CHSAANow

Tag: Montrose

  • Football roundup: Central (G.J.) ends its 21-game losing streak

    It had been more than two seasons since Central (Grand Junction) had won a football game. Friday night, the Warriors ended a 21-game losing streak with a 41-32 win at Vista PEAK in Class 3A.

    The Warriors led 20-8 in the second quarter, but it quickly turned into a back-and-forth game. Vista PEAK took a 32-27 lead in the third quarter, but Tonka Littlefawn scored on a 36-yard run to give Central the lead for good at 34-32 with 9:54 to play in the game.

    Central then sealed it five minutes later when Littlefaw added a 15-yard score to make it 41-32 following a bad snap on a punt.

    Littlefawn finished with three scores. Justin Eller and Kian McAdam also had touchdowns.

    The Warriors’ last win came 46-26 at Hinkley on Nov. 3, 2011. It was on the same field — at Aurora Public Schools Stadium.

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    5A: (8) Regis Jesuit 48, Mullen 40

    Regis Jesuit Mullen football
    More photos. (Mark Adams)

    Regis Jesuit, for the second week in a row, found itself locked in a battle late in the fourth quarter. This time, the result went the Raiders’ way.

    A week after losing 27-14 to No. 2 Cherry Creek, Regis Jesuit had to put away rival Mullen, a team that refused to go away. The game featured seven ties or lead changes.

    Mullen led 21-20 at halftime and 34-27 late in the third quarter, but Regis Jesuit tied it at 34 with less than a minute to play in the third.

    Alex Barnes then scored on a 14-yard run to give Regis the lead at 41-34 with 10 minutes remaining in the game, and the Raiders added another score six minutes later.

    But Mullen wasn’t done. Jovan Tafoya hit Ryan Manning on a 40-yard pass for a touchdown with two minutes to play, and the Mustangs drove down for one final chance in the final minute but couldn’t convert on fourth-and-12 from inside the 20.

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    3A: (9) Roosevelt 20, Loveland 15

    Loveland seemed to have pulled the upset — but Roosevelt scored the winning touchdown with 14 seconds left.

    Loveland led 15-14 at the half, and it stayed that way for nearly the entire second half. But Roosevelt got the ball with 3:18 to play, and slowly marched its way down the field. Then, with 19 seconds left and facing third down and goal at the 1, the Roughriders’ Christian Majzack scored the winning touchdown.

    Adrian Pastrana then had a game-sealing interception on Loveland’s ensuing drive.

    The two teams combined to fumble 15 times, according to the Loveland Reporter-Herald.

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    2A: (5) Florence 13, (2) Faith Christian 7

    This one came down to a goal-line stand at the end. Florence held firm, and held on to win.

    Faith Christian had four shots at the end zone from inside the 10, but Florence didn’t bend. The last stop came with one second remaining.

    “We took a timeout just to regroup them,” Florence coach Jeremy Nix told ColoradoPreps.com‘s Scoreboard Show. “The boys … just bowed their necks and got after it. We rode the ‘D’ that far, so we were at the point where we could’ve called a timeout to try to save some time, but we had confidence in them and they showed up at the end there.”

    3A: (6) Discovery Canyon 44, (4) Holy Family 28

    Holy Family Discovery Canyon football
    More photos. (Pam Wagner)

    Discovery Canyon rallied from a 20-17 deficit at halftime to pull off the upset on the road.

    “Tonight was a little bit of a heart-attack game,” Discovery Canyon coach Shawn Mitchell told the Scoreboard Show afterward.

    The Thunder actually led 14-0 early before surrendering the lead in the second quarter. But they then reeled off 28-straight points in the third quarter to seize control of the game.

    “It was a little bit of a roller-coaster ride for the coaches, to say the least,” Mitchell said.

    The third quarter scoring spree was sparked by Blake Lawrie’s touchdown return on the opening kick of the second half.

    “Boy, that really helped us,” Mitchell said. “That kind of got spirits back up again, because I think at the end of the second half, they were wondering, ‘Oh, what just happened?’ I think it was, ‘OK, we’re back where we need to be.’”

    It was the second-consecutive big win for Discovery Canyon, which beat Silver Creek in Week 1.

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    8-man: (9) Springfield 36, (4) Hoehne 6

    Springfield pulled off the upset at home.

    “Both of us grounded and pounded against each other, just kept hitting and hitting and we knew one of us was going to wear out,” coach J.J. Quick told the Scoreboard Show after the game. “We knew our game was to do what they normally do: just keep pounding and banging up front.”

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    Notables

    • Cedaredge upset 2A No. 10 Olathe on Friday night. The final was 2-0, and no it wasn’t a forfeit. Weather played a role, with the lone points coming on a safety from a snap through the endzone.
    • Rifle, No. 5 in Class 3A, beat Jefferson 64-6. The Bears have outscored their first three opponents by a combined 182-19.
    • Lakewood, a 5A team, knocked of 4A No. 2 Montrose 47-35 on the road. Montrose kept trying to creep back into the game, but Lakewood seemingly scored a touchdown to answer each score. We’ve got photos of the game here.
    • Fountain-Fort Carson beat Legacy in overtime, 20-14.
    • Durango trailed 14-0 but then scored 34 unanswered points en route to beating Aztec (N.M.) 34-28 on the road.
    • Montrose and Grand Junction exchanged leads five times before the half on Friday night. The Tigers trailed 22-20 at the break, but would go up 50-22 with 10:42 to play. They’d have to hold on, though, in winning 58-45. At one point, Fruita cut it to 50-45 with 2:25 to play.
    • Aspen running back Ryan Fitzgerald had 343 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries in his team’s 23-14 win over Steamboat Springs.
    • In 8-man, No. 6 Merino beat No. 5 Simla 18-16.
    • Alameda edged Skyview in overtime, 56-55. Nick Wotton had five touchdowns and 297 yards in the losing effort.
    • 2A No. 8 Lamar beat 1A No. 2 Centauri, 20-8.
    • Valley’s Victor Delgado rushed for three touchdowns as his team beat Fort Lupton 31-0.
    • Rocky Mountain Lutheran’s Zach Schlittenhart had 231 yards and four touchdowns rushing on just 11 carries as his team beat Justice 64-28.
    • Lutheran beat Frederick 52-7. Quarterback James Willis threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Eight of his passes went to Joshua Clausen, who had 157 yards and two touchdowns. Through two games, Clausen has 376 receiving yards. It’s very early, but he’s on pace to break the single-season receiving yardage record, set just last season by Fairview’s Sam Martin (1,860).

