CHSAANow

Tag: Monarch

  • Regis Jesuit on top of 5A girls basketball’s preseason ranking

    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    Regis Jesuit begins 2013-14 atop the 5A girls basketball poll. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Regis Jesuit is the unanimous No. 1 selection in CHSAANow.com’s preseason girls basketball ranking in 5A.

    The poll, released on Monday, featured 18 first-place votes. The Raiders received each one. And it makes sense: Regis Jesuit did not graduate any players from last year’s team which won the title. The squad also has six seniors committed to Division I schools, including Diani Akigbogun (Texas) and Justine Hall (Purdue).

    Highlands Ranch, last season’s 5A runner-up, is No. 2 in the preseason ranking. Arapahoe is third, Grandview is fourth and Rock Canyon rounds out the top-5.

    Monarch, with coach Gail Hook returning from a one-year hiatus, is sixth. Castle View is seventh, ThunderRidge is eighth, Cherry Creek is ninth and Poudre is tenth.

    (Pam Wagner)
    Holy Family is ranked No. 1 in 3A girls basketball. Broomfield is No. 1 in 4A. (Pam Wagner)

    In 4A, Broomfield heads the preseason poll. The Eagles reached last year’s semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion Pueblo South by three points. Pueblo South begins the season ranked No. 2.

    Holy Family is on top of the 3A ranking. The Tigers won last year’s championship.

    The 2A poll is headed by Yuma, even though the Indians received three first-place votes to Akron’s four. Akron beat Yuma in last season’s title game, and is ranked second.

    Caliche is the preseason No. 1 team in 1A. The Buffaloes lost in last season’s quarterfinals. Defending champion Wiley is unranked to begin the season.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

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    CHSAANow.com Girls Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Regis Jesuit (18) 0-0 180
    2 Highlands Ranch 0-0 145
    3 Arapahoe 0-0 115
    4 Grandview 0-0 85
    5 Rock Canyon 0-0 75
    6 Monarch 0-0 69
    7 Castle View 0-0 53
    8 ThunderRidge 0-0 51
    9 Cherry Creek 0-0 41
    10 Poudre 0-0 34
    Others receiving votes:
    Horizon 30, Chaparral 22, Denver East 21, Lakewood 18, Ralston Valley 16, Palmer 14, Fossil Ridge 10, Rampart 8, Legacy 2, Heritage 1.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Broomfield (8) 0-0 137
    2 Pueblo South (5) 0-0 123
    3 D’Evelyn (2) 0-0 119
    4 Mesa Ridge 0-0 109
    5 Sand Creek 0-0 74
    6 Pueblo West 0-0 44
    7 Montrose 0-0 42
    8 Palmer Ridge 0-0 28
    9 Canon City 0-0 19
    10 Air Academy 0-0 17
    Others receiving votes:
    Silver Creek 16, Windsor 15, Mullen 14, Valor Christian 14, Elizabeth 12, Pueblo County 9, Centaurus 8, Golden 5, Rifle 5, Evergreen 4, Greeley Central 4, Glenwood Springs 3, Thompson Valley 2, Berthoud 1, Conifer 1.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Holy Family (14) 0-0 140
    2 Pagosa Springs 0-0 107
    3 Denver Science & Tech 0-0 101
    4 Lamar 0-0 70
    5 Centauri 0-0 68
    6 St. Mary’s 0-0 63
    7 Eaton 0-0 42
    8 Valley 0-0 35
    9 Peak to Peak 0-0 30
    10 Sterling 0-0 26
    Others receiving votes:
    Bishop Machebeuf 21, Kent Denver 15, Manitou Springs 11, Olathe 8, Coal Ridge 7, Grand Valley 7, Clear Creek 6, Platte Valley 4, Salida 3, Trinidad 3, Moffat County 2, Buena Vista 1.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Yuma (3) 0-0 82
    2 Akron (4) 0-0 74
    3 Lutheran (2) 0-0 67
    4 Peyton 0-0 66
    5 Sangre de Cristo 0-0 33
    6 Holyoke 0-0 27
    7 Paonia 0-0 26
    8 Rye 0-0 18
    9 The Vanguard 0-0 17
    10 Meeker 0-0 16
    Others receiving votes:
    Ignacio 11, Del Norte 9, Hoehne 9, Simla 8, Las Animas 5, Liberty Common 5, Swink 5, Limon 4, Sanford 4, Burlington 3, Calhan 3, Heritage Christian 2, Springfield 2, Center 1, Highland 1.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Caliche (4) 0-0 57
    2 Eads 0-0 56
    3 Stratton 0-0 40
    4 Idalia 0-0 39
    5 Norwood (2) 0-0 35
    6 Kit Carson 0-0 31
    7 Hi-Plains 0-0 30
    8 Kim 0-0 23
    9 Pawnee 0-0 19
    10 Walsh (1) 0-0 18
    Others receiving votes:
    Dove Creek 13, Wiley 9, Belleview Christian 4, Prairie 4, Cheraw 3, Otis 3, McClave 2, Jim Elliot Christian 1.

