returning points scorer: D. Haga (31)
Leading returning ground balls: C. Kroll (51)
Leading returning goalie: C. Cecil

Golden Demons

Coach: Kurt Ohlen
2013 record: 4-11
Returning lettermen: 8
Leading seniors: Jake Mitchell, D; Max Becker, M; Austin Pippen, M;
Top juniors: Adam Kreller, M; Cole Greff, M; Eric Kern, D; Matt Conklin, A;
Sophomores to watch: Tanner McAdoo, G; Tommy Topper, D;

2014 outlook: “We are a young team yet again, but the players have a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm,” Ohlen said. “Offseason workouts have been very productive and we have been competing well in winter league. Change is in the air at Golden, and this group of Demons is excited to make their presence known in the Foothills Conference.”

Green Mountain Rams

Coach: Nate Hallahan
2013 record: 5-10
Returning lettermen: 8
Leading seniors: Zane Larson, D; Kyle Lichty, D; Cody Schiel, G; Bryce Woodworth, A; Max Nielsen, A; Greg Haller, A; Karl Stidham, A
Top juniors: Dustin Ossello, M; Jack Day, A
Sophomores to watch: Nick Warns, M

2013 highlight: Made 4A playoffs and played a hard game against Air Academy in the first round.

2014 outlook: “We have a group of seniors who need to step into leadership roles, both off and on the field,” Hallahan said. “We need some of our young players to figure out their roles and execute them at a high level. We will need to outwork our opponents and focus on team defense and sharing the ball offensively if we want to return to the state playoffs for a second straight year.”

Thompson Valley Eagles

Coach: Rich Modesti
2013 record: 11-6
Returning lettermen: 20
Leading seniors: Eric Houghteling, FO/M, Brian McGhie, M; Stanley Garcia, D; Jonah Warren, DM/M
Top juniors: Nik Clinton, M; Johnny Parsons, A; Steve Murray, D; Jack Biegal, D
Sophomores to watch: Kale Wilson, A; Jerett Cherry, D;

2013 highlight: The 2013 season was the most successful in the short history of TV boys lacrosse. It was the first year that the team had a winning record, made the playoffs and won a playoff game. Many of the seniors that were a part of the team had participated in turning the team from a new, inexperienced program, into a contending 4A organization.

2014 outlook: The 2014 season will be a test of the program’s durability and growth over the last several seasons. This is the first season that there will be more upperclassmen on the varsity roster than underclassmen. The season that many of the players worked very hard to acquire is finally here. The team, coaches and players, are excited for the opportunities that last year’s success has brought into the current season, and look forward to building on the solid foundation that they have built.

Wheat Ridge Farmers

Coach: Chris Knott
2013 record: 15-4
Returning lettermen: 26
Leading seniors: Jensen Makarov, G; John Roach, A; Caleb Cerf, D; Max Marcum, M; Dylan Mechling, M; Tyler Knott, A;
Top juniors: Cody Bartusiak, D; Dima Makarov, A; Benny Pachello, M;
Sophomores to watch: Tyler Wagner, D; Dan O’Connor, A;

2013 highlight: Winning the first 4A state championship.

2014 outlook: “We are looking forward to another great season and the chance to defend the title from 2013,” Knott said.

[divider]

Metro League (6 Teams)

Bishop Machebeuf Buffaloes

Coach: Greg Schaffner
2013 record: 2-7
Returning lettermen: N/A
Leading seniors: Jack Tighe, M/A; Sam Luebbers, D/LSM; Nick Rhems, A/M;
Top juniors: Matt Costin, D/LSM; Jake Donahue, D; Paul Eshelman, D/LSM; JB Keyte, D/LSM; Matt Mannion, A; Cisco Rodriguez, M
Sophomores to watch: Zander Smith, G;

2013 highlight: A week nine win over Englewood, at Englewood. Completion of the season ended up on upward-angle, despite weather hampering the schedule, and forcing the cancellations of several contests.

2014 outlook: “We have a strong core of returning talent, and are looking to build on that nucleus with a bunch of new boys, who, while novices to lacrosse, are athletic,” Schaffner said. “Our recruitment base is tiny, but word of mouth has been strong in the school. There is an all-new coaching staff this year, and a new athletic director, so it might be fair to call this a ‘rebuilding year’ but we are strong at defense and goaltending, and excited for the season.”

Denver South Rebels

Coach: Jason Brookes
2013 record: 7-8
Leading returning goal scorer: N. Moss (44)
Leading returning assists: N. Moss (31)
Leading returning points scorer: N. Moss (75)

Englewood Pirates

Coach: Tim Williams
2013 record: 5-8

Ridgeview Rams

Coach: N/A
2013 record: 0-9

Valor Christian Eagles

Coach: Chris Deutschman
2013 record: 14-4
Returning lettermen: 21
Leading seniors: Ethan Thompson, M; Josh O’ Connell, M; Erik Ratkelis, M;
Top juniors: Parker Courrier, M; Shawn Johnson, G; Kerry O’Rourke, G; Ryan Russell, A; Drew Bodett, M;
Sophomores to watch: Cole Baker, M; Aiden Donaldson, M; Jake Hibben, D/M; Brett Haskins, A; Elliott Benedict, D

2014 outlook: “We return two-thirds of our top point scorers from 2013 and have a very talented underclassmen contingency that we will depend on for 2014,” Deutschman said. “We graduated our entire starting defense and many top players, including seven all-state players. We are excited, though, to push our young players into starting roles and develop our experienced juniors and seniors even more. We will have an uphill climb to achieve the same successes as last year but believe that we will be able to build upon our goals from last season.”

Windsor Wizards

Coach: John Belleau
2013 record: 9-7
Leading returning goal scorer: Hunter Hop (32)
Leading returning assists: Hunter Hop (6)
Leading returning points scorer: Hunter Hop (38)
Leading returning ground balls: S. King (16)
Leading returning goalie: T. Rhodes (.620 save percentage)

[divider]

Pikes Peak League (6 teams)

Air Academy Kadets

Coach: Ron Garcia
2013 record: 17-2
Returning lettermen: 12
Leading seniors: Mitchell Miller, A; Austin Christiansen, M; Ben Brown, M; Nick Breland, D; Jon Tarno, D; Keaton Dealy, LSM; Spencer Dodder, LSM;
Top juniors: Luke La Grassa, M; Ben Self, D
Sophomores to watch: Jake Thornally, A

2013 highlight: “2013 campaign was huge for us,” Garcia said. “We were fortunate to win the Pikes Peak Conference an move on to the playoffs, winning against tough teams such as Ponderosa and Steamboat Springs. Came up a little short in our state final game vs. Wheat Ridge but looking forward to 2014 and getting back to the big dance. In past seasons, we’ve never made it past the second round of playoffs so we were very proud of what we have accomplished in 2013.”

2014 outlook: “We’re very excited about our 2014 campaign, coming off a great season last year at 17-2 and making a state final appearance,” Garcia said. “We’re looking to find our identity this year with mature senior leadership and some talented underclassmen. The season looks bright for us in 4A and looking to capitalize on the efforts we have put in during the offseason.”

Cheyenne Mountain Indians

Coach: Mike Paige
2013 record: 15-3
Leading returning goal scorer: S. Sheridan (37)
Leading returning assists: S. Sheridan (20)
Leading returning points scorer: S. Sheridan (57)
Leading returning ground balls: C. Rothstein (107)
Leading returning goalie: L. Jepson (.680 save percentage)

Fountain Valley/Colorado Springs Danes

Coach: O’Neil Turner
2013 record: 2-10

Ponderosa Mustangs

Coach: Pat Tierney
2013 record: 10-6
Leading returning goal scorer: D. Mango (35)
Leading returning assists: B. Bruner (23)
Leading returning points scorer: B. Bruner (55)
Leading returning ground balls: J. Griffin (101)

Pueblo West Cyclones

Coach: Jason Pacheck
2013 record: 4-10
Returning lettermen: 21
Leading seniors: Dan Ballotti, D; Nick Cervi, M; Mak Kovak, A; Ian Obendorferr, G; James Lander, LSM;
Top juniors: Justin Hildebrand, D
Sophomores to watch: Christopher Cervi, A; Tanner Crapeau, D; Brian Davis, LSM; Trevor Emond, G; LSM, Midfield, Jerry Peralta, G;

2014 outlook: “We are continuing our commitment to building a positive lacrosse environment based upon character and leadership,” Pacheck said.

