Tag: Discovery Canyon

All-state boys soccer teams for the 2019 season

The 2019 all-state boys soccer teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These team were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of coaches.

[divider]

Class 5A

Broomfield Regis Jesuit boys soccer — (Tim Bourke)

Player of the year: Gustavo Gutierrez, Broomfield

Coach of the year: Jim Davidson, Broomfield

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Mawolo Easton	Broomfield	FORW	Senior
Gustavo Gutierrez	Broomfield	MF	Senior
Blake Hansen	Legacy	FORW	Senior
Ivan Luna	Grandview	–	Senior
Jake Maurek	Legacy	MF	Senior
Casey McCloskey	Regis Jesuit	FORW	Senior
Braden Murphy	Regis Jesuit	D	Senior
Sam Phillips	Boulder	MF	Senior
Evan Stearns	Broomfield	D	Senior
Arroll Taekla	Boulder	FORW	Junior
Eli Young	Pine Creek	GK	Senior

Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Nick Dermer	Regis Jesuit	MF	Senior
Bishal Ellison	Boulder	D/FORW	Senior
Jackson Isaacs	Pine Creek	MF/D	Junior
Jake Ketchner	Fairview	D	Senior
Oboyo Kuot	Rampart	FORW	Senior
Hayden Miller	Ralston Valley	FORW/MF	Senior
Oliver Ramirez	Fort Collins	MF/FORW	Sophomore
Nolan Roberts	Cherry Creek	D/MF	Senior
Rashid Seidu-Aroza	Rangeview	FORW	Senior
Hadrood Webster	Rocky Mountain	–	Senior
Beneyam Yifru	Overland	FORW	Senior

Honorable mention: Jesus Ascencio, Senior, Gateway; Ben Beckman, Sophomore, Grandview; Jose Bucio, Junior, Aurora Central; Oscar Cambra, Junior, Vista PEAK Prep; Cray Carlton, Senior, Fossil Ridge; John Colvin, Senior, Mountain Range; Shaun Cox, Senior, Fountain-Fort Carson; Kylan Crafts-Thimmig, Senior, Liberty; Connor Crookham, Senior, Arapahoe; Mark Day, Senior, Brighton; Kevin De Anda Rodriguez, Senior, Westminster; Noah Drummond, Senior, Doherty; Will Durbin, Senior, Rock Canyon; Ian Elliott, Senior, Cherry Creek; Carter Esterle, Senior, Pine Creek; David Evans, Senior, Lakewood; Enzo Ewari, Senior, Legend; Cole Frederick, Senior, Cherry Creek; Andy Galvan, Junior, Adams City; Javier Garcia, Senior, Aurora Central; Arnold Gutierrez, Senior, Eaglecrest; Dani Haddad, Senior, Rock Canyon; AJ Heber, Senior, Eaglecrest; Enrique Hernandez, Senior, Grand Junction; Adan Herrera, Freshman, Greeley West; Will Johnson, Senior, Valor Christian; Judah Johnston, Senior, Arvada West; Eyobel Kahsay, Senior, Denver South; Jeff Koch, Junior, Liberty; John Krupanszky, Senior, Regis Jesuit; Brady Kuzinski, Senior, Castle View; Parker Landry, Senior, Castle View; Jason Leavitt, Senior, Bear Creek; Luis Marquez, Senior, Gateway; Gabriel Marti, Senior, Pomona; Sebastien Mazur, Junior, Fairview; Ryan McCloskey, Senior, Fruita Monument; Rudy Medina, Junior, Hinkley; Zach Miller, Senior, Arapahoe; Liam Milton, Senior, Rampart; Mark Nicolosi, Senior, Mountain Vista; Braidon Nourse, Senior, Rangeview; Alex Ortiz, Senior, Far Northeast Warriors; Cerim Palislamovic, Senior, Columbine; Emerson Robles, Senior, Westminster; Carlos Rodriguez, Senior, Prairie View; Dante Russo-Delee, Junior, Poudre; Nolan Schroeder, Junior, Highlands Ranch; Pablo Sisneros, Senior, Smoky Hill; Kyler Tate, Junior, Arvada West; Jackson Thelen, Senior, Chatfield; Nathan Thomas, Senior, Valor Christian; Maddox Tinjum, Junior, Douglas County; Justice Tyler, Senior, Cherokee Trail.

[divider]

Class 4A

Air Academy Pine Creek boys soccer — (Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography)

Player of the year: Thaddaeus Dewing, Air Academy

Coach of the year: Justin Thomas, Skyview

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Danny Barajas	Battle Mountain	FORW	Senior
Thaddaeus Dewing	Air Academy	FORW	Senior
Brian Fierro	Skyview	GK	Senior
Bryan Fuentes	Denver North	FORW	Senior
Roger Ibarra	Skyview	MF	Senior
Aidan McGonagle	Lewis-Palmer	GK	Senior
Christian Nunez	Centaurus	STRK	Senior
Tyler Prichard	Lewis-Palmer	D	Junior
Jared Ramos	Skyview	FORW	Senior
luis Reyes	Skyview	FORW	Junior
Adin Schwenke	Air Academy	D/MF	Senior

Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Kevin Barone	Discovery Canyon	MF	Senior
Mitchell Burt	Glenwood Springs	D/FB	Senior
Francisco Chavez	Pueblo Centennial	FORW	Senior
Josh Colin	Golden	–	Senior
Chris Cornn	Ponderosa	FORW	Senior
Jonathan Gonzalez	Denver North	MF/D/FB	Senior
Kelton Hooker	Air Academy	MF	Senior
Sam Markovich	Golden	–	Senior
Dylan McIntosh	Holy Family	MF/FORW/STRK	Junior
Quinn Patrick Mitchell	Battle Mountain	D	Senior
Jacob Van Ens	Silver Creek	D	Senior

