CHSAANow

Tag: Eaglecrest

  • Regional volleyball roundup: Highlands Ranch wins in tiebreaker

    Highlands Ranch volleyball celebrates its regional championship in 5A. (Via @RBWHRHSAthletic on Twitter)
    Highlands Ranch volleyball celebrates its regional championship in 5A. (Via @RBWHRHSAthletic on Twitter)

    Highlands Ranch dropped its first match of the Class 5A volleyball regionals on Saturday. It was a grueling, five-set affair — but that it went five sets later turned out to be a major advantage.

    The Falcons rallied from dropping that match to later win 5A’s Region 11 in a tiebreak over Rocky Mountain, 25-15. With the win, Highlands Ranch moves on to the 5A state tournament.

    But things looked bleak for a while.

    For starters, since volleyball’s regionals moved to three-team pools a few years ago, the overwhelming majority of those advancing no longer drop a match. It has turned the tie-break scenario, once a common occurrence, into a rarity.

    Ralston Valley, the region’s host and No. 11 seed in 5A, had already beaten No. 27 Rocky Mountain in four sets to open regional play.

    So when No. 14 Highlands Ranch lost to Rocky Mountain in the region’s second match (19-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 16-14), it had one last-gasp shot at qualification: knock Ralston Valley off.

    The Falcons did that, by a 3-1 margin. All three teams in the regional, at that point, were 1-1 — dusting off the tiebreak scenario. In the event of a three-way tie, two teams faceoff in a one-set playoff, with the winner facing the third in a second one-set playoff match.

    Highlands Ranch volleyball poses with the regional championship trophy. (Via @RBWHRHSAthletic on Twitter)
    Highlands Ranch volleyball poses with the regional championship trophy. (Via @RBWHRHSAthletic on Twitter)

    Highlands Ranch was set aside for the first tie break because it had won a higher percentage of total sets played (5 of 9) during the regional compared to Ralston Valley (4 of 8) and Rocky Mountain (4 of 9). Rocky Mountain beat Ralston Valley 25-15 in that first tie-break, then advanced to play Highlands Ranch.

    Highlands Ranch then won the second playoff match, 25-15, to advance to the state tournament.

    The 5A field will consist of: Eaglecrest, Grandview, Regis Jesuit, Rampart, Chaparral, Pine Creek, Cherokee Trail, Chatfield, Cherry Creek, Fairview, Highlands Ranch and Legend

    Headed to 4A’s state tournament are: Lewis-Palmer, Ponderosa, Cheyenne Mountain, Montrose, Valor Christian, Mullen, Mead, Berthoud, Battle Mountain, Pueblo West, Niwot and Air Academy.

    In 3A’s tournament: Eaton, Valley, Bayfield, University, Colorado Springs Christian, Manitou Springs, Platte Valley, Sterling, Faith Christian, Pagosa Springs, Coal Ridge and Olathe.

    Comprising the 2A field: Swink, Resurrection Christian, Paonia, Simla, Sargent, Yuma, Dolores and Colorado Springs School, as well as four Wildcard teams to be selected on Monday.

    And 1A’s field: Sangre de Cristo, Kit Carson, Otis, Weldon Valley, Norwood, Springfield, Idalia and Fleming — as well as four additional Wildcard teams.

    [divider]

    Notables:

    • A seeding committee will meet on Monday morning to finalize the pools for the state tournaments. The Wildcard selections in 1A and 2A will be selected based on the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings published on Monday. The next four highest-ranked teams who made it to regionals but didn’t advance will be the selections.
    • All five defending champions have made a return trip to the state tournament. They are: Grandview (5A), Lewis-Palmer (4A), Eaton (3A), Resurrection Christian (2A) and Fleming (1A).
    • Chatfield is the highest-remaining regional seed of any of the 5A, 4A and 3A regions. The Chargers were No. 17, and upset No. 8 Douglas County. (The 1A and 2A regions are not seeded across the classification, but instead set by district finish.)
    • Of those seeded regionals (5A-3A), the host teams went an astounding 70-2 in matches, including 212-36 in terms of sets won.
    • 5A’s Region 10 wore out the courts in its first two matches. First, No. 10 Fairview rallied to beat No. 27 Rangeview in five sets — 26-28, 25-18, 17-25, 28-26, 15-13. Rangeview then turned around and went another five sets in losing to No. 15 Arapahoe, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-9. The final match only went four sets, a 3-1 Fairview win over Arapahoe to claim the regional crown.
    • Kit Carson trailed its first match in 1A Region B 0-2, but rallied to take a five-set win (20-25, 12-25, 27-25, 25-15, 16-14) and later won the regional.
    The Montrose volleyball team poses for a picture after winning a regional championship in Class 4A. (Tom Hoganson)
    The Montrose volleyball team poses for a picture after winning a regional championship in Class 4A. (Tom Hoganson)