St. Mary’s Pirates

Coach: Isaac (Ike) Anderson
2013 record: 9-7
Returning lettermen: 16
Leading seniors: Tyler Anderson, G; Connor Gosselin, D; Mitch Estal, DM; Andrew Grammel, LSM; Henry Paris, M
Top juniors: Alex Greenly, M/FO; CJ LaMack, LSM; Michael Tafolla, M/A
Sophomores to watch: Drew Chesire, M/FO; Wes Moran, A; Kyler Kasten, A/M; Daniel Raskob, M; Ben Stockelman, D; Dylan Tait, D

2013 highlight: It was the first time St. Mary’s was the playoffs. The team finished third in the Pikes Peak Conference.

2014 outlook: Said Anderson: “We are hope to have a winning season; make the playoffs; compete within our conference; have the team compete and improve with every game; show class and play the game of lacrosse the correct way; be a team with class win or lost; a team who respect everyone, coaches, players, parents and officials; be a team first (play as a team).”

Freelance (1 team)

Denver North Vikings

Coach: TBD
2013 record: N/A

March 4, 2014

All-state boys golf teams for 2013 season

Regis Jesuit’s Spencer Painton. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

The 2013 all-state boys golf teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These teams were created based upon results at the state meet.

The athletes who won championships at their classification were named golfers of the year.

Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

[divider]

Class 5A

Golfer of the year: Spencer Painton, Regis Jesuit

First team
Name	School
Spencer Painton	Regis Jesuit
Jake Kelley	Regis Jesuit
Li Chen	Legacy
Grant Rogers	Boulder
Devyn Solano	Grandview
Aj Ott	Fort Collins
Troy Dangler	Fruita Monument
Chris Korte	Regis Jesuit
Donny Kinnaman	Grand Junction
Hunter Lee	Heritage
Neil Tillman	Ralston Valley
Sam Marley	Arapahoe
Kobe Padilla	Cherry Creek

[divider]

Class 4A

Golfer of the year: Isaac Petersilie, Coronado

First team
Name	School
Isaac Petersilie	Coronado
Wilson Belk	Cheyenne Mountain
Glenn Workman	Pueblo West
Jake Staiano	Valor Christian
Jakob Rudosky	Montezuma-Cortez
Andrew Rademacher-Howe	Silver Creek
Ross Macdonald	Valor Christian
Trevor Bogus	Durango
Jackson Solem	Silver Creek
Josh Seiple	Valor Christian

[divider]

Class 3A

Golfer of the year: Tristan Rohrbaugh, Basalt

First team
Name	School
Tristan Rohrbaugh	Basalt
Behrod Keshtavar	Peak to Peak
Cole Folwell	Alexander Dawson
Cameron Connor	Alexander Dawson
Hayden Nicholaides	Lutheran
Payton DeVencenty	Lutheran
Clayton Crawford	Aspen
Matt Benavidas	Alamosa
Yale Kim	Alexander Dawson
Gary Schlatter	Kent Denver

February 27, 2014

Ball Fever: Previewing the 5A and 4A boys basketball tournaments
Mountain Vista is a No. 1 seed in the Ray Ball Region. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

Ball Fever is a regular installment written by Thomas Trotman which rounds up boys basketball action in Class 5A and 4A.

Colorado prep hoop fans! What an exciting time in Colorado as our big school divisions have produced one memorable regular season with some excellent team play and amazing individual performances, as well.

The buzz about Colorado hoops is legit and we can thank a growing basketball community for that from our peewee rec leagues to competitive club ball, increasing individual personal training opportunities and truly dedicated high school staffs. The basketball product hitting the Colorado hardwood is improving and colleges of all levels are taking notice! Great time to be a part of Colorado hoops and now lets get to the madness!

Now, on to the tournament previews:

[divider]

Class 5A

Ray Ball Region

The top seed coming out of this region is an extremely hot Mountain Vista (22-1) squad which is riding a 14-game winning streak. That includes their Continental League-clinching overtime thriller vs. Highlands Ranch to cap the regular season. The confident, Denver-bound Jake Pemberton leads Vista’s fast-paced attack which keeps opponents gasping for air.

Our Fever Crew discussed Chatfield playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder in this region after going 14-2 in league and winning the Jeffco but earning a No. 3 seed.

Eaglecrest celebrates winning the last year’s 5A basketball championship. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

The defending champs? Oh yes, the Eaglecrest Raptors again have a balanced attack with numerous athletes who are likely very hungry to taste the title again. Junior Blend Advili continues to be a jack of all trades for the Raptors, while LaDerian King and Jaisean Jackson’s senior leadership will make the defending champ a scary matchup.

Favorites: Mountain Vista and Eaglecrest. In our opinion, both are Boulder-capable teams but only one will get there.

Watch out for: Fort Collins can be a sneaky No. 4 seed here in our opinion. Colorado State commit Toby Van Ry and his running mate Will Duggan (Black Hills State commit) will not go down without a fight. Possible Sweet 16 match-up with Mountain Vista for Fort Collins.

Chatfield was discussed above and they may have to face a tough, well-coached ThunderRidge squad right away. Coach Joe Ortiz and crew will use the lessons learned in the tough Continental League and be prepared should that game become reality.

Chauncey Billups Region:

Fossil Ridge is No. 1 seed in the Chauncey Billups Region. (Pam Wagner)

One year ago, we sat in the Fossil Ridge gym and watched that 2013 team battle Arapahoe to exciting last-second finish. While looking at their roster all one could think was, “This squad is going to be tough next year!”

That turned out to be a huge understatement as the SaberCats have posted a perfect 23-0 season with their first league title and many voting them as our state’s No. 1 team. The SaberCats’ lead man is Alex Semadeni, who leads their balanced attack with 14 points per game. Our Fever Crew got to see many of these young men playing club ball together as well in tough venues such as Indianapolis and Las Vegas.

Regardless of how things end up for the SaberCats, congrats are in order for coach Matt Johannsen and the entire Fossil Ridge hoops family.

With all the attention Mountain Vista and Highlands Ranch got towards the end of the season, it may have been easy to overlook Regis Jesuit but don’t make that mistake as coach Ken Shaw will have his crew prepped for postseason action. The Raiders have a No. 2 seed but some tough potential opponents in Smoky Hill, Standley Lake and possibly an Arapahoe if both can advance to Sweet 16.

Favorites: Fossil Ridge and Regis. After a tough two-point loss to Mountain Vista, Regis has quietly ran off seven in a row. Many feel Fossil Ridge/Regis have similar rosters and would love to see the two great coaches match wits as well.

Watch out for:
- A fun first-round match up in Rock Canyon and Lincoln. If you like guard play check out Lincoln’s leader Michael Sparks vs. the Jaguars tandem of Tyler Garcia and Mitch Lombard.
- Arapahoe and Smoky Hill have impressive “Centennial-tough” league wins and wouldn’t mind playing for a rubber match after splitting their season matchups.
Jim Baggot Region:

Denver East’s Dom Collier. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

The season had to have a bit of a “rock star” feel for this region’s top seed Denver East Angels while they had the opportunity to play top national competition in Utah, Florida and Nebraska.

The Angels finished the season with a 19-4 mark with each loss coming out of state. CU-bound Dominique Collier and Creighton commit Ronnie Harrell lead a very celebrated starting five who all have NCAA Division I college interest and potential.

East tasted great success last year but as we all know they came up short in the title game. They haven’t lost in Colorado this year and we’re sure coach Rudy Carey’s Angels don’t plan on it.

Highlands Ranch suffered a 20-point post-winter break loss to Denver East in January and they would love a rematch now that the Falcons are healthy and at full strength. The No. 2 seed is led by big Zach Braxton (Weber State commit) and he has serious perimeter help with a healthy Evan Motlong along with Riley Stewart playing well.

Favorites: Clearly Denver East and Highlands Ranch in this region. Lots of work to be done but the city vs. suburbs fanatics would love to see this possible Sweet 16 matchup happen.

