Tag: ThunderRidge

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 1 results from the state spirit championships

DENVER — The first day of the state spirit championships is in the books, and five champions were crowned on Friday night.

Grandview captured the 5A pom competition; Rock Canyon won 5A cheer; Dakota Ridge won 4A/5A co-ed cheer; Mountain Vista won hip hop; and Heritage won jazz.

Below are the complete results, including the finalists and their order of finish.

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Class 5A poms

Grandview won the 5A poms competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Grandview	94.83	471.00
2	Thunderridge	94.50	470.50
3	Cherry Creek	93.33	466.50
4	Ralston Valley	92.67	461.50
5	Legacy	92.50	461.50
6	Arapahoe	92.00	462.00
7	Chatfield	90.17	450.00
8	Regis	89.33	445.50
9	Fairview	89.17	440.00
10	Fruita Monument	87.33	437.50
11	Horizon	86.50	431.50
12	Prairie View	84.50	422.00
13	Eaglecrest	83.33	419.00
14	Rocky Mountain	83.17	417.50
14	Doherty	83.17	414.00
16	Boulder	83.00	417.00
17	Arvada West	82.00	408.50
18	Dakota Ridge	81.17	404.50
19	Littleton	80.33	400.00
20	Brighton	79.50	399.50
21	Grand Junction	79.17	394.00
22	Fossil Ridge	79.00	399.00
23	Denver East	78.67	393.00
24	Central (Gj)	76.33	380.00
25	Mountain Range	76.17	384.50
26	Bear Creek	70.67	357.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Grandview	95.00	473.00
2	Thunderridge	94.67	472.50
2	Legacy	94.67	468.00
4	Arapahoe	93.83	468.50
5	Cherry Creek	93.33	468.00
6	Ralston Valley	92.50	462.00

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Class 5A cheer

Rock Canyon won the 5A cheer competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Rock Canyon	91.47	457.00
2	Grandview	88.63	445.00
3	Douglas County	88.53	441.10
4	Eaglecrest	87.70	435.70
5	Chaparral	85.83	428.20
6	Rocky Mountain	83.67	419.10
7	Arapahoe	83.17	411.20
8	Pine Creek	81.70	407.20
9	Fossil Ridge	79.10	397.70
10	Regis	76.63	388.60
11	Prairie View	73.93	366.80
12	Horizon	73.83	369.50
13	Legacy	71.37	354.60
14	Monarch	71.27	356.80
15	Standley Lake	70.83	348.10
16	Highlands Ranch	70.83	355.30
17	Loveland	69.93	347.90
18	Cherry Creek	69.63	349.70
19	Bear Creek	68.87	335.20
20	Poudre	68.67	342.00
21	Heritage	68.40	339.90
22	Denver East	68.07	343.30
23	Smoky Hill	67.93	340.60
24	Grand Junction	66.87	331.60
25	Rangeview	65.73	331.60
26	Brighton	62.90	317.50
27	Columbine	62.73	312.20
28	Rampart	59.47	293.20
29	Littleton	58.87	288.70
30	Greeley West	57.90	291.50
31	Thornton	54.40	269.70
32	Boulder	53.97	275.70
33	Northglenn	52.33	274.40
34	George Washington	48.07	249.90
35	Overland	45.77	231.80
36	Chatfield	44.73	230.30
37	Hinkley	35.00	182.40
38	Gateway	0.00	0.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Rock Canyon	93.23	466.80
2	Eaglecrest	91.10	456.50
3	Grandview	89.70	447.30
4	Pine Creek	87.53	431.80
5	Rocky Mountain	83.40	417.80
6	Douglas County	83.23	418.50
7	Arapahoe	83.13	421.80
8	Chaparral	80.87	404.50