  • Football roundup: Rocky Mountain holds firm to hold on and beat ThunderRidge

    Fairview Rocky Mountain football
    Rocky Mountain coach Mark Brook, pictured during a game earlier this season, led his squad to a win over ThunderRidge in the 5A football playoffs. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    ThunderRidge stood on Rocky Mountain’s 3-yard-line with one second to play. Score a touchdown, and you win.

    Well, for Rocky, it was, hold firm and you win. The No. 2-seeded Lobos did just that, notching a sack on the final play to preserve a 7-3 win over No. 7 ThunderRidge in the first round of the Class 5A football playoffs.

    “We couldn’t get things going offensively, but we battled back at the end and we were able to make a stop when we needed to,” Rocky Mountain coach Mark Brook told Colorado Preps’ Scoreboard Show. “It was pretty darn close.”

    The game’s only touchdown came when Rocky’s Tausolia Liufau recovered a fumble in the end zone in the second quarter.

    “I was on a blitz and saw Scottie (Creighton) knock the ball out,” Liufau told the Fort Collins Coloradoan. “It was a great play by him. I just jumped on it in the endzone.”

    Rocky Mountain will play Fountain-Fort Carson in the second round. The Trojans beat Westminster 35-6 on Friday night.

    “I know for a fact that that’s an athletically gifted team,” Brook said. “They have a couple of people who are really special, and that’s a hard-nosed football team.”

    [divider]

    2A playoffs: (7) Montezuma-Cortez 40, (10) St. Mary’s 37

    In the lone 2A playoff game of the night, Montezuma-Cortez built up a 33-7 lead at halftime, only to watch it slowly evaporate in the third quarter, and again the fourth.

    Eventually, St. Mary’s rattled off 30 unanswered points to take a 37-33 lead with two minutes remaining. But Montezuma-Cortez was able to rally itself for the win.

    “We thought we had it in the bag at the halftime, and I told our kids, ‘We have one more half.’ They didn’t show up until the last two minutes of that game,” Montezuma-Cortez coach Casey Coulter told the Scoreboard Show. “It was a wild one.

    “We came out flat (in the second half). And hat’s off to St. Mary’s,” Coulter said. “I mean they were a different team in the second half. They did everything right, we did everything wrong. And you can’t do that. We got lucky.”

    According to Colorado Preps, it is the first postseason win for Montezuma-Cortez in 57 years.

    The Panthers will play the winner of Saturday’s game between No. 2 Kent Denver and No. 15 La Junta in the second round.

    [divider]

    3A: (1) Discovery Canyon 34, (10) Canon City 31 (OT)

    The top-ranked Thunder narrowly escaped the upset in this one.

    Canon City actually had a shot at a winning field goal in the final seconds of regulation, but the kicking team couldn’t get lined up in time before the clock ran out.

    In overtime, Canon City kicked a field goal — and then Discovery Canyon’s Spencer Chambers scored the winning 1-yard touchdown on the ensuing possession.

    With the win, Discovery Canyon is likely to end up as No. 1 in the final Wild Card points. The 3A bracket will be set on Sunday.

    Canon City wide receiver Zach Manchester had 18 catches in the game, according to the Canon City Daily Record. That is the fourth-highest mark in state history.

    [divider]

    3A: Delta 27, (8) Palisade 24 (OT)

    Likely needing a win to make the 3A playoff field, Delta first tied the game with a 21-yard field goal from Abraham Ontiveros with 20 seconds left in regulation.

    Ontiveros then hit a second field goal in overtime to pull off the upset.

