Valor Christian is No. 1 in 5A’s preseason poll. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
As is tradition, the defending state football champions have a way of finding themselves atop the initial set of CHSAANow.com football rankings.
Of the seven teams that came away with titles in their respective classes, six will come into the 2016 season with a No. 1 ranking.
With 12 first place votes in Class 5A, Valor Christian comes in as the top dog in the states highest classification. They return MaxPrep All-American quarterback Dylan McCaffrey and emerging running back Josiah Davis on the offensive side of the ball.
Defensively, Noah Elliss leads a front seven that could rank as one of the top in the state. With balance on both sides of the ball, the Eagles will look for their seventh title in eight seasons.
State runner-up Pomona takes the No. 2 spot in the polls and are looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Valor in the 5A title game.
Mullen slides in at No. 3, while Cherry Creek and Grandview round out the top five teams.
Windsor is No. 1 in 4A. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)
In 4A, defending champion Windsor is riding high after playing its way to the fourth football title in team history. The Wizards sit atop the rankings with Pine Creek nipping closely at their heels.
The Eagles had a string of back-to-back title reigns ended last season and are looking rebound from an unexpected exit in the 4A semifinals.
With two consecutive titles in hand, Pueblo East starts the season as the top team in the 3A polls, taking seven first place votes.
The Eagles went through Fort Morgan in the 3A semifinals last year and topped Roosevelt in the title game. Those two teams follow Pueblo East in the rankings with the Roughriders sitting at No. 2 and the Mustangs coming in at No. 3.
As a newcomer to 3A, Longmont comes in at No. 4 despite receiving six first place votes.
The 2A poll starts with the most distribution among voters in the class. Bayfield comes in at No. 1 with three first place votes. Delta, a team dropping down to 2A with the new football classification cutoff numbers, received the most first place votes with five, but the Panthers come in at No. 4 to start the year.
The Classical Academy — another newcomer to 2A for this cycle — lands at No. 5.
Buena Vista is No. 1 in 1A. (Bill Cronin)
Just as they ended last season duking it out with each other, Buena Vista and Paonia battled for the top spot in the 1A polls with the Demons coming away with the top spot.
They received 12 votes for the No. 1 spot while the Panthers snagged four.
Burlington (No. 3) and Crowley County (No. 4) also received high rankings after making playoff runs last year.
Other quarterfinal teams that made the top 10 this season are Limon (No. 5) and Meeker (No. 10).
Like in the 1A polls, the 8-man state champ and runner-up come in as the top two teams this preseason. Sedgwick County and Akron take the No. 1 and No. 2 spots respectively with Sargent coming in at No. 3 and Norwood coming in at No. 4.
Overall, seven of the eight quarterfinal teams in the 8-man playoffs come into the season ranked in the top 10.
Fleming comes in as the only No. 1 team who does not have championship hardware from a year ago. The Wildcats lost in last year’s 6-man semifinals to eventual champion Eads, but come in this year as the preseason favorite to take the state title.
After coming away with the state title, Eads comes in at No. 2 despite receiving the majority of the first place votes.
State runner-up Arickaree/Woodlin comes in at No. 4.
Kit Carson (No. 3) and Pawnee (No. 5) round out the top five teams in the 6-man poll.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Chatfield 25, Pueblo South 25, Fruita Monument 20, Monarch 17, Fort Collins 10, Montrose 10, Grand Junction 5, Greeley West 5, Pueblo Centennial 4, Pueblo West 4, Rampart 4.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Pueblo East (7)
0-0
126
2
Roosevelt
0-0
100
3
Fort Morgan (1)
0-0
89
4
Longmont (6)
0-0
75
5
Discovery Canyon
0-0
71
6
Palisade
0-0
65
7
Rifle
0-0
40
8
Evergreen
0-0
37
9
Holy Family
0-0
30
10
Thompson Valley
0-0
26
Others receiving votes:
Mead 23, Durango 16, Lutheran 10, Pueblo County 9, Eagle Valley 8, Lewis-Palmer 8, Silver Creek 8, Vista Peak 8, Palmer Ridge 7, Mitchell 6, Alameda 5, Conifer 1, Pueblo Central 1, Woodland Park 1.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Bayfield (3)
0-0
104
2
Kent Denver (1)
0-0
97
3
Platte Valley (2)
0-0
90
4
Delta (5)
0-0
78
5
The Classical Academy
0-0
68
6
D’Evelyn (3)
0-0
67
7
La Junta (1)
0-0
62
8
Resurrection Christian
0-0
58
9
Sterling
0-0
47
10
Brush
0-0
38
Others receiving votes:
Eaton 33, Faith Christian 20, Bishop Machbeuf 9, Manitou Springs 8, Moffat County 8, Elizabeth 7, Cortez 6, Fort Lupton 5, Steamboat Springs 5, Arvada 4, The Academy 4, Gunnison 3, Basalt 2, Weld Central 2.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Buena Vista (12)
0-0
149
2
Paonia (4)
0-0
146
3
Burlington
0-0
83
4
Crowley County
0-0
76
5
Limon
0-0
71
6
Strasburg
0-0
52
7
Bennett
0-0
50
8
Platte Canyon
0-0
41
9
Monte Vista
0-0
35
10
Meeker
0-0
34
Others receiving votes:
Rye 33, Cedaredge 24, Centauri 24, Dolores 16, Ellicott 15, Wiggins 14, Center 8, Dolores Huerta 8, Holyoke 8, Vail Christian 8, Colorado Springs Christian 6, Olathe 6, Rocky Ford 6, Grand Valley 5, Byers 4, Highland 4, Peyton 3, Trinidad 3, Hotchkiss 2, Front Range Christian 1.
