BOULDER — The Class 4A boys basketball final four was held at the University of Colorado’s Coors Events Center on Friday.
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Tag: Pueblo East
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Pueblo East’s three-head scoring monster propels Eagles into 4A title game
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) BOULDER — As eighth-graders in 2010, the current senior class of basketball players at Pueblo East have been eyeing their shot at a state title.
“We’ve been dreaming about this ever since we were little growing up,” Pueblo East senior TJ Gradisar said. “We have it here now. We just want to get the job done.”
Pueblo East’s last trip to the Class 4A state hoops championship game came in 2010. The Eagles’ 59-51 victory over Sand Creek on Friday at the Coors Events Center advanced Pueblo East to the 4A title game Saturday back in Boulder.
More photos. (Pam Wagner) “Another chance,” Pueblo East coach Dave Ryder said of his Eagles getting back to the title game. “It’s exciting. I’m happy for the kids. They were in eighth grade the last time we were up here. They watched and now they get the same opportunity.”
Sierra edged Pueblo East 61-56 in overtime four years ago. The Eagles will attempt to win their first basketball title in school history Saturday. Pueblo East was state runner-ups in 2010 and 1977.
“Ever since freshman year we knew we had the team that could do it,” Pueblo East senior Jimmy Valdez said. “We have been playing all these years. It’s time to put it together now. One more game tomorrow, it’s time to finish it.”
The three-headed scoring machine of Gradisar (18 points), Valdez (14 points) and senior Dylan Gavin (21 points) scored 53 of the Eagles’ 59 points.
“They have played together a long time,” Ryder said of Gradisar, Gavin and Valdez. “They feed off each other. They know what each other are going to do. One complements the other.”
The trio was also a remarkable 19-for-27 (70.3 percent) from the field shooting.
Sand Creek (21-6) actually held a 23-17 lead midway through the second quarter, but Pueblo East (22-4) buckled down defensively and went on an 11-0 to end the second quarter. The Eagles held a 28-23 lead at halftime.
“We just had to reinforce some things we had to do on the defensive end,” Ryder said.
Valdez was 4-for-5 from the field shooting, including a long 3-pointer by the 6-foot-4 center with 2:18 left in the second quarter. Gradisar and Valdez each had 10 points at halftime.
“Having a great basketball player like Dylan (Gavin) on your team everyone is going to be eyeing him throughout,” Valdez said. “We had TJ step up. The whole team stepped up.”
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) Gavin went on a tear early in the second half to push Pueblo East’s lead into double-digit. He made the only two field goals in the fourth quarter for the Eagles, who used the clock to their advantage and made 9-of-14 free throws in the final quarter to seal the victory.
The Scorpions drained nine 3-pointers in the loss. Senior Dylan Clark led the way with four 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 24 points. Clark started the game 4-for-4 from the field, but was held scoreless in the second quarter.
“Obviously he (Clark) is a great player. He is going to play at the D-I level,” Ryder said. “He is going to get his. We just wanted to control it and not let him get on those big runs. The guards were solid on defense.”
Seniors Alex Jara and Jordan Cruz had the task for the Eagles of trying to keep Clark in check.
Pueblo East will face the winner of Denver South/Cheyenne Mountain in the 4A championship game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
“We just want to get the job done,” Gradisar said.
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Photos: 4A boys basketball’s Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum
DENVER — The 4A boys basketball Great 8 spanned the full day Saturday at the Denver Coliseum. Go to:
- Pueblo East 62, Valor Christian 56 (OT)
- Sand Creek 58, D’Evelyn 51
- Cheyenne Mountain 84, Thompson Valley 81 (2OT)
- Denver South 54, Thomas Jefferson 52
Pueblo East 62, Valor Christian 56 (OT)
Sand Creek 58, D’Evelyn 51
Cheyenne Mountain 84, Thompson Valley 81 (2OT)
Denver South 54, Thomas Jefferson 52
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Pueblo East upsets Valor Christian boys basketball in 4A Great 8
DENVER — If there is one word to describe Pueblo East’s boys basketball team, it’s “gritty.”
The Eagles compete every play and have amazing believe in one another. They don’t back down from any team. This grittiness has them in their first final four since the 2009-10 season after a 62-56 overtime win over Valor Christian at the Denver Coliseum.
“We take pride in being really mentally tough and hard-nosed and outworking people,” Pueblo East coach Dave Ryder said. “They’ve been playing together for a long time and they know when one guy’s feeling it, they keep giving him the ball. They believe in each other.”
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) The guy who was feeling it Saturday morning was Dylan Gavin, a senior and the leading scorer this season with a 20.5 points per contest average. Valor threatened to run away with the game with a 22-11 second quarter lead, but Gavin showed off his sweet shooting stroke and led East back. He had 15 first-half points and the game was tied at 24 at the break.
Gavin got offensive help in the second half in the form of Jimmy Valdez, Alex Jara and TJ Gradisar. Valdez was an effective low-post scorer, Jara made jumpers and Gradisar came through at the charity stripe.
In a game featuring five lead changes and eight ties, it was knotted at 35 headed into the fourth. Valor held a two-point lead with 19.6 seconds left in regulation at 49-47. Gavin came through with a drive for the bucket.
“It was a new play we put in a few weeks ago,” Gavin said. “We’ve only run it a couple times. It was supposed to be a back pick for our big guy to get a lob, but there wasn’t that much time left. I put my head down and went to the hole and I was lucky to make the shot.”
