Fredrick senior Alex Therrien (20) attempts to block the shot of Wheat Ridge sophomore Damian Padilla on Monday night. Therrien made his mark on the offensive end also, scoring a game-high 20 points that included draining four 3-pointers in Fredrick’s 74-56 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
WHEAT RIDGE — Fredrick senior Alex Therrien was elusive Monday night at Wheat Ridge High School.
The Warriors’ sharp-shooting senior scored a game-high 20 points, including four 3-pointers in the first half, to guide Fredrick to a 74-56 road victory against the Wheat Ridge Farmers.
“We lost (Therrien) too many times in the mix,” Wheat Ridge coach Tommy Dowd said after his Farmers dropped to 1-3 on the season.
Fredrick jumped out to a 17-0 lead to start the game. Wheat Ridge finally got on the scoreboard when senior Stefan Hackethal scored with 1:46 left in the first quarter.
Hackethal, Wheat Ridge’s leading scorer, was held to just two points. Fredrick coach Larry Frank admitted the defensive focus for the Warriors was to shut down Hackethal.
“We started out pretty good defensively,” said Frank, who used the combination of junior Mikail Lowney and senior Michael Broz to stay lockdown Hackethal.
Wheat Ridge sophomore Nicco Young, left, tries to keep Fredrick sophomore Chelton Lebon from stealing the ball during the first half Monday night at Wheat Ridge High School. Young led the Farmers with 12 points, but the Warriors scored a 74-56 road victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
The Warriors (2-1) were coming off a tough overtime loss last Friday at Longmont.
“We were really mad about that (loss) and wanted redemption,” Therrien said. “We came out hot and we knew what we had to do. We got the job done.”
Fredrick will host Silver Creek at 6:30 p.m. Friday before heading to the deep Prairie View Tournament next week.
“That is always a tough one for us,” Frank said of the Prairie View Tournament that features six 5A schools. “We are one of only two 4A schools in the tournament. We go there for a reason. We’ll learn and work on some things and hopefully be competitive.”
Along with Therrien, Ryan Yancey (15 points) and Broz (14 points) finished in double-digit points for the Warriors.
The young Wheat Ridge squad has just two seniors this season. The Farmers did cut the Warriors’ lead to 11 points on a few occasions Monday, but could never get the lead under double digits after falling behind early on.
Sophomore Nicco Young led the Farmers with 12 points. Junior Drew Mullberry came off the bench to pitch in 10 points in the loss.
Wheat Ridge won’t have to think about the loss for long. The Farmers get right back on the court Tuesday with a 7 p.m. tipoff at Holy Family.
“I think it’s good. We don’t have to dwell over this for long,” Young said. “If we can work together we can get the win.”
The Farmers play on back-to-back nights Thursday and Friday with home games against Class 5A Jeffco squads in Lakewood and Pomona.
“You’ve got to be patient and let kids learn on the fly a little bit,” Dowd said. “I’m just disappointed we didn’t compete earlier in the game tonight.”
Wheat Ridge senior Jessica Salbato lifts the Class 4A state softball trophy with her teammates Sunday at Aurora Sports Park. The Farmers claimed their fourth 4A state title over the past six seasons. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
AURORA — Wheat Ridge senior Jessica Salbato couldn’t wait to get her hands on the Class 4A state softball trophy.
“I’ve always wanted a state ring, a state championship with me on the mound,” Salbato said after she tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout against Erie on Sunday afternoon in the 4A championship game at Aurora Sports Park.
While Salbato handcuffed the Tigers’ bats, the top-seeded Farmers (24-1) used the one-two offensive punch of sophomore Ann Marie Torres and junior Analece Apodaca. The pair drove in three of Wheat Ridge’s four runs in the 4-0 victory.
Wheat Ridge senior Jessica Salbato allowed just two hits in the Farmers’ 4-0 victory over Erie in the Class 4A state championship game Sunday. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
“We wanted to do everything in our power to get it (state title) for Jessica,” Torres said. “She deserves this so much.”
Torres led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple off Erie freshman pitcher Rio Sanchez. Apodaca followed with a double to drive in the only run Wheat Ridge really needed.
“It was good. We just wanted to get that one run early,” Apodaca said.
Wheat Ridge pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead. Torres ripped a ground rule double down the left field line two drive in a pair. She finished 3-for-4 from the plate in the title game, just a home run short of hitting for the cycle.
