The preseason boys basketball rankings are out, and Rangeview, Harrison, Lutheran, Yuma and De Beque head the polls.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Rangeview (9)
0-0
136
2
Overland (5)
0-0
124
3
Grandview
0-0
83
4
Smoky Hill
0-0
79
5
Cherry Creek
0-0
77
6
ThunderRidge
0-0
62
7
Chaparral
0-0
60
8
Mountain Vista (1)
0-0
53
9
Denver East
0-0
39
10
Eaglecrest
0-0
33
Others receiving votes:
Columbine 23, Regis Jesuit 21, Ralston Valley 20, Rock Canyon 17, Fairview 15, George Washington 13, Doherty 10, Arapahoe 7, Douglas County 2, Mullen 2, Valor Christian 2, Boulder 1, Cherokee Trail 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Harrison (5)
0-0
85
2
Mead (2)
0-0
74
3
Lewis-Palmer (2)
0-0
63
4
Cheyenne Mountain
0-0
59
5
Longmont (1)
0-0
51
6
Pueblo East
0-0
43
7
Lincoln
0-0
35
8
Thomas Jefferson
0-0
29
9
Centaurus
0-0
27
10
Pueblo West
0-0
25
Others receiving votes:
Holy Family 18, Wheat Ridge 14, The Classical Academy 6, Green Mountain 5, Northfield 5, Golden 3, Frederick 2, Glenwood Springs 2, D’Evelyn 1, Evergreen 1, Sand Creek 1, Sierra 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Lutheran (7)
0-0
119
2
The Vanguard School (1)
0-0
97
3
Resurrection Christian (2)
0-0
85
4
Manual (1)
0-0
75
5
Faith Christian
0-0
71
6
Sterling (1)
0-0
68
7
DSST: Byers (1)
0-0
43
8
Eaton
0-0
24
9
Colorado Academy
0-0
20
10
Coal Ridge
0-0
14
Others receiving votes:
Centauri 13, Colorado Springs Christian 13, Kent Denver 13, University 11, Gunnison 9, Manitou Springs 9, Delta 7, Montezuma-Cortez 7, DSST: Montview 5, Pagosa Springs 4, St. Mary’s 3, The Academy 3, Alamosa 1, La Junta 1.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Yuma (10)
0-0
119
2
Highland (2)
0-0
106
3
Limon (1)
0-0
95
4
Fowler
0-0
93
5
Mancos
0-0
53
6
Sanford
0-0
46
7
Denver Christian
0-0
41
8
Holly
0-0
32
9
Wray
0-0
24
10
Ignacio
0-0
14
Others receiving votes:
Vail Christian 13, Holyoke 10, Sedgwick County 10, Byers 9, Peyton 8, Rye 8, Plateau Valley 7, Sargent 7, Swink 6, Del Norte 4, Simla 4, Meeker 3, Burlington 2, Paonia 1.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
De Beque (5)
0-0
79
2
Kit Carson (2)
0-0
70
3
Evangelical Christian (1)
0-0
67
4
Sangre de Cristo
0-0
56
5
Merino (1)
0-0
48
6
Haxtun
0-0
34
7
Briggsdale
0-0
25
8
Ouray
0-0
18
9
Walsh
0-0
17
10
Mile High Academy
0-0
15
Others receiving votes:
Fleming 9, Kim/Branson 7, Prairie 7, Sierra Grande 7, Creede 6, Cheraw 5, Flagler/Hi-Plains 5, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 4, Cotopaxi 3, Peetz 3, South Baca 3, Belleview Christian 2, Cheyenne Wells 2, Denver Waldorf 2, Stratton/Liberty 2, Longmont Christian 1, Pikes Peak Christian 1.
Smoky Hill hill stormed through the regular season unbeaten for the second consecutive year. And now, the Buffaloes have their first playoff win since 1991.
