The state’s skiing schedule is scheduled to get underway on Friday, but a lack of snow at the mountain has caused one of the two events to be postponed.
Seven teams were slated to compete in the giant slalom at Ski Cooper. A lack of accumulated snow on the mountain, combined with a forecast of high winds and dry conditions through the week, have caused it to cancelled. The event will be moved to a new location the week prior to the state championships.
Lake County, Middle Park, Aspen, Clear Creek, Nederland, Platte Canyon and Summit were scheduled to race at Ski Cooper on Friday.
The giant slalom event scheduled to be held at Beaver Creek on Friday remains on as scheduled. Teams competing include Battle Mountain, Colorado Rocky Mountain, Durango, Evergreen, Eagle Valley, Vail Mountain and Steamboat Springs.
The 2017 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created entirely from the results of the coaches’ vote.
AURORA — Sedgwick County, Bennett and Platte Valley head their respective playoff fields as state football brackets were unveiled in 8-man, 1A and 2A on Sunday.
The brackets are composed to automatic qualifiers — league champions — and then the next highest finishers in the final RPI standings of the regular season. In the case of all three brackets, the top 16 teams in the RPI all qualified for the postseason.
(Sedgwick County/NFHS Network)
Sedgwick County enters as the No. 1 seed in 8-man football following a 9-0 regular season. The Cougars are the defending champions and have actually won 19 consecutive games — most in the state along with 5A’s Valor Christian.
Also hosting first-round games in 8-man are West Grand, Merino, Hoehne, Holly, Rocky Mountain Lutheran, Sargent and Springfield.
Bennett, the top seed in 1A, is also unbeaten so far this year at 9-0. The Tigers were semifinalists a year ago.
Among high seeds in 1A are Meeker, Centauri, Strasburg, Burlington, Clear Creek, Crowley County and Peyton. All will host games in the first round.
Platte Valley football also enters its postseason undefeated at 9-0. The Broncos will host D’Evelyn in the first round of the 2A playoffs.
2A’s other high seeds include Kent Denver, Bayfield, La Junta, The Classical Academy, Basalt, Faith Christian and Eaton. La Junta is the defending champion.
First round games for all three classes are set for this coming weekend. Semifinals will be Nov. 18, and all three championship games for 2A, 1A and 8-man will be held on Nov. 25 at a home site of one of the finalists.
Take a drive up Interstate 70 past the flashing casino lights of Black Hawk.
Through the tunnel carved into the mountain, there’s a grass field just off the highway with the word, “GOLDDIGGERS” painted in yellow lettering on a blue cement wall. Metal bleachers — no more than 10 rows deep — sit behind that wall. You can’t miss it.
This grass field off I-70 is where Clear Creek quarterback Ty Judge has made his name.
“I think he’s established something for all Clear Creek quarterbacks to come,” Clear Creek coach Brian Inman said this week. “He’s that quarterback to aspire to be. Clear Creek has never had a quarterback that has been as dynamic as he has been throwing the ball.
“He’s set his own records and broken every record that we’ve ever had for a quarterback in terms of throwing and touchdown passes.”
Judge, in his senior season, has Clear Creek in the top ten of Class 1A. A 62-42 win last week against then-No. 8 Platte Canyon vaulted the Golddiggers (7-1) into the rankings.
“He had a phenomenal game. Probably the best of his career,” Inman said. “It was definitely the biggest win that I’ve had since I’ve been at Clear Creek.”
Judge threw for 470 yards and seven touchdowns in the game, bringing his season total to 2,416 yards and 31 touchdowns. Both those numbers lead the state.
Judge has thrown just six interceptions this season, which he attributes to being a four-year starter.
“It’s all about maturity, it really is,” Judge said. “The more experience you have, the better you get at looking through your progressions and checking down your receivers, seeing where the coverage is, knowing where the ball should go and being able to make those decisions quick.”
The stats aren’t what jump out to Inman. Rather, it’s his intangibles. His leadership, his fire.
“His tenacity and his desire to win,” Inman said on what makes Judge stand out. “He’s got a strong desire to do well for himself and for his teammates, and ultimately for his school. I think you see that in how he plays and how he acts.
“He’s one of those kids that does everything that you want as a coach as far as, you talk to him about what you want the next year or the next week, and he makes it happen.”
(Courtesy of Clear Creek high school yearbook)
As a senior quarterback, Judge can be expected to be a leader. He has to be. But, Judge goes the extra mile in terms of leadership.