“The power of those two is unbelievable,” Wheat Ridge coach Marty Stricklett said of Torres and Apodaca.
The Farmers tacked on their final run with an RBI single by junior Mary Sand in the bottom of the fifth inning. Wheat Ridge’s offense cranked out 11 hits, but Salbato’s performance on the mound couldn’t be overshadowed.
“Jess threw a gem,” Stricklett said. “We had timely hitting too, but I’ve got to give it to Jessica. To two-hit Erie is a big accomplishment.”
Wheat Ridge sophomore Ann Marie Torres slides safely into third base ahead of the throw for Erie junior Katie Kovets during the Class 4A state championship final Sunday at Aurora Sports Park. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
Sanchez broke up Salbato’s no-hit bid with a single in the top of the fifth inning. Junior Katie Kovets had the other hit for the Tigers. She singled in the top of the seventh.
It was the first shutout loss Erie (21-4-1) had suffered all season. It was the third loss in a championship game for the Tigers. Erie has an 11-3 record in title games.
“Everybody gives us their best game and we know that,” Erie coach Bob Bledsoe said. “(Wheat Ridge) was clearly the better team today.”
Bledsoe did say it was fun to finally face the Farmers in a championship game. Erie claimed its first 10 state titles at the 3A level before moving up to 4A in 2010. The Tigers defeated the Farmers 12-2 in the semifinals in their inaugural season in 4A on the way to a state title.
“Bob is one of those guys I tip my cap to,” Stricklett said of Bledsoe. “He has run a great, successful program. In my opinion he is the best coach in the state of Colorado. It was an honor to play him and his team today.”
Wheat Ridge claimed its sixth state title since 2002 with the victory. The Farmers won back-to-back 5A state titles in 2002 and 2003 under former coach Eric Larson. Wheat Ridge has now won four 4A state titles over the past six years under the tenure of Stricklett.
Wheat Ridge coach Marty Sticklett, far right, is all smiles after the Farmers won its sixth state softball title in school history Sunday. The Farmers beat Erie 4-0 in the Class 4A title game. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)Wheat Ridge softball players celebrate its 4-0 victory against Erie in the 4A state championship game Sunday at Aurora Sports Park. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)Erie sophomore Katie Glaze slides into second base as Wheat Ridge sophomore Ann Marie Torres puts down a tag during the first inning Sunday in the Class 4A state title game. Glaze was ruled safe on the play. Also pictured is Wheat Ridge sophomore Christina Nelson. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
Aurora Sports Park sits quiet prior to Saturday’s action. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com) A roundup of Saturday’s action at the state softball tournaments at Aurora Sports Park.
AURORA — Fossil Ridge won its first two games at Saturday’s opening rounds of the 5A state softball tournament by a combined score of 29-7. It now finds itself in the semifinals for the first time in school history.
In fact, Fossil Ridge had never even won a game at the state tournament before Saturday.
The third-seeded SaberCats beat No. 14 Pine Creek in the opening round, 10-3, then followed with a 19-4 mercy-rule-shortened win over No. 6 Eaglecrest which ended on Haley Donaldson’s walk-off three-run home run.
Legacy softball coach Dawn Gaffin goes over instructions between innings Saturday afternoon during the Lightning’s 8-1 quarterfinal victory against Dakota Ridge. Legacy, 5-time Class 5A state champion, will face Brighton in the 5A state semifinals 10 a.m. Sunday at Aurora Sports Park. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
Fossil Ridge is 22-1 in 2013. The SaberCats’ lone loss this season came to Legacy on Sept. 16. They could get a rematch on Saturday — but first they’ll need to get past No. 7 Legend, another first-timer in the semis.
Legend (19-5) dispatched No. 10 Grandview 13-8 to open the tournament, then beat No. 2 Rock Canyon 6-1 in the quartefinals.
No. 9 Brighton was the lone team to knock off a No. 1 seed on Saturday. The Bulldogs, now 22-2, beat No. 1 Douglas County 8-4 in the quarterfinals. That followed an 11-1 win over No. 8 Loveland, the defending champion.
In the semis, Brighton will get No. 5 Legacy, which beat a pair of Jeffco squads (Chatfield and Dakota Ridge) to earn its seventh consecutive berth into the state tournament semifinals.
