The 2016 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created entirely from the results of the coaches’ vote.
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Class 5A
(Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Player of the year: Dylan McCaffrey, Valor Christian
Jack, a junior at Kent Denver, birdied three of the final four holes to finish at even par for the day at Saddle Rock Golf Course. He sits one stroke ahead of a group of three golfers who finished at 1-over.
“I just started making some putts. I was hitting it kind of close all day, and I couldn’t really putt,” Jack said after his round. “I got them to drop at the end, which was nice.”
Of being in the individual lead, Jack added: “It feels really good. Tomorrow, hopefully I’ll start making putts earlier, but that’s all I can ask for right now.”
Jack finished tied for second at last season’s championship, and tied for sixth as a freshman.
His torrid finish on Monday also helped Kent Denver jump into a tie for first place in the team race. The Sun Devils — who got big rounds from Jackson Klutznick (+3), Ben Zimmerman (+6) and also Jack Friedman (+9) — are tied with Peak to Peak.
The Pumas were led by Ethan Tartaglia (+2), Ian Thorpe (+3) and Nishant Datta (+4). Sam Taylor, the defending individual champion, finished 12-over in the first round.
“Tomorrow’s a big day for a lot of the guys on our team,” Jack said. “They played well today.”
Aspen (+18) sits in third place in the team standings, Eaton (+19) is fourth, and Dawson (+21) is fifth.
It’s a crowded individual leaderboard, with seven players sitting within three shots of the lead.
“There are a lot of guys right behind me, so it’s pressure on me, but I feel good about the fact that I can maybe win tomorrow,” Jack said.
Yale Kim. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
That the race for the title is so tight isn’t exactly unexpected. Nine of last year’s top 11 finishers returned to this year’s event, including Taylor, the defending individual champion, and 2014 champion Yale Kim of Dawson.
Kim was at the top of the leaderboard for much of the day, shooting 3-under on the front nine, and he finished his first round at 1-over. He is among the group of three tied in second place.
A senior, Kim is seeking his fourth-straight top-10 finish at state.
“I played a good round, I’m happy. I had fun, and I’m excited for tomorrow,” Kim said. “I’ve had a lot of (success) before, and I’m trying not to be too nervous since its my senior year, but I’m trying to have a lot of fun, and I’m trying to play the best golf that I can.”
Estes Park’s Ivan Richmond and Jefferson Academy’s Jacob Mason also shot 1-over in the first round.
Jack, Kim and Richmond will all tee off together in the final group on Tuesday morning at 10:57. Mason will tee off in the second-to-last group at 10:48 along with The Classical Academy’s Liam O’Halloran and Peak to Peak’s Tartaglia. O’Halloran and Tartaglia both finished at 2-over on Monday.
Walker Franklin. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The field also included two schools for the first time.
Prospect Ridge Academy, in its first year as a CHSAA member, qualified brothers Jaxon and Walker Franklin. Jaxon, a junior, is tied for 25th at 9-over. Walker, a freshman, briefly held the lead during the first round and finished tied for 13th at 5-over.
SkyView Academy also had its first-ever qualifier in Luke Wright, who shot 21-over on the first day and sits in a tie for 63rd.
That last feat earned him an entry into the state record book. Mestas is the 22nd player in the history of the sport to return a kickoff at least 99 yards, and he is now tied for the ninth-longest return ever.
Mestas had 241 yards and three touchdowns receiving, and 48 tackles and four interceptions on defense last season as the Demons reached the Class 4A quarterfinals.
West Grand coach Chris Brown is currently tied with Pat Panek at 306 career wins. West Grand begins its season next week.
This was the first-ever varsity game for Prospect Ridge Academy.
Notables
Sedgwick County, the defending champion in 8-man, opened its season with a 58-0 win over Creek Valley (Neb.). The Cougars have now won 14 games in a row — the longest active streak in the state. Buena Vista (1A) and Pueblo East (3A) also enter the 2016 season with 13-game winning streaks, but neither team plays in Zero Week.
In 2A, No. 8 Resurrection Christian had 23 unanswered points as the Cougars beat No. 9 Sterling 34-6.
In 8-man, a top-10 matchup between No. 2 Akron and No. 8 Granada didn’t exactly live up to the hype as the Rams rolled 59-0.
Bayfield had its 12-game winning streak snapped with a 19-0 loss to San Juan (Utah).
3A No. 2 Roosevelt, runner up a season ago, opened its season with a 39-0 win against Thornton.
Grand Junction Central nearly pulled off an upset, but 3A No. 6 Palisade held on with a 31-26 win.
3A No. 7 Rifle beat Basalt 48-34.
Another top-10 team in 3A, Holy Family (No. 9), opened with a 40-19 win at Mountain View.
1A No. 4 Crowley County beat Colorado Springs Christian 32-22. And No. 10 Meeker beat Highland 18-8.