Smoky, the No. 11 seed in the Class 5A football playoffs, beat No. 22 Overland 48-6 behind a huge day from star running back Obasanjo Sanni, who had five touchdowns.
“It was just a total team effort, all the way down to our kicker. Our defense played great,” said Smoky Hill coach Tom Thenell told the Scoreboard Show. “No. 44 (Sanni) was terrific early. The offensive line kind of knew that if 44 had a chance, some good things were going to happen.”
It is Smoky Hill’s first postseason win since they beat Denver West in the 1991 6A playoffs.
“It was a lot of fun for the school,” Thenell said. “These kids, a year ago we got respect in our own community and respect in our own hallways, and this year they were out to try to get the respect of people on the outside. I think after tonight, we have done that.”
Smoky has finished each of the past two seasons 10-0 under Tom Thenell, who is now in his second year at the school.
“People knew that when two years ago we first showed up over here, we were ranked 40th out of 40 in MaxPreps,” Thenell said. “And that’s no longer the case.”
[divider]
3A: (2) Mead 27, (6) Frederick 20
In perhaps the game of the night which was a battle of unbeaten teams, Mead rallied from down 17-12 at half to get the win and secure the Northern Metro League title.
“That was the No. 1 atmosphere that I’ve ever been a part of,” Mead coach Jason Klatt told the Scoreboard Show. “Just a fun night. Two communities coming together.”
Both teams entered 9-0, and 4-0 in the Northern Metro.
Frederick tied the game at 20 with a field goal, but Mead drove down and scored early in the fourth to go ahead for good.
“Just a ton of resolve a group of Mavericks, and I’m proud to be a part of it,” Klatt said.
Mead, No. 2 in the coaches poll, is likely to earn the No. 1 seed in the 3A playoffs when the brackets are unveiled on Sunday after this week’s No. 1 Palmer Ridge lost Discovery Canyon on Thursday.
“We don’t care,” Klatt said of seeding. “If they get us in the tourney, we’ll take it. We don’t care about rankings or any of that stuff. There’s a lot of good teams out there, and we’re fortunate to be a part of that mix.”
Arapahoe avenged a loss in the regular season to advance to the second round of the 5A playoffs.
“It was much-improved from where we were earlier this season,” Arapahoe coach Rod Sherman told the Scoreboard Show. “We played them earlier, and we gave up 400-plus yards of offense, and our guys have improved. Playing in the gauntlet of the Centennial League exposes your weaknesses and gives you a chance to improve.”
Arapahoe is now 7-4, the program’s highest win total since 2015.
“I think we’ve just grown up a little bit,” said Sherman, now in his second year helming the Warriors. “Last year was our first year at Arapahoe. There was some culture change that was necessary. Our kids really bought in last year, but they needed an offseason.”
The game was a rematch of a Week 2 meeting between the teams, which Castle View won 23-13.
[divider]
4A: (3) Vista PEAK 35, Fruita Monument 21
Vista PEAK rallied from down 21-15 at the half to score 20 unanswered points and finish off its first undefeated regular season in school history.
Ja’derris Carr-Kersh led the way with four rushing touchdowns, including a 71-yarder. Monty Hamrick also had rushing score for the Bison as they clinched the Pioneer League title.
“We came out and shut them out the second half, and the offense kind of got rolling,” Vista PEAK coach John Sullivan told the Scoreboard Show. “We wore them down a little bit.”
Of the rushing attack, Sullivan added: “We have a pretty good trio in the backfield with our No. 1 Ja’derris Carr, who’s really fast, and we have a couple of bruisers back there who love to block, and when they get the ball in their hands, they also can do some damage. But it all starts with our hogs up front, that took it to heart that this game was on them — both sides of the ball, actually. Our D-Line, as well.”
Vista PEAK, now 10-0, awaits seeding on Sunday.
“Last year, we started a ton of sophomores that were very talented, and we knew that if we had a great summer, and hit the weight room like we did, that we could do some damage in our league for sure,” Sullivan said. “It was one of our goals to go 10-0 and win the league, for sure, but I think we can do a little bit more, too.”
