CHSAANow

Tag: Idalia

  • Girls basketball rankings: Pine Creek, Regis Jesuit join 5A poll

    Although Highlands Ranch, Sand Creek, Pagosa Springs, Yuma and Sangre de Cristo all held on to their respective No. 1 rankings, there was an influx of new teams added to this week’s CHSAANow.com girls basketball polls.

    The Falcons continue to have their talons firmly grasped on the No. 1 ranking in Class 5A and with only one more ranked opponent on their schedule, appear to be in control of the top spot for the remainder of the regular season.

    Regis sophomore Korynne Chaney (21) brings the ball up the court while being pursed by D'Evelyn's Aubrey Sotolongo (12), Morgan Ducklow (24) and Payton Sampson (21) during Monday's season opener. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Regis Jesuit joined the 5A girls basketball rankings this week. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Pine Creek and Regis Jesuit are shaking up the 5A poll by joining its ranks this week.

    The Eagles come in at No. 9 while the Raiders take over the No. 10 spot this week.

    Sand Creek continues to hold off fellow Colorado Springs-area powerhouse Mesa Ridge for the top 4A spot.

    The 4A rankings from top to bottom went unchanged from a week ago.

    Pagosa Springs took nine of 13 first-place votes to keep the top 3A spot this week. Manitou Springs sits right behind them at No. 2, with both teams still undefeated on the year.

    La Junta is the lone newcomer to the 3A poll as the Tigers come in at No. 10.

    The top of the 2A poll also looks familiar with Yuma keeping a firm grasp on the top spot. Haxtun made a significant jump this week, landing at No. 5, three spots better than last week.

    Kiowa joins the 2A ranks at No. 9 this week.

    Sangre de Cristo still sits atop the 1A poll, claiming 80 percent of the first-place votes. The 1A poll also welcomes two new teams as Briggsdale lands at No. 8 and Norwood comes in at No. 9.

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

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    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.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highlands Ranch (14) 17-1 149 1 2-0
    2 Grandview (1) 16-0 135 2 3-0
    3 ThunderRidge 14-3 113 3 1-1
    4 Lakewood 14-3 102 4 3-0
    5 Broomfield 14-2 86 5 2-0
    6 Ralston Valley 14-2 70 6 2-0
    7 Horizon 13-5 41 9 2-0
    8 Cherry Creek 12-5 34 7 2-0
    9 Pine Creek 14-3 22 – 2-0
    10 Regis Jesuit 11-5 19 – 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Rocky Mountain 18, Poudre 15, Fairview 6, Fossil Ridge 6, Fruita Monument 5, George Washington 4.
    Dropped out
    Poudre (8), Rocky Mountain (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sand Creek (9) 12-1 115 1 2-0
    2 Mesa Ridge (2) 16-1 102 2 3-0
    3 Valor Christian 15-1 91 3 3-0
    4 Longmont (1) 15-1 89 4 2-0
    5 Holy Family 12-4 59 5 2-0
    6 Pueblo West 14-3 52 6 2-0
    7 Pueblo East 12-4 47 7 3-0
    8 Evergreen 15-2 37 8 3-0
    9 Windsor 14-2 22 9 1-1
    10 Centaurus 14-2 15 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Golden 7, Montrose 7, D’Evelyn 5, Pueblo South 3, Berthoud 2, Durango 2, Palisade 2, Thomas Jefferson 2, Vista Peak 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pagosa Springs (9) 13-0 123 1 2-0
    2 Manitou Springs (4) 15-0 115 2 2-0
    3 Sterling 13-1 101 3 2-0
    4 Eaton 13-1 86 5 1-0
    5 St. Mary’s 14-1 82 4 1-0
    6 Centauri 12-2 54 6 1-0
    7 Lutheran 11-4 47 8 2-0
    8 Moffat County 11-2 42 7 2-0
    9 Lamar 11-3 23 10 1-0
    10 La Junta 12-3 16 – 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Liberty Common 7, Grand Valley 5, Brush 4, Trinidad 3, Middle Park 2, Monte Vista 2, Bennett 1, Faith Christian 1, Olathe 1.
    Dropped out
    Monte Vista (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Yuma (13) 13-1 147 1 2-0
    2 Paonia (2) 12-1 136 2 1-0
    3 Cedaredge 13-1 107 3 2-0
    4 Wray 9-3 99 5 2-0
    5 Haxtun 11-2 82 8 3-0
    6 Akron 11-3 57 4 1-1
    7 Soroco 13-2 52 6 2-1
    8 Ignacio 9-3 41 10 2-0
    9 Kiowa 11-2 28 – 2-0
    10 West Grand 12-2 22 9 0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Swink 12, Ellicott 10, Highland 8, Simla 7, Burlington 3, Del Norte 3, Evangelical Christian 3, Lyons 3, Sargent 2, Clear Creek 1, Sanford 1, Vail Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Highland (7).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sangre De Cristo (8) 10-0 97 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson (2) 14-0 90 2 2-0
    3 Idalia 12-1 80 4 2-0
    4 South Baca 12-1 64 5 1-0
    5 Heritage Christian 13-0 54 7 2-0
    6 Jim Elliot 12-0 46 6 1-0
    7 Fleming 12-1 33 3 1-1
    8 Briggsdale 12-2 31 – 1-0
    9 Norwood 12-1 22 – 1-0
    10 Kim 11-2 20 8 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    McClave 8, Prairie 4, Otis 1.
    Dropped out
    Otis (9), McClave (10).

  • Girls basketball rankings: Highlands Ranch firms up No. 1 spot in 5A

    Highlands Ranch girls basketball team
    Highlands Ranch cemented itself atop the 5A girls basketball rankings this week. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    It seemed like Highlands Ranch was poised to get knocked off the top spot of the Class 5A CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings.

    But the Falcons had other ideas.

    They trailed at halftime Friday night against ThunderRidge but rallied to take down the Grizzlies, cementing their status as the No. 1 team in state. The ThunderRidge effort only dropped them one spot, setting up a potential high-profile rematch in the state playoffs.

    The 5A rankings saw only one new team join this week as Horizon comes in at No. 9.

    Sand Creek remained the top team in the 4A poll, a position they have held all year. Evergreen and Windsor each jumped one spot to come in at No. 8 and No. 19 respectively. There were no new teams in the 4A rankings.

    Pagosa Springs remains the top team in 3A rankings after winning both their games last week. Manitou Springs jumped one spot to land at No. 2.

    Like 4A, there were no newcomers to the 3A poll.

    Yuma is still the No. 1 team in 2A, getting 14 of 16 first-place votes. Highland made the biggest jump of the week by landing at No. 7, up three spots from where they were in the previous rankings. No new teams made 2A poll this week.

    Although three teams remain undefeated in 1A, Sangre de Cristo is still the team holding the top spot in 1A. McClave is the only newly ranked team this week, coming in at No. 10.

