Jeffco Preps With Pleuss is a monthly roundup of Jeffco prep highlights hosted by Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ sports information director. Dakota Ridge (Class 4A Jeffco League champs) and Pomona (Class 5A Jeffco League champs) opened up the football postseason with impressive offensive performances. The victories moved the Eagles and Panthers into the state semifinals for the second straight season. Chatfield’s football team rallied in the second half to grab a season-ending victory over Green Mountain. Ralston Valley rolled to a win over rival Arvada West at the NAAC. We also give a look at the renovations made at Trailblazer Stadium.
Tag: Pomona
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Photos: Pomona football runs past Eaglecrest in 5A’s first round
Pomona football beat Eaglecrest 49-19 in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
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Pomona football runs into 5A state semifinals with win over Eaglecrest
HIGHLANDS RANCH — Pomona was scoring rushing touchdowns like it was going out of style Friday night in its Class 5A state quarterfinal match-up against Eaglecrest.
Dominick Nichols, Ben Cruz, Jack Pospisil, AJ Zamora and Ian Dexter all scored touchdowns on the ground for the Panthers in a dominating performance. Pomona’s six rushing scores allowed the Panthers to walk out to Valor Christian Stadium with an impressive 49-19 victory in the postseason opener.
More photos from the game. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “We have five or six of the greatest running backs any team has ever had and they all have different things they are good at,” Pomona coach Jay Madden said of his riches at running back. “They do everything for us.”
Nichols had a pair of rushing touchdowns, an interception on defense, along with a huge 27-yard touchdown catch with under a minute to play in the first half that gave No. 4-seeded Pomona a 21-13 lead at halftime. It was just the second touchdown pass of the season for senior quarterback Jack Pospisil, who was celebrating his 18th birthday.
“That was huge,” Nichols said of his touchdown catch. “I saw #13 (Riley Lovato Mueller) guarding me and I felt like I had the speed advantage on him. I told Coach Madden to bring it to me.”
No. 5 Eaglecrest (5-2 record) actually held a 13-7 lead after a remarkable 39-yard touchdown catch by senior Seyi Oladipo with 8:14 left in the second quarter. Pomona’s defense was able to buckle down and the Panthers’ offense ran wild with 35 unanswered points.
“We knew it could be a roller coast ride,” Madden said. “As soon as we got used to their speed and got some pressure on the quarterback we were OK. Our offense let our defense relax because they knew we were going to score points.”
Pomona (7-0) got touchdown runs from Pospisil and Nichols in the third quarter to really take control of the game. Zamora found the end zone early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 42-13.
“We’ve got a lot of good running backs and we try to spread it around because teams can’t stop most of us,” Zamora said. “Our offensive line is getting stronger and stronger. We are looking super good.”
More photos from the game. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) Dexter scored on a 6-yard run to finish the scoring.
“We came into the week knowing they would key on Jack,” Nichols said. “The running backs knew we had to come out and execute plays.”
Next up for Pomona is defending state champion Cherry Creek (7-0). The top-seeded Bruins defeated No. 8 Regis Jesuit 29-6 in another state quarterfinal game held Friday night.
The Panthers and Bruins will play next week in the semifinals at Stutler Bowl.
“We have been an underdog ever since Max Borghi left,” Zamora said. “We made it to the state semifinals last year and we weren’t even supposed to be in the playoffs. I’ve fine with the underdog role. All we are going to do is prove people wrong.”
The last meeting between Eaglecrest and Pomona was one of the most memorable 5A state championships games on record that featured Borghi, current running back at Washington State University. The Panthers took a 56-49 victory over the Raptors in the 5A title game on Dec. 2, 2017.
The Panthers produced on of the most impressive offensive performances ever in the largest classification state title game. Pomona quarterback Ryan Marquez passed for nearly 350 yards and five touchdowns. Borghi has almost 250 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Billy Pospisil, Jack’s older brother, had 189 yards receiving and three scores.
Pomona is the torch barrier for the historically strong 5A Jeffco League during this condensed state tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Columbine (5-1) and Ralston Valley (5-2) — both suffered 3-point losses to Pomona during the regular season — were just on the outside of the Top-8 of the CHSAA Seeding Index that determined the 8-team field.
“We wanted to show everyone that Jeffco has a great league,” Madden said. “In a normal year those two (Columbine and Ralston Valley) would be in for sure. It’s just too bad it didn’t work out that way.”
More photos from the game. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
Football postseason preview: 5A, 4A and 3A first round games
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) The state football playoffs are underway this week. Each bracket consists of eight teams with quarterfinals taking place this week before semifinals are played next week, ahead of the state championship games, all of which will be played at Colorado State University Pueblo.