[divider]
5A: (13) Highlands Ranch 59, (20) Doherty 7
Highlands Ranch cruised into the second round with a big offensive performance.
“Our kids played exceptionally well,” Highlands Ranch coach TJ Rubley told the Scoreboard Show. “It was truly one of those all-cylinder type games on offense for us.”
Ponderosa won the Metro League title with come-from-behind win where the Mustangs went ahead late in the fourth quarter.
“Tonight was a prime example of we’re not going to quit when we get some adversity, and we’re just going to keep fighting,” coach Jaron Cohen told the Scoreboard Show.
[divider]
5A: (19) Mountain Vista 24, (14) Mullen 16
Mountain Vista trailed 6-0 early, but after taking a 7-6 lead in the first quarter, didn’t trail again.
Grant Shells had an interception return for a touchdown, Jacob Barrett threw a TD to Carter Ortega, and Mountain Vista’s defense held firm to pull off the upset.
[divider]
Notables:
In the 6-man quarterfinals, Fleming rolled to a 66-6 win over Prairie.
Skyline beat No. 7 Loveland 20-15 to win the 4A Longs Peak title. “It was a little too close for comfort, but they found a way and played hard,” coach Michael Silva told the Scoreboard Show.
Thomas Jefferson knocked off 3A No. 9 Lutheran, 27-13.
Erie upset 3A No. 10 Fort Morgan, 30-27. “We have talent, we have great coaches, and we were able to figure some stuff out there after a rocky start,” coach Chad Cooper told the Scoreboard Show.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Chaparral (5)
14-2
94
3
2-0
2
Legend (1)
13-3
82
2
1-1
3
Cherokee Trail (3)
13-2
77
1
1-1
4
Broomfield (1)
14-0
66
5
2-0
5
Rampart
13-1
62
4
1-0
6
Valor Christian
12-1
48
6
2-0
7
Fort Collins
11-2
36
7
1-0
8
Grandview
10-5
24
8
1-1
9
Eaglecrest
12-4
20
9
2-0
10
Chatfield
10-4
10
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Windsor 8, Cherry Creek 6, Fairview 5, Grand Junction 4, Pine Creek 4, Ralston Valley 4.
Dropped out
Fairview (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Pueblo County (8)
16-1
95
1
5-0
2
Lewis-Palmer (2)
9-5
77
3
2-0
3
Discovery Canyon
11-3
76
2
1-0
4
Pueblo West (1)
11-4
66
4
1-1
5
Palmer Ridge
10-4
63
5
1-0
6
Coronado
9-5
56
6
1-0
7
Mead
9-3
43
7
2-0
8
Montrose
12-3
42
10
2-0
9
Woodland Park
11-1
31
9
1-0
10
Thomas Jefferson
10-5
19
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Silver Creek 11, Erie 8, Battle Mountain 4, Mullen 4, Longmont 3, Air Academy 2, Cheyenne Mountain 2, Glenwood Springs 2, Evergreen 1.
Dropped out
Erie (8).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Lutheran (8)
9-0
97
1
1-0
2
Sterling
14-0
79
2
2-0
3
Alamosa
18-2
77
3
2-0
4
Colorado Springs Christian (1)
17-1
63
4
3-0
5
Eaton
12-3
60
5
2-0
6
Cedaredge
14-0
49
6
3-0
7
Faith Christian
11-2
36
7
2-0
8
Lamar
14-2
33
–
2-0
9
Platte Valley
9-4
14
8
1-1
10
University
9-5
12
10
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Coal Ridge 10, Eagle Ridge Academy 8, SkyView Academy 8, Englewood 3, Bayfield 1.
The start of football season in Colorado is just two short weeks away. With some players having graduated and moved on from every team, a new set of standout student-athletes will be in the spotlight in 2019.