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

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    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.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highlands Ranch (14) 15-1 166 1 2-0
    2 Grandview (2) 13-0 148 3 2-0
    3 ThunderRidge (1) 13-2 142 2 1-1
    4 Lakewood 11-3 106 5 2-0
    5 Broomfield 12-2 105 4 3-0
    6 Ralston Valley 12-2 83 6 2-0
    7 Cherry Creek 10-5 52 10 2-0
    8 Poudre 12-3 36 9 1-0
    9 Horizon 11-5 32 – 3-0
    10 Rocky Mountain 13-3 23 8 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Regis Jesuit 17, Pine Creek 12, Fairview 4, Rampart 4, George Washington 3, Fossil Ridge 2, Doherty 1.
    Dropped out
    Regis Jesuit (7).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sand Creek (13) 10-1 164 1 1-0
    2 Mesa Ridge (3) 13-1 144 2 2-0
    3 Valor Christian 12-1 134 3 2-0
    4 Longmont (1) 13-1 120 4 2-0
    5 Holy Family 10-4 78 5 2-1
    6 Pueblo West 12-3 65 6 1-0
    7 Pueblo East 9-4 54 7 1-0
    8 Evergreen 12-2 53 9 2-0
    9 Windsor 13-1 32 10 2-0
    10 Centaurus 13-1 29 8 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Durango 21, Montrose 16, D’Evelyn 8, Mullen 6, Thomas Jefferson 5, Pueblo South 4, Berthoud 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pagosa Springs (9) 11-0 134 1 2-0
    2 Manitou Springs (4) 13-0 113 3 3-0
    3 Sterling (1) 11-1 95 2 1-1
    4 St. Mary’s 13-1 89 5 3-0
    5 Eaton 12-1 86 4 2-0
    6 Centauri 11-2 63 6 1-1
    7 Moffat County 9-2 39 7 2-1
    8 Lutheran 9-4 36 10 2-0
    9 Monte Vista 9-3 35 9 2-0
    10 Lamar 10-3 30 8 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    La Junta 23, Grand Valley 10, Trinidad 9, Liberty Common 6, Faith Christian 2, Olathe 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Yuma (14) 11-1 152 1 2-0
    2 Paonia (1) 11-1 140 3 2-0
    3 Cedaredge 11-1 94 2 1-1
    4 Akron (1) 10-2 92 4 1-1
    5 Wray 7-3 89 5 1-0
    6 Soroco 11-1 66 7 2-0
    7 Highland 9-3 48 10 2-0
    8 Haxtun 8-2 44 6 0-1
    9 West Grand 12-1 39 9 3-0
    10 Ignacio 7-3 34 8 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Ellicott 23, Kiowa 17, Simla 12, Union Colony 8, Hoehne 6, Del Norte 4, Peyton 4, Evangelical Christian 3, Calhan 2, Caliche 1, Sanford 1, Swink 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sangre De Cristo (9) 8-0 104 1 1-0
    2 Kit Carson (1) 12-0 97 2 2-0
    3 Fleming (1) 11-0 75 5 2-0
    4 Idalia 10-1 71 3 2-0
    5 South Baca 11-1 64 4 3-0
    6 Jim Elliot 11-0 54 6 1-0
    7 Heritage Christian (1) 11-0 53 8 2-0
    8 Kim 10-2 29 9 2-0
    9 Otis 10-2 22 7 2-0
    10 McClave 9-2 20 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Briggsdale 18, Norwood 17, Prairie 9, Sierra Grande 8, Antonito 4, Eads 3, Flagler 3.
    Dropped out
    Prairie (10).

  • Girls basketball rankings: Centaurus, Windsor join 4A poll

    It seems that the top girls basketball teams in the state have no desire to relinquish their spots in the CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings.

    After very few changes to last week’s rankings, things are looking just as — if not more — consistent this week.

    Highlands Ranch, Sand Creek, Pagosa Springs, Yuma and Sangre de Cristo all maintained the top spots in their respective polls and by decisive margins.

    The No. 1 teams went a combined 9-0 last week.

    The 5A rankings only saw two teams shift positions as Lakewood and Ralston Valley traded spots from last week. The Tigers come in at No. 5 while the Mustangs fall to No. 6.

    The top four 4A teams continue to look good as they went a combined 8-0 in play last week.

    Centaurus and Windsor were able to do enough to make their case as they break into the rankings at No. 8 and No. 10 respectively.

    In 3A, it continues to look like a three-team race at the top with Pagosa Springs, Sterling and Manitou Springs locking up the positions they have held for pretty much the entire season.

    Eaton made a two-spot jump this week to land at No. 4 and Monte Vista is the new addition as they come in at No. 9.

    West Grand (No. 9) and Highland (No. 10) break into the 2A rankings this week. Cedaredge jumps one spot to take over the new spot. The Bruins remain the only undefeated team in the 2A rankings.

    South Baca and Otis made up the most ground this week in the 1A poll with each team jumping two spots. Otis lands at No. 4 while Otis jumped up to No. 9.

    There were no new teams in the 1A rankings.

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

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    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.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highlands Ranch (11) 13-1 152 1 1-0
    2 ThunderRidge (3) 12-1 142 2 2-0
    3 Grandview (2) 11-0 134 3 2-0
    4 Broomfield 9-2 97 4 2-0
    5 Lakewood 9-3 89 6 2-0
    6 Ralston Valley 10-2 83 5 1-1
    7 Regis Jesuit 8-3 55 7 2-1
    8 Rocky Mountain 12-2 36 8 1-1
    9 Poudre 11-3 33 9 2-1
    10 Cherry Creek 8-5 31 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Fairview 5, Pine Creek 5, Rampart 4, Dakota Ridge 3, George Washington 3, Horizon 3, Chaparral 2, Arapahoe 1, Fossil Ridge 1, Fruita Monument 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sand Creek (10) 9-1 132 1 2-0
    2 Mesa Ridge (1) 11-1 116 2 2-0
    3 Valor Christian (2) 10-1 111 3 2-0
    4 Longmont (1) 11-1 101 4 2-0
    5 Holy Family 8-3 59 6 2-0
    6 Pueblo West 11-3 56 5 1-1
    7 Pueblo East 8-4 39 10 1-0
    8 Centaurus 10-1 28 – 2-0
    9 Evergreen 10-2 27 7 1-1
    10 Windsor 11-1 24 – 4-0
    Others receiving votes:
    D’Evelyn 18, Berthoud 12, Green Mountain 11, Golden 10, Mullen 10, Durango 8, Montrose 3, Thomas Jefferson 3, Pueblo South 2.
    Dropped out
    Golden (8), Berthoud (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pagosa Springs (8) 9-0 131 1 2-0
    2 Sterling (3) 10-0 115 2 3-0
    3 Manitou Springs (3) 10-0 113 3 1-0
    4 Eaton 10-1 74 6 3-0
    5 St. Mary’s 10-1 70 5 2-0
    6 Centauri 10-1 54 4 2-1
    7 Moffat County 7-1 51 7 1-0
    8 Lamar 9-2 45 8 1-0
    9 Monte Vista 7-3 28 – 1-1
    10 Lutheran 7-4 21 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Trinidad 19, Liberty Common 18, Grand Valley 8, Faith Christian 7, Alamosa 5, La Junta 5, Kent Denver 4, Olathe 1, St. Mary’s Academy 1.
    Dropped out
    Trinidad (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Yuma (12) 9-1 146 1 2-0
    2 Cedaredge (1) 10-0 118 3 2-0
    3 Paonia (1) 9-1 112 4 2-0
    4 Akron (1) 9-1 110 2 1-1
    5 Wray 6-3 61 6 2-0
    6 Haxtun 8-1 55 5 1-1
    7 Soroco 9-1 45 7 2-0
    8 Ignacio 6-2 30 9 2-0
    9 West Grand 9-1 25 – 1-0
    10 Highland 7-3 23 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Ellicott 21, Evangelical Christian 18, Simla 15, Kiowa 12, Del Norte 11, Hoehne 6, Peyton 6, Union Colony 6, Calhan 1, Caliche 1, Lyons 1, Rye 1, Sanford 1.
    Dropped out
    Simla (8), Evangelical Christian (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sangre De Cristo (8) 7-0 106 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson (3) 10-0 95 2 2-0
    3 Idalia 8-1 76 3 2-0
    4 South Baca 8-1 62 6 2-0
    5 Fleming 9-0 59 5 2-0
    6 Jim Elliot 10-0 40 7 3-0
    7 Otis 8-2 37 9 2-0
    8 Heritage Christian 9-0 32 8 3-0
    9 Kim 8-2 22 4 0-2
    10 Prairie 9-1 21 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Norwood 13, Flagler 11, Briggsdale 10, McClave 8, Antonito 7, Eads 6, Genoa-Hugo 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Girls basketball rankings: Top teams stay put after the break

