DENVER â The Great 8 of Class 5A girls basketball was on Friday at the Denver Coliseum.
Find photos from each game below.
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Tag: Lakewood
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Photos: 5A girls basketball’s Great 8
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5A girls basketball Great 8 roundup: Cherry Creek reaches first Final 4 since 2004
Cherry Creek advanced to the Great 8 for the first time since 2004. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) DENVER — Cherry Creek’s athletic department, through its rich history, has claimed 189 state championships — 105 more than any other school. But they have never won it all in girls basketball.
The Bruins’ bid for that first title continued as the No. 2 seed in the Alice Barron Region defeated the No. 1, Highlands Ranch, 47-43 in the first of four Great 8 games at the Denver Coliseum on Friday.
The victory secured a spot in the Final 4 for Creek for the first time since 2004, when it lost to ThunderRidge in the finals. The day started shaky for Creek as the team bus never arrived, so it had to scramble to get to the Coliseum.
Still, the Bruins stepped on the floor, scored the game’s first basket, and set the tone defensively.
Highlands Ranch, making its 10th appearance in the past 11 seasons in the Great 8, hung in throughout but only took a few brief one-point leads.
Ultimately, Highlands Ranch was undone by poor shooting, going 15-of-56 (26.8 percent) from the field, as Creek’s lanky 6-foot-plus sophomore trio of Molly Rohrer, Lauren McMillen and Laura Pranger made every look at the basket difficult for the Falcons.
The Centennial League champ’s largest lead was only 10 points as Highlands Ranch’s deficit was in single digits nearly all game, but Creek grinded out a victory.
“That’s kind of how we’ve played all year,” Bruins coach Chris Curneen said. “If we can keep people to about 40 points or below we’ve got a good chance of winning. We’re a very defensive team. We have some very long young ladies and it’s kind of hard to shoot over them.”
On offense, Pranger made timely baskets and led all scorers with 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Rohrer chipped in 11 and six and Brittanee Bivins, a junior guard, provided Creek with a spark off the bench.
“Brittanee was huge for us tonight, too,” Curneen said. “She did a great job. She’s kind of our girl who gets us going when we get a little stagnant.”
The Bruins have now taken the next step in the playoffs under fourth-year coach Curneen. They reached the second round of the state tournament three years ago, the Sweet 16 two years ago, the Great 8 last year, and now the Final 4.
“To get to the Final 4 is just huge for our program and to beat a team like Highlands Ranch with a Hall of Fame coach, that’s phenomenal,” Curneen said excitedly. “We’re just thrilled to death.”
Leilah Vigil led Highlands Ranch with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Blaire Braxton had 9 points and 10 rebounds.
(1) Monarch 70, (6) Fairview 42
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) Monarch senior Raegen Rohn will get her much-desired return trip to the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
Led by Rohn, the Coyotes (24-2 overall) earned a spot in the 5A girls Final 4 for the first time since 2012 on Friday night with a 70-42 victory over Fairview (16-11). It was a meeting between familiar foes when Front Range League rivals battled for a semifinal spot at the Denver Coliseum.
Rohn had a team-high 20 points to help Monarch get another crack at a state championship. Monarch lost to Legacy in the 5A 2012 state championship game 58-51.
“We ended on a heartbreaker my freshman year,” said Rohn, who came off the bench as a freshman three years ago. “I just wanted to get back.”
It took a little while for Monarch’s offense to get going Friday. Fairview’s defense held the Coyotes scoreless for nearly the first four minutes of the opening quarter. Rohn got Monarch’s offense on track with nine points in the first quarter to give the Coyotes a 16-14 lead after the first.
Rohn finished strong with nine straight points for Monarch during a two-minute span in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Monarch, top seed in the Sharon Wilch Region, dominated its Front League foe Fairview in conference play earlier this season. The Coyotes took a 62-28 victory Feb. 10, but that was with Fairview playing shorthanded. Senior and leading scorer Annika Lai missed the first meeting with Monarch because of a sprained ankle.
“We knew (Fairview) would come out ready to play,” Rohn said. “We knew we had to come out ready to play too.”
Sophomore Jasmine Jeffcoat (15 points and eight rebounds) kept Monarch clicking with strong second and third quarters.
It was all Monarch in the second half. The Coyotes outscored the Knights 42-19 in after halftime. Jeffcoat went 4-for-4 from the field in the third quarter and fellow sophomore Peyton Carter (11 points) heated up from the floor in the fourth quarter with a pair of 3-pointers.
“Peyton and Jasmine played awesome,” Rohn said. “They were really key in this game.”
Junior Macy Scott also had a nice game for the Coyotes coming off the bench for nine points and five rebounds.
The Knights came into the state quarterfinals as the Cinderella being lowest seed (No. 6) remaining in the tournament. Lai finished with a game-high 21 points in her final prep game.
(1) Broomfield 65, (2) Lakewood 39
Broomfield girls basketball coach Mike Croell led his team to the Great 8 or further 19 times in a row in 4A. He made eight finals appearances, and won five consecutive titles from 2007-2011.
Moving up to the biggest class in 2015, the Eagles haven’t skipped a beat.
On Friday, they kept their 5A championship hopes intact by defeating Lakewood 65-39 in the Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum.
The top seed in the Rhonda Blanford-Green Region, Broomfield seemed to have their hands all over the game, literally and figuratively, as their full-court press and active defense in the half-court allowed the Eagles to get their fingers into passing lanes and on loose balls.
They outscored Lakewood 36-4 in points off turnovers and 25-3 in second chance points. They also outrebounded the Tigers 36-20.
Broomfield, after being down 12-6 to start the game, buried the second seed 25-9 the rest of the first half to take a 31-21 lead at the break. Then, the Front Range champions coasted their way to Boulder for the state semifinals by outscoring Lakewood 34-18 in the final two quarters.