But there are plenty of players coming back this season and with them come numbers that were impressive even a year ago.
Looking at the offensive side of the ball, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for the start of football season in 2019.
[divider]
Passing:
When it comes to passing stats, Fairview quarterback Aidan Atkinson led the way for all quarterbacks in 2018. The senior to be threw for a staggering 3,952 yards last year. It was a record-setting year all the way around for him and the Knights.
For comparison, Highlands Ranch quarterback Jake Rubley threw for 1,951 yards and comes into the season No. 2 behind Atkinson in returning passing yards.
The top-three passers in 4A all return in 2019 making the prospect of an aerial battle late in the season very intriguing.
(Kevin Prickett/prickettpix.com)
Skyline’s Chase Silva threw for 2,829 yards as he helped the Falcons reach the 4A championship game. Centaurus’ Nick Faraca threw for 2,436 yards with Grand Junction Central’s Max Marsh threw for 2,296. The combination of Marsh and LSU football commit Kole Taylor is going to be a major attraction on the Western Slope this fall.
The top five passers from 3A all graduated a year ago making George Washington’s Jaydon Green the top returning passer in the class as he threw for 1,722. Pueblo South’s Logan Petit (1,581 yards) and Durango’s Jordan Woolverton (1,560 yards) are other 3A names to keep an eye on.
Aspen’s Tyler Ward led 2A with 2,202 yards last year and will be back as a junior in 2019 as will Meeker’s Ryan Phelan who topped all 1A passers with 1,869 in 2018.
Front Range Christian’s Luke Hiltman led all 8-man passers with 2,079 yards and will be back this fall. Briggsdale senior Tyler Blickem returns with 2,368 passing yards from last year which topped all of 6-man.
Granada sophomore Dominic Coleman got the attention of the class by throwing for 1,609 yards as a freshman.
In terms of touchdowns, Atkinson set the standard state-wide with 55. Blickem threw for 36 and Silva connected on 30 touchdown passes.
Rushing:
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The ground attack throughout the state lost a lot of spild performers from last year. Smoky Hill’s Obasanjo Sanni returns as the top returning rusher as he cleared the 2,000-yard mark last year and averaged 181 yards per game.
Legacy’s Dakota Key (1,799) and Fountain-Fort Carson’s Q. Jones (1,406) round out 5A’s top three returning rushers.
There were standout runners from 3A that are also making their way back this year. Palisade’s Cam Tucker ran for 1,662 and Thomas Jefferson’s Daveon Hunter ran for 1,410 yards in nine games.
In 4A, the top two returners both come out of Academy District 20 as Pine Creek’s David Moore III returns with 1,494 yards from last year. Down the road at Rampart, Chris Yoo totaled 1,317 yards and both backs will be seniors this fall.
The biggest loss of production on the ground comes in 2A where 10 of the top 12 rushers from last year were seniors. Coming into this season, just Brush’s Nick Wellen (1,250) and Bishop Machebeuf’s Darius Richards (1,012) return with over 1,000 rushing yards from last year.
That’s a big difference in 1A where the top two rushers from 2018 will be back as seniors this fall. Colorado Springs Christian senior Peyton Brones led all of 1A with 1,724 yards last year while Monte Vista’s Kaidon Wenta sat right behind him on the leaderboard with 1,475.
Dove Creek’s Chorbin Cressler broke into the top five of all 8-man rushers as just a freshman last year with 1,243 yards and will look to build on that momentum this season. Pikes Peak Christian’s Hudson Grant is 8-man’s No. 2 returning rusher with 1,188 yards in 2018.
Tucker returns with the most rushing touchdowns from last year with 28. Stratton/Liberty’s Jaret Lichty ran for 27 and Brones punched the ball in 24 times.
Receiving
Losing Kain Medrano was always going to be a big deal for Pueblo East. But if there is a silver lining, it’s that Marvon London, Jr. appears ready to fill the void.