8-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Sedgwick County (8)
0-0
96
2
Akron
0-0
87
3
Sargent
0-0
80
4
Norwood (2)
0-0
73
5
Dayspring Christian
0-0
61
6
Hoehne (1)
0-0
60
7
Merino
0-0
31
8
Granada
0-0
26
9
Caliche (1)
0-0
23
10
Dove Creek
0-0
20
Others receiving votes:
West Grand 15, Sangre de Cristo 14, Holly 12, Springfield 12, Sanford 10, Las Animas 9, Mancos 9, Miami-Yoder 6, Haxtun 5, Plateau Valley 3, Del Norte 2, Hayden 2, Soroco 2, Gilpin County 1, McClave 1.
Moving into the middle of the summer, sports fans start to feel an itch and there is only one thing that will satisfy it.
Football. The season is so close, yet so far away.
Incoming freshmen can’t wait to be a part of the homecoming pep rally and go watch their teams. There’s no better feeling than when both bands are playing fight songs, and opposing student sections make their case as to why they are the best school in the state.
This year, that all changes. Different kids will force those late-game turnovers, and new legacies will be cemented on Friday nights.
Here are some of the marquee matchups across the state this season, from 6-man to 5A:
[divider]
Columbine at Palm Bay (Melbourne, Fla.), Aug. 26 (7 p.m.): The Rebels opens the season against Palm Bay High School after losing in the semifinals of last year’s playoffs. The Rebels have not won a state title since 2011, but will have a shot this season. This game will also be a test of how one of the best programs in Colorado matches up with other states.
Regis Jesuit at Mullen, Sept. 9 (7 p.m.): After last season’s 23-17 win over Mullen, Regis Jesuit looks to make it five straight wins against the Mustangs. This could very well be a playoff matchup as well, as both these programs look to return to the postseason in 2016.
Fountain-Fort Carson at Pomona, Sept. 10 (12 p.m.): After 37 years at the helm, Fountain-Fort Carson’s Mitch Johnson retired after the Trojans lost in the first round of the 2015 5A playoffs. Soon after, the Trojans hired CSU-Pueblo assistant Jake Novotny to take over. Novotny gets a shot to hand perennial power Pomona an early-season loss and keep the strong tradition of Fountain-Fort Carson football.
Windsor and Pine Creek face off in September. (Cindy Betancourt/eStudioWest.com)
Windsor at Pine Creek, Sept. 10 (1 p.m.): The 2013 and 2014 4A champion Eagles gets a shot at the 2015 champion Windsor on this Saturday matchup. These two teams could have met in the finals in 2015 before Loveland upset Pine Creek in the semis.
Pueblo Central at Pueblo Centennial, Sept. 16 (7 p.m.): The oldest football rivalry west of the Mississippi River highlights a great week of football games. Central snuck by Centennial 27-24 last year and will look to make it two in a row this year. These two teams have faced off for over a century in what is certainly one of the top rivalries in the entire state.
Broomfield at Windsor, Sept. 16 (7 p.m.): Blair Hubbard gets a marquee matchup early in his new coaching tenure with the Broomfield Eagles as they travel up north to face the defending champion Windsor High School.
Pueblo East at Discovery Canyon, Sept. 16 (7 p.m.): After defeating Discovery Canyon in the second round of the 3A playoffs last season, defending champ Pueblo East travels to Colorado Springs for a Week 3 rematch against the Thunder.
Legend at Chaparral, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.): Rivalry week. That one game in the schedule that every coach circles on the calendar regardless of where it falls in the year. For new Legend head coach Monte Thelen, this rivalry week game comes with raised stakes, as his Titans face Chaparral at Sports Authority Field.
Delta at Palisade, Sept. 22 (7 p.m.): Delta made a surprise run last season as the program hasn’t seen a championship in football since 1960. But, they’ll see a potential playoff matchup early on in the season as they face off against six-time champ Palisade (the most recent coming in 2003).
Pomona at Valor Christian, Sept. 23 (7 p.m.): The Eagles host the Panthers in a rematch of the 5A state championship game. Valor lost to Pomona in an eary-season matchup last year, but got their revenge in the championship.
Kit Carson at Cheyenne Wells, Sept. 23 (7 p.m.): Last season, Kit Carson was the No. 1 seed in the 6-man state playoffs but was upset in the semifinals. This game could be a statement game for the as they look to avenge the loss.
Buena Vista at Centauri, Sept. 23 (7 p.m.): The Demons meet the Falcons in an early season rematch of last year’s opening round playoff game. Then No. 1 seed Buena Vista defeated then No. 16 seed Centauri 48-6 en route to winning it all in 1A.
Valor Christian and Cherry Creek play in late September. (Cindy Betancourt/eStudioWest.com)
Valor Christian at Cherry Creek, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.): In 2014, the Bruins defeated the Eagles to win the 5A Championship. Last season, Valor beat Creek in the semifinals and eventually went on to win the title. This midseason matchup of powerhouse programs sets the stage for a potential playoff rematch in 2016.
Thompson Valley at Longmont, Oct. 6 (6:30 p.m.): This midseason matchup pits two playoff teams from last season. Thompson Valley lost in the first round to No. 1 seed Pine Creek, and Longmont got beat in the semis by the eventual champion Windsor. Both Longmont and Thompson Valley could make it back to the playoffs.
Bayfield at Delta, Oct. 21 (7 p.m.): Last year’s 2A champion Bayfield faces 3A semifinalist Delta in this midseason grudge match. Bayfield won its first championship since 1996 and just its second in school history last season.
Pueblo East at Pueblo Central, Nov. 4 (7 p.m.): If Pueblo East continues its run from last year, this cross-town rivalry game with the Wildcats will definitely make for a great tune-up before the playoffs start in mid-November.
Pueblo South is the new No. 1 team in 4A boys basketball. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The Pueblo South Colts are putting together a nice season. They carry their momentum into this week as they take over the No. 1 spot in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings.
Their week was highlighted with a 79-51 win over Pueblo Central on Tuesday. The Colts looked absolutely dominant and are legitimate 4A title contenders.
Former No. 1 Longmont fell to No. 3 after losing to the FNE Warriors on Saturday.
The 4A poll saw two newcomers this week as Holy Family and Rifle come in at No. 8 and No. 10 respectively.
There were very few changes in the 5A poll. Rangeview proved to be the real deal after taking a hold of the No.1 ranking last week. They topped Regis Jesuit 60-52 to prove that they are indeed worthy of the state’s top spot.
The Raiders fell one spot to No. 4 as a result of the loss.
Colorado Springs Christian School hangs on to the top overall spot in the 3A rankings as they prepare for a big Tri-Peaks League showdown with St. Mary’s on Friday. The Pirates handed the Lions their only loss last season and the Lions will be out to even the score.
Faith Christian jumped three spots to No. 6 this week and the 3A poll saw one newcomer as the Manitou Springs Mustangs come in at No. 10.
Sanford is still the No. 1 team in 2A this week after cruising to a 63-35 win over Centauri. The top five seeds from last week all maintained their position.
The bottom five spots saw some shuffling, but overall the 10 ranked teams from last week remained in this week’s poll.
Fleming takes over the top spot in the 1A after defending champion Holly and Wiley handed South Baca its first two losses of the year.
Kit Carson jumps from No. 4 to No. 2 and Holly jumped from No. 6 to No. 3.
No new teams played their way into the 1A rankings this week.
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.
Legend 8, FNE Warriors 4, Greeley West 3, Boulder 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Pueblo South (14)
11-0
158
2
2-0
2
Lewis-Palmer (1)
11-1
128
3
3-0
3
Longmont (1)
11-1
127
1
2-1
4
Valor Christian
10-1
109
4
2-0
5
Golden
8-3
97
5
2-0
6
Pueblo West
12-2
87
6
1-0
7
Denver South
9-4
50
7
2-1
8
Holy Family
8-3
23
–
2-0
9
Vista Ridge
9-4
16
10
1-1
10
Rifle
10-1
15
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Windsor 13, Conifer 10, Evergreen 9, Mead 9, Sand Creek 8, Wheat Ridge 8, Thomas Jefferson 5, Skyview 3, Thompson Valley 3, Pueblo Central 1, Vista Peak 1.
Dropped out
Mead (8), Evergreen (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Colorado Springs Christian (7)
6-3
99
1
2-1
2
DSST-Stapleton (2)
11-1
93
3
2-1
3
Lutheran (1)
8-2
81
4
1-0
4
Eaton (2)
10-1
80
5
3-0
5
DSST-Green Valley Ranch (1)
8-0
71
6
2-0
6
Faith Christian
7-4
59
9
3-0
7
Sterling
8-2
55
7
3-0
8
Colorado Academy
7-5
54
2
0-1
9
Alamosa
7-4
48
8
2-0
10
Manitou Springs
8-1
19
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Pagosa Springs 15, Grand Valley 8, Buena Vista 5, Bayfield 4, Basalt 3, Bennett 3, Manual 3, Peak to Peak 3, Strasburg 3, Arrupe Jesuit 2, James Irwin 2, Liberty Common 2, Coal Ridge 1, Kent Denver 1, SkyView Academy 1.
Rangeview is the new No. 1 team in the 5A boys basketball rankings. (Matt Minton/JacksActionShots.com)
There is a new king of the Class 5A CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings. The undefeated Rangeview Raiders assumed the top spot after beating No. 5 ThunderRidge and No. 10 Cherokee Trail in the first full week of competition since the winter break.
To get to the top spot, they also got some help from Regis Jesuit, who got coach Ken Shaw’s 700th win by upsetting Overland. The Trailblazers would drop their second game of the season later in the week as they fell to Eaglecrest, who climbs to No. 2.
Regis Jesuit climbed to No. 3 thanks to the win over the Trailblazers, but an upset loss to Fossil Ridge Saturday night likely kept them from a higher ranking this week.
Though many teams changed spots from the previous set of rankings that was released Dec. 21, there were no new teams added to the 5A poll this week.
In 4A, Longmont remains the top team, getting 15 of 21 first-place votes. The other six went to a streaking Pueblo South team that has proven to be a legitimate contender in the class.
The Colts take over the No. 2 spot after Golden dispatched Valor Christian on Friday night.
The loss also saw Lewis-Palmer rise to No. 3. The Rangers looked impressive in their route of Sand Creek on Wednesday. They then had to battle for a tight road win against Vista Ridge on Friday. Despite losing the game, the Wolves jumped into this week’s poll at No. 10.
Evergreen also broke into the 4A rankings, coming in at No. 9.
Defending 3A champion CSCS remains at No. 1 in class, despite two losses at the City of Champions Tournament at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
The Denver School of Science and Tech is becoming a major presence in the 3A poll as both the Stapleton and Green Valley Ranch campuses made significant jumps this week.
Stapleton lands at No. 3 this week while Green Valley Ranch comes in at No. 6.
The Eaton Reds also made an impressive leap, landing at No. 5, up four spots from the previous rankings.
Liberty Common is the lone newcomer in 3A, landing at No. 10.
With 8 of 10 first-place votes, Sanford remains the top team in the 2A rankings.
Paonia made the biggest jump in the 2A poll, going from No. 8 to No. 5. The only new team for 2A this week is Dayspring Christian who rounds out the poll at No. 10.
The 1A poll was the only other set of rankings to see a new team emerge at the top. Thanks to a buzzer-beater loss to Sedgwick County on Saturday, Fleming fell out of the top spot and South Baca is the new top team in the class.
Rocky Mountain Lutheran is the lone team to break into the 1A poll as the Eagles come in at No. 10 this week.
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.
Fossil Ridge 13, Greeley West 11, Legend 10, Rampart 8, Boulder 5, George Washington 4, Grandview 4, Aurora Central 3, FNE Warriors 3, Broomfield 1, Cherry Creek 1, Mountain Vista 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Longmont (15)
9-0
195
1
3-0
2
Pueblo South (6)
9-0
185
3
1-0
3
Lewis-Palmer
8-1
156
4
3-0
4
Valor Christian
8-1
144
2
1-1
5
Golden
6-3
112
6
3-0
6
Pueblo West
11-2
103
5
4-1
7
Denver South
7-3
77
9
1-0
8
Mead
7-3
31
10
2-0
9
Evergreen
8-2
28
–
2-1
10
Vista Ridge
8-3
27
–
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Conifer 20, Pueblo Central 17, Sand Creek 15, Windsor 8, Holy Family 7, Rifle 7, Wheat Ridge 6, Durango 4, Sierra 4, D’Evelyn 3, Ponderosa 3, Vista Peak 3.
Dropped out
Sand Creek (7), Pueblo Central (8).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Colorado Springs Christian (7)
4-2
123
1
1-2
2
Colorado Academy (3)
7-4
104
2
2-0
3
DSST-Stapleton (3)
9-0
103
5
3-0
4
Lutheran
7-2
91
4
1-0
5
Eaton (1)
7-1
62
9
2-0
6
DSST-Green Valley Ranch
6-0
54
10
2-0
7
Sterling
5-2
51
3
1-1
8
Alamosa
5-4
47
6
0-2
9
Faith Christian
4-4
42
7
1-0
10
Liberty Common
5-0
16
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Grand Valley 13, The Pinnacle 13, Manitou Springs 12, Pagosa Springs 12, Bennett 10, Bayfield 4, Manual 4, Strasburg 4, Peak to Peak 2, James Irwin 1, SkyView Academy 1, St. Mary’s 1.
Dropped out
The Pinnacle (8).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sanford (8)
8-0
93
1
2-0
2
Resurrection Christian (1)
8-0
88
2
1-0
3
Sedgwick County (1)
8-0
75
4
2-0
4
Ignacio
6-0
69
3
1-0
5
Paonia
7-1
50
8
1-0
6
Rye
5-2
42
6
1-0
7
Holyoke
5-2
39
7
2-1
8
Center
6-1
37
10
2-0
9
Simla
6-0
24
9
2-0
10
Dayspring Christian
7-1
11
–
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Meeker 10, Crowley County 7, Caliche 3, Evangelical Christian 1, Rocky Ford 1.
Dropped out
Meeker (5).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
South Baca (3)
7-0
70
2
1-0
2
Fleming (2)
5-2
66
1
1-1
3
Longmont Christian (2)
6-0
52
4
1-0
4
Kit Carson
7-1
51
5
2-0
5
Ouray
7-0
49
6
2-0
6
Holly
6-2
47
3
1-0
7
Sierra Grande (1)
6-1
28
8
1-0
8
Wiley
6-2
18
10
2-0
9
Arickaree/Woodlin
5-2
15
7
1-1
10
Rocky Mountain Lutheran
6-2
12
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Peetz 8, Shining Mountain 7, Cotopaxi 5, Front Range Baptist 5, Community Christian 3, Norwood 2, Mile High Academy 1, Faith Baptist 1.
Doherty boys basketball jumped into the 5A rankings this week. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)
Going into the final CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings of 2015, the top teams from last week’s polls all remained in place.
And even though the top of the rankings look similar, new teams were added in all classes, giving some squads a momentum boost as the schools head into winter break.
In Class 5A, Overland came in as a unanimous choice at No. 1 fresh off winning the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, Nev.
The top six teams from last week’s 5A poll all held their place as they are playing quality basketball heading into the break. It was Chatfield who made the biggest jump, going from No. 10 to No. 7, thanks in part to an overtime win against Palmer on Thursday.
An impressive looking Doherty team cracks the rankings this week after taking down Legend last week.
In 4A, the top teams are all playing high quality basketball. Longmont posted three impressive wins this week while Valor Christian won a nail-biter against Pueblo Central, surviving Mike Ranson’s 44-point performance.
Even with the loss, the Wildcats broke back into the rankings at No. 8.
Denver South and Mead were other two newcomers in 4A, coming in at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
Colorado Springs Christian remains at the top of the 3A poll. They didn’t see any official action last week, although they did compete at the City for Champions tournament at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
There were two new additions to the 3A rankings as The Pinnacle comes in at No. 8 and Denver School of Science and Tech – Green Valley Ranch breaks in at No. 10.
Sanford received every first-place vote this week to hold their position atop the 2A rankings.
A win and a close loss to Ignacio was good enough for the voters to make Center the lone newcomer to the 2A rankings as they grabbed the No. 10 position this week.
Like all other classes, there was not a chance at the top of the 1A rankings this week as Fleming still comes in at No. 1. Longmont Christian did make quite a splash as a newcomer. Unranked last week, the Warriors came in at No. 4, even snagging a first-place vote along the way.
Front Range Baptist also broke into the 1A poll as they jump in at No. 10.
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.
Legend 8, Dakota Ridge 4, Boulder 3, George Washington 2, Lakewood 2, Greeley West 1, FNE Warriors 1.
Dropped out
Legend (7).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Longmont (10)
6-0
143
1
3-0
2
Valor Christian (3)
7-0
133
2
2-0
3
Pueblo South (2)
8-0
120
3
3-0
4
Lewis-Palmer
5-1
94
4
0-0
5
Pueblo West
7-1
89
5
0-0
6
Golden
3-3
47
7
0-2
7
Sand Creek
5-2
45
6
2-1
8
Pueblo Central
5-5
34
–
1-1
9
Denver South
6-3
29
–
2-0
10
Mead
5-3
21
–
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Conifer 17, Evergreen 16, Thomas Jefferson 12, Vista Ridge 7, Rifle 6, Windsor 6, D’Evelyn 2, Wheat Ridge 2, Ponderosa 1, Vista Peak 1.
Dropped out
Vista Ridge (8), Thomas Jefferson (9), Conifer (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Colorado Springs Christian (8)
3-0
112
1
0-0
2
Colorado Academy (2)
5-4
92
2
2-1
3
Sterling
4-1
83
3
1-0
4
Lutheran
6-2
66
5
0-1
5
DSST-Stapleton (1)
6-0
61
7
1-0
6
Alamosa
5-2
56
6
1-0
7
Faith Christian
3-4
39
4
0-0
8
The Pinnacle
3-1
29
–
0-0
9
Eaton (1)
5-1
23
9
3-0
10
DSST-Green Valley Ranch
4-0
21
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Grand Valley 17, Bennett 13, SkyView Academy 12, Strasburg 9, Manual 7, St. Mary’s 6, Arrupe Jesuit 4, Pagosa Springs 4, James Irwin 3, Platte Valley 3.
Dropped out
Bennett (8), Grand Valley (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sanford (10)
6-0
100
1
1-0
2
Resurrection Christian
7-0
87
2
2-0
3
Ignacio
5-0
81
3
1-0
4
Sedgwick County
6-0
71
4
2-0
5
Meeker
4-0
43
5
1-0
6
Rye
4-2
41
8
3-0
7
Holyoke
3-1
29
7
1-1
8
Paonia
6-1
26
6
2-1
9
Simla
4-0
25
10
1-0
10
Center
4-1
13
–
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Highland 12, Dayspring Christian 10, Burlington 4, Crowley County 4, Haxtun 2, Merino 1, Rocky Ford 1.
Dropped out
Dayspring Christian (9).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fleming (6)
4-1
77
1
1-0
2
South Baca (1)
6-0
65
3
1-0
3
Holly
5-2
61
7
3-0
4
Longmont Christian (1)
5-0
53
–
2-0
5
Kit Carson
5-1
46
2
2-1
6
Ouray
5-0
45
4
3-0
7
Arickaree/Woodlin
4-1
29
5
2-0
8
Sierra Grande
5-1
24
6
2-0
9
Front Range Baptist
6-0
17
–
0-0
10
Wiley
4-2
12
8
2-1
Others receiving votes:
Shining Mountain 6, Community Christian 3, Dove Creek 1, Springfield 1, Faith Baptist 1.
The 2015 football players of the year. From left: Dylan Dixon of Eads; Keegan Wentz of Buena Vista; JoJo Domann of Pine Creek; Dylan McCaffrey of Valor Christian; Daniel Martin of Pueblo East; Kelton McCoy of Bayfield; Trey Walter of Sedgwick County. (Photos: Jack Eberhard/JacksActoinShots.com; Bill Cronin; Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com; Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com; Jeff Tucker; and Sedgwick County HS)
The 2015 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 coaches.
Chatfield boys basketball is ranked No. 10 this week. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Once again, there were minimal changes to the top of the CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings.
Overland, Longmont, Colorado Springs Christian School, Sanford and Fleming all maintain their positions as the No. 1 teams in their respective classes. And while new teams made their way into this week’s set of polls, it appears that taking down the top teams in every class is going to be a formidable challenge.
The Class 5A poll might’ve had the most interesting turnaround since last week. Cherokee Trail certainly got the attention of a lot of teams with their 85-81 win over Denver East. The win helped the Cougars jump from No. 10 to No. 6.
Eaglecrest and Regis Jesuit each climbed two spots and remain undefeated on the young season.
On the strength of a 4-1 start, Chatfield joins the 5A rankings, coming in at No. 10 this week.
In 4A, the top seven teams remain the same from last week, with only Pueblo West and Sand Creek changing positions. The two teams swapped spots, putting the Cyclones at No. 5 and the Scorpions at No. 6.
The largest set of newcomers to any poll took place with the 4A rankings as Vista Ridge, Thomas Jefferson and Conifer come in this week and occupy the last three spots of the top 10.
Very few changes took place in the 3A poll as there were no newcomers. Lutheran and DSST-Stapleton each jumped two spots with Lutheran landing at No. 5 and DSST-Stapleton coming in at No. 7.
Dayspring Christian jumps into the 2A poll this week at No. 10. They are the lone newcomer.
After going 3-0 last week, Meeker made a significant jump in the poll, going from No. 8 to No. 5 as they look to set themselves up as a contender. Paonia also jumped three spots from No. 9 to land at No. 6 this week.
The top nine teams of the 1A poll went unchanged, although Arickaree/Woodlin did move from No. 7 to No. 5. Norwood cracked the top 10 this week, taking the No. 10 spot.
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.
Boulder 21, Aurora Central 13, Grand Junction Central 6, Doherty 6, Mountain Vista 4, Cherry Creek 3, George Washington 2, Greeley West 2, Rampart 2, Dakota Ridge 1.
Dropped out
Arvada West (8).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Longmont (14)
3-0
183
1
2-0
2
Valor Christian (3)
5-0
161
2
3-0
3
Pueblo South (2)
5-0
152
3
1-0
4
Lewis-Palmer
5-1
121
4
2-0
5
Pueblo West
7-1
102
6
4-1
6
Sand Creek
3-1
75
5
1-1
7
Golden
3-1
68
7
1-0
8
Vista Ridge
5-0
46
–
4-0
9
Thomas Jefferson
4-2
28
–
3-0
10
Conifer
6-0
16
–
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Pueblo Central 15, Denver South 14, Windsor 12, Evergreen 10, Ponderosa 10, Mead 9, D’Evelyn 8, Mountain View 3, Air Academy 2, Centaurus 2, Holy Family 2, Rifle 2, Wheat Ridge 2, Green Mountain 1, Vista Peak 1.
Dropped out
Pueblo Central (8), Mead (9), Green Mountain (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Colorado Springs Christian (10)
3-0
125
1
1-0
2
Colorado Academy (2)
3-3
94
2
2-1
3
Sterling
3-1
86
4
1-1
4
Faith Christian
3-4
77
3
2-2
5
Lutheran
6-1
67
7
3-0
6
Alamosa
4-2
56
6
2-1
7
DSST-Stapleton (1)
5-0
55
9
2-0
8
Bennett
4-1
34
5
1-1
9
Eaton
2-1
21
10
1-1
10
Grand Valley
3-1
21
8
1-1
Others receiving votes:
The Pinnacle 17, St. Mary’s 16, DSST-Green Valley Ranch 13, Manual 6, Platte Valley 6, SkyView Academy 5, Buena Vista 3, Peak to Peak 3, James Irwin 2, Kent Denver 2, Pagosa Springs 2, Strasburg 2, Jefferson Academy 1, Manitou Springs 1.
Dropped out
.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sanford (10)
5-0
100
1
3-0
2
Resurrection Christian
5-0
87
3
2-0
3
Ignacio
4-0
71
2
1-0
4
Sedgwick County
4-0
62
5
2-0
5
Meeker
3-0
48
8
3-0
6
Paonia
4-0
39
9
2-0
7
Holyoke
2-0
34
4
1-0
8
Rye
1-2
26
6
0-1
9
Dayspring Christian
4-0
24
–
1-0
10
Simla
3-0
20
10
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Center 14, Highland 9, Crowley County 5, Burlington 4, Akron 3, Rocky Ford 2, Soroco 2.
Dropped out
Burlington (7).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fleming (8)
3-1
80
1
2-0
2
Kit Carson
3-0
70
2
2-0
3
South Baca
5-0
64
4
3-0
4
Ouray
2-0
50
5
1-0
5
Arickaree/Woodlin
2-1
36
7
1-0
6
Sierra Grande
3-1
35
6
1-0
7
Holly
2-2
30
3
1-2
8
Wiley
2-1
26
8
1-1
9
Shining Mountain
2-1
25
9
1-0
10
Norwood
3-1
8
–
3-1
Others receiving votes:
Longmont Christian 5, Otis 4, Springfield 2, Creede/Lake City 1, Dove Creek 1, Eads 1, Heritage Christian 1, Walsh 1.
Arvada West is No. 8 in the 5A boys basketball rankings this week. (Dennis Pleuss)
The No. 1-ranked teams in this week’s CHSAANow.com basketball polls held steady, but a flurry of new teams were added.
With play beginning last week and most teams in action it was only a matter of time before the look and feel of the polls started shifting, specifically in the higher classes. But the top teams of Overland (5A), Longmont (4A), Colorado Springs Christian (3A), Sanford (2A) and Fleming (1A) all held on to the top spots in their respective divisions.
The Class 5A poll saw the addition of two new teams in Arvada West at No. 8 and Rock Canyon at No. 9. The Wildcats started the season on a tear, taking down Smoky Hill, Northglenn and Mountain Range.
Rock Canyon overcame a season-opening loss to Eaglecrest and rattled off three straight wins of their own, good enough to crack this week’s poll.
In 4A, Valor Christian showed they can pose a threat to Longmont as the top seed in the class as they ran out defending champion Air Academy. But the most impressive jump this week came from Pueblo South, which jumped from No. 10 to No. 3 on the strength of a 63-59 win over Lewis-Palmer.
The Rangers only fell one slot thanks to a one-point win over Pueblo Central, which still looks like a good team despite the loss of Kobi Betts for the season.
Mead and Green Mountain are this week’s 4A newcomers, coming in at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
It was the 3A poll that look the most different from the preseason rankings. They added four new teams, a staggering number for any week. Bennett, Grand Valley, DSST-Stapleton and Eaton all jump into the top 10 this week.
It was Bennett who made the biggest impact, breaking at No. 5. They topped Lutheran (who jumped one spot this week to No. 7) 49-47 Friday. Grand Valley, DSST-Stapleton and Eaton came in at 8, 9 and 10.
No new teams were added to this week’s 2A rankings, but there was some shuffling that took place.
Rye fell two slots to No. 6 after a 61-57 loss to Alamosa and Sedgwick County jumped three spots from No. 8 to No. 5.
Three new teams jumped into 1A’s top 10 as Sierra Grande (No. 6), Wiley (No. 8) and Shining Mountain (No. 9) all jump into the basketball rankings for the first time this year.
Fleming was the only top seed to actually lose this week as they fell to Holyoke 68-65. Even with the loss, they held on to the top spot in this week’s rankings. Holyoke is ranked No. 4 in 2A.
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.
Chatfield 14, Boulder 9, Dakota Ridge 9, Abraham Lincoln 6, George Washington 5, Cherry Creek 4, Fort Collins 3, Mountain Vista 3, Rampart 3, Doherty 2, Aurora Central 1, Fossil Ridge 1, FNE Warriors 1.
Dropped out
George Washington (4), Dakota Ridge (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Longmont (16)
1-0
194
1
1-0
2
Valor Christian (2)
2-0
171
2
2-0
3
Pueblo South (2)
4-0
141
10
4-0
4
Lewis-Palmer
3-1
122
3
3-1
5
Sand Creek
2-0
115
6
2-0
6
Pueblo West
3-0
94
9
3-0
7
Golden
2-1
73
5
2-1
8
Pueblo Central
1-3
31
4
1-3
9
Mead
1-1
26
–
1-1
10
Green Mountain
2-0
19
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
D’Evelyn 16, Holy Family 16, Denver South 14, Windsor 14, Conifer 11, Air Academy 9, Thomas Jefferson 7, Vista Ridge 7, Evergreen 5, Mesa Ridge 3, Mountain View 3, Ponderosa 3, Sierra 2, Centaurus 1, Delta 1, Falcon 1, Rifle 1.
Dropped out
Air Academy (7), Denver South (8).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Colorado Springs Christian (8)
2-0
130
1
2-0
2
Colorado Academy (4)
1-2
104
2
1-2
3
Faith Christian (2)
1-2
98
3
1-2
4
Sterling
2-0
97
4
2-0
5
Bennett
3-0
53
–
3-0
6
Alamosa
2-1
52
5
2-1
7
Lutheran
3-1
49
8
3-1
8
Grand Valley
2-0
29
–
2-0
9
DSST-Stapleton
3-0
26
–
3-0
10
Eaton
1-0
23
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
St. Mary’s 20, Monte Vista 15, Jefferson Academy 11, Kent Denver 9, Liberty Common 8, Platte Valley 8, Manitou Springs 7, Bayfield 6, Moffat County 6, Sky View Academy 6, The Pinnacle 5, Buena Vista 3, Pagosa Springs 2, Ridgeview Academy 2, KIPP Collegiate 1.
Dropped out
Kent Denver (6), Jefferson Academy (7), St. Mary’s (9), Brush (10).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sanford (10)
2-0
100
1
2-0
2
Ignacio
3-0
83
3
3-0
3
Resurrection Christian
3-0
79
2
3-0
4
Holyoke
1-0
56
5
1-0
5
Sedgwick County
2-0
51
8
2-0
6
Rye
1-1
49
4
1-1
7
Burlington
1-0
39
6
1-0
8
Meeker
0-0
33
7
0-0
9
Paonia
2-0
24
10
2-0
10
Simla
2-0
17
9
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Dayspring Christian 14, Akron 4, Rocky Ford 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fleming (5)
1-1
75
1
1-1
2
Kit Carson (2)
1-0
67
4
1-0
3
Holly (1)
1-0
64
2
1-0
4
South Baca
2-0
53
5
2-0
5
Ouray
1-0
40
6
1-0
6
Sierra Grande
2-1
35
–
2-1
7
Arickaree/Woodlin
1-1
28
7
1-1
8
Wiley
1-0
24
–
1-0
9
Shining Mountain
1-1
16
–
1-1
10
Heritage Christian
1-1
11
9
1-1
Others receiving votes:
Jim Elliot 9, Sangre De Cristo 6, Longmont Christian 4, Primero 3, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 3, Community Christian 1, Norwood 1.
Dropped out
Sangre De Cristo (3), Norwood (8), Jim Elliot (10).
CSCS players get instructions from coach Mark Engesser (right) during practice. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Springs Christian School basketball coach Mark Engesser hates losing. Can’t stand it. His desire to win coupled with his players’ hard work and motivation helped the Lions come away with the Class 3A state championship last March.
And oh boy, do they want to get back to the top of that mountain.
It helps that the Lions are returning two all-state players in forward Sam Howard and guard Justin Engesser. It also helps that those two guys were also two of the primary catalysts of last year’s title team. This year, they take the court with not only the hope of winning another championship, but with the pressure of trying to repeat.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say pressure,” Howard said. “We always want to do our best and no matter what people expect of us, we want to do what we think we can do. We’re just going to focus on playing our best and staying humble and whatever happens, we’re okay with.”
Staying humble may be the key. In the first month and a half of last season, the Lions were barely tested. It looked like they were going to cruise through their regular season schedule without a blemish.
But then something unexpected happened. On Jan. 23, the Lions hosted Tri-Peaks rival St. Mary’s and things did not go as planned. The Pirates kept the game close and were able to come away with a 51-49 win, ending CSCS’s chance at a perfect season.
“Nobody wants to lose,” Justin Engesser said. “If we learn from that, I guess, mistake; it’s better that we learn it early in the season rather than in the state tournament.”
That loss to St. Mary’s set the tone for the remainder of the season. It was a great reminder that nothing is given and for the Lions to reach the level that they wanted, they would have to continue to get better through the course of the season.
Sam Howard (33) and Justin Engesser watch as Howard’s shot falls during practice. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
“When you’re winning all of your games, (Coach Engesser) has no reason to yell at us,” Howard said. “When you lose, it really gets your attention. There’s a lot of stuff you can work on. We looked at the film of that game and that’s what really carried us. We saw where we were weak.”
And they improved those weaknesses.
Like in any classification, there’s no ease to getting through a state tournament. Schools such as Jefferson Academy, Colorado Academy and Kent Denver routinely play for state titles. There are also programs like Faith Christian that have the ability to rattle off multiple state championships in a row.
“I thought we played harder than some of those teams,” Coach Engesser said. “We were diving on the floor, taking charges, playing harder. If you play hard on every single possession, good things will happen.”
And they did happen. When it was all said and done, the Lions came away as champions. Now as CSCS comes into the 2015-16 season with the expectations of winning another title, it’s also feeling a little bit of that pressure to defend that title.
But which comes more into play, the pressure or the expectation?
“I think the expectation,” Coach Engesser said. “It was a great moment for those guys and they want to experience that again. Expecting that moment… I guess it puts pressure on you too. I’ll say both. Pressure and expectation.”
Video courtesy of Quentin Sickafoose/The Coloradoan
(3) Windsor 20, (11) Palmer Ridge 14 (OT)
For much of the afternoon, Palmer Ridge looked like it might pull off the upset. But Windsor quarterback Brad Peeples had a 52-yard run in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
“After last year’s second-round loss, I told the boys, ‘The sun will come up tomorrow,’” Windsor coach Chris Jones told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show after the game. “And today’s speech was, ‘The sun came up. It’s tomorrow. It’s our moment.’ They just had faith that they were going to get it done no matter what.”
After Shields scored, “It was a great moment of euphoria for all of our fans, our players, our coaches,” Jones said.
Palmer Ridge led 14-7 at halftime, and it stayed that way until Peeples’ touchdown.
“We had a lot of ups and downs to overcome early in the game and in the third quarter,” Jones said. “It was a very gut-wrenching game there at the end there.”
The Wizards get a rematch with Longmont. The two teams played a tight defensive battle during the regular season, which ended in a Hail Mary score to give Longmont a win.
Longmont beat Denver South. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
Longmont’s Conlan Berger rushed for two touchdowns and also had a receiving score, while Eli Sullivan returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and also added a four-yard rushing score.
In addition, Ethan Gabrielle had a rushing TD, and David Speidel threw a touchdown.
Pine Creek cruised to its 37th-straight win, this one coming after yet another fast start. It was 36-0 at halftime.
Brock Domann passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, while his brother JoJo had a rushing TD, and was on the receiving end of one of the passing score.
Joey Long scores two rushing touchdowns, and Kacin Nowlin had a receiving touchdown.
“We just didn’t give up the big plays,” Fort Morgan coach Harrison Chisum told the Scoreboard Show. “We were able to be aggressive yet disciplined on their counters. A lot of the end-arounds, we were able to set the edge.”
The Mustangs will play at defending champion Pueblo East in the semifinals.
Roosevelt advanced to the semifinals. More photos. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
(2) Roosevelt 42, (7) Evergreen 19
Roosevelt built a big lead early in cruising to the semifinals. The Roughriders led 14-0 after the first quarter and 28-6 at half. It was 42-6 after three.
Carlos Ortega had two rushing touchdowns, and a receiving score for Roosevelt. Cameron Hurtado added two passing touchdowns, and also rushed for one.
“Our guys showed up to play today, and I think the scoreboard shows it,” Roosevely coach Noland Eastin told the Scoreboard Show. “It doesn’t get any easier, but it’s a good way to end a good week of practice.”
Roosevelt will face Delta in the semifinals at home.
The game was a rematch of a regular season game, also won by Pueblo East.
Pueblo East will be home in the semifinals.
(3) Delta 27, (6) The Classical Academy 14
Delta trailed 14-13 at halftime, but rallied to secure a spot in the semifinals.
Kole Roberts gave his team the lead for good with a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and then the quarterback found Tristan Brown for an insurance score in the fourth quarter.
“We knew that it was going to be a battle. It was 13-7 at the half. So we knew they were a tough team, that we just had to put our hats on,” coach Gary Heide told the Scoreboard Show.
Of the second half, Heide said, “We came out on defense, played well … and then we drove the ball down and scored. … When we scored, I knew that we were here to play the second half.”
Kelton McCoy threw four touchdowns and rushed for two more in leading Bayfield to the win. Brody McGhehey was on the receiving end of two of those scores.
Wyatt Freier and Taed Heydinger each had a receiving touchdown, while Zane Phelps scored on the ground.
Bayfield was last in a championship game in 2011, when it lost to Florence.
(3) Platte Valley 29, (2) Kent Denver 23
Platte Valley, down 17-0 in the second quarter and 23-7 at halftime, had a furious rally to reach the title game.
The Eagles rallied late to earn a chance at defending their championship yet again.
Paonia, which is a two-time defending champion, got a touchdown from Jeremiah Hillman with 3:06 to play, then got a late interception to seal the win.
“It was third down, and we just ran a little off-tackle play, and Jeremiah Hillman just buried it in,” Paonia coach Brent McRae told the Scoreboard Show.
The win sets up a rematch with Buena Vista for the 1A title. The championship game will be in Buena Vista.
“We’re pretty familiar with each other in the postseason,” McRae said. “It’s going to be very interesting, a very competitive ballgame.”
(1) Buena Vista 42, (5) Crowley County 0
The top seed rolled into the championship game, which it will host next weekend.
“The score doesn’t do the game justice. It was a pretty hard-fought battle. It was 14-0 at half,” Buena Vista coach Matt Flavin told the Scoreboard Show. “But we got the win, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
Keenan Barr had two rushing touchdowns and a defensive score, and Keegan Wentz also scored twice on the ground.
Of the rematch with Paonia, Flavin said, “Those guys, the last few years, have just been the dominant team. … I hope we can rise to that occasion.”
(1) Sedgwick County 50, (4) Sargent 8
The Cougars led 20-0 after the first quarter and 42-0 at halftime in rolling to the championship game.
“We got a couple of quick scores, and that always helps,” Sedgwick County coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show.
This marks the first appearance in a title game for the Sedgwick County football co-op, which is comprised of Julesburg and Revere. Julesburg has won four titles in school history, and Revere has won nine. That program was last in a title game in 2004, when it lost to Hi-Plains for the 6-man championship.
“The boys are excited, the community is excited,” Michel said. “It should be a fun week.”
The championship against Akron will be a rematch of a 22-3 Sedgwick County win on Oct. 30.
“They say it’s always hard to beat a good team twice, and Akron’s a very good program,” Michel said. “They’ve got a good defense. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
(3) Akron 16, (2) Norwood 0
Akron’s defense pitched a shutout as the Rams advanced to a title game for the first time since 2009. That was the last appearance in a stretch of five-straight for the program.
“Our kids just showed up to play today and did a really good job,” Akron coach Jerome Weers told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids definitely have a very good defensive mindset, and they like playing it. They’re going to have to play good next week against SedgCo.”