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    More coverage

  • Photos: Lakewood football knocks off No. 2 Montrose in 5A-4A matchup

    MONTROSE — Lakewood upset 4A No. 2 Montrose 47-35 on Friday night.

  • Top-10 football schedule and scoreboard for Week 2 games

    (Photo: District 49)
    (Photo: District 49)

    A complete schedule and scoreboard for football’s top-10 teams during Week 2.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    1 Valor Christian 3-0
    Fri: W 31-14 vs. East (Utah)
    2 Cherry Creek 1-1
    Fri: L 30-28 vs. (4) Pomona
    3 Cherokee Trail 2-0
    Sat: W 46-12 at Denver East
    4 Pomona 1-1
    Fri: W 30-28 at (2) Cherry Creek
    5 Grandview 2-0
    Thurs: W 42-0 at Gateway
    6 Chatfield 1-1
    Thurs: L 42-40 at Horizon
    7 Fairview 2-0
    Sat: W 41-10 at Boulder
    8 Regis Jesuit 1-1
    Fri: W 48-40 at Mullen
    9 Ralston Valley 2-0
    Fri: W 38-0 vs. ThunderRidge
    10 Overland 3-0
    Thurs: W 47-14 vs. Rangeview

    Class 4A
    1 Pine Creek 2-0
    Off this week.
    2 Montrose 2-1
    Fri: L 47-35 vs. Lakewood
    3 Pueblo South 2-0
    Fri: W 34-20 vs. (3A 3) Pueblo East
    4 Denver South 2-0
    Sat: W 49-14 vs. Warriors (Montbello)
    5 Wheat Ridge 2-0
    Off this week.
    6 Dakota Ridge 2-0
    Fri: W 42-22 vs. Silver Creek
    7 Windsor 2-0
    Fri: W 24-7 vs. Broomfield
    8 Vista Ridge 2-0
    Fri: W 34-14 at Pueblo West
    9 Falcon 0-2
    Thurs: L 42-14 at Longmont
    10 Fort Collins 2-0
    Fri: W 23-10 at Fossil Ridge

    Class 3A
    1 Lutheran 2-0
    Fri: W 52-7 at Frederick
    2 Delta 2-1
    Fri: W 54-19 at Pagosa Springs
    3 Pueblo East 2-1
    Fri: L 34-20 at (4A 3) Pueblo South
    4 Holy Family 1-1
    Fri: L 44-28 vs. (6) Discovery Canyon
    5 Rifle 3-0
    Fri: W 64-6 at Jefferson
    6 Discovery Canyon 2-0
    Fri: W 44-28 at (4) Holy Family
    7 Palisade 2-0
    Sat: W 17-14 vs. Pueblo Central
    8 Evergreen 2-0
    Sat: W 39-22 at Northridge
    9 Roosevelt 2-1
    Fri: W 20-15 vs. Loveland
    10 D’Evelyn 1-1
    Fri: L 48-0 at Greeley West

    Class 2A
    1 Brush 2-0
    Fri: W 54-0 vs. Weld Central
    2 Faith Christian 1-1
    Fri: L 13-7 vs. (5) Florence
    3 Kent Denver 2-0
    Thurs: W 42-0 at Englewood
    4 Strasburg 2-0
    Fri: W 28-7 vs. Sterling
    5 Florence 2-0
    Fri: W 13-7 at (2) Faith Christian
    6 Platte Valley 2-1
    Fri: W 36-7 at Bennett
    7 Manitou Springs 1-1
    Fri: W 34-20 at Woodland Park
    8 Lamar 2-0
    Fri: W 20-8 vs. (1A 2) Centauri
    9 Eaton 2-0
    Fri: W 54-7 at Holyoke
    10 Olathe 1-1
    Fri: L 2-0 at Cedaredge

    Class 1A
    1 Paonia 2-0
    Fri: W 47-14 at Ignacio
    2 Centauri 1-1
    Fri: L 20-8 at (2A 8) Lamar
    3 Buena Vista 2-0
    Fri: W 27-0 at Hotchkiss
    4 Limon 2-0
    Fri: W 42-0 vs. John Mall
    5 Resurrection Christian 2-1
    Fri: W 38-3 at (10) Yuma
    6 Monte Vista 0-2
    Fri: L 48-14 vs. Gunnison
    7 Meeker 3-0
    Fri: W 53-6 at Coal Ridge
    8 Burlington 1-1
    Sat: W 35-26 at Front Range Christian
    9 Wray 1-1
    Fri: L 52-28 at Goodland (Kan.)
    10 Yuma 0-2
    Fri: L 38-3 vs. (5) Resurrection Christian

    Class 8-man
    1 Dayspring Christian 2-0
    Sat: W 54-0 at Hayden
    2 Norwood 3-0
    Sat: W 41-0 at Del Norte
    3 Caliche 2-0
    Sat: W 48-0 at Sargent
    4 Hoehne 1-1
    Fri: L 36-6 at (9) Springfield
    5 Simla 1-1
    Fri: L 18-16 at (6) Merino
    6 Merino 2-0
    Fri: W 18-16 vs. (5) Simla
    7 Sanford 2-1
    Fri: L 58-36 at Granada
    8 Akron 2-0
    Fri: W 54-6 at Fowler
    9 Springfield 3-0
    Fri: W 36-6 vs. (4) Hoehne
    10 Sedgwick County 2-0
    Fri: W 83-33 at Paxton (Neb.)

    Class 6-man
    1 Stratton/Liberty 2-0
    Fri: W 53-0 at Bethune
    2 Arickaree/Woodlin 2-0
    Fri: W 38-12 at (7) Pawnee
    3 Eads 2-0
    Fri: W 54-12 vs. Hi-Plains
    4 Fleming 2-0
    Fri: W 70-24 at Idalia
    5 Peetz 1-1
    Fri: W 72-31 at North Park
    6 Prairie 2-0
    Fri: W 36-25 vs. Weldon Valley
    7 Pawnee 1-0
    Fri: L 38-12 vs. (2) Arickaree/Woodlin
    8 Walsh 2-0
    Sat: W 63-0 at Aguilar
    9 Kit Carson 2-0
    Fri: W 59-38 at Cheraw
    10 Cotopaxi 2-0
    Fri: W 28-12 vs. La Veta

  • Pueblo East, Wheat Ridge, Discovery Canyon make big moves in football rankings

    There were a number of major movers as CHSAANow released the first football rankings of the regular season on Monday.