In 20 years, Croell’s teams have now made 14 Final 4s. This will be their first in the biggest class.
“It means a lot to us,” Broomfield junior forward Brenna Fankell said. “It’s our first year in 5A. We’re playing our best. I think now that we’re up in 5A it’s more of a challenge, but we accept that challenge.”
It’s fair to say it’s been more of a challenge for the Eagles’ opponents as they are now 24-2 with their only losses coming at the hands of fellow No. 1 seed ThunderRidge. Both defeats were in December.
At the Coliseum, Croell — who is in his last go-around in the state tournament before retiring — and his crew bullied Lakewood in the paint with Fankell (19 points, 12 rebounds) and the versatile Callie Kaiser (11 points, 9 rebounds). Kaiser, Breanna Chase (13 points), and Nicole Lehrer (12 points) helped Broomfield force 23 turnovers, while only committing nine in a dominant defensive effort.
“We have our girls up top who put pressure on their guards and the girls in the back just play strong and we try not to let them get into the lane for two,” Fankell said.
Broomfield will face Cherry Creek, winners over Highlands Ranch in the Great 8, on Thursday in the Final 4 at the Coors Events Center.
Lakewood reached the Great 8 for the second straight year. The Tigers were led by McKenna Bishop’s 14 points and nine rebounds. They only lose one senior from a team that finished with a 20-6 record.
(1) ThunderRidge 57, (3) Ralston Valley 36
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) They’re back.
ThunderRidge returned to the Final 4 of the 5A girls state tournament for the first time since 2011 with a 57-36 victory over Ralston Valley on Friday night at the Denver Coliseum.
“It’s been a long time. None of us have ever been there,” ThunderRidge junior Taylor Rusk said of advancing to next week’s state semifinals in Boulder. “It’s awesome. It’s a great feeling.”
The Grizzlies are chasing their first state championship since concluding a three-peat (2003, 04 and 05).
“For these kids it’s been on their mind since they were in the fourth grade,” ThunderRidge coach Paula Krueger said. “All praise to my players. They don’t care who gets the glory. They just want to win. Whatever it takes to win.”
ThunderRidge extended its winning streak to 16 games. The Grizzlies (24-2) haven’t lost to an in-state team all season. Both of their losses came at the Nike Tournament of Championships in Arizona.
Defense was ThunderRidge’s greatest tool in the first half. The Mustangs were held to just 4-for-19 shooting in the opening half. The Grizzlies went on a 12-0 run from the end of the first quarter to midway through the second quarter to grab at 23-9 lead.
“I’ve coached for 22 or 23 years. I’ve coached at high levels be it college or high school and honestly, I’ve never coached a defensive team like this,” Krueger said. “They adapt and adjust. They do what they are asked.”
Ralston Valley finished shooting 11-for-37 from the field. Senior Morgan Nishida (14 points) and sophomore Ashley Van Sickle (five points) hit 3-pointers in the second quarter for Ralston Valley to prevent ThunderRidge from climbing to even a more impressive lead then its 25-14 advantage at halftime.
Jaz’mye Snipes led the way for ThunderRidge with 12 points and five rebounds in the opening half. She finished with 14 points before fouling out with 4:32 left in the final quarter.
Junior Alyssia Martinez (10 points) also had a nice first half with eight points for ThunderRidge.
It was Rusk who took over the scoring duties in the second half. After being shutout in the first half, Rusk went for a dozen points in the third quarter. Her 3-pointer in the final seconds opened up ThunderRidge’s largest lead of the game 44-20 entering the fourth quarter.
“We have so many weapons on our team it didn’t matter,” said Rusk who finished with a game-high 19 points. “I got more opportunities in the second half.”
ThunderRidge squares off against Monarch (24-2) in the Final 4 on Thursday, March 12, at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
Despite the loss, Ralston Valley has a promising future with only losing one senior — Nishida — to graduation. It was the second state quarterfinal appearance for the Mustangs in the past three seasons.
— Dennis Pleuss
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Sweet 16 roundup: Monarch girls basketball edges Fossil Ridge
Monarch’s Jasmine Jeffcoat (44) tries to escape pressure in the Sweet 16 game against No. 4 Fossil Ridge, Tuesday. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com) A back-and-forth game all night, Monarch edged Fossil Ridge 51-47 in the Class 5A girls basketball Sweet 16 on Tuesday evening.
The game was tied at 47 with just under a minute left, but Monarch’s Peyton Carter, a sophomore guard, hit two free-throws for a 49-47 lead with 12 seconds to play. Fossil Ridge had a chance to tie things up with its own free throws moments later, but missed.
It is Monarch’s first time in the Great 8 since the 2012 season, when the Coyotes advanced to the title game. That season marked the program’s fourth-straight year in the Great 8, so this is a return to familiar territory.
Monarch was up 24-17 at the break, but just 32-31 after three quarters. The game only stayed tight from there. It was a one-point margin with two minutes to play.
Raegen Rohn led Monarch with 13 points. Carter finished with 12. (Find photos of the game here.)
Fossil Ridge was last season’s runner-up in 5A, losing to Regis Jesuit.
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(6) Fairview 56, (7) Fruita Monument 46
The Knights booked their first trip to the Great 8 since 2011.
Fairview led 32-24 at halftime and then 47-31 going into the fourth quarter. Fruita put up a fight in the fourth, but the Knights were able to hold off a rally.
The last time Fairview was in the Great 8, the Knights fell to Highlands Ranch. This trip is a mark of distinction for Fairview, though. Prior to this season, the girls team has only been in the Great 8 once since 2003.
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(1) Broomfield 73, (4) Pine Creek 53
Broomfield is no stranger to the Great 8. But this is the program’s first trip as a member of 5A.
The Eagles have been an annual participant in the 4A Great 8 in the past decade-plus, and have now made 20 straight quarterfinals, but moved up a classification this season. They reached 4A’s title game last year, falling to Mesa Ridge, but didn’t skip a beat in the jump.
