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Lakewood, Cherry Creek jump into 5A girls basketball ranking

Chaparral Lakewood girls basketball — Lakewood is No. 7 in this week’s 5A poll. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

Lakewood, coming off a 4-0 week, has jumped into the 5A CHSAANow.com girls basketball ranking.

The Tigers (6-0) are No. 7 this week, and are joined by fellow newcomer Cherry Creek (3-1), which is No. 9 this week.

Regis Jesuit remained as the unanimous No. 1 pick in 5A. In fact, the Nos. 1-4 teams stayed the same this week. The Raiders continued to be followed by No. 2 Highlands Ranch, No. 3 ThunderRidge and No. 4 Grandview.

Fossil Ridge jumped up from ninth to fifth, and Rock Canyon from eighth to sixth. Castle View is eighth, and Monarch is tenth.

Broomfield (4A), Holy Family (3A), Yuma (2A) and Caliche (1A) all remained atop their respective rankings this week.

Complete rankings for all classes are below.

[divider]

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	PVS	LW
1	Regis Jesuit (16)	4-0	160	1	2-0
2	Highlands Ranch	4-1	138	2	0-0
3	ThunderRidge	5-0	125	3	2-0
4	Grandview	5-0	112	4	3-0
5	Fossil Ridge	6-0	89	9	2-0
6	Rock Canyon	2-1	72	8	0-0
7	Lakewood	6-0	45	–	4-0
8	Castle View	2-1	38	5	1-1
9	Cherry Creek	3-1	25	–	1-0
10	Monarch	1-1	21	6	1-1
Others receiving votes:
Poudre 17, Ralston Valley 15, Pine Creek 13, Horizon 8, Grand Junction 4, Arapahoe 2, Denver East 2, Mountain Vista 2, Rampart 1.
Dropped out
Poudre (7), Ralston Valley (10).

Class 4A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Broomfield (13)	5-0	130	1	3-0
2	Pueblo South	4-1	103	2	3-1
3	Valor Christian	5-0	92	7	2-0
4	Pueblo West	4-0	86	4	1-0
5	Mesa Ridge	3-0	75	3	1-0
6	Elizabeth	5-0	65	10	4-0
7	D’Evelyn	4-3	45	8	2-1
8	Palmer Ridge	4-1	43	5	1-1
9	Sand Creek	3-2	23	6	2-1
10	Silver Creek	4-2	17	9	1-2
Others receiving votes:
Thompson Valley 9, Air Academy 7, Glenwood Springs 7, Steamboat Springs 4, Pueblo East 3, Englewood 2, Longmont 2, Berthoud 1, Palisade 1.
Dropped out
None.

Class 3A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Holy Family (10)	6-0	100	1	4-0
2	Pagosa Springs	4-0	89	2	3-0
3	Centauri	5-0	73	3	2-0
4	Eaton	4-0	68	5	1-0
5	Lamar	4-0	64	4	3-0
6	Bishop Machebeuf	4-1	43	–	3-0
7	Estes Park	4-1	26	–	2-1
8	St. Mary’s	2-1	22	6	2-1
9	Coal Ridge	4-1	17	–	3-0
10	Strasburg	4-0	14	–	3-0
Others receiving votes:
Kent Denver 10, Jefferson Academy 7, Sterling 6, Trinidad 6, Manitou Springs 3, The Classical Academy 2.
Dropped out
Peak to Peak (7), Valley (8), Kent Denver (9), Sterling (10).

Class 2A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Yuma (7)	3-0	79	1	1-0
2	Akron (1)	2-0	69	2	1-0
3	Peyton	4-0	59	3	3-0
4	Lutheran	2-0	55	4	1-0
5	Sangre de Cristo	3-0	38	6	0-0
6	Liberty Common	7-0	35	10	3-0
7	Simla	4-0	31	9	3-0
8	Paonia	2-2	25	8	1-1
9	Hoehne	3-1	22	–	2-1
10	Kiowa	4-0	10	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Highland 7, Meeker 4, Del Norte 2, Heritage Christian 1, Holyoke 1, Sedgwick County 1, The Vanguard 1.
Dropped out
Holyoke (5), Meeker (7).