With four games in all seven classifications, here is a breakdown of this week’s big-school matchups:
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Class 5A
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(8) Regis Jesuit at (1) Cherry Creek
(Theodore Stark/tstark.com) Date and time: Nov. 20, 4 p.m.
Breakdown: There has been no slowing down for Cherry Creek (6-0) since the Bruins claimed the 5A title last December. They haven’t been shy about putting up points and have only surrendered 28 total points all year. Quarterback Julian Hammond has thrown for 1,027 yards and 17 touchdowns while James Walker II has rushed for 566 yards and four touchdowns.
Regis Jesuit (5-1) has put together some impressive wins this season but fell to Legend, the only playoff team on its schedule. The Raiders have been paced all year by senior running back David Dody. Through the course of the season, he has rushed for 514 yards and nine touchdowns.
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(5) Eaglecrest at (4) Pomona
(Lance Wendt/CHSAANow.com) Date and time: Nov. 20, 5 p.m.
Breakdown: As has been tradition in recent years, Pomona (6-0) has taken care of business this season. The Panthers won a key battle with Columbine to end the regular season and officially punch their ticket to the postseason. A big reason for that is Jack Pospisil. The senior has rushed for 593 yards and 10 touchdowns this year.
A Week 1 shootout made a lot of people pay attention to Eaglecrest’s (4-1) offensive potential. The Raptors got solid games from JP Luketu (547 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns) and anything can happen when quarterback Khalil Howard finds wide receiver Ty Robinson.
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(7) Cherokee Trail at (2) Valor Christian
(Kevin McNearny) Date and time: Nov. 19, 6 p.m.
Breakdown: Under first-year head coach Donnie Yantis, Valor Christian (5-0) is looking to return to the state title game for the first time in two years. To get there, they’ll rely on Gavin Sawchuk, who has rushed for 993 yards and 16 touchdowns.
After dropping the first two games of the year, Cherokee Trail (4-2) battled its way into the 5A field. Quarterback Jayden Lavigne has been a big reason for those four straight wins as he’s totaled 1,287 passing yards and 13 touchdowns.
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(6) Fairview at (3) Legend
(Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com) Date and time: Nov. 21, 2:30 p.m.
Breakdown: In the first four games of the season, Legend surrendered just seven total points to its opponents. The Titans are looking strong heading into the postseason thanks in large part to the running game of Connor Eise (798 yards, eight touchdowns) and the complementary passing attack of Kalen Shoemaker (890 yards, 14 touchdowns).
After finding its footing through the first two games of the year, Fairview found its rhythm offensively. The Knights scored at least 42 points in each of their last four games of the year. Liam O’Brien threw for a staggering 310 yards per game and 18 total scores to just one interception.
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Class 4A
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(8) Montrose at (1) Dakota Ridge
(David Harvey/ImageProPhotography.com) Date and time: Nov. 21, 3 p.m.
Breakdown: Dakota Ridge (6-0) meant business from the second the first whistle blew to start the season. The Eagles outscored their first three opponents 155-26 and haven’t looked back since. Ben Gultig is completing 69 percent of his passes and has totaled 920 yards and 14 touchdowns.
A tough schedule put Montrose (4-2) right on the bubble, but they’ll have a chance to pull off a major shocker on Saturday. The team showed it can play with the best in 4A after leading Palmer Ridge at halftime of their game back on Oct. 30.
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(5) Broomfield at (4) Loveland
(Brad Cochi) Date and time: Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Breakdown: A hard fought victory over Skyline last week kept Loveland (6-0) undefeated on the year and more importantly, battle tested heading into the postseason. Zack Rakowsky leads Loveland with 860 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
After getting to last year’s state title game, Broomfield (5-0) has every intention of making a return trip. Sophomore Cole Lacrue has shown poise at the quarterback position while throwing for 841 yards and nine touchdowns. As a team, the Eagles have forced a staggering 16 takeaways.
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(7) Pine Creek at (2) Palmer Ridge
(Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography) Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Arguably the most anticipated matchup of the week sees two teams who both claimed state titles last year. Palmer Ridge (4-0) won the 3A title while Pine Creek enters the postseason as the defending 4A champ. Luke McAllister has paced the Bears offensively with 1,070 passing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Playing a full 5A schedule should make Pine Creek (2-2) battle tested heading into the tournament. Beau Freyler and Zion Hill have rushed for a combined 555 yards and four touchdowns this year.
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(6) Fountain-Fort Carson at (3) Ponderosa
(PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com) Date and time: Nov. 21, 10:30 a.m.
