Tag: Bear Creek

Photos: Fort Collins, Cherry Creek win track’s Dakota Ridge Invite

LAKEWOOD — Fort Collins’ girls and Cherry Creek’s boys won the Dakota Ridge Track Invite at Jeffco Stadium on Saturday.

Fort Collins had 178.5 total points on the girls side. Palmer Ridge (81.5 points) was second, while Cherry Creek (78) was third.

Cherry Creek had 128.666 points in winning the boys meet. Palmer Ridge (110 points) finished second and ThunderRidge (103.833) was third.

April 21, 2014
Arvada West baseball survives late-inning scare from Bear Creek

Arvada West junior Lucas Ciacco, right, tags out Bear Creek junior Kolby Bonato on what was an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday afternoon at Bear Creek High School. The Wildcats took a 6-3 victory to improve to 3-0 in the 5A Jeffco League. (Dennis Pleuss)

LAKEWOOD — An unconventional double play got Arvada West out of a huge jam Saturday afternoon on the baseball field.

Bear Creek had rallied with five straight singles, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to close A-West’s lead to 4-3. With the bases loaded and just one out, a failed squeeze play turned into a double play to get the Wildcats out of the sticky situation.

“Everything shifted after that,” A-West coach Matt McDougal said of the inning-ending double play. “We came in and scored two runs right away. That kind of ended (Bear Creek’s) momentum.”

The Wildcats tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning, leading to an important 6-3 victory.

Arvada West senior John Badgett (8) leaps into the arms of junior Joe Kraus (9) after a double play in the sixth inning got the Wildcats out of a bases loaded jam against Bear Creek. (Dennis Pleuss)

“I knew we would get out of it someway, somehow,” A-West senior Allen Martin said of the near disastrous sixth inning. “You can’t be thinking the worst. You have to expect the best.”

The victory keeps A-West (9-5, 3-0) atop the 5A Jeffco League standings with Chatfield and Columbine. Bear Creek (8-6, 2-1) had its three-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Martin singled, stole second base and advance to third on a throwing error in the top of the first inning. Senior Brody Hagel-Pitt drove in Martin with a single.

A-West added three runs in the top of the fifth to gain a 4-0 advantage. A two-run double by Jesse Gonzales scored Martin and senior Ethan Fleming. Hagel-Pitt had his second RBI later in the inning.

“I feel really good about how we are hitting,” Martin said. “Some of us are coming off our skids.”

The Wildcats cranked out 13 hits and also took advantage of four errors by Bear Creek’s defense.

On the mound, starter Nick Priola was impressive giving up just two hits, but was taken off the mound with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. McDougal said it was tough to take out Priola, but a high pitch count and with three games next week was the reasons for the move.

“I was a little bit upset,” Priola admitted. “It’s always hard to be taken out when you feel like you are in the zone, but in the long run it’s smart.”

Senior Joe Rosenstein, John Badgett and Justin Mulvaney each took the mound for the Wildcats in the final innings.

Bear Creek third baseman Kolby Bonato (15) leaps in the air to snag a throw as Arvada West senior Justin Mulvaney slides in safe. (Dennis Pleuss)

Bear Creek sophomore Thomas Martinez took the loss on the mound. Martinez was solid through four innings, but allowed four straight hits to start out the fifth inning.

The Bears’ offense came alive late with the three-run sixth inning. Senior Rob Vance had a two-run single and sophomore Christian Hiep had an RBI single before the failed squeeze play with the bases loaded ended the inning.

A-West will prepare to go through the toughest part of its conference schedule next week. The Wildcats square off against Columbine (Monday), Ralston Valley (Wednesday) and Chatfield (April 26). All three of those 5A Jeffco teams are ranked in the top six of the latest CHSAANow.com 5A baseball poll.

“Earlier this season we talked about having to get to 3-0 (in league) going into this week,” McDougal said. “It’s about getting some momentum going. Now we get three really good teams in a row. If we play well I like our chances.”

Bear Creek heads to Ralston Valley on Monday before hosting Lakewood on Wednesday next week.

Arvada West senior Nick Priola fires to the plate Saturday against Bear Creek. Priola gave up just two hits and picked up the win on the mound for the Wildcats. (Dennis Pleuss)

April 19, 2014

Baseball’s Wild Card point standings, April 17

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Wild Card points help determine the postseason fields in 3A, 4A and 5A, with 4A and 5A also using them for seeding. Find a more detailed breakdown here.

Baseball’s Wild Card point standings for April 17 are below.