Class 1A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Caliche (5)	4-0	58	1	2-0
2	Eads	3-0	49	2	2-0
3	Norwood (1)	3-0	47	3	1-0
4	Idalia	4-0	44	4	2-0
5	Dove Creek	4-0	32	7	2-0
6	Kit Carson	2-1	30	6	2-1
7	Prairie	4-0	22	–	2-0
8	Liberty/Stratton	2-2	15	–	2-2
9	Cheraw	3-0	12	–	2-0
10	McClave	3-0	9	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Holly 6, Walsh 3, Hi-Plains 2, Jim Elliot Christian 1.
Dropped out
Stratton (5), Hi-Plains (8), Belleview Christian (9), Holly (10).

December 16, 2013

5A girls basketball ranking adds Fossil Ridge, Ralston Valley

Regis Jesuit continues to be atop the 5A girls basketball ranking. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

Fossil Ridge and Ralston Valley have joined this week’s CHSAANow.com 5A girls basketball poll.

Fossil Ridge is off to a 4-0 start, including in-state wins over Chaparral and Fruita Monument, as well as a 2-0 showing in Wyoming. The SaberCats are No. 9 this week.

Ralston Valley is No. 10 in the poll. The Mustangs went 2-1 last week with a loss to Rock Canyon, but beat Cherry Creek and then-No. 3 Arapahoe. Arapahoe dropped out this week.

The No. 1 teams from last week all stayed put. So Regis Jesuit (5A), Broomfield (4A), Holy Family (3A), Yuma (2A) and Caliche (1A) all continue to lead their respective polls.

Complete rankings for all classes are below.

[divider]

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	PVS	LW
1	Regis Jesuit (22)	2-0	220	1	2-0
2	Highlands Ranch	4-1	181	2	4-1
3	ThunderRidge	3-0	152	8	3-0
4	Grandview	2-0	149	4	2-0
5	Castle View	1-0	87	7	1-0
6	Monarch	0-0	81	6	0-0
7	Poudre	3-0	80	10	3-0
8	Rock Canyon	2-1	78	5	2-1
9	Fossil Ridge	4-0	45	–	4-0
10	Ralston Valley	2-1	34	–	2-1
Others receiving votes:
Horizon 28, Lakewood 18, Cherry Creek 15, Arapahoe 14, Rampart 9, Chaparral 6, Bear Creek 4, Pine Creek 4, Denver East 3, Grand Junction 1, Palmer 1.
Dropped out
Arapahoe (3), Cherry Creek (9).

Class 4A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Broomfield (10)	2-0	125	1	2-0
2	Pueblo South (3)	1-0	118	2	1-0
3	Mesa Ridge	2-0	106	4	2-0
4	Pueblo West	3-0	63	6	3-0
5	Palmer Ridge	3-0	50	8	3-0
6	Sand Creek	1-1	48	5	1-1
7	Valor Christian	3-0	45	–	3-0
8	D’Evelyn	2-2	44	3	2-2
9	Silver Creek	3-0	41	–	3-0
10	Elizabeth	1-0	36	–	1-0
Others receiving votes:
Montrose 21, Conifer 4, Longmont 4, Pueblo County 4, Delta 2, Canon City 1, Mullen 1, Thompson Valley 1, Windsor 1.
Dropped out
Montrose (7), Canon City (9), Air Academy (10).

Class 3A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Holy Family (13)	2-0	130	1	2-0
2	Pagosa Springs	1-0	100	2	1-0
3	Centauri	3-0	86	5	3-0
4	Lamar	1-0	74	4	1-0
5	Eaton	3-0	64	7	3-0
6	St. Mary’s	0-0	56	6	0-0
7	Peak to Peak	1-0	35	9	1-0
8	Valley	0-0	34	8	0-0
9	Kent Denver	3-0	33	–	3-0
10	Sterling	2-1	24	10	2-1
Others receiving votes:
Bishop Machebeuf 23, Olathe 16, Faith Christian 7, Clear Creek 6, Grand Valley 5, Jefferson Academy 4, Manitou Springs 4, Estes Park 3, Coal Ridge 2, Denver Science & Tech 2, Platte Valley 2, Salida 2, Brush 1, Classical Academy 1, Trinidad 1.
Dropped out
Denver Science & Tech (3).