Watch out for:
- Horizon will have its hands full with No. 10 seed George Washington.
- Thomas (20 points per game) and Luke Neff over at Arvada West can heat up and cause lots of trouble in the bottom half of this region.
- Twitter-verse seemed to show a lot of surprise at Grandview earning a No. 3 seed and they will be tested right away if the Arvada West match up plays out.
- Heard a lot of good things about Broderick Robinson, senior averaging 20 points per for Grand Junction, and a possible match-up vs. Cherokee Trail young guns could be intriguing.
Bill Weimar Region:

Rangeview is on a 10-game winning streak. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

The Danny Fisher-coached Overland Trailblazers (17-6) suffered a tough one-point home loss to Eaglecrest in January, but have since run off seven straight, including avenging that loss to the Raptors to lock up the Centennial League title in OT last Friday.

The young Blazers talent is well documented with two-sport stud Austin Conway running the show, big De’Ron Davis on the inside, and guards Reggie Gibson, Jervae Robinson making more consistent impact. Don’t be surprised if you hear that senior T’Aren Williams steps up for Overland somewhere during this playoff journey.

The EMAC conference hasn’t gotten a lot of respect lately but one player who could make us all take notice on any given night is future CSU Ram Jeremiah Paige. The Rangeview Raiders look good as a No. 2 seed on a 10-game win streak which includes a road victory over 4A’s No. 1 ranked squad Valor Christian to finish the season.

The Raiders could be in for a real battle if Montbello can get the win over visiting Liberty. Montbello is playing much improved ball lately and have a starting five that can compete with any in the state. The question with the Warriors will be their depth.

Favorites: Going with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds as the favorites here as well. Giving a slight edge to Rangeview over No. 3 seed Chaparral here as they beat them head-to-head, but that was a very different Chap team early in the season. Overland carrying some serious momentum into tourney.

Watch out for:
- Speaking of young talent, Overland may just see some if Aurora Central and their young guard Ladarius Thomas can lead the Trojans to a win over Boulder.
- More strong guard play with Dakota Ridge potentially facing Monarch.
- As mentioned above, Chaparral could easily be a favorite in this region. Jake Holtzman, who reportedly just picked up an offer from Denver University, leads a Chap squad who won seven of their last eight. Only recent loss coming to Continental champ Vista.
- Senior DJ Miles is a player to watch as Bear Creek visits Cherry Creek to see who gets Chap. The Creek Bruins had a fast start and proved they can play with the best (senior Griffin Parr at 12 points per game, Ceasar Jones and Will Bower lead the strong junior class). Lets see if they can regain the steam at the right time.
[divider]

Class 4A

All season, Valor Christian has been looked at as the favorite in 4A. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

Richard Tate Region:

The consistent No. 1-ranked team most of the season in 4A has been Valor Christian and that’s hard to argue with. The Eagles have a senior-heavy roster that has gotten close to that “gold ball” and seem primed to make another Boulder run this year.

Senior Chase Foster (San Francisco commit; 20 points per game) is Mr. Versatility for the Eagles and he has a strong cast of sweet-shooting Garrett Baggett along with the toughness football studs Christian McCaffrey and Marcus Wilson bring.

Valor hoops is 19-4 and their only Colorado loss comes to 5A Rangeview.

Pueblo East got the No. 2 seed in this region. Dylan Gavin is averaging 20 points per game for East and had the team on a five-game winning streak before a season-ending loss to league champ Pueblo South.

A player who can spark his team to a run in this region is Vista PEAK’s Romello Washington. Washington can light it up, has recent games of 25, 31, 27, with a season average of 18 per game for Vista, who are undefeated league champs.

Favorites: Valor Christian and Pueblo East.

Watch out for: Ponderosa played in the brutal 5A Continental League but now look to make some noise in the 4A tourney. Will be interesting to see how Valor handles one of our states best “bigs” in 6-foot-10 Wyoming commit Jonathon Barnes should Pondo get by Mountain View.

Guy Gibbs Region:

D’Evelyn is the No. 1 seed in the Guy Gibbs Region. (Dennis Pleuss)

The D’Evelyn Jaguars have a strong duo who have both averaged close to 20 points per game the entire season in Ty McGee and Grant Witherspoon. The 18-5 Jags had two late season losses to Thomas Jefferson and Wheat Ridge but their 13-1 Jeffco 4A league record won the league title and got them the No. 1 seed.

The No. 2 seed Sand Creek in this region has a real play maker of their own in Air Force commit Dylan Clark (averaging 20 points per game, as well).

Favorites: Have to add Denver West as a serious problem for folks in this region along with the two top seeds. Coach Ray Valdez has the Cowboys playing fundamentally sound and with a lot of fight. Sophomore Alpha Diallo is an up and coming play maker with nice court vision, scoring ability for West.

Watch out for: Would love to have a front row seat for a potential Sweet 16 match up of Denver West vs. Sand Creek.

Mark Randall Region:

Thompson Valley’s Collin Smith. (Brock Laue)

Two more deserving, tough Nos. 1 and 2 seeds here as well.

Thompson Valley, 22-1 with only loss coming to 5A’s Fossil Ridge, haven’t tasted defeat since mid-December. 6-foot-5 senior Collin Smith paces the Eagles with 19 points and six rebounds per game.

Got to take a look at Thompson Valley’s balanced play when they visited a squad with a strong senior leader of their own in Cheyenne Mountain’s Ghassan Nehme (Montana State commit). Nehme, who averages almost 27 points per game, has the Indians on a five-game streak headed into tourney play.

Favorites: Top two seeds look good here but Longmont and Mesa Ridge very capable of mixing things up. Senior Austin Kemp will attempt to get Longmont back on track after two late-season losses.

Watch out for: Ghassan Nehme is an electric scorer who can put his squad on his shoulders if needed.

Maceo Broadnax Jr. Region:

Denver South is the No. 2 seed in the Maceo Broadnax Jr. Region. (Mark Adams)

Pueblo South lost their first two games of the season and have impressively ran off 21 wins in a row. Now that’s momentum headed into the tourney.

Another impressive stat is that the Colts have four players averaging double figure scoring, led by Brian Pratt and Jared Baros right at 13 each per game.

Denver South holds this region’s No. 2 seed and their big man in the middle, Ibrahim Sylla (Northern Colorado commit), is a double-double highlight machine above the rim. Sylla averages 14 points and 14 rebounds per game.

Favorites: Hard to call in this extremely tough region. Stacked with competitive teams like Golden (won 10 of their last 11 games with sophomore Ryan Blodgett at 12-point and eight-rebound average) at the No. 3 seed and a No. 4 seed in Thomas Jefferson who could beat any of the top 3 if they bring their “A” game as they did in a late season win over No. 1 seed D’Evelyn.

Watch out for: “Watch your head” as the players would say when South’s Sylla or Thomas Jefferson’s Trey Andres take flight. Two of our state’s “freakish” athletes. Denver South played a strong season finale vs. 5A No. 1 Denver East. They could carry that momentum into a tourney run. Guards Lorenzo Snoddy and Tyson Purifoy capable of big games as well. This region is tough!

[divider]

Whew! Get ready for some fun tourney action folks.

Denver East/Fossil Ridge in 5A? Valor/Thompson Valley in 4A? Many have said it could play out just that way. Those have been your top big school squads all season, but we happen to remember a young man by the name of TreShawn Wilford who led the Eaglecrest Raptors on a special tournament run in 2013.

Who could be the Wilford of this years playoffs? We’ll be watching to find out! Enjoy …
February 25, 2014

All-state football teams for 2013 season

Valor Christian running back Christian McCaffrey. (Mark Adams) — Valor Christian running back Christian McCaffrey is the player of the year in Class 5A. (Mark Adams)

The 2013 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 coaches, and then a vote of coaches. Find more information here.