    “We got to about the 3 (yard-line) and couldn’t quite get it in (during regulation), and (Ontiveros) banged it in,” Delta coach Ben Johnson told the Scoreboard Show. “Then in overtime, we had intercepted a pass, so we ran it a couple of times and lined him up in the middle, and he hit that one through.

    “He’s just a good, clutch kid and he made some big plays for us.”

    [divider]

    5A playoffs: (2) Fairview 41, (7) Castle View 21

    Fairview Castle View football
    Fairview’s Johnny Feauto (17) celebrates with teammates after winning Friday night. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    For a little while, Fairview looked to be in a bit of trouble.

    Heading into the fourth quarter, the second-seeded Knights led No. 7 Castle View just 20-13 and faced 4th-and-1 at their own 47.

    Well, junior Carlo Kemp rumbled for 20 yards to pick up that first down. Two plays later, Jason Harvey scored — and Fairview exhaled.

    “We did a nice job of overcoming some things tonight,” Kemp told BoCoPreps.com after the game.

    Fairview quarterback Johnny Feauto threw for 395 yards and two touchdowns, according to the paper.

    The Knights advance to play No. 3 Overland in the next round. The Trailblazers beat No. 6 Denver East 45-21 on Friday night.

    [divider]

     5A playoffs: (2) Valor Christian 48, (7) Horizon 12

    This one, too, had the makings of an upset early.

    Valor Christian led just 7-6 late in the second quarter, but a 15-yard touchdown pass from Dylan McCaffrey to Sid Turnbull-Fraser just before the half made it 14-6 at the break.

    The Eagles then scored on their first possession of the second half, and got an interception return for a touchdown from Eric Lee Jr. on Horizon’s first drive to break the game open.

    McCaffrey finished 18-of-23 passing for 166 yards and three touchdowns, while Stone Watson rushed for 158 yards on 17 carries.

    Brian Dawkins Jr. also had an interception for Valor, his fourth of the season.

    Valor Christian will next play Mountain Vista, which beat Cherokee Trail in the first round.

    [divider]

    Notables

    • Greeley West staved off near disaster with a game-winning stop in overtime. Loveland nearly pulled off an upset in regulation, but a short field goal missed wide. In overtime, after Alex Silva’s 28-yard kick, the Spartans’ defense sacked Loveland quarterback Ayden Eberhardt on fourth down to preserve the win. Had Greeley West lost to the Indians (3-7), it was in danger from dropping out of the 4A playoff field. With the win, it appears safe.
    • No. 5 Lakewood beat No. 4 Prairie View in the 5A playoffs, 27-9. Prairie actually led 3-0 at halftime. “I think our kids were a little uptight in the first half,” Lakewood coach Jeff Braun told the Scoreboard Show. “I just told them, ‘Relax. We’ll make a few adjustments and we’ll go play.’ … Once we got up on them 7-3, the momentum swung to our side.”
    • Also in the 5A playoffs, Columbine, a No. 5 seed, handled No. 4 Rangeview 48-7.
    • Eaglecrest pulled away from Legacy with a 28-point fourth quarter to win a 5A playoff game, 49-27. It was another No. 5 seed beating a No. 4.
    • The lone No. 4 seed to win in the 5A playoffs was Bear Creek, which beat No. 5 Fossil Ridge 42-16.
    • Those upsets noted, higher-seeded teams in the 5A playoffs are 12-3 to this point.
    • Grandview, a No. 1 seed, rolled Brighton 51-0. Five different players had rushing touchdowns for the Wolves, led by Chuk Obinnah’s two.
    • There was just one playoff game Friday night in 1A: No. 2 Buena Vista beat No. 15 Hotchkiss, 41-7.

    [divider]

    More coverage

  • Photos: Eaglecrest beats Legacy in 5A football playoffs

    WESTMINSTER — No. 5-seeded Eaglecrest beat No. 4 Legacy 49-24 in the first round of the Class 5A football playoffs on Friday night.

  • 5A volleyball regional tournament brackets

    A complete schedule for the Class 5A regional volleyball tournaments in 2014.

    Order of play at each regional: Team 1 vs. Team 3, Team 2 vs. Team 3, Team 1 vs. Team 2.

    All regional winners advance to the state tournament. Regional champions are in bold.