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Class 4A/5A co-ed cheer

Dakota Ridge won the co-ed cheer competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Dakota Ridge	88.53	440.60
2	Mountain Vista	84.23	421.80
3	Thunderridge	76.63	385.30
4	Castle View	76.40	379.10
5	Cherokee Trail	74.93	372.40
6	Palisade	72.80	366.00
7	Air Academy	71.47	357.00
8	Falcon	70.50	355.50
9	Legend	70.37	353.30
10	Ralston Valley	69.67	342.30
11	Fruita Monument	68.30	339.50
12	Fountain-Ft. Carson	66.80	332.10
13	Centaurus	65.27	326.60
14	Liberty	63.90	317.30
15	Greeley Central	60.90	311.10
16	Doherty	59.07	297.00
17	Arvada West	58.13	296.80
18	Westminster	56.27	285.20
19	Montrose	55.43	282.10
20	Steamboat Springs	53.17	276.50
21	Abraham Lincoln	52.33	261.70
22	Central (Gj)	51.47	261.50
23	Pomona	50.30	252.40
24	Pueblo County	48.97	247.40
25	Denver West	48.10	239.50
26	John F. Kennedy	47.73	243.30
27	Arvada	44.43	228.00
28	Aurora Central	44.37	215.00
29	Adams City	43.93	224.80
30	Denver South	41.90	214.30
31	Skyview	0.00	0.00
31	Sierra	0.00	0.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Dakota Ridge	93.80	465.60
2	Mountain Vista	83.17	414.20
3	Castleview	78.20	391.50
4	Thunderridge	74.30	375.00
5	Cherokee Trail	72.43	358.00
6	Palisade	57.77	288.30

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Hip hop

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Mountain Vista	94.67	472.00
2	Overland	91.33	457.00
3	Monarch	90.33	452.00
4	Greeley West	87.67	435.00
5	Smoky Hill	86.00	431.00
6	Thornton	84.67	425.00
7	Northglenn	84.17	423.50
8	Sand Creek	83.67	417.50
9	Northridge	82.67	414.00
10	Montezuma-Cortez	82.00	408.00
11	Weld Central	80.33	399.00
12	Pueblo Central	78.83	389.50
13	Skyline	72.00	359.00
14	Pomona	70.67	353.00
15	Greeley Central	62.33	312.00
16	Rampart	58.00	292.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Mountain Vista	96.00	476.00
2	Overland	93.33	466.50
3	Greeley West	92.00	457.50
4	Monarch	91.50	458.50

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Jazz

Prelims
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Heritage	91.17	454.00
2	Rock Canyon	90.67	449.00
3	Ponderosa	90.50	453.00
4	Golden	90.33	449.50
5	Legend	90.00	448.50
6	Chaparral	88.00	439.00
7	Columbine	87.00	434.00
8	Standley Lake	85.50	428.50
9	Rangeview	84.50	423.50
10	Douglas County	84.33	423.00
11	Castle View	83.67	420.00
12	Palmer Ridge	82.33	410.00
12	Silver Creek	82.33	409.50
14	Thompson Valley	81.50	407.50
15	Pueblo West	81.33	408.50
16	Gateway	78.50	391.50
17	Niwot	77.67	388.50
18	Highlands Ranch	71.83	360.50
19	Cherokee Trail	71.33	357.00

Finals
Rank	Team	Score	Tie break
1	Heritage	93.33	465.00
2	Ponderosa	93.17	465.50
3	Golden	93.00	463.00
4	Rock Canyon	91.83	459.00

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

Fairview’s defense comes up with big turnovers in clinching title game spot

Fairview quarterback Anders Hill (9) throws downfield during a 5A high school playoffs semifinal game between Fairview and ThunderRidge at Shea Stadium in Highlands Ranch. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

HIGHLANDS RANCH — Fairview, you might have heard, has a high-powered offense. Record-setting, in fact. But these Knights make some plays on defense, too, and it was a game-changing interception which propelled Fairview to its first championship football game since 2002.

With his team clinging to a 24-21 lead in the third quarter and ThunderRidge on the 6-yard-line, Fairview junior Johnny Feauto jumped an out-route in the end zone and picked off a pass from ThunderRidge quarterback Brody Westmoreland. He returned it to the 24-yard-line. The Knights would march down and turn the turnover into a 31-21 lead on Owen Harris’ second 1-yard touchdown run of the game.

ThunderRidge never recovered, and top-seeded Fairview went on to win 38-28 in the Class 5A semifinals.

Fairview running back Jason Harvey (21) celebrates as he runs during the game. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

“Whenever (ThunderRidge is) down there, they just run so much,” Feauto said after the game. “We knew that they were going to try to come out with something different. I saw him doing an out, I broke right on him, and the quarterback threw it right to me.”

After the interception, “I knew we were going to score,” Feauto said. “Our offense is just that good. If we give them any extra opportunities, they’re going to take it to the house.”

Feauto added another pick on a botched field-goal attempt midway through the fourth quarter. He has six this season.

Said Fairview coach Tom McCartney: “If you look at us versus Lakewood, Johnny Feauto had the big interception. If you look at Overland, Johnny Featuro had the big interception. Johnny’s been a big-time playmaker for us on D.”