The players who received the most votes in their classification were selected as the player of the year in their class.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

[divider]

Class 5A

Player of the year: Christian McCaffrey, Valor Christian

First Team
Name	School	Year	Pos.
Ethan Brunhofer	Arapahoe	Senior	TE
Elijah Cherrington	Legend	Senior	WR
Austin Conway	Overland	Senior	QB, Ath.
Ryan Cummings	Valor Christian	Senior	OL
Cameron Frazier	Fairview	Senior	WR, Ret.
Terran Hasselbach	Regis Jesuit	Senior	DL
Anders Hill	Fairview	Senior	QB
Isaiah Holland	Valor Christian	Senior	OL
Mark Hopper	ThunderRidge	Senior	WR, S, K
Sam Jones	ThunderRidge	Senior	OL
Carlo Kemp	Fairview	Sophomore	DL
Jacob Knipp	Ralston Valley	Senior	QB
Eric Lee	Valor Christian	Junior	DB
Chris Marquez	Pomona	Senior	RB
Sam Martin	Fairview	Senior	WR
Jacob Martin	Cherokee Trail	Senior	DL
Christian McCaffrey	Valor Christian	Senior	RB
Bernard McDondle	Columbine	Senior	RB
Alec Ruth	Valor Christian	Junior	OL
JK Scott	Mullen	Senior	K, P
Connor Spencer	Fairview	Senior	DL, OL
Tre Thomas	Overland	Senior	LB
Brody Westmoreland	ThunderRidge	Senior	QB
Evan White	Cherokee Trail	Senior	DB
Marcus Wilson	Valor Christian	Junior	DB
Zach Young	Doherty	Senior	RB

Second Team
Name	School	Year	Pos.
Jeremy Aparicio	Columbine	Senior	RB, LB
Jostin Barron	Legend	Senior	DL
Ryan Belearde	Westminster	Senior	RB, DB
Ben Burnett	Prairie View	Senior	DL
Connor Cain	Heritage	Senior	OL, DL
AJ Cecil	Valor Christian	Senior	QB
Gabe Civerlo	Grandview	Senior	OL
Stanford Cooper	Cherry Creek	Senior	LB
Cody Dengal	Legend	Senior	WR
Chance Drake	Hinkley	Senior	WR
Justin Falls	Valor Christian	Senior	LB
Keenan Foshe	Chaparral	Senior	LB
Gabe Gillespie	Mountain Range	Senior	RB, LB
Jaeden Grahm	Cherry Creek	Senior	DB
Tanner Griffin	Grand Junction	Senior	LB
Austin Hall	Gateway	Senior	S
Aric Johnson	Cherokee Trail	Senior	QB
Anisoni Kami	Rangeview	Senior	LB
Alex Kinney	Rocky Mountain	Junior	K
Cameron Knight	Grandview	Junior	DB
Spencer Long	Poudre	Senior	WR, DB
Grant McConnell	Mountain Range	Senior	OL, DL
Chukwuma Obinnah	Grandview	Junior	RB
RJ Ramirez	Prairie View	Junior	RB
Matt Rindal	Cherry Creek	Junior	LB
Austin Ruiz	Hinkley	Senior	QB
Jack Sale	Pomona	Senior	DB
Jonah Seng	Poudre	Senior	OL, DL
Jamin Smith	Douglas County	Senior	OL
Cameron Smith	Cherokee Trail	Junior	RB
Trey Smith	Douglas County	Senior	RB
Jonathan Swartzwelter	Fairview	Senior	K
Theron Verna	Grand Junction	Senior	TE, LB
Quinton Walton	Grand Junction	Senior	OL, DL
Jacen White	Columbine	Senior	DL, TE

[divider]

Class 4A

Player of the year: Kalen Ballage, Falcon

First Team
Name	School	Year	Pos.
Kalen Ballage	Falcon	Senior	RB, WR, Ath.
Ethan Marks	Monarch	Senior	RB
Jay MacIntyre	Monarch	Senior	Ath., DB, QB
Josh Gehring	Pine Creek	Senior	DL
Matt List	Pine Creek	Senior	LB
Brant Seeley	Dakota Ridge	Senior	OL
Justin Barron	Falcon	Senior	P
Angelo Youngren	Montrose	Senior	RB, FS
Erik Eaton	Pine Creek	Senior	OL
Nathan Spinuzzi	Pueblo South	Junior	QB, K
Zach Peck	Windsor	Senior	DL
Zac Lindsay	Denver South	Senior	RB, LB
John Freismith	Loveland	Senior	WR, FS
Cody Mommaerts	Monarch	Senior	OL
Mike Rocha	Montrose	Junior	FB, DL
Keith Hed	Pueblo West	Senior	OL
Connor Durant	Standley Lake	Junior	S, WR
Kidd Soole	Monarch	Junior	SS
Matt Maestas	Montrose	Junior	OL, DL
Cody Wilson	Ponderosa	Senior	OL
Trey Jarvis	Standley Lake	Senior	TE. DL
Pete Mitchell	Monarch	Senior	LB
Avery Anderson	Pine Creek	Junior	FS
Tommy Lazzaro	Pine Creek	Junior	QB
Aaron Nelson	Dakota Ridge	Senior	RB
Braxton Thais	Dakota Ridge	Junior	QB

[divider]

Class 3A

Player of the year: Dallas Reins, Elizabeth

First Team
Name	School	Year	Pos.
Andre Apodaca	Silver Creek	Senior	LB
Levi Cecil	Silver Creek	Junior	OL, DL
Ryan Charles	Silver Creek	Senior	K
Joe DeTello	Pueblo East	Senior	S
Tyler Dudden	Holy Family	Senior	OL, DL
Isaah Duvall	Coronado	Senior	RB
Jaseil Garcia	Delta	Senior	OL
Levi Hoagland	Palisade	Senior	QB, S
Joe Hunt	Coronado	Senior	DL
Jessy Jackson	Arvada	Senior	WR, K
Austin King	Frederick	Senior	DL, OL
Kellin Leigh	Rifle	Senior	RB, DB
Zane Lindsey	Silver Creek	Junior	TE
Joe Lopez	Frederick	Senior	DL, FB
Zack Marango	Palisade	Senior	OL, DL
Austin Micci	Coronado	Senior	Ret., RB, SS
Isaac Miller	Silver Creek	Senior	OL
Randy Molinar	Roosevelt	Senior	RB
Chase Nicholas	Elizabeth	Senior	RB, LB
Ouray Ocanas	Fort Morgan	Junior	LB, OL
Brody Oliver	Elizabeth	Senior	QB
Brandon Payer	Conifer	Senior	LB
Dallas Reins	Elizabeth	Senior	OL, DL
Austin Shepherd	Rifle	Senior	LB
Ben Sjobakken	Silver Creek	Senior	QB
Sam Smith	Coronado	Junior	LB
David Sommers	Holy Family	Senior	QB, DB
Ryan Whiteside	Delta	Senior	WR
Alec Wirtjes	Discovery Canyon	Senior	RB
Isaiah Young	Vista Peak	Junior	WR, DB

[divider]

Class 2A

Player of the year: Lance Neuerburg, Platte Valley

First Team
Name	School	Year	Pos.
Randy Baker	Brush	Senior	RB, LB
Caleb Creech	Platte Valley	Junior	RB, LB
Johnathan Cretti	Bennett	Junior	RB
Ryan Fitzgerald	Aspen	Junior	RB
Jaden Franklin	Kent Denver	Junior	RB, Ret.
Alejandro Garcia	Bennett	Senior	DL, OL
Trevon Hamlet	Kent Denver	Senior	LB, Ret.
Roice Hanks	Strasburg	Senior	OL, DL
Junior Ibarra	Jefferson	Senior	OL, DL
John Jordan	Bennett	Sophomore	LB, TE
Stefan Knoerr	Faith Christian	Senior	K
Bailey Landwehr	Platte Valley	Senior	K, P
Daniel Langewisch	Faith Christian	Senior	RB
Jovanni Lucero	Jefferson	Senior	RB
Joe Matarazzo	Kent Denver	Senior	QB, DB
Cameron Maxey	Platte Valley	Senior	DB, WR
Connor McCain	Faith Christian	Junior	DL
Jeff Merritt	Fort Lupton	Senior	QB, S
Josh Mihalchin	Faith Christian	Senior	OL
Vince Moquin	Bennett	Senior	DL, OL
Lance Neuerburg	Platte Valley	Senior	OL, DL
Nick Paradiso	Trinidad	Senior	OL, DL
Tex Ritter	Faith Christian	Senior	TE
Ethan Rose	Sterling	Junior	WR, DB
Kyle Rosenbrock	Brush	Junior	QB, LB
Maverick Seewald	Brush	Senior	OL, DL
Logan Sitzman	Platte Valley	Senior	QB
Jake Smith	Platte Valley	Senior	LB, WB
Jacob Smith	Strasburg	Junior	RB, LB
Jalen Vasquez	Fort Lupton	Senior	WR
DJ Vurciaga	Fort Lupton	Senior	TE, LB
Tanner Wineland	Bennett	Senior	K, TE, DB