    New Wheat Ridge football coach Dan Reardon. (Tracy Renck)
    New Wheat Ridge football coach Dan Reardon. (Tracy Renck)

    Pueblo East (Class 3A), Discovery Canyon (3A), and Wheat Ridge (4A) all made big jumps after being unranked in the preseason.

    Pueblo East had the biggest climb, and wound up at No. 3 in the 3A poll after winning its first two games. The Eagles beat Longmont, No. 4 in the preseason 4A poll, in Zero Week, then topped Coronado, the defending 3A champion which has since moved up to 4A, in Week 1.

    Discovery Canyon is No. 6 in 3A this week. Last Thursday, the Thunder beat Silver Creek, the 3A runner-up a season ago which has also moved up to 4A.

    And Wheat Ridge, also off to a 2-0 start under new coach Dan Reardon in 4A, has won its games by a combined 91-0. The Farmers are No. 5 in this week’s 4A poll.

    In total, those moves were just a microcosm of the new rankings, which saw massive change. All seven polls got at least one new team, with 4A and 6-man getting four new members, and 3A adding three.

    There’s also a new No. 1 team in 2A, where Brush takes over for Platte Valley.

    The least amount of change occurred in 5A, where Valor Christian continues its stranglehold on the No. 1 spot following its physical win over Pomona. The Eagles received all 13 first-place votes.

    Teams Nos. 2-4 stayed the same behind them: Cherry Creek (which beat Regis Jesuit), Cherokee Trail and Pomona. Grandview joined the top five this week, bumping up three places from its preseason No. 8 spot.

    (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
    More photos. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)

    Chatfield remained at No. 6, Fairview moved up three spots to No. 7, Regis Jesuit fell to No. 8 and Ralston Valley remained at No. 9.

    The lone newcomer in 5A is Overland, which joined at No. 10.

    In addition to Wheat Ridge in 4A, new teams include No. 8 Vista Ridge, No. 9 Falcon and No. 10 Fort Collins. Pine Creek remained atop that poll following its escape of Falcon’s upset bid.

    Besides Pueblo East and Discovery Canyon, D’Evelyn also joined the 3A ranking. Lutheran stayed atop that poll after its overtime win in Texas last week.

    2A added No. 9 Eaton, while 1A added No. 7 Meeker. Paonia is still No. 1 in 1A.

    The 8-man ranking added No. 8 Akron and No. 9 Springfield. Dayspring Christian continues to lead that pack.

    Finally, 6-man added No. 6 Prairie, No. 7 Pawnee, No. 8 Walsh and No. 10 Cotopaxi. Stratton/Liberty remained in the top spot.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, polls will be released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding, except in 5A where they are used as part of the seeding criteria.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Valor Christian (13) 2-0 130 1
    2 Cherry Creek 1-0 115 2
    3 Cherokee Trail 1-0 98 3
    4 Pomona 0-1 73 4
    5 Grandview 1-0 62 8
    6 Chatfield 1-0 54 6
    7 Fairview 1-0 51 10
    8 Regis Jesuit 0-1 44 7
    9 Ralston Valley 1-0 41 9
    10 Overland 2-0 16 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Lakewood 8, ThunderRidge 7, Columbine 5, Monarch 5, Mullen 4, Doherty 1, Legacy 1.
    Dropped out
    Columbine (5).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Pine Creek (11) 2-0 119 1
    2 Montrose (1) 2-0 108 2
    3 Pueblo South 1-0 92 3
    4 Denver South 1-0 76 5
    5 Wheat Ridge 2-0 49 –
    6 Dakota Ridge 1-0 46 8
    7 Windsor 1-0 42 10
    8 Vista Ridge 1-0 34 –
    9 Falcon 0-1 28 –
    10 Fort Collins 1-0 15 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Longmont 13, Broomfield 11, Loveland 9, Pueblo West 9, Pueblo Centennial 3, Coronado 2, Palmer Ridge 2, Greeley West 1, Liberty 1.
    Dropped out
    Longmont (4), Broomfield (6), Standley Lake (7), Pueblo Centennial (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Lutheran (5) 1-0 86 1
    2 Delta (1) 1-1 84 2
    3 Pueblo East (3) 2-0 70 –
    4 Holy Family (1) 1-0 54 3
    5 Rifle 2-0 52 4
    6 Discovery Canyon 1-0 44 –
    7 Palisade 1-0 39 8
    8 Evergreen 1-0 28 6
    9 Roosevelt 1-1 25 5
    10 D’Evelyn 1-0 12 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Erie 11, The Classical Academy 10, Canon City 9, Eagle Valley 8, Conifer 7, Sierra 5, Frederick 4, Berthoud 1, Pueblo County 1.
    Dropped out
    The Classical Academy (7), Lewis-Palmer (9), Vista PEAK (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Brush (6) 1-0 87 3
    2 Faith Christian (3) 1-0 82 2
    3 Kent Denver 1-0 64 5
    4 Strasburg 1-0 59 7
    5 Florence 1-0 43 6
    6 Platte Valley 1-1 39 1
    7 Manitou Springs 0-1 35 4
    8 Lamar 1-0 34 9
    9 Eaton 1-0 18 –
    10 Olathe 1-0 17 10
    Others receiving votes:
    Montezuma-Cortez 6, Bayfield 3, Gunnison 2, La Junta 2, St. Mary’s 2, Aspen 1, Sheridan 1, The Academy 1.
    Dropped out
    Bennett (8).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Paonia (7) 1-0 95 1
    2 Centauri (1) 1-0 83 2
    3 Buena Vista (2) 1-0 79 4
    4 Limon 1-0 69 3
    5 Resurrection Christian 1-1 47 5
    6 Monte Vista 0-1 44 7
    7 Meeker 2-0 32 –
    8 Burlington 0-1 25 6
    9 Wray 1-0 15 9
    10 Yuma 0-1 11 8
    Others receiving votes:
    Crowley County 10, Wiggins 9, Cedaredge 8, Rye 4, Ellicott 3, Hotchkiss 3, Colorado Springs Christian 2, Byers 1, Holyoke 1.
    Dropped out
    Cedaredge (10).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Dayspring Christian (4) 1-0 58 1
    2 Norwood (2) 2-0 56 2
    3 Caliche 1-0 48 3
    4 Hoehne 1-0 40 4
    5 Simla 1-0 36 5
    6 Merino 1-0 32 7
    7 Sanford 2-0 18 8
    8 Akron 1-0 17 –
    9 Springfield 2-0 13 –
    10 Sedgwick County 1-0 7 9
    Others receiving votes:
    McClave 2, Rangely 2, Sargent 1.
    Dropped out
    Sargent (6), Dove Creek (10).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Stratton/Liberty (5) 1-0 50 1
    2 Arickaree/Woodlin 1-0 43 3
    3 Eads 1-0 36 2
    4 Fleming 1-0 28 7
    5 Peetz 0-1 23 4
    6 Prairie 1-0 20 –
    7 Pawnee 1-0 16 –
    8 Walsh 1-0 14 –
    9 Kit Carson 1-0 11 10
    10 Cotopaxi 1-0 9 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Flagler 8, Otis 6, Briggsdale 5, Miami-Yoder 2, Weldon Valley 2, Hanover 1, Idalia 1, .
    Dropped out
    Hi-Plains (5), Briggsdale (6), Idalia (8), Otis (9).