Fairview will play No. 2 Valor Christian in the 5A championship next Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Valor Christian beat Cherokee Trail in Saturday’s other semifinal.

And, despite the fact that Fairview is unbeaten (12-0) and the No. 1 seed in these playoffs, the Knights will likely again be seen as underdogs in that game. It makes sense: Valor Christian is a four-time defending champion, and has never lost in the playoffs in school history. The Eagles are also 47-1 against Colorado teams since Oct. 2010.

Still, Fairview is more than familiar with that position. Many around the state doubted the Knights would even reach the final.

Fairview linebacker Bobby Johnson (29) celebrates after defeating ThunderRidge. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

“We felt like a lot of people didn’t think we were very good,” Fairview senior Cameron Frazier said on Saturday. “They still picked us to lose every game in the playoffs. So we used that as fuel. We just like to prove people wrong.”

Added quarterback Anders Hill: “We try not to pay attention to that, but it definitely gets under our skin sometimes. We’re the No. 1 seed and people are continuously picking us to lose. It’s motivation. I mean, we know what we’re capable of, so we just go out and play our game.”

“Every week,” Feauto said, “there were some doubters and they don’t think we’re going to win the next one. But we just have to keep proving them wrong, proving them wrong, proving them wrong. We think we’re the best and we’re going to go out and prove it next week.”

To reach that game next week, Fairview got an impressive performance from its offense against ThunderRidge on Saturday.

The Knights scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions as Frazier went wild — he had 143 total yards and two total touchdowns in the first half — with the Grizzlies double-teaming senior wide receiver Sam Martin, who has set the state’s single-season record for receiving yards.

“Every week, teams try and double Sam. He’s the best receiver in the state. That opens up grass for other people,” Hill said. “Today, that just happened to be Cam. We have playmakers at pretty much every position on our offense, so I think it’s just a matter of who steps up for what game. And Cam did a great job today.”

Thunderridge offensive tackle Sam Jones (75) consoles his teammate after losing to Fairview. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

Frazier finished with 152 yards receiving and two scores, and also had a rushing touchdown. This was all despite playing with a sprained thumb and microfractures in his right hand — an injury suffered last week.

“We can throw to pretty much anyone, and we have a lot of weapons besides Sam. And then we still have Sam. So that’s just a lot to deal with in the passing game,” Frazier said. “Then (Jason) Harvey running; Anders can run, too. It’s just too much for teams to take away.”

Fairview had 459 yards of total offense. Hill finished with 315 through the air on 21-of-33 passing, and the two scores to Frazier. Martin had 72 yards receiving.

For ThunderRidge, Westmoreland finished with 306 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions in his final game. Mark Hopper, a senior wide receiver, had 181 yards.

Fairview’s defense gave up 565 yards of total offense, but made plays when it needed to. That included Feauto’s two interceptions, as well as a fumble recovery by senior Connor Spencer with 9:49 to go in the game. Spencer also had a key one-on-one tackle of Westmoreland on third down which ended ThunderRidge’s next drive and led to the botched field goal attempt.

“They’re going to have a ton of yards throwing, running, whatever, but the turnovers were the difference,” McCartney said. “They’ve done it in every game this year that’s been a big game: games that we’ve trailed in, games that we’ve come back in. Every game, (the defense finds) a way to just basically get turnovers and turn things around.”

Fairview went to back-to-back 5A championship games in 2001 and 2002, but lost both times. Next Saturday will mark the program’s eighth trip to a title game. The Knights have won three championships, including a share of one with Westminster by tying in 1978. Their last championship was in 1987 (4A).

“We made this a goal since the summer,” Hill said. “It’s just a great experience, and I couldn’t be happier right now. Our whole team is just on top of the world right now.”

In fact, this title game has been on Fairview’s mind since this point last season. McCartney took a group of his kids to the 2012 5A title game to watch Valor and Cherokee Trail.

“We basically started dreaming there,” McCartney said. “And said, ‘Hey, we think we can get here, but it’s going to take some work and it’s going to take some seniors that believe.’ We’re very, very excited.”

Fairview linebacker Luke Miller (40) celebrates with fans after defeating ThunderRidge. More photos. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

November 24, 2013
Photo gallery: Fairview beats ThunderRidge in 5A football semis

HIGHLANDS RANCH — Top-seeded Fairview beat ThunderRidge 38-28 on Saturday to advance to the Class 5A football championship.