[divider]

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

Class 5A
Rank	School	Points
1	Chatfield	114.833
2	Regis Jesuit	110.538
3	Fairview	110.333
4	Columbine	108.833
5	ThunderRidge	108.000
6	Mountain Vista	107.462
7	Chaparral	104.385
8	Arapahoe	104.083
9	Ralston Valley	101.727
10	Pine Creek	100.833
11	Grand Junction	100.786
12	Rock Canyon	100.538
13	Cherry Creek	100.167
14	Brighton	99.833
15	Grand Junction Central	99.769
16	Monarch	99.636
17	Fruita Monument	98.588
18	Prairie View	98.500
19	Castle View	96.333
20	Arvada West	95.917
21	Northglenn	95.417
22	Rocky Mountain	95.000
23	Dakota Ridge	94.500
24	Mountain Range	94.333
25	Grandview	92.417
26	Douglas County	91.154
27	Fossil Ridge	90.917
28	Horizon	90.750
29	Lincoln	90.571
30	Denver East	89.692
31	Bear Creek	89.545
32	Eaglecrest	88.900
33	Lakewood	88.833
34	Liberty	87.909
35	Mullen	86.545
36	Heritage	85.462
37	Greeley West	85.333
38	Westminster	85.154
39	Cherokee Trail	84.583
40	Legend	84.231
41	Rangeview	83.667
42	Doherty	83.333
43	Palmer	82.667
44	Boulder	82.538
45	Fort Collins	82.400
46	Aurora Central	82.000
47	George Washington	81.333
48	Legacy	80.833
49	Standley Lake	80.727
50	Smoky Hill	80.500
51	Highlands Ranch	79.385
52	Pomona	79.154
53	Fountain-Fort Carson	78.692
54	Poudre	78.182
55	Overland	77.000
56	Littleton	74.667
57	Montbello	72.333
58	Loveland	70.833
59	Rampart	70.273
60	Gateway	70.000
61	Hinkley	69.286
62	Adams City	64.385
63	Thornton	56.667

Class 4A
Rank	School	Points
1	Niwot	103.250
2	Montrose	101.909
3	Wheat Ridge	101.000
4	Evergreen	100.400
5	Lewis-Palmer	99.583
6	Elizabeth	98.500
7	Durango	97.385
8	Ponderosa	96.462
9	Windsor	96.385
10	Valor Christian	94.357
11	Longmont	93.182
12	Delta	92.615
13	Pueblo East	91.833
14	Green Mountain	91.667
15	Palisade	91.583
16	Thomas Jefferson	91.462
17	Palmer Ridge	90.750
18	Canon City	90.455
19	Kennedy	89.000
20	Mesa Ridge	87.929
21	Skyview	87.385
22	Rifle	87.308
23	Pueblo Centennial	86.417
24	D’Evelyn	86.333
25	Erie	86.091
26	Eagle Valley	86.000
27	Pueblo South	85.846
28	Golden	85.364
29	Air Academy	85.200
30	Thompson Valley	83.667
31	Mead	83.455
32	Widefield	82.154
33	Fort Morgan	82.071
34	Northridge	81.917
35	Frederick	81.917
36	Falcon	81.500
37	Cheyenne Mountain	80.500
38	Skyline	80.417
39	Glenwood Springs	79.500
40	Mountain View	79.417
41	Steamboat Springs	79.385
42	Denver North	79.364
43	Vista PEAK Prep	78.786
44	Montezuma-Cortez	78.714
45	Greeley Central	78.500
46	Roosevelt	77.000
47	Coronado	76.091
48	Denver West	75.778
49	Pueblo Central	75.167
50	Sand Creek	74.917
51	Broomfield	74.769
52	Berthoud	74.083
53	Pueblo West	73.667
54	Conifer	73.167
55	Discovery Canyon	73.000
56	Pueblo County	72.000
57	Silver Creek	71.538
58	Englewood	70.455
59	Woodland Park	69.818
60	Summit	69.444
61	Vista Ridge	68.833
62	Battle Mountain	68.000
63	Centaurus	67.083
64	Arvada	65.091
65	Alameda	64.800
66	Denver South	60.462
67	Weld Central	59.889
68	Sierra	55.900
69	Mitchell	50.500
70	Harrison	48.222

Class 3A
Rank	School	Points
1	Bayfield	95.000
2	Eaton	91.889
3	Holy Family	87.769
4	Valley	87.000
5	Brush	86.889
6	Faith Christian	85.545
7	The Classical Academy	83.400
8	Gunnison	82.000
9	University	80.700
10	Lamar	79.750
11	Cedaredge	79.667
12	Kent Denver	78.667
13	Arrupe Jesuit	77.400
14	St. Mary’s	74.636
15	Platte Valley	74.300
16	Florence	74.273
17	Sterling	73.364
18	Basalt	72.778
19	Olathe	72.300
20	Peak to Peak	71.250
21	La Junta	70.083
22	Alamosa	68.750
23	Fort Lupton	68.500
24	Manitou Springs	68.455
25	Bennett	68.333
26	Bishop Machebeuf	66.786
27	The Academy	66.333
28	Colorado Springs Christian	64.818
29	Moffat County	64.692
30	Sheridan	64.667
31	Clear Creek/Gilpin County	63.154
32	Colorado Academy	63.111
33	Trinidad	63.077
34	Coal Ridge	62.778
35	Buena Vista	62.636
36	Jefferson Academy	62.250
37	Centauri	62.143
38	Roaring Fork	60.364
39	Estes Park	59.556
40	Strasburg	58.778
41	Pagosa Springs	58.727
42	Bruce Randolph	58.375
43	Monte Vista	56.333
44	Ellicott	56.182
45	Platte Canyon	54.818
46	Manual	54.545
47	Grand Valley	54.364
48	Dolores Huerta Prep	52.000
49	Middle Park	49.364
50	Denver Science & Tech Stapleton	48.833
51	Jefferson	46.429
52	Aspen	45.556
53	Salida	42.100
54	KIPP Denver Collegiate	39.286