Class 2A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Yuma (7)	2-0	88	1	2-0
2	Akron (1)	1-0	76	2	1-0
3	Peyton	1-0	63	4	1-0
4	Lutheran (1)	1-0	57	3	1-0
5	Holyoke	1-0	45	6	1-0
6	Sangre de Cristo	3-0	37	5	3-0
7	Meeker	1-0	25	10	1-0
8	Paonia	1-1	20	7	1-1
9	Simla	1-0	18	–	1-0
10	Liberty Common	4-0	16	–	4-0
Others receiving votes:
The Vanguard 15, Wray 9, Highland 6, Hoehne 5, Del Norte 4, Limon 4, Rye 3, Heritage Christian 2, Kiowa 1, Springfield 1.
Dropped out
Rye (8), The Vanguard (9).

Class 1A
RK	TEAM	W-L	PTS	PVS	LW
1	Caliche (5)	2-0	67	1	2-0
2	Eads	1-0	57	2	1-0
3	Norwood (2)	2-0	55	5	2-0
4	Idalia	2-0	43	4	2-0
5	Stratton	0-0	41	3	0-0
6	Kit Carson	0-0	34	6	0-0
7	Dove Creek	2-0	23	–	2-0
8	Hi-Plains	0-0	15	7	0-0
9	Belleview Christian	3-0	14	–	3-0
10	Holly	2-0	9	–	2-0
Others receiving votes:
Wiley 6, Briggsdale 5, Prairie 5, Walsh 4, McClave 3, Centennial 2, Jim Elliot Christian 1, South Baca 1.
Dropped out
Kim (8), Pawnee (9), Walsh (10).

December 9, 2013

Day 2 results from the state spirit championships

DENVER — The state spirit championships continued on Saturday, and seven more champions will be crowned by night’s end. Find Day 1 results here.

Saturday’s champions include Evergreen (4A poms); Broomfield (4A cheer); Faith Christian (3A cheer); Clear Creek (3A poms); Salida (2A/3A co-ed cheer); Cheyenne Wells (2a cheer); and Vail Christian (2A poms).

[divider]

Class 4A poms

Evergreen won the 4A poms championship. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Evergreen	94.67	470.00
2	Broomfield	94.33	468.00
3	Valor Christian	93.00	463.00
4	Battle MountainÂ	90.00	445.00
5	Wheat Ridge	89.33	446.00
6	Windsor	89.17	443.00
7	Mullen	88.00	431.00
8	Durango	87.00	423.00
9	Eagle Valley	86.67	435.50
10	Canon City	86.50	423.50
11	Lewis-Palmer	85.50	424.50
12	Mead	84.67	422.00
13	Frederick	82.50	403.50
14	Green Mountain	79.33	397.00
15	Centaurus	75.33	378.00
16	Conifer	73.67	366.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Evergreen	96.33	477.50
2	Broomfield	94.67	469.50
3	Valor Christian	92.00	461.00
4	Battle Mountain	90.33	449.00

[divider]