    Printable bracket: Download PDF

    Go to region: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

    [divider]

    Region 1
    Site: Eaglecrest
    Date: Nov. 1, 9 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    1 Eaglecrest 2 0
    24 ThunderRidge 1 1
    36 Liberty 0 2
    Schedule
    Eaglecrest def. Liberty, 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-15)
    ThunderRidge def. Liberty, 3-2
    Eaglecrest def. ThunderRidge, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-19)

    Region 2
    Site: Grandview HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 9 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    2 Grandview 2 0
    23 Bear Creek 1 0
    35 Monarch 0 2
    Schedule
    Grandview def. Monarch, 3-0 (25-14, 25-10, 25-10)
    Bear Creek def. Monarch, 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 26-24, 25-12)
    Grandview def. Bear Creek, 3-0 (25-8, 25-13, 25-19)

    Region 3
    Site: Regis Jesuit HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 1 p.m.
    Seed School W L
    3 Regis Jesuit 2 0
    22 Coronado 1 1
    34 Boulder 0 2
    Schedule
    Regis Jesuit def. Boulder, 3-1
    Coronado def. Boulder, 3-1
    Regis Jesuit def. Coronado, 3-2

    Region 4
    Site: Rampart HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 10 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    4 Rampart 2 0
    21 Mountain Vista 1 1
    33 Fort Collins 0 2
    Schedule
    Rampart def. Fort Collins, 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-17)
    Mountain Vista def. Fort Collins, 3-2 (19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-7)
    Rampart def. Mountain Vista, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-15)

    Region 5
    Site: Chaparral HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 9 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    5 Chaparral 2 0
    20 Lakewood 1 1
    32 Smoky Hill 0 2
    Schedule
    Chaparral def. Smoky Hill, 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-15)
    Lakewood def. Smoky Hill, 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-17)
    Chaparral def. Lakewood, 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 20-25, 25-14)

    Region 6
    Site: Pine Creek HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 10 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    6 Pine Creek 2 0
    19 Denver East 1 1
    31 Heritage 0 2
    Schedule
    Pine Creek def. Heritage, 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-16)
    Denver East def. Heritage, 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18)
    Pine Creek def. Denver East, 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-22)

    Region 7
    Site: Cherokee Trail HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 10 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    7 Cherokee Trail 2 0
    18 Rock Canyon 1 1
    30 Brighton 0 2
    Schedule
    Cherokee Trail def. Brighton, 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-16)
    Rock Canyon def. Brighton, 3-0 (25-20, 29-27, 27-25)
    Cherokee Trail def. Rock Canyon, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-23)

    Region 8
    Site: Douglas County HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 9 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    8 Douglas County 1 1
    17 Chatfield 2 0
    29 Broomfield 0 2
    Schedule
    Douglas County def. Broomfield, 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 25-20)
    Chatfield def. Broomfield, 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 25-20)
    Chatfield def. Douglas County, 3-1 (25-27, 25-19, 25-23, 25-21)

    Region 9
    Site: Cherry Creek HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 9 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    9 Cherry Creek 2 0
    16 Castle View 0 2
    28 Loveland 1 1
    Schedule
    Cherry Creek def. Loveland, 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 19-25, 25-20)
    Loveland def. Castle View, 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-20)
    Cherry Creek def. Castle View, 3-1 (18-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-22)

    Region 10
    Site: Fairview HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 9 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    10 Fairview 2 0
    15 Arapahoe 0 2
    27 Rangeview 1 1
    Schedule
    Fairview def. Rangeview, 3-2 (26-28, 25-18, 17-25, 28-26, 15-13)
    Rangeview def. Arapahoe, 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-9)
    Fairview def. Arapahoe, 3-1 (25-17, 25-17, 22-25, 25-20)

    Region 11
    Site: Ralston Valley HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 10 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    11 Ralston Valley 1 1
    14 Highlands Ranch 1 1
    26 Rocky Mountain 1 1
    Schedule
    Ralston Valley def. Rocky Mountain, 3-1 (25-20, 25-14, 24-26, 25-23)
    Rocky Mountain def. Highlands Ranch, 3-2 (19-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 16-14)
    Highlands Ranch def. Ralston Valley, 3-1
    Tiebreak 1: Rocky Moutain def. Ralston Valley, 1-0 (25-15)
    Tiebreak 2: Highlands Ranch def. Rocky Mountain, 1-0 (25-15)

    Region 12
    Site: Legend HS
    Date: Nov. 1, 10 a.m.
    Seed School W L
    12 Legend 2 0
    13 Fossil Ridge 1 1
    25 Prairie View 0 2
    Schedule
    Legend def. Prairie View, 3-0
    Fossil Ridge def. Prairie View, 3-0
    Legend def. Fossil Ridge, 3-2

    [divider]

    CHSAA regional seeding/pairing procedure

    1. All league champions will automatically earn a berth to regionals.

    2. The remaining teams (up to 36) will be selected based on the MaxPreps Rankings published at the end of the regular season.