  • Pine Creek advances to 4A football title game by topping Monarch

    Pine Creek Monarch football
    More photos. (Pam Wagner)

    LAFAYETTE — Pine Creek senior running back Austin Schultz rushed for a season-high 189 yards on 16 carries, and added a touchdown, as No. 3 Pine Creek advanced to the Class 4A state title game with a 21-7 win against No. 2 Monarch at Centaurus High School on Saturday.

    Schultz gave all the credit to his teammates blocking for him.

    “We have a tenacious offensive line,” Schultz said. “Our fullback and offensive line punished them (Monarch). I did nothing but put my head down and go.”

    Pine Creek started the scoring on a one yard punch-in by Schultz with 4:12 left in the first quarter. The drive started at the Eagles’ own 25-yard-line.

    Pine Creek Monarch football
    More photos. (Pam Wagner)

    It appeared that Pine Creek would extend its lead in the second quarter after getting inside the 5-yard-line. However, Monarch recovered a fumble on a Pine Creek run on the 4-yard line. The teams battled, but Pine Creek held its 7-0 lead going into the half.

    Pine Creek opened the second half on a strong drive, getting down to the 6. Quarterback Tommy Lazzaro kept the ball and managed to score despite fumbling the ball after crossing the goal-line on a keeper to the left.

    Monarch responded on the ensuing kickoff when Jay MacIntyre returned the kick 96 yards for a touchdown.

    Down 14-7 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Monarch drove down to the 11. But the Coyotes couldn’t convert on a 4th-and-3, and turned the ball over on downs with 8:56 left in the game. Pine Creek retained the ball, and got all the way down to Monarch’s 2-yard-line before running back Matt List muscled in for the score.

    “That fourth-down stop really gave us the momentum we needed,” Lazzaro said. “When we got the ball back, we knew we had to chew up some time. Monarch’s a good team we knew we couldn’t give them another chance. We really chewed up the clock which gave us a chance to win.”

    Monarch tried to get down the field after starting on its own 20, but turned the ball over when MacIntyre’s pass was intercepted by Eric Warren with 3:44 left. Pine Creek ran the clock out, and left with the win.

    Monarch finishes 2013 at 10-2, while Pine Creek marches on with a record of 11-2.

    Pine Creek Monarch football
    More photos. (Pam Wagner)

    Before the game on Saturday, Monarch had won seven-straight games by outscoring its opponents an average of 41.9 points per game. Pine Creek held Monarch to just 133 yards and one score, while getting 429 yards of offense and three scores of their own.

    Pine Creek coach Todd Miller didn’t give credit to just one player for the win.

    “Amazing things can happen when no one cares who gets the credit,” Miller said. “That’s the epitome of our team. I don’t know if people look at us and say ‘there’s a superstar,’ but you look out there and say there are a lot of good football players.”