Class 4A cheer

Broomfield won the 4A cheer championship. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Broomfield	85.20	428.10
2	Palmer Ridge	78.87	389.20
3	Valor Christian	77.80	388.90
4	Pueblo West	76.40	381.40
5	Erie	74.33	371.80
6	Glenwood Springs	72.13	361.40
7	Sand Creek	70.23	348.80
8	Coronado	70.07	347.20
9	Pueblo South	65.67	324.60
10	Windsor	64.63	324.30
11	Weld Central	64.00	319.50
12	Ponderosa	61.70	304.00
13	Vista Ridge	60.97	305.80
14	Green Mountain	59.50	299.70
15	Thompson Valley	58.93	297.30
16	Longmont	58.77	290.90
17	Rifle	58.73	296.20
18	Woodland Park	58.13	292.10
19	Canon City	57.97	290.90
20	Wheat Ridge	57.30	284.50
21	Durango	56.17	285.70
22	Skyline	55.57	271.60
23	Englewood	55.57	273.90
24	Elizabeth	54.97	271.50
25	Golden	54.13	266.80
26	D’Evelyn	54.07	267.60
27	Pueblo Centennial	53.37	265.60
28	Mead	52.77	260.60
29	Mullen	52.37	267.20
30	Lewis Palmer	52.03	263.30
31	Battle Mountain	51.70	257.90
32	Northridge	51.30	257.00
33	Montezuma-Cortez	46.53	228.20
34	Ft. Morgan	43.73	228.50
35	Roosevelt	43.33	215.30
36	Pueblo Central	41.23	210.30
37	Denver North	40.47	210.60
38	Silver Creek	19.27	98.90
39	Conifer	0.00	0.00
39	Mountain View	0.00	0.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Broomfield	90.27	451.10
2	Pueblo West	77.27	389.90
3	Palmer Ridge	75.27	376.60
4	Glenwood Springs	75.03	375.80
5	Erie	74.60	373.60
6	Valor Christian	73.57	366.80
7	Sand Creek	72.97	360.00
8	Coronado	71.87	358.60

[divider]

Class 3A cheer

Faith Christian won the 3A cheer championship. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Faith Christian	71.67	355.20
2	Manitou Springs	68.70	346.20
3	University	68.23	340.00
4	St. Mary’S	67.40	335.30
5	Dolores Huerta	67.10	330.30
6	Coal Ridge	60.17	301.20
7	Holy Family	59.77	299.90
8	Frontier Academy	58.83	294.60
9	Machebeuf	58.77	293.10
10	Sterling	58.27	293.70
11	Lamar	56.73	282.10
12	Pagosal Springs	55.77	277.20
13	The Academy	54.73	278.10
14	Buena Vista	54.03	270.50
15	Florence	53.93	275.40
16	Bayfield	53.37	268.40
17	Middle Park	52.13	261.50
18	Alamosa	51.20	256.10
19	Pinnacle	50.60	246.60
20	La Junta	46.37	227.80
21	Kipp Denver	45.63	226.80
22	Trinidad	45.17	224.60
23	Jefferson	44.20	220.60
24	Peak To Peak	0.00	0.00
24		0.00	0.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Faith Christian	72.80	364.60
2	Manitou Springs	70.47	353.30
3	St. Mary’S	69.10	346.90
4	University	59.87	301.80

[divider]

Class 3A poms

Clear Creek won the 3A poms championship. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Prelims/Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Clear Creek	83.33	415.00
2	Bayfield	82.00	411.00
2	Bennett	82.00	405.00
4	Sheridan	81.33	407.00
5	Aspen	80.83	404.00
6	University	80.17	398.50
7	Grand Valley	77.33	382.00
8	Basalt	61.33	303.00

[divider]

Class 2A/3A co-ed cheer

Salida won the 2A/3A co-ed cheer championship. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Prelims/Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Salida	66.60	331.60
2	Strasburg	61.97	310.10
3	Sheridan	57.70	284.70
4	Estes Park	55.13	272.70
5	Ridgway	55.10	272.70
6	Peyton	50.27	257.20
7	Rocky Ford	46.87	237.70
8	Valley	46.70	242.00
9	Cripple Creek-Victor	0.00	0.00
9	Simla	0.00	0.00

[divider]

Class 2A cheer

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Cheyenne Wells	76.70	380.40
2	Telluride	71.97	360.60
3	Dove Creek	68.13	342.80
4	Holyoke	67.03	336.50
5	Jim Elliott	65.10	331.00
6	Lyons	63.37	318.80
7	Swink	62.77	312.60
8	Hoehne	57.90	285.80
9	Wiley	57.43	299.20
10	Rocky Mtn Lutheran	57.23	289.00
11	Longmont Christian	56.63	276.50
12	Hotchkiss	53.03	264.70
13	Resurrection Christian	52.23	267.90
14	ElbertÂ	52.20	261.60
15	Dolores	52.07	264.90
16	Primero	51.43	262.70
17	Limon	51.30	252.30
18	Highland	50.17	249.50
19	Denver Christian	49.20	245.90
20	Hanover	45.13	232.80
21	Aurora West Prep	23.00	128.80
22	Miami-Yoder	0.00	0.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Cheyenne Wells	74.73	372.80
2	Telluride	74.37	374.60
3	Dove Creek	74.13	369.60
4	Holyoke	68.83	343.40