Breakdown: A strong showing in the regular season saw Ponderosa (6-0) go undefeated. That included a thrilling last-minute win over Montrose on Nov. 6. Quarterback Jack Hanenburg has shown strong leadership all year as well as solid play. He has thrown for 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns this year.
Fountain-Fort Carson (5-1) got rare regular season retribution to end the year by knocking off Rampart, the very team that handed FFC its lone loss of the season just a week earlier. Q. Jones is in the conversation for 4A player of the year as he averages over 232 rushing yards per game and has scored 16 rushing touchdowns this season.
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Class 3A
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(8) Fort Morgan at (1) Roosevelt
(Barry Smith) Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Since beating Mead 21-20 in overtime on Oct. 16, Roosevelt (5-0) has been the clear No. 1 in the 3A field. Brig Hartson is the catalyst of the team’s offense as he’s thrown for 838 yards and 13 touchdowns while also rushing for 204 yards and two scores.
With just one loss in the regular season, Fort Morgan (4-1) is looking to pull off a major upset in the quarterfinals. Briggs Wheatley has thrown for 563 yards and rushed for 417 and will need to pace the Mustangs in their bid to shake up the 3A field.
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(5) Mead at (4) Pueblo South
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Date and time: N/A
Breakdown: COVID-19 concerns prompted Mead (5-2) to withdraw from the game. Pueblo South (5-0) wins via forfeit and advances to the semifinals.
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(7) Evergreen at (2) Holy Family
(Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com) Date and time: Nov. 20, 6 p.m.
Breakdown: If there is one thing Holy Family (6-0) likes to do, it’s score points. The Tigers cross the 30-point mark in all but one of their games this season. Michael White and Trevin Johnson give the offense a bit of balance as White has thrown for 903 yards while Johnson has rushed for 786.
Losses to Palisade and Durango got Evergreen (4-2) off to a 2-2 start, but the Cougars finished strong to earn a postseason berth. They’ll have to rely on Noah Martens (871 rushing yards, three touchdowns) to control the time of possession and keep Holy Family off the field.
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(6) Lutheran at (3) Durango
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: An undefeated regular season has given Durango (5-0) confidence that it can claim its first state football title since 1954. Jordan Woolverton has a cool command of the Demons offense, throwing for 629 yards and six touchdowns while adding five rushing touchdowns.
The lone loss of the year for Lutheran (4-1) came in the regular season finale against Holy Family. The Lions are hoping that a steady passing attack from Clayton Jacobs (1,082 yards, 13 touchdowns) will be too much for Durango to hang with.
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Final football coaches poll released prior to playoff seeding
(Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com) The final football coaches poll of the 2020 fall season is here.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. This poll factors into postseason seeding.
Complete rankings for all classes are below.
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CHSAANow.com Football Polls
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.
Class 5A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Cherry Creek (18) 6-0 189 1 W 2 Valor Christian (1) 5-0 169 2 Bye 3 Pomona 6-0 149 3 W 4 Legend 6-0 119 6 W 5 Fairview 6-0 88 7 W 6 Eaglecrest 4-1 83 4 L 7 Columbine 4-1 76 5 L 8 Regis Jesuit 5-1 67 8 W 9 Cherokee Trail 4-2 53 9 W 10 Ralston Valley 4-2 29 10 W Others receiving votes: Grandview 15, Legacy 5, Castle View 3. Dropped out None. Class 4A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Dakota Ridge (13) 6-0 171 1 W 2 Ponderosa 6-0 142 3 W 3 Palmer Ridge (4) 4-0 138 2 Bye 4 Loveland (1) 6-0 126 5 W 5 Broomfield 5-0 110 4 Bye 6 Fountain-Fort Carson 5-1 75 8 W 7 Skyline 5-1 56 6 L 8 Brighton 5-1 44 – W 9 Pine Creek 