The senior receiver for the Eagles amassed more receiving yards than any other player returning in 2019. His 1,083 yards were seventh in the state last fall and with Medrano gone, the number has a chance of increasing this season.
Palmer Ridge’s Deuce Roberson (937) and Harrison’s Seth Fuller (928) are the other top 3A receivers coming back.
Fairview’s Henry Blackburn hauled 890 receiving yards to lead all 5A returners and should thrive again with Atkinson still tossing passes for the Knights.
Heritage junior Terrance Ferguson totaled 972 receiving yards making him the top returning 4A receiver this season.
Two of last season’s top three receivers will be back in 2A. Aspen’s Max Ufkes led the class with 920 receiving yards and Englewood’s Nate Gravagno ranked third with 824.
As much as 1A had coming back in terms of rushing production, that is not the case with receiving. Estes Park sophomore Calum Torrey had 442 receiving yards last year which is the most for anyone who was not a senior.
Sangre de Cristo’s Mario Enriquez leds all 8-man returners with 594 yards while Deer Trail’s Dayne Woodis comes back with 730 yards which was second in 6-man last year.
Blackburn returns with the most receiving touchdowns form last year with 17. Woodis and Roberson each hauled in 11 touchdown catches last year.
The 2019 all-state baseball teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They 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.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
[divider]
Class 5A
Mountain Vista’s Sam Ireland. (Tim Bourke)
Player of the year: Sam Ireland, Mountain Vista
Coach of the year: Matt Darr, Regis Jesuit
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Riley Cornelio
Pine Creek
RHP/INF
Senior
Sam Ireland
Mountain Vista
RHP/3B/1B
Senior
AJ Jergensen
Ralston Valley
OF
Senior
Geno Macias
Regis Jesuit
Senior
Brice Martinez
Cherry Creek
Jack Moss
Cherry Creek
Drew Stahl
Mountain Vista
INF
Senior
Jacob Thompsen
Regis Jesuit
Junior
Caden Wagner
Regis Jesuit
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Justin Boyd
Legend
SS/CF
Senior
Jose Cintron
Overland
3B/2B/INF
Senior
Peter Goldy
Grandview
RHP/1B
Senior
Calvin Hunt
Ralston Valley
RHP
Senior
Cale Lansville
ThunderRidge
Grant Magill
Mountain Vista
C
Senior
Nathan Mitchell
Cherry Creek
Ryan Stohr
Dakota Ridge
RHP/1B
Senior
Patrick Strawbridge
Regis Jesuit
Senior
Case Williams
Douglas County
RHP/3B/1B
Junior
Honorable mention:
Trey Adams, Ralston Valley, INF/RHP, Senior
Simon Baumgardt, Lakewood, P/SS, Senior
Radek Birkholz, Valor Christian, P/INF, Sophomore
Zach Boone, Castle View, CF/LF, Senior
Clay Burke, Mountain Vista, RHP/1B, Senior
Jake Campbell, Rocky Mountain, P/1B, Senior
Tony Castonguay, Grandview, C/3B, Junior
Pete Chronowski, Heritage, LHP, Senior
Kellen Cox, Cherokee Trail
Garrett Crawford, Overland, OF/RHP, Junior
Clay Cutter, Cherry Creek
John Emerson, Denver East, CF/LHP/SS, Senior
Chase Esplin, Legacy, Junior
Matt Glover, Denver South, RHP/OF/SS, Sophomore
Jake Greiving, Legend, C/OF/3B, Senior
Josh Hojnowski, Grandview, RHP/3B, Senior