“Your quarterback is going to be your natural leader,” Inman said. “He goes above and beyond that. He excels on the field, he excels in the classroom, he does a good job of leading by example.”
It’s not just leadership where Judge goes the extra mile.
Judge pours over film. Every play, every game, Judge watches it. He’s all about the mental side of football and is reaping the success that comes from preparation.
“I probably watch film in class more than I probably should,”Judge admitted. “We watch film at least three times a week, sometimes more as a team. Me personally, I try and watch it every day.”
Added Inman: “When it comes time to watch game film, he just sits there and breaks it down. He’s a kid that can play at the next level and do very well. He’s always looking to up his game.”
Judge has etched a legacy at Clear Creek individually. Now, it’s time for the team to carve out theirs.
“That’s what all the seniors are playing for this year,” Judge said. “We’ve got a bunch of really talented kids and we’re all looking to get up on the first team all-state board that’s right next to the gym. To be remembered in a positive way.”
The success this year comes down to a connection between Judge and his receivers.
“Starting over the summer, it got there quick,” Judge said on his relationship with the receiver corps. “Noah (Sarria) and I have always been on the same page. He’s always been the big target. Lucas (Gerding) and I really connected over the summer and we worked a lot together. Same with Christian (Lemishko).”
“And then when we got Slayten (Weber) from Texas at the start of the school year, he was able to put in a lot of work so we could get on the same page before the season started,” Judge continued. “The connection is there with just about everybody.”
It’s not happenstance for the season to come together the way it has so far in Judge’s senior year.
“Ever since he was a freshman, he’s just worked very hard to get better,” Inman said. “He’s spent a lot of time in the weight room, he’s spent a lot of time studying and learning more about the game of football. Learning how to beat different coverages. He’s done everything that you’d want from a kid to make himself better.
“Every year, he’s gotten a little bit better, a little bit stronger, a little bit smarter. As a senior, he’s had an outstanding year.”
A 7-1 start has the Golddiggers riding high. The team’s only loss this year is to No. 1 Bennett. Clear Creek finishes the season with an away game at Front Range Christian.
A win would give Clear Creek its best regular season finish since at least 2004.
“We’re looking to win out,” Judge said. “If we do that, hopefully we’ll have first round at home in the playoffs, which hasn’t happened in probably upwards of 20 years here. We’re looking for the state championship, but you can’t look that far ahead. You have to take it one game at a time.”
All that would do is cement the legacy that Ty Judge has created even further.
“Hopefully the legacy he leaves is one for younger athletes to aspire to become a great quarterback at Clear Creek,” Inman said.
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.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Valor Christian (10)
8-0
100
1
W
2
Eaglecrest
8-0
84
2
W
3
Pomona
6-2
69
3
W
4
Columbine
7-1
67
5
W
5
Regis Jesuit
7-1
62
4
W
6
Cherry Creek
6-2
49
6
W
7
Grandview
6-2
44
7
W
8
Fairview
7-1
34
9
W
9
Highlands Ranch
6-2
24
8
L
10
Chaparral
6-2
7
–
W
Others receiving votes:
Mullen 4, Ralston Valley 4, Lakewood 2.
Dropped out
Mullen (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Ponderosa (12)
8-0
166
1
W
2
Pine Creek (4)
7-1
157
2
W
3
Chatfield (3)
7-1
151
3
W
4
Fruita Monument
8-0
119
6
W
5
Windsor
7-1
110
4
W
6
Loveland
8-0
104
5
W
7
Pueblo West
7-1
82
7
W
8
Monarch
7-1
61
8
W
9
Pueblo South
7-1
55
9
W
10
Skyline
7-1
16
10
W
Others receiving votes:
Pueblo Centennial 7, Rampart 7, Vista Ridge 3, Widefield 3, Montrose 2, Brighton 1, Broomfield 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mead (12)
8-0
129
1
W
2
Palmer Ridge (1)
8-0
115
2
W
3
Roosevelt
6-2
86
5
W
4
Erie
7-1
67
3
L
5
Harrison
8-0
62
4
W
6
Evergreen
7-1
48
6
W
7
Canon City
7-1
47
9
W
8
Skyview
7-1
46
10
W
9
Longmont
5-3
35
7
W
10
Rifle
7-1
27
–
W
Others receiving votes:
Palisade 16, Frederick 12, Silver Creek 8, Berthoud 7, Fort Morgan 7, Glenwood Springs 2, Discovery Canyon 1.
