For two straight years, Eaton had “runner-up” labeled on it’s wrestling program. This year, they took one step further to the elusive team title.
“The monkey is not completely off our back yet,” Eaton coach Tony Mustari said. “We still have some work to do in the offseason to get better and fully take that team title home.”
Eaton’s Tanner True had one last chance to break the tie and vault his team into first place alone with his 285-pound division bout — and Valley could only watch.
“We wrestled our hearts out in every match we had,” Valley coach Ruben Lucero said. “If it was meant to be, it was meant to be.”
University’s Emanuel Munoz-Alcala held on for the 3-2 decision over True, resulting in the two-way tie between Eaton and Valley.
“We told him, ‘Worst case scenario, we have a split team title,’” Mustari said. “‘Go out and let it go. Wrestle like you do every day in practice.’ He wrestled from whistle to whistle and was always looking to score points — and that’s all we can ask.”
Jefferson placed third, while two-time defending champ Alamosa finished fifth.
Eaton’s Ryan Dirksen kept his team in front of the team race with a last-second pin of Jefferson’s Zander Condit.
(Cannon Casey/CHSAANow.com)
“We had no idea we would be that far,” Dirksen said after his match. “Knowing that now, it’s amazing I could do that for my team.”
Down to his last second and trailing 9-4, Dirksen had to go to work. He escaped a hold, then flipped Condit on his back for a pin as time expired. The judges gathered together and awarded Dirksen the win.
“I was just looking for a pin,” Dirksen said. “I was thinking, ‘Please, I know I pinned him.’ Once you get out there it kind of all goes blurry, and if you have the right mindset, it’s only you, the refs, and the mat.”
With the pin, Dirksen put the Reds in first place for the time being.
“These guys responded to the call tremendously this weekend,” Mustari said. “They come back and keep fighting, getting better every single time they step on the mat, and that’s all we can ask of them.”
Trailing in the team standings after Dirksen’s pin, Valley’s Jaziah Whaley held his team’s title hopes in his hands ahead of his bout.
“Going into that match, my coaches came and told me a major decision gets us the lead,” Whaley said. “That was the goal. Go out there and get the major.”
Whaley completed his undefeated campaign and individual 160-pound title defense with a major decision vs. Tanner Baumgartner (Weld Central).
“It’s unreal,” Whaley said. “The goal coming into high school was four [titles]. Settle for the next best thing: two.”
However, Whaley’s flurry of points in the third period meant much more than an individual title. His major decision resulted in a temporary tie at the top of the team standings with Eaton.
And, after the last match of the night, that tie at the top became permanent.
(Cannon Casey/CHSAANow.com)
[divider]
106-pound division
Roberto Estrada (Weld Central) won by decision, 3-0, over Matthew Medina (Eagle Valley) to complete his undefeated season with a state title in the 106-pound division.
“I wrote down a goal at the beginning of the year,” Estrada said. “State champ with a perfect season, and I did it tonight. Special night.”
113-pound division
Jefferson’s Angelo Lozado wrapped up a 6-1 decision against Alamosa’s Davion Chavez to give life to the Saints’ run at the 3A team title. This was Lozado’s second individual title.
120-pound division
Isaiah Gamez (La Junta) was looking for a third individual title, but Brady Hankin (Woodland Park) held off Gamez for an 11-6 decision. Hankin won the 106-pound title in 2019.
126-pound division
Jacob Duran (Fort Lupton) edged Johnny Masopust (Florence) in a 4-3 decision for his second individual title.
132-pound division
Zane Rankin (Lamar) repeated as the 132-pound champion after a hard-fought 2-1 decision over Zach Marrero (Strasburg).
138-pound division
Isaiah Rios (Valley) defended his 138-pound title vs. Lucas Comroe (Eagle Valley). Rios’ second individual title came off a clean 10-1 major decision.
(Cannon Casey/CHSAANow.com)
152-pound division
Cameron Lucero (Pagosa Springs) put a stop to any chance Jefferson had at the team title. Lucero won a 2-0 decision vs. Nick Gallegos (Jefferson) for his second individual title.
170-pound division
Mac Copeland (Bennett) pinned Cole Gray (Woodland Park) at the 4:40 mark.
182-pound division
Cody DuBois (Bennett) joined Copeland, his teammate, as an individual champion. DuBois’ major decision vs. Brian Paxton (Fort Morgan) solidified him as the 182-pound champion.
195-pound division
Nick Wellen (Brush) won by decision, 5-2, over Jeremiah Garcia (Platte Valley).