2-2 43 7 L 10 Montrose 4-2 37 10 W Others receiving votes: Windsor 16, Fruita Monument 12, Rampart 11, Vista Ridge 5, Longmont 1. Dropped out Windsor (9). Class 3A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Roosevelt (7) 5-0 122 1 W 2 Holy Family (3) 6-0 118 2 W 3 Durango (3) 5-0 108 3 W 4 Pueblo South 4-0 96 5 W 5 Mead (1) 5-1 93 4 W 6 Lutheran 4-1 70 6 Bye 7 Fort Morgan 4-1 42 8 W 8 Palisade 4-2 34 9 W 9 Evergreen 4-2 33 – W 10 Canon City 3-2 19 10 L Others receiving votes: Conifer 16, Discovery Canyon 8, Pueblo County 7, Pueblo East 4. Dropped out Conifer (7). Class 2A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Resurrection Christian (10) 5-0 136 1 Bye 2 Sterling (3) 5-0 125 2 Bye 3 Pagosa Springs (1) 5-0 106 3 Bye 4 Platte Valley 5-1 97 5 W 5 Lamar 5-1 70 6 W 6 Eaton 4-2 69 4 L 7 Delta 4-1 63 8 Bye 8 Moffat County 4-1 55 7 W 9 University 3-2 29 9 W 10 Valley 3-3 8 10 L Others receiving votes: D’Evelyn 4, La Junta 4, Severance 2, Berthoud 1, Englewood 1. Dropped out None. Class 1A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Limon (12) 4-0 144 1 Bye 2 Strasburg (1) 6-0 122 2 W 3 Florence 5-0 105 3 W T4 Centauri (1) 6-0 91 4 W T4 Hotchkiss (1) 6-0 91 6 W T4 Wray 5-1 91 5 W 7 Meeker 5-1 65 7 W 8 Holyoke 5-1 53 8 W 9 Colorado Springs Christian 3-1 31 9 Bye 10 Highland 4-2 19 10 W Others receiving votes: Peyton 5, Yuma 5, Monte Vista 2, Gunnison 1. Dropped out None. 8-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Sedgwick County (19) 6-0 190 1 W 2 Fowler 6-0 155 2 W 3 Sanford 5-0 150 3 Bye 4 Rangely 6-0 110 4 W 5 Merino 5-1 103 5 W 6 Dove Creek 4-1 83 6 Bye T7 Crowley County 3-1 59 7 Bye T7 Simla 5-1 59 9 W 9 Mancos 3-1 53 8 Bye 10 Swink 5-1 47 10 W Others receiving votes: Holly 18, Elbert 6, Dayspring Christian Academy 3, Gilpin County 3, Pikes Peak Christian 3, Vail Christian 2, Calhan 1. Dropped out None. 6-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Fleming (12) 5-0 165 1 W 2 Stratton/Liberty (4) 4-0 152 2 Bye 3 Cheyenne Wells (1) 5-0 136 3 Bye 4 Granada 5-1 122 4 L 5 Prairie 5-1 96 5 W 6 Eads 3-2 75 7 Bye 7 Briggsdale 3-1 66 8 W 8 Kit Carson 3-1 30 – W 9 Genoa-Hugo 4-2 27 – W 10 Cheraw 4-2 26 6 L Others receiving votes: Sierra Grande 12, North Park 11, Mountain Valley 5, Hi-Plains 3, Idalia 3, Manzanola 3, Branson/Kim 2, Peetz 1. Dropped out North Park (9), Mountain Valley (10). -
No. 3 Pomona football wins 5A Jeffco title by edging No. 5 Columbine
Pomona sophomore Ian Frye (79) celebrates a fumble recovery during the first quarter that ended a Columbine drive deep in Pomona territory. More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/Wendt5280.com) LAKEWOOD — Two huge scoring plays and a gritty defense is what it took for Pomona to claim the Class 5A Jeffco League title Friday night at Jeffco Stadium.
Pomona — No. 3 in the CHSAANow.com 5A football rankings — grabbed a 14-11 victory over No. 5 Columbine to finish off an undefeated 6-0 regular season for the Panthers.
Columbine senior Carson Goodwin (5) runs with the ball during the Class 5A Jeffco League finale against Pomona at Jeffco Stadium. (Lance Wendt/CHSAANow.com) The two Pomona touchdowns were courtesy of senior Jack Pospisil and junior Dominick Nichols. Pospisil opened the scoring up on the second play from scrimmage. The quarterback weaved his way for a 77-yard touchdown run to put the Panthers up 7-0 less than a minute into the regular-season finale for both teams.
Columbine (4-1, 3-1 in 5A Jeffco) responded with a 20-yard field goal by senior Adam Tasei on the first play of the second quarter to cut the Panthers’ lead to 7-3.
Nichols put the Panthers up 14-3 midway through the third quarter with a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Pomona did turn the ball over three times to help keep Columbine in the game. The Rebels capitalized on the Panthers’ third turnover of the game to get within a score. Junior Seth Cromwell had a big 41-yard run to get Columbine down to Pomona’s 6-yard line.
Columbine junior quarterback Brock Zanetell scored on a 1-yard plunge and also ran in a 2-point conversion with 4:01 left to cut Pomona’s lead to 14-11. It was the only touchdown drive for Columbine as Pomona’s defense was able to slowdown the Rebels’ rushing attack for the majority of the night.