  • Chaparral, Regis Jesuit among newcomers to volleyball rankings

    Chaparral Dakota Ridge volleyball
    Chaparral is No. 5 in this week’s 5A volleyball poll. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    Chaparral and Regis Jesuit both joined this week’s CHSAANow.com volleyball ranking in Class 5A.

    Both teams were unranked in the preseason. Chaparral joined the poll at No. 5 after going 4-1 over the first two weeks of the season. Regis Jesuit, meanwhile, is No. 10 after going 3-2.

    Rampart remained atop the 5A ranking. In fact, the only No. 1 team to change this week was in 3A, where Eaton takes over for Manitou Springs. Lewis Palmer (4A), Resurrection Christian (2A) and Fleming (1A) all held firm in their respective top spots.

    Mullen (No. 9) was the lone newcomer in 4A, while Gunnison (No. 10) joined 3A. The 2A poll added Swink (No. 6) and Hoehne (No. 9). Cheraw joined 1A at No. 10.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, polls will be released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Rampart (7) 1-0 94 1
    2 Grandview (1) 1-0 87 4
    3 Fossil Ridge (1) 1-0 75 3
    4 Cherry Creek 1-0 68 5
    5 Chaparral (1) 4-1 53 –
    6 Cherokee Trail 0-1 45 2
    7 Pine Creek 1-0 41 6
    8 Arapahoe 4-1 30 9
    9 Eaglecrest 0-1 23 7
    10 Regis Jesuit 3-2 10 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Rock Canyon 9, Castle View 6, Highlands Ranch 6, Monarch 5, Legend 3, Mountain Vista 3, Douglas County 2, Lakewood 1.
    Dropped out
    Legend (8), Mountain Vista (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Lewis-Palmer (9) 1-0 90 1
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 1-0 74 4
    3 Ponderosa 0-0 66 2
    4 Air Academy 0-1 55 3
    5 Elizabeth 0-0 39 5
    6 Pueblo West 0-1 37 8
    7 Montrose 1-0 35 7
    8 Longmont 0-0 32 6
    9 Mullen 2-0 19 –
    10 Valor Christian 1-1 16 9
    Others receiving votes:
    Thomas Jefferson 10, Windsor 10, Roosevelt 5, Steamboat Springs 3, Woodland Park 3, Holy Family 2, Niwot 2.
    Dropped out
    Thomas Jefferson (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Eaton (7) 2-0 97 2
    2 Manitou Springs (3) 0-0 89 1
    3 Valley 3-0 80 4
    4 Platte Valley 2-0 62 5
    5 Bayfield 1-1 61 3
    6 University 0-1 36 6
    7 Sterling 1-2 26 7
    8 Lutheran 2-4 21 8
    9 Colorado Springs Christian 0-0 16 10
    10 Gunnison 0-1 12 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Pagosa Springs 10, Coal Ridge 9, St. Mary’s 8, Machebeuf 6, Lamar 5, Faith Christian 4, Frontier Academy 4, Centaurus 1, Grand Valley 1, Olathe 1, The Academy 1.
    Dropped out
    St. Mary’s (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Resurrection Christian (3) 1-0 48 1
    2 Lyons 1-0 40 2
    3 Yuma 1-0 35 7
    4 Akron 2-1 33 3
    5 Caliche 2-0 32 8
    6 Swink (2) 4-0 28 –
    7 Fowler 2-1 17 4
    8 Paonia 0-0 15 9
    9 Hoehne 3-0 8 –
    10 Dayspring Christian 0-0 6 10
    Others receiving votes:
    Ridgway 5, Rye 4, Meeker 3, Vail Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Meeker (5), Ridgway (6).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Fleming (4) 1-0 49 1
    2 Otis 1-0 44 3
    3 Sangre de Cristo (1) 0-0 41 2
    4 Idalia 1-0 36 4
    5 Eads 1-1 28 5
    6 Flagler 2-0 25 6
    7 Kit Carson 2-0 17 7
    8 Hi-Plains 0-1 13 8
    9 Weldon Valley 1-1 11 9
    10 Cheraw 1-0 5 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Liberty/Stratton 3, Edison 2, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 1.
    Dropped out
    Edison (10).

  • Football roundup: Lutheran pulls off overtime win in Texas

    (Courtesy of Lutheran athletics)
    Lutheran and Lutheran South Academy meet at midfield after their game on Friday night. (Courtesy of Lutheran athletics)

    Lutheran was destined to win its football game on Friday night.

    Consider that while on the road in Texas, the Lions saw a 21-point lead erased; surrendered an onside kick in a tie game with less than three minutes to play; faced fourth down in overtime; and — finally — had to stop a two-point conversion attempt later in that overtime.