On Tuesday, Broomfield led 36-30 at the half, and started to pull away with a 48-39 lead after three quarters.
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(3) Ralston Valley 53, (2) Rampart 41
The Mustangs went on the road and pulled the upset. It means the Mustangs return to the Coliseum for the second time in three seasons.
Ralston Valley was up 37-32 after three quarters, and gradually grew that lead to 11 points midway through the fourth.
Rampart cut it to 46-35 late in regulation, but RV was able to seal the game with free throws.
Ashley Van Sickle led Ralston with 17 points, while MaKena Prey added 12. Nicea Eliely had 18 points to lead Rampart.
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(1) ThunderRidge 46, (5) Mountain Vista 26
More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com) Both teams started slow — it was just 16-8, a ThunderRidge lead, at halftime — but the Grizzlies pulled away with a big third quarter and never looked back.
ThunderRidge outscored Mountain Vista 16-4 in the third quarter to build a 20-point lead, a margin that stayed the same at game’s end.
ThunderRidge returns to a very familiar spot after one year away. From 2002-2013, the Grizzlies were in every Great 8 but one (2010), and won championships in 2004 and 2005.
Find a photo gallery from the game here.
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(2) Cherry Creek 58, (3) Grand Junction 54
Cherry Creek earned a return ticket to the Great 8.
The Bruins led 25-18 at halftime and 31-26 after the third quarter.
Prior to going to the quarterfinals last season, the Bruins hadn’t been since 2004. Last year, Cherry Creek fell to Poudre.
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(1) Highlands Ranch 64, (5) Castle View 53
The two Continental League foes went at it again, with Highlands Ranch ultimately returning to the Great 8 after one season away.
Highlands Ranch has now been in the Great 8 10 of the past 11 seasons. The previous nine trips have resulted in seven final four appearances.
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(2) Lakewood 86, (3) Grandview 83
Lakewood returned to the Great 8 with a gritty win over a very talented Grandview bunch.
The Tigers rallied from an early hole with an 8-0 run to start the second quarter, and led 33-32 at halftime. That lead grew to 62-50 after three, but Grandview started to claw its way back in the final frame.
Find a complete recap of the game here.
Last season, Lakewood lost to eventual champion Regis Jesuit in the Great 8.
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Great 8 matchups
Friday, at the Denver Coliseum, times TBD (Bracket)
- (1) Highlands Ranch vs. (2) Cherry Creek
- (1) ThunderRidge vs. (3) Ralston Valley
- (1) Broomfield vs. (2) Lakewood
- (1) Monarch vs. (6) Fairview
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Lakewood girls hoops wins thriller over Grandview to advance to 5A Great 8
Lakewood’s girls basketball team celebrates after an 86-83 victory over Grandview in the Class 5A Sweet 16 state tournament game Tuesday night at Lakewood High School. The Tigers will face Broomfield on Friday in the Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum. (Dennis Pleuss) LAKEWOOD — Lakewood’s girls basketball team advanced to its second straight Class 5A Great 8 Tuesday night in theatrical fashion.
Despite an enormous effort by Grandview sophomore Michaela Onyenwere (43 points and a few dozen rebounds) in the Sweet 16 game at Lakewood High School, the Tigers took an 86-83 victory.
“You can’t stop her (Onyenwere). She is amazing,” Lakewood coach Chris Poisson said. “We were hoping to contain her a little, but that didn’t happen. I knew she couldn’t quite beat us by herself.”
Grandview sophomore Michaela Onyenwere (12) tries to get a shot off over a number of Tiger defenders Tuesday night. Onyenwere scored 43 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Wolves fell 86-83. (Dennis Pleuss) Poisson was right. The Tigers (20-5 overall) built a 17-point lead with five minutes to play in the fourth quarter. However, led by Onyenwere’s 18-point final quarter, the Wolves (20-5) actually took an 81-80 lead with 1:10 left.
The lead didn’t last long. Lakewood was able to break Grandview’s press after Onyenwere’s putback. Junior Mackenzie Forrest’s layup with 55 seconds gave the lead back to Lakewood for good.
Forrest sat most of the third quarter and a good portion of the fourth quarter with four fouls. She scored seven of her 11 points in the final five minutes of the game.
Two free throws by Forrest with 5.9 seconds remain pretty much sealed the victory.
“We are finally making our free throws,” Forrest said. “It’s a good time to start making them.”
While Onyenwere carried Grandview, Lakewood junior McKenna Bishop did much of the heavy lifting for the Tigers. Bishop finished with a season-high 35 points.
“She (Bishop) was amazing, but (Grandview) wouldn’t stop her,” Poisson said. “If we got past the pressure of their defense we knew we were golden attacking the rim.”
Bishop was masterful under the basket and was a solid 9-for-11 from the free-throw line.
“They have Michaela (Onyenwere) and she is a great player. With the help of my teammates I was able to put up 35 (points),” Bishop said. “Ball movement was key. They do a run and jump defense so when you dribble the ball two girls come at you. You have an open look somewhere.”
Lakewood juniors Anissa Barela (13 points) and Madeline Miller (10 points) both made big 3-pointers in the final quarter. Junior Madeleine Coughlin finished with just two points, but those were the form of two three throws with 37 seconds left that gave the Tigers an 84-81 lead.
Lakewood junior McKenna Bishop (22) goes up for a shot over Grandview sophomore Michaela Onyenwere (12) in the Sweet 16 state playoff game Tuesday. Bishop and Onyenwere combined for 78 points for their respective teams. (Dennis Pleuss) “Everybody has to step up. If we are in foul trouble we need to count on other people,” Coughlin said about having Forrest, Miller and freshman Kira Emsbo all foul out. “We can’t just count on our starting five.”
Freshman Camilla Emsbo also finished in double-figures for the Tigers with 10 points.