Ben Horwith, Douglas County, Senior
Owen Lockner, Windsor, Senior
Jayden Martinez, Grandview, OF, Senior
Braden Martinez, Windsor, Senior
Bryce Matthews, Chaparral, OF, Senior
Ryan McKown, Chaparral, OF, Senior
Mason Mitchell, Heritage, OF/RHP, Senior
Justin Moehlenpah, Horizon, LHP/OF, Senior
Ben Perla, Cherry Creek
Jaren Piepho, Rocky Mountain, C, Senior
Kevin Pipich, Rock Canyon, RHP/1B, Senior
J.C. Rodriguez, Far Northeast Warriors, Sophomore
Jacob Roybal, Chatfield, P/OF, Junior
Teddy Schoenfeld, Boulder, Senior
Macully Sehr, Legacy, Sophomore
Colby Shade, Fort Collins, OF, Junior
Derek Shaver, Grand Junction, Senior
Blake Templeton, Fort Collins, SS/RHP, Junior
Diego Velasquez, Smoky Hill, P/1B/OF, Junior
Ben Whipple, Valor Christian, RHP/1B, Sophomore
Tristan Wolf, Mountain Range
Matt Zaccaro, Bear Creek, OF/P, Senior
[divider]
Class 4A
Pueblo West’s Tyler Barth. (Bobby Stevens/MaxPreps)
Player of the year: Tyler Barth, Pueblo West
Coach of the year: Dan Sanchez, Pueblo West
First Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Lincoln Andrews
Canon City
INF/P
Senior
Aaron Arcilise
Wheat Ridge
RHP/INF
Senior
Tyler Barth
Pueblo West
Senior
Aaron Berkhoff
Cheyenne Mountain
INF
Senior
Charlie Deeds
Palmer Ridge
SS/RHP/2B
Senior
Nate Denniston
Pueblo West
Senior
Kyle Jameson
Pueblo West
Senior
Collin Kringlen
Holy Family
1B/RHP
Senior
Spencer Rich
Silver Creek
Senior
Second Team
Name
School
Pos.
Year
Tayler Aguilar
Northridge
CF
Senior
Brodie Blackford
Pueblo West
Junior
Jayden Cordova
Pueblo West
Senior
JP Hamer
Fort Morgan
Senior
Ben McLaughlin
Golden
SS/RHP
Junior
Brady Renck
Longmont
2B/SS/P
Senior
Jason Shuger
Lewis-Palmer
P/INF
Senior
John Thoren
Erie
Michael Wegleitner
Silver Creek
Junior
Honorable mention:
Zach Becker, Holy Family, SS/2B/RHP, Senior
Johnny Behm, Lewis-Palmer, /OF, Senior
Dominic Bronk, Wheat Ridge, 3B/RHP, Junior
Angel Carlos, Lincoln, Senior
Tyler Declusin, Pueblo West, Senior
Devin Dodson, Cheyenne Mountain, C/RHP, Junior
Tyler Dollahan, Glenwood Springs, Senior
Garrett Flaagan, Eagle Valley
Avery Fulford, Conifer, Senior
Michael Guber, George Washington, UTIL/RHP, Senior
Chris Gumeson, Longmont, RF/C/INF, Senior
Tyler Hrin, Thomas Jefferson, OF/1B/LHP, Freshman
Charlie Jackson, Silver Creek, Junior
William Kapner, Evergreen, 2B/1B, Junior
Emmert Kastendieck, Montrose, OF, Junior
Noah Lasecki, The Classical Academy, 1B/P, Senior
Isaac Linker, Fort Morgan, Senior
Cesar Loma, Greeley Central, 3B/RHP/C, Senior
Seth Lucero, Denver North, SS/RHP/OF, Senior
Nico Martin, Pueblo Central, CF, Senior
Parker Martin, Coronado, C/INF/OF, Senior
Cole Martino, Pueblo County, P/1B/3B, Sophomore
Bryce McKee, Coronado, SS/UTIL/RHP, Senior
Kolton Miller, Ponderosa, Sophomore
Adam Muniz, Pueblo Central, 3B/SS/2B, Senior
Corey Musch, Skyview, CF/LF, Senior
Cameron Nellor, Thompson Valley, SS/P/UTIL, Junior
The 2019 all-state girls soccer teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They 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.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