    Pine Creek will play for the 4A state title against No. 1 Montrose on Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The last time the Eagles made it to the championship game, in 2011, they lost to Valor Christian 66-10. Pine Creek has never won a state championship.

    “We’re going to enjoy this win — and then we’re going to work like dogs,” Miller said. “It’s going to be a fun Thanksgiving dinner knowing we have a game the next day.”

    Pine Creek Monarch football
    More photos. (Pam Wagner)

  • Photo gallery: Pine Creek beats Monarch in 4A semifinals

    LAFAYETTE — Pine Creek will play for the 4A football championship after beating Monarch on Saturday.

  • Chat replay: Football’s semifinals and championship games

    Tools

    The live event will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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    Live chat

     


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    Featured game


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    Live games
    Class Game Time Notes
    5A Cherokee Trail at Valor Christian 1 p.m. Semifinals
    5A Fairview at ThunderRidge 1 p.m. Semifinals
    4A Pine Creek at Monarch 1 p.m. Semifinals
    4A Montrose at Pueblo South 1 p.m. Semifinals
    3A The Classical Academy at Coronado 1 p.m. Semifinals
    3A Silver Creek at Delta 1 p.m. Semifinals
    2A Faith Christian at Platte Valley 1 p.m. Championship
    1A Centauri at Paonia 1 p.m. Championship
    8-man Dayspring Christian at Caliche 1 p.m. Championship

  • 4A football preview: Pueblo South finally hosting a semifinal

    Pueblo South's Nathan Spinuzzi. (Tim Visser/MaxPreps.com)
    Pueblo South’s Nathan Spinuzzi. (Tim Visser/MaxPreps.com)

    View the 4A football playoff bracket.

    No. 1 Montrose (11-1) at No. 5 Pueblo South (11-1)
    1 p.m. Saturday at Dutch Clark Stadium

    For the first time since the school opened in 1959, Pueblo South is hosting a semifinal game. The Colts reached the semis in 2003 and 2004, but were on the road each time.

    “Hopefully we can take advantage of being at home and make the most of it,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told ColoradoPreps.com’s Scoreboard Show on Saturday.

    Pueblo South has now won 10 consecutive games, including a 27-21 victory against Dakota Ridge in the quarterfinals. The Colts’ offense has largely come on the ground — they’re a 65/35 split tilted toward rushing — but Nathan Spinuzzi is a definitive threat to pass. He has 16 passing touchdowns and a 66.3 completion percentage.

    Senior Garrett Krage shoulders most of the rushing load with 215 carries, 1,274 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.

    Montrose, meanwhile, got a big boost as the playoffs started when senior running back Angelo Youngren returned from a broken collarbone after missing four games. In the Indians’ two playoff wins, he has 306 yards and three touchdowns. Here’s how valuable he can be: In Montrose’s 39-34 win over Monach during the regular season — arguably the biggest game of the 4A season to date — he had 266 yards and three scores.

    But Youngren’s absence during the regular season also meant the emergence of junior Mike Rocha, who has 1,440 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. In the playoffs, Rocha has 174 yards and five scores.

    If there’s a difference between the two, it’s this: Youngren is 5-10, 188; Rocha is 6-0, 202. Expect Rocha, who’s listed as a fullback, to handle short-yardage and goal-to-go situations.

    Pueblo South has never reached a championship game. Montrose last went in 1991 and 1990, but lost both times.

    This is the first time Montrose has reached the semifinals under coach Todd Casebier.

    “This is the fifth time we’ve been (to the quarterfinals), and it’s the first time we’ve been able to win it,” Casebier told the Scoreboard Show on Saturday. “We finally got over the hump.”

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    No. 3 Pine Creek (10-2) at No. 6 Monarch (10-1)
    1 p.m. Saturday at Centaurus HS

    Pine Creek was last in the championship game during the 2011 season.
    Pine Creek was last in the championship game during the 2011 season.