    Despite it all, Lutheran, ranked No. 1 in the Class 3A poll, topped Lutheran South Academy of Houston 56-55 on Friday. It gave new coach Blair Hubbard a win in his debut.

    What follows is an account relayed by the Lions’ official Twitter account.

    Lutheran lead 35-21 at halftime and seemed to be in relative control. The lead extended to 42-21 early in the third quarter, but then things got crazy.

    Lutheran South Academy scored 21 unanswered points, the final touchdown coming with 48 seconds to play in the third quarter. Lutheran retook the lead at 49-42 in the fourth quarter, but Lutheran South answered with 2:58 remaining. It followed the score up with an onside kick, and recovered.

    But Lutheran’s defense forced a punt, and it’s offense drove down to Lutheran South’s 35-yard-line before regulation eventually expired.

    In overtime — unlike Colorado, Texas starts teams at the 25-yard-line — Lutheran had possession first but soon faced 4th-and-9. That’s when quarterback James Willis hit Joshua Clausen for a first down at the 10. Three plays later, Willis had a 3-yard score on the ground.

    It was 56-49. But not for long. Lutheran South quickly scored a touchdown of its own and called timeout. Out of the break, Lutheran South went for two but was turned away.

    Clausen had a monster game with 214 receiving yards and a score, and running back Jamil Bond had four rushing scores and 184 yards. Willis threw for 238 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for the winning score.

    [divider]

    Adams City 21, Thornton 8

    Friday’s victory marked the first time since 2008 that Adams City had won a football game on the field.

    The Eagles had lost 58-consecutive games on the field, though their loss to Niwot to open the 2011 season was later forfeit. In fact, dating to the 2006 season, Adams City was 4-96 heading into 2014.

    Adams City made the move to Class 4A this season after years of playing in 5A.

    Friday was also the first time since 2005 that the Eagles had won their opening game of the season. That year, they went 6-5.

    [divider]

    4A: (1) Pine Creek 34, Falcon 28 (OT)

    (Photo: District 49)
    (Photo: District 49)

    All night, this game had the state buzzing: Is Falcon going to knock off the top-ranked and defending champion Eagles to start the season?

    Well … no.

    Falcon led 14-6 at halftime, 21-14 in the third quarter and 28-20 late in the fourth. But Pine Creek rallied to score a touchdown and convert for two with 1:02 to play in regulation.

    The Eagles then stopped Falcon’s offense on its possession in overtime, and scored on its own possession a short while later.

    [divider]

    2A: (7) Strasburg 26, (1) Platte Valley 22

    While the defending 4A champ might not have been toppled on Friday, the 2A champ was — on the road, no less.

    Like many games across the state on Friday, the teams endured a lightning delay. And Strasburg coach Jeff Giger said it may have helped, especially with his team trailing by 10 at the time.

    “We were able to regroup,” he told ColoradoPreps.com’s Scoreboard Show. “I thought the kids just battled through it. I can’t say enough about them. They worked so hard to put themselves in this position.”

    Giger added that the win may be a springboard, of sorts.

    “We’ve got to take it in stride, it is a season-opener, but at the same time, playing in the Patriot League as long as we did, we’ve never beaten those guys. So for the kids to get out there and do that, I think it just helps confidence. We think we have a pretty good team this year, and it’s a huge stepping stone for us starting off the season.”

    [divider]

    4A-3A: (2) Montrose 28, (2) Delta 21

    Montrose picked up yet another big win to start the season. A week after beating rival Grand Junction, the Indians had to rally and beat Delta.

    “Delta’s a heck of a team, so I was happy to get out of there with a win,” Montrose coach Todd Casebier told the Scoreboard Show.

    Delta hung tough most of the game, thanks to its offense. So Montrose’s D stepped up.

    “Our defense has got to carry us sometimes, and they did tonight in the second half,” Casebier said.

    [divider]

    1A: (1) Paonia 20, (7) Monte Vista 14

    The defending 1A champion had a tough matchup to start the season, but prevailed.

    “It was a fun game,” Paonia coach Brent McRae told the Scoreboard Show. “They played a heck of a ballgame. Our kids fought, their kids fought. … It was a fun night.”

    [divider]

    5A: (3) Cherokee Trail 35, ThunderRidge 7

    Izaiah Lottie rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns, Quincy Voss had 102 and a score and Cherokee Trail cruised to a win.

    Quarterback Connor Nantkes also threw a touchdown for the Cougars, who led 21-7 at halftime.

    Zeke Johnson had 83 rushing yards in the loss for ThunderRidge. Quarterback Tristan Eve hit Alex O’Reilly on a 39-yard touchdown.

    [divider]

    Notes

    • Rocky Mountain kicker Alex Kinney had a 56-yard field goal in his team’s 34-7 win over Brighton. Kinney is a CU recruit.
    • Fossil Ridge beat Boulder 24-14 tonight, and it was apparently the first time in school history that the team had won its opener.
    • Another long winless streak came to an end on Friday night. Battle Mountain, coming off of consecutive 0-10 seasons, beat Middle Park 58-0 to capture its first game since Nov. 4, 2011. The losing streak spanned 21 games.
    • Dakota Ridge beat Taravella (Fla.) 26-3, but the two teams didn’t finish their game until close to 2 a.m. in Florida because of a late kick caused by a lightning delay in an earlier game. They actually didn’t kick off until 11:20 p.m. local time. The win improved Colorado teams to 10-4 against out-of-state competition, including a 6-1 mark on Friday. They are 10-3 on the road.
    • Legacy won the Mayor’s Cup by virtue of a 21-6 win over Broomfield.
    • Can’t wait to see this boxscore: Holy Family 66, Mountain View 47. Still, the combined 113 points doesn’t even crack the top-10 all time. The record is held by Hugo and Vona (mostly Hugo, though) at 182 points. Hugo beat Vona 176-6 in 1930.