    Highlands Ranch Legend girls basketball
    Highlands Ranch maintained its grip on the No. 1 spot in the 5A girls basketball poll. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    Consistency would be the best word to describe the CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings this week. While some new teams played their way into some of the polls, the overall tops teams continued to do what top teams tend to do: win.

    Highlands Ranch fought off a good effort from defending Class 5A champion Broomfield to maintain their spot atop the 5A rankings.

    The close game did get the attention of quite a few voters as it helped Broomfield jump two spots to land at No. 4.

    No new teams were able to crack their way into this week’s 5A rankings.

    For the most part, the 4A poll looks about the same as it did going into the winter break. Sand Creek remains the No. 1 team in the class and Mesa Ridge, Valor Christian, Longmont and Pueblo West all kept their spots at 2-5 respectively.

    Holy Family made the biggest jump in 4A, gaining two spots to come in at No. 6.

    Pueblo East broke into the 4A rankings at No. 10.

    All 10 teams from the previous 3A rankings remained in this week’s poll. Pages Springs holds on to their spot at No. 1 with Sterling keeping a firm grasp on the No. 2 position.

    Manitou Springs regained some first-place votes after beating a couple of top-10 teams in Lutheran and Lamar last week.

    Moffat County jumped two spots to land at No. 7, the biggest jump for any team in 3A.

    The 2A poll saw more changes than any other class this week. Yuma is still firmly in the No. 1 position, but Haxtun jumped two spots to land at No. 5.

    There were three new teams to the rankings as Soroco (No. 7), Ignacio (No. 9) and Evangelical Christian (No. 10) all played their way into the top 10.

    Despite not playing a game since Dec. 17, Sangre De Cristo maintains the top position in the 1A rankings. Kit Carson, who received a couple of first-place votes remains at No. 2.

    Heritage Christian jumped into the 1A poll at No. 8 this week.

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

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    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.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highlands Ranch (12) 12-1 163 1 4-0
    2 ThunderRidge (2) 10-1 147 3 3-0
    3 Grandview (3) 9-0 144 2 3-0
    4 Broomfield 7-2 105 6 1-1
    5 Ralston Valley 9-1 104 4 3-0
    6 Lakewood 7-3 84 5 2-0
    7 Regis Jesuit 6-2 46 9 1-0
    8 Rocky Mountain 11-1 41 10 3-0
    9 Poudre 9-2 36 8 2-1
    10 Cherry Creek 6-5 25 7 2-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Rampart 20, Fairview 5, Loveland 5, Dakota Ridge 3, George Washington 2, Pine Creek 2, Fossil Ridge 1, Horizon 1, Mountain Vista 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sand Creek (12) 7-1 179 1 2-0
    2 Mesa Ridge (4) 9-1 157 2 2-0
    3 Valor Christian (2) 8-1 149 3 2-0
    4 Longmont (1) 9-1 118 4 3-0
    5 Pueblo West 10-2 91 5 3-1
    6 Holy Family 6-3 63 8 2-0
    7 Evergreen 9-1 44 7 3-1
    8 Golden 8-2 34 6 1-1
    9 Berthoud 10-1 33 10 2-0
    10 Pueblo East 7-4 29 – 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Centaurus 27, D’Evelyn 26, Mullen 23, Windsor 22, Durango 17, Green Mountain 16, Pueblo South 8, Thomas Jefferson 4, Montrose 3, Greeley Central 1, Palmer Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    Centaurus (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pagosa Springs (6) 7-0 111 1 1-0
    2 Sterling (3) 7-0 97 2 2-0
    3 Manitou Springs (3) 9-0 94 3 3-0
    4 Centauri 8-0 62 4 1-0
    5 St. Mary’s 8-1 56 5 2-0
    6 Eaton 7-1 49 7 2-0
    7 Moffat County 6-1 47 9 2-0
    8 Lamar 8-2 42 8 1-1
    9 Trinidad 8-2 31 10 2-0
    10 Lutheran 6-4 25 6 2-3
    Others receiving votes:
    Grand Valley 10, Faith Christian 8, Liberty Common 7, Monte Vista 7, Alamosa 5, La Junta 5, Olathe 4.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Yuma (13) 7-1 173 1 1-0
    2 Akron (3) 8-0 157 2 3-0
    3 Cedaredge (1) 8-0 136 3 2-0
    4 Paonia (1) 7-1 128 4 1-0
    5 Haxtun 7-0 78 7 2-0
    6 Wray 4-3 61 6 0-1
    7 Soroco 7-1 38 – 2-0
    8 Simla 3-3 33 5 0-3
    9 Ignacio 4-2 27 – 0-0
    10 Evangelical Christian 7-1 26 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Peyton 21, Highland 19, West Grand 15, Kiowa 13, Union Colony 13, Calhan 11, Sanford 10, Del Norte 8, Ellicott 6, Hoehne 6, Rye 4, Clear Creek 2, Fowler 2, Lyons 1, Sargent 1.
    Dropped out
    Highland (8), Peyton (9), Sanford (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sangre De Cristo (8) 5-0 88 1 0-0
    2 Kit Carson (2) 8-0 82 2 2-0
    3 Idalia 6-1 61 5 2-0
    4 Kim 8-0 52 4 2-0
    5 Fleming 7-0 50 3 2-0
    6 South Baca 6-1 50 6 1-0
    7 Jim Elliot 7-0 35 9 1-0
    8 Heritage Christian 6-0 34 – 1-0
    9 Otis 6-2 31 10 2-0
    10 Prairie 7-1 16 7 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Briggsdale 10, Norwood 10, Eads 9, Flagler 9, Antonito 7, McClave 4, Cotopaxi 2.
    Dropped out
    Flagler (8).

  • Girls basketball rankings: Centauri moving up in 3A poll

    Although the Class 3A CHSAANow.com girls basketball rankings are loaded with talent at the top, breaking into those ranks is not impossible and Centauri is proving just that.

    After sitting at No. 8 last week, the undefeated Falcons leapt to No. 4 after a 62-33 win over Buena Vista. They now sit right behind Pagosa Springs, Sterling and Manitou Springs, the three preseason favorites to take the state title. Pagosa Springs held on to the top spot that they grabbed from Manitou only a week ago.