Pomona junior Chase Muller (9) helped the Panthers run out the clock with a handful of key runs late in Pomona’s 14-11 victory over Columbine on Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/Wendt5280.com) The Panthers came up with just the offensive drive it needed clinging to a 3-point lead. Pomona junior Chase Muller had six straight carries on the ground that totaled 36 yards to drive across midfield. On third down-and-12, Pospisil faked a handoff to Muller and preceded to run 23 yards around the right side to ice the game. The senior quarterback took a knee to run out the clock.
The Panthers and Rebels now wait to see how the seeding for the 8-team 5A state tournament shakes out. CHSAA is scheduled to release the playoff brackets Sunday.
Pomona was No. 4 and Columbine held the No. 7 spot in the CHSAA seeding index through Week 5.
The Rebels had a prime opportunity to take the lead before halftime, but a fumble on a quarterback to running back handoff on Pomona’s 10-yard line was recovered by Pomona sophomore Ian Frye to end the drive. The Panthers ran out the remainder of the time in the second quarter to head into halftime with a 7-3 lead.
Columbine also turned over the ball while inside Pomona’s 30-yard-line early in the fourth quarter. A bad pitch was recovered by Pomona junior Steven Gartman to end the solid drive by the Rebels.
It’s the second straight victory for Pomona over Columbine during this history powerhouse rivalry.
Pomona defeated Columbine 34-33 in a thriller last season. The Panthers held off the Rebels’ fourth-quarter rally to hand back-to-back 1-point losses during conference play last season. The Rebels also lost to Ralston Valley — 24-23 — in the regular season before making their playoff run all the way to the 5A state championship game.
Columbine junior Seth Cromwell had the Rebels’ longest run from scrimmage with a 41-yard run in the fourth quarter that set up Columbine lone touchdown Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. More photos from the game. (Lance Wendt/Wendt5280.com) -
Photos: No. 3 Pomona holds off No. 5 Columbine in top-10 5A matchup
No. 3 Pomona football held off No. 5 Columbine in a top-10 5A matchup, 14-11.
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Football rankings: The polls add seven new teams
Seven new teams have joined the football rankings this week: Cherokee Trail (5A), Conifer (3A), Valley (2A), Simla (8-man), Swink (8-man), North Park (6-man), and Mountain Valley (6-man).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.
These are the final polls of the regular season. The next poll will come ahead of the seeding meeting.
Complete rankings for all classes are below.
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CHSAANow.com Football Polls
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.
Class 5A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Cherry Creek (16) 5-0 169 1 W 2 Valor Christian (1) 5-0 151 2 W 3 Pomona 5-0 130 4 W 4 Eaglecrest 4-0 99 5 Bye 5 Columbine 4-0 96 3 Bye 6 Legend 5-0 90 7 W 7 Fairview 5-0 81 6 W 8 Regis Jesuit 4-1 44 10 W 9 Cherokee Trail 3-2 31 – W 10 Ralston Valley 3-2 26 8 L Others receiving votes: Grandview 8, Castle View 4, Legacy 4, Highlands Ranch 2. Dropped out Grandview (9). Class 4A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Dakota Ridge (15) 5-0 210 1 W 2 Palmer Ridge (8) 4-0 172 2 Bye 3 Ponderosa 5-0 163 4 W 4 Broomfield 5-0 147 6 W 5 Loveland (1) 5-0 138 7 W 6 Skyline (1) 5-0 101 8 W 7 Pine Creek 2-1 78 3 L 8 Fountain-Fort Carson 4-1 61 5 L 9 Windsor 4-1 31 9 L 10 Montrose 3-2 26 10 L Others receiving votes: Rampart 25, Pueblo West 22, Brighton 17, Vista Ridge 6, Fruita Monument 4, Erie 3, Longmont 3, Chatfield 2, Monarch 1. Dropped out None. Class 3A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Roosevelt (8) 4-0 147 1 Bye 2 Holy Family (4) 5-0 129 6 W 3 Durango (3) 4-0 123 3 W 4 Mead (1) 4-1 114 4 W 5 Pueblo South 3-0 109 5 W 6 Lutheran 4-1 74 2 L 7 Conifer 4-1 49 – W 8 Fort Morgan 3-1 43 8 Bye 9 Palisade 3-2 31 7 L 10 Canon City 3-1 22 10 L Others receiving votes: Evergreen 21, Green Mountain 7, Pueblo County 6, Pueblo East 3, Eagle Valley 2. Dropped out Green Mountain (9). Class 2A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Resurrection Christian (15) 5-0 