Class 2A
Rank	School	Points
1	Rye	79.800
2	Resurrection Christian	77.364
3	Swink	76.667
4	Hotchkiss	75.231
5	Peyton	74.200
6	Kiowa	73.250
7	Sedgwick County	70.600
8	Lyons	69.727
9	Lutheran	67.600
10	Holyoke	66.400
11	Limon	65.400
12	Rocky Ford	64.417
13	Custer County	64.375
14	Paonia	64.100
15	Haxtun	63.455
16	Nucla	63.400
17	Denver Christian	63.375
18	Front Range Christian	62.000
19	Ignacio	62.000
20	Byers	60.750
21	Calhan	60.700
22	Rangely	59.455
23	Las Animas	58.833
24	Center	58.700
25	Crowley County	58.700
26	Merino	58.400
27	Alexander Dawson	58.300
28	Yuma	57.000
29	Dolores	56.444
30	South Park	53.636
31	Burlington	53.000
32	Evangelical Christian	51.800
33	Fowler	51.800
34	Dayspring Christian Academy	51.111
35	Sargent	50.375
36	Sierra Grande	50.143
37	Wray	50.111
38	Highland	48.800
39	Springfield	47.333
40	Akron	47.200
41	Simla	46.857
42	County Line [Wiley/McClave]	45.833
43	Sanford	45.500
44	Liberty Common	44.833
45	Antonito	44.143
46	John Mall	43.500
47	Meeker	38.889
48	Longmont Christian	36.100
49	Wiggins	35.000
50	Denver Academy	34.000
51	Pikes Peak Christian	29.000
52	Cripple Creek-Victor	25.909

Class 1A
Rank	School	Points
1	Stratton	59.167
2	Elbert	57.857
3	Granada	55.800
4	Dove Creek	52.875
5	Community Christian	49.333
6	Fleming	45.125
7	Caliche	43.636
8	Cotopaxi	43.429
9	Manzanola	42.800
10	Eads	42.583
11	Peetz	36.400
12	Holly	34.857
13	Cornerstone Christian Academy	31.000
14	Briggsdale	28.778
15	Rocky Mountain Lutheran	26.909
16	Cheyenne Wells	23.571
17	Primero	20.000
18	Weldon Valley	19.000
19	Denver Jewish Day	19.000
20	Walsh	15.000

April 17, 2014

Baseball’s Wild Card point standings, April 9

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Wild Card points help determine the postseason fields in 3A, 4A and 5A, with 4A and 5A also using them for seeding. Find a more detailed breakdown here.

Baseball’s Wild Card point standings for April 9 are below.

[divider]

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

Class 5A
Rank	School	Points
1	Chatfield	112.000
2	Regis Jesuit	107.778
3	Fairview	106.444
4	ThunderRidge	105.750
5	Columbine	105.100
6	Arapahoe	101.778
7	Mountain Vista	99.889
8	Ralston Valley	99.600
9	Chaparral	98.750
10	Rock Canyon	96.444
11	Grand Junction Central	96.385
12	Fruita Monument	96.357
13	Monarch	96.143
14	Grand Junction	96.077
15	Pine Creek	95.778
16	Brighton	95.000
17	Fossil Ridge	92.444
18	Prairie View	92.000
19	Arvada West	91.600
20	Cherry Creek	91.556
21	Horizon	91.444
22	Mountain Range	90.250
23	Dakota Ridge	89.000
24	Douglas County	88.444
25	Castle View	87.375
26	Lincoln	87.250
27	Eaglecrest	86.875
28	Lakewood	86.800
29	Rocky Mountain	86.714
30	Northglenn	86.667
31	Boulder	85.900
32	Mullen	85.500
33	Denver East	85.455
34	Bear Creek	83.600
35	Heritage	82.000
36	Doherty	81.111
37	Legend	81.000
38	Rangeview	80.273
39	Standley Lake	80.200
40	Highlands Ranch	79.778
41	Westminster	78.727
42	Fort Collins	78.571
43	Aurora Central	78.444
44	Greeley West	77.111
45	George Washington	76.923
46	Overland	76.200
47	Liberty	76.143
48	Poudre	75.625
49	Palmer	72.778
50	Pomona	72.556
51	Fountain-Fort Carson	72.100
52	Littleton	71.375
53	Legacy	70.875
54	Smoky Hill	70.778
55	Grandview	69.100
56	Cherokee Trail	68.600
57	Montbello	67.545
58	Rampart	65.375
59	Hinkley	64.545
60	Loveland	63.444
61	Gateway	60.700
62	Adams City	59.273
63	Thornton	53.571