    The only new addition to the 3A poll this week is Trinidad who gave Manitou Springs its toughest test of the year Friday night.

    In 5A, Highlands Ranch remains the top team, while nine teams from last week’s rankings remained in the top 10 this week.

    The only team to break in is Rocky Mountain, who comes in at No. 10.

    Sand Creek girls basketball
    Sand Creek remains ranked No. 1 in 4A. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Sand Creek remains  the top-ranked team in 4A and are looking every bit the part. Like 3A, the 4A rankings are top-heavy with talented teams as Mesa Ridge (No. 2), Valor Christian (No. 3) and Longmont (No. 4) all look like contenders early in the season.

    Centaurus is the only new team to the 4A poll as they land at No. 9 this week.

    Yuma still has a grasp on the No. 1 ranking in the 2A polls, although Akron and Cedaredge are both undefeated and getting first-place recognition.

    Hasten makes a splash this week as they land at No. 7 after being unranked only a week ago.

    Sangre de Cristo edged out Kit Carson by one point to remain the No. 1 team in 1A this week.

    The 1A rankings added the most teams this week as Prairie (No. 7) and Jim Elliot (No. 9) break into the poll.

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

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    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.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highlands Ranch (10) 8-1 150 1 1-1
    2 Grandview (5) 6-0 140 2 3-0
    3 ThunderRidge (1) 7-1 132 3 2-0
    4 Ralston Valley 6-1 99 4 1-0
    5 Lakewood 5-3 82 6 2-1
    6 Broomfield 6-1 78 5 1-0
    7 Cherry Creek 4-3 58 7 1-1
    8 Poudre 7-1 37 9 2-1
    9 Regis Jesuit 5-2 28 8 1-0
    10 Rocky Mountain 8-1 20 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Fruita Monument 11, Rampart 11, Fossil Ridge 9, Monarch 9, Cherokee Trail 4, Horizon 3, Loveland 3, Chaparral 2, George Washington 2, Castle View 1, Dakota Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    Loveland (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sand Creek (8) 5-1 129 1 1-0
    2 Mesa Ridge (3) 7-1 123 2 1-0
    3 Valor Christian (2) 6-1 100 4 2-0
    4 Longmont (1) 6-1 98 3 3-0
    5 Pueblo West 7-1 70 5 0-0
    6 Golden (1) 7-1 62 8 1-1
    7 Evergreen 6-0 57 7 2-0
    8 Holy Family 4-3 51 6 1-0
    9 Centaurus 6-0 26 – 0-0
    10 Berthoud 8-1 24 9 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo East 23, Durango 17, Windsor 11, Montrose 9, Mullen 8, D’Evelyn 7, Niwot 5, Green Mountain 3, Discovery Canyon 1, Thomas Jefferson 1.
    Dropped out
    Pueblo East (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pagosa Springs (8) 6-0 89 1 1-0
    2 Sterling (1) 5-0 80 2 1-0
    3 Manitou Springs 6-0 69 3 2-0
    4 Centauri 7-0 49 8 1-0
    5 St. Mary’s 6-1 43 5 1-0
    6 Lutheran 4-1 42 4 1-1
    7 Eaton 5-1 36 6 3-0
    8 Lamar 7-1 24 7 1-1
    9 Moffat County 4-1 20 9 1-0
    10 Trinidad 6-2 15 – 0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Grand Valley 9, Liberty Common 8, Alamosa 4, Faith Christian 2, Platte Valley 2, La Junta 1, Monte Vista 1, Olathe 1.
    Dropped out
    Grand Valley (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Yuma (9) 6-1 113 1 2-0
    2 Akron (1) 5-0 102 2 1-0
    3 Cedaredge (1) 6-0 97 3 1-0
    4 Paonia (1) 6-1 87 4 2-0
    5 Simla 3-0 47 6 0-0
    6 Wray 4-2 44 5 0-1
    7 Haxtun 5-0 31 – 2-0
    8 Highland 5-2 23 9 0-1
    9 Peyton 2-2 20 8 1-1
    10 Sanford 4-2 19 10 0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    West Grand 16, Soroco 15, Ignacio 11, Union Colony 10, Ellicott 7, Del Norte 6, Hoehne 6, Calhan 5, Rye 1.
    Dropped out
    Del Norte (7).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sangre De Cristo (5) 5-0 92 1 1-0
    2 Kit Carson (5) 6-0 91 2 3-0
    3 Fleming 5-0 64 6 1-0
    4 Kim 6-0 59 8 2-0
    5 Idalia 4-1 45 4 2-0
    6 South Baca 5-1 40 3 1-0
    7 Prairie 6-1 28 – 2-0
    8 Flagler 4-1 24 5 0-1
    9 Jim Elliot 6-0 20 – 2-0
    10 Otis 4-2 19 7 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Briggsdale 16, Heritage Christian 16, Cotopaxi 10, Norwood 9, McClave 7, Antonito 6, La Veta 3, Genoa-Hugo 1.
    Dropped out
    Norwood (9), Briggsdale (10).

  • Girls basketball rankings: Three new No. 1 teams atop polls

    Highlands Ranch Broomfield girls basketball
    Highlands Ranch is the new No. 1 team in 5A girls basketball. (CHSAANow.com file photo)

    The CHSAANow.com girls basketball polls saw three new No. 1 teams crowned this week, including Highlands Ranch, who takes over the No. 1 spot in Class 5A.

    It is the biggest shift at the top of the polls since the start of basketball season.

    The big story of the week came as ThunderRidge fell to Cherry Creek, 32-27. The Grizzlies had held the top spot in 5A since the preseason poll. But the Bruins couldn’t capitalize on the win. They turned around and lost their next game to Broomfield, which kept them firmly in the No. 7 spot this week.

    Poudre and Loveland were the two new teams added to the 5A rankings as they come in at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.

    Sand Creek was one of two teams to hold on the top this week, as they remain No. 1 in the 4A poll. Mesa Ridge jumped from No. 3 to No. 2, continuing their climb and showing that they intend to be a force this year, much like they were in 2014 when they won the 4A title.

    Joining the 4A rankings this week is Pueblo East, who comes in at No. 10. The Eagles started the season at 1-2, but have played well enough lately to earn the votes needed to crack the top 10.

    Pagosa Springs takes the top spot in the 3A rankings away from Manitou Springs, despite the Mustangs starting 4-0.

    In fact, the Mustangs received six first-place votes last week, only to get two this week. Manitou falls to No. 3 in this week’s poll.

    Lamar made a two-spot jump this week to come in at No. 7 and Grand Valley comes in at No. 10 as the lone newcomer to the 3A rankings.

    Yuma remains firmly at the top of the 2A rankings and had a nice showing last week, going 3-0. The big jump in that class was Wray leaping from No. 9 to No. 5. They got the attention of the voters by taking Yuma to the limit and only falling to the Indians 69-66. Highland and Sanford break in as the two newcomers to the 2A polls, landing at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.

    With Idalia’s 48-43 loss to Otis, the Wolves fell out of the top spot in the 1A rankings. That helped Otis break into the top 10 where they come in at No. 7 this week. Kim at No. 8 and Briggsdale at No. 10 also joined this week’s rankings.

    Sangre de Cristo takes to the top spot this week, jumping from No. 3 to No. 1.