177 1 W 2 Sterling (2) 5-0 153 3 W 3 Pagosa Springs (1) 5-0 139 4 W 4 Eaton 4-1 107 5 W 5 Platte Valley 4-1 105 6 W 6 Lamar 4-1 88 7 W 7 Moffat County 3-1 84 10 W 8 Delta 4-1 76 2 L 9 University 2-2 31 9 Bye 10 Valley 3-2 13 – W Others receiving votes: La Junta 10, D’Evelyn 2, Severance 2, Alamosa 1, Berthoud 1, Woodland Park 1. Dropped out Severance (8). Class 1A RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Limon (15) 4-0 165 1 Bye 2 Strasburg (1) 5-0 136 2 W 3 Florence 4-0 119 3 Bye 4 Centauri 5-0 108 5 W 5 Wray 4-1 107 4 L 6 Hotchkiss (1) 5-0 91 6 W 7 Meeker 4-1 65 7 W 8 Holyoke 4-1 57 8 Bye 9 Colorado Springs Christian 3-1 36 9 Bye 10 Highland 3-2 22 10 W Others receiving votes: Wiggins 8, Peyton 7, Yuma 6, Gunnison 4, Monte Vista 4. Dropped out None. 8-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Sedgwick County (22) 5-0 229 1 W 2 Fowler (1) 5-0 197 2 W 3 Sanford 5-0 167 4 W 4 Rangely 5-0 132 6 W 5 Merino 4-1 118 3 L 6 Dove Creek 4-1 101 9 W 7 Crowley County 3-1 90 7 L 8 Mancos 4-1 70 5 L 9 Simla 4-1 50 – W 10 Swink 4-1 37 – W Others receiving votes: Holly 24, West Grand 13, Dayspring Christian Academy 10, Calhan 9, Elbert 4, Haxtun 4, Gilpin County 3, Vail Christian 2, Pikes Peak Christian 1. Dropped out Holly (8), West Grand (10). 6-man RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW 1 Fleming (14) 4-0 185 1 Bye 2 Stratton/Liberty (4) 4-0 169 2 Bye 3 Cheyenne Wells 5-0 144 3 W 4 Granada (1) 5-0 126 4 W 5 Prairie 4-1 106 5 W 6 Cheraw 4-1 88 7 W 7 Eads 3-2 84 6 L 8 Briggsdale 2-1 54 8 Bye 9 North Park 3-2 27 – W 10 Mountain Valley 3-0 21 – W Others receiving votes: Kit Carson 18, Genoa-Hugo 10, Sierra Grande 6, Idalia 5, Hi-Plains 1, Weldon Valley 1. Dropped out Kit Carson (9), Hi-Plains (10). -
No. 4 Pomona football builds an early lead, runs away in win against Mullen
ARVADA — Pomona linebacker Juju Howard had a late birthday celebration Thursday night at the North Area Athletic Complex.
Howard picked up a loose football off a bad snap on Mullen’s 25-yard line midway through the second quarter. The senior returned it for a touchdown, his first score of his prep career.
A day after his 18th birthday, Pomona senior Juju Howard could celebrate his fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter against Mullen. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “I saw Deion (Maes) get the pressure. I thought he had the ball, but then I saw it pop out,” Howard said of the touchdown that extended Pomona’s lead to 35-0 over the Mustangs. “The first thing I thought was ‘scoop and score’ so that’s what I did.”
Howard had his 18th birthday the day before and was able to celebrate again as the No. 4-ranked Pomona Panthers improved to 5-0 on the season with a dominating 42-21 victory.
Pomona wasted no time in getting up on Mullen (1-3, 1-3 in Class 5A Jeffco). Pomona senior Jack Pospisil returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.
“We really didn’t practice kick returns because they were kicking it in the end zone every time this year,” Pomona coach Jay Madden said. “I knew as soon as Jack caught it he was going. Every time he gets it on kick returns he seems to score.”
It took 16 seconds for Pospisil race past Mullen’s sideline and into the end zone.
“I was expecting it to go (into the end zone). I was glad it didn’t for once,” Pospisil said of the opening kickoff. “It was a great kickstart for the team and really got us going.”
Pomona was a bit sluggish in a 33-14 victory last Saturday afternoon against rival Arvada West. The Panthers were clicking Thursday night scoring touchdowns on four straight offensive positions, along with the defensive score by Howard.
Pomona senior Ben Cruz (24) tries to break out of a tackle during the Panthers’ 42-21 victory over Mullen on Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) “I think we called better plays and the kids did a better job executing those plays,” Madden said of the offense looking better than it did against A-West. “We didn’t try to do too much individually on plays. They beat Arvada West so I think that got our kids’ attention a little bit more.”
Pospisil scored on a 23-yard touchdown run from his quarterback position. Senior Ian Dexter found the end zone late in the first quarter to push the Panthers’ lead to 21-0.