Class 4A
Rank	School	Points
1	Niwot	101.889
2	Wheat Ridge	98.286
3	Lewis-Palmer	97.889
4	Montrose	97.800
5	Elizabeth	96.222
6	Evergreen	95.714
7	Ponderosa	94.111
8	Windsor	92.818
9	Palmer Ridge	92.250
10	Durango	92.100
11	Delta	91.167
12	Longmont	91.000
13	Valor Christian	90.909
14	Palisade	90.400
15	Pueblo East	88.000
16	D’Evelyn	87.875
17	Thomas Jefferson	85.889
18	Falcon	85.500
19	Golden	85.125
20	Canon City	85.000
21	Pueblo Centennial	83.333
22	Green Mountain	83.125
23	Skyview	83.100
24	Mesa Ridge	81.727
25	Frederick	81.700
26	Widefield	81.300
27	Steamboat Springs	80.286
28	Kennedy	80.077
29	Thompson Valley	80.000
30	Rifle	79.909
31	Air Academy	79.857
32	Denver North	79.444
33	Northridge	79.444
34	Skyline	79.000
35	Greeley Central	78.400
36	Eagle Valley	77.889
37	Montezuma-Cortez	77.583
38	Erie	77.000
39	Pueblo South	76.900
40	Vista PEAK Prep	76.818
41	Discovery Canyon	76.667
42	Mead	75.333
43	Denver West	74.750
44	Broomfield	73.000
45	Mountain View	72.889
46	Pueblo Central	72.778
47	Pueblo West	71.571
48	Coronado	71.556
49	Glenwood Springs	70.625
50	Fort Morgan	70.091
51	Conifer	70.000
52	Cheyenne Mountain	69.000
53	Sand Creek	68.333
54	Roosevelt	68.000
55	Pueblo County	67.889
56	Berthoud	67.000
57	Silver Creek	66.455
58	Summit	63.667
59	Englewood	62.889
60	Battle Mountain	61.778
61	Vista Ridge	60.778
62	Alameda	60.500
63	Arvada	58.286
64	Weld Central	58.167
65	Woodland Park	57.125
66	Denver South	54.250
67	Centaurus	54.125
68	Mitchell	50.000
69	Sierra	48.778
70	Harrison	38.571

Class 3A
Rank	School	Points
1	Eaton	88.429
2	Valley	87.889
3	Bayfield	85.000
4	Holy Family	82.700
5	Faith Christian	81.571
6	Brush	80.400
7	Cedaredge	80.333
8	Gunnison	78.625
9	University	76.286
10	The Classical Academy	76.000
11	Arrupe Jesuit	74.000
12	Platte Valley	73.500
13	Lamar	73.400
14	Basalt	71.167
15	Buena Vista	71.000
16	Centauri	69.000
17	Kent Denver	68.400
18	Florence	68.000
19	Olathe	67.300
20	St. Mary’s	65.875
21	Moffat County	65.571
22	Bennett	65.500
23	Fort Lupton	65.273
24	La Junta	65.100
25	Pagosa Springs	64.125
26	Peak to Peak	60.273
27	Sheridan	60.182
28	The Academy	59.333
29	Trinidad	59.100
30	Clear Creek/Gilpin County	58.500
31	Colorado Academy	58.429
32	Alamosa	58.200
33	Manitou Springs	57.222
34	Sterling	57.111
35	Jefferson Academy	55.600
36	Strasburg	54.600
37	Bishop Machebeuf	53.100
38	Platte Canyon	53.000
39	Roaring Fork	51.556
40	Monte Vista	51.143
41	Coal Ridge	50.750
42	Grand Valley	50.000
43	Colorado Springs Christian	49.833
44	Ellicott	47.750
45	Dolores Huerta Prep	45.444
46	Bruce Randolph	45.200
47	Manual	44.250
48	Salida	43.222
49	Denver Science & Tech Stapleton	42.600
50	Middle Park	41.667
51	Jefferson	41.000
52	Aspen	39.444
53	Estes Park	39.286
54	KIPP Denver Collegiate	25.000

Class 2A
Rank	School	Points
1	Rye	73.000
2	Peyton	72.250
3	Hotchkiss	71.273
4	Swink	71.000
5	Sedgwick County	69.000
6	Kiowa	68.500
7	Resurrection Christian	67.500
8	Rocky Ford	67.111
9	Ignacio	66.250
10	Lutheran	64.429
11	Denver Christian	63.800
12	Limon	63.250
13	Holyoke	62.333
14	Calhan	62.286
15	Haxtun	59.818
16	Nucla	59.429
17	Yuma	58.500
18	Paonia	56.625
19	Custer County	56.250
20	Las Animas	55.900
21	Burlington	55.889
22	Rangely	55.375
23	Dolores	55.286
24	Center	54.143
25	Crowley County	54.000
26	Alexander Dawson	52.000
27	South Park	51.778
28	Akron	50.857
29	Lyons	50.143
30	Fowler	48.625
31	Dayspring Christian Academy	47.429
32	Merino	45.167
33	Sierra Grande	44.800
34	Antonito	44.400
35	Springfield	43.667
36	Front Range Christian	42.286
37	Wray	40.333
38	John Mall	40.200
39	Evangelical Christian	39.667
40	Simla	38.571
41	Sargent	36.600
42	Highland	35.875
43	County Line [Wiley/McClave]	35.556
44	Longmont Christian	35.125
45	Byers	35.000
46	Meeker	33.333
47	Sanford	30.800
48	Denver Academy	28.333
49	Wiggins	26.250
50	Pikes Peak Christian	25.000
51	Cripple Creek-Victor	18.571

Class 1A
Rank	School	Points
1	Stratton	54.200
2	Elbert	52.600
3	Granada	48.800
4	Dove Creek	46.333
5	Cotopaxi	45.800
6	Peetz	42.333
7	Community Christian	41.000
8	Caliche	40.889
9	Fleming	37.500
10	Eads	36.900
11	Manzanola	36.875
12	Holly	32.200
13	Rocky Mountain Lutheran	28.500
14	Cornerstone Christian Academy	24.500
15	Cheyenne Wells	24.000
16	Briggsdale	18.400
17	Primero	13.750
18	Walsh	12.500
19	Denver Jewish Day	10.000
20	Weldon Valley	10.000

April 9, 2014

All-state wrestling teams for 2013-14 season

The 2013-14 all-state wrestling teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

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

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

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

[divider]

Class 5A

First Team
Name	School	Weight
Ryan Deakin	Legacy	113
Mitch Finesilver	Cherry Creek	126
Zach Finesilver	Cherry Creek	138
Dylan Gabel	Ponderosa	182
PT Garcia	Bear Creek	132
Tomas Gutierrez	Pomona	106
Grant Neal	Regis Jesuit	220
Jorge Rodriguez	Mountain Range	285
Josh Rosales	Pomona	120
Devin Rothrock	Arvada West	195
Tony Silva-Bussey	Arvada West	170
Payton Tawater	Arvada West	145
Deyaun Trueblood	Gateway	152
Jacob Trujillo	Grand Junction	160

[divider]

Class 4A

First Team
Name	School	Weight
Sage Budd	Mead	126
Kyle Couch	Mead	195
Phil Downing	Broomfield	160
Jimmy Fate	Berthoud	138
Kennen Lanteri	Windsor	152
Toby McBride	Fort Morgan	220
Seager Oliver	Montezuma Cortez	170
Justin Petrash	Air Academy	285
Parker Simington	Thompson Valley	145
Zach Stodden	Broomfield	182
Sam Turner	Discovery Canyon	120
Josh Villa	Windsor	113
Grant Willits	Pueblo County	106
Hunter Willits	Pueblo County	132

[divider]

Class 3A

First Team
Name	School	Weight
Jareb Aziz	Centauri	195
Jason Buhr	Centauri	152
Joel Contreras	Sterling	145
Jose Duran	Monte Vista	113
Diondre Garcia	Monte Vista	106
Brendan Gonzales	Valley	160
Kory Hudson	Bennett	182
Ruben Lucero	Valley	126
Jared Mestas	Dolores Huerta	132
Jacob Ornelas	Fort Lupton	220
Trenton Piatt	Olathe	120
Joseph Prieto	Holy Family	138
Jackson Wright	Valley	170
Creede Wylie	Pagosa Springs	285

[divider]

Class 2A

First Team
Name	School	Weight
Jonathan Andreatta	John Mall	106
Ty Coats	Paonia	152
Tony Darling	Paonia	285
Blake Denton	Swink	145
M.C. Griffin	Stratton	182
Talon Harris	Norwood	113
Stetson Loader	Baca County	120
Johnny Loflin	Baca County	195
Luis Mariscal	Center	220
Zach Milner	Paonia	160
Ryan Nordyke	Holly	138
Bo Pipher	Paonia	132
Jesse Reed	Paonia	126
T.J. Shelton	Meeker	170

April 4, 2014

Baseball’s Wild Card point standings, April 2

Powered by

Wild Card points help determine the postseason fields in 3A, 4A and 5A, with 4A and 5A also using them for seeding. Find a more detailed breakdown here.

Baseball’s Wild Card point standings for April 2 are below.

[divider]

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

Class 5A
Rank	School	Points
1	Chatfield	109.429
2	Regis Jesuit	104.167
3	Fairview	104.000
4	ThunderRidge	103.286
5	Columbine	101.000
6	Dakota Ridge	97.125
7	Arapahoe	96.143
8	Douglas County	94.857
9	Rock Canyon	93.667
10	Monarch	92.800
11	Ralston Valley	92.714
12	Mountain Vista	92.500
13	Grand Junction Central	92.000
14	Fossil Ridge	91.857
15	Grand Junction	91.400
16	Fruita Monument	90.545
17	Chaparral	90.333
18	Prairie View	89.714
19	Brighton	87.875
20	Mullen	87.667
21	Arvada West	86.875
22	Rocky Mountain	86.400
23	Lakewood	86.000
24	Lincoln	85.667
25	Castle View	85.500
26	Cherry Creek	84.125
27	Pine Creek	82.625
28	Mountain Range	82.429
29	Standley Lake	81.625
30	Bear Creek	81.571
31	Doherty	81.000
32	Horizon	80.714
33	Highlands Ranch	80.714
34	Denver East	78.667
35	Northglenn	76.625
36	Grandview	76.400
37	Rangeview	76.333
38	Aurora Central	75.750
39	Legend	75.714
40	Greeley West	75.143
41	Eaglecrest	74.500
42	Boulder	73.857
43	Overland	73.667
44	Littleton	73.167
45	George Washington	72.636
46	Montbello	71.875
47	Palmer	71.286
48	Heritage	70.714
49	Liberty	69.857
50	Fountain-Fort Carson	69.714
51	Westminster	68.875
52	Pomona	67.429
53	Poudre	67.167
54	Legacy	64.333
55	Rampart	63.875
56	Cherokee Trail	63.400
57	Hinkley	61.889
58	Loveland	60.200
59	Fort Collins	60.000
60	Smoky Hill	59.429
61	Gateway	57.444
62	Adams City	51.111
63	Thornton	49.000

Class 4A
Rank	School	Points
1	Evergreen	99.500
2	Niwot	99.250
3	Elizabeth	99.167
4	Ponderosa	95.000
5	Montrose	94.875
6	Lewis-Palmer	94.000
7	Wheat Ridge	93.250
8	Windsor	92.625
9	Green Mountain	92.600
10	Delta	91.222
11	Longmont	90.143
12	Skyview	88.143
13	Falcon	87.714
14	Palmer Ridge	86.857
15	Skyline	86.000
16	Air Academy	85.400
17	Valor Christian	84.625
18	Canon City	83.800
19	Durango	83.625
20	D’Evelyn	82.000
21	Palisade	81.625
22	Golden	80.200
23	Pueblo Centennial	79.333
24	Thomas Jefferson	79.250
25	Mesa Ridge	79.222
26	Northridge	77.833
27	Widefield	77.500
28	Mountain View	74.750
29	Rifle	74.429
30	Erie	74.333
31	Frederick	74.286
32	Denver North	74.250
33	Vista PEAK Prep	74.222
34	Conifer	74.000
35	Steamboat Springs	73.500
36	Kennedy	73.273
37	Montezuma-Cortez	72.750
38	Denver West	71.500
39	Battle Mountain	71.500
40	Alameda	71.000
41	Pueblo Central	70.667
42	Pueblo West	70.333
43	Greeley Central	70.222
44	Eagle Valley	69.500
45	Pueblo East	69.500
46	Silver Creek	69.375
47	Pueblo South	68.857
48	Mead	68.750
49	Thompson Valley	67.333
50	Berthoud	67.167
51	Discovery Canyon	66.571
52	Coronado	64.000
53	Vista Ridge	64.000
54	Pueblo County	62.833
55	Sand Creek	62.667
56	Arvada	62.000
57	Fort Morgan	60.333
58	Englewood	60.143
59	Cheyenne Mountain	60.000
60	Broomfield	59.600
61	Woodland Park	55.500
62	Centaurus	53.000
63	Summit	52.000
64	Glenwood Springs	51.000
65	Roosevelt	50.833
66	Denver South	48.909
67	Weld Central	45.833
68	Sierra	45.571
69	Mitchell	38.000
70	Harrison	34.000

Class 3A
Rank	School	Points
1	Eaton	90.500
2	Valley	82.000
3	Kent Denver	82.000
4	Cedaredge	80.800
5	Holy Family	80.667
6	Gunnison	79.000
7	The Classical Academy	79.000
8	University	78.000
9	Lamar	77.167
10	Faith Christian	77.000
11	Arrupe Jesuit	75.333
12	Basalt	75.000
13	Brush	69.750
14	Fort Lupton	69.250
15	Centauri	67.000
16	Platte Valley	66.600
17	Florence	65.500
18	St. Mary’s	65.000
19	Olathe	63.111
20	Moffat County	61.286
21	Strasburg	61.000
22	Bennett	60.750
23	Sheridan	60.571
24	Manitou Springs	58.000
25	La Junta	57.125
26	Buena Vista	56.500
27	Bishop Machebeuf	54.429
28	Pagosa Springs	54.333
29	The Academy	53.200
30	Peak to Peak	53.000
31	Clear Creek/Gilpin County	51.667
32	Alamosa	51.333
33	Ellicott	51.250
34	Sterling	50.125
35	Trinidad	49.714
36	Roaring Fork	46.000
37	Colorado Springs Christian	45.500
38	Dolores Huerta Prep	44.143
39	Monte Vista	43.800
40	Jefferson Academy	42.000
41	Salida	41.000
42	Denver Science & Tech Stapleton	39.500
43	Coal Ridge	38.833
44	Grand Valley	38.750
45	Platte Canyon	38.600
46	Middle Park	36.250
47	Colorado Academy	36.000
48	Estes Park	35.571
49	Aspen	34.286
50	Manual	34.200
51	Bruce Randolph	33.250
52	Jefferson	28.333
53	KIPP Denver Collegiate	20.000

Class 2A
Rank	School	Points
1	Rye	69.143
2	Peyton	69.143
3	Swink	67.333
4	Hotchkiss	65.000
5	Kiowa	65.000
6	Sedgwick County	63.000
7	Front Range Christian	62.500
8	Rangely	62.200
9	Denver Christian	59.500
10	Sierra Grande	59.333
11	Resurrection Christian	59.000
12	Springfield	59.000
13	Ignacio	58.667
14	Rocky Ford	58.143
15	Yuma	57.750
16	Fowler	57.400
17	Limon	56.429
18	Holyoke	55.667
19	Crowley County	54.200
20	Nucla	53.800
21	Burlington	53.667
22	Lyons	52.833
23	Dolores	52.714
24	Center	51.286
25	Lutheran	51.200
26	Alexander Dawson	49.714
27	Custer County	49.667
28	Haxtun	49.000
29	South Park	48.143
30	Paonia	47.167
31	Akron	45.000
32	Calhan	44.667
33	John Mall	44.000
34	Las Animas	42.000
35	Evangelical Christian	39.500
36	Wray	39.000
37	Dayspring Christian Academy	38.000
38	Merino	37.500
39	Longmont Christian	35.286
40	Sargent	33.000
41	Highland	32.750
42	Meeker	32.500
43	Simla	30.000
44	Sanford	27.500
45	Antonito	26.000
46	Wiggins	25.000
47	Denver Academy	20.000
48	County Line [Wiley/McClave]	15.750
49	Pikes Peak Christian	15.000
50	Cripple Creek-Victor	10.000

Class 1A
Rank	School	Points
1	Stratton	62.333
2	Elbert	61.250
3	Weldon Valley	50.000
4	Granada	44.500
5	Dove Creek	44.500
6	Cotopaxi	40.250
7	Peetz	38.000
8	Community Christian	36.857
9	Manzanola	33.800
10	Eads	28.857
11	Caliche	28.286
12	Rocky Mountain Lutheran	25.750
13	Cheyenne Wells	23.333
14	Fleming	22.500
15	Cornerstone Christian Academy	22.000
16	Holly	13.333
17	Primero	11.667
18	Briggsdale	10.000
19	Denver Jewish Day	7.500

April 2, 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
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
Top 5A teams wrestle at tough Arvada West Invite

Bear Creek senior PT Garcia, right, measures up Greeley West senior Adrian Delacruz in the first period of the 132-pound championship Saturday night. Garica, two-time state champion, had the quickest pin (1:20) in the title bouts. (Dennis Pleuss)

ARVADA — The Arvada West Invitational has had the reputation of being a “mini-state” wrestling tournament with the high caliber of competition it assembles.

The 50th version of the annual tournament was no exception.

“It’s pretty deep,” Pomona senior Josh Rosales said after his 9-5 victory over Bear Creek senior Jaysen Yakobson in the 120-pound final. “There has always been a ton of talent here. The toughest teams and the toughest kids.”

Arvada West senior Tony Silva-Bussey gets up after pinning Cherry Creek senior Mason Harms in the 170-pound championship match Saturday night. A-West took three individual title, along with winning the team championship at the 50th annual Arvada West Invitational. (Dennis Pleuss)

This week’s On The Mat wrestling rankings provided by Tim Yount had Arvada West, Rocky Mountain, Ponderosa, Pomona and Cherry Creek as the top five in 5A. All were at Arvada West High School on Saturday, along with No. 7 Chaparral, No. 9 Fountain-Fort Carson and No. 10 Grand Junction from 5A. Not to mention the No. 2 team in 4A, Thompson Valley.

Top-ranked A-West will for sure keep its top ranking after pulling away from Thompson Valley late in the tournament. The Wildcats won three individual titles to overtake the Eagles for the tournament team title.

“Our goal was to win it, make a statement,” A-West senior Tony Silva-Bussey said after scoring a third-period pin of Cherry Creek senior Mason Harms in what was a bout between the No. 1 and 3 ranked wrestlers in 5A at 170 pounds. “We are showing we are one of the best in 5A.”

The Wildcats other two individual champions were junior Payton Tawater (145) and junior Devin Rothrock (195). A-West had a tournament-high nine wrestlers place in the top four.

“It’s one of those practice rooms that you dream about going into,” said Silva-Bussey about A-West’s team depth. “At every weight there is someone to challenge you.”

The top-ranked wrestlers were sure up to the challenge in the championship finals. All 10 wrestlers who were ranked No. 1 in 5A won their matches, including senior PT Garcia, a two-time state champion from Bear Creek.

In his final A-West Invitational, Garcia looked like a true seasoned veteran. The senior was loose and enjoying the moment, even helped out during a third-place match being the towel tapper to let the referee know the period was over.

Thompson Valley sophomore Parker Simington, left, tries to break the grip of Arvada West junior Payton Tawater during the 145-pound championship bout Saturday. Tawater took a 8-4 decision. (Dennis Pleuss)

“I’ve definitely matured,” said Garcia, who scored the quickest pin (1:20) in the title matches. “When I was a freshman in this tournament I remembered I was really nervous. I didn’t perform my best. I eventually learned to go out relaxed, calm, focused and have fun.”

Legacy sophomore Ryan Deakin had a blast staying undefeated with a 27-0 record, while defending a tough opponent in Thompson Valley sophomore Vladyslav Kazakov in the 113 final. Deakin, who placed third at state last year at 106, was one of five unbeaten wrestlers who left A-West with their unblemished records intact.

The other four undefeated wrestlers are Garcia (21-0) and Rothrock (13-0), along with two Rocky Mountain grapplers — 138-pounder Danny Murphy (21-0) and 152-pounder Roman Oritz (21-0).

“I’m just focused on the wrestling,” Deakin said about not focusing on staying undefeated. “The wins and losses will take care of themselves.”

Ortiz, a junior, stayed undefeated after a tight match against Fountain-Fort Carson senior Rashawn Benford. The No. 1 and 2 ranked wrestlers at 152 pounds in 5A had already faced off once this season. Ortiz got the better of Benford again with a 3-1 decision.

“This time both were trying to figure out each other’s weakest spots. I knew (Benford) was going to come back with fire wanting to beat me this time,” Ortiz said. “I just kept my ground and did good against him. I’ll probably meet him in the state final.”

In the final championship match, Coronado senior Joe Hunt nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the night. Hunt had No. 1 ranked Dane Drimmer almost pinned in the first period. Drimmer was able to get the better of Hunt, pinning him midway through the third period.

[divider]

Results

Team:
1. Arvada West 193.5
2. Thompson Valley 179
3. Rocky Mountain 150.5
4. Cherry Creek 105.5
5. Coronado 98
6. Ponderosa 91.5
T7. Chaparral 82
T7. Pomona 82
9. Grand Junction 62
10. Greeley West 61.5
T11. Bear Creek 51
T11. Central Grand Junction 51
T13. Grandview 43
T13. Legacy 43
15. Fountain-Fort Carson 42
16. Brighton 32

Championship matches:

106: Hunter Matney, Ponderosa, dec. Cody Fatzinger, Arvada West, 6-4
113: Ryan Deakin, Legacy, dec. Vladyslav Kazakov, Thompson Valley, 5-1
120: Josh Rosales, Pomona, dec. Jaysen Yakobson, Bear Creek, 9-5
126: Mitch Finesilver, Cherry Creek, major dec. Vincent Casados, Arvada West, 15-1
132: PT Garcia, Bear Creek, fall Adrain Delacruz, Greeley West, 1:20
138: Danny Murphy, Rocky Mountain, dec. Zach Finesilver, Cherry Creek, 6-2
145: Payton Tawater, Arvada West, dec. Parker Simington, Thompson Valley, 8-4
152: Roman Ortiz, Rocky Mountain, dec. Rashawn Benford, Fountain-Fort Carson, 3-1
160: Jacob Trujillo, Grand Junction, dec. Konnor Schmidt, Rocky Mountain, 8-1
170: Tony Silva-Bussey, Arvada West, fall Mason Harms, Cherry Creek, 5:08
182: Dylan Gabel, Ponderosa, fall David Eusea, Thompson Valley, 3:20
195: Devin Rothrock, Arvada West, tech-fall Luiz Perez, Rocky Mountain, 20-4
220: Dan Macoubrie, Rocky Mountain, dec. Daniel Chavez, Pomona, 7-0
285: Dane Drimmer, Chaparral, fall Joe Hunt, Coronado, 5:03

Arvada West freshman Cody Fatzinger, top, works on turnover over Ponderosa freshman Hunter Matney during the 106-pound championship match Saturday night at the 50th Arvada West Invitational. (Dennis Pleuss)

Legacy sophomore Ryan Deakin takes a look at the clock while staying on top of Thompson Valley sophomore Vladyslav Kazakov in the 113-pound championship match Saturday. Deakin was one of five wrestlers to leave the Arvada West Invitational with their undefeated record intact. (Dennis Pleuss)

Pomona senior Josh Rosales, left, takes a look up to the clock during his 120-pound championship match against Bear Creek senior Jaysen Yakobson on Saturday night. Rosales won a 9-5 decision. (Dennis Pleuss)

January 19, 2014