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

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    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.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Highlands Ranch (11) 7-0 144 2 4-0
    2 Grandview (3) 3-0 121 3 3-0
    3 ThunderRidge (1) 5-1 118 1 2-1
    4 Ralston Valley 5-1 98 4 2-1
    5 Broomfield 5-1 75 6 3-0
    6 Lakewood 3-2 74 5 1-0
    7 Cherry Creek 3-2 64 7 1-1
    8 Regis Jesuit 4-2 26 10 2-0
    9 Poudre 5-0 21 – 4-0
    10 Loveland 5-1 20 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Fossil Ridge 19, Rampart 10, Fairview 8, Rocky Mountain 7, Pine Creek 5, Cherokee Trail 4, Castle View 3, Chaparral 2, Horizon 2, Palmer 2, Arapahoe 1, Fruita Monument 1, George Washington 1.
    Dropped out
    Fossil Ridge (8), Dakota Ridge (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sand Creek (8) 4-1 131 1 3-0
    2 Mesa Ridge (3) 6-1 106 3 3-1
    3 Longmont (1) 3-1 99 2 2-1
    4 Valor Christian (1) 4-1 97 4 2-0
    5 Pueblo West 7-1 71 6 4-0
    6 Holy Family 3-3 58 5 2-1
    7 Evergreen 4-0 40 7 2-0
    8 Golden (1) 6-0 40 10 2-0
    9 Berthoud 6-1 24 9 2-1
    10 Pueblo East 4-3 23 – 3-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Centaurus 15, Canon City 12, Windsor 12, D’Evelyn 9, Durango 7, Montrose 6, Mullen 6, Green Mountain 5, Falcon 4, Littleton 2, Conifer 1, Sierra 1, Thomas Jefferson 1.
    Dropped out
    D’Evelyn (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pagosa Springs (6) 5-0 101 3 2-0
    2 Sterling (2) 4-0 97 2 2-0
    3 Manitou Springs (2) 4-0 91 1 2-0
    4 Lutheran (1) 3-0 53 5 3-0
    5 St. Mary’s 5-1 50 4 2-1
    6 Eaton 2-1 46 6 2-1
    7 Lamar 6-0 44 9 3-0
    8 Centauri 6-0 43 7 3-0
    9 Moffat County 3-1 25 8 3-1
    10 Grand Valley 4-0 10 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Liberty Common 10, Trinidad 7, Colorado Springs Christian 5, Olathe 5, Brush 4, Strasburg 4, Faith Christian 3, La Junta 3, University 3.
    Dropped out
    Trinidad (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Yuma (8) 4-1 98 1 3-0
    2 Akron 4-0 82 3 2-0
    3 Cedaredge (1) 5-0 78 4 2-0
    4 Paonia (1) 4-1 77 2 1-1
    5 Wray 4-1 41 9 2-1
    6 Simla 3-0 37 7 1-0
    7 Del Norte 3-2 33 5 1-2
    8 Peyton 1-1 25 6 0-1
    9 Highland 5-1 18 – 3-0
    10 Sanford 4-1 15 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Ellicott 14, Hoehne 9, Haxtun 6, Ignacio 5, Calhan 3, Soroco 3, Union Colony 3, West Grand 3.
    Dropped out
    Hoehne (8), Ellicott (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sangre De Cristo (4) 4-0 92 3 1-0
    2 Kit Carson (5) 3-0 83 2 1-0
    3 South Baca 4-1 60 5 2-1
    4 Idalia 2-1 59 1 0-1
    5 Flagler 4-0 48 4 2-0
    6 Fleming 4-0 44 7 2-0
    7 Otis (1) 2-1 30 – 1-0
    8 Kim 4-0 26 – 2-0
    9 Norwood 3-1 22 8 2-0
    10 Briggsdale 4-1 17 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Jim Elliot 16, Prairie 15, Antonito 14, Eads 6, McClave 5, Genoa-Hugo 4, La Veta 3, Heritage Christian 2, Wiley 2, Shining Mountain 1, Springfield 1.
    Dropped out
    Prairie (6), Genoa-Hugo (9), Antonito (10).

  • All-state volleyball teams for 2015 season

    The 2015 volleyball players of the year. From left: Antonya Schaffert, Otis; Bethany Cullity, Cheyenne Mountain; Shannon Webb, Cherokee Trail; Tara Traphagan, Yuma; Caiden Rexius, Eaton. (Photos: Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com; Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)
    The 2015 volleyball players of the year. From left: Antonya Schaffert, Otis; Bethany Cullity, Cheyenne Mountain; Shannon Webb, Cherokee Trail; Tara Traphagan, Yuma; Caiden Rexius, Eaton. (Photos: Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com; Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    The 2015 all-state volleyball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

    These team were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and then a vote of coaches.

    Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.

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

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Grandview Cherokee Trail volleyball
    Cherokee Trail’s Shannon Webb. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: Shannon Webb, Cherokee Trail

    Coach of the year: Terry Miller, Cherokee Trail

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Audrey Cheng Fairview Junior S/RS
    Robyn Krause Cherokee Trail Junior S
    Jasmine Schmidt Chaparral Junior RS/S
    Christine Schmiedeler Fairview Junior MB/RS
    Jazlyn Smith Denver East Senior L
    Taylor Smith Regis Jesuit Senior OH
    Shannon Webb Cherokee Trail Senior OH
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Sierra Bartley Chatfield Junior OPP
    Keeley Davis Rock Canyon Sophomore OH
    Melissa Evans Highlands Ranch Junior RS
    Allie Garcia Coronado Senior L
    Kasie Gilfert Legend Senior MH
    Toni McDougald Cherry Creek Senior OH
    Franchesca Reed Grandview Senior MB/RS

    Honorable mention: Qairo Bentley, Denver East, freshman, OH; Madisen Busler, Grandview, senior, OH/RS; Jasmine Evans, Highlands Ranch, senior, OH; Chase Jackson, Denver East, junior, OH; Jayden Liberty, Arapahoe, junior, MB; Tori Macaluso, Rock Canyon, senior, MH; Angela McGownd, Loveland, senior, OH; Hannah Miller, Chaparral, senior, L; Jordan Mullen, Legend, senior, OH/RS; Maya Patterson, Denver East, junior, MH; Keely Ruby, Mountain Vista, senior, MH/RS; Caroline Schmiedeler, Fairview, junior, OH; Daisy Schultz, Cherry Creek, junior, S; Petra Sikorski, Arapahoe, senior, S; Kaira Smith, Coronado, senior, OH; Karysa Swackenberg, Brighton, senior, L; Sarah Vang, Chaparral, senior, OH/MB/RS.