[divider]

Class 2A poms

Prelims/Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie-break
1	Vail Christian	86.83	432.50
2	Limon	84.83	422.50
3	Lutheran	84.00	413.50
3	Sanford	84.00	410.00
5	Hotchkiss	82.33	406.50
6	Akron	79.00	394.00
7	West Grand	76.50	385.50

December 7, 2013

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

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.

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.

[divider]

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.

December 2, 2013

Field hockey roundup: Cherry Creek, Colorado Academy set to play in final

DENVER — Livvy List wasn’t even sure it counted, the goal that would send her team to the field hockey final.

But it did, and was the difference for third-seeded Cherry Creek in a 1-0 win over No. 2 Kent Denver in the semifinals at All-City Stadium on Wednesday night.^(Bracket)

“My teammate passed it into me and then I one-timed it and it was kind of high up,” said List, a senior. “I was kind of surprised it made it in. I didn’t know if it was going to count because it was so high up. But I’m happy it did.”

The lone score came with 16:27 remaining in the first half. Cherry Creek’s defense stifled Kent the rest of the way, and the Bruins’ ability to control possession limited chances for the Sun Devils.

“We were definitely hungry for the ball,” Cherry Creek coach Ashley Thompson said. “Any 50-50 ball, I told the girls that it had to be ours. Any loose ball had to be received by a blue uniform.”

During a timeout after her goal, List said, “We just decided that we were going to let no goals in whatsoever, go as hard as we could — it’s only 30 minutes of our lives — just go as hard as we can. And it happened.”

Kent Denver did have a fantastic chance to tie the game with just over eight minutes remaining, but Cherry Creek goalkeeper Casie Hilyard made an outstanding save on a one-on-one opportunity, then kicked the rebound out, as well.

“Considering she just put pads on three months — both of our goalies — I think she did an excellent job,” Thompson said. “We started with two new goalies this year and they had never put pads on. They are here for their team and they’ve learned a ton and worked very hard. Hopefully they’ll keep learning until the end.”

The win avenged an earlier 3-1 loss to Kent Denver just two weeks ago. The two teams also tied 1-1 on Sept. 17.

“It is literally the best feeling ever,” List said. “Honestly, I’d rather lose in the season and tie in the season and then win when it matters. I could not be happier right now.”

“I think it made us that much more hungry,” Thompson said of the earlier games. “We did not want to lose, having been beaten by them. But we also learned from the technical mistakes that we had made when we played them before. We watched game tape. We tried to capitalize on playing a very clean defensive game, which we haven’t always done, and we tried to exploit their weaknesses. It worked.”

[divider]

(1) Colorado Academy 7, (4) Palmer Ridge 2. Palmer Ridge had a swift response after surrendering a goal in the opening minutes. But so did Colorado Academy.

And, when Wednesday’s semifinal was over, it seemed as if Colorado Academy never stopped responding. The top-seeded Mustangs rolled to a 7-2 win over No. 4 Palmer Ridge.

Colorado Academy’s Madeline Webster scored just 2:05 into the game, and though Palmer Ridge’s Jessica Berg tied things at 1 six minutes later, it didn’t shake the Mustangs.

“The first goal really gave us confidence, and because (the tying goal) was so early on, we knew that we could get more goals,” said junior Sterre Van Ede.

In fact, it was Van Ede’s rocket off a corner which gave Colorado Academy a 2-1 advantage and lead for good with 16:04 to play in the first half. She added her second tally, a near-replica off another corner, in the second half which made it 4-1.

“Their goalie is really good,” Van Ede said, “and we just decided to hit the ball as hard as possible.”