Grandview sophomore Lenzi Hudson had 18 points. Her 3-pointer with 1:45 left in the fourth quarter trimmed Lakewood’s lead to 80-79.
“Look how many clutch plays were made by both teams. It was a heck of a game. Grandview is a heck of a team,” Poisson said. “I’m just proud I get to have this moment with my team.”
The moment will have to be cherished quickly. Lakewood moves on to the Great 8 where it will face Broomfield on Friday at the Denver Coliseum.
Broomfield (23-2) was the 4A state runner-up last season before moving up a classification to 5A this year. The Eagles, top seed in the Rhonda Blanford-Green Region, eliminated Pine Creek from the state tournament Tuesday night with a 20-point victory in Broomfield.
The Eagles are hoping to send longtime coach Mike Croell out with another state championship. Croell has announced he is retiring after this season.
“Mike is an incredible coach. We are good friends,” Poisson said. “We’ve got to battle a lot of emotion with Broomfield. They want to win this.”
Another 5A Jeffco team will be joining Lakewood down at the Coliseum. Ralston Valley upset Rampart in Colorado Springs on Tuesday night to give Jeffco a pair of state quarterfinalist for the second straight year.
“Nice,” Poisson said after being told Ralston Valley had won. “We (5A Jeffco) got two in the Elite 8. Congrats to Ralston Valley. I’m glad their there too.”
Lakewood junior McKenna Bishop (22) drives to the basket during the first half Tuesday night. The junior finished with a season-high 35 points in the Tigers’ 86-83 victory over Grandview. (Dennis Pleuss) 
Lakewood junior Mackenzie Forrest (33) eye the basket from the free-throw line Tuesday night. Forrest scored four key points in the final minute to help the Tigers hold on for an 86-83 victory (Dennis Pleuss) -
Lakewood girls basketball claws out win over Legend
Lakewood junior Madeline Miller (20) dribbles past Legend senior Megan Jordan (13) during the first half Friday night at Lakewood High School. Miller’s three 3-pointers in the first half were key in the Tigers’ 67-50 victory. (Dennis Pleuss) LAKEWOOD — Lakewood girls basketball coach Chris Poisson has no issue with going to his bench, even when a playoff game is on the line.
The No. 2 seed Lakewood Tigers held just a 44-39 lead going to the fourth quarter Friday night against No. 7 seed Legend Titans. With the second-round Class 5A playoff game in the balance, Lakewood got some much-needed contributions from role players.
Legend senior Joey Sale (11) goes up with Lakewood junior McKenna Bishop (22) for a rebound Friday night. Sale led the Titans with 14 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers advanced into the Sweet 16 of the Class 5A state tournament with a 67-50 win. (Dennis Pleuss)
“That’s our team,” Poisson said after nine different Tigers scored in the 67-50 victory on Lakewood’s home court. “We’re deep.”To start the fourth quarter, Lakewood’s two leading scorers Mackenzie Forrest and McKenna Bishop were actually sitting on the bench. However, the Tigers started the quarter on an 8-0 run without Forrest and Bishop on the court to get their lead back to double-digits.
“I wasn’t really nervous because I have confidence in all our players,” said Forrest, who finished with a game-high 20 points. “We are pretty deep. I knew somehow we’d find a way to pull it out.”
Juniors Madeline Miller and Anissa Barela were huge contributors for the Tigers (19-5 overall). Miller (15 points) hit three 3-pointers in the first half. She also went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line during the Tigers’ 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter.
Barela had a pretty quiet first three quarters, but broke out for an 11-point fourth quarter that included a pair of 3-pointers and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
“I got on her (Barela) because her defense was off tonight,” Poisson said. “In the fourth quarter she was playing terrific on both ends. I think that lit a spark in us.”
Barela’s first 3-pointer pushed the Tigers’ lead to 51-39 with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter. Her second extended Lakewood’s lead to 59-44 midway through the final quarter.
“They felt like good shots,” said Barela, who finished with 12 points. “Coach (Poisson) always tells us to take great shots. I felt like they were good enough.”
Lakewood’s freshmen twins — Camilla and Kira Emsbo — were more than capable in playing key minutes off the bench. With Bishop in foul trouble early in the second quarter, the 6-foot twins saw plenty of playing time.
“We’ve been telling them (Camilla and Kira) for a little while now that they aren’t freshmen. Tonight they weren’t,” Poisson said. “They were terrific on defense and hit some shots on offense a month ago they wouldn’t have even taken.”
The twins combined for 10 points, but their presence in the middle on defense was invaluable. The Titans (15-10) were held to just two field goals in the fourth quarter when Lakewood outscored Legend 23-11.
Legend seniors Joey Sale (14 points) and Kristen Gallagher (13 points) led the Titans. Legend finished tied for sixth in the Continental League. The Titans used a big third quarter in their playoff opener Tuesday to take a 71-51 victory over Gateway.
Lakewood freshman Camilla Emsbo, right, battles through several hands to grab a rebound during the Class 5A girls basketball second-round playoff game Friday against Legend. The Tigers’ strong fourth quarter helped Lakewood advance to the Sweet 16 with a 67-50 victory. (Dennis Pleuss) Lakewood came in Friday on a 10-game winning streak. The Tigers’ last loss was a 28-point defeat to 5A Jeffco rival Ralston Valley. Lakewood avenged that setback by thrashing Ralston Valley by 29 points in their second conference meeting.
The victory over Ralston Valley allowed the Tigers to repeat as conference champions and grab the higher seed for the state tournament.
No. 3 seed Grandview (20-4) is up next for Lakewood in the Sweet 16. The Wolves and Tigers square off Tuesday, March 3, at Lakewood High School. Grandview defeated Palmer 75-48 on Friday night to advance.
“We’ll get ready to run and jump against the state’s best athlete (Michaela Onyenwere),” Poisson said of Wolves’ sophomore who averages more than 22 points and 10 rebounds per game. “That’s a good team. It’s the state tournament. Everyone is going to get better every round.”