    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Cheyenne Mountain volleyball
    Cheyenne Mountain’s Bethany Cullity. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Player of the year: Bethany Cullity, Cheyenne Mountain

    Coach of the year: David Barkley, Cheyenne Mountain

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Lydia Bartalo Lewis-Palmer Junior OH/MH
    Bethany Cullity Cheyenne Mountain Senior OH
    Mariah Evans Lewis-Palmer Senior S
    Holly Huffman Cheyenne Mountain Senior S
    Allison Smith Ponderosa Senior OH
    Elizabeth Wayne Cheyenne Mountain Senior MB
    Sydney Wetterstrom Longmont Senior OH/RS/MH
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Ariana Alberici Pueblo West Senior RS/OH
    Kassidi Day Pueblo East Senior MH/MB
    Mika Dickson Cheyenne Mountain Senior L/DS
    Andrea Eddy Evergreen Senior S
    Kylie Hurst Windsor Senior MB/OH
    Ashley Pagan Air Academy Senior OH/OPP
    Emma Porter The Classical Academy Senior OH/DS
    Camille Smith Ponderosa Senior MH

    Honorable mention: Jordan Brandt, Battle Mountain, senior, OH; Katia Fitzgerald, Erie, senior, S; Addison Hays, Roosevelt, junior, L; Elise Hill, Montrose, senior, OH/OH; Maddie Labor, Steamboat Springs, senior, L; Jenny Lau, Woodland Park, senior, S; MaLeigha Menegatti, Pueblo West, sophomore, S/OH; Santana Mestas, Pueblo West, senior, RS/OH; Carlee Morrison, Eagle Valley, senior, OH/OPP.


    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Eaton Valley volleyball state final
    Caiden Rexius of Eaton. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: Caiden Rexius, Eaton

    Coach of the year: Rene Aafedt, Valley

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Madison Fisher University Senior –
    Katie McKiel Manitou Springs Senior OH
    Caiden Rexius Eaton Senior OH
    Brooke Schilling Valley Junior MH/OH
    Bailey Schumacher Eaton Senior L/S
    Tarynn Sieg Eaton Junior MB
    Abby Skrastins Colorado Springs Christian Senior OH
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Kaitlyn Detlefsen Coal Ridge Senior MH/OH
    Lindy Dixon Eaton Senior MB
    Megan Farrah Pagosa Springs Junior OH
    Angala Jensen Manitou Springs Senior S
    Chelsey Lockey Eaton Sophomore S
    Jamie Nielson Colorado Springs Christian Senior MH/MB
    Maggie Smith Platte Valley Senior OH

    Honorable mention: Lauren Addington, La Junta, senior, S/RS; McKayla Bauer, University, senior; Jenna Cardenas, Frontier Academy, senior, OH; Kylie Chavez, Sterling, junior, OH/MH; Addie Feek, Middle Park, freshman, MB; Madeleline Foutz, Bayfield, junior, L/OH; Kaylee Frear, The Vanguard School, senior, OH/MH; Dana Kotz, Coal Ridge, junior, S/RS; Alina Randall, Faith Christian, freshman, OH; Brooke Trujillo, Alamosa, senior, L; Kailee Yano, Peak to Peak, junior, S; Kiahlei Yaste, University, senior.


    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Yuma volleyball
    Yuma’s Tara Traphagan. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Player of the year: Tara Traphagan, Yuma

    Coach of the year: Jenny Noble, Yuma

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Cali Bahnsen Union Colony Prep Senior OH/MH
    Erika Ivkov Lyons Senior OH
    Mallory Noble Yuma Senior S
    McKenna Palmer Paonia Sophomore MH
    Kaitlyn Rutherford Ridgway Senior OH
    Abby Skipworth Resurrection Christian Senior –
    Tara Traphagan Yuma Senior OH/MH
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Lydia Knutson Cedaredge Senior RS/MH
    Jaedyn Lambrecht Caliche Senior S
    Jenna Mansfield Rye Senior S
    Peighton Roth Yuma Senior L/DS
    Laney Swan Colorado Springs School Junior S
    Chrystianne Valdez Ignacio Senior L/OH/S
    Saylor Webb Resurrection Christian Junior –

    Honorable mention: Becca Abrahamson, Clear Creek, senior, MH/RS; Lexie Bitter, Fowler, senior, OH/MH; Lucy Carlson, Soroco, senior, MH; Megan Gerk, Haxtun, senior; Madison Gould, South Park, junior; Luisa Hernandez, Yuma, junior, OH/MH; Mikaela Parker, Calhan, senior, OH; Ashley VanVleet, Paonia, senior, MH; Gabby Willson, West Grand, junior, OH/RS.


    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Otis Idalia volleyball state final
    Antonya Schaffert of Otis. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    Player of the year: Antonya Schaffert, Otis

    Coach of the year:Bonnie Wallin-Kuntz, Otis

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Emily Kaiser Prairie Junior OH/MH
    Brooklyn Krehmeyer Weldon Valley Senior OH
    Kylee Kuntz Otis Senior S/OH
    Lissette Lefforge Otis Senior MB
    Jenna McKinley Sangre de Cristo Senior MB/RS
    Antonya Schaffert Otis Senior OH
    Reagan Shaffer Idalia Senior OH/DS
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Karleigh Cooley Sangre de Cristo Senior OH/RS
    Kaylee Corsentino La Veta Freshman MH
    Shaylee Johnson Fleming Junior MH/MB
    Felicia Minchaca Sierra Grande Senior OH/MH
    Bryce Schafer Idalia Senior OH/DS
    Erica Sinclair Sangre de Cristo Senior S/RS
    Jennay Terrell Idalia Senior MH/DS

    Honorable mention: Danea Bender, Weldon Valley, senior, L; Faith Carpenter, Idalia, junior, MH; Kinley Coe, La Veta, sophomore, OH/RS; Mikenna Curlee, Peetz, senior, MH/MB; D’Lanee Doyle, Walsh, senior, MH; Susana Herrera, Idalia, senior, DS/OH/RS; Tess Hornung, Kit Carson, freshman, MB; Kyndra Konig, Weldon Valley, senior, OH; Gabriela Lopez, La Veta, junior, MH; Sarah McGinley, Heritage Christian, junior, MB; Aspen Serfoss, Cotopaxi, junior; Sonia Vallejos, La Veta, sophomore, S; Taylor West, Community Christian, senior, OH; Alex Weyerman, Idalia, junior, S; Kindra Young, Edison, senior, MH/OH.

  • Girls basketball rankings: Ralston Valley jumps up in 5A

    ThunderRidge Ralston Valley girls basketball
    Ralston Valley is No. 7 in this week’s girls basketball rankings in 5A. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    Just like the boys, the top teams in all five CHSAANow.com rankings all held their positions this week.

    ThunderRidge, Sand Creek, Manitou Springs, Yuma and Idalia all enter the second the week of the season as the No. 1 teams in their respective classes. But with competition starting off fast and furious in Week 1, it was inevitable that some changes would indeed occur.

    In Class 5A, ThunderRidge looked like a top team as they jumped out to a 3-0 start, but it was Ralston Valley that started especially hot, going 3-0 last week and capping the run with a 55-29 win over Cherry Creek, who comes in at No. 7 this week. The Mustangs jumped from No. 7 to No. 4 this week.

    Dakota Ridge is the lone newcomer to the rankings on the strength of wins against Rampart and Loveland. The Eagles land at No. 9.

    Despite dropping their home opener to Poudre, Sand Creek remains the No. 1 team in 4A. They rebounded nicely with a win over Sierra.

    Mesa Ridge looks like they could be returning to their state championship form of 2014 as they jumped from No. 8 to No. 3 and even snagged a first place vote in the process.

    Two new teams jumped in the 4A poll this week with Berthoud (No. 9) and Golden (No. 10) all join the party.

    Manitou Springs sure played like 3A’s  No. 1 team during their 74-34 win over Bishop Machebeuf. They followed that up with a win over Colorado Academy, jumping out to a quick 2-0 start.