[divider]

Class 1A

Player of the year: Dalton Risner, Wiggins

First Team
Name	School	Year	Pos.
Will Austin	Paonia	Senior	RB
Jareb Aziz	Centauri	Junior	RB, LB
Jacob Baca	Cornerstone Christian	Senior	RB, DB
Jordan Bobian	John Mall	Senior	WR, K
Jason Buhr	Centauri	Senior	RB, LB
Trevor Close	Buena Vista	Junior	RB, S
Alec Coscarella	Salida	Senior	RB
Jacob Crist	Ellicott	Junior	WR
Jonas Cure	Wray	Junior	TE, DL
Tony Darling	Paonia	Junior	OL, DL
Dylan Geisler	Paonia	Junior	OL, DL
Tony Gentile	Salida	Senior	DL, TE
KC Jarvies	Centauri	Senior	QB, DB
Adison Jones	Ignacio	Junior	QB
Josh Kimball	Paonia	Junior	OL, DL
Jaden Koenig	Yuma	Senior	QB, LB
Christian Krautschun	Colorado Springs Christian	Senior	OL, DL
Ryan Krogmeier	Holyoke	Senior	OL
Gavin Liggett	Limon	Senior	QB
Luis Mariscal	Center	Senior	OL, DL
Clay McCarroll	Centauri	Junior	WR, DB
Andy McFarland	Buena Vista	Senior	WR, RB, DB
Blake Paintin	Limon	Senior	DL
Corey Reynolds	Cedaredge	Junior	OL, DL
Dalton Risner	Wiggins	Senior	OL, DL
Corey Ritchey	Wiggins	Senior	RB, DL
Eloy Sandavol	Burlington	Junior	RB, DB
Michael Stevensen	Resurrection Christian	Freshman	K, QB
JaVonte’ Stewart	Ellicott	Senior	QB
TJ Stockton	Colorado Springs Christian	Senior	QB, RB, LB
Joseph Storrer	Crowley County	Senior	DL
Taylor Walters	Paonia	Senior	QB, S
Cole Watson	Resurrection Christian	Senior	TE
Keegan Wentz	Buena Vista	Senior	QB

[divider]

8-man

Player of the year: Ty Eichman, Daypsring Christian

First Team
Name	School	Year	Pos.
Damian Bell	Simla	Senior	RB, LB
Mitch Davison	Caliche	Senior	QB, DB
Brody Donoho	Dayspring Christian	Junior	OL, DL
Ty Eichman	Dayspring Christian	Senior	RB, DL, OL, S
Bobby Handley	Kiowa	Senior	OL, DL
Blayde Harrigan	Norwood	Senior	OL, DL
Levi Hottinger	Akron	Senior	RB, LB
Kylar Mai	Dayspring Christian	Junior	QB, LB
Dominique Marquez	Hoehne	Senior	DL
Devan Mock	Dayspring Christian	Senior	TE, DL
Nate Ramirez	Sargent	Senior	QB, LB
Morgan Rummel	Norwood	Senior	QB
Sawyer Schafer	Hoehne	Senior	QB
Wyatt Schrepfer	Hoehne	Senior	RB
Iaac Torres	Hoehne	Senior	OL, DL
Jeff Williams	Norwood	Senior	RB, LB
Jon Wiseman	Dayspring Christian	Junior	G, DL
Austin Zink	Caliche	Senior	LB, RB

[divider]

6-man

Player of the year: Clay Cordell, Hi-Plains

First Team
Name	School	Year	Pos.
Clay Cordell	Hi-Plains	Senior	QB, DB
Eli Palser	Otis	Senior	RB, DB
Kyle Loeffler	Arickaree/Woodlin	Senior	RB, LB
Kyle English	Liberty/Stratton	Junior	TB, S
MC Griffin	Liberty/Stratton	Senior	LB, FB
Alex Nelson	Hi-Plains	Junior	RB, DB
Dakota Will-Potter	Briggsdale	Senior	QB, LB
Trevor Thompson	Liberty/Stratton	Senior	QB, LB
Tyler Carmen	Prairie	Senior	RB, MLB
Garrett Shaffer	Arickaree/Woodlin	Senior	WR, LB
Avery Marzolf	Hi-Plains	Senior	OL, NG, LB
Brady Holtz	Peetz	Senior	QB, DB
Clay Corliss	Liberty/Stratton	Senior	LB, TE
Tyler Rouse	Eads	Senior	QB, LB
Tanner Pflager	Otis	Senior	QB, DB

February 25, 2014

Returning champions rule the night at 5A wrestling

DENVER — It was a night of repeats and three-peats in the Class 5A state wrestling championships Saturday at Pepsi Center.

When it was all said and done, four individuals had defended their 2013 state titles and another, Bear Creek senior P.T. Garcia, had claimed his third consecutive championship. It was the perfect exclamation point on a season, and in some cases, a career.

“It’s kind of bittersweet because that’s the last time I’ll wear a Ponderosa singlet,” said Ponderosa senior Dylan Gabel, who pinned Arapahoe’s Jaylen Mosqueira to claim the 182-pound title. “I’ve put a lot of time and effort in with that program. I love the coaches, I love the school and the support we get.”

Arvada West enjoyed the best day and tournament as a whole, winnings its first team championship since 1992 and only its third overall. The Wildcats, who had three individual champions and nine placers overall, dominated the 5A field with 179 points. Pomona, which had two state titlists, was second with 92 points, followed by Ponderosa (88), Cherry Creek (81.5) and Pine Creek (80).

Payton Tawater (145 pounds), Tony Silva-Bussey (170) and Devin Rothrock (195) each captured their first state titles.

“It was just all worth it. Every little bit of it,” Tawater said. “All the running, all the extra stuff. It all was worth it in the end.”

Garcia received one of the biggest ovations of the night after downing Greeley West’s Adrian DelaCruz 10-7 in the 132-pound final. It sent the University of Wyoming-bound senior into the three-time state champion club.

“Being able to accomplish something like this – all that hard work finally paying off,” Garcia said, “all the tears I’ve cried and all the blood I’ve bled, it really culminated with a moment like this. It’s really special.”

Cherry Creek’s Mitch Finesilver defended his 2013 title with a 1-0 decision over another former champion, Coronado’s Jess Hankin, at 126 pounds. Grand Junction’s Jacob Trujillo did the same with an 8-4 decision at 160 pounds, as did Gabel and Regis Jesuit’s Grand Neal at 220 with a 7-3 victory.

Mountain Range’s Jorge Rodriguez, who won his first title in 2012, capped his prep career with a 5-0 decision at heavyweight.

Finesilver survived with a narrow 1-0 decision. He and Hankin had worked together over the summer, and that familiarity showed on the mat.

“My strategy was really just to wrestle my match,” Finesilver said. “We know each other so well, and you’ve just kind of got to do what you do best.”

Hankin tried to score a late takedown but could never quite get in good position.

“It’s always a little frustrating when you can’t pull out the win, but ultimately I view it as a learning experience,” said Hankin, who is a junior. “There’s a lot to be learned from that match.”

For Finesilver, capturing a second title was special but the night was made even better after twin brother Zach won the 138-pound with a 10-4 decision over Arvada West’s Jimmy Rothwell.

Another brother, Matt, reached the finals at 113 but fell 9-2 to Legacy’s Ryan Deakin, who capped a perfect season with his first championship.

“It’s awesome. I look back on all the hard work I’ve done, and I guess that means more to be than just a title in general,” Finesilver said. “Doing it with great coaches and my family, my brothers and my teammates, that means more to me.”

Gabel, who is headed to the University of Northern Colorado, had the added distinction of pinning his way through the tournament while setting the Ponderosa single-season pin record in the process with 35.

“That’s my style of wrestling,” Gabel said. “I was hoping I would be able to pin my way through and I did, so I feel pretty pleased about all of it.”