    3. Teams will then be seeded on the CHSAA regional seeding criteria:

    • The MaxPreps rankings will be the primary consideration
    • The CHSAA Seeding Committee will only make changes based on splitting up league opponents and geographical considerations (if and when possible)

    4. Teams seeded Nos. 1-12 will host regionals.

    5. All regional winners will automatically advance to the state champions

  • Volleyball releases regional tournament brackets in all classes

    Cherry Creek Eaglecrest volleyball
    Eaglecrest is the No. 1 seed in 5A. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)

    AURORA — Eaglecrest, Lewis-Palmer and Eaton nabbed the top seeds when volleyball’s regional tournament brackets were released on Monday morning.

    Eaglecrest is the top seed in the Class 5A field and is set to host No. 24 ThunderRidge and No. 36 Liberty in its regional.

    Grandview, Regis Jesuit, Rampart, Chaparral, Pine Creek, Cherokee Trail, Douglas County, Cherry Creek, Fairview, Ralston Valley and Legend will also host regionals. See the full 5A bracket here.

    The top 12 teams (and regional hosts) were all seeded strictly based upon the MaxPreps computer rankings at the regular season’s end. All league champions earned automatic bids to regionals, and the remaining teams were selected based on the same MaxPreps rankings.

    Lewis-Palmer Cheyenne Mountain volleyball
    Lewis-Palmer volleyball is 4A’s No. 1 seed. (Matt Daniels)

    Lewis-Palmer heads the 4A field, and will host No. 24 The Classical Academy and No. 36 Weld Central. Ponderosa, Cheyenne Mountain, Montrose, Valor Christian, Mullen, Mead, Berthoud, Pueblo West, Niwot and Air Academy are also regional hosts.

    Find the entire 4A bracket here.

    The 3A regional tournament field is led by No. 1 Eaton, which will host No. 24 Middle Park and No. 36 Denver Science & Tech – Green Valley Ranch. This is the first postseason appearance for a GVR team in the school’s short history.

    Other 3A regional hosts are Valley, Bayfield, University, Colorado Springs Christian, Manitou Springs, Platte Valley, Sterling, Faith Christian, Pagosa Springs, Coal Ridge and Olathe.

    The full 3A bracket is here.

    The 1A and 2A regional brackets were also released after those two classifications completed district play this past weekend. Those fields were not seeded by a committee, but instead the districts determined regional placement.

    Here is the 2A bracket. The 1A bracket is available here.

    The 3A-5A tournaments each have 36-team fields, while 1A and 2A have 24-team regionals.

    All classes will complete play by Saturday. The winners of each region will move on to the state tournament, set for Nov. 7-8 at the Denver Coliseum.

  • 5A football state playoff bracket

    Football’s 2014 state playoff bracket for Class 5A.

    2014 CHSAA State Football Playoffs CHSAA 5A Football Playoffs

  • Playoff football brackets for five classes released on Sunday

    Grandview Valor Christian football
    Grandview is one of four No. 1 seeds in Class 5A football. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    AURORA — Grandview, Ralston Valley, Pomona and Cherry Creek all got No. 1 seeds when the Class 5A football bracket was released on Sunday.

    All four teams are the top seeds in their respective quadrants — which is a new format for this season. The classification kept a 32-team bracket, but instead of seeding teams Nos. 1-32, the seeding committee seeded four quadrants with Nos. 1-8 apiece.

    The seeding committee is also a new addition this season. Previously, the 32-team bracket was set strictly by Wild Card points standings, with a few changes up or down one seed to avoid league matchups. This year, the 32 qualifiers were again set by the Wild Card points — which were released on Sunday morning — but the committee true-seeded the field based on a number of different criteria, including head-to-head, and an RPI ranking system.

