Chatfield is the No. 1 seed in 5A baseball’s district bracket. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
AURORA — Chatfield, Montrose and Eaton are the top seeds in their respective classifications for baseball’s district rounds.
The 32-team fields for 5A, 4A and 3A were released on Wednesday. In 4A and 5A, seeds were determined in large part by the final Wild Card point standings. Class 3A has a seeding committee.
The district format has the top eight seeds in each classification hosting four-team pods. Each district will play three games this Saturday, with the championship at 3 p.m. Winners of each district move on to their respective state tournaments.
Chatfield had been at the head of 5A’s Wild Card points for much of the season. The Chargers will host No. 32 Doherty, No. 16 Pine Creek and No. 17 Central (G.J.).
Regis Jesuit got 5A’s No. 2 seed, Fairview is No. 3, Columbine is No. 4 and Mountain Vista is No. 5. Also hosting districts are No. 6 Arvada West, No. 7 Rocky Mountain and No. 8 Cherry Creek.
Like Chatfield, Montrose has been atop 4A’s Wild Card points most of the year. The Indians are set to host No. 32 Coronado in the first round. No. 16 Erie and No. 17 Palmer Ridge will play in that district’s other first-round game.
4A’s other district hosts are No. 2 Windsor, No. 3 Valor Christian, No. 4 Delta, No. 5 Pueblo East, No. 6 Wheat Ridge, No. 7 Durango and No. 8 Evergreen.
Eaton heads the 3A field. The Reds draw No. 32 Denver Science & Tech in the first round, and will also host No. 16 St. Mary’s and No. 17 Brush in their district.
Also hosting in 3A are No. 2 Holy Family, No. 3 Faith Christian, No. 4 Lamar, No. 5 Bayfield, No. 6 Cedaredge, No. 7 Sterling and No. 8 Alamosa.
Wild Card points help determine the postseason fields in 3A, 4A and 5A, with 4A and 5A also using them for seeding. Find a more detailed breakdown here.
Baseball’s Wild Card point standings for April 17 are below.
Wild Card points help determine the postseason fields in 3A, 4A and 5A, with 4A and 5A also using them for seeding. Find a more detailed breakdown here.
Baseball’s Wild Card point standings for April 9 are below.
Regis Jesuit’s Diani Akigbogun is the 5A girls basketball player of the year. (Ray Chen/arrayphoto.com)
The 2013-14 all-state girls basketball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and coaches, and then a vote of coaches.
The players who received the most votes in their classification were selected as the player of the year in their class.
Those players of the year: Regis Jesuit’s Diani Akigbogun (5A), Mesa Ridge’s Gabby Purnell (4A), Holy Family’s Katie Chavez (3A), Akron’s Jordan Baer (2A) and South Baca’s Allyson Grahn (1A).
Use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
Wild Card points help determine the postseason fields in 3A, 4A and 5A, with 4A and 5A also using them for seeding. Find a more detailed breakdown here.
Baseball’s Wild Card point standings for April 2 are below.
AIR FORCE ACADEMY — The Pagosa Springs girls basketball team struggled mightily to find the bottom of the net in the first half of Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal game.
Fortunately for the Pirates, according to coach Wes Lewis, their defense kept it close against Sterling.
That allowed Pagosa Springs to creep back in the third quarter and overtake the Tigers in the fourth en route to a 41-29 victory.
“I felt our defense kept us in the game,” Lewis said.
While the Pirates hit just three of 19 field goal tries through the first two quarters, they held Sterling to just 17 points to stay within striking distance, trailing by six at the half.
Then Taylor Strohecker took over.
The Pirates’ 6-2 senior post went to work underneath, scoring three quick baskets to help Pagosa Springs pull to within one.
“My mind-set was, we are not going to lose this game,” Strohecker said.
When Emily Bryant hit a jumper 35 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Pirates had their first lead since early in the first.
Back to that defense, it held Sterling to just four field goals in 20 tries in the second half.
Or, as Lewis implored his team, “Get a stop, get a score – get a stop, get a score.”
That allowed the Pirates top slowly pull away.
“We just held our composure,” said Strohecker, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
“We had some kids step up and make plays,” said Lewis, who feels confident going eight deep in his rotation.
For the Pirates, it’s all about taking home the gold bold, symbolic of the state title. They get their chance at 4:30 Saturday evening.
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Holy Family 54, Lamar 45
The Tigers had their hands full in their quest for the school’s sixth state title in seven years.
The Savages were within four points with 1:18 remaining before Holy Family, which had struggled from the free throw line, began hitting charity shots.