Webster and Henley Hall also had two goals for Colorado Academy. Isabelle Chandler also scored for the Mustangs.

Daelynn Demello scored Palmer Ridge’s other goal on a penalty stroke with 16:37 to play in the game.

It was the third time Colorado Academy had beaten Palmer Ridge this season, following a 7-0 win on Sept. 7 and a 2-1 decision just two weeks ago.

“I think it’s always hard to beat a team three times, because you never know how a team’s going to respond for the third time,” Colorado Academy coach Daan Polders said. “They played the way we were expecting them to play. We were prepared for that.”

“We had already beat them twice,” Van Ede said, “why not a third time?”

Colorado Academy has now won 23 games in a row, and is unbeaten (32-0-2) over its past 34. The Mustangs have not lost since the 2011 final, to Kent Denver.

Colorado Academy beat Cherry Creek 3-1 on Sept. 25.

October 24, 2013

Softball roundup: Fossil Ridge scores a semifinal ticket

A roundup of Saturday’s action at the state softball tournaments at Aurora Sports Park.

Class 5A

Bracket

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. (Dennis Pleuss) — 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]

4A state softball — Broomfield is headed to the semifinals. More photos. (Pam Wagner)

Class 4A

Bracket

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. (Dennis Pleuss) — 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.

Semifinal games:

(1) Wheat Ridge vs. (5) Broomfield, 10 a.m.
(6) Erie vs. (2) Ponderosa, 10 a.m.

[divider]

Class 3A

Bracket

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.

Semifinal games:

(1) Strasburg vs. (4) Valley, 10 a.m.
(3) Holy Family vs. (2) Sterling, 10 a.m.

— Reporting from Dennis Pleuss and Ryan Casey.

October 20, 2013

Seniors play big role in field hockey’s growth

Colorado Academy is the No. 1 seed in this year's state playoffs. (Courtesy photo) — Colorado Academy is the No. 1 seed in this year’s state playoffs. (Courtesy photo)

This group leads by example, and if they have it there way, the number of girls following in their footsteps will continue to grow.

Now in its 16th season, field hockey has proven a popular sport among young women across thirteen state high schools. Recently, the sport has grown in Colorado schools — thanks to members of the class of 2013.

“Every summer there is a summer league where you can come back and play,” said Colorado Academy captain Mandy Weeks. “Alumni, current high schoolers, young kids and adults all come and play during the summer.”

In Colorado, there are three premier field hockey clubs that girls can get involved in: Denver Field Hockey Club, and Colorado Field Hockey Association and Club Lewy located in Colorado Springs. Weeks has gotten involved in Denver’s club, along with a handful of other girls from local high schools.

At Smoky Hill, Jessica Schnitzer first got involved in the game in middle school when the varsity team came down to promote their team.

“They came down and passed out flyers and taught us how to play,” said Schnitzer. “They kind of told us about the team.”

Now part of the varsity team, Schnitzer and her teammates have gotten involved in the community. Smoky Hill, along with a handful of other schools, have started programs that raise awareness about their teams at the seventh- and eighth-grade levels.

“I try to make sure the people at our school know about field hockey and what we’re all about,” Schnitzer said. “The team makes sure we get involved in school activities like participating in the homecoming parade and going down to the middle school and working with the younger kids.”

Kent Denver's Chloe Dikeou. (Courtesy photo) — Kent Denver’s Chloe Dikeou. (Courtesy photo)

Players and coaches have both contributed to field hockey’s growth at Kent Denver.

“Field hockey wouldn’t be possible without our coach, Kathy James,” the Sun Devils’ Chloe Dikeou said. “She has helped develop our program tremendously. We have the second largest sports program at our school behind boys lacrosse.”

Some players have gotten so involved in the game that they hope to coach after graduating this summer. Bailey Taber of St. Mary’s Academy and Hannah Coburn of Mountain Vista plan to return as coaches.

“I want to come back next year and help coach — I love sports, encouraging my teammates and teaching the newbies,” Taber said. “At St. Mary’s, it’s very unique. We get to have a ton of fun while staying competitive. Our teammates become our family.”