    No. 2 seeds include Rocky Mountain, Fairview, Valor Christian and Regis Jesuit. No. 3s are Fountain-Fort Carson, Overland, Mountain Vista and Doherty.

    Among first-round matchups are No. 4 Prairie View vs. No. 5 Lakewood, No. 3 Mountain Vista vs. No. 6 Cherokee Trail, No. 4 Legacy vs. No. 5 Eaglecrest, and No. 3 Doherty vs. No. 6 Heritage.

    Valor Christian is the defending champion, having won five consecutive titles over three classifications.

    Teams can begin play this weekend. The semifinals are the weekend of Nov. 22 at home sites, with the championship No. 29 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

    The full 5A bracket can be found here.

    The 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man brackets also came out on Sunday.

    2A’s top seed is Brush, which will faces Moffat County in the first round. No. 2 is Kent Denver, No. 3 is Strasburg and No. 4 is Lamar. Also hosting first-round games are No. 5 Gunnison, No. 6 Platte Valley, No. 7 Montezuma-Cortez and No. 8 Faith Christian.

    Platte Valley is the defending champion.

    See the full 16-team 2A bracket here.

    In 1A, Paonia earned the top seed. The defending champion will host No. 16 Wiggins in the first round of the 16-team playoff.

    Other hosts in 1A include No. 2 Buena Vista, No. 3 Meeker, No. 4 Resurrection Christian, No. 5 Centauri, No. 6 Rye, No. 7 Crowley County and No. 8 Wray.

    See the entire 1A bracket here.

    Dayspring Christian, also a defending champion, nabbed the top seed in 8-man. It will host No. 16 Elbert to kick off its title defense.

    Arickaree/Woodlin Stratton/Liberty football
    Arickaree/Woodlin is the No. 1 seed in 6-man. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    No. 2 Norwood, No. 3 Caliche, No. 4 Granada, No. 5 Akron, No. 6 Sangre de Cristo, No. 7 Simla and No. 8 Vail Christian will also host games in the first round of the 16-team field.

    Find the full 8-man bracket here.

    In 6-man, Arickaree/Woodlin is the top seed of the eight-team field. It plays No. 8 North Park in the first round.

    Other teams hosting games in the first round include No. 2 Eads, No. 3 Peetz and No. 4 Fleming.

    Defending champion Stratton/Liberty did not make the eight-team field.

    See the entire 6-man bracket here.

    The 2A, 1A and 8-man championship games are No. 22. 6-man’s title game is Nov. 15.

  • Photos: Cherry Creek football puts Eaglecrest away late

    AURORA — Eaglecrest hung tough but No. 5 Cherry Creek was able to put the Raptors away late in a 42-27 win.

  • Notebook: Cheraw’s Headrick just misses receiving touchdown record

    Cheraw junior Tristan Headrick entered his team’s Week 8 game against Cotopaxi with 24 receiving touchdowns. The state record is 25.

    “We were aware of it, so we were going to try and get him touches,” Cheraw coach Brad Phillips said on Tuesday.

    But with Cheraw, a 6-man program, leading 16-0 early in the second quarter, Cotopaxi had to forfeit the game when injuries meant they could no longer field a team. Headrick didn’t have a touchdown to that point, so he stayed at 24.

    Fast forward to Monday, and the release of the Wild Card points. This season, 6-man football is using the formula to help in determining crossover games, which take place in Week 9 of the regular season. Sixteen teams move on to play, including the Nos. 1 and 2 teams from each conference, as well as six Wild Card spots.

    Cheraw was No. 16 in that forumla, but Genoa-Hugo/Karval, No. 18 in the Wild Card points, was No. 2 in the Central League. It meant Cheraw got bumped. Their season over was over, and so was Headrick’s chance at a record.

    “It’s too bad,” Phillips said. “But he had a good year.”

    Headrick finished his season with 1,295 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. Perhaps most astonishingly, he only had 48 catches — meaning that every other reception he had, he scored.

    Another thing to keep in mind: Heritage’s Shane Optiz set the record during the 2009 season, when his Eagles won the Class 4A championship. His mark came over 14 games. Headrick played seven games and one quarter.