No. 12 Chatfield gave Legacy a tough test before the Lightning pulled away in the late innings for a 6-2 win.
“I think we kind of learned from it,” Legacy senior pitcher Haley Smith said. “Our bats were kind of cold at first, but we had everybody set up.”
Legacy used some “small ball” tactics in the third inning against No. 4 Dakota Ridge to score four runs on the way to an 8-1 victory.
Despite the rich tradition of winning five straight 5A state crowns from 2007 to 2011, Smith doesn’t believe Legacy will be nervous going into the semifinals.
“If anything I think there is less pressure because everyone thinks we can’t do it,” Smith said. “We are the underdogs.”
Semifinal games:
(9) Brighton vs. (5) Legacy, 10 a.m.
(3) Fossil Ridge vs. (7) Legend, 10 a.m.
[divider] Broomfield is headed to the semifinals. More photos. (Pam Wagner)
Fifth-seeded Broomfield narrowly survived being No. 13 D’Evelyn’s second upset victim of the day. But the Eagles did survive, and advance, to the 4A semifinals on Sunday.
Broomfield rallied from 2-0 and 4-2 holes to hold on and beat D’Evelyn 7-6 on Saturday. The Eagles had a four-run fifth-inning which led to the win. They will face top-seeded Wheat Ridge in the semifinals.
Wheat Ridge junior Erin Dalton connects with a pitch during the Farmers’ 5-0 win against Roosevelt in the opening round of the Class 4A state softball tournament Saturday at Aurora Sports Park. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
Wheat Ridge didn’t have much problem advancing.
The Farmers shut out No. 16 Roosevelt by a 5-0 score in the opening round and cranked out 11 hits in a 9-4 quarterfinal victory against No. 8 Mountain View. Still, Wheat Ridge coach Marty Stricklett said there is “some improving to do” going into the final day of the season.
The Farmers edged Broomfield 2-0 earlier this season. Sophomore Christina Nelson hit a two-run home run in the first inning and senior pitcher Jessica Salbato pitched a shutout against Broomfield back on Aug. 30.
A 1-0 loss to Niwot in the 4A semifinals last year still motivates the Farmers heading into their eighth straight trip to the state semifinals.
“Tomorrow we are still going off what happened last year,” Stricklett said. “We’ve got to show up and play our game. The name of our game is hitting. We’ve got to hit the ball.”
On the other side of the bracket, No. 6 Erie beat No. 11 Silver Creek 11-1 and No. 3 Pueblo East 7-1 to advance to Sunday. The Tigers will face No. 2 Ponderosa, which escaped No. 15 Palmer Ridge’s upset bid, 5-4, to open the tournament, then beat No. 7 Berthoud 6-0 in the quarters.
The four semifinalists at the 3A level each only played one game on Saturday. That’s because Strasburg, Sterling, Holy Family and Valley all had opening-round byes as seeds Nos. 1-4.
Top-seeded Strasburg beat No. 9 Basalt 11-0, and will meet No. 4 Valley, which eeked past No. 5 Eaton 1-0.
In the other semifinal, No. 2 Sterling will meet No. 3 Holy Family. Sterling beat No. 7 Lamar 5-0 and Holy Family beat No. 11 Dolores Huerta 3-0.
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.
Rachelle Foos struck out 19 batters over two games, and Dakota Ridge easily advanced to the Class 5A state softball tournament.
The Eagles were joined by Chatfield as a state qualifier out of Region 3. Both teams will play at the tournament next Friday and Saturday at Aurora Sports Park.
Dakota Ridge cruised through the regional, first topping Fruita Monument 9-2, and then beating Chatfield 9-2.
Eagles coach Marv Van Lingen approached regionals as he would any regular season game.
“We came in with the same mentality that we have tried to maintain all year long. We preach to the girls work ethic and discipline, that’s what you work for,” Van Lingen said. “Nothing fancy, we want fundamentals.”
Last season, Dakota Ridge reached the 5A championship game, where it lost to Loveland. This year’s Eagles entered the regional tournament as the No. 5 seed.
Saturday was Van Lingen’s first appearance at regionals as the varsity coach — he replaced Dave Atencio this offseason after Atencio took the job at Valor Christian. Van Lingen previously headed the JV team for Dakota Ridge.
“A lot of these girls have been under me in the JV program,” he said. “There is a familiarity with this group, each one has come up with me on the at the JV level.”