    [divider]

    Other coverage

  • Top-10 football schedule and scoreboard for Week 1 games

    A complete schedule and scoreboard for football’s top-10 teams during Zero Week.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    1 Valor Christian 2-0
    Thurs: W 21-12 at (4) Pomona
    2 Cherry Creek 1-0
    Fri: W 27-14 at (7) Regis Jesuit
    3 Cherokee Trail 1-0
    Fri: W 35-7 vs. ThunderRidge
    4 Pomona 0-1
    Thurs: L 21-12 vs. (1) Valor Christian
    5 Columbine 0-2
    Thurs: L 40-35 at Melborne Central Catholic (Fla.)
    6 Chatfield 1-0
    Off this week.
    7 Regis Jesuit 0-1
    Fri: L 27-14 vs. (2) Cherry Creek
    8 Grandview 1-0
    Thurs: W 46-13 vs. Chaparral
    9 Ralston Valley 1-0
    Thurs: W 47-24 at La Serna (Calif.)
    10 Fairview 1-0
    Sat: W 58-28 at Grand Junction

    Class 4A
    1 Pine Creek 2-0
    Fri: W 34-28 at Falcon (OT)
    2 Montrose 2-0
    Fri: W 28-21 at (3A 2) Delta
    3 Pueblo South 1-0
    Fri: W 35-0 vs. Ponderosa
    4 Longmont 0-1
    Off this week.
    5 Denver South 1-0
    Sat: W 44-15 at Loveland
    6 Broomfield 0-1
    Fri: L 21-6 vs. Legacy
    7 Standley Lake 0-1
    Fri: L 20-0 at Pueblo Central
    8 Dakota Ridge 1-0
    Fri: W 26-3 at Taravella (Fla.)
    9 Pueblo Centennial 1-1
    Fri: W 38-31 at Highlands Ranch
    10 Windsor 1-0
    Fri: W 24-7 vs. (3A 5) Roosevelt

    Class 3A
    1 Lutheran 1-0
    Fri: W 56-55 at Lutheran South Academy (Tex.) (OT)
    2 Delta 1-1
    Fri: L 28-21 vs. (4A 2) Montrose
    3 Holy Family 1-0
    Fri: W 66-47 at Mountain View
    4 Rifle 2-0
    Fri: W 56-6 at Grand County (Utah)
    5 Roosevelt 1-1
    Fri: L 24-7 at (4A 10) Windsor
    6 Evergreen 1-0
    Fri: W 38-0 vs. (9) Lewis-Palmer
    7 The Classical Academy 0-2
    Fri: L 36-14 vs. (8) Palisade
    8 Palisade 1-0
    Fri: W 36-14 at (7) The Classical Academy
    9 Lewis-Palmer 0-1
    Fri: L 38-0 at (6) Evergreen
    10 Vista PEAK 0-1
    Fri: L 41-21 at Eagle Valley

    Class 2A
    1 Platte Valley 1-1
    Fri: L 26-22 vs. (7) Strasburg
    2 Faith Christian 1-0
    Fri: W 18-15 at (4) Manitou Springs
    3 Brush 1-0
    Fri: W 35-3 vs. Fort Morgan
    4 Manitou Springs 0-1
    Fri: L 18-15 vs. (2) Faith Christian
    5 Kent Denver 1-0
    Sat: W 39-12 at Gunnison
    6 Florence 1-0
    Fri: W 34-21 at Harrison
    7 Strasburg 1-0
    Fri: W 26-22 at (1) Platte Valley
    8 Bennett 0-1
    Fri: L 48-6 at Eaton
    9 Lamar 1-0
    Fri: W 27-6 at (1A 6) Burlington
    10 Olathe 1-0
    Fri: W 21-13 vs. Hotchkiss

    Class 1A
    1 Paonia 1-0
    Fri: W 20-14 vs. (7) Monte Vista
    2 Centauri 1-0
    Fri: W 8-0 at Pagosa Springs
    3 Limon 1-0
    Fri: W 41-20 vs. (8) Yuma
    4 Buena Vista 1-0
    Fri: W 40-12 vs. Alamosa
    5 Resurrection Christian 1-1
    Fri: W 57-6 vs. Highland
    6 Burlington 0-1
    Fri: L 27-6 vs. (2A 9) Lamar
    7 Monte Vista 0-1
    Fri: L 20- 14 at (1) Paonia
    8 Yuma 0-1
    Fri: L 41-20 at (3) Limon
    9 Wray 1-0
    Fri: W 21-6 vs. Cornerstone Christian
    10 Cedaredge 1-0
    Fri: W 17-10 at Basalt

    Class 8-man
    1 Dayspring Christian 1-0
    Sat: W 44-0 vs. Custer County
    2 Norwood 2-0
    Fri: W 47-0 at (10) Dove Creek
    3 Caliche 1-0
    Fri: W 49-6 vs. Kiowa
    4 Hoehne 1-0
    Sat: W 52-34 vs. McClave
    5 Simla 1-0
    Fri: W 44-6 vs. Haxtun
    6 Sargent 0-1
    Off this week.
    7 Merino 1-0
    Sat: W 59-6 vs. Hayden
    8 Sanford 2-0
    Fri: W 62-16 vs. Soroco
    9 Sedgwick County 0-0
    Fri: vs. Creek Valley
    10 Dove Creek 0-1
    Fri: L 47-0 vs. (2) Norwood

    Class 6-man
    1 Stratton/Liberty 1-0
    Fri: W 59-24 at (8) Idalia
    2 Eads 1-0
    Fri: W 68-13 vs. Manzanola
    3 Arickaree/Woodlin 1-0
    Fri: W 69-46 vs. (4) Peetz
    4 Peetz 0-1
    Fri: L 69-46 at (3) Arickaree/Woodlin
    5 Hi-Plains 0-1
    Fri: L 59-54 at Flagler
    6 Briggsdale 0-1
    Fri: L 50-0 at Pawnee
    7 Fleming 1-0
    Sat: W 56-14 vs. North Park
    8 Idalia 0-1
    Fri: L 59-24 vs. (1) Stratton/Liberty
    9 Otis 0-1
    Fri: L 48-28 at Prairie
    10 Kit Carson 1-0
    Fri: W 64-20 at Genoa-Hugo/Karval

  • No. 2 Montrose rolls over Grand Junction in rivalry football game

    Montrose quarterback Kameron DeVincentis passes to Nick Foster for a 27-yard touchdown. (Tom Hoganson)
    Montrose quarterback Kameron DeVincentis passes to Nick Foster for a 27-yard touchdown. (Tom Hoganson)

    MONTROSE — These guys weren’t satisfied. That was the reason for the onside kick late in the first quarter.