    The top eight teams in the 3A rankings went for a combined 13-0 last week, easily the best showing for any class.

    A couple of 3-0 starts from Lamar and Trinidad helped both teams join the rankings this week, coming in at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.

    Like Sand Creek, Yuma held on to their spot in the 2A rankings, despite an early loss. They still garnered nine first place votes this week.

    The top six spots from the preseason rankings went unchanged this week. Although there was some shifting in the bottom three spots, Wray was the only new team to the poll as they jumped in at No. 9.

    Prairie and Antonio join this week’s 1A poll at No. 6 and No. 10. Idalia held on to the top spot, though not unanimously as Kit Carson took one first place vote.

    Flagler made the biggest jump in 1A this week, going from No. 8 to No. 4.

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

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    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.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (12) 3-0 147 1 3-0
    2 Highlands Ranch (2) 3-0 132 3 3-0
    3 Grandview (1) 0-0 112 2 0-0
    4 Ralston Valley 3-0 93 7 3-0
    5 Lakewood 2-2 87 5 2-2
    6 Broomfield 2-1 67 4 2-1
    7 Cherry Creek 2-1 36 6 2-1
    8 Fossil Ridge 2-1 28 9 2-1
    9 Dakota Ridge 3-0 24 – 3-0
    10 Regis Jesuit 2-2 20 10 2-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Loveland 14, Fairview 10, Rocky Mountain 9, Rampart 8, Chaparral 6, Monarch 6, Mountain Vista 6, Poudre 5, Pine Creek 4, Arapahoe 3, Fruita Monument 3, Horizon 3, Brighton 1, George Washington 1.
    Dropped out
    Monarch (8).

    Note: The 4A rankings have been updated to correct a mistake where votes for D’Evelyn were incorrectly tabulated for Delta.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sand Creek (7) 1-1 130 1 1-1
    2 Longmont (4) 1-0 105 4 1-0
    3 Mesa Ridge (1) 3-0 102 8 3-0
    4 Valor Christian (1) 2-1 96 2 2-1
    5 Holy Family 1-2 70 5 1-2
    6 Pueblo West 3-1 62 7 3-1
    7 Evergreen 2-0 43 9 2-0
    8 D’Evelyn (1) 1-3 41 3 1-3
    9 Berthoud 4-0 32 – 4-0
    10 Golden 4-0 31 – 4-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo East 28, Falcon 22, Windsor 16, Montrose 15, Pueblo South 9, Green Mountain 5, Mullen 5, Canon City 4, Palisade 3, Air Academy 2, The Classical Academy 2, Thomas Jefferson 1, Vista Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    Pueblo East (6), Montrose (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Manitou Springs (6) 2-0 100 1 2-0
    2 Sterling (2) 2-0 97 2 2-0
    3 Pagosa Springs (3) 3-0 96 3 3-0
    4 St. Mary’s 3-0 76 6 3-0
    5 Lutheran 0-0 46 5 0-0
    6 Eaton 0-0 42 4 0-0
    7 Centauri 3-0 30 7 3-0
    8 Moffat County 0-0 27 8 0-0
    9 Lamar 3-0 26 – 3-0
    10 Trinidad 3-0 19 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Liberty Common 13, Faith Christian 12, Colorado Springs Christian 7, La Junta 4, Olathe 4, Alamosa 2, Strasburg 2, Grand Valley 1, Platte Valley 1.
    Dropped out
    Liberty Common (9), Faith Christian (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Yuma (9) 1-1 129 1 1-1
    2 Paonia (5) 3-0 128 2 3-0
    3 Akron 2-0 107 3 2-0
    4 Cedaredge 3-0 97 4 3-0
    5 Del Norte 2-0 79 5 2-0
    6 Peyton 1-0 62 6 1-0
    7 Simla 2-0 39 10 2-0
    8 Hoehne 2-1 30 7 2-1
    9 Wray 2-0 29 – 2-0
    10 Ellicott 1-0 25 9 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Calhan 10, Ignacio 9, Sanford 8, Caliche 4, Kiowa 4, Highland 3, Resurrection Christian 2, Union Colony 2, Dayspring Christian 1, Haxtun 1, Swink 1.
    Dropped out
    Ignacio (8).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Idalia (7) 2-0 79 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson (1) 2-0 70 2 2-0
    3 Sangre De Cristo 3-0 51 3 3-0
    4 Flagler 2-0 39 8 2-0
    5 South Baca 2-0 36 4 2-0
    6 Prairie 3-0 29 – 3-0
    7 Fleming 2-0 23 10 2-0
    8 Norwood 1-1 21 5 1-1
    9 Genoa-Hugo 1-1 15 6 1-1
    10 Antonito 2-1 14 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Kim 13, Jim Elliot 10, La Veta 8, Sierra Grande 8, Briggsdale 7, Eads 7, Springfield 5, Wiley 2, Cheraw 1, Cornerstone Christian 1, Walsh 1.
    Dropped out
    Eads (7), Briggsdale (9).

  • ThunderRidge, Sand Creek among No. 1 teams in preseason girls basketball rankings

    ThunderRidge Monarch girls basketball
    ThunderRidge girls basketball opens the 2015-16 season as No. 1 in 5A. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Three teams which finished second last season now open this season as No. 1 in their respective classification.

    ThunderRidge, Sand Creek, Manitou Springs, Yuma and Idalia are the preseason No. 1 teams in CHSAANow.com’s girls basketball rankings, which were released on Friday. Of those, ThunderRidge, Sand Creek and Yuma finished as runner-up in 2014-15. Idalia is the lone defending champion of the bunch.

    ThunderRidge, led by new coach Matt Asik and Wyoming commit Taylor Rusk, received 13 of the 17 first-place votes to lead the Class 5A poll. The Grizzlies return four of their five leading scorers, including Rusk, a first-team all-state pick in 5A last season.

    Grandview and super junior Michaela Onyenwere, also a first-team all-state pick, are No. 2 in the preseason. The Wolves received two first-place votes.

    Highlands Ranch and its trio of Division I commits are third, while defending champion Broomfield is fourth. Lakewood rounds out the top-5.

    Also ranked in 5A’s preseason top-10 are No. 6 Cherry Creek, No. 7 Ralston Valley, No. 8 Monarch, No. 9 Fossil Ridge and No. 10 Regis Jesuit.

    Sand Creek Longmont girls basketball
    Sand Creek is No. 1 in Class 4A. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    In 4A, Sand Creek leads the way with 13 of the 19 first-place votes. The Scorpions, who lost to Valor Christian in last season’s 4A title game, return their top five leading scorers. That includes Division I commits Liah Davis and Oliana Squires. Both girls earned all-state recognition last season, with Squires making the first team.

    Defending champion Valor Christian is second, with three first-place votes, and D’Evelyn is No. 3. Longmont and Holy Family round out the top-5.

    Manitou Springs was a Final 4 team a season ago. On Friday, the Mustangs received five of the 11 first-place votes to lead 3A’s preseason rankings. All nine girls return from last season’s varsity roster, including first-team all-state pick Shelby Megyeri.

    Sterling, last season’s 3A runner-up, is second, and defending champion Pagosa Springs is No. 3. Eaton and Lutheran round out the top 5.