(Jordan Morey)
Chatfield had to get to state the hard way. The Chargers started the day hot by beating Greeley West 16-6. But the loss to Dakota Ridge set up an elimination game between Chatfield and Fruita Monument.
“I told them if they really want it, they needed to dig down deep and find it,” said Chargers coach Nicole Janssen.
Through the first three and a half innings, it appeared that the game would be a defensive struggle between the two teams. Both pitchers hadn’t given up any runs until the Chargers scored three in the bottom of the third. The Chargers led thereafter and won 5-2.
Sophomore pitcher Jessica Jarecki had a fantastic game against Fruita with eight strikeouts and only one earned run in six innings. Jarecki said that her rise and curve balls were blowing by Fruita.
Jarecki prepared her team ready to play following the tough loss to Dakota Ridge, and has a gameplan for state.
(Jordan Morey)
“When we were in a circle I started jumping up and down and said ‘Let’s go, let’s get this!” Jarecki said. “We need to continue to keep being a team. In the huddle, our coach said that we play as a team and not as individuals.”
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day out of 5A regional play was 14th-seeded Castle View. After beating No. 19 Rocky Mountain, No. 14 Castle View defeated No. 3 Legend 5-4. Legend, however, rebounded to make the field.
ThunderRidge, a No. 26 seed, also made the 5A tournament.
There weren’t any major upsets in 4A regionals. No. 1 Wheat Ridge dominated both of its games, winning 13-1 against Mead and 13-3 against Palmer Ridge. No. 23 Roosevelt was among the 16 qualifiers.
In 3A, No. 9 Lamar upset No. 4 Eaton 2-1 — however, both teams will make the tournament.
On Sunday, a CHSAA committee will seed the 5A, 4A and 3A brackets. Each bracket will be announced on CHSAANow.com.
Evergreen freshman Ryan Wilson, far left, battles with Wheat Ridge junior Max Sweeney for a header as Evergreen senior Alex Wormer and Wheat Ridge junior Dan Van Note look on Monday night. Wheat Ridge ended a nine-game winning streak for Evergreen with a 1-0 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
LAKEWOOD — It only takes one opportunity to be victorious on the soccer field sometimes.
That was the case Monday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. Wheat Ridge (9-3, 5-0 in league) had just one shot on goal the entire night against Class 4A Jeffco League rival Evergreen (9-2, 4-1). The one scoring chance found the back of the net, giving the Farmers a 1-0 victory in the key conference matchup and extended Wheat Ridge’s winning streak to six games.
“It was a huge win for us,” Wheat Ridge junior Max Sweeney said. “Since we were two of the top three in the league we knew we needed to perform.”
Sweeney scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 45th minute. Junior Evan Graves took a direct free kick deep in Evergreen’s zone. The low shot by Graves was deflected by Sweeney and slipped past Cougars’ goalie Matt Hornbecker.
“I told them at halftime that it only takes one shot to win this game,” Wheat Ridge coach Tony Thomas said. “It went our way tonight.”
Evergreen seniors Danny Golden, far left, and Collin Molleur close in on Wheat Ridge junior Dan Van Note during the Farmers’ 1-0 victory Monday night. (Dennis Pleuss)
Wheat Ridge did have to hang on to its slim lead and ward off several good scoring chances by Evergreen, ranked No. 3 in this week’s CHSAANow.com 4A boys soccer rankings. The Farmers also had to play a man down for the final 27 minutes of the second half after Graves was issued a red card in the 53rd minute.
The Cougars had a nine-game winning streak coming in, but wasn’t able to solve Wheat Ridge senior goalie Troy Fairbanks.
“I was really stoked to get the first save of the game and kept it going from there,” Fairbanks said. “The defense did really well.”
It was the third straight shutout victory for Fairbanks and the Farmers. The experienced goalie made a handful of diving saves and was also helped out by the post and crossbar late in the second half as the Cougars nearly tied the game on a number of occasions.
“That’s soccer. I’ve been on the winning side of games like that,” Evergreen coach Peter Jeans said. “Wheat Ridge got one chance and buried it. We had many and didn’t bury any.”
Despite the first loss since Evergreen dropped its season opener to Air Academy 1-0, Jeans still has high hopes for his squad.
“It doesn’t shake my confidence in the team,” Jeans said. “I think we are a really good team and will be able to finish strong this year.”