220-pound division
John Foutz (Bayfield) topped Cody Ponce (Eagle Valley) by decision, 4-1.
The 2019 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 from the results of the coaches’ vote.
STRASBURG — As Limon’s football gathered to receive the Class 1A state championship trophy Saturday afternoon, the Badgers made sure that Logan Marx was the first player to hold it up high.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound offensive lineman — one of only three seniors on the roster — had helped Limon ride a strong second half to a 26-13 victory over Strasburg in the title game, and the Badgers wanted to recognize their starting tackle.
“It was just such an honor that my teammates let me hold that trophy,” Marx said. “They all work so hard and I’m just thankful that we were all able to pull out a victory.”
The victory gave third-seeded Limon (11-2) its state-record 18th state championship in the program’s history (a 13-13 tie with Springfield in 1964 could technically count as a share of 19 overall).
The Badgers also claimed consecutive championships after defeating top-seeded Strasburg on its home field for the second year in a row. That comes after losing 16 starters from the 2018 title-winning squad.
“It’s just a huge accomplishment for us to get back to the state championship, for one, let alone win it,” said Limon junior Kory Tacha, who scored three touchdowns Saturday. “It’s an amazing feeling and I’m fortunate enough to be on this team.”
Limon edged the Indians 13-7 last November behind two Tacha touchdowns, and for a while Saturday’s game seemed like déjà vu for the program. Tacha scored two first-half touchdowns — the second coming on a 74-yard touchdown pass from Trey Hines — and a missed extra-point kept the score at 13-7 headed into the fourth quarter.
That’s when the Limon offense took over. Tacha broke off a 32-yard touchdown run with eight minutes, 31 seconds remaining to make it a 19-7 game. After forcing Strasburg (12-1) to turn the ball over on downs, the Badgers put together a nine-play drive that culminated in a Jeremiah Leeper 8-yard scoring run.
“I really thought that we kind of started seizing a little bit of momentum,” Limon coach Mike O’Dwyer said. “That was on the back of Kory, but it isn’t one kid. I thought our offensive line played really well today and really got on some guys.”
Strasburg quickly went down the field, with Collin Russell going 4-of-5 for 66 yards and connecting with Michael Burns for a short touchdown pass. The 2-point conversation failed though, and Limon recovered the ensuing onside kick.
“They just keep fighting,” Indians coach Brian Brown said. “You could hear them on the sideline, ‘hey, we’ve still got a chance.’ When you look at the clock with 1:12 left you know it’s not going to happen, but that’s what this team has done all year long.”
Tacha finished with 125 yards rushing and 109 receiving, and it was his long touchdown catch that put Limon on top to stay. After Strasburg’s Trystan Graf had tied the game with a 5-yard run out of the Wildcat formation, Hines connected with Tacha over the middle.
The junior did the rest, sprinting up the left sideline for the score.
“I kind of just got open, and my quarterback did a great job throwing me the ball,” Tacha said. “I’m grateful for my other wide receivers who gave me a couple blocks and gave me the chance to put some points on the board there.”
Leeper finished with 55 yards rushing and the one touchdown.
Graf had 78 yards rushing, but the majority of that came in the first half. He also caught three passes for 70 yards. Russell threw for 123 yards on the day, but Brown said Limon did a solid job taking the Indians out of their offense for much of the game.
Strasburg will graduate seven seniors but returns most of its top playmakers, including Graf and Russell.
“We’re losing seven seniors, and they are key seniors,” Brown said. “But we have some tremendous players coming back. The great thing about this season is we were able to play some sophomores, and some juniors got a lot of playing time. I expect they’re going to do the same thing next year.”
That’s where the Badgers are, with the majority of its roster back next fall. O’Dwyer admitted it isn’t always easy to play for a coach who is “a little old-school, maybe a little growly a lot,” but praised his players for how they respond.
The Badger tradition is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I don’t know what to tell you about it. It’s just an incredible community,” O’Dwyer said. “It’s incredible focus by our players and I think I have such a great staff.
“I think it’s the whole program. Our kids buy in, and they buy in at a young age.”
This is a rematch of last year’s 1A championship game which saw the Badgers win 13-7, claiming a state-record 18th football championship. They squared off the in regular season with Strasburg getting a 20-13 win.
Limon’s 92 playoff wins and 18 state titles are ranked first in both categories for all classes of Colorado football.
This is the fourth-straight championship game appearance for Strasburg. Prior to winning back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. It also won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990, beating Fowler both times.
Prior to Saturday, Limon and Strasburg have combined for 30 state championship game appearances.