    Pine Creek opened the season 1-2. The Eagles, though, opened with three 5A teams that all reached the postseason. Perhaps this is why teams play those games: They’re tests, designed to prepare you for the postseason.

    Well, Pine Creek certainly looks prepared. The Eagles took out Pueblo West, 35-18, in the first round, then handled a powerful Windsor program 25-0 in the quarters.

    They’ve done it by spreading the ball around. Nine different plays have scored rushing touchdowns this season; six have caught a scoring pass. Still, Pine Creek still has the go-to guys. On the ground, that’s Austin Schultz (743 yards, 10 touchdowns), Avery Anderson (318, seven) and Scotty Savage (676, six). Through the air, junior quarterback Tommy Lazzaro (21 touchdown passes) is targeting Austin Meachum (532 yards, eight scores) and Savage (550, seven).

    Pine Creek is in search of its first championship game appearance since 2011, when it lost to Valor Christian.

    Monarch, the defending champion, has rolled off seven wins in a row after that midseason loss to Montrose. During that stretch, the Coyotes are outscoring opponents by an average of 41.9 points.

    Included were wins over playoff teams Montbello, Broomfield and Standley Lake during the regular season, as well as the 62-28 win over Vista Ridge to open the postseason, and then last week’s quarterfinal victory against Loveland, 42-8.

  • Playoff football roundup: Top-seeded Fairview comes back to beat Pomona

    Fairview Pomona football
    Fairview sings the school fight song after defeating Pomona in Boulder. More photos. (Kai Casey)

    Fairview had to climb out of a 21-7 hole. But the top-seeded Knights did, and are headed to the Class 5A semifinals because of it.

    Like they did in the two teams’ regular season matchup, Fairview scored quickly to open the game against No. 8 Pomona. This time, Pomona responded and was up 21-7 late in the first quarter after Chris Marquez scored his third rushing touchdown. But Fairview quarterback Anders Hill hit Cameron Frazier for a 20-yard touchdown to cut things to 21-14 before the half.

    Coming out of the break, Fairview tied it up just two minutes into the third quarter on Sam Martin’s 6-yard rush. The Knights took the lead for good in the fourth on a 10-yard rush from Hill. Hill added another rushing score to seal the game late in the quarter. He finished with four total touchdowns.

    Fairview, now 11-0, will play the winner of Saturday’s game between ThunderRidge and Grandview in the next round. The Knights will be on the road regardless of who wins as both Grandview and ThunderRidge have played fewer home games during the playoffs.

    No. 2 Valor Christian is headed back to the semifinals. The Eagles, a four-time defending champion across three classifications, handled No. 7 Columbine 49-13.

    The Eagles will get No. 6 Cherokee Trail in the semifinals, which beat No. 3 Cherry Creek on Friday.

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    Class 4A

    One 4A semifinal is set. No. 2 Monarch will host No. 3 Pine Creek.

    Pine Creek beat No. 6 Windsor 25-0 on Friday night. The Eagles got touchdowns from Avery Anderson, Matt List and Scotty Savage (two).

    Monarch easily beat No. 7 Loveland, 42-8, in the quarterfinals.

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    Class 3A

    The Classical Academy is headed to the semifinals for the first time in school history. A week after winning in the postseason for the first time, the Titans toppled No. 2 Palisade, 24-21.

    TCA led 17-7 at the half, but Palisade rallied to take a 21-17 lead with two minutes to play. Then, Peter Troupe scored the winning touchdown for the Titans with 33 seconds left.

    The Classical Academy will play the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal game between No. 3 Roosevelt and No. 6 Coronado.

    The top two seeds, as well as Nos. 4, 5 and 8, have all lost in this year’s 3A playoffs.

  • Marks, MacIntyre lead the way as Monarch football handles Loveland

    LAFAYETTE — Monarch hasn’t scored less than 39 points in a football game. They’ve averaged 48 points per match up in 2013. However, defense played the biggest factor in their quarterfinal win against Loveland.

