Fort Collins and Crested Butte moved up to No. 1 in this week’s hockey rankings.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.
The 2020 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 then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created from the results of the coaches’ vote.
Because there will be two football seasons during the 2020-21 school year, this is the all-state football team for Season A. There will be a separate all-state football team released for Season C.
Third time’s a charm for the Liberty Lancers. The Lancers scored a pair of touchdowns to rally to a 17-7 win over Widefield in a rare Tuesday afternoon showdown.
Stalled offensive drives were the norm early as neither Liberty (1-2 overall) or the Gladiators (0-1) could put up points in the first quarter.
It was the Lancers finally breaking the scoreless tie with a field goal to go up 3-0 with about three minutes left in the first half. But the lead didn’t last long. DJ Allen returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, giving Widefield a 7-3 lead.
With urgency at play, the Lancers finally found mojo on offense. Aidan Swanson found Luiz Alamo for a long touchdown pass giving them a 10-7 lead at halftime.
The defense clamped down for the remainder of the game and didn’t allow Widefield to score another point the rest of the game. The Lancers put the game away with a touchdown run with 1:06 left in the game and got to enjoy their brief ride of I-25 with their first win of the season.
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Berthoud 22, Brush 21 (2OT)
Regulation wasn’t enough to settle a tight battle between Berthoud and Brush in the other Tuesday afternoon game.
The Beetdiggers took an early 7-0 thanks to a blocked punt. The Spartans answered right back with a touchdown run and added a 2-point conversion to take an 8-7 lead.
Brush regained momentum before the end of the first quarter, punching in a touchdown run. The 14-8 lead held to halftime and it was the Berthoud defense that would make an impact play later on.
A fumble recovery in the third quarter led to Berthoud’s second offensive touchdown of the game. The 2-point conversion failed and the game went into the fourth quarter locked in a 14-14 tie.
Neither team found paydirt in the fourth quarter forcing the game into overtime.
Brush came up big defensively with an interception setting up a chance to walk away with a big win. The field goal attempt was blocked and the game was extended much to the delight of the home team.
Getting the ball to start the second overtime, Brush found the end zone and kicked the extra point to go up 21-14.
Berthoud answered right back and like it had all day, opted for a 2-point conversion attempt rather than the extra point. The two-yard rushing attempt was successful and Berthoud improved to 2-0 on the season.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Liberty’s Hayden Woelk knew he he needed to make par on the home hole to give himself a chance. A fortunate bounce off his tee shot put him 152 yards out from the 18th pin at the Colorado Springs Country Club.
Ever so smoothly, he drew back his 8-iron and flushed it, sending his ball on a path directly toward the flagstick. It hit about 10 feet and he would two-putt to finish with a 1-under-par 70 to claim medalist honors at the Doherty Spartan Invite.
He would’ve like to make his birdie putt, but it was his approach shot that all but guaranteed his victory. He knew it when the ball was in the air and let loose a saucy club twirl, the golfer’s language meaning the ball is Lansing at or near the intended target. It was so good that new Liberty coach Tom Carricato smiled and told Woelk “you hit a shot like that, you can spin the club however you want.”
The junior hit 13 of 14 fairways through the day, including a bomb of a drive off the seventh tee. He rarely got himself into trouble and he worked his way around the track more efficiently than any other golfer in attendance.
“I knew I was hitting the ball well enough enough to play well today,” he said. “I struggled on No. 8 a bit and made double, but I was putting well and I knew I was hitting well to score a good round today.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)The Spartan Invite was the first golf tournament for a lot of Colorado Springs metro area schools. With a bit of an adjustment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teammates were grouped together as opposed to being spread out and paired with players from other teams who perhaps had similar skill sets.
“It’s hard and it’s kind of hard to focus,” St. Mary’s senior Peter Stinar said. “You’re around all your buddies and it’s definitely different. It doesn’t feel like a tournament as much as it does just playing a round with your friends.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise if teammates were paired regularly throughout the course of the season, but that will not be the case at regionals or state.
The trick for the kids is having to adjust to playing with the same guys that they practice with in some tournaments while playing in a more traditional format in others. The team groupings worked well for Cheyenne Mountain, who shot 222 as a team to claim the team championship at the event for the second year around.
“This group is close,” Cheyenne Mountain coach John Carricato said. “They’re a tight group, they compete with each other and they also do it in the right way where they encourage and they’re their No. 1 cheerleaders. From a coaching perspective, I loved seeing that camaraderie.”
Pine Creek sophomore Wesley Erling had a bit of an up and down day but put together a round of 71 to be one of two players at even or better. He erased a double-bogey on No. 3 with back-to-back birdies on eight and nine. His lone birdie on the back nine came on the par-5 15th, but he followed it up with a bogey on 16.
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Durango’s Tichi overcomes slow start to claim Wildcat Invitational
According to Durango junior Levi Tichi, opening his round with a bogey is his signature move. Oddly, it makes him feel more comfortable.
Just for good measure at the Fruita Monument Wildcat Invitational he opted for two bogeys in the first three holes.
Then he got serious. He went five under over his next six holes at Adobe Creek National Golf Course, including an eagle on the par-5 fifth. He finished the day with a 67 to get a big win in the young boys golf season.
“I knew I had to be pretty patient and wait for birdies and not push too much,” he said. “I made that birdie on four and hit my approach to like three feet. I followed that up with an eagle and I chipped it in. That chip-in was when I knew I was starting to play well.”
Tichi was the only Demon under par and the team finished second overall to Montrose, the three-time defending state champions. Grand Junction senior Carson Kerr (71) was the only other individual to play the Wildcat Invitational under par.
The Student Leadership committee selected the fourteen 2020-21 CHSAA State Reps on Friday from a competitive list of over fifty applicants.
The final selections, which include a diverse group of students from every corner of Colorado, each offer unique backgrounds and perspectives that stood out among their peers.
“I was impressed with the resumes of each applicant,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Justin Saylor, who oversees student leadership. “Each student had proven leadership qualities, which made narrowing the list down extremely difficult. I commend the committee for their hard work and look forward to working with this group of State Reps over the course of next school year.”
The State Reps will have a daunting task ahead, trying to navigate the obstacles put forth by the COVID-19 pandemic that has currently shifted all activities and learning to virtual platforms.
Led by State Rep Advisor Trey Downey (Grand Junction Central), the group will go to work right away, planning for all Student Leadership programming for the upcoming school year.
State Reps will have a myriad of responsibilities, some of which include sitting on various CHSAA committees, assisting in the coordination of Student Leadership Summer and Fall Conferences, and being a voice for the CHSAA student body as a whole.
The final list includes six returning State Reps and eight new members, comprising of twelve seniors and two juniors.