Honorable mention: Benito Acoltzi, Junior, Regis Groff; Jadon Baros, Senior, Cheyenne Mountain; Jack Carpenter, Senior, The Classical Academy; Louis Castillo, Junior, Battle Mountain; Jesse Chavez, Senior, Pueblo Centennial; Pedro Cruz, Senior, George Washington; Bryan Delgado, Senior, Montrose; Caleb DesBouillons, Senior, Mesa Ridge; Caden Farmer, Senior, Elizabeth; Isaac Fentress, Senior, Denver North; Aron Flores, Sophomore, Widefield; AJ Gamueda, Junior, Mullen; Preston Gasperetti, Senior, Pueblo West; Cole Greany, Senior, Holy Family; Carlos Guardado, Senior, Glenwood Springs; Leland Heinicke, Senior, Durango; Jackson Hoosier, Senior, The Classical Academy; Evan Hutson, Sophomore, Erie; Junio Lang, Senior, Thompson Valley; Alexis Lopez jimenez, Senior, Rifle; Cole Manuel, Junior, Erie; Jose Martinez, Junior, Alameda; Caleb McGrath, Senior, Durango; Josh Meyers, Senior, Palisade; Luis Molina, Junior, Rifle; David Perez-Rubio, Senior, Pueblo East; Zach Pribyl, Senior, Palmer Ridge; Ebert Rascon, Junior, Northfield; John Roberts, Senior, Loveland; Issahia Rodriguez, Junior, Weld Central; Harrison Rubis, Senior, Battle Mountain; Fernando Ruiz, Senior, Centaurus; Ervin Salazar, Senior, Denver West; Wyatt Schroth, Junior, Frederick; Kyle Smith, Junior, Canon City; Gabriel Sosa, Senior, Skyline; Manuel Soto, Senior, Niwot; Keegan Stobbe, Junior, Niwot; Connor Taylor, Junior, Longmont; Trevino Twiss, Senior, Battle Mountain; Nathan Van Keulen, Junior, Discovery Canyon; Titus Von, Senior, Standley Lake; Dylan Weiss, Senior, Silver Creek.

[divider]

Class 3A

Salida Atlas Prep boys soccer — (Ismael Gomez)

Player of the year: Lamario Nisbeth, Atlas Prep

Coach of the year: Nicholas Forbes, Roaring Fork

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Quinn Bosanko	Salida	MF	Senior
Martin Corral	Delta	STRK/MF	Senior
Roberto Garcia	Arrupe Jesuit	FORW/MF	Senior
Liam Hall	Colorado Academy	–	Senior
Max Hewitt	Kent Denver	HB	Senior
Lamario Nisbeth	Atlas Preparatory School	F	Senior
Briallan Santiago	Aurora West College Prep Academy	FORW/MF/HB	Senior
Luis Vega	Atlas Preparatory School	–	Sophomore
Joey Waldbaum	Kent Denver	GK	Senior
Dylan Webster	Roaring Fork	–	Senior
Rawson Welch	Kent Denver	HB	Senior

Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Micah Allan	Faith Christian	MF	Senior
Luis Alvarado Salazar	James Irwin	–	Senior
Angelito Caballero	Atlas Preparatory School	–	Senior
Ethan Campagna	Colorado Springs Christian	–	Senior
Davis Evans	Kent Denver	HB	Junior
Cristian Gameros	Lamar	STRK	Senior
Daniel Garciacano	DSST: College View	–	Senior
Frankie Harrington	Roaring Fork	–	Senior
Jesus Rojas	Bruce Randolph	STRK/MF	Senior
James Spitz	Jefferson Academy	–	Junior
Yan Zambrano	Lutheran	–	Senior

Honorable mention: Jose Alva, Senior, Arrupe Jesuit; Tristen Bannasch, Sophomore, Ellicott; Wyatt Barton, Senior, St. Mary’s; Gaby Bonilla, Senior, Basalt; Peter Carpenter, Junior, Colorado Academy; Cullen Cote, Senior, Manitou Springs; Michael Cullis, Senior, Liberty Common; Aidan Dodson, Junior, Englewood; Jovani Esparza, Senior, Arrupe Jesuit; Patrick Grady, Junior, Peak to Peak; Jarett Hernandez, Senior, Delta; Josh Kurtz, Sophomore, Mead; Martin Maung, Senior, Bishop Machebeuf; Alex Medina, Senior, Sheridan; Benjamin Medina, Junior, DSST: College View; Jorge Meraz, Senior, Jefferson; Brandon Mercado, Senior, Eagle Ridge Academy; Decker Milroy, Senior, The Vanguard School; Pablo Navarro, Senior, Fort Lupton; Jesus Ochoa, Sophomore, Sterling; Edgar Perez, Senior, Valley; Jack Price, Junior, Coal Ridge; Say Reh, Junior, Aurora West College Prep Academy; Samuel Reyez-Lopez, Sophomore, Lamar; Jaime Rios, Senior, Middle Park; Bowman Russell, Senior, Salida; Sebastain Sanchez, Senior, Atlas Preparatory School; Lucas Schramer, Senior, Roaring Fork; Zach Shelest, Junior, Bennett; Seth Shepperd, Junior, Frontier Academy; Julio Sixtos, Junior, Fort Lupton; Noah Solomon, Senior, DSST: Byers; Zach Stockton, Senior, Vail Mountain; Johnny Vezzani, Senior, DSST: Byers; Arturo Villarreal, Senior, Strive Prep – Smart Academy; Nico Wilson, Senior, Salida.