    “Defense was the key today,” coach Phil Bravo said. “This is a high-scoring team, we put up a lot of points, but our defense and special teams played a larger role tonight.”

    The No. 2 Monarch football team punched its ticket to the state semifinals with a 42-8 win over No. 7 Loveland on Friday at Centaurus High School.

    Running back Ethan Marks opened-up the scoring for Monarch on a 34-yard rushing touchdown up the middle with around eight minutes left in the first quarter. Loveland had an impressive opening drive down the field, converting two third and longs thanks to the legs of quarterback Mike Zweigel. Zweigel’s 18 and 20 yds runs got Loveland down to the five. After four tries, Loveland turned the ball over on downs at the one-yard-line with four minutes left in the first quarter.

    “(The stop) was the tone-setter for our game,” Bravo said. “They got two huge third down conversions on the drive — one was third and fourteen. They came down to the 5-yard-line and we stopped them from about an inch from the goal-line.”

    After getting the ball back, the Monarch used a mix of runs from quarterback Jay MacIntyre and Marks to get the ball to the 36. The second play of the second quarter saw Marks getting a pitch to the right from MacIntyre, and he virtually went untouched for a touchdown. Monarch scored another touchdown with 5:04 left in the half off a quarterback-keeper from MacIntyre to the left side from six. At half, Monarch was up 21-0.

    MacIntyre added another rushing touchdown in the third quarter from 11 yards out with 9:05 remaining. The quarterback also played on defense in place of injured defensive back Kidd Soole on Friday. On Loveland’s ensuing drive, MacIntyre got an interception at the 42.

    With 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Monarch drew up another touchdown play for Marks. Marks got a direct-snap at the 32 and took it to the house for his third touchdown of the game. Loveland fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Monarch got the ball back on Loveland’s 9. After getting to the goal line, Marks pushed in a one yard touchdown.

    “Ethan comes out every week and gets four or five touchdown,” MacIntyre said. “I don’t know how he does it — he gets hit so hard with all his speed right into the linebackers.”

    Loveland finally got a score on a 45-yard bomb from Zweigle to John Freismuth. The Indians then got their two-point conversion on a run from Mitchell Wheelock.

    Monarch will host Pine Creek in their semifinal matchup on Nov. 22 for the rights to the state championship game.

    “I’m glad we have three home games. During the regular season we only had four, and I only have four Monarch home games in my career,” MacIntyre said.

  • Playoff football roundup: Columbine runs over Grand Junction

    Columbine Grand Junction football
    More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Columbine ran Grand Junction right out of town.

    The seventh-seeded Rebels got three rushing touchdowns from Jeremy Aparicio and easily handled No. 10 Grand Junction, 41-7, in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.

    Aparicio had scoring runs of 58, 4 and 1 yards, while Michael Tait passed for a score and rushed for another. Austin Norton had a 30-yard touchdown run and caught Tait’s 28-yard scoring toss.

    The Rebels will play at No. 2 Valor Christian in the quarterfinals. The Eagles exploded for 28 second-quarter points in pulling away from No. 15 Ralston Valley. Up just 14-6 after the first quarter, Valor scored on the first play of the second frame and never looked back.

    It was 42-6 at halftime and a 49-20 final.

    Valor quarterback A.J. Cecil was 19-of-23 for 278 yards and four touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey rushed 13 times for 121 yards and two scores and also caught six passes for 110 and two more touchdowns. The carries were the most McCaffrey has had since he rushed 11 times against Fountain-Fort Carson on Sept. 27.

    Ralston Valley scored two late touchdowns after recovering three-consecutive onside kicks in the fourth quarter.

    We’ll have at least two rematches in the 5A quarterfinals: No. 1 Fairview hosting No. 8 Pomona and No. 3 Cherry Creek hosting No. 6 Cherokee Trail.

    Fairview topped No. 16 Douglas County 45-17 on Friday. Knights quarterback Anders Hill had five total touchdowns, four passing. He tossed scores to Steve D’Epagnier (twice), Cam Frazier and Sam Martin. Fairview also got a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown from Carlo Kemp.