Pueblo East controlled overtime and won 62-56 as Gavin finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
No. 1-seeded Valor Christian, considered the top team in 4A all year, finishes its season 21-5. No. 2 Pueblo East will play the winner of D’Evelyn vs. Sand Creek in the final four in Boulder.
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) -
Photos: Broomfield girls basketball beats Pueblo East to reach 4A Great 8
BROOMFIELD — Broomfield girls basketball heads to the Class 4A Great 8 with a perfect 25-0 record after beating Pueblo East 83-58 on Saturday.
Broomfield’s Callie Kaiser has 26 points for the night. Broomfield’s next opponent will be 22-3 Palmer Ridge on March 8 at the Denver Coliseum.
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All-state softball teams for 2013 season
Haley Smith is the 5A softball player of the year. (Pam Wagner) The 2013 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These team 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.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
Class 5A
Player of the year: Haley Smith, Legacy
First Team Name School Year Pos. Breanna Corell Douglas County Senior P Haley Donaldson Fossil Ridge Senior SS Rachelle Foos Dakota Ridge Senior P Sierra Galbreath Ralston Valley Senior SS Carleigh Garcia Brighton Senior OF Janelle Gardner Legend Senior P Tes Hass Loveland Junior OF Rachel Johnson Mountain Vista Senior 1B Tayler Mashburn Eaglecrest Sophomore UT RiAnna May Standley Lake Senior CF Lauren Paige Rock Canyon Senior P/1B Carly Perry Columbine Junior SS Melissa Rahrich Brighton Senior P/3B Brianna Sanville Arvada West Senior 3B Haley Smith Legacy Junior P Emily Supercynski Grandview Junior SS Second Team Name School Year Pos. Autumn Anderson Fort Collins Sophomore P Lauren Buckley Eaglecrest Junior OF Steph Cardona Legend Senior OF Emma Cheshire Doherty Senior C Aspen Eubanks Legacy Senior UT Alyssa Geist Legacy Junior OF Melissa Heronema Standley Lake Senior SS/3B Anuhea Iida Douglas County Senior C Jenna Jordan Fossil Ridge Senior C Robyn Leighton Legend Senior C Kenya Lindstrom Denver East Junior P Kayla Michel Brighton Junior C/1B Rhiannon Parry Standley Lake Senior P Taylar Saul Highlands Ranch Senior UT Sloane Stewartson Rock Canyon Freshman C Dani Valerio Dakota Ridge Junior CF Allie Vigil Arvada West Senior 1B Jasmime Wessel Horizon Junior C/SS Class 4A
Player of the year: Jessica Salbato, Wheat Ridge
First Team Name School Year Pos. Analece Apodaca Wheat Ridge Junior UT Carrie Clarke Erie Senior P Alex Dufour Frederick Junior SS Gabriela Garcia Mullen Junior C Allison Heitsman D’Evelyn Senior 3B/1B Kelsey Laughlin Pueblo East Senior SS Tiffany Maul Erie Junior C Katie Orona Pueblo East Senior P Ally Power Ponderosa Junior P Jessica Salbato Wheat Ridge Senior P Rio Sanchez Erie Freshman P/3B Kelee Suggs Woodland Park Senior SS McKenzie Surface Discovery Canyon Junior P/1B Sonoma Toot Erie Senior 2B/SS Ann Marie Torres Wheat Ridge Sophomore SS Second Team Name School Year Pos. Corey Aragon Pueblo Central Senior P/ UT Kendall Baker Berthoud Junior IF Kailee Clark Discovery Canyon Senior SS Yesina Garza Pueblo East Senior 3B/OF Allyson Grywusiewicz Thomas Jefferson Senior P/1B Sissy Hall Pueblo South Junior CF Madie Kilcrease Roosevelt Senior SS/OF Jaelyn Minich Pueblo East Senior 1B/3B Christina Nelson Wheat Ridge Junior 2B Cameryn Porter D’Evelyn Senior SS Emma Speer Rifle Senior SS Cheyenne Talmadge Pueblo East Junior 2B Mallorie Trichell Woodland Park Senior 1B Kenzie Villareal Berthoud Senior UT Stevie Wadsworth Roosevelt Senior P Class 3A
Player of the year: Danni Klein, Strasburg
First Team Name School Year Pos. Bridgette Hutton Valley Junior P/SS Danni Klein Strasburg Senior P/2B/SS Logan Losh Strasburg Senior P/1B Trinity Harrington Valley Senior P Alexandra Jaros Holy Family Junior CF Dallas Magnusson Sterling Junior P Grace Peterson Holy Family Senior 2B Chelsea Vallejos Lamar Senior OF Jenna Knudson Sterling Sophomore INF Brittany Driscoll Basalt Senior P/OF/3B Jayla Jarnigan Eaton Senior OF Whittney Oquist La Junta Senior P/UT Megan Martinez Rocky Ford Senior SS/1B Tess Cartin Holy Family Senior C Vic Wilson Strasburg Senior C/UT -
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:
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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.
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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!
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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 …
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All-state football teams for 2013 season
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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 -
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.
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.
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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.
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). -
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
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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 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 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 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 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 Tues: W 56-54 vs. (7) Denver Science & Tech 9 Aspen 16-3 Fri: W 44-40 at Gunnison 10 Platte Valley 14-5 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 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 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 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 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