LAKEWOOD — Grand Junction Central fought off a Falcon comeback attempt in the fourth quarter and came away with a 57-54 win on Thursday.
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Tag: Falcon
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Photos: Lincoln boys basketball races past Falcