CHSAANow

Tag: Bear Creek

  • Video: Jeffco Preps With Pleuss (May)

    Jeffco Preps With Pleuss is a monthly roundup of Jeffco prep highlights hosted by Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ sports information director. The Season C sports were in full swing during the month of April. Standley Lake and Lakewood boys’ soccer teams combined to end a 57-year drought between the two programs when it came to winning a league title. Ralston Valley and Evergreen girls’ volleyball programs also celebrated winning conference championships. The gymnastics season came to an end with some stellar individual performances by Jeffco gymnasts.

  • Lakewood boys soccer stakes claim to first Jeffco League title since 1995

    LAKEWOOD — Lakewood’s boys soccer team made history in dramatic fashion Friday night at Trailblazer Stadium.

    The unranked Tigers wrapped up their first boys soccer Jeffco League championship since 1995 with a 1-0 overtime victory against Bear Creek.

    “It feels good, but it’s making me old,” Lakewood coach Tom Noor said after the nerve-wracking victory in the Tigers’ conference finale. “I’m glad we won with this crazy snow schedule. I’m glad Daniel got the goal after shanking the shot right before the goal.”

    Bear Creek sophomore Andrew Montoya, left, and Lakewood senior Daniel Juarez (7) battle for a header. Juarez’s overtime goal clinched the Class 5A Jeffco League title for the Tigers. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Lakewood senior Daniel Juarez scored the game-winning goal with 35 seconds remaining the first overtime period. Juarez had kicked a volley over the net seconds before that gave Bear Creek a goal kick. The Tigers were able to quickly control the goal kick and give the senior striker another chance at glory.

    “I saw Jimmy pass it to Ko, and then Ko passed to me,” Juarez said of the game-winning goal. “I just took the shot and then everything froze. I realized we won.”

    Senior Jimmy Almaraz, who had a great scoring chance earlier in overtime but his shot sailed just wide left, controlled the goal kick. Almaraz passed the ball up to senior Ko Harmes, who took a pair of defenders before feeding a pass to Juarez.

    “I was hoping that we didn’t make any mistakes in the back and give up something silly, especially in overtime,” Noor said. “We had to step up and take care of it. We knew a tie wouldn’t do it. We kept pressing and pressing.”

    Lakewood (6-1-2, 6-1-1 in Class 5A Jeffco) hasn’t been ranked all season in the CHSAANow.com 5A boys soccer poll that is voted on by coaches. However, the Tigers hoisted the 5A Jeffco League plaque and secured a spot in the 16-team 5A state tournament that is slated to begin with first-round games Wednesday or Thursday next week.

    Lakewood junior Noah Pouliot (11) leaps over the leg of Bear Creek sophomore Logan Petersen during the first half Friday night at Trailblazer Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The Tigers couldn’t settle for a tie either against Bear Creek. Valor Christian (7-1-1, 6-1-1) would have won the conference title if Lakewood lost or tied against the Bears (4-6, 4-4). A 1-0 victory over Valor on March 25 gave the important tie-breaker over the Eagles to give the Tigers the league title.

    If Lakewood would have tied or lost Friday night, the Tigers might have fallen all the way down to third in the league standings behind Valor and Arvada West (6-1-2, 4-1-2) and likely out the postseason.

    “That’s awesome,” Noor said of the Tigers winning it’s first boys soccer conference crown in 26 years. “It’s great and hopefully we can build some momentum off this. We aren’t done.”

    Lakewood and Valor will receive automatic bids into the state field finishing in the top-2 in 5A Jeffco. There are only four at-large bids that will be awarded by a committee using a seeding formula that includes the CHSAANow.com coaches’ poll, MaxPreps rankings and RPI.

    Lakewood won’t have to worry about any mathematical formulas with its conference title being the Tigers’ ticket to the postseason.

    “It wasn’t just my goal,” Juarez said of the biggest goal in more than two decades for the Tigers’ boys soccer program. “Everyone has been working throughout the season. Everyone played a part. It means a lot, especially for the seniors. Doing something before we leave.”

    Bear Creek junior Asante Maez, left, and Lakewood senior Jimmy Almaraz, right, battle during the Class 5A Jeffco League finale for both teams Friday at Trailblazer Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Lakewood boys soccer gets thrilling overtime win over Bear Creek

    Daniel Juarez scored the golden goal in overtime to lift Lakewood boys soccer to a thrilling 1-0 over Bear Creek on Friday.

  • Dunks and 3-pointers reign in Jeffco HS Senior Basketball game

    LAKEWOOD — Valor Christian senior Amondo Miller’s final dunk finished off a fun night Thursday at the Gold Crown Fieldhouse.

    The Blue squad took a 130-124 victory in the boys’ Jeffco High School Senior Basketball Game. The annual game featuring the top seniors in the Class 5A and 4A Jeffco Leagues didn’t take place last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    While dunks and optional defense was in full force, the 3-point shooting was particularly sharp by the co-MVPs. Columbine senior Garrett Rogers and Wheat Ridge senior Westin Miller poured in seven 3-pointers each to lead both of their teams in scoring.

    Valor senior Amondo Miller goes up for a dunk Thursday night. Miller had 25 points for in the Blue’s 130-124 victory. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “I was just shooting and having a good time,” said Rogers, who had a game-high 29 points. “I appreciate Gold Crown for putting this on. It was amazing.”

    The Blue squad actually trailed 97-91 heading into the final 10-minute quarter. However, the Blue team scored 39 points in the final quarter to win going away. Green Mountain senior Austin Peterson got hot from 3-point range hitting a trio from long range in the final quarter.

    Valor’s Miller and AJ Kula combined for 14 points in the final quarter and Rogers canned a pair of 3-pointers for good measure to pull out the come-from-behind victory.

    “It was just really fun playing with all the guys. You play them during league and you know them because of club,” Rogers said. “It is always a great time getting out there and playing together.”

    Wheat Ridge senior Westin Miller watches the ball after releasing a 3-pointer Thursday night. Miller had seven 3-pointers on his way to MVP honors for the White squad. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Wheat Ridge’s Miller started the game off with a 3-pointer in the opening seconds. The Farmer has being getting ready for the upcoming high school baseball season, but getting one last chance on the hardwood with fellow Wheat Ridge teammate Dominic Cross was special.

    “It was awesome. I got to play one more basketball game,” said Miller, who has signed to play baseball next school year at Regis University. “I’ve been practicing baseball, so it was nice to get back out on the court. Most of us are competitors, but when it comes to this they are your teammates now.”

    There were more than 40 3-pointers made in the game. Almost every time down the court it was either a bomb from long range or a driving dunk.

    “It was a good shooting night for both of us,” Miller said of him and Rogers combining for 14 3-pointers. “I had no idea who he was at first, but he was ripping every shot he took.”

    Green Mountain senior Austin Peterson tries to beat Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano (13) off the dribble Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Lakewood’s Michael Bennett, Dakota Ridge’s Gino Corridori, Bear Creek’s Liam Franks, Evergreen’s Griffin Lauritano and Jared Stiller, Cross along with Westin Miller were all in double-digits for the White squad coached by Evergreen’s boys basketball coach Jeff Dolan.

    Rogers and Amondo Miller combined for over 50 points. Ralston Valley’s Blake Butvidas, D’Evelyn’s Luke Kjellsen, Kula and Peterson all reach double-digit points for the victorious Blue team.

    It marked the end of the prep basketball season in Jeffco that had its challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “It shows how much we have progressed through this tough time,” Rogers said of having the game return to close out the basketball season.

    Columbine senior Garrett Rogers was the leading scorer pouring in 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, during the boys’ Jeffco High School Senior Basketball Game on Thursday night at the Gold Crown Fieldhouse. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • No. 10 Arvada West boys soccer shuts out Bear Creek in 5A Jeffco action

    LAKEWOOD — Arvada West’s boys soccer team continues to show off its multiple scoring options and impenetrable defense.

    The Wildcats — No. 10 in this week’s CHSAANow.com Class 5A boys soccer rankings — took a 4-0 victory over previously undefeated Bear Creek on Monday at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood.

    “This was a super huge game for us,” A-West senior goalie Jacoby Landskov said about the late Monday afternoon win over the Bears. “It felt super nice to come out strong and beat a really good team.”

    Arvada West senior goalie Jacoby Landskov is able to just keep the ball out of the goal in the first half Monday. Landskov picked up his third shutout victory of the season in the Wildcats’ 4-0 win over Bear Creek. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The shutout victory was A-West’s third in as many games. The Wildcats (3-0, 2-0 in 5A Jeffco League) have outscored their opponents 11-0 through the first three games.

    Landskov has been in net for all three of the Wildcats’ victories. His best save of the game against Bear Creek (2-1, 2-1) came in the first half when Landskov was just able to keep a spinning shot out of the net when the game was scoreless.

    “That’s the goal,” Landskov said of the Wildcats not allowing a goal all season. “We made a bet. The guys said, ‘Jacoby, we’ll pay you $50 if you don’t give up a goal the entire year.’ We are on a roll right now and it’s not just me. Our defense is playing really well right now. They are making my job easy.”

    A-West junior Dylan Richards broke the ice in the 31st minute with a direct free-kick that skipped in front of Bear Creek junior goalie Garrett Nelson and into the back of the net. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

    It was Nelson’s first goal of the season. He became the seventh different goal-scorer for A-West this season and it was the first of two goals on the day on direct free-kicks.

    Bear Creek sophomore Anthony Montoya (17) races down the field with Arvada West sophomore Josh White (11) during the first half Monday at Trailblazer Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “We work on set pieces a lot in practice,” A-West senior captain Kyler Tate said. “We might have got a little lucky on that first goal. We try to score a lot of goals on those set pieces.”

    Tate made it a 2-0 lead in the 52nd minute. His goal came off another set piece, a direct free-kick from 27 yards out. It was the second goal of the season for Tate. Senior captain Noah Kanagy picked up his third goal on the season with a strong run before sliding a shot past Nelson to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.

    “I think we definitely have a deeper team then we did last year,” Tate said. “We are trying to get everyone involved.”

    The Wildcats put the game away with a penalty kick goal by senior Karl Pankratz, his first goal of the season, to make it a 4-0 lead. Pankratz became the eighth different player to put one in the back of the net on the season for A-West.

    “Other teams should be afraid,” Landskov said. “Our entire team can score. It’s not about locking up one player. We’ve got nine other guys out there that can score.”

    A-West is hoping to erase the memories of having a stellar regular season, but falling short in the postseason. The Wildcats were the No. 4 seed in the 5A state tournament in the Fall of 2019, but lost to Rocky Mountain in the second round. In 2018, A-West suffered a tough 1-0 loss to eventual state champion Arapahoe in the second round.

    “Definitely a third straight league title is the goal,” Tate said. “We’ve come up a little short (in the playoffs) over the past two years. We think we can do it this year and go all the way.”

    Bear Creek senior Kye Quinonez (4) and Arvada West sophomore Luke Schultz (14) battle for a loose ball during the Class 5A Jeffco League game Monday at Trailblazer Stadium. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Vista PEAK boys basketball rides big second half to win over Bear Creek

    Trailing at halftime, Vista PEAK boys basketball exploded in the second half to get a 63-47 win over Bear Creek on Saturday.

  • Photos: Bear Creek girls basketball tops Adams City on Senior Night

    Senior Night went as well as could be expected for Bear Creek girls basketball as the Bears beat Adams City 51-22.

  • Photos: Huard leads No. 2 Valor Christian girls basketball over Bear Creek

    Macy Huard scored a team-high 12 points to lead Class 5A No. 2 Valor Christian girls basketball to a 78-30 win over Bear Creek.

  • Photos: Bear Creek girls basketball grabs Jeffco win over Pomona

    Bear Creek girls basketball grabbed a big Jeffco League win by beating Pomona 60-46 on Wednesday night.

  • Photos: Evergreen, Bear Creek and Thomas Jefferson boys wrestling meet in a triangular

    Evergreen boys wrestling beat both Thomas Jefferson and Bear Creek as the three teams met in a triangular on Saturday.