Pomona sophomore Tomas Gutierrez also finished with a perfect season after an 11-1 major decision at 106 pounds. His teammate, senior Josh Rosales, also notched a major decision, 12-4 at 120 pounds, to take his first title.

The other first-time state champion was Gateway’s Deyaun Trueblood, who posted a 9-3 decision at 152 pounds.

The night truly belonged to Arvada West though. Tawater fought his way through the bracket for a 1-0 decision after finishing third his first two years.

“By far the best night of my life,” Tawater said. “By far.”

Silva-Bussey closed his career with an 18-10 major decision and Rothrock notched a 5-2 decision.

The team was without coach Ron Granieri, who was on restriction from the postseason.

“It’s indescribable. These kids busted their butts all year long. It’s just the hard work that they put it in the room every day, the grind,” A-West assistant coach Matt Schmidt said. “The kids, they just wanted to wrestle. That’s all they wanted to do, and they wrestled their best.”

February 23, 2014
Bear Creek’s Garcia ready for one last match in 5A wrestling

DENVER — Three years ago P.T. Garcia saw his freshman foray into the Class 5A state wrestling tournament end with a one-point loss in the state finals.

What followed was a lesson in focus, and it led to back-to-back state titles for the Bear Creek standout. On Friday evening at Pepsi Center, Garcia moved to within one victory of joining an elite club of three-time state champions.

“I have so many memories here,” Garcia said from the bowels of Pepsi Center after defeating Pomona freshman Jason Romero by technical fall, 17-1, in the 132-pound semifinals. “They’re all just kind of flooding back, all the way from my freshman year.”

Garcia (35-0) will go for the three-peat in the finals Saturday night. The Bears senior will be matched up with Greeley West senior Adrian DeLaCruz, who defeated Ponderosa’s Devin House 5-2.

There will also be the added bonus of having teammate Jaysen Yacobson joining him in the finals. Yacobson defeated Horizon’s Jackson Huffman 4-3 and will face Pomona’s Josh Rosales.

Garcia expects there will be a flood of emotions once the Parade of Champions begins.

“I’m going to sit down on the mat and look up and just realize where I am and how great that is and how much of an opportunity that is,” he said. “This year I get to have my good friend that I’ve been wrestling with since I was five years old.”

Arvada West moved ever closer to capturing its first 5A state championship since 1992. The Wildcats advanced four individuals into the finals and are leading the field with 121 points. Cherry Creek, which has brothers Matt (113 pounds), Mitch (126) and Zach Finesilver (132) in the finals, is second with 73.5 points, followed by Ponderosa with 70.

Junior Jimmy Rothwell pinned his way into the 138-pound final against Zach Finesilver. Arvada West’s Payton Tawater and Ponderosa’s Torry Williams will battle at 145; Tony Silva-Bussey meets Mountain Vista’s Dylan Formby at 170; and Devin Rothrock takes on Fossil Ridge’s Payton Tapia at 195.

Silva-Bussey pinned both of his opponents Friday to move into his first title match.

“I tried picturing this moment, going to the finals, making it there,” he said. “I never thought it would feel like this. I’m just so excited right now.”

Even though the team championship is within the Wildcats’ grasp, Silva-Bussey and his teammates remain focused on Saturday’s matches first and foremost.

“Right now we’re just focusing on individual stuff,” he said. “If the team title comes, then it comes. Until we get to that point, we’re mainly just focusing on individual stuff and seeing what we can do there.”

A handful of wrestlers will be aiming to defend their 2013 titles. Mitch Finesilver and Coronado’s Jess Hankin, both of who took first a year ago, will battle at 126 pounds. Grand Junction’s Jacob Trujillo (160), Ponderosa’s Dylan Gabel (182) and Regis Jesuit’s Grant Neal (220) also are back in the finals. Mountain Range’s Jorge Rodriguez, a 2012 titlist, is in the 285-pound final against Chaparral’s Dane Drimmer. Both wrestlers have pinned their way through the tournament.

Three previously undefeated wrestlers were knocked off Friday, including top-seeded Roman Ortiz of Rocky Mountain. Gateway’s Deyaun Trueblood scored a takedown to break a 1-1 tie and withstood a late stalling penalty for the 3-2 decision over Ortiz at 152 pounds.

“Three or four days ago I wasn’t feeling too confident. I was beating up on myself,” Trueblood said. “But with the atmosphere here – I feel great. Nobody expects the regional runner-up to beat the No. 1 seed.”

The sophomore placed sixth at state as a freshman and while he was understandably emotional Friday, Trueblood understands there is still one more match before he can truly celebrate. Next up is Fountain Fort-Carson’s Rashawn Benford.

“I’m not accomplished yet,” he said. “It’s not over yet – not until you’re at the top of the podium.”

February 22, 2014
Returning champ Hankin under-the-radar in 5A wrestling tourney

More photos. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)

DENVER — It’s not exactly a common scenario for a defending state champion to be flying under the radar, but Coronado junior Jess Hankin may be doing exactly that.

One year after capturing the Class 5A state title at 113 pounds, Hankin is ranked third at 126 pounds, the only 5A division to feature another defending champion in Cherry Creek’s Mitch Finesilver.

That’s why Hankin, who kicked off his 2014 state tournament Thursday night at Pepsi Center by pinning Aurora Central’s Jonnathan Quijada in three minutes, 44 seconds, isn’t necessarily feeling the pressure that often comes with defending a title.

“It’s really more motivation, especially seeing as how I was ranked third all year,” Hankin said. “It gives me a goal to work up to. I’m not the No. 1 guy, so it takes a lot of the pressure off as well.”

Finesilver, who captured the 120-pound title as a junior, opened with an 11-1 major decision over Chaparral’s Dawson Cranmer. Ponderosa’s Kade Snider, the No. 2-ranked wrestler at 126, also advanced with a 7-2 decision over Fruita Monument’s Ian Konrad.

Hankin led 9-2 in the second period of his match before securing the fall.

“It’s not an ‘if-you-win.’ It’s a definite win,” Hankin said. “It’s not so much a confidence booster as it is just nice to get it out of the way.”

That sentiment was a common one among the wrestlers Thursday. Each of the defending champions moved on to Friday morning’s quarterfinals, including two-time state champion P.T. Garcia at 132. The senior scored a technical fall of 22-7 over Liberty’s Grady Brewster.

Grand Junction’s Jacob Trujillo (160), Ponderosa’s Dylan Gab el (182) and Regis Jesuit’s Grant Neal (220) also moved forward. Mountain Range’s Jorge Rodriguez (285), a 2012 state champion, needed only 19 seconds to notch a pin and advance.

Arvada West sent eight of its 11 qualifiers into the quarterfinals to take the team lead with 24 points after the first day. Pine Creek, which advanced seven, is second with 21 points and Ponderosa is third with 19 points.

No Wildcat was happier to be moving on than Taylor Bergquist. The junior had lost his opening match at state in overtime in each of his first two years, but Bergquist handled Ponderosa’s Tyler Turco with a 10-2 major decision at 152 pounds.

“It was really disappointing. It’s heart-breaking,” he said of his previous state experiences. “It feels good this year to get the first one out of the way.”

Bergquist moves on to face Boulder’s Martin Selby on Friday morning. His major decision helped to give the Wildcats an edge, especially considering it came against Ponderosa, which also sent 11 to state.

“It’s a big boost. Any extra points you can get helps,” Bergquist said. “Ponderosa’s a tough team, and we’re tough too.”

Legacy’s Ryan Deakin, who is undefeated this season, kept his perfect record intact with a lightning-quick pin of Rangeview’s Dominic Wenger in 28 seconds at 113 pounds.

“It’s good to get that out of the way,” Deakin said, “but there’s still a lot of wrestling to be done.”

It seemed almost anticlimactic to wait all day to wrestle only to spend 28 seconds on the mat, but Deakin didn’t view it that way.

“Every time I go out there I’m just trying to go out there and dominate the kid,” Deakin said. “I turned him, so it worked out. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

Among the other highlights from the first round included Finesilver’s three brothers joining him in the quarterfinals. Zach Finesilver notched a victory by pin at 138 pounds, and sophomore twins Josh (106) and Matt (113) also advanced.

Denver East’s Maya Nelson, the first female to ever qualify for the 5A state tourney, notched a victory with a 13-9 decision at 120 pounds.

February 21, 2014

Denver East narrowly holds onto top spot in 5A boys basketball ranking

With one week to go in the regular season, Fossil Ridge nearly overtook Denver East atop the Class 5A basketball rankings.

Nearly.

The SaberCats remained in the No. 2 spot despite the fact that both schools received 10 first-place votes. Denver East, though, held on to its top ranking by one overall point.

The Angels have been No. 1 all season, save for one week in mid-January when Fossil Ridge led the poll.

Mountain Vista stayed put at No. 3 this week, and continued to be followed by No. 4 Regis Jesuit and No. 5 Eaglecrest.

Overland bumped up on place to No. 6, while Highlands Ranch went from No. 10 to No. 7 after going 2-0 last week.

Arapahoe dropped two spots to No. 8, Rangeview is the poll’s lone newcomer at No. 9, and Grand Junction rounds out the ranking at No. 10.

The Centennial and Continental leagues both have three teams in the top-10 this week. The Denver Prep, Front Range and East Metro and Southwestern all have one ranked team.

Elsewhere, the 1A poll has a new No. 1 team. Hi-Plains took over for Caliche after receiving eight of the 11 first-place votes in that class. Hi-Plains went 3-0 last week, while Caliche went 1-2, though both losses were to ranked 2A teams.

That ranking added No. 9 Cheraw and No. 10 Briggsdale.

Holy Family Jefferson Academy boys basketball — Jefferson Academy moved up to No. 3 in 3A this week. (Pam Wagner)

The No. 1 teams in 4A (Valor Christian), 3A (Holy Family) and 2A (Ignacio) stayed the same this week.

The 4A poll added No. 9 Cheyenne Mountain and No. 10 Denver West. 3A added No. 7 Denver Science & Tech and No. 10 Platte Valley.

Holyoke (No. 9) and Meeker (No. 10) were the new teams in the 2A ranking this week.

As the regular season ends for all classes this week, these will be the final rankings of the season.

Complete polls for all classes are below.

[divider]

CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

Class 5A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Denver East (10)	16-4	190	1	1-1
2	Fossil Ridge (10)	21-0	189	2	2-0
3	Mountain Vista	20-1	152	3	2-0
4	Regis Jesuit	18-3	135	4	2-0
5	Eaglecrest	16-5	106	5	2-1
6	Overland	15-6	94	7	2-0
7	Highlands Ranch	15-6	63	10	2-0
8	Arapahoe	16-5	61	6	2-1
9	Rangeview	18-3	39	–	2-0
10	Grand Junction	17-2	21	9	1-0
Others receiving votes:
Grandview 16, Monarch 10, Chatfield 7, Chaparral 5, Cherry Creek 5, Dakota Ridge 2, Fort Collins 2, Legend 2, Montbello 1.
Dropped out
Chatfield (8).

Class 4A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Valor Christian (16)	18-3	160	1	2-0
2	Thompson Valley	20-1	139	2	2-0
3	Pueblo South	19-2	124	3	1-0
4	Longmont	18-3	85	7	2-0
5	Pueblo East	17-4	79	6	1-0
6	D’Evelyn	17-4	77	4	2-1
7	Denver South	15-7	52	8	1-0
8	Sand Creek	16-5	45	5	1-2
9	Cheyenne Mountain	15-5	32	–	2-0
10	Denver West	13-7	26	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Air Academy 20, Thomas Jefferson 20, Golden 14, Wheat Ridge 6, Rifle 1.
Dropped out
Air Academy (9), Golden (10).

Class 3A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Holy Family (9)	17-1	126	1	1-1
2	Colorado Academy (2)	16-1	117	2	2-0
3	Jefferson Academy (1)	15-3	97	5	1-0
4	Faith Christian	12-5	91	3	1-0
5	Colorado Springs Christian (1)	14-3	88	4	3-0
6	Moffat County	14-2	60	9	3-0
7	Denver Science & Tech	14-4	33	–	3-0
8	The Pinnacle	14-4	31	10	2-1
9	Aspen	15-3	24	7	2-1
10	Platte Valley	13-5	18	–	3-0
Others receiving votes:
Brush 16, St. Mary’s 9, Bishop Machebeuf 5.
Dropped out
Brush (6), Centauri (8).

Class 2A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Ignacio (9)	16-0	141	1	3-0
2	Sanford (1)	16-1	127	2	2-0
3	Lutheran (4)	11-6	120	4	2-0
4	Akron	15-1	113	3	2-0
5	Resurrection Christian (1)	15-2	86	5	1-0
6	Yuma	15-3	76	6	3-0
7	Peyton	14-2	54	7	1-0
8	Simla	15-2	44	8	2-0
9	Holyoke	11-6	14	–	2-1
10	Meeker	14-4	13	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Rye 12, Crowley County 7, Center 6, Denver Christian 5, Telluride 3, Haxtun 1, Paonia 1, Sedgwick County 1, Swink 1.
Dropped out
Rye (9), Denver Christian (10).

Class 1A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Hi-Plains (8)	16-1	107	2	3-0
2	Caliche (3)	15-2	101	1	1-2
3	Holly	14-3	87	3	2-0
4	Cheyenne Wells	12-5	67	4	1-2
5	South Baca	12-4	61	7	1-0
6	Vail Christian	13-5	56	6	2-1
7	McClave	13-4	48	5	1-1
8	Shining Mountain	14-4	33	8	2-0
9	Cheraw	11-4	15	–	4-0
10	Briggsdale	11-5	13	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Jim Elliot Christian 10, Primero 2, Walsh 2, Norwood 1, Peetz 1, Liberty/Stratton 1.
Dropped out
Primero (9), Norwood (10).

February 17, 2014

Top-10 boys basketball schedule for the week of Feb. 17

A complete schedule and scoreboard for boys basketball’s top-10 teams this week.

Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A
[divider]

Class 5A
1	Denver East	18-4
	Tues: W 76-51 vs. George Washington
	Fri: W 62-58 at (4A 7) Denver South
2	Fossil Ridge	23-0
	Tues: W 45-34 at Fort Collins
	Thurs: W 77-33 vs. Loveland
3	Mountain Vista	22-1
	Tues: W 80-66 at Legend
	Fri: W 75-73 vs. (7) Highlands Ranch
4	Regis Jesuit	20-3
	Tues: W 78-43 vs. Douglas County
	Fri: W 70-47 at Ponderosa
5	Eaglecrest	17-6
	Wed: W 54-52 at Smoky Hill
	Fri: L 65-68 vs. (6) Overland
6	Overland	17-6
	Wed: W 56-38 at Cherry Creek
	Fri: W 68-65 at (5) Eaglecrest
7	Highlands Ranch	16-7
	Tues: W 72-45 vs. Ponderosa
	Fri: L 73-75 at (3) Mountain Vista
8	Arapahoe	18-5
	Wed: W 43-42 at Grandview
	Fri: W 71-65 at Cherokee Trail
9	Rangeview	20-3
	Tues: W 94-53 vs. Hinkley
	Thurs: W 83-76 at (4A 1) Valor Christian
10	Grand Junction	18-2
10	Tues: W 87-41 vs. Grand Junction Central

Class 4A
1	Valor Christian	19-4
	Thurs: L 76-83 vs. (5A 9) Rangeview
	Fri: W 53-40 at Sierra
2	Thompson Valley	22-1
	Tues: W 52-39 at (4) Longmont
	Fri: W 72-55 at Mountain View
3	Pueblo South	21-2
	Tues: W 84-74 at Pueblo West
	Fri: W 66-62 vs. (5) Pueblo East
4	Longmont	18-5
	Tues: L 39-52 vs. (2) Thompson Valley
	Fri: L 47-52 at Silver Creek
5	Pueblo East	18-5
	Tues: W 54-50 at Pueblo Central
	Fri: L 62-66 at (3) Pueblo South
6	D’Evelyn	18-5
	Wed: L 60-69 at Wheat Ridge
	Fri: W 90-48 at Arvada
7	Denver South	15-8
7	Fri: L 58-62 vs. (5A 1) Denver East
8	Sand Creek	17-5
	Tues: W 56-41 vs. Lewis-Palmer
	Sat: at Falcon
9	Cheyenne Mountain	18-5
	Tues: W 86-45 vs. Discovery Canyon
	Thurs: W 69-47 vs. Air Academy
	Fri: W 68-63 vs. Palmer Ridge
10	Denver West	15-8
	Mon: W 78-70 vs. Silver Creek
	Tues: L 67-74 vs. Montbello
	Fri: W 70-54 at Denver North

Class 3A
1	Holy Family	18-1
1	Wed: W 52-35 vs. Kent Denver
2	Colorado Academy	18-1
	Tues: W 90-51 vs. Denver North
	Fri: W 83-62 at (2A 5) Resurrection Christian
3	Jefferson Academy	15-3
3	Tues: vs. The Classical Academy
4	Faith Christian	13-6
	Tues: W 71-29 vs. Manual
	Thurs: L 60-68 at Northglenn
5	Colorado Springs Christian	16-3
	Tues: W 68-28 vs. Florence
	Thurs: W 62-43 at Manitou Springs
6	Moffat County	15-3
	Tues: L 55-64 at Gunnison
	Fri: W 54-51 at Coal Ridge
	Sat: vs. Grand Valley
7	Denver Science & Tech	15-5
	Mon: W 84-51 at Middle Park
	Tues: L 54-56 at (8) The Pinnacle
8	The Pinnacle	15-4
8	Tues: W 56-54 vs. (7) Denver Science & Tech
9	Aspen	16-3
9	Fri: W 44-40 at Gunnison
10	Platte Valley	14-5
10	Tues: W 78-52 vs. Eaton

Class 2A
1	Ignacio	17-0
	Tues: at Monticello (Utah)
	Fri: W 59-41 at Norwood
	Sat: vs. Telluride
2	Sanford	18-1
	Tues: W 75-32 at Pagosa Springs
	Fri: W 54-36 at Sangre de Cristo
3	Lutheran	13-6
	Tues: W 58-36 vs. University
	Fri: W 63-40 at Byers
4	Akron	18-1
	Tues: W 77-50 at Wiggins
	Thurs: W 68-65 at (9) Holyoke
	Fri: W 73-45 vs. Merino
5	Resurrection Christian	16-3
	Tues: W 87-51 vs. Nederland
	Fri: L 62-83 vs. (3A 2) Colorado Academy
6	Yuma	16-3
6	Thurs: W 59-55 at (1A 1) Hi-Plains
7	Peyton	16-2
	Fri: W 79-39 vs. Evangelical Christian
	Sat: W 62-51 vs. Center
8	Simla	16-2
	Tues: W 76-57 at Custer County
	Sat: at Miami-Yoder
9	Holyoke	12-7
	Thurs: L 65-68 vs. (4) Akron
	Fri: W 73-69 at Sedgwick County
10	Meeker	14-5
10	Tues: L 49-52 at Rangely

Class 1A
1	Hi-Plains	16-2
	Thurs: L 55-59 vs. (2A 6) Yuma
	Sat: vs. Byers
2	Caliche	16-2
	Fri: W 49-39 at Haxtun
	Sat: vs. Pawnee
3	Holly	14-4
	Tues: L 45-51 at Granada
	Thurs: vs. Elkhart (Kan.)
4	Cheyenne Wells	12-6
	Tues: vs. Weskan (Kan.)
	Fri: L 41-45 at Kit Carson
5	South Baca	12-5
	Thurs: L 59-65 vs. Springfield
	Sat: at Primero
6	Vail Christian	13-5
6	Sat: at Plateau Valley
7	McClave	15-4
	Thurs: W 56-49 vs. Wiley
	Fri: W 76-30 at Eads
8	Shining Mountain	14-4
8	Thurs: vs. Eagle Ridge Academy
9	Cheraw	12-5
	Tues: W 56-47 vs. Wiley
	Fri: L 32-59 vs. Granada
	Sat: vs. Kit Carson
10	Briggsdale	12-6
	Thurs: L 45-52 vs. Merino
	Fri: W 38-37 at Prairie

February 17, 2014

Latest On The Mat wrestling rankings released ahead of regionals

Regionals are here. And so are the latest On The Mat wrestling rankings.

This week brought new No. 1 teams in 4A, where Thompson Valley takes over for Broomfield, and 3A, where Valley overtakes Brush.

Additionally, Cherry Creek bumped up from No. 5 to No. 2 in 5A, and Pomona went from No. 6 to No. 4.

Newcomers included No. 8 Air Academy (4A), No. 9 Berthoud (4A), No. 6 Olathe (3A) and No. 10 Highland (2A).

Complete team rankings for all classes are below.

[divider]

On The Mat Wrestling Rankings

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.

[divider]
Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A

Class 5A
RK	TEAM	PVS
1	Arvada West	1
2	Cherry Creek	5
3	Rocky Mountain	2
4	Pomona	6
5	Ponderosa	4
6	Pine Creek	3
7	Mountain Range	8
8	Chaparral	7
9	Grand Junction	10
10	Fruita Monument	9
Dropped out
None.

Class 4A
RK	TEAM	PVS
1	Thompson Valley	2
2	Broomfield	1
3	Windsor	3
4	Discovery Canyon	5
5	Pueblo South	4
6	Pueblo County	8
7	Pueblo Central	7
8	Air Academy	–
9	Berthoud	–
10	Montrose	9
Dropped out
Palisade (6), Mesa Ridge (10).

Class 3A
RK	TEAM	PVS
1	Valley	2
2	Brush	1
3	Centauri	3
4	Lamar	8
5	Monte Vista	4
6	Olathe	–
7	Dolores Huerta	6
8	Sterling	5
9	Fort Lupton	7
10	Alamosa	9
Dropped out
Buena Vista (10).

Class 2A
RK	TEAM	PVS
1	Paonia	1
2	Sedgwick County/Fleming	4
3	Meeker	2
4	Baca County	3
5	Rocky Ford	5
6	Swink	9
7	Crowley County	7
8	Norwood	6
9	Merino	8
10	Highland	–
Dropped out
Center (10).

February 14, 2014

Tag: Grand Junction

Class 5A

Front Range League (9 teams)

Boulder Panthers

Chatfield Chargers

Columbine Rebels

Dakota Ridge Eagles

Fairview Knights

Fossil Ridge Sabercats/Fort Collins Unified Lacrosse

Lakewood Tigers

Monarch Coyotes

Prairie View Thunderhawks

South Suburban League (9 teams)

Colorado Academy Mustangs

Denver East Angels

Gateway Olympians

George Washington Patriots

Heritage Eagles

Kent Denver Sun Devils

Littleton Lions

Rangeview Raiders

Regis Jesuit Raiders

Douglas County League (10 teams)

Castle View Sabercats

Chaparral Wolverines

Douglas County Huskies

Highlands Ranch Falcons

Legend Titans

Lewis-Palmer Rangers

Mountain Vista Golden Eagles

Palmer Terrors

Rock Canyon Jaguars

ThunderRidge Grizzlies

Centennial League (8 teams)

Arapahoe Warriors

Cherokee Trail Cougars

Cherry Creek Bruins

Eaglecrest Raptors

Grandview Wolves

Mullen Mustangs

Overland Trailblazers

Smoky Hill Buffaloes

Class 4A

Mountain League (10 teams)

Aspen Skiers

Battle Mountain Huskies

Durango Demons

Eagle Valley Devils

Fruita Monument Wildcats

Glenwood Springs Demons

Grand Junction Tigers

Steamboat Springs Sailors

Summit Tigers

Telluride Miners

Foothills League (8 teams)

Alexander Dawson Mustangs

Clear Creek Golddiggers

Conifer Lobos

Evergreen Cougars

Golden Demons

Green Mountain Rams

Thompson Valley Eagles

Wheat Ridge Farmers

Metro League (6 Teams)

Bishop Machebeuf Buffaloes

Denver South Rebels

Englewood Pirates

Ridgeview Rams

Valor Christian Eagles

Windsor Wizards

Pikes Peak League (6 teams)

Air Academy Kadets

Cheyenne Mountain Indians

Fountain Valley/Colorado Springs Danes

Ponderosa Mustangs

Pueblo West Cyclones

St. Mary’s Pirates

Freelance (1 team)

Denver North Vikings

Class 5A