November 24, 2013

Chat replay: Football’s semifinals and championship games

Tools

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Playoff brackets: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man
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The live event will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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Live chat

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Featured game

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

November 23, 2013

5A football preview: Cherokee Trail has been ‘waiting all year’ to face Valor Christian again

Cherokee Trail’s defense will be a key against Valor Christian. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

View the 5A football playoff bracket.

No. 2 Valor Christian (11-1) at No. 6 Cherokee Trail (10-2)
1 p.m. Saturday at Legacy Stadium

Cherokee Trail has been chomping at the bit for this one. By the time Saturday’s semifinal tilt with Valor Christian comes around, it will have been 357 days since the two teams met at Mile High in the 2012 Class 5A championship game.

That game, a 9-0 Valor Christian win, was actually a coming out party of sorts for Cherokee Trail. Most everyone expected the Eagles to roll the Cougars in the title game, seeing as how it was Cherokee Trail’s first appearance on the big stage. Instead, it was scoreless until 6:01 remained in the fourth quarter, and wasn’t over until Valor added a field goal with two minutes to go.

So when the 2013 season started, the prevailing thought was that Cherokee Trail was poised to join the state’s elite. Well, here’s the Cougars’ chance — facing Valor, a four-time defending champion across three classifications which has never lost in the postseason (20-0) in the short, but illustrious, history of the school. The Eagles have actually not lost (22-0) to an in-state team since their 2012 opener, and are 46-1 against Colorado teams since Oct. 2010.

So it will be a tall task when sixth-seeded Cherokee Trail hosts No. 2 Valor at 1 p.m. Saturday at Legacy Stadium.

“We’ve been waiting all year,” Cherokee Trail defensive back Izaiah Lottie said after his team’s win over Cherry Creek in the quarterfinals. “Almost 365 days, we’ve been waiting.”

Valor Christian senior Christian McCaffrey (5). (Dennis Pleuss)

“We really felt was that we were going to have to beat Creek and Valor to win it,” Cherokee Trail coach Monte Thelen said.

As usual, things will hinge on how Cherokee Trail’s defense handles Valor’s Christian McCaffrey. The senior is coming off a season-best 272 rushing yards in a quarterfinal win over Columbine. Despite being pulled in the third quarter of most games, he has 38 total touchdowns this season — a figure that is second in the state. Most telling, though, is that McCaffrey is averaging 12.82 yards per carry this season, which would be a big-school record.

Cherokee Trail will counter with junior Cameron Smith, who had 172 yards rushing and a score against Cherry Creek. He has 1,554 yards this season, and has scored 18 touchdowns in his team’s past eight games.

Its biggest asset on Saturday, though, will be its defense. That side of the ball forced six turnovers in the quarterfinals, and has the speed to contend with Valor Christian.

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No. 1 Fairview (11-0) at No. 5 ThunderRidge (11-1)
1 p.m. Saturday at Shea Stadium

Early this week, the focus of the other 5A semifinal matchup rested on the health of ThunderRidge quarterback Brody Westmoreland. The senior was hurt on the third play of his team’s quarterfinal win against Grandview — a blindside sack he didn’t see coming — and never returned.

Afterward, Westmoreland revealed it was a back injury which kept him from the field. At that time, it looked questionable that he would play against Fairview on Saturday.

ThunderRidge quarterback Brody Westmoreland. (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

However, X-rays and an MRI both came back clear, and he also passed concussion testing. So while Westmoreland does have a deep back bruise, he will play against the Knights.

That’s hugely important for the Grizzlies, as Westmoreland is the key cog in their offense. He has 16 passing and 12 rushing touchdowns this season. Perhaps more importantly, his presence forces defenses to account for both players on ThunderRidge’s read-option plays.

Fairview, meanwhile, has been 5A’s lone unbeaten team for a while now, and the Knights have amassed an impressive set of victories this season. Included: Overland, Ralston Valley, Douglas County and Pomona (twice).

Their strength rests in a senior class that includes quarterback Anders Hill and wide receivers Sam Martin and Cameron Frazier.

Prior to the playoffs, Fairview coach Tom McCartney said of his seniors, “We’ve seen this coming from this particular group. We knew this was a talented group.”

Hill has thrown for 3,321 yards this season. It’s the most in the state across any classification — and nearly 700 yards more than the next best. Martin recently set the state record for receiving yards in a season. He now has 1,604. Frazier, meanwhile, is a threat from everywhere. He has 11 receiving touchdowns, two rushing, and four more in the return game.

Making those statistics all the more impressive: Fairview had to cancel a game in the regular season during the flood week.

Fairview is in search of its first championship appearance since 2002. It also made the game in 2001, but lost in back-to-back years.

ThunderRidge last appeared in a title game in 2005, when it won 4A for the second year in a row and third time in five seasons. The Grizzlies have never been to the 5A game.

November 20, 2013
Backup QB Brenning leads ThunderRidge to 5A football semis

Legacy Stadium. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

AURORA — This is why backup plans exist. It’s why second-team guys get good reps in practice, why they prepare just as hard before a game.

Because you never know when your all-state quarterback will go down with a game-ending injury on the third play of the quarterfinals.

Branden Brenning, a junior, jumped into the fray when ThunderRidge’s Brody Westmoreland left with a back injury following a blind-side sack in the first quarter. Brenning scored his team’s only touchdown, which helped secure a 13-9 win over No. 20 Grandview on Saturday afternoon. And a spot in the Class 5A football semifinals.

“I saw Brody go down and I immediately went and started to throw,” Brenning said. “I’ve always been ready to step in for Brody. He’s a great quarterback, but I’ve got to be prepared mentally and physically every day, every practice, because you never know what can go wrong.”

No. 5 ThunderRidge looked a bit stunned after Westmoreland left the game. Grandview took a 6-0 lead on Frank Solomon’s 28-yard reception less than a minute after the injury, and Brenning’s first pass attempt was intercepted on the next drive. But the ThunderRidge defense dug in, and Mark Hopper hit a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter to make it 6-3 at the half.

In addition to missing Westmoreland, ThunderRidge’s starting running back Steve Ray was slowed by an injury from last week’s win. So 6-3 at the half was manageable.

Still, the Grizzlies needed a spark — one they got when the team recovered an onside kick to start the second half.

“We were kicking into the wind. We didn’t think we’d get it deep,” ThunderRidge coach Joe Johnson said. “We didn’t kick it quite as hard as we wanted to, but it ended up working out for us.”

ThunderRidge marched right down the field after the recovery — thanks in part to a nice 16-yard completion from Brenning to Hopper on third-and-10. The Grizzlies also used a steady dose of Matt Stanley up the middle in moving the ball inside the red zone.

Then, facing second-and-goal from the 8, Brenning made as though he would give it to Stanley up the middle again. Instead, he kept it and swept out left to the end zone. ThunderRidge led 10-6.

Grandview cut it to 10-9 with Aiden Pirrin’s 40-yard field goal on the ensuing drive, then held ThunderRidge to a three-and-out. But the Wolves fumbled the punt, and the Grizzlies recovered with 1:15 to go in the third quarter. They chewed up more than seven minutes of game time en route to another field goal from Hopper, this one from 22 yards out. By then, 5:52 remained in the game.

“That was huge,” Johnson said of the long drive. “We, obviously, needed to shorten the game.”

ThunderRidge’s defense then held firm on a fourth-down attempt near midfield with 4:33 to go. A Grizzlies’ fumble gave Grandview one last chance. The Wolves drove all the way down to the ThunderRidge 11 with 59 seconds remaining, but a fourth-down pass was inches from the outstretched fingertips of a wide-open Brandon Brooks and the Grizzlies held on.

“This win was huge,” Brenning said.

Especially missing Westmoreland and having a limited Ray.

Brenning said his typical day of practice consists of nine reps before he runs the scout team.

“I’m always ready,” Brenning said. “I always try to be prepared mentally and physically in case this ever happens.”

After the game, Westmoreland said he did not have a concussion. He was having X-rays taken on Sunday evening, but his status for next week’s semifinal game with Fairview won’t be known until next week.

In Ray’s stead, Kevin Knox handled an increased load and finished with 91 yards on 18 carries, while Stanley had 77 on 24.

“Coach told me during the practice week to be prepared, be ready at a moment’s notice,” Knox said. The win, he added, “shows we’re one hell of a team and we’re willing to do anything to win. I mean look what we did today, that just showed what we can do.”

ThunderRidge’s defense gave up just 240 yards of total offense. The bulk of that belonged to Grandview running back Chukwuma Obinnah, who had 125 yards. Wolves quarterback Tyler Smith also had 95 yards passing and the scoring toss to Solomon.

November 17, 2013
Playoff football roundup: Columbine runs over Grand Junction

More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

Columbine ran Grand Junction right out of town.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Class 4A

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

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

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

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

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Class 3A

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

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

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

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

November 9, 2013
5A football playoff bracket

Football’s 2013 state playoff bracket for Class 5A.

2013 CHSAA State Football Championships CHSAA 5A Football Championship

October 27, 2013

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