Dexter had a 1-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter and senior AJ Zamora extended the lead to 42-0 minutes left before halftime to induce the running clock.
“The offensive line had a great week of practice,” Pospisil said. “They did a great job opening up so many holes for us. They are the whole key for us.”
Mullen got a trio of touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Blake Palladino in the second half going up against Pomona’s backups.
“We are playing out of our minds this year,” Howard said of Pomona’s defense. “We had our struggles last year. These year we’ve cleaned it up. Everyone is playing together and we are communicating well.”
Pomona is scheduled to face No. 3 Columbine (4-0, 3-0) next week in a regular-season finale. The game will be played 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at Jeffco Stadium.
“We are just excited to go play another football game,” Madden said of the scheduled showdown with Columbine. “The fact that it’s Columbine makes it that much more special.”
The Rebels weren’t able to play its scheduled game this week against No. 8 Ralston Valley because of a COVID related issue. With only eight teams making the 5A state playoff field this season makes every game critical.
“Ever since the season started we talked about 6-0,” Pospisil said. “The playoffs are going to be slim. You have to win when you can. We are on a roll right now and super happy with where we are at.”
Mullen hosts Lakewood (1-4, 1-3) on Friday, Nov. 13, in another 5A Jeffco League regular-season finale. The Tigers pulled off a 14-7 victory over A-West on Thursday night at Jeffco Stadium.
Pomona senior Juju Howard (41) tackles Mullen sophomore quarterback Hunter Lay (10) for a loss during the first quarter Thursday night at NAAC. The Panthers’ defense held get Pomona out to a 42-0 lead at halftime. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics) -
All-state girls cross country teams for the 2020 season
The 2020 all-state girls cross country teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created based upon results at the state meet.
The athletes who won championships at their classification were named runner of the year.
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Class 2A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Runner of the year: Ella Johnson, The Vanguard School
Coach of the year: Julia Fuller, Buena Vista
First Team Name Year School Sophia Bull Junior Denver Christian Eowyn Dalbec Junior Peyton Quin Gregg Junior Lyons Adele Horning Sophomore Lake County Rose Horning Freshman Lake County Ella Johnson Junior The Vanguard School Ruby Pendy Sophomore Crested Butte Mallory Salazar Junior Buena Vista Zaila Smith Sophomore Buena Vista Hannah Thomas Senior Lyons Second Team Name Year School Eliana Caucutt Junior Golden View Classical Academy Olivia Jabari Senior Shining Mountain Waldorf Keira King Freshman Lake County Grace Manning Senior Mancos Molly Mcmurry Junior Buena Vista Alex Mendoza Senior Grand Valley Sophia Schuemann Senior Heritage Christian Academy Mary Scoggins Junior Rangely Ainsley Stanton Freshman Heritage Christian Academy Elle Stevens Junior Colorado Springs Christian Honorable mention:
- Maci Barnes, Freshman, Ignacio
- Brooke Bomgardner, Sophomore, Custer County
- Isabel Case, Junior, Colorado Springs Christian
- Cecilia Davies, Senior, Clear Creek
- Layla Haji, Senior, Lotus School for Excellence
- Megan Jenkins, Junior, Hotchkiss
- Kadance Kelso, Sophomore, Buena Vista
- Allura Luna, Junior, West Grand
- Sofia Mcgrath, Sophomore, Colorado Springs Christian
- Cecilia Richardson, Junior, Peyton
- Reaghan Rinow, Senior, Strasburg
- Alexis Santopietro, Senior, Buena Vista
- Madison Sutter, Senior, Merino
- Lizzie Valentine, Senior, Centauri
- Samantha Westfahl, Senior, West Grand
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Class 3A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Runner of the year: Katelyn Maley, Basalt
Coach of the year: Alan Versaw, The Classical Academy