    In any case, Optiz will keep the record. At least until Headrick gets another shot at it next year.

    [divider]

    Lewis-Palmer volleyball’s national profile is rising

    Just how good is this Lewis-Palmer volleyball team? The Rangers are ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps’ latest national poll. That’s astounding.

    Lewis-Palmer Cheyenne Mountain volleyball
    (Matt Daniels)

    Lewis-Palmer, ranked No. 1 in the latest CHSAANow.com 4A poll, moved to 19-0 with a 3-1 win over 5A No. 7 Chaparral on Tuesday.

    That the Rangers actually dropped a set is significant. It was only the second one they’ve lost the entire season. The other came in a 2-1 win over Valley (3A’s current No. 2 team) in a tournament in early September. They have now won 53 sets, and dropped two.

    And it’s not as though the schedule has been weak. There are the wins over Chaparral and Valley, and well as sweeps of Cheyenne Mountain (at the time No. 2 in 4A), Rampart (at the time No. 1 in 5A) and Valor Christian (then No. 7 in 4A). L-P has played anyone and everyone willing to land on the schedule.

    Should this dominance continue on through the state tournament, the question at that point may turn from one of a national perspective to historical. At this point, 1979 Evergreen team is widely regarded as the best in state history. In fact, they were inducted into CHSAA’s Hall of Fame last January. Recently, though, the 2011 Chaparral squad headed by Nicole Dalton was hailed as a challenger to the Evergreen squad.

    That Chaparral team ended the season 31-0, ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps’ national poll, and went 93-6 in terms of sets. Spanning the 2010-12 seasons, the program had a 58-match winning streak.

    Lewis-Palmer’s current winning streak sits at 25 matches. In terms of history, it may not yet match the multiyear runs of Evergreen and Chaparral. But, headed by national player of the year candidate Alexa Smith, the Rangers are having an incredibly special season.

    Perhaps one of the best ever.

    [divider]

    Smoky Hill, Hinkley come together to make a memory

    Here’s what high school sports are about: Last week, Smoky Hill and Hinkley lined up before kickoff to give a special needs student Blake Yaw a memory he won’t soon forget.

    A four-year manager for the team, he lined up with Smoky’s offense, took a handoff and ran 40 yards for a touchdown through the Hinkley defense, who was in on the moment.

    “The entire bench emptied to help celebrate Blake’s touchdown,” athletic director Preston Davis wrote in an email.

    The full video:

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    Short stuff

    • The state playoff brackets for five of the seven classes of football come out on Sunday. I’m very interested to see how 5A plays out. This is the first year of a new system which gives the seeding committee to move the qualifiers anywhere on the bracket. At this point, I think Grandview has the inside track at the No. 1 seed, assuming the Wolves beat Valor Christian on Friday. If Valor wins, I expect Ralston Valley to take the top seed — again, assuming a win against Mullen this week.
    • BoCoPreps had a powerful story on how Nederland football is dealing with a severe spinal cord injury to senior Miles Pancoast.
    • Eaglecrest’s Jordyn Poulter is on the same national volleyball player of the year watch list as Alexa Smith. It was produced by MaxPreps.
    • Ralston Valley’s super athlete Andrew Wingard committed to Wyoming to play football on Tuesday night.
    • Ridge View Academy, a 2A program, forfeit two football wins due to use of an ineligible player. Wins over Manual (Oct. 4) and Denver West (Oct. 11) were forfeit. And, actually, that forfeit win may have guaranteed Manual a playoff spot. Manual moved from No. 15 to No. 9 in the Wild Card points standings as a result.
    • The football and basketball championships are moving to Altitude TV.
    • When La Junta won the 3A softball championship on Saturday, it ended Strasburg’s 51-game winning streak in the title game.
    • Eaton raised $2,200 in its Kills for a Cure night earlier this month.
    • Eaglecrest is inducting its inaugural class into its hall of fame in December.
    • There may be a change to CHSAA’s playoff structure coming down the road in the form of an expansion. The staff had some internal discussions last week about exploring the possibility. In essence, it would create true district/regional fields where every team would qualify and then have to play their way into the state tournament. It’s still an idea at this point.