Evergreen will attempt to bounce back when it faces Green Mountain at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, at Lakewood Memorial Field.
Wheat Ridge turns its attention to rival Golden (8-1-2, 4-0). The winner of the 6 p.m. game Wednesday, Oct. 9, at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada will be the sole conference leader with just two league games remaining.
“We’ll work tomorrow (Tuesday) and get things set and get the ‘W’ on Wednesday,” Fairbanks said.
Wheat Ridge junior Max Sweeney, left, attempts to race past Evergreen senior Brian Amdur during the Class 4A Jeffco League game Monday at Lakewood Memorial Field. Sweeney scored the lone goal of the game in the 45th minute to give Wheat Ridge a 1-0 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
D’Evelyn senior Cameryn Porter slides safely into second base while the ball skips past Wheat Ridge sophomores Ann Marie Torres, left, and Christina Nelson. The Farmers rallied with four runs in the final two innings to pull off a 4-2 victory Monday to claim their sixth straight Class 4A Jeffco League title. (Dennis Pleuss)
It was anything but easy for Wheat Ridge softball to claim its sixth straight Class 4A Jeffco League title Monday afternoon.
The top-ranked 4A team in the CHSAANow.com poll needed to rally against conference rival and No. 7-ranked D’Evelyn (12-6, 6-1 in league) in the final two innings. Eventually, Wheat Ridge (16-1, 6-0) pulled out a 4-2 victory to clinch another league title.
“It was a great game and we expected that,” D’Evelyn coach Dan Porreco said. “Obviously, we wanted to be on top. A few things just didn’t go our way.”
The Farmers faced a 2-0 deficit on the Jaguars’ home field going to the top of the sixth inning.
Wheat Ridge junior Jessica Salbato racked up her 13th victory on the hill for the Farmers. (Dennis Pleuss)
D’Evelyn senior Beth Wilson scored on an RBI single by senior Cameryn Porter in third inning to give the Jaguars a 1-0 lead. It was the first run Wheat Ridge had given up in league play this season. The Farmers had outscored conference opponents 63-0 heading into the showdown with D’Evelyn, who had outscored its league foes 80-11.
D’Evelyn extended the lead to 2-0 on an RBI single by senior Allison Heitsman in the bottom of the fifth inning that scored junior Erica Tilden.
Down to its final six outs and down two runs, Wheat Ridge coach Marty Stricklett gave some simple advice to his squad.
“I told them it was time to relax,” said Stricklett, who coached the Farmers to 4A state titles in 2008, 2010 and 2011. “We were too nervous and pressing. We were trying to do things we aren’t trained to do.”
Sophomore Christina Nelson took the advice and pounded a double off the wall to lead off the top of the sixth inning. Nelson scored on an RBI single by junior Grace White to get the Farmers on the board. White would later score on an RBI single by junior Erin Dalton to tie the game at 2.
“I always know my team is there to back me up 100 percent,” Wheat Ridge junior pitcher Jessica Salbato said. “I knew our offense would come through in the end.”
Sophomore Ann Marie Torres drove a rise ball that was at eye level by D’Evelyn junior pitcher Nicole Masters with one out in the top of the seventh.
“I just had to do my job and get a hit,” Torres said. “Thankfully it was a triple.”
D’Evelyn junior Nicole Masters had a strong outing for the Jaguars against 4A’s top-ranked Wheat Ridge. Masters had eight strikeouts in the loss. (Dennis Pleuss)
Torres scored on an error when a fly ball to left field by junior Analece Apodaca was dropped. Salbato helped out her own cause driving home Apodaca for the final run of the game.
Salbato picked up her 13th victory on the mound this season. She struck out six and retired D’Evelyn in order in the final two innings. Masters was solid for the Jaguars striking out eight while holding the Farmers’ bats in check until the final two innings.
“(Masters) kept us off balance,” Stricklett said. “She did a great job.”
Wheat Ridge will close out its regular season at home against Alameda at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, before a non-league game against Ralston Valley at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3.
D’Evelyn has a non-league tilt at home against Denver East at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, before preparing for the regional/state qualifying tournaments scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12.
Wheat Ridge sophomore Ann Marie Torres watches the flight of the ball Monday during the Farmers’ 4-2 victory against D’Evelyn. Torres had a key triple in the seventh inning and scored the eventual game-winning run. (Dennis Pleuss)