First Team Name Year School Allison Beasley Senior Peak to Peak Sierra Bower Senior Basalt Leah Hill Junior DSST: Montview Katelyn Maley Sophomore Basalt Cassidy Mcdonald Freshman The Classical Academy Kennedy Mcdonald Junior The Classical Academy Audrey Orstead Senior Faith Christian Academy Andie Rasmussen Freshman Eaton Kylie Simshauser Senior Florence Sophia Valentine Junior The Classical Academy Second Team Name Year School Isabel Allori Freshman Liberty Common Sarah Delacerda Freshman Alamosa Katherine Heekin Junior Faith Christian Academy Kylie Kenny Senior Aspen Olivia Krueger Junior Berthoud Ava Lane Sophomore Basalt Maya Ross Freshman Jefferson Academy Kyra Shaner Sophomore The Classical Academy Quinn Smith Sophomore Salida Jaycee Williams Freshman Berthoud Honorable mention:
- Evelyn Boyd, Junior, Holy Family
- Madison Brosig, Sophomore, Frontier Academy
- Kendall Clark, Senior, Aspen
- Ella Hedman, Sophomore, Elizabeth
- Hana Husmann, Sophomore, St. Mary’s Academy
- Bryanna Kauffman, Junior, Liberty Common
- Payton Kauffman, Freshman, Liberty Common
- Michaela Kenny, Sophomore, Aspen
- Kylie Kravig, Senior, University
- Emma Murphy, Senior, Frontier Academy
- Summer Norwell, Sophomore, Holy Family
- Ellie Sundheim, Senior, Berthoud
- Madeline Tapp, Senior, Holy Family
- Elsie Weiss, Sophomore, Aspen
- Alyssa Wells, Senior, Holy Family
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Class 4A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com) Runner of the year: Bethany Michalak, Air Academy
Coach of the year: Kelly Christensen, Niwot
First Team Name Year School Samantha Blair Junior Eagle Valley Sophia Connerton-Nevin Sophomore Glenwood Springs Ella Johnson Junior Glenwood Springs Bethany Michalak Freshman Air Academy Elliot Pribramsky Senior Battle Mountain Mia Prok Freshman Niwot Kiera Shorten Freshman Mountain View Madison Shults Sophomore Niwot Hope Stark Junior Cheyenne Mountain Aubrey Surage Senior Lewis-Palmer Second Team Name Year School Sophia Abernethy Senior Standley Lake Jade Allen Freshman Lewis-Palmer Ella Chura Junior Air Academy Aspen Fulbright Junior Pueblo West Lucca Fulkerson Senior Niwot Taylor James Senior Niwot Willow Lott Sophomore Durango Maggie Mccleskey Junior Centaurus Tristian Spence Junior Central Grand Junction Sara Wexler Junior Denver South Honorable mention:
- Milaina Almonte, Sophomore, Battle Mountain
- Hayley Brewster, Senior, Battle Mountain
- Lex Bullen, Sophomore, Niwot
- Maren Busath, Senior, Palmer Ridge
- Cruzie Dudley, Junior, Silver Creek
- Brooklyn Ewert, Sophomore, Mountain View
- Abby Fehr, Junior, Durango
- Adele Havlick, Sophomore, Palmer
- Loren Linnenburger, Senior, Discovery Canyon
- Angela Mcmanus, Junior, Durango
- Brooke Moss, Senior, Air Academy
- Sarah Perkins, Freshman, Niwot
- Anne Reilly, Freshman, George Washington
- Lily Whelan, Sophomore, Battle Mountain
- Lindsey Whitton, Freshman, Battle Mountain
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Class 5A
(Steve Abeyta/steveabeytaphotography.com) Runner of the year: Riley Stewart, Cherry Creek
Coach of the year: Ethan Dusto, Cherry Creek
First Team Name Year School Shelby Balding Junior Cherry Creek Ella Johns Sophomore Fort Collins Emily Lamontagne Sophomore Arapahoe Cameron Mcconnell Junior Cherokee Trail Ava Mitchell Sophomore Arapahoe Addison Price Sophomore Cherry Creek Riley Stewart Junior Cherry Creek Emma Stutzman Sophomore Pomona Taylor Whitfield Senior Valor Christian Brooke Wilson Sophomore Valor Christian Second Team Name Year School Leah Christians Senior Mountain Vista Ava Escorcia Sophomore Arapahoe Jadyn Heil Junior Fruita Monument Maelynn Higgins Sophomore Broomfield Addison Laughlin Junior Cherry Creek Claire Semerod Junior Cherry Creek Elena Torres Freshman Loveland Reese Tucker Freshman Chatfield Aidyn Woodall Junior Douglas County Shayda Zarrin Junior Mountain Vista Honorable mention:
- Lauren Boutelle, Sophomore, Pine Creek
- Natalie Buchanan, Junior, Pine Creek
- Amelie Colsman, Junior, Regis Jesuit
- Imani Fernandez-Gorbea, Senior, Fairview
- Shantell Hafner, Senior, Mountain Vista
- Abigail Maclean, Junior, Cherry Creek
- Mckenna Mazeski, Sophomore, Cherokee Trail
- Mia Mraz, Junior, Legacy
- Alexis Pagel, Sophomore, Cherokee Trail
- Sierra Parks, Junior, Broomfield
- Isabella Prosceno, Senior, Valor Christian
- Mollie Roden, Senior, Rampart
- Taylor Rorick, Sophomore, Valor Christian
- Nina St John, Senior, Mountain Vista
- Jordan Stead, Freshman, Arapahoe