  • Fossil Ridge joins 5A volleyball poll at No. 10

    Fossil Ridge Fairview volleyball
    Fossil Ridge is the No. 10 team in 5A volleyball this week. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Fossil Ridge gave Fairview volleyball its first loss last week. This week, the SaberCats have joined CHSAANow.com’s Class 5A rankings.

    Fossil Ridge (13-5) beat Fairview 3-1 on Thursday. They enter the poll at No. 10.

    Elsewhere in 5A, Rampart continued to lead the way, and Grandview moved up three places from No. 5 to No. 2 after a week which included a win over then-No. 2 Eaglecrest.

    Lewis-Palmer extended its unanimous grip on the 4A poll. The Rangers won a top-2 showdown with Cheyenne Mountain last week.

    Each of the other three No. 1 teams also held firm atop their respective rankings. Those are Eaton (3A), Resurrection Christian (2A) and Fleming (1A).

    Volleyball’s regular season is winding down. In fact, 1A and 2A are already in their districts. 3A-5A end their regular seasons on Saturday.

    As such, these will serve as the final polls of the 2014 season. Regional seeding will post on CHSAANow.com next Monday.

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

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

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    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rampart (14) 16-2 149 1 2-0
    2 Grandview 12-6 123 5 2-0
    3 Eaglecrest (1) 13-3 121 2 1-1
    4 Cherokee Trail 13-5 98 4 2-0
    5 Fairview 17-1 82 3 1-1
    6 Cherry Creek 14-4 68 7 2-0
    7 Chaparral 12-6 58 6 0-1
    8 Pine Creek 11-5 43 9 1-0
    9 Ralston Valley 13-7 35 8 2-5
    10 Fossil Ridge 13-5 21 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Regis Jesuit 13, Highlands Ranch 7, Doherty 4, Douglas County 2, Castle View 1.
    Dropped out
    Regis Jesuit (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (13) 18-0 130 1 2-0
    2 Ponderosa 14-4 111 3 0-0
    3 Cheyenne Mountain 15-2 106 2 1-1
    4 Valor Christian 13-3 84 4 2-0
    5 Montrose 16-3 68 5 3-0
    6 Mullen 11-8 57 6 1-1
    7 Mead 16-2 47 7 2-0
    8 Pueblo West 15-3 39 8 2-0
    9 Elizabeth 15-2 33 9 2-0
    10 Air Academy 12-9 16 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Battle Mountain 9, Berthoud 7, Steamboat Springs 5, Woodland Park 5, Niwot 3.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (12) 20-1 129 1 1-0
    2 Valley 19-2 113 2 2-0
    3 Manitou Springs (1) 18-1 102 3 2-0
    4 Bayfield 16-2 94 4 2-0
    5 Colorado Springs Christian 19-2 71 5 3-0
    6 University 14-6 62 6 2-0
    7 Platte Valley 14-7 44 7 1-1
    8 Eagle Ridge 16-2 26 10 2-0
    9 Olathe 16-3 22 8 0-0
    10 Sterling 13-9 17 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Coal Ridge 11, Peak to Peak 7, Faith Christian 6, Pagosa Springs 4, Middle Park 3, Buena Vista 2, Machebeuf 2.
    Dropped out
    Faith Christian (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (5) 19-0 76 1 2-0
    2 Yuma (1) 18-1 66 3 2-0
    3 Paonia 19-0 61 4 2-0
    4 Swink (2) 19-0 57 2 1-0
    5 Lyons 18-1 46 5 1-0
    6 Sargent 18-1 28 7 2-0
    7 Akron 14-5 27 8 2-0
    8 Caliche 15-4 26 6 0-2
    9 Dayspring Christian 13-5 15 9 0-2
    10 Cedaredge 15-3 12 10 0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Simla 10, Colorado Springs School 8, Rye 6, Byers 1, Ridgway 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (6) 19-0 60 1 1-0
    2 Idalia 17-1 54 3 2-0
    3 Otis 16-2 48 2 1-1
    4 Flagler 16-3 41 4 2-0
    5 Kit Carson 16-3 35 6 2-0
    6 Cheraw 16-3 28 5 3-0
    7 Weldon Valley 13-6 23 8 3-0
    8 Norwood 16-2 19 10 3-0
    9 La Veta 18-1 11 7 2-1
    10 Springfield 15-4 7 – 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Eads 3, McClave 1.
    Dropped out
    McClave (9).