[divider]

Class 2A

Ridgway Dawson boys soccer — (Tim Bourke/TimBourke.com)

Player of the year: Robert Beserra, Ridgway

Coach of the year: Jon Kornbluh, Ridgway

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Ryan Beattie	Denver Christian	MF	Senior
Robert Beserra	Ridgway	–	Senior
Carlos Franco	Crested Butte	–	Senior
Mahad Haji	Lotus School For Excellence	–	Senior
Jesse Isenhart	Dawson School	–	Senior
Collin Kendall	Ridgway	–	Senior
Jonas Ricke	Dawson School	–	Junior
Caleb Riggs	Denver Christian	SWEP	Junior
Rio Sueyoshi	Dawson School	–	Senior
Will Taylor	Fountain Valley	MF/FORW	Sophomore
Tommy Wells	Telluride	GK	Senior

Honorable mention: Brayden Becker, Senior, Denver Christian; Owen Berv, Senior, Crested Butte; Michael Brophy, Sophomore, Thomas MacLaren School; Jonathan Chavez, Senior, Lake County; Enrique Flores, Junior, Dolores Huerta Prep; Bryant Garcia, Junior, Dolores Huerta Prep; Spencer Hamilton, Senior, Evangelical Christian; Nick Heinz, Junior, Fountain Valley; Dylan Hughes, Senior, Heritage Christian; Daniel Indjger, Junior, Rye; Jonah Jodlowski, Senior, Telluride; Kristoff Kerr, Senior, Denver Academy; Chance Maccagnan, Junior, Fountain Valley; Richard Mata, Freshman, Union Colony Prep; Kye Matlock, Senior, Crested Butte; William Shade, Sophomore, Rocky Mountain Lutheran; James Singleton, Senior, Evangelical Christian; Jake Vilhauer, Senior, Rocky Mountain Lutheran.

November 26, 2019

Football roundup: Championship matchups set in 8-man, 1A and 2A; semis set in 3A, 4A and 5A
More photos. (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)

There was all kinds of playoff football action around the state on Saturday. The end result is that championship matchups are set in three classifications, and semifinals in three others.

Playing for titles next weekend:
- Class 2A: Sterling vs. Delta (at CSU-Pueblo)
- Class 1A: Limon at Strasburg
- 8-man: Sedgwick County at Fowler
Semifinal matchups:
- Class 3A: Palmer Ridge at Green Mountain; Pueblo South at Frederick
- Class 4A: Pueblo West at Pine Creek; Broomfield at Dakota Ridge
- Class 5A: Cherry Creek at Pomona; Ralston Valley at Columbine
And the 6-man championship was handed out on Saturday: Fleming beat Stratton/Liberty with a last-second safety.

[divider]

Here’s how those matchups were set:

8-man semifinals

(3) Fowler 20, (7) Pikes Peak Christian 12

Fowler responded from down 12-0 in the second quarter to score 20 unanswered and head to the title game.

“It was a battle for four quarters, I’ll tell you that,” coach Mark Van Sickle told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show.

The Grizzlies were able to tie the game at 12-12 just before halftime, and went up 14-12 with a two-point conversion attempt. Then, they added another touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter.

“They do some really nice things on defense that gave us some problems, and we finally got some things going and quit having some penalties,” Van Sickle said of turning things around. “The boys just kept plugging away.”

Of advancing to the championship game, the coach added, “It was one of our goals. I thought we had a pretty good group. … I think we’ve earned our shot at Sedgwick next week.

Hudson Grant scored two rushing touchdowns for Pikes Peak Christian.

(1) Sedgwick County 48, (5) Dayspring Christian 0

The four-time defending champs are headed back to a title game thanks to another dominating performance. The Cougars have not allowed a point in their past five games.

“I think our defense played pretty well,” coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show. “We gave up some big plays at time, but really strapped it on when they got on our side of the field.”

Sedgwick County had four rushing touchdowns in the first half as they built at 28-0 lead. They added three more in the second half.

The Cougars are seeking to become the first 8-man team to ever win five state titles in a row.

“We haven’t really talked a whole lot about that throughout the season,” Michel said. “We talk about taking care of stuff day-to-day. We’ll go into it like it’s any other week.”

[divider]

Class 1A semifinals

(1) Strasburg 14, (5) Centauri 7

Trystan Graf rushed for two touchdowns — both in the second quarter — as Strasburg reached the 1A title game for the fourth year in a row.

“I tell you what, this game didn’t disappoint. It was a hard-fought win,” Strasburg coach Brian Brown told the Scoreboard Show.

After a scoreless first quarter, Strasburg went up 14-0 at the half. Centauri’s Eric Maez hit Mason Claunch for a 24-yard score with five minutes left, but Strasburg’s defense was able to seal the win.

“We are just such an aggressive group of young men,” Brown said. “Toward the end of the game, they just kind of owned the line of scrimmage.”

Of making a title game for the fourth-consecutive season, Brown said, “Like I tell the boys: I’m just the bus driver, they’re the ones that get on the bus, and they know the path. They just keep forging ahead.”

(3) Limon 15, (2) Holyoke 7

The defending-champion Badgers will return to the championship game after building a 15-0 lead and then relying on its defense to secure the win.

“It was a great football game between two really good teams,” coach Mike O’Dwyer told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids just stepped up a little bit, especially on the defensive side of the ball.”

Limon went up 15-0 with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Holyoke’s Miles Sprague made it 15-7 with a four-yard rushing touchdown.

Later in the fourth quarter, Holyoke recovered a fumble, and also forced Limon to turn it over on downs, but Limon’s defense didn’t allow another score.

“It was a tremendous effort by our kids,” O’Dwyer said.

[divider]

Class 2A semifinals

(4) Delta 17, (9) Basalt 6

Nolan Bynum and Hunter Hughes connected for two touchdown passes to help the Panthers move to a title game.

Delta led 10-0 at the half. Basalt made it 10-6 in the third quarter, but Delta responded with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

“It was a real physical game. They did some really nice things, we were just able to get more points on the board to advance,” coach Ben Johnson told the Scoreboard Show.

“We got after their quarterback really well. I thought the D-line played really well, and we tackled really well.”

It is Delta’s first appearance in a title game since 1961.

“It’s been a while,” Johnson said. “The community’s really excited about it. We had great fan support here in Basalt today. They’re excited about this opportunity for Delta High School.”

(2) Sterling 21, (3) Resurrection Christian 14

Sterling is headed to a championship game for the first time since 2004.

The Tigers trailed 7-0 in the first quarter before reeling off 21 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to go ahead 21-7.

“It was a lot of fun out there today. It was a great atmosphere,” Sterling coach Rob Busmente told the Scoreboard Show. “It was nip-and-tuck going back and forth between us and them. We made some plays when we had to, and were fortunate to come out with the win.”

Resurrection Christian scored late in the third quarter, but Sterling didn’t allow them to do so again, and secured their spot in next week’s title game with a late interception.

“We got them to fourth down, and Peyton Rose was able to step in front of his guy, and got it back for us,” Busmente said. “It was just one of those things where we tell our kids, ‘If there’s time on the clock, we’ve got to play ball.’”

[divider]

Class 3A quarterfinals

(8) Green Mountain 30, (1) Mead 21

In the upset of the day, the Rams built a 17-7 halftime lead, and then answered every rally attempt Mead made in the second half to win.

“It was a heck of a game,” Green Mountain coach Jesse German told the Scoreboard Show. “It’s everything we’ve been preaching along the way. It took us awhile to get to a point where the kids have the unwavering belief … and total buy-in, but this is a special group.”

Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Mead cut the lead to 17-14, but Green Mountain responded quickly with a rushing score on the ensuing drive. That made it 23-14.

Mead didn’t go away. The top-seeded Mavericks got a passing touchdown from which made it 23-21 with seven minutes left.

But another rushing touchdown from Green Mountain with three minutes left secured the win.

A full photo gallery of the game is here.

More photos. (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com)

(4) Palmer Ridge 56, (5) Conifer 35

In a major display of offense, Palmer Ridge went up 28-7 at half and 49-14 in the fourth quarter as the Bears returned to the semifinals.

Conifer made things interesting in the fourth and cut it to 49-35, but there wasn’t enough time left to make a comeback attempt.

Raef Ruel had five rushing touchdowns for Palmer Ridge, and Luke McAllister threw two passing scores — both to Kaden Dudley.

Photos from the game is available here.

More photos. (Ismael Gomez)

(6) Frederick 32, (3) Discovery Canyon 25

Frederick’s Jake Green found Blake Duran for a 78-yard touchdown with eight seconds left to lift the Warriors to the win.

“We could’ve taken it to overtime, I guess, but we didn’t want to do that again,” coach Travis Peeples told the Scoreboard Show. “I called timeout with 20 seconds or so left, and we drew up a little play, kind of Sandlot play. The kids wanted to do it, and it worked. It’s really a tribute to how bad they wanted to win this game.”

Green also scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown with three minutes left, and then Frederick converted on a two-point attempt to tie the game at 25. They forced a punt, and got the ball back with less than a minute to play. Then Green hit Duran for the winner.

Green finished with three passing touchdowns — two went to Brandon Horby — and also had a rushing score.

Now Frederick is headed to the semis for just the second time in school history.

“We’re not just trying to get to the semis, we’re trying to get past there,” Peeples said. “I think we’ve got a team that can do that.”

Find a photo gallery from the game here.

More photos. (Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography)

(2) Pueblo South 21, (7) Durango 14

In a close game that mirrored their narrow regular season matchup, the Colts scored a late touchdown to advance.

“It was another wild game,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told the Scoreboard Show. “Two good teams going at it. I’m just proud of our kids and the way they played.”

The game always within a score for one team. Durango led 7-0 with a touchdown in the first quarter, and then South tied it up immediately with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Then, Durango went up 14-7 late in the first quarter, and South tied it at 14 with 34 seconds left in the half.

The Colts got the winning score on a 3-yard run from quarterback Logan Petit with 1:11 to play.

“Credit to our defense, because all afternoon they just came up with huge stops when we needed them the most,” Goddard said.

A photo gallery from the game is here.

More photos. (Matt Bushnell/mdbphoto.com)

[divider]

Class 4A quarterfinals

(5) Pueblo West 31, (4) Montrose 19

The Cyclones built a 17-0 halftime lead, pushed it to 24-0 in the third, and then held off Montrose as it tried to rally in the second half.

A recap of the game is available here.

(Vanessa Vandehey/vanessa-photography.net)

(1) Pine Creek 55, (9) Ponderosa 17

The Eagles got a number of turnovers and defensive and special teams touchdowns in the win. A full recap of the game is available here. And a photo gallery.

More photos. (Paul Shepardson/PaulShedardsonPhotography.com)

(2) Broomfield 27, (7) Chatfield 3

Broomfield built a 20-3 halftime lead, and moved on to the semifinals. A full recap of the game is here.

(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

(6) Dakota Ridge 38 (14) Heritage 34

In a wild game Friday night, Dakota Ridge scored in the final minute to secure the win. A photo gallery of the game is available here.

(Theodore Stark/tstark.com)

[divider]

Class 5A quarterfinals

(5) Pomona 28, (4) Regis Jesuit 14

Sanjay Strickland rushed for two touchdowns in the win for the Panthers as the returned to a familiar spot: The 5A semifinals.

Pomona built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and led 28-7 at halftime.

AJ Zamora also had a rushing touchdown, and Brady Ritzmann found Chase Muller for a 51-yard touchdown pass.

Nicco Marchiol threw two touchdown passes in the loss for Regis.

A photo gallery from the game is available here.

More photos. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

(1) Cherry Creek 42, (8) Fairview 28

The Bruins rallied from down 20-7 in the first quarter for a tough win. Here’s a full recap of the game. And a photo gallery.

More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

(2) Ralston Valley 42, (10) Eaglecrest 14

Ralston Valley jumped out to a 35-7 halftime lead and never looked back on Friday night. A full recap of the game is here. And a photo gallery.

More photos. (Kevin McNearny)

(6) Columbine 37, (3) Valor Christian 30

Tanner Hollens and Adam Harrington each rushed for three TDs for the Rebels in the win on Friday. Here’s a recap of the game.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
November 24, 2019
Photos: No. 6 Frederick knocks off No. 3 Discovery Canyon in 3A football quarterfinals

Frederick remains alive in the Class 3A football playoffs after a 32-25 win over Discovery Canyon on Saturday.

November 24, 2019
Photos: Discovery Canyon tops Roosevelt in 3A football’s first round

Discovery Canyon is on to the second round of the Class 3A football playoffs after a 28-11 win over Roosevelt.

November 17, 2019

All-state softball teams for the 2019 season

The 2019 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.

These team were created following a process where the coaches voted upon a list of nominees. Players who were named first-team all-league are eligible for the all-state ballot.

Coaches also voted specifically for player and coach of the year.

[divider]

Class 5A

Player of the year: Korbe Otis, Columbine
Coach of the year: Jim Santaniello, Columbine

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Katie Dack	Rock Canyon		Junior
Isabelle DiNapoli	Chatfield	RHP/1B	Junior
Ally Distler	Columbine
Laurin Krings	Loveland	P/OF/1B	Senior
Jayden Mercado	Fossil Ridge	3B	Senior
Korbe Otis	Columbine
Hadlee Reichert	Broomfield	SS/P	Junior
Ashley West	Ralston Valley	P/1B	Sophomore
Yasmine Ybarra	Smoky Hill	3B/C/1B	Senior

Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Chloe Doyle	Brighton	C/3B	Senior
Hannah Farley	Legacy	P	Senior
Lauren Griggs	Legend		Senior
Tori Haug	Brighton	P/RF	Senior
Erin Keen	Rock Canyon		Senior
Kayleigh Krueger	Arapahoe	P/1B/SS	Senior
Nikki McGaffin	Fossil Ridge	P	Sophomore
Nevaeh Ramirez	Prairie View	OF/RHP	Senior
Jayda Randle	Rampart	CF/1B	Junior

Honorable mention: Kendall Aragon, Sophomore, Legacy; Hannah Bailey, Sophomore, Rocky Mountain; Brooke Ballard, Senior, ThunderRidge; Amrajie Bass, Sophomore, Smoky Hill; Torie Bass, Junior, Fountain-Fort Carson; Courtney Bidwell, Junior, Chatfield; Savannah Clausen, Junior, Arvada West; Katie Cummings, Junior, Denver East; Shaylyn Cutshall, Senior, Fruita Monument; Juliana Dickson, Junior, Denver South; McKenna Fitzgerald, Junior, Ralston Valley; Elana Gerhard, Senior, Loveland; Hunter Gilbreath, Senior, Cherokee Trail; Mia Glover, Senior, Arapahoe; Kami Grammerstorf, Senior, Mountain Vista; Kyra Grauberger, Senior, Greeley West; Taylor Griffin, Senior, Douglas County; Karlee Hagan, Senior, Mountain Range; Kylie Harpman, Junior, Rocky Mountain; Hannah Hollander, Senior, Valor Christian; Haley Hoy, Senior, Castle View; Brynn Jackson, Sophomore, Pine Creek; Brianna Jennings, Junior, Rampart; Jordyn Johnson, Junior, Bear Creek; Rachel Jones, Senior, Fort Collins; Bryna Kapelke, Junior, Broomfield; Katey Kelly, Senior, Vista Ridge; Sara Larson, Senior, Chaparral; Faith Lawson, Senior, Dakota Ridge; Trish Leins, Junior, Monarch; Jacquelin Ley, Senior, Grandview; Mariana Lopez, Senior, Far Northeast Warriors; Katie Maney, Junior, Arapahoe; Destiny Martinez, Sophomore, Lakewood; Lauryn McCollam, Senior, Thornton; Reagan Medina, Sophomore, Lakewood; Alexis Mohr, Sophomore, Horizon; Elena Montoya, Junior, Pomona; Mya Murdock, Junior, Grand Junction Central; Anna Reimers, Junior, Rock Canyon; Kori Rhoads, Senior, Westminster; Shelby Robb, Senior, Arvada West; Olivia Schramm, Freshman, Windsor; Kaylee Sheets, Sophomore, Rampart; Tiana Spangler, Senior, Windsor; Halie Stoneking, Senior, Prairie View; Mikayla Sturns, Senior, Grand Junction Central; Chloe Valdez, Junior, Regis Jesuit; Denise Villalba, Senior, Liberty; Vic Wharton, Junior, Legend; Katiana Williams, Senior, Rangeview; Sidney Wilson, Senior, Northglenn; Maddy Yeingst, Senior, Cherry Creek.

[divider]

Class 4A

Kat Sackett Erie softball — (Paul Soriano)

Player of the year: Kat Sackett, Erie
Coach of the year: Vanessa Smith, Erie

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Maddie Kuehl	Silver Creek	P/1B/OF	Junior
Megan Loveland	Erie		Senior
Anna Martinez	Holy Family	CF	Senior
Makayla Middleton	Golden		Senior
Makenzie Middleton	Golden		Senior
Katrina Robertson	Mesa Ridge	C/1B	Senior
Madie Rosenthal	Roosevelt		Senior
Kat Sackett	Erie		Senior
Madysun Vaughan	Erie		Senior

Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Bella Archuletta	Pueblo South	SS/3B	Senior
Peyton Balbin	D’Evelyn		Senior
Ashlynn Balliet	Berthoud		Senior
Bailey Blanchard	Elizabeth		Senior
Cassidy Chvatal	Holy Family	RHP	Junior
Aiyana Cordero	Northfield	P	Freshman
Jocelyn Garcia	Widefield		Senior
Izzie Quezada	Wheat Ridge	1B	Senior
Lee Quezada	Wheat Ridge	SS	Junior
Jenna Ruggaber	Coronado	P/1B/OF	Senior

Honorable mention: Emily Abraham, Freshman, Pueblo South; Isabel Alire, Senior, George Washington; Savannah Autobee, Sophomore, Pueblo Central; Breanna Baca, Senior, Pueblo Central; Cassie Bittner, Senior, Palisade; Jada Boddy, Senior, Woodland Park; Kylee Bunnell, Senior, Mesa Ridge; Carissa Cassidy, Senior, Eagle Valley; Nya Chacon, Senior, Mountain View; Eve Dalla, Junior, D’Evelyn; Isabelle Davis, Senior, The Classical Academy; Peyton Gale, Junior, Frederick; Avery Garbarek, Sophomore, D’Evelyn; Jasmine Garbiso, Senior, Pueblo West; Makayla Garcia, Senior, Silver Creek; Noelle Gardon, Senior, Holy Family; Marla Goodspeed, Junior, Golden; Emma Graham, Senior, Golden; Leslie Guiterrez, Senior, Skyview; Erin Hanafin, Senior, Mead; Lynia Henry, Senior, Coronado; Brooklyn Horn, Junior, Kennedy; Kaylin Mares, Senior, Pueblo County; Ayva McComas, Sophomore, Niwot; Cara McGeeney, Senior, Canon City; Kennedy Michnewicz, Senior, Northridge; Angeline Mitchell, Senior, Longmont; Hailey Neener, Junior, Discovery Canyon; Josey Nichols, Senior, Conifer; Charlotte Nuccio, Senior, Evergreen; Emma Osbourne, Sophomore, Erie; Kylie Pfannenstiel, Senior, Elizabeth; Jenna Pfenning, Junior, Holy Family; Delaney Phillips, Senior, Rifle; Samantha Powell, Senior, Skyline; Dekota Rojas, Senior, Pueblo West; Aliyah Rothstein, Junior, Wheat Ridge; Jacelynn Trujillo, Senior, Pueblo County; Elizabeth Vermeulen, Senior, Evergreen; Shannon Vivoda, Senior, Pueblo East; McKinzie Wade, Lewis-Palmer.

[divider]

Class 3A

Player of the year: Remington Ross, Eaton
Coach of the year: Rocky Byrd, University

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Ashland Baca	Strasburg	OF/INF	Senior
Allie Christensen	Brush		Senior
Darby Hamilton	Gunnison	C/UTIL	Senior
Jenna Jaklich	Limon		Senior
Kyra McFarland	University		Senior
Rylyn Nelson	Sterling	SS	Senior
Mahalie Owens	Limon		Senior
Remington Ross	Eaton	OF	Senior
Delaney Wieneke	University		Junior

Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Kiersten Bohler	Sterling	P	Junior
Emily Crowder	Alamosa	P/C	Senior
Abby McElroy	Rocky Ford	P/OF	Sophomore
Makenna Meyer	Riverdale Ridge	P/UTIL	Junior
Ashlyn Richardson	Strasburg	1B/3B	Senior
Darian Riggs	Strasburg	OF	Senior
Hannah Schweiger	Lyons	C/3B	Junior
Morgan Trechter	St. Mary’s	P/SS	Senior
Zoe Vozick	Basalt	C/SS	Senior

Honorable mention: Alyssa Abitia, Senior, Lamar; Isa Alvarez, Senior, Burlington; Haylee Bowen, Junior, The Academy; Julia Coates, Senior, Peak to Peak; Alexa Deam-Nein, Senior, Wray; Graci Dietrich, Junior, Basalt; Jadin Dimeo, Senior, Platte Canyon; Brooklynn Donatone, Sophomore, Faith Christian; Alexis Dudley, Senior, Florence; Lexi Fernandez, Junior, Rocky Ford; Sierra Finn, Sophomore, James Irwin; Sydnee Fordham, Sophomore, Riverdale Ridge; Alizeh Fraizer, Freshman, La Junta; Grace Georgiou, Brush; Destiny Hackney, Junior, Riverdale Ridge;
Lauren Herman, Sophomore, Holyoke; Jennifer Jarnagin, Junior, Eaton; Kiera Larson, Freshman, Basalt; Katlyn Long, Sophomore, St. Mary’s; Trista Marx, Sophomore, Limon; Andi Padilla, Junior, University; Hannah Paton, Senior, Lyons; Keeley Porter, Junior, Delta; Yaritza Puente, Junior, Eaton; Jamie Rader, Junior, Peak to Peak; Savanna Ramirez, Senior, The Academy; Damonyca Segura, Junior, Lamar; Shianne Willmon, Senior, Holyoke; Joy Ziegler, Sophomore, Faith Christian.

November 12, 2019

No. 26 Centaurus boys soccer pulls off another upset in the 4A tourney

(Derek Lee/CHSAANow.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS — A winning goal can come can at any time during a soccer game, whether it’s the first or last minute of the game.

For the No. 26-seeded Centaurus Warriors, it came in the last thirty seconds of their Class 4A boys soccer second round game.

Senior Christian Nunez led Centaurus past No. 10 Discovery Canyon with goals in the 53rd and 80th minutes. The setup for both goals were extremely similar as Nunez dribbled past multiple defenders before launching a bullet past the goalkeeper. The Warriors won, 2-1.

“Since the beginning, we knew it was going to be a tough game and we just put everything out there,” said Nunez.

After Nunez gave Centaurus the lead, Discovery Canyon answered back in the 74th minute, off of a header from junior Hunter Lindell.

Minutes later, Nunez stunned the crowd with his second of the night.

(Derek Lee/CHSAANow.com)

“We scored a goal and we got motivated, and we let them have one,” said Nunez. “We kept our heads up and kept going for it and we had one at the end.”

“He is a special talent,” said Warriors head coach Lee Stanley. “He has ball skills (and) vision that you don’t really see much in high school kids. He has vision beyond his years (and) he can hold onto the ball under pressure from several players.

“He is absolutely a special talent and we haven’t seen a player like him in years.”

Centaurus dominated possession early for most of the first half but failed to get on the scoresheet.

Centaurus goalkeeper Parker Sanchez and Discovery Canyon goalkeeper Seth Lawrence matched each other save for save as Sanchez had a spectacular sprawling save off a Thunder free kick while Lawrence had a great save on a 1-on-1 chance minutes later.

“I think we actually possessed better in the first half,” said Stanley. “We changed and became a little bit more direct during the second half instead of working the ball as much through the midfield. We tried to back off the defenders by being a little more direct.”

Discovery Canyon had a chance to take the lead in the 67th minute when they were awarded a penalty kick, but the shot went off the crossbar before going out of bounds.

“We scored with thirty seconds left on the clock and Discovery Canyon had a goal scored five minutes before that,” said Stanley. “If we put our heads down and feel sorry for ourselves from that goal, it could have gone the other way but (we fought) hard until the end and (got) it with thirty seconds left.”

“(We) didn’t want to go to overtime,” said Nunez. “We’ve been in overtime in other situations (and) hasn’t gone right. (We) had to end it whenever we had the chance to and that’s what we did.”

(Derek Lee/CHSAANow.com)

November 6, 2019
Photos: No. 26 Centaurus boys soccer tops No. 10 Discovery Canyon in 4A second round

Centaurus boys soccer advanced to the Class 4A boys soccer quarterfinals after beating Discovery Canyon 2-1 on Tuesday.

November 6, 2019
Denver Broncos high school football coach of the week: Discovery Canyon’s Shawn Mitchell

(Photo courtesy of Shawn Mitchell)

Shawn Mitchell was not having a good day last Thursday. Between snow days on Monday and Wednesday and District 20 deciding to cancel all afternoon activities on Tuesday because of an incoming storm, Mitchell’s team hadn’t seen the practice field all week.

All that was looming was a game against a top-10 opponent in Lutheran and major playoff and RPI implications.

To make the situation even better, Discovery Canyon’s practice field was covered with snow. He and athletic director Ron Sukle jumped into a truck and moving slowly and methodically, plowed the entire grass practice field so that the team could at least get one practice session in.

Thursday’s practice seemed to go well enough as the Thunder beat Lutheran 20-7 and will play for a league championship on Thursday.

A go-getter by nature, Mitchell wasn’t about to wait around for the sun to solve his problems. His willingness to spend hours removing snow so that he could get his team ready is the very attitude that is required in the world of high school athletics.

For that and the big win over Lutheran, Mitchell has been named the Denver Broncos high school football coach of the week.

The Broncos coach of the week is selected in partnership with the Broncos and CHSCA. Find a complete list of winners on this page.

[divider]

Shawn Mitchell bio

Years as head coach: 20 (129-86)

Years at Discovery Canyon: 13 (8-1 this season)

Previous stops: Harrison assistant (1995-99), Harrison head coach (2000-06), Discovery Canyon head coach (2007-present).

[divider]

Dan Mohrmann: Why did you get into coaching?

Shawn Mitchell: I fell in love with football in seventh grade, that was the first year I ever played football, and I still in love with it I think for all the reasons that anybody falls in love with football. I loved being around my teammates and I loved the competitive part of it. I loved the physical part of it. But the added part to that is that I just always admired these coaches. You know what I mean?

I think back to the guys that were my middle school coaches and my high school coaches and then eventually my college coaches. I really admired what they did and I look up to them and they were role models. When I think back to my high school days and how much time I wanted to spend with those guys. Those are the guys I’d go back and visit when I was in college. Those coaches just made a real impact on me and I think that just stuck with me. Later on as I’m thinking about what I want do and I start thinking about those guys as role models, I think it just was a natural fit.

Mohrmann: From your player’s perspective, what do you think it’s like to be coached by you?

Mitchell: The joke is that I’m intimidating and unapproachable. But I would hope that that’s more of a joke than it is the way they really feel. I’ve had former players come back and coach with me at both places, Harrison and Discovery Canyon.

When I moved up here to Discovery Canyon, I had at least two former Harrison players come in and coach with me. So I think that there is a relationship that has been built there. And of course they have a lot of funny stories. They always want to talk about how mean I was to them or how I’m so soft on these guys now when I was tough on them.

I’ve been in a former player’s wedding, I had former players at my wedding, so I would say that there certainly is a strong relationship that develops.

Mohrmann: Let’s go back to last week, you’re approaching the playoffs and the weather kind of disrupts everything. What was it like going into Thursday, which was going be the first day that you were going to be able to practice for that Friday night game?

Mitchell: I was anxious. I was feeling that pressure. We are trying to protect a legacy. Prior to this year, we’ve been a playoff team for seven straight years. Certainly you’re trying to protect that legacy. I am certainly a system guy. I have a system and this is how we practice and this is how many days and how many minutes. I like my systems and I like my approach. When that gets disrupted, that bothers me and I become anxious.

But I’m also realistic. This is what we get and so we need to make the most of this. And so as coaches we did some things for our kids that we don’t normally do. We used some Hudl applications that we don’t normally use with those guys to hopefully get them information that we couldn’t give them.

When we came in on Thursday, we had some business to take care of we also had to bring some calm to this. I we come in anxious and there’s a lot of anxiety and whatnot, that’s not going to do much for your guys at practice, right? We don’t want people to be stressed and nervous. We want to commit and whatever time you have, let’s use it and get better and prepare as best we can.

Mohrmann: Was there ever a point when you’re riding on a snow plow on a Thursday afternoon to clear off the field for your first practice of the week that you’re ever thinking you didn’t sign up for this?

Mitchell: Well, I’ll tell you this, that was a first. In 20 some years of coaching, I’ve never had to do that. It ended up being therapy.

Ron and I were joking about that because we were both kind of grumpy about this and you were both bothered by the fact that we couldn’t practice and we had to come and do that. Certainly we’re both feeling that.

But for the two of us to sit in that truck for a couple hours and tell stories and tell jokes and complain about the situation, but when it was all said and done, it was exactly what I needed on that day.

Mohrmann: What is this whole journey for you been like overall, whether it’s this season, whether it’s last season, just the whole experience at Discovery Canyon and building this consistent program that you’ve found yourself with?

Mitchell: It’s been one of the most rewarding things that I’ve done in my career, at all levels. To start the program, but to also open a building and to be part of that culture.

I’m also the department chair for the social studies department. I’ve been responsible for hiring the members of the social studies department and the football staff. I’ve been a part of this campus growing up together.

We started with this tiny little freshman class, so I’ve been there through all of this and it’s rewarding. But it’s also been a lot of work.

You always expect with coaching, this is going to be a lot of work and this is going to take some time. I don’t know if you fully understand that until you have that first day of football practice and when you open this new building and there are 15 kids and I don’t even know if we can put together a team. And then eventually we got up to like 19 kids. Okay, yeah, we can play a game.

That was one of those moments that I don’t know if this is what I signed up for. I had a different picture in my head and then we struggled early on. We had some ups and downs and you start to wonder are we ever going to get this thing rolling?

Now, I wouldn’t trade it for the world and if I could do it all over again, I would absolutely do it again.

Mohrmann: What’s the biggest challenge this time of year? You’re looking like a safe bet for the playoffs, but what’s the biggest challenge in making sure that the boys continue to show up, know, their assignments and do what needs to be done in order to come away with a win?

Mitchell: Like everybody in the state at this time of year, you’re battling things like injury. Guys get banged up and some of them make it back and some don’t. You’re definitely battling injury. And even if guys aren’t injured, they’re banged up. They have aches and pains and the thing that was nagging them in week two or week three. Now it’s really bothering them and you never really get a chance to heal up. You have to keep them motivated, right?

Some of these drills that we do that we think are a necessity to be successful after 14 weeks of it or 13 weeks, whatever we’re in right now, that can be a little monotonous. So you have to find a way to get through the monotony, whether it’s shortening the amount of time that you’re on the field or whether it’s mixing in some new things to keep them engaged, but that’s a battle too: Keeping their focus.

You would think that this is an exciting time in the season, and we’re playing for a league championship on Thursday and there’s a more-than-likely chance we’re going to make the playoffs again the following week and that’s exciting, but they’re tired and they’re mentally tired and they’re physically tired and they’re beat up. You to find a way to keep them motivated. And that’s a challenge.

November 5, 2019
No. 4 Discovery Canyon football eats away the clock in win over No. 8 Lutheran

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

COLORADO SPRINGS — Everything about the atmosphere at District 20 Stadium felt like a playoff atmosphere. From the level of talent to the way the game played out, anyone could have guessed that it was a game fitting of mid to late November.

Even the weather screamed playoffs.

But in 24 degrees, it was Class 3A No. 4 Discovery Canyon grinding out a 20-7 win over No. 8 Lutheran.

“The only thing that didn’t make it feel like the playoffs was getting one day of prep,” Discovery Canyon coach Shawn Mitchell said.

After snow days canceled school for District 20 on Monday and Wednesday – and all afternoon activities called off for the incoming snow storm on Tuesday – Mitchell and Thunder athletic director Ron Sukle jumped onto a plow to clear the team’s grass practice field for a Thursday practice.

In some ways the one day of practice showed as running back Marshall Pike fumbled the ball at one point, something uncharacteristic of him this season.

“Honestly, it was freaking cold and we didn’t play the way we should have,” Pike said.

If he felt that way then no one bothered to inform him of his final numbers. He ran the ball 35 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns. His first touchdown in the second quarter put the Thunder (8-1 overall, 4-0 Central League) up 7-0.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

The Lions (6-3, 2-2) struck back almost immediately as Max Rivkin found Noah Tack for a 58-yard touchdown pass. Outside of that passing play, Lutheran was trying to rely on a heavy dose of running back Brandon Belgrave, who ran for 109 yards on nine carries in the first half.

But the Lions squandered a couple of key opportunities with two second-quarter fumbles, both in Discovery Canyon territory, including one inside the 10-yard line.

“Turnovers inside the red zone and not scoring, you’re not going to win many games like that,” Stephen Robbins said.

Discovery Canyon really changed the tempo of the game with its first drive of the second half. Starting on their own 35, they drove inside the Lutheran 10 and even though Connor Clancy’s field goal attempt was blocked, more than eight minutes had been taken off the clock.

“You always want points there,” Mitchell said. “But in terms of a drive where you don’t score, that’s everything you can ask for. Going about the length of the field and taking about nine minutes off the clock.”

It’s also a good way to win big games; especially playoff-type games.

“There were some implications here tonight,” Mitchell said. “I’m not a true numbers guy so I don’t know exactly what had to happen in all these scenarios, but I knew a win tonight gave us a really good chance at hosting a playoff game which would be pretty cool.”

Despite the loss, Lutheran has the benefit of having played in a game that felt every bit like a playoff atmosphere, but having some time to clean up things like turnovers in opposing teams’ territory.

The big key that they learned on Friday was that they need to have the ball for more than a couple of quick drives in the second half.

“That was really frustrating,” Robbins said. “I looked at the clock and it was going into the fourth quarter and we had run four plays.”

For Discovery Canyon, the ball control in the second half was a statement. Pike ran for 105 yards in the final two quarters alone and his second touchdown was set-up by a 22-yard run by Kevin Frye.

Pike then dragged the Lutheran defense for nearly 13 yards to put the game all but out of reach.

“It’s good to know we can stick and get the (win) when we need to,” Pike said.

Their biggest challenge will be doing that next week as they’ll face Palmer Ridge for the Central League title.

(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

November 2, 2019
Photos: No. 10 Discovery Canyon boys soccer tops No. 23 Rifle for first-ever playoff win

For the first time in program history, Class 4A No. 10 Discovery Canyon won a boys soccer playoff game, beating No. 23 Rifle 2-0.

November 2, 2019