    Yes, there is that whole matter of unfinished business — Montrose lost to Pine Creek in last year’s Class 4A championship game — but the Indians really wanted this one against 5A rival Grand Junction. Badly.

    “We just like to beat Junction,” said quarterback Kameron DeVincentis, a senior.

    And Friday night, during the season-opening Zero Week, they did. The final was 41-15, but Montrose led 30-0 at halftime and controlled the night.

    It was an early meeting for the rivals, who were league foes up until this season when both joined new divisions across the mountains. Traditionally, this game has been a tossup. From 2004-13, the two teams went 5-5 against one another.

    Friday night, though, belonged to Montrose.

    The onside kick came with the Indians leading 16-0 as 59 seconds remained in the first quarter. It led to another score, a 23-0 lead, and the end result looked to be demoralizing for Grand Junction.

    “We’ve been practicing — it’s been three weeks now: two-a-days and three-a-days,” said Montrose senior Mike Rocha, a standout at fullback who had three touchdowns and nearly 200 yards on 30 carries Friday night.

    “We’ve been going full-pad practice in the morning before school, after school,” he continued. “We definitely prepared for this one. We came out and threw up a great result. … We expected a dog fight, but we just kept rolling.”

    Yes, it’s Zero Week. Yes, it’s one game. Yes, much can change. But hovering over the field Friday night was the feeling that Montrose is again destined to be playing at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on a late November day.

    Montrose's Cayden James makes a tackle. (Tom Hoganson)
    Montrose’s Cayden James makes a tackle. (Tom Hoganson)

    Hey, these guys are ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll for a reason. Four of their starters on the offensive line return. Rocha and DeVincentis are back.

    Pine Creek is the preseason favorite, and the Eagles rolled in their opener, too. But who’s to say that this year won’t be different — especially if Montrose develops this passing attack which surprised many on Friday night.

    DeVincentis had two touchdown passes and was 5-of-11 for 93 yards. He did throw for 1,054 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior, but averaged just seven attempts and 75 yards per game.

    “That was a good way to start our year,” he said. “That was awesome.”

    Add in new weapons like Dalton Wright, a junior who carried 11 times for 27 yards and showed flashes of speed, and Montrose looks to be in good shape. Here’s another reason why: Coach Todd Casebier wasn’t satisfied with the 26-point win.

    “We’ve just got to polish,” he said after the game. “We made a lot of mistakes, but again, it’s Zero Week. Those things happen.”

    Grand Junction crept back into the game when Jack Parsons escaped the backfield and broke away for an 80-yard run which made it 30-15 with 1:54 to go in the third.

    But Montrose’s defense, a force, especially up front, much of the night, came up with the game’s defining moment just as its offense hit a rut. After scoring on four of their final six drives in the first half, the Indians couldn’t move the ball on their first three possessions of the third quarter.

    Grand Junction football
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Grand Junction had cashed in on its first two possessions of the half — the second capped by Parsons’ dash — and was again moving the ball on its third. Then a swing pass was popped loose by a Montrose defender and the Indians’ Dylan Atwood jumped on it at the Tigers’ 34-yard-line. There was just 9:15 to play in the game.

    DeVincentis trotted out and told his huddle the following: “We’ve got to score. We’ve got to put ’em down, put the nail in the coffin.”

    Montrose handed the ball off to Rocha exclusively. He chewed four and a half minutes off the clock and then plopped in on a 1-yard score, his third of the game. It was 38-15 with 4:51 left, and that was it. Well, Lucas Ruiz-Diaz added a 26-yard field goal with 2:08 remaining, but the game was already over.

    “We just had to finish them off,” Rocha said. “We were ahead and they fought back, but we just knew we had to go down there and put it in the end zone.”

    The fumble recovery which led to the score was Montrose’s third turnover of the night.

    “It was big,” Casebier said. “We knew there were going to be turnovers in Zero Week. Our guys got a bunch of them. I thought they did a pretty good job. Again, we’ve got a long ways to go, but I was happy with it.”

    The defense also gave the offense excellent field position. On Montrose’s six scoring drives, the average starting position was Grand Junction’s 32-yard-line.

    “We kept getting short fields,” Casebier said, “and usually that turns into good things for our team.”

    As for Grand Junction, the Tigers have some pieces, but it wasn’t their night.

    A snap went over the punter’s head and resulted in a safety early in the first quarter, and another missed snap ended up giving Montrose the ball at the 5 in the second quarter. (Rocha walked it in the very next play.)

    Grand Junction played three quarterbacks Friday night, at times all on the same drive. Parsons, fellow senior Mike Poland, and sophomore Jax Nourse all took snaps — and all had their moments.

    Nourse, though, may be something of a star down the road. He’s already 6-foot, 200 pounds and is surprisingly light on his feet for such a big frame. He was 9-of-18 for 110 yards and also had 27 rushing yards.

    [divider]

    Montrose vs. Grand Junction

  • Notebook: Four Highlands Ranch-area high schools gathering in sportsmanship

    In a neat showing of sportsmanship, four Class 5A Highlands Ranch-area football teams will meet Thursday to watch When The Game Stands Tall, a movie based on a high school football team in California.

    Players from Mountain Vista, ThunderRidge, Rock Canyon and Highlands Ranch will gather at the AMC Highlands Ranch 24 to watch the movie on Thursday night. The event was organized by the schools’ head football coaches — Ric Cash, Joe Johnson, Brian Lamb and Mark Robinson, respectively.

    When The Game Stands Tall focuses on De La Salle High School’s success over 12 years, which included 151 straight wins from 1992-2003. It is based on a 2003 book of the same name.

    In recognition, said Pat McCabe, athletic director at Mountain Vista, “These programs have collectively earned the Continental League Sportmanship Award for the month of August.”