Coburn has seen the program grow over her time at Mountain Vista.

“I am going to play field hockey in college and it would be my dream to coach when I come back during the summer at the middle school, high school or club level,” Coburn said. “I have been a part of Denver field hockey for four years but have been coaching and mentoring for two. I’m really proud of our school and the passion it has for the sport. I’m really excited to see where the program goes in the future.”

Taber has also helped the sport grow internationally. During a two-week service trip to Uganda last summer, she brought field hockey to an orphanage.

“We brought plastic field hockey sticks and taught some of the kids down there how to play,” Taber said. “I ran camps and we did a bunch of projects for the community on a two-week service trip to an orphanage. I hope to go back next summer with the same organization and help work with them some more.”

Kayla Wayne, of Grandview, has reached out to the athletic community through social media.

“I usually tell people to come out to our games over Facebook or Twitter, and talk to other friends who don’t play,” said Wayne. “A lot of my friends notice how close we are on and off the field and that brings them to games.”

In 2013, Daelynn Demello of Palmer Ridge leads the league in points (55) and goals (20), and is tied for first in assists with 15. She and her team lost to Colorado Academy in last season’s championship game.

“This year we’re hoping to make it to (the state final) again, it will help the sport continue to grow at our school,” Demello said.

This season’s state championship bracket was released Tuesday morning Colorado Academy once again claimed the top seed and will play Cheyenne Mountain in the first round.

The semifinals of will take place on Oct. 23, and a state champion will emerge on Oct. 28 in the finals at All-City stadium in Denver.

October 16, 2013

5A boys cross country poll adds No. 8 Thornton

Thornton is the only new face in this week’s Colorado Track XC/CHSAANow.com 5A boys cross country poll.

Complete rankings for all classes are below.

[divider]

Colorado Track XC/CHSAANow.com Boys Polls

Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org.

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

Class 5A
RK	TEAM	PTS	PVS
1	Mountain Vista (13)	130	1
2	Arapahoe	110	2
3	Fort Collins	106	4
4	Cherry Creek	93	3
5	Monarch	68	8
6	Boulder	66	5
7	Pomona	45	6
8	Thornton	34	–
9	Rock Canyon	26	9
10	Dakota Ridge	25	10
Others receiving votes:
Heritage 7, Grandview 2, Chaparral 1, Fossil Ridge 1, Smoky Hill 1.
Dropped out:
Heritage (7).

Class 4A
RK	TEAM	PTS	PVS
1	Coronado (10)	145	1
2	Pueblo West (5)	132	2
3	The Classical Academy	101	3
4	Air Academy	97	5
5	Cheyenne Mountain	80	4
6	Palmer Ridge	75	6
7	Broomfield	72	8
8	Durango	67	7
9	Niwot	27	9
10	Thompson Valley	15	10
Others receiving votes:
Erie 9, Denver North 2, Evergreen 2, Mountain View 1.
Dropped out:
None.

Class 3A
RK	TEAM	PTS	PVS
1	Lamar (13)	130	1
2	Peak to Peak	108	2
3	Frontier Academy	99	3
4	Alamosa	88	4
5	Holy Family	75	8
6	Salida	52	6
7	Estes Park	45	5
8	Faith Christian	44	7
9	Brush	40	10
10	Buena Vista	24	9
Others receiving votes:
Platte Canyon 3, St. Mary’s 2, University 2, Colorado Academy 1, Gunnison 1, Sterling 1.
Dropped out:
None.

Class 2A
RK	TEAM	PTS	PVS
1	Lyons (11)	110	1
2	Vanguard	88	2
3	Crested Butte	80	3
4	Telluride	65	5
5	Rocky Ford	60	4
6	Heritage Christian	52	–
7	Liberty Commons	48	–
8	Hotchkiss	39	6
9	Custer County	25	7
10	Wiggins	11	8
Others receiving votes:
Denver Academy 9, Rye 6, Peyton 5, SkyView Academy 4, Mancos 2, Paonia 1.
Dropped out:
Rye (9), Peyton (10).