    Yuma heads the preseason 2A poll with eight of the 10 first-place votes. The team graduated just two seniors and returns more than 80 percent of its offense. Logan Hixon was a first-team all-state pick in 2014-15.

    Defending champion Akron is No. 3 to begin the year, just behind No. 2 Paonia.

    In 1A, the reigning champ Idalia received nine of 10 first-place votes to lead the preseason ranking. The Wolves are led by returning first-team all-state pick Reagan Shaffer. Their top three scorers are back.

    Kit Carson is No. 2, and last season’s runner-up, Sangre de Cristo, is No. 3.

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

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    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.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 ThunderRidge (13) 0-0 162
    2 Grandview (2) 0-0 112
    3 Highlands Ranch (1) 0-0 112
    4 Broomfield (1) 0-0 100
    5 Lakewood 0-0 96
    6 Cherry Creek 0-0 65
    7 Ralston Valley 0-0 64
    8 Monarch 0-0 60
    9 Fossil Ridge 0-0 28
    10 Regis Jesuit 0-0 26
    Others receiving votes:
    Horizon 22, Rampart 17, Denver East 15, Pine Creek 15, Mountain Vista 14, Rock Canyon 6, Fairview 4, Fruita Monument 4, Grand Junction 4, Loveland 3, Mullen 2, Rocky Mountain 2, Grand Junction Central 1, Gateway 1.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Sand Creek (13) 0-0 184
    2 Valor Christian (3) 0-0 154
    3 D’Evelyn (1) 0-0 113
    4 Longmont 0-0 94
    5 Holy Family 0-0 88
    6 Pueblo East (2) 0-0 85
    7 Pueblo West 0-0 64
    8 Mesa Ridge 0-0 44
    9 Evergreen 0-0 33
    10 Montrose 0-0 31
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo South 27, Palisade 19, Air Academy 17, Silver Creek 17, Falcon 15, Green Mountain 13, Golden 10, Canon City 6, Littleton 6, Mullen 6, Thompson Valley 5, Berthoud 4, Windsor 4, Durango 2, Sierra 2, Mead 1, Thomas Jefferson 1.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Manitou Springs (5) 0-0 98
    2 Sterling (3) 0-0 89
    3 Pagosa Springs (3) 0-0 84
    4 Eaton 0-0 60
    5 Lutheran 0-0 59
    6 St. Mary’s 0-0 40
    7 Centauri 0-0 35
    8 Moffat County 0-0 30
    9 Liberty Common 0-0 22
    10 Faith Christian 0-0 18
    Others receiving votes:
    Trinidad 16, Kent Denver 11, Colorado Springs Christian 10, Lamar 7, Machebeuf 7, Olathe 6, Platte Valley 6, Strasburg 4, La Junta 2, Sky View Academy 1.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Yuma (8) 0-0 98
    2 Paonia 0-0 83
    3 Akron (2) 0-0 69
    4 Cedaredge 0-0 64
    5 Del Norte 0-0 31
    6 Peyton 0-0 25
    7 Hoehne 0-0 23
    8 Ignacio 0-0 21
    9 Ellicott 0-0 20
    10 Simla 0-0 19
    Others receiving votes:
    Caliche 16, Soroco 14, Rye 13, Wray 12, Burlington 10, Calhan 7, Kiowa 7, Resurrection Christian 4, Haxtun 3, Sanford 3, Fowler 2, Highland 2, Sargent 2, Swink 2, Ridgway 1, Union Colony 1.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Idalia (9) 0-0 99
    2 Kit Carson (1) 0-0 80
    3 Sangre De Cristo 0-0 70
    4 South Baca 0-0 51
    5 Norwood 0-0 38
    6 Genoa-Hugo 0-0 32
    7 Eads 0-0 29
    8 Flagler 0-0 27
    9 Briggsdale 0-0 22
    10 Fleming 0-0 18
    Others receiving votes:
    Prairie 15, Springfield 14, La Veta 12, Plateau Valley 10, Heritage Christian 6, Antonito 5, Cheraw 4, Dove Creek 4, Aguilar 3, McClave 3, Otis 3, Kim 2, Hanover 1, Holly 1, Walsh 1.

  • Otis rallies from a set down to take 1A state volleyball title

    DENVER — The loud crowd noise as five courts of state finals volleyball played simultaneously created an electrifying atmosphere in the Denver Coliseum that would have gotten anyone excited. The two best teams in Class 1A faced off in the finals with the No.1 Otis Bulldogs defeating No. 2 Idalia Wolves 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 22-25, 25-16, 15-12) in a match that came down to the wire.

    Senior outside hitter Lissette Lefforge dominated when she needed to, helping her team hoist the state championship trophy.

    “This is unbelievable,” said Lefforge. “This is what we worked our whole lives for. Since the first grade I’ve been working with Kylee (Kutz) and Tonya (Schaffert) and this is what we wanted our whole lives. Semifinal was not good enough this year. We took it home.”

    The final set of the game showed how much composure as team Otis had after dropping the first two consecutive sets to fall behind 2-1. They battled back in set three to tie things up, sending the match to a fifth and final set.

    Otis volleyball
    Otis celebrates winning the 1A volleyball championship game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, at the Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colo. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Otis was able to start the set off strong but Idalia rallied back tie it up six different times. Lefforge showed her dominance with powerful strikes in the most important set of her life to help lead her team to victory in 15-12 win.

    “We came back two sets to two,” Lefforge said. “Neck and neck to the very end. Mental toughness is what helped us win.”

    Bulldogs coach Bonnie Wallin-Kuntz nodded in agreement with Lefforge about mental toughness being key for their win.

    “My kids do all the talking, they know exactly what’s going on. It’s a family,” said coach Wallin-Kuntz

    Otis’s first set showed exactly why they were the No. 1 seed coming into the weekend. They controlled the game with vicious strikes from Lefforge and and well-placed tips from Schaffert, creating the perfect combo to win the first set 25-21.

    But Idalia was far from done and came back strong in the second set. The Wolves’s defense helped them maintain a comfortable lead every time the Bulldogs tried to rally back. Otis nearly pulled even after falling behind 24-20 but Wolves couldn’t afford to be down 2-0 and finished the set strong to to take a 25-23 win.

    The confident Otis team started to look flustered as Idalia carried the momentum into the third set. Senior right setter Susana Herrera and senior outside hitter Reagan Shaffer both capitalized on key opportunities throughout the set giving them the biggest lead of the match at 16-9. Once again Otis rallied back at 22-24 but fell short, losing the set 25-22

    With Idalia’s only two losses of the season coming at the hands of Otis, a 2-1 lead looked like they were on the verge to redeeming their loss in the best way possible.

    But in the fourth set, Otis had its back against the wall and Idalia had chance to win it all. The Wolves one-two combo, Herrera and Shaffer, helped tie the game at crucial moments, but it wasn’t enough. Otis built an eight-point lead that was too big for Idalia to climb back from, and suddenly, the match was tied.

    The final set of the game came down to the team who could make the clutch plays at the right moment. The teams traded back and forth points and were tied at 12-12. Otis was able to step it up and score the last three points winning the final set 15-12 and bringing home a state title.

    “I feel great,” said coach Wallin-Kuntz “These kids have worked so hard. I told them their hard work will payoff, just believe it. Just keep working because there is no better feeling when your hard work pays offs.”