    Here’s a trailer for the movie:

    Short stuff

    • With the season starting, we’ve completed our previews of every classification of every sport. You can find them all here.
    • Plenty of good news coming down the pipe for hockey. Stay tuned.
    • Our weekly live chat will be heading on the road to kick off the football season this Friday. We’ll be at Montrose vs. Grand Junction.
    • There was an intriguing meeting at the CHSAA office on Wednesday night where a panel of experts sought to find solutions to the arm injury problems which have plagued youth baseball of late.
    • Quarterback Dante Sparaco, who is just set to start his sophomore season at Glenwood Springs, has received a scholarship offer from Colorado State, according to the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent. He’s already 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. According to the Post-Independent, Sparaco has also been receiving interest from Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Arizona, USC and Florida State. Sparaco threw just five passes last season, but is expected to start this season, according to the paper.
    • Erie has new turf for its all-purpose field. The old turf was damaged in last September’s flooding.
    • Lewis-Palmer’s Alexa Smith and Eaglecrest’s Jordyn Poulter were both named to MaxPreps’ preseason All-American volleyball team.
    • Last week we wrote about Highlands Ranch’s new football jerseys.
    • MaxPreps compiled the longest road trips of the 2014 football season. Trips to Florida for Littleton, Dakota Ridge and Columbine check in at No. 7. (Other Colorado schools, such as Monarch and Chatfield on Thursday, are also going to Florida, but they did not make the list.)
    • The NFHS released 2013-14 participation numbers this week. As excepted, they grew once again, this time to 7.8 million. Our Bert Borgmann did some research and found that while Colorado ranks 25th in number of member schools, the state is 20th in students who participate in high school sports.
    • Here’s a nice feature on Regis Jesuit graduate Missy Franklin in The New York Times.
    • Two Colorado products were named to Athlon Sport’s preseason All-Freshman Team. JK Scott, a 2014 graduate of Mullen, is the first-team punter, while Daniel Carlson, a 2013 graduate of The Classical Academy, is the first-team kicker. (The team includes redshirt freshmen, as well.) In a somewhat related note, Mullen has new goalposts.
    • High praise (I think?) for former Denver South standout Phillip Lindsay: CU football coach Mike MacIntyre said “he is the Tasmanian Devil.” Lindsay is turning heads during fall camp, according to the Denver Post. Here’s another detailed feature on Lindsay.
    • More high praise, this time for 2014 Valor Christian graduate Christian McCaffrey. He was called “the most exciting player” at Stanford’s practice, and is expected to see time as a true freshman.
    • A must read on the national level: Here’s how a small town in Indiana used sports to preserve its school and perhaps itself.

  • Montrose football trying to one-up last season’s title-game appearance

    Pine Creek Montrose football
    Montrose football is seeking a return trip to Sports Authority Field at Mile High. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    Mike Rocha is redefining the role of a fullback.

    At 6 feet, 212 pounds, the senior-to-be at Montrose presents a plethora of problems for opposing defenses. Rocha does enough damage helping pave the way for the team’s other backs, but he’s most dangerous when he has the ball in his hands.

    “He’s got enough speed where he really can hurt you,” Montrose coach Todd Casebier said. “It’s pretty unique to have a fullback have 1,600 yards rushing.”

    That’s putting it lightly. Rocha was one of the driving forces behind Montrose’s punishing rushing attack last fall, piling up 1,572 yards on the ground to go along with 27 touchdowns. As a team the Indians accrued more than 4,600 rushing yards on their way to the Class 4A state championship game before falling to Pine Creek 49-14 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver last November.

    Pine Creek Montrose football
    Montrose’s Mike Rocha, left, rushed for 1,600 yards last season. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    “It was a whirlwind tour,” said Casebier, whose squad traveled over the mountains on five occasions last fall and made two more hour-long trips to Grand Junction. “Having the opportunity to play where the Broncos do and for a state championship, those are special things that don’t happen very often.

    “At the same time we’re disappointed with how we played against Pine Creek, but they had a lot to do with that.”

    Headed into the 2014 season, which Montrose kicks off Aug. 22 at home against Grand Junction, the mission is to find a way back to Sports Authority once again. The Indians are ranked No. 2 to begin the year.

    They have Rocha and quarterback Kameron Devincentis back, along with experience up front in all-state lineman Matt Maestas, tackle Andrew Doney, guard Kaden James and tight end Kolby Martinez.

    “I call them the dogs up front,” Rocha said. “Without them I wouldn’t be at 1,600 yards. They’re the base of our offense and without them we’d be nothing.”

    Montrose did graduate a key offensive weapon in Angelo Youngren, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 13 TDs, but the team has Nick Foster and Dalton Wright ready to fill his shoes.

    Devincentis threw for 1,054 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 374 more yards.

    “He’s kind of the catalyst that makes things go,” Casebier said of his quarterback. “He had a really good season as a junior and we’ll ask him to do more as a senior. He’s a savvy kid who makes plays.”

    Maestas and Donny Adams return on the defensive line, where they will be joined by Kadin McPherson and Cayden James. Foster and Mitch Freismuth anchor the secondary.

    Montrose's Kameron DeVincentis quarterbacks the scout team at practice. (Tom Hoganson)
    Montrose’s Kameron DeVincentis during practice this fall. (Tom Hoganson)

    Lucas Ruiz-Diaz returns at kicker, where he was 6-for-6 on field goals as a sophomore.

    The Indians make the move from the Southwestern League to a Foothills League that includes five schools from the Colorado Springs area. The travel won’t change, but the competition will be just as fierce.

    “We’re happy the Foothills League allowed us to be in with them,” Casebier said. “We know it’s going to be a good challenge.”

    That league slate and a tough non-league schedule should help prepare Montrose as it attempts to make a return to the title game.

    “I think it was a big move for Montrose and just the whole program. Last year was just a Cinderella story,” Rocha said. “I think everybody thought it can’t happen, but now it shows it can — a small team from the Western Slope can go all the way and make it.

    “Last year was crazy but now it’s just an inspiration to get back and actually pull through.”

    [divider]

    Class 4A football

    Defending champion: Pine Creek

    Runner-up: Montrose

    Returning All-State players: Avery Anderson, Sr., Pine Creek (1st); Connor Durant, Sr., Standley Lake (1st); Tommy Lazzaro, Sr., Pine Creek (1st); Matt Maestas, Sr., Montrose (1st); Mike Rocha, Sr., Montrose (1st); Kidd Soole, Sr., Monarch (1st); Nathan Spinuzzi, Sr., Pueblo South (1st); Braxton Thais, Sr., Dakota Ridge (1st).

    Regular Season begins: Aug. 21

    Playoffs begin: Nov. 8

    Championship: Nov. 29 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver