CHSAANow

Tag: ThunderRidge

  • Photo gallery: No. 9 Regis Jesuit unseats No. 1 ThunderRidge in 5A football

    AURORA — No. 9 Regis Jesuit led from the outset and was up 28-0 at the half en route to taking down No. 1 ThunderRidge 35-12 on Friday.

  • Brush in charge of 2A football poll after beating Platte Valley

    (David Samples/lastingimagesbydave.com)
    (David Samples/lastingimagesbydave.com)

    Brush took down former No. 1 Platte Valley on Friday. Monday, the Beetdiggers took its spot atop CHSAANow.com’s Class 2A football poll.

    Brush, which won the game 28-10, was ranked second last week. It received all 10 first-place votes in the poll. Platte Valley dropped to third, behind Kent Denver.

    The 2A poll added Faith Christian (No. 8) and Aspen (No. 10) this week.

    In 5A, ThunderRide continued to lead the way and received 13 first-place votes to No. 2 Valor Christian’s 11. Columbine remained in third, and Ralston Valley stayed at No. 4.

    Chatfield moved up from seventh to fifth, and is followed by No. 6 Cherokee Trail and No. 7 Fairview. Grandview is eighth, Regis Jesuit is ninth, and Cherry Creek rejoined the ranking at No. 10.

    Monarch stayed atop 4A’s ranking, but there’s a new No. 2 team in that poll: Montrose, which moved up from third. It’s excellent timing, considering the two teams play Friday.

    Falcon is third this week, followed by Loveland, Wheat Ridge and Montbello, which beat former No. 2 Denver South on Saturday. South dropped to No. 8.

    Montbello and Wheat Ridge play Friday.

    Pine Creek was the lone new team to the 4A poll.

    The 3A ranking added No. 9 Delta and No. 10 Evergreen. Silver Creek remained at No. 1.

    In 1A, Meeker (No. 10) was the lone newcomer.

    There were no new teams to the 8-man poll, but 6-man added Briggsdale (No. 4).

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (13) 4-0 229 1 W
    2 Valor Christian (11) 3-1 216 2 W
    3 Columbine 4-0 161 3 W
    4 Ralston Valley 3-1 140 4 Bye
    5 Chatfield 4-0 121 7 W
    6 Cherokee Trail 3-1 118 8 W
    7 Fairview 3-0 88 9 W
    8 Grandview 3-1 71 10 W
    9 Regis Jesuit 3-1 41 5 L
    10 Cherry Creek 3-1 32 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Grand Junction 31, Pomona 27, Rocky Mountain 17, Doherty 13, Douglas County 13, Arapahoe 3.
    Dropped out
    Douglas County (6).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Monarch (19) 3-0 203 1 W
    2 Montrose (2) 5-0 176 3 W
    3 Falcon 4-0 141 5 W
    4 Loveland 3-0 117 4 W
    5 Wheat Ridge 3-1 93 6 W
    6 Montbello 4-0 89 9 W
    7 Standley Lake 4-0 64 8 W
    8 Denver South 3-1 56 2 L
    9 Pueblo West 3-1 47 7 W
    10 Pine Creek 2-2 41 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Durango 36, Windsor 35, Pueblo Centennial 23, Sand Creek 20, Dakota Ridge 5, Ponderosa 4, Broomfield 2, Longmont 1, Thompson Valley 1.
    Dropped out
    Windsor (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Silver Creek (11) 3-0 139 1 W
    2 Rifle (1) 4-0 119 2 W
    3 Palisade 4-0 98 4 W
    4 Elizabeth 3-1 92 5 W
    5 Coronado (1) 5-0 91 6 W
    6 Lutheran (2) 4-0 74 7 W
    7 Holy Family 2-1 57 3 L
    8 Discovery Canyon 4-1 42 9 W
    9 Delta 3-1 30 – W
    10 Evergreen 3-1 23 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    The Classical Academy 19, Mead 18, D’Evelyn 9, Roosevelt 9, Eagle Valley 3, Erie 2.
    Dropped out
    Roosevelt (8), Conifer (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Brush (10) 3-0 100 2 W
    2 Kent Denver 3-1 79 3 W
    3 Platte Valley 2-1 70 1 L
    4 Florence 3-1 61 4 W
    5 Manitou Springs 4-0 54 5 W
    6 Strasburg 4-0 47 7 W
    7 Lamar 4-0 46 6 W
    8 Faith Christian 3-2 33 – W
    9 Denver West 4-0 17 9 W
    10 Aspen 3-1 13 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    University 10, Eaton 7, Fort Lupton 5, Ridgeview Academy 4, Basalt 2, Bennett 2.
    Dropped out
    Eaton (8), Bayfield (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Buena Vista (8) 4-0 123 1 W
    2 Limon (4) 4-0 108 2 W
    3 Cedaredge (1) 3-1 89 3 Bye
    4 Hotchkiss 3-1 80 4 W
    5 Centauri 3-1 65 9 W
    6 Holyoke 4-0 59 5 W
    7 Wiggins 3-0 45 10 W
    8 Monte Vista 3-1 44 6 L
    9 Wray 2-2 27 8 L
    10 Meeker 4-0 24 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Rye 15, Center 12, Jefferson 9, Paonia 8, Lyons 5, Crowley County 3.
    Dropped out
    Crowley County (7).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Hoehne (5) 4-0 68 1 W
    2 Dayspring Christian (2) 4-0 65 2 W
    3 Caliche 4-0 46 5 W
    4 Norwood 3-1 45 4 W
    5 Akron 3-1 43 3 L
    6 Simla 4-0 40 6 W
    7 Kiowa 4-1 23 9 W
    8 Granada 3-1 19 8 W
    9 McClave 3-1 15 7 L
    10 Dove Creek 4-1 14 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Fowler 6, Sargent 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Liberty/Stratton (6) 4-0 38 1 W
    2 Hi-Plains (2) 4-0 28 2 W
    3 Arickaree 4-0 20 3 W
    4 Briggsdale 3-0 16 – W
    5 Eads 3-1 15 4 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Peetz 2, Hanover 1.
    Dropped out
    Fleming (5).

  • Thompson Valley now atop 4A girls cross country ranking

    Despite having one fewer first-place vote, Thompson Valley has supplanted The Classical Academy atop the Colorado Track XC/CHSAANow.com girls cross country rankings in 4A.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    Colorado Track XC/CHSAANow.com Boys Polls

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

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Monarch (9) 98 1
    2 Cherry Creek 95 3
    3 Fort Collins (1) 94 2
    4 Pine Creek 77 4
    5 ThunderRidge 63 5
    6 Fairview 48 6
    7 Rock Canyon 34 7
    8 Mountain Vista 31 9
    9 Legacy 22 –
    10 Grandview 14 8
    Others receiving votes:
    Greeley West 10, Fossil Ridge 7, Arapahoe 5, Regis Jesuit 5, Heritage 2.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Thompson Valley (5) 104 2
    2 The Classical Academy (6) 103 1
    3 Niwot 81 4
    4 Battle Mountain 65 6
    5 Coronado 60 3
    6 Cheyenne Mountain 48 8
    7 Air Academy 38 7
    8 Durango 37 5
    9 Palmer Ridge 24 –
    10 Evergreen 13 10
    Others receiving votes:
    Broomfield 11, Wheat Ridge 9, Mountain View 6, Summit 5, Discovery Canyon 1, Golden 1.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Salida (10) 100 1
    2 Holy Family 87 2
    3 Colorado Academy 76 3
    4 Kent Denver 75 4
    5 Estes Park 50 5
    6 Peak to Peak 40 7
    7 Alamosa 32 9
    8 Frontier Academy 30 6
    9 Moffat County 29 8
    10 Bayfield 13 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Buena Vista 8, Pagosa Springs 7, Platte Valley 5.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Hotchkiss (9) 90 1
    2 Vanguard (1) 85 3
    3 Paonia 72 4
    4 Lyons 69 2
    5 Denver Christian 61 7
    6 Shining Mountain 40 5
    7 Resurrection Christian 37 9
    8 Nederland 28 6
    9 Sargent 28 8
    10 Heritage Christian 10 –
    Others receiving votes:
    SkyView Academy 9, Custer County 8, Rocky Ford 5, Liberty Common 3, Mancos 3, Sedgwick County 3.

  • Douglas County joins 5A football poll following big upset

    (Kay Livingstone)
    Douglas County is ranked sixth in this week’s 5A poll. (Kay Livingstone)

    Douglas County took down then-No. 3 Cherry Creek on Monday night. Tuesday afternoon, the Huskies find themselves ranked.

    Douglas County jumped into this week’s CHSAANow.com football poll in 5A at No. 6. It is the first time this season the Huskies have been ranked.

    Cherry Creek, meanwhile, dropped all the way out in something of a surprise.

    Cherokee Trail returned to the 5A ranking following a week on the outside looking in. The Cougars are eighth.

    ThunderRidge held on to 5A’s top spot — but only narrowly. The Grizzles edged No. 2 Valor Christian by two overall points, despite beating then-No. 4 Grandview last week.

    Columbine bumped up to third from fifth, and Ralston Valley went from sixth to fourth. Regis Jesuit rounds out the top five.

    Chatfield is No. 7, Fairview is No. 9, and Grandview dropped from No. 4 to No. 10 following its loss to ThunderRidge.

    Monarch continued to lead the 4A poll, which added Montbello for the first time this season, at ninth. Along with Denver South (No. 2 in 4A) and Denver West (No. 9 in 2A), it means Denver Public Schools has three ranked schools.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 ThunderRidge (13) 3-0 229 1 W
    2 Valor Christian (11) 2-1 227 2 W
    3 Columbine 3-0 137 5 W
    4 Ralston Valley 3-1 111 6 W
    5 Regis Jesuit 3-0 108 7 W
    6 Douglas County 3-0 89 – W
    7 Chatfield 3-0 74 9 W
    8 Cherokee Trail 2-1 71 – W
    9 Fairview 2-0 64 8 Bye
    10 Grandview 2-1 63 4 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherry Creek 55, Pomona 31, Doherty 15, Grand Junction 15, Arapahoe 11, Mountain Vista 8, Legend 7, Fountain-Ft. Carson 4, Mullen 2.
    Dropped out
    Cherry Creek (3), Grand Junction (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Monarch (20) 2-0 214 1 Bye
    2 Denver South (2) 3-0 186 2 W
    3 Montrose (1) 4-0 170 4 W
    4 Loveland 2-0 122 7 Bye
    5 Falcon 3-0 112 6 W
    6 Wheat Ridge 2-1 95 5 W
    7 Pueblo West 2-1 69 3 L
    8 Standley Lake 3-0 60 9 W
    9 Montbello 3-0 43 – W
    10 Windsor 2-1 42 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Durango 34, Pine Creek 34, Mesa Ridge 22, Pueblo Centennial 21, Sand Creek 11, Thompson Valley 7, Widefield 6, Vista Ridge 5, Dakota Ridge 4, Mountain View 3, Broomfield 2, Longmont 2, Pueblo South 2.
    Dropped out
    Pine Creek (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Silver Creek (12) 2-0 159 1 Bye
    2 Rifle (3) 3-0 140 3 W
    3 Holy Family 2-0 122 4 Bye
    4 Palisade 3-0 90 6 W
    5 Elizabeth 2-1 88 10 W
    6 Coronado (1) 4-0 81 8 W
    7 Lutheran (2) 3-0 71 7 Bye
    8 Roosevelt 1-1 59 9 Bye
    9 Discovery Canyon 3-1 58 2 L
    10 Conifer 2-1 26 5 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Delta 23, Erie 21, D’Evelyn 19, The Classical Academy 11, Evergreen 11, Eagle Valley 6, Pueblo East 3, Mead 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Platte Valley (8) 2-0 96 1 Bye
    2 Brush (1) 2-0 85 2 Bye
    3 Kent Denver (1) 2-1 76 3 W
    4 Florence 2-1 57 4 W
    5 Manitou Springs 3-0 51 8 W
    6 Lamar 3-0 45 9 W
    7 Strasburg 3-0 43 6 W
    8 Eaton 1-1 34 7 Bye
    9 Denver West 3-0 15 – W
    10 Bayfield 2-1 11 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    La Junta 9, Faith Christian 8, Fort Lupton 7, University 5, Aspen 3, KIPP 3, Sterling 2.
    Dropped out
    La Junta (5).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Buena Vista (9) 3-0 140 1 W
    2 Limon (4) 3-0 112 2 W
    3 Cedaredge (2) 3-1 109 3 W
    4 Hotchkiss 2-1 74 4 W
    5 Holyoke 3-0 71 5 W
    6 Monte Vista 3-0 68 6 W
    7 Crowley County 3-0 53 8 W
    8 Wray 2-1 40 7 W
    9 Centauri 2-1 39 – W
    10 Wiggins 2-0 36 9 Bye
    Others receiving votes:
    Meeker 20, Rye 12, Resurrection Christian 10, Clear Creek 8, Front Range Christian 7, Jefferson 7, Roaring Fork 7, Burlington 6, Paonia 3, Center 2, Cornerstone Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Paonia (10).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Hoehne (6) 3-0 77 1 W
    2 Dayspring Christian (2) 3-0 74 2 W
    3 Akron 3-0 58 3 W
    4 Norwood 2-1 43 7 L
    5 Caliche 3-0 36 4 W
    6 Simla 3-0 33 5 Bye
    7 McClave 3-0 29 6 W
    8 Granada 2-1 24 8 W
    9 Kiowa 3-1 22 9 W
    10 Dove Creek 3-1 21 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Sangre de Cristo 10, Fowler 4, Haxtun 3, Hayden 3, Soroco 2, Walsh 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Liberty/Stratton (6) 3-0 38 1 W
    2 Hi-Plains (2) 3-0 30 2 W
    3 Arickaree 3-0 19 4 W
    4 Eads 2-1 18 3 L
    5 Fleming 2-1 8 5 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Prairie 4, Briggsdale 1, Hanover 1, Peetz 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • ThunderRidge’s passing game opens up the run in win vs. Grandview

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — There is an old adage that some football coaches have always adhered to: You run to set up the pass.

    On Friday evening at Shea Stadium, top-ranked ThunderRidge did exactly the opposite, and it worked in the Grizzlies’ favor. ThunderRidge came out throwing the ball early, and that success helped lead to 207 yards on the ground as the team held off No. 4 Grandview 21-7 in non-league play.

    Grizzlies quarterback Brody Westmoreland completed his first six passes in the first quarter for 163 yards, but only needed 36 more yards over the final three quarters as the rushing attack took over.

    Junior Matt Stanley, a fullback by trade, carried the ball 27 times for 157 yards and two scores and Tristan Powers added another touchdown on the ground.

    “Not really any of the credit should go to me,” Stanley said. “It’s all my O-line. I’ve got those huge holes, all I have to do is run through them.”

    ThunderRidge (3-0) put up two quick scores on the board in the first quarter and added one more on its opening drive of the third quarter. Grandview (2-1) struggled to convert on third down and was nearly shut out before quarterback Tyler Smith connected with Isaiah Lang for a 51-yard touchdown pass in the final five minutes.

    “We’re a young team, especially offensively,” Wolves coach John Schultz said. “I felt our defense, holding them to 21 points, was a good effort.

    “We didn’t convert drives. Our offense just has to finish drives.”

    Finishing wasn’t a problem early for ThunderRidge. Playing in front of a packed house at Shea Stadium, and with the weather dry for the first time all week, Westmoreland connected with 6-foot-4 wideout Mark Hopper on passes of 33 and 25 yards on the opening drive. Powers finished things off with a 1-yard run.

    Grandview had a strong opening possession of its own that stalled late and ended with a missed 45-yard field goal. Westmoreland then hit Jon Jones on a 63-yard seam down the middle, and after a 12-yard strike to Hopper, Stanley scored on a 5-yard run.

    Hopper had six catches for 121 yards.

    “He’s a very dangerous receiver,” ThunderRidge coach Joe Johnson said. “If you’re going to commit to play man on him, he’s going to hurt you. He did that tonight and he did that against Dakota (Ridge).”

    The Wolves had a 12-play drive late in the first half, but ThunderRidge’s Collin Hankins intercepted a Smith pass in the end zone. The Grizzlies continually pounded the ball up the middle behind its big, bruising offensive line in the second half, and Stanley capped an impressive drive that included runs of 26, 13 and 24 yards with a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0.

    “They’re a very good football team. They can throw it and run it — they have one of the best offenses in the state,” Schultz said. “It was a challenge our defense needed.”

    Smith finished 8-of-21 passing for 140 yards and the long touchdown pass to Lang to pace Grandview. Juniors Austin Quarles and Ben Marshall combined for 91 yards rushing, but the Grizzlies’ defense was persistent in swarming to the ball throughout the evening.

    “We’re playing well on defense, and we have all three games,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of confidence, and if we can be a little smarter at the end of game about long passes, we’d really be tough. I just love the way we’re hustling to the ball.”

    Grandview has one more non-league contest next week against Mullen before opening Centennial League play Sept. 27 against Eaglecrest. ThunderRidge plays Bear Creek next Saturday, with the big Continental League opener against Regis Jesuit coming just six days later.

    Victories over Dakota Ridge, Ralston Valley and now Grandview can only help as the Grizzlies gear up for league play.

    “We feel like it battle-tests us a little bit. If we can come out healthy, we’ll be better for it,” Johnson said. “That’s the plan.”

  • ThunderRidge moves up to No. 1 in 5A football ranking

    (Ray Chen/MaxPreps.com)
    (Ray Chen/MaxPreps.com)

    The expectations were already high. Now, perhaps, things have been kicked up a notch.

    ThunderRidge, coming off a 36-18 win over then-No. 3 Ralston Valley, took over atop the CHSAANow.com football poll in 5A this week. The Grizzlies had been No. 2, but jumped Valor Christian, which lost in overtime to Bingham (Utah).

    Valor has yet to play an in-state opponent this season, and the four-time defending champion still received half of the first-place votes. Still, the Eagles are No. 2 this week.

    Cherry Creek had its own big win last week — over then-No. 6 Pomona — and moved up on place to No. 3.

    Grandview (No. 4) also moved up one place, and faces ThunderRidge this week.

    Columbine went from No. 7 to No. 5 to round out the top five.

    Ralston Valley settled in sixth following its loss, Regis Jesuit is seventh and Fairview is eighth.

    The 5A top-ten is rounded out by two newcomers: Chatfield (No. 9) and Grand Junction (No. 10).

    In 4A, Monarch continued its hold on the No. 1 spot. Denver South moved up to second, and the ranking added Standley Lake at No. 9.

    Class 1A also got a new No. 1 team this week with Buena Vista taking over at the top.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 ThunderRidge (12) 2-0 226 2
    2 Valor Christian (12) 1-1 217 1
    3 Cherry Creek 2-0 176 4
    4 Grandview 2-0 137 5
    5 Columbine 2-0 88 7
    6 Ralston Valley 2-1 79 3
    7 Regis Jesuit 2-0 70 9
    8 Fairview 2-0 67 10
    9 Chatfield 2-0 58 –
    10 Grand Junction 3-0 48 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Pomona 42, Cherokee Trail 40, Arapahoe 34, Douglas County 20, Doherty 8, Horizon 4, Legend 2, Mullen 2, Mountain Range 1, Mountain Vista 1.
    Dropped out
    Pomona (6), Cherokee Trail (8).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Monarch (19) 2-0 192 1
    2 Denver South (1) 2-0 170 3
    3 Pueblo West 2-0 120 7
    4 Montrose 3-0 113 5
    5 Wheat Ridge 1-1 98 2
    6 Falcon 2-0 96 6
    7 Loveland 2-0 88 8
    8 Pine Creek 1-1 70 4
    9 Standley Lake 2-0 31 –
    10 Windsor 1-1 29 9
    Others receiving votes:
    Montbello 15, Dakota Ridge 14, Mesa Ridge 14, Durango 13, Pueblo Centennial 9, Longmont 7, Vista Ridge 5, Sand Creek 4, Ponderosa 3, Widefield 3, Green Mountain 2, Pueblo South 2, Thompson Valley 2.
    Dropped out
    Dakota Ridge (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Silver Creek (8) 2-0 124 1
    2 Discovery Canyon 3-0 97 2
    3 Rifle (4) 2-0 89 3
    4 Holy Family 2-0 80 6
    5 Conifer 2-0 79 5
    6 Palisade 2-0 53 8
    7 Lutheran (1) 3-0 50 9
    8 Coronado (1) 3-0 45 –
    9 Roosevelt 1-1 35 7
    10 Elizabeth 1-1 28 4
    Others receiving votes:
    Eagle Valley 16, Pueblo East 15, Northridge 10, Erie 4.
    Dropped out
    D’Evelyn (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Platte Valley (7) 2-0 79 1
    2 Brush (1) 2-0 64 4
    3 Kent Denver 1-1 62 3
    4 Florence 1-1 45 2
    5 La Junta 2-0 40 6
    6 Strasburg 2-0 36 8
    7 Eaton 1-1 33 5
    8 Manitou Springs 1-0 18 10
    9 Lamar 2-0 16 9
    10 Bayfield 1-1 12 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Fort Lupton 11, Denver West 7, Faith Christian 7, Ridgeview Academy 6, University 2, Aspen 1, KIPP 1.
    Dropped out
    Faith Christian (7).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Buena Vista (7) 2-0 154 3
    2 Limon (4) 2-0 139 2
    3 Cedaredge (6) 2-1 126 1
    4 Hotchkiss 1-1 81 4
    5 Holyoke 2-0 78 8
    6 Monte Vista 2-0 57 6
    7 Wray 1-1 56 9
    8 Crowley County 2-0 51 –
    9 Wiggins 2-0 49 5
    10 Paonia 2-0 38 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Centauri 34, Meeker 25, Rye 13, Burlington 9, Peyton 7, Roaring Fork 7, Resurrection Christian 4, Cornerstone Christian 2, Lyons 2, Platte Canyon 2, Ignacio 1.
    Dropped out
    Centauri (7), Rye (10).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Hoehne (8) 2-0 80 1
    2 Dayspring Christian 2-0 60 2
    3 Akron 2-0 54 3
    4 Caliche 2-0 45 4
    5 Simla 3-0 40 9
    6 McClave 2-0 35 10
    7 Norwood 2-0 22 –
    8 Granada 1-1 18 –
    9 Kiowa 2-1 17 –
    10 Dove Creek 2-1 15 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Sangre de Cristo 13, Sargent 13, Belleview Christian 7, R.M. Lutheran 5, Antonito 4, Fowler 4, Miami-Yoder 3, Springfield 3, Haxtun 2.
    Dropped out
    Elbert (5), Fowler (6), Sargent (7), Haxtun (8).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Liberty/Stratton (7) 2-0 43 1
    2 Hi-Plains (2) 2-0 33 2
    3 Eads 2-0 26 3
    4 Arickaree 2-0 13 5
    5 Fleming (1) 1-1 10 4
    Others receiving votes:
    Kit Carson 5, Deer Trail 3, Peetz 3, Otis 2, Briggsdale 1, Hanover 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • ThunderRidge rides Stanley, Westmoreland to win over Ralston Valley

    Ralston Valley junior Collin Root (9) and ThunderRidge linebacker Clay Johnson (10) both leap for a pass in the first half Saturday at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley junior Collin Root (9) and ThunderRidge linebacker Clay Johnson (10) both leap for a pass in the first half Saturday at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. (Dennis Pleuss)

    ThunderRidge’s early game of keep-away set the tone for the Grizzlies’ 36-18 victory over Ralston Valley on Friday night at the North Area Athletic Complex.

    In the football matchup between the No. 2 and No. 3 Class 5A teams in this week’s CHSAANow.com football poll, ThunderRidge ran 25 offensive plays to Ralston Valley’s three in the first quarter.

    “We just came out a little bit flat and we weren’t executing,” Ralston Valley senior quarterback Jacob Knipp said. “ThunderRidge had a good scheme. They ran the ball, took a lot of time off the clock and we couldn’t get a roll going.”

    The Grizzlies moved the ball systematically most of the night on the ground with the power running of Matt Stanley. The tailback had 31 carries for 149 yards and a touchdown.

    ThunderRidge quarterback Brody Westmoreland had a strong night on the ground with 14 carries for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The senior’s 4-yard diving effort into the end zone with 3:50 left in the fourth quarter gave the Grizzlies their biggest lead of the night at 36-12.

    Westmoreland was effective through the air, too, going 7-for-10 for 85 yards and a pair of touchdown passes.

    “I’m more satisfied with how well we played as a team,” Westmoreland said when asked if the two passing or two rushing touchdowns were more rewarding. “Our defense stepped up big time to shut Ralston Valley down and our offense came together.”

    ThunderRidge (2-0) will host Grandview (2-0) next Friday night in an attempt to keep its unblemished record intact.

    “I still think we have stuff to work on, but we are getting there,” Westmoreland said.

    Ralston Valley junior Anthony Vessa (36) hangs on to tackle ThunderRidge running back Matt Stanley during the Class 5A non-league game Saturday night at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley junior Anthony Vessa (36) hangs on to tackle ThunderRidge running back Matt Stanley during the Class 5A non-league game Saturday night at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Ralston Valley (2-1) suffered its only regular season loss to ThunderRidge last season before advancing to the 5A semifinals. The Mustangs went on a nine-game winning streak last year after the setback to the Grizzlies.

    “You’ve got to take the positives along with the negatives,” said Knipp, who finished 13-for-19 passing for 179 yards and two touchdowns. “This whole game will make us better.”

    The Mustangs’ offensive managed a pair of big plays in the fourth quarter while playing catch-up. Knipp connected with senior Kevin Meadows for touchdowns of 53 and 51 yards in the final quarter. Junior running back Andrew Wingard scored the Mustangs third touchdown while carrying the ball 16 times for 90 yards.

    “I just try to play with as much heart as I could. We gave it all we had,” Meadows said. “We’ve got some things we’ve got to work on.”

    Ralston Valley next chance to improve will come on the Western Slope when it faces Grand Junction (3-0) at 7 p.m. next Saturday at Stocker Stadium.

  • Monarch in charge of 5A girls cross country poll

    Monarch has taken over as the top-ranked team in the Colorado Track XC/CHSAANow.com girls cross country preseason rankings.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    Colorado Track XC/CHSAANow.com Girls Polls

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

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Monarch (11) 137 2
    2 Fort Collins (3) 128 1
    3 Cherry Creek 110 3
    4 Pine Creek 93 6
    5 ThunderRidge 73 4
    6 Fairview 69 5
    7 Rock Canyon 36 –
    8 Grandview 30 9
    9 Mountain Vista 24 10
    10 Fossil Ridge 23 7
    Others receiving votes:
    Arapahoe 21, Boulder 18, Legacy 7, Ralston Valley 1.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 The Classical Academy (10) 165 1
    2 Thompson Valley (8) 162 3
    3 Coronado 114 2
    4 Niwot 113 8
    5 Durango 92 –
    6 Battle Mountain 87 5
    7 Air Academy 82 4
    8 Cheyenne Mountain 52 10
    9 Broomfield 46 6
    10 Evergreen 37 7
    Others receiving votes:
    Mountain View 16, Palmer Ridge 14, Golden 10, Summit 9, Wheat Ridge 5, D’Evelyn 2, Glenwood Springs 2, Pueblo West 1.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Salida (9) 99 1
    2 Holy Family (1) 82 3
    3 Colorado Academy 78 5
    4 Kent Denver 62 8
    5 Estes Park 59 4
    6 Frontier Academy 54 2
    7 Peak to Peak 48 6
    8 Moffat County 30 7
    9 Alamosa 18 10
    10 Buena Vista 13 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Clear Creek 3, Aspen 2, Lamar 2.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Hotchkiss (9) 96 1
    2 Lyons (1) 82 2
    3 Vanguard 76 5
    4 Paonia 60 4
    5 Shining Mountain 49 –
    6 Nederland 46 6
    7 Denver Christian 36 3
    8 Sargent 21 9
    9 Resurrection Christian 20 7
    10 Rocky Ford 19 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Custer County 11, Liberty Common 11, Heritage Christian 10, Skyview Academy 6, Alexander Dawson 2, Crested Butte 2, Lutheran 2, Mancos 1, Peyton 1.

  • Top-10 tilts highlight 5A football’s Week 2 schedule

    The North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)
    The North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)

    The North Area Athletic Complex (NAAC) in Arvada will host a pair of Class 5A football heavyweight tilts in Week 2.

    Four teams — ThunderRidge, Ralston Valley, Cherry Creek and Pomona — ranked in the top six of this week’s CHSAANow.com Class 5A football poll will square off at the Jeffco School District’s football/soccer complex on Highway 93 and 64th Parkway in Arvada.

    (4) Cherry Creek (1-0) vs. (6) Pomona (1-0)
    7 p.m. Friday

    The Cherry Creek Bruins racked up 340 yards of total offense en route to a 42-6 victory in their season opener in Clovis, N.M. Junior Milo Hall led the way on the ground for Cherry Creek with 57 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. Senior Mikey McCauley had a big game with four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.

    The Pomona Panthers rallied from a 14-6 deficit through three quarters last week on the road against 4A Broomfield. The Panthers pulled out a 21-14 victory thanks to 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and Pomona’s defense shutting out Broomfield in the second half.

    Senior Chris Marquez carried much of the load with 25 carries for 188 yards on the ground. Seniors Konner Burns and Lukas Russell each found the end zone in the fourth quarter to push Pomona to victory.

    (2) ThunderRidge (1-0) vs. (3) Ralston Valley (2-0)
    7 p.m. Saturday

    The ThunderRidge Grizzlies’ home opener went as planned with a 30-7 victory over 4A Dakota Ridge. The Grizzlies advanced into the 5A semifinals of the state playoffs last season before falling to eventual champion Valor Christian.

    The Ralston Valley Mustangs had a similar ending to last season, falling to eventual state runner-up Cherokee Trail in other 5A semifinal. The Mustangs are off to a strong start with wins over Mullen and 4A Longmont.

    Senior quarterback Jacob Knipp has some impressive passing numbers so far going 38-of-44 through the air for 496 yards and four touchdowns. Junior Andrew Wingard had a monster game against Longmont last week with 18 carries for 217 yards and five touchdowns.

  • ThunderRidge, Ralston Valley both move up in football poll ahead of Saturday’s game

    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    We’ve got a No. 2 vs. No. 3 showdown on our hands this Saturday in Class 5A football.

    ThunderRidge, following an impressive showing, bumped up one spot from its preseason No. 3 ranking in this week’s CHSAANow.com football poll. And Ralston Valley, the Grizzlies’ opponent this weekend, went from seventh to third after two big wins.

    Valor Christian remained in the top spot, and garnered 22 of the 23 first-place votes. Cherry Creek stayed put at fourth, while Grandview (No. 5) and Pomona (No. 6) swapped spots.

    Columbine is seventh in the 5A ranking, and Cherokee Trail dropped from second to eighth following its loss to Chatfield.

    Regis Jesuit moved up one spot to ninth, and Fairview is the lone new team to the 5A poll, at tenth. The Knights edged Chatfield with 42 total points to the Chargers’ 38. Grandview and Arapahoe are also just on the fringe.

    The 4A ranking continued to be led by Monarch, and added Montrose (No. 5), Loveland (No. 8) and Dakota Ridge (No. 10).

    Wheat Ridge jumped up one spot to second in 4A following its win over Windsor.

    Silver Creek stayed on top of 3A, which added Palisade (No. 8), Lutheran (No. 9) and D’Evelyn (No. 10).

    Platte Valley is the only new No. 1 team among all classifications, having taken over the top spot in 2A following a win over previous No. 1 Kent Denver.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Valor Christian (22) 1-0 229 1
    2 ThunderRidge (1) 1-0 179 3
    3 Ralston Valley 2-0 166 7
    4 Cherry Creek 1-0 152 4
    5 Grandview 1-0 109 6
    6 Pomona 1-0 88 5
    7 Columbine 1-0 68 8
    8 Cherokee Trail 0-1 56 2
    9 Regis Jesuit 1-0 52 10
    10 Fairview 1-0 42 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Chatfield 38, Grand Junction 33, Arapahoe 28, Douglas County 8, Eaglecrest 5, Fountain-Ft. Carson 3, Mullen 3, Overland 3, Rocky Mountain 2, Horizon 1.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Monarch (14) 1-0 140 1
    2 Wheat Ridge 1-0 116 3
    3 Denver South 1-0 108 2
    4 Pine Creek 1-0 97 4
    5 Montrose 2-0 64 –
    6 Falcon 1-0 63 10
    7 Pueblo West 1-0 47 5
    8 Loveland 1-0 37 –
    9 Windsor 0-1 19 8
    10 Dakota Ridge 0-1 16 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Green Mountain 14, Mesa Ridge 14, Pueblo South 12, Standley Lake 7, Longmont 5, Vista Ridge 4, Rampart 3, Ponderosa 2, Broomfield 1, Montbello 1.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Silver Creek (9) 1-0 117 1
    2 Discovery Canyon (1) 2-0 80 6
    3 Rifle (2) 1-0 77 2
    4 Elizabeth 1-0 70 3
    5 Conifer 2-0 68 5
    6 Holy Family 1-0 48 9
    7 Roosevelt 1-0 45 8
    8 Palisade 1-0 37 –
    9 Lutheran 2-0 34 –
    10 D’Evelyn 2-0 27 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Coronado 14, Pueblo East 13, Northridge 9, Eagle Valley 7, Erie 6, Evergreen 4, Glenwood Springs 2, Woodland Park 2.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Platte Valley (6) 1-0 78 2
    2 Florence (2) 1-0 73 3
    3 Kent Denver 0-1 59 1
    4 Brush 1-0 56 6
    5 Eaton 1-1 44 4
    6 La Junta 1-0 37 7
    7 Faith Christian 1-1 28 8
    8 Strasburg 1-0 22 10
    9 Lamar 1-0 17 –
    10 Manitou Springs 1-0 12 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Aspen 4, Fort Lupton 4, Sterling 4, Bayfield 2.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Cedaredge (4) 1-1 82 1
    2 Limon (4) 1-0 81 3
    3 Buena Vista (1) 1-0 69 2
    4 Hotchkiss (1) 1-0 60 8
    5 Wiggins 1-0 51 7
    6 Monte Vista 1-0 44 6
    7 Centauri 1-0 37 4
    8 Holyoke 1-0 28 9
    9 Wray 0-1 22 5
    10 Rye 1-0 19 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Resurrection Christian 18, Burlington 16, Crowley County 11, Paonia 6, Yuma 4, Meeker 2.

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Hoehne (7) 1-0 70 1
    2 Dayspring Christian 1-0 61 4
    3 Akron 1-0 49 7
    4 Caliche 1-0 44 8
    5 Elbert 1-0 34 5
    6 Fowler 0-1 26 3
    7 Sargent 2-0 24 –
    8 Haxtun 1-0 21 –
    9 Simla 2-0 12 –
    10 McClave 1-0 9 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Norwood 8, Hayden 6, Kiowa 5, Sangre de Cristo 5, Granada 3, Sanford 3, Springfield 3, Dove Creek 1, Soroco 1.

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Liberty/Stratton (5) 1-0 33 5
    2 Hi-Plains (1) 1-0 27 4
    3 Eads (1) 1-0 24 2
    4 Fleming 0-1 8 1
    5 Arickaree 1-0 6 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Bethune 2, Peetz 2, Briggsdale 1, Deer Trail 1, Hanover 1.