Lamar stayed close when Tigers point guard Katie Chavez got in foul trouble in the second quarter. That’s when her sister Lindsey took over.
“That’s one good thing about Katie and I,” Lindsey said. “When one of us isn’t working right the other picks it up.”
The senior point guard did so to the tune of 22 points, including four crucial free throws in the final quarter.
Katie Chavez stayed out of foul trouble in the second half long enough to chip in 17.
Lamar got a solid effort from Taylor Wertz, who scored 16 points.
The style of Lamar kept the Tigers off balance.
“It caught us off guard how physical it was,” Lindsey Chavez said.
“We found a way to keep our lead,” Holy Family coach Ron Rossi said.
That was due in part to Claudia Pena, who pulled down eight rebounds and, more importantly, helped bring the ball up the court with Katie Chavez sidelined for half the game in foul trouble.
AIR FORCE ACADEMY — This particular Lamar girls basketball team had never qualified for the Class 3A state tournament.
The seniors, in particular, knew what to expect, however. They had attended the state tournament as spectators in previous years. And they knew the history of Lamar girls basketball.
The team came in to Thursday’s state quarterfinals with a mission, which began with an easy 48-27 victory over Peak to Peak to advance to Friday’s state semifinals.
The five seniors, two of whom come off the bench and many of whom have started since they were freshmen, spent their youth playing whatever sport was in season.
“These seniors have grown up together,” Savages coach Erik Melgoza said. “They’re like sisters.”
“I think it really helps us that we’ve played so long together,” senior point guard Chelsea Vallejos said.
Vallejos was a big factor in Lamar’s ability to set the tone early and establish control. She hit a 3-pointer to give the Savages an 8-6 lead. More importantly, she was effective as Lamar’s floor general.
The Savages’ defense frustrated the Pumas in the second quarter as Peak to Peak got off only four field goal attempts in falling behind 23-12. The Savages pushed the pace in extending their lead throughout the second half.
“The kids followed the game plan,” Melgoza said, allowing him to go four deep to his bench and give his starters a bit of rest.
Vallejos, who tied for team-high scoring honors with Taylor Wertz as each scored 13, was just as effective driving to the basket as she was from the outside.
“We want to be able to drive, usually down the middle,” she said of challenging the Pumas’ taller front court.
Lamar won four consecutive state titles in the mid- to late-1990s.
“A lot of these girls were little girls when they won those,” Melgoza said.
But they look on the gym walls and take in that history.
Lamar’s likely semifinal opponent is Holy Family, which has won five of the last six 3A state titles. Vallejos said her team will take in the Tigers’ quarterfinal game with great interest.
“We’ll watch their game (at 4 p.m. against Eaton),” Vallejos said. “We’re not going to mess around.”
“I feel like these girls are prepared,” Melgoza said.
Sterling 57, Bishop Machebeuf 44
In the day’s first game, the Tigers built a 31-20 halftime lead and made it stand up, matching the Buffaloes basket for basket in the second half.
Taylor Knudson and Kylie Chavez paced the Tigers with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Maggie Smith’s 13 points were tops for Machebeuf.
Holy Family 52, Eaton 30
The Tigers opened up a close game by going on an run 8-1 in the first four minutes of the second quarter to take a 26-19 halftime lead, then outscored Eaton 17-6 in the third to pull away.
The Chavez sisters keyed the attack, with sophomore Katie scoring 18 points while Lindsey, a senior, added 15. Between them they hit six 3-pointers. Maggie Spitzer added to a balanced attack with 13 points.
The Reds had five players score between four and seven points, led by Bailey Schumacher.
Holy Family plays Lamar at 7 p.m. Friday In the semifinals. Eaton and Peak to Peak play an 8:45 a.m. consolation game.
Pagosa Springs 48, Manitou Springs 34
The Pirates took advantage of cold shooting by the Mustangs early, holding them to seven first-half points in building a 12-point advantage.
Manitou Springs briefly cut its deficit to single digits in the second half but baskets by Taylor Strobehecker and Payton Shahan helped the second-seeded Pirates begin a run down the stretch. Shelby Megyeri’s 10 points were tops for the Mustangs.
Shahan led a balanced attack with 13 points as eight Pirates got into the scoring column.
Pagosa Springs meets Sterling in Friday’s first semifinal at 4 p.m. Manitou Springs and Bishop Machebeuf meet in the consolation round at 11:45 a.m.
Doherty’s Haleigh Washington, left, with coach Tara Hittle. (Courtesy @DHSAthletics on Twitter)
The 2013 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 coaches, and then a vote of coaches. Find more information here.
The players who received the most votes in their classification were selected as the player of the year in their class.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