Strasburg notes:
(Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos)
Record: 12-0
Seed: No. 1
Mascot: Indians
Rushing offense: 2,769 yards, and 38 touchdowns. Strasburg ranks third in rushing yards (with Limon right in front) and touchdowns in all of 1A
Passing offense: 1,206 yards, and 18 touchdowns.
Scoring: They are averaging 37.25 points per game.
Defense: The defense has forced 16 turnovers and has totaled 22.5 sacks this season.
Special teams: They’ve returned four kickoffs for a touchdown, and two punts. Trystan Graf is averaging 41 yards per kickoff return.
Top players: Graf leads the team with 1,278 yards and 17 touchdowns. Once his receiving yards and returning yards are factored in, he has amassed 2,119 all-purpose yards. Collin Russell has thrown for 1,176 yards and 17 touchdowns. AJ Hemphill has 99 tackles to his name which include a team-high 8.5 sacks. Jack Swanson leads the team in interceptions with four.
Limon notes:
(Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos)
Record: 10-2
Seed: No. 3
Mascot: Badgers
Rushing offense: 2,967 yards and 45 touchdowns. Limon ranks second in 1A in rushing yards, but first in touchdowns.
Passing offense: 911 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
Scoring: They are averaging 34 points per game.
Defense: The defense has forced 20 turnovers, including 13 fumble recoveries. They are allowing 13.33 points per game.
Special teams: They’ve returned just kickoff for a touchdown, and one punt. As a team, the Badgers average 22.5 yards per kick return and 12.9 yards per punt return.
Top players: Kory Tacha has rushed for 1,341 yards and 13 touchdowns. He accounts for the punt and kick return touchdowns and also has 63 tackles.Jeremiah Leeper has also broken the 1,000 rushing yard mark and leads the team with 20 rushing touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Trey Hines has been good through the air when he has needed to be with 885 yards and a 53.6 completion percentage. He’s also picked off two passes. Defensively, Ky Bandy leads the team with 132 tackles. Hines and Bready Rockwell share the team lead with two interceptions. Chance Cannon and Alex Carr have each forced two fumbles.
There was all kinds of playoff football action around the state on Saturday. The end result is that championship matchups are set in three classifications, and semifinals in three others.
The Grizzlies were able to tie the game at 12-12 just before halftime, and went up 14-12 with a two-point conversion attempt. Then, they added another touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter.
“They do some really nice things on defense that gave us some problems, and we finally got some things going and quit having some penalties,” Van Sickle said of turning things around. “The boys just kept plugging away.”
Of advancing to the championship game, the coach added, “It was one of our goals. I thought we had a pretty good group. … I think we’ve earned our shot at Sedgwick next week.
Hudson Grant scored two rushing touchdowns for Pikes Peak Christian.
(1) Sedgwick County 48, (5) Dayspring Christian 0
The four-time defending champs are headed back to a title game thanks to another dominating performance. The Cougars have not allowed a point in their past five games.
“I think our defense played pretty well,” coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show. “We gave up some big plays at time, but really strapped it on when they got on our side of the field.”
Sedgwick County had four rushing touchdowns in the first half as they built at 28-0 lead. They added three more in the second half.
The Cougars are seeking to become the first 8-man team to ever win five state titles in a row.
“We haven’t really talked a whole lot about that throughout the season,” Michel said. “We talk about taking care of stuff day-to-day. We’ll go into it like it’s any other week.”
[divider]
Class 1A semifinals
(1) Strasburg 14, (5) Centauri 7
Trystan Graf rushed for two touchdowns — both in the second quarter — as Strasburg reached the 1A title game for the fourth year in a row.
“I tell you what, this game didn’t disappoint. It was a hard-fought win,” Strasburg coach Brian Brown told the Scoreboard Show.
After a scoreless first quarter, Strasburg went up 14-0 at the half. Centauri’s Eric Maez hit Mason Claunch for a 24-yard score with five minutes left, but Strasburg’s defense was able to seal the win.
“We are just such an aggressive group of young men,” Brown said. “Toward the end of the game, they just kind of owned the line of scrimmage.”
Of making a title game for the fourth-consecutive season, Brown said, “Like I tell the boys: I’m just the bus driver, they’re the ones that get on the bus, and they know the path. They just keep forging ahead.”
(3) Limon 15, (2) Holyoke 7
The defending-champion Badgers will return to the championship game after building a 15-0 lead and then relying on its defense to secure the win.
“It was a great football game between two really good teams,” coach Mike O’Dwyer told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids just stepped up a little bit, especially on the defensive side of the ball.”
Limon went up 15-0 with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Holyoke’s Miles Sprague made it 15-7 with a four-yard rushing touchdown.
Later in the fourth quarter, Holyoke recovered a fumble, and also forced Limon to turn it over on downs, but Limon’s defense didn’t allow another score.
“It was a tremendous effort by our kids,” O’Dwyer said.
[divider]
Class 2A semifinals
(4) Delta 17, (9) Basalt 6
Nolan Bynum and Hunter Hughes connected for two touchdown passes to help the Panthers move to a title game.
Delta led 10-0 at the half. Basalt made it 10-6 in the third quarter, but Delta responded with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
“It was a real physical game. They did some really nice things, we were just able to get more points on the board to advance,” coach Ben Johnson told the Scoreboard Show.
“We got after their quarterback really well. I thought the D-line played really well, and we tackled really well.”
It is Delta’s first appearance in a title game since 1961.
“It’s been a while,” Johnson said. “The community’s really excited about it. We had great fan support here in Basalt today. They’re excited about this opportunity for Delta High School.”
(2) Sterling 21, (3) Resurrection Christian 14
Sterling is headed to a championship game for the first time since 2004.
The Tigers trailed 7-0 in the first quarter before reeling off 21 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to go ahead 21-7.
“It was a lot of fun out there today. It was a great atmosphere,” Sterling coach Rob Busmente told the Scoreboard Show. “It was nip-and-tuck going back and forth between us and them. We made some plays when we had to, and were fortunate to come out with the win.”
Resurrection Christian scored late in the third quarter, but Sterling didn’t allow them to do so again, and secured their spot in next week’s title game with a late interception.
“We got them to fourth down, and Peyton Rose was able to step in front of his guy, and got it back for us,” Busmente said. “It was just one of those things where we tell our kids, ‘If there’s time on the clock, we’ve got to play ball.’”
[divider]
Class 3A quarterfinals
(8) Green Mountain 30, (1) Mead 21
In the upset of the day, the Rams built a 17-7 halftime lead, and then answered every rally attempt Mead made in the second half to win.
“It was a heck of a game,” Green Mountain coach Jesse German told the Scoreboard Show. “It’s everything we’ve been preaching along the way. It took us awhile to get to a point where the kids have the unwavering belief … and total buy-in, but this is a special group.”
Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Mead cut the lead to 17-14, but Green Mountain responded quickly with a rushing score on the ensuing drive. That made it 23-14.
Mead didn’t go away. The top-seeded Mavericks got a passing touchdown from which made it 23-21 with seven minutes left.
But another rushing touchdown from Green Mountain with three minutes left secured the win.
Frederick’s Jake Green found Blake Duran for a 78-yard touchdown with eight seconds left to lift the Warriors to the win.
“We could’ve taken it to overtime, I guess, but we didn’t want to do that again,” coach Travis Peeples told the Scoreboard Show. “I called timeout with 20 seconds or so left, and we drew up a little play, kind of Sandlot play. The kids wanted to do it, and it worked. It’s really a tribute to how bad they wanted to win this game.”
Green also scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown with three minutes left, and then Frederick converted on a two-point attempt to tie the game at 25. They forced a punt, and got the ball back with less than a minute to play. Then Green hit Duran for the winner.
Green finished with three passing touchdowns — two went to Brandon Horby — and also had a rushing score.
Now Frederick is headed to the semis for just the second time in school history.
“We’re not just trying to get to the semis, we’re trying to get past there,” Peeples said. “I think we’ve got a team that can do that.”
More photos. (Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography)
(2) Pueblo South 21, (7) Durango 14
In a close game that mirrored their narrow regular season matchup, the Colts scored a late touchdown to advance.
“It was another wild game,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told the Scoreboard Show. “Two good teams going at it. I’m just proud of our kids and the way they played.”
The game always within a score for one team. Durango led 7-0 with a touchdown in the first quarter, and then South tied it up immediately with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Then, Durango went up 14-7 late in the first quarter, and South tied it at 14 with 34 seconds left in the half.
The Colts got the winning score on a 3-yard run from quarterback Logan Petit with 1:11 to play.
“Credit to our defense, because all afternoon they just came up with huge stops when we needed them the most,” Goddard said.
The 2019 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These team were created following a process where the coaches voted upon a list of nominees. Players who were named first-team all-league are eligible for the all-state ballot.
Coaches also voted specifically for player and coach of the year.
[divider]
Class 5A
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Player of the year: Korbe Otis, Columbine Coach of the year: Jim Santaniello, Columbine