Legend senior Joey Sale (11) and Lakewood freshman Camilla Emsbo (2) both get there hands on the ball during the first half Friday night at Lakewood High School. (Dennis Pleuss) -
State wrestling results: Championship and placing matches
DENVER — Complete results from the championship and placing matches at the 2015 state wrestling tournament at the Pepsi Center.
Find the complete brackets here.
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[toggler title=”120 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Vlad Kazakov Thompson Valley Matthew Lavengood Durango Dec 5-2 Third Leon Sanchez Mesa Ridge Tommy Stager Niwot Dec 5-1 Fifth Noah Montoya Pueblo South Mike McFadden Cheyenne Mountain Dec 10-7 [/toggler]
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[toggler title=”145 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Bronson Spies Conifer Isaac Naro Pueblo South Dec 3-1 Third Brandon Aragon Pueblo Central Matteo Ambriz Windsor Dec 3-2 Fifth Joey Neumann Lewis Palmer Romelo Salas Golden Dec 7-5 [/toggler]
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[toggler title=”106 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Isaiah DeLaCerda Alamosa Jacob Beltran Sterling Dec 5-1 Third Presiliano Maez Sheridan Andrew Godfrey Olathe Dec 2-1 Fifth Luke Anderson Delta Varrion Ciddio Platte Valley MD 8-0 [/toggler]
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[toggler title=”120 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Andrew Jaramillo Platte Valley Matt Bailey Berthoud MD 9-1 Third Brandon Damian Valley Macky Sandoval Brush Dec 4-2 Fifth Homero Navarro Sheridan Jacob Breidenbach Sterling MD 14-1 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”126 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Conrad Cole Brush Michael Johnson Lamar Dec 3-1 Third Zach Damian Valley Ryan Nava Bayfield Dec 5-4 Fifth Dakota Macy Ft. Lupton Andrew Clark Bennett Dec 9-5 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”132 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Sage Budd Mead Ruben Lucero Valley Dec 9-2 Third Tel Kelley Alamosa Christian Guerrero Dolores Huerta Dec 4-0 Fifth Anthony Contreraz Sheridan Kaylen Montoya Lamar MD 13-5 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”138 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Ryan Waite Platte Valley Julian Prieto Holy Family Dec 8-6 Third Jake Schoenfeld Salida Aaron Trujillo Valley Dec 1-0 Fifth Kaleb Hansen Lamar Logan Heusser Strasburg MD 12-3 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”145 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Jimmy Fate Berthoud Joseph Prieto Holy Family Dec 7-3 Third Austin Shank Olathe Colter McMenimen Bayfield Fall 2:40 Fifth Tanner Fetzer Platte Valley Rob Leonard Elizabeth TF-1.5 3:42 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”152 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Joel Contreras Sterling Macoy Flannagan Valley Dec 3-0 Third Rusty Lohr Eaton Zechariah Garcia Ft. Lupton Dec 4-2 Fifth Kolsen Welham Holy Family Daryan Urquhart Delta Fall 2:08 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”160 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Dalton Robertson Weld Central Brendan Gonzales Valley Dec 3-2 Third Alec Petterson Brush Clark Jett Platte Valley Fall 3:42 Fifth Derek Horn Delta Joseph Martinez La Junta Fall 3:35 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”170 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Chad Ellis Berthoud Kory Mills Delta Fall 3:09 Third Julian Gallegos Dolores Huerta David McRee Pagosa Springs Dec 3-2 Fifth Justin Anderson University Alex Rivas Rifle Dec 10-6 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”182 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Seager Oliver Montezuma-Cortez Devin Ward Eagle Valley Dec 4-0 Third Lane Masar Florence Nate Lowe Salida Fall 4:56 Fifth Garret McCullar Platte Valley Daniel Brown Delta MD 16-2 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”195 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Marcus Garcia Dolores Huerta Jose Rodriquez Brush Fall 1:28 Third Chayden Harris Olathe Kyle Hicks Lamar Dec 3-2 Fifth Elijah Roper Erie Juan Gomez Valley Fall 1:54 [/toggler]
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[toggler title=”113 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Jonathan Andreatta John Mall Quinton Montague Centauri TF-1.5 5:14 (15-0) Third Logan Durham Burlington Stocker Robbins Ignacio Dec 3-0 Fifth Sheridan Harvey Meeker Jack Kelly Peyton Fall 2:08 [/toggler]
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[toggler title=”126 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Jesse Reed Paonia Jeremy Fraser Rocky Ford Dec 4-1 Third Case Baughman Dove Creek Jose Duran Monte Vista Dec 8-3 Fifth Drew Corsentino Fowler Jake Rockwell Wray MD 10-0 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”132 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Austin Coy Swink Jake Trujillo Highland Dec 3-2 Third Hayden Harris Norwood/Nucla Daniel Borunda Monte Vista Dec 7-6 Fifth Austin Todd Hotchkiss Austin Batterton Baca County Fall 2:40 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”138 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Bo Pipher Paonia J.D. Chenoweth Baca County Fall 1:43 Third Britton Holmes Peyton Chance Randolph Dove Creek Dec 7-4 Fifth Nick Ortner Holyoke Aiden Dabal Norwood/Nucla Dec 7-3 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”145 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Ryan Nordyke Holly Anthony Watt Meeker Fall 4:49 Third Blake Denton Swink Diego Reyes Rocky Ford Dec 3-2 Fifth Gunnar Chesnik Paonia Malik Johnson Buena Vista Fall 1:55 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”152 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Bryce McCracken Crowley County Casey Turner Meeker Dec 4-1 Third Reagan Lane Eads Jake Shaffer Rye Fall 4:01 Fifth Salomon Chavez Center Iaasic Pena Ignacio Dec 7-0 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”160 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Zach Milner Paonia Tim Armintrout Norwood/Nucla TB-1 3-2 Third Seth Mills Swink Wade Katzdorn Hotchkiss Fall 2:50 Fifth Carlos Magdaleno Rocky Ford Nicholas Vollmer Merino SV-1 3-1 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”170 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title TJ Shelton Meeker Jose Cisneros Centennial Fall 0:50 Third Christopher Martin Centauri Rafe Hutches Baca County Fall 2:21 Fifth Sabyn Diamond Buena Vista Cade Schulz Wray Dec 4-3 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”182 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Keegan Wentz Buena Vista Brandon Anderson SedwickCo/Fleming Dec 2-0 Third Devon Pontine Meeker George Weatherford Center Fall 1:19 Fifth Logan Schopp Paonia Daniel Bustamante Rocky Ford Dec 4-1 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”195 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Jareb Aziz Centauri Blaine Larson Fowler Fall 3:51 Third Kaleb Gaede Limon Jason Murphy John Mall Dec 7-1 Fifth Kaler Ybarra Yuma Cody Terrell Norwood/Nucla Fall 4:18 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”220 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Nate Finnell Rocky Ford Levi Davis SedwickCo/Fleming Dec 4-2 Third Trace Elliott Merino Adrian Cereceres NorthPark Dec 8-7 Fifth Tristen Todd Hotchkiss Luke Korf Yuma MD 8-0 [/toggler]
[toggler title=”285 pounds” state=”close” ]Bout Winner School Opponent School Manner Title Jayden Hilferty Limon Keith Dunnagan Crowley County SV-1 3-1 Third Chase Flynn Stratton Dylan Kelly Ellicott MD 11-0 Fifth Miguel Huerta Wray Greg Garcia Rocky Ford Fall 3:40 [/toggler]
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State basketball brackets out in 5A, 4A girls and boys basketball
Overland and Eaglecrest are both No. 1 seeds in the 5A boys brackets. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com) The brackets for the Class 5A and 4A boys and girls basketball state tournaments were released on Sunday.
Overland, Regis Jesuit, Eaglecrest and ThunderRidge each earned No. 1 seeds in the 5A boys tournament. Each of those teams, save for Eaglecrest, were ranked No. 1 in CHSAANow.com’s poll at some point this season.
No. 2 seeds in 5A boys include Mountain Vista, Legend, Dakota Ridge and Rangeview.
The Continental League, viewed by many as the toughest in the state, ended up with six teams getting first-round byes, including No. 3 seeds Chaparral and Rock Canyon. The other No. 3s are Fort Collins and George Washington.
Also getting byes in the first round were No. 4 seeds Cherokee Trail, Rampart, Grand Junction and Fossil Ridge.
Defending champion Denver East drew a No. 6 seed, and opens at home against No. 11 Fairview.
ThunderRidge is among the No. 1 seeds in 5A girls basketball. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com) On the 5A girls side, Highlands Ranch, Broomfield, ThunderRidge and Monarch earned the No. 1 seeds.
The No. 2s are Cherry Creek, Rampart, Lakewood and Arapahoe.
Also receiving first round byes are No. 3 seeds Grand Junction, Ralston Valley, Grandview and Denver East; as well as No. 4 seeds Legacy, Westminster, Pine Creek and Fossil Ridge.
Two-time defending 5A champion Regis Jesuit is a No. 6 seed, and plays No. 11 Pomona in the first round.
In 4A girls, Canon City, Pueblo West, D’Evelyn and Holy Family were the No. 1 seeds. The No. 2s are Pueblo South, Palisade, Sand Creek and Valor Christian.
Defending champion Mesa Ridge is a No. 5 seed and will play No. 4 Silver Creek to open the tournament.
The 4A boys field is led by No. 1 seeds Longmont, Golden, Holy Family and Denver South.
Valor Christian, Air Academy, Sierra and Pueblo West are No. 2 seeds.
Pueblo East, the defending champion, missed the 4A field.
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State basketball brackets
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4A girls basketball ranking adds three newcomers
There are three new teams in the Class 4A girls basketball rankings this week.
No. 7 Pueblo South, No. 8 Silver Creek and No. 10 Palisade were all unranked a week ago, but garnered enough votes to break into CHSAANow.com’s poll.
All five No. 1 teams stayed the same this week: ThunderRidge (5A), Canon City (4A), Sterling (3A), Peyton (2A) and Kit Carson (1A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. These will be the final polls of the regular season.
Complete rankings are below.
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CHSAANow.com Girls Basketball Polls
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 ThunderRidge (15) 19-2 168 1 2-0 2 Broomfield (2) 19-2 155 2 2-0 3 Highlands Ranch 17-4 132 3 1-0 4 Monarch 19-2 116 4 2-0 5 Grandview 17-4 76 7 3-0 6 Denver East 18-3 65 6 2-0 7 Lakewood 16-5 56 – 2-0 8 Cherry Creek 15-6 40 9 2-0 9 Rampart 16-4 38 8 2-0 10 Ralston Valley 15-6 27 5 1-2 Others receiving votes: Arapahoe 23, Fossil Ridge 20, Grand Junction 10, Castle View 3, Fort Collins 3, Rocky Mountain 2, Loveland 1. Dropped out Grand Junction (10). Class 4A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Canon City (13) 21-0 174 1 2-0 2 Valor Christian (4) 20-2 164 2 3-0 3 Pueblo West (1) 17-4 128 3 2-0 4 Holy Family 17-4 115 4 2-0 5 D’Evelyn 16-5 95 6 2-0 6 Sand Creek 17-3 69 9 3-0 7 Pueblo South 16-5 57 – 3-0 8 Silver Creek 17-4 44 – 2-0 9 Montrose 15-4 37 5 1-1 10 Palisade 18-2 29 – 2-0 Others receiving votes: Evergreen 26, Pueblo East 26, Glenwood Springs 6, Mullen 6, Mesa Ridge 3, Windsor 3, Durango 2, Longmont 2, Weld Central 2, Thomas Jefferson 1, Thompson Valley 1. Dropped out Pueblo East (7), Evergreen (8), Glenwood Springs (10). Class 3A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Sterling (9) 19-0 159 1 2-0 2 Pagosa Springs (7) 17-0 151 2 3-0 3 Lutheran 17-1 136 3 1-0 4 Manitou Springs (1) 16-2 112 5 1-0 5 St. Mary’s 17-1 102 4 1-0 6 Eaton 16-2 82 6 2-0 7 Olathe 16-1 61 7 2-0 8 La Junta 14-4 44 8 2-0 9 Centauri 12-5 22 9 1-1 10 Liberty Common 13-3 17 – 1-0 Others receiving votes: Faith Christian 12, Platte Valley 8, Lamar 7, Machebeuf 7, Kent Denver 5, Colorado Academy 3, The Vanguard 3, Bennett 2, Salida 1, Trinidad 1. Dropped out Platte Valley (10). Class 2A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Peyton (9) 17-0 99 1 2-0 2 Hoehne (1) 18-0 83 3 2-0 3 Akron 16-2 78 5 2-0 4 Caliche 16-1 72 4 2-0 5 Yuma 14-3 65 2 0-1 6 Cedaredge 16-1 51 6 1-0 7 Paonia 14-4 37 7 2-0 8 Meeker 13-4 21 8 3-0 9 Ellicott 13-4 14 9 2-0 10 Highland 14-4 9 – 1-0 Others receiving votes: Sanford 4, Byers 3, Ignacio 3, Clear Creek 2, Del Norte 2, Rye 2, Sargent 2, Soroco 2, Wray 1. Dropped out Del Norte (10). Class 1A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Kit Carson (8) 18-0 98 1 2-0 2 Norwood (2) 15-0 88 2 2-0 3 Sangre De Cristo 15-1 75 3 2-0 4 South Baca 15-2 59 6 2-0 5 Idalia 14-2 58 4 1-0 6 Genoa-Hugo 15-2 46 5 1-1 7 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 15-2 42 8 2-0 8 Briggsdale 13-4 22 9 1-0 9 La Veta 15-3 18 – 3-0 10 Flagler 10-4 10 – 2-0 Others receiving votes: Fleming 9, Eads 7, Jim Elliot 6, Cheraw 5, Shining Mountain 5, Antonito 1, Plateau Valley 1. Dropped out Fleming (7), Prairie (10). -
Dakota Ridge boys hoops bounces back against Lakewood
Lakewood sophomore Kolton Peterson (3) drives on Dakota Ridge senior Cody Pittman (3) during the fourth quarter Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss) LAKEWOOD — The final sprint toward the Class 5A boys basketball Jeffco League title looks to be a photo finish.
The picture got a little clearer Friday night. Dakota Ridge, No. 6 in this week’s 5A boys hoops CHSAANow.com poll, remained atop the conference with a 65-44 victory on the road against the Lakewood Tigers.
Along with dropping their first league go-around with Lakewood, the Eagles (19-2, 10-2 5A Jeffco) were coming off a 10-point loss to Chatfield earlier in the week.
“When we lose we know why we lose. It’s a learning experience,” Dakota Ridge senior Cody Pittman said after scoring a game-high 16 points. “Mainly it’s our defense. We worked on it. We had to get back to who were are, which is defense and transition.”
Dakota Ridge junior Devante Jones (23) looks for an open teammate while guarded by Lakewood senior Louie Schadler during the first quarter Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss) Dakota Ridge’s tenacious defense set the tone early causing eight Lakewood turnovers in the first quarter. Senior Mason Grothuesmann led the way with six points in the opening quarter.
“I thought Mason was awesome with the steals and deflections, especially early on,” Dakota Ridge coach Curi Yutzy said. “It was all about defense. I’m proud of their effort and how they responded here.”
The Eagles took a 28-15 lead going into halftime, but Lakewood was able to hang around just as the Tigers did in their come-from-behind victory on Dakota Ridge’s home court Jan. 26
Lakewood pulled within 10 points at 49-39 with 5:30 left in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Jacob Storey scored four straight points for the Tigers to give a bit of déjà vu feeling.
“This time we took care of the ball and made Lakewood come get us,” Yutzy said of the final five minutes. “We made some free throws and made the plays we needed to make.”
Dakota Ridge went on a 9-0 run in the matter of a minute to push its lead to 62-43 with less than two minutes to play to secure the victory.
The Eagles’ bench played a big role in the victory. Junior Thomas Bravo (10 points) and Jeff Kania (seven points) provided a big lift.
“Our bench really brought the energy today,” Pittman said. “All of them did a great job of stepping up today.”
Grothuesmann finished with 12 points and junior Devante Jones pitched in seven points. Ten Eagles got into the scoring column as they edged closer to their first boys basketball league championship since the 2003-04 season.
“Dakota Ridge knew what we had and great job to Curi (Yutzy) preparing them for this game,” Lakewood coach Daryl Johnson said. “They wanted this game. They wanted us bad.”
Storey (11 points) and fellow sophomore Kolton Peterson (12 points) led the Tigers (9-12, 6-6) in scoring. The young Lakewood squad has proven to be dangerous this season.
“These Lakewood Tigers are like a box of chocolates. You don’t know what you are going to get,” Johnson said. “Our goal was to compete in league and go to the playoffs. That’s what we want.”
Lakewood closes out its regular season with a pair of road games against Arvada West (Wednesday, Feb. 18) and Columbine (Friday, Feb. 20).
A-West got an important 64-55 victory on the road against Chatfield on Friday night. The Wildcats (15-5, 10-2) remain tied with Dakota Ridge for the conference title, but the Eagles hold the tiebreaker defeating A-West in both league meetings.
A few weeks ago Dakota Ridge held a 14-0 record and seemed primed to capture its first boys hoops league title in over a decade. However, losses to Lakewood and Chatfield reeled the Eagles back to the pack.
If Dakota Ridge takes care of business in its final two conference games the league title will become a reality.
“We’ll do our best to enjoy these two (league) games. We aren’t going to put pressure on ourselves to win those games,” Yutzy said. “We are going to enjoy those games and enjoy the time we have with this group. Hopefully we’ll keep getting better.”
Dakota Ridge hosts Bear Creek on Wednesday before traveling to Ralston Valley on Friday to face the Mustangs. Brackets for the 48-team state tournament is slated to be released Sunday, Feb. 22, on CHSAANow.com.
Dakota Ridge senior Jeff Kania (10) dribbles the ball as Lakewood sophomores Dallas Bailey (0) and Tyrone Thompson (10) get back on defense Friday night. Kania scored seven points off the bench for the Eagles in a 65-44 victory. (Dennis Pleuss) -
Lakewood girls hoops avenges loss to Ralston Valley
From left to right, Lakewood’s McKenna Bishop, Hannah Renstrom and Kira Emsbo celebrate after the Tigers’ 63-34 home victory Wednesday against the No. 5 ranked Ralston Valley Mustangs. (Dennis Pleuss) LAKEWOOD — There was a game within a game Wednesday night as the top two girls basketball teams in Class 5A Jeffco League squared off.
Ralston Valley, ranked No. 5 in this week’s 5A CHSAANow.com poll, had a one-game lead in the conference thanks to a 69-41 home victory against Lakewood on Jan. 16. The Tigers knew they needed to turn the tables in a big way on the Mustangs.
They did just that with a 63-34 win.
“We just wanted to win going in,” Lakewood coach Chris Poisson said after a dominating 63-34 victory for the Tigers (15-5, 10-1 5A Jeffco). “When we got the lead to 21 points I figured we might as well go for it. It gave us a boost. It was fun to have that game within a game.”
What Lakewood went for was the target of 29-point victory. The number was significant because the second tiebreaker to go into the 5A state tournament as the top seed out of Jeffco is head-to-head margin of victory. Ralston Valley had an advantage of a 28-point win in its first meeting with Lakewood.
Lakewood junior Mackenzie Forrest (33) drives past Ralston Valley senior Morgan Nishida (3) during the fourth quarter Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss) So if Lakewood and Ralston Valley take care of business in their final three conference games both will be co-champs in the league, but the Tigers will be awarded the higher seed for the state tournament because of the 1-point margin of victory in the two meetings with Ralston Valley (14-6, 10-1).
“It was a bit terrifying, but we all knew this game was coming,” Lakewood junior McKenna Bishop said. “We had to fight. I think we came out and fought pretty well. We beat them by the 29 points we needed.”
Bishop had a very quite night offensively until the end. The junior’s only two field goals of the night came in the final two minutes that pushed Lakewood’s lead to that key 29-point margin.
Ralston Valley attempted to pressure the ball in the final 30 seconds to get the ball back, but the Tigers were able to run out the clock.
“I hope people don’t think we were trying to embarrass (Ralston Valley),” Poisson said. “We were playing for the seed, just like they didn’t embarrass us the first game.”
Lakewood junior Mackenzie Forrest admitted she was extremely upset with her 1-for-15 shooting in the first meeting with Ralston Valley. Forrest more than redeemed herself scoring a game-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers.
“I’ve been really working on my shot. I’ve been at three shooting sessions outside of practice since (loss to Ralston Valley),” Forrest said. “I’ve been working on the line and arc of my shot. It finally paid off in a great game.”
The Tigers led 17-10 at halftime in a defensive struggle. However, Lakewood poured in six 3-pointers during a 27-point third quarter to extend its lead to 44-23 going to the final eight minutes.
“For as bad as we shot when we played Ralston Valley before it was the opposite tonight,” said Poisson of his team that sunk 13 3-pointers on the night. “We were on fire tonight. It all came together. This is what we can do when it all comes together.”
Junior Marisela Perez, Madeline Miller and Anissa Barela were key for the Tigers. Perez and Miller had 11 points each, while Barela added nine points. The trio combined for eight 3-pointers and Perez made three free throws late in the fourth quarter when she was fouled shooting a 3-pointer.
Lakewood junior McKenna Bishop (22) doesn’t hold back her emotion after a 29-point victory Wednesday against Ralston Valley. (Dennis Pleuss) “It didn’t surprise me,” Ralston Valley coach Jeff Gomer said of Lakewood’s hot shooting in the second half. “We didn’t execute very well tonight, especially defensively. Offensively we couldn’t throw it in the ocean.”
Ralston Valley shot just 18 percent from the field. Sophomore Micheala Shaklee came off the bench to lead the Mustangs in scoring with nine points.
Gomer admitted it didn’t look like his team had a lot left in the tank after playing No. 2 Broomfield on Monday night. However, Gomer was optimistic going forward despite the two losses in three days.
“This group has come a long way,” Gomer said. “We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”
Ralston Valley hosts Bear Creek at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, before closing out its regular season with a pair of conference road games. The Mustangs travel to Pomona and Dakota Ridge next week before the 48-team field for the 5A state tournament is released Sunday, Feb. 22.
It’s nearly a lock that either Lakewood or Ralston Valley will claim or share the Class 5A Jeffco League championship for the seventh time over the past eight seasons with three conference games remaining.
“We are playing our best right now going into the tournament. That is of utmost importance,” Poisson said.
Lakewood is back out on the road against Dakota Ridge on Friday. The Tigers host Arvada West on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and closes their regular season at Columbine.
Ralston Valley sophomore Sarah Bevington (33) tries to get a shot over Lakewood junior McKenna Bishop (22) during the first half Wednesday. (Dennis Pleuss)