    Douglas County was in the game in the first half, trailing 14-10 after the first quarter, and 21-17 later in the second, but Fairview’s Jonathan Swartzwelter nailed a 47-yard field goal just before the half to give Fairview a spark heading to the locker room.

    When the night ended, Fairview had scored the game’s final 24 points.

    In the quarters, the Knights will get Pomona, a team they beat 33-30 on Oct. 18. Pomona beat Chatfield 49-35 on Friday. (Find a full recap of that game here.)

    Cherry Creek, meanwhile, beat No. 19 Overland for the second time this season with a 49-14 victory Friday. The Bruins got 21 second-quarter points to make it a 35-7 halftime margin.

    Cherry Creek plays Cherokee Trail in the quarterfinals. The two teams played a tight one on Oct. 4 — a 28-27 Creek win.

    Cherokee Trail easily handled No. 11 Mountain Range, 41-7, on Friday. Quarterback Aric Johnson was 14-of-19 for 171 yards and two scores through the air. He also rushed for 84 yards and two more touchdowns.

    Junior running back Cameron Smith had 163 yards and two touchdowns.

    No. 5 ThunderRidge beat No. 12 Doherty, 56-35, on Friday. The Grizzlies could get a rematch, as well: No. 5 Regis Jesuit and No. 20 Grandview play Saturday. Should Regis win, it would give ThunderRidge a chance to avenge its only loss of the season, which came Sept. 27 to the Raiders.

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    Class 4A

    Fifth-seeded Pueblo South was in trouble heading into the fourth quarter against No. 12 Longmont.

    The Colts trailed 27-17 following a 15-point outburst from Longmont in the third quarter, but rallied with 21 fourth-quarter points for a 38-27 win.

    Trailing 27-24 with 5:34 to play, South converted a fourth-and-6 and went on to score the go-ahead touchdown. The Colts stopped Longmont on fourth-and-13 on their ensuring drive, and sealed the game with a score a few plays later.

    In other 4A games, No. 3 Pine Creek beat No. 14 Pueblo West, 35-18, and No. 2 Monarch handled No. 15 Vista Ridge, 62-28.

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    Class 3A

    No. 7 The Classical Academy looked to be in control. But, late in the third quarter, a Conifer touchdown cut the Titans’ lead to 14-6. Then, with six minutes to play in the fourth, Conifer made it 14-12.

    A stop of a two-point conversion attempt on the try gave TCA its first postseason victory in school history, 14-12, over the tenth-seeded Lobos.

    In Friday’s other 3A game, No. 3 Roosevelt cruised past No. 14 Frederick, 47-13, to move to the quarterfinals.

    Higher seeds were 13-0 in Friday night’s football playoffs.

  • 4A football poll adds Windsor and Denver South

    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Windsor and Denver South have both returned to the CHSAANow.com 4A football poll.

    The Wizards are ranked ninth this week, while Denver South is No. 10.

    Likewise, the 3A poll added two new teams: Conifer (No. 9) and The Classical Academy (No. 10).

    Montrose (4A) and Coronado (3A) continued to lead each poll.

    Complete rankings are below.

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    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 4A | 3A

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Montrose (10) 8-1 163 1 W
    2 Monarch (5) 7-1 146 3 W
    3 Pine Creek (2) 7-2 139 2 W
    4 Falcon (1) 8-1 117 4 W
    5 Pueblo South 8-1 106 5 W
    6 Loveland 7-1 95 9 W
    7 Durango 7-2 74 6 L
    8 Standley Lake 8-1 57 10 W
    9 Windsor 7-2 34 – W
    10 Denver South 7-2 33 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Longmont 19, Pueblo Centennial 3, Broomfield 2, Dakota Ridge 1, Montbello 1.
    Dropped out
    Longmont (7), Broomfield (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Coronado (8) 9-0 150 1 Bye
    2 Palisade (6) 8-1 148 3 W
    3 Discovery Canyon 8-1 130 2 W
    4 Holy Family (1) 7-1 117 4 W
    5 Elizabeth (1) 7-2 80 6 W
    6 Silver Creek (1) 6-2 74 8 W
    7 Rifle 7-2 59 10 W
    8 Roosevelt 6-2 58 9 W
    9 Conifer 7-2 38 – W
    10 The Classical Academy 7-2 37 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Evergreen 23, Mead 14, Glenwood Springs 7, Lutheran 5, Delta 4.
    Dropped out
    Mead (5), Delta (7).

  • Football roundup: Monarch handles Broomfield in 4A

    Monarch made a statement to rest of 4A football on Friday night: Yep, they’re still a force in the classification.

    The third-ranked Coyotes handled hard-charging and eighth-ranked Broomfield, 48-12, behind an onslaught of points in the first half.

    “We feel pretty good about beating those guys,” Monarch coach Phil Bravo  told ColoradoPreps.com’s Built Ford Tough Scoreboard Show. “They have such a good team and a good program with a rich tradition. When you get a chance to beat ’em, it feels real good.”

    Senior running back Ethan Marks had well over 200 rushing yards, while quarterback Jay MacIntyre and Kidd Soole also got heavily involved in the offense.

    “We were getting them from all different vantage points and executed real well offensively,” Bravo said.

    Four weeks ago, Monarch also had a big halftime lead against Montrose, but surrendered 33 second-half points in a 39-34 loss.

    This time around, at halftime, “I wrote on the board, ’33 second-half points.’ That’s what we gave up to Montrose,” Bravo said. “I said, ‘I don’t want that in the second half.’ Our kids played really, really well in the second half defensively. We got ’em three-and-out, we got the ball and went up and scored and then held ’em again. We got that clock running early in the fourth quarter, and it felt really good to play well in that second half with a big lead at halftime.”

    Elsewhere, No. 5 Pueblo South beat Pueblo West 31-21.

    “They’re a good football program and they’re well-coached,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told the Scoreboard Show. “They play a brand of football that’s physical and they like to get after you. Our kids, they wanted that challenge and they stepped up to it.

    “They had an opportunity to get back to where we want to be — and that’s well known around Pueblo as far as the football program is concerned. Hopefully, now, we’ll get a little recognition around the state level, too.”

    4A’s top-ranked team, Montrose, rallied from a 10-0 halftime deficit to beat No. 6 Durango 14-10.

    In 5A, No. 1 Valor Christian rolled Rock Canyon 56-6. Quarterback A.J. Cecil threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another. Five different Eagles scored on the ground, including Christian McCaffrey, who carried just three times for 76 yards. He was also on the receiving end of two of Cecil’s scoring passes.

    Quarterback Anders Hill threw for five touchdowns — all in the first half — as No. 2 Fairview handled rival Boulder 69-3.

    No. 4 Cherry Creek had to stave off a late rally from Eaglecrest to seal a 41-34 win.

    In 3A, No. 8 Silver Creek took care of No. 5 Mead 45-13 in a highly-anticipated game. Mead had been unbeaten going into the contest, but Ben Sjobakken threw two touchdown passes to pace the Silver Creek offense.

    Tenth-ranked Rifle beat No. 7 Delta, 52-27.

    1A’s No. 2 team, Limon, finished the regular season a perfect 9-0 with a 42-13 win over Crowley County. Kerigan Kappel had more than 200 yards, and Gavin Liggett added 115.

    “I was really pleased with the balance we had with different guys carrying the ball,” Limon coach Mike O’Dwyer told the Scoreboard Show.

    Winners in 8-man’s crossover games included No. 4 Simla, No. 5 Caliche and No. 8 Sargent.

    Peetz upset No. 2 Arickaree in a 6-man crossover, while No. 5 Otis beat Briggsdale.

    Playoffs begin next week for 5A, 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man teams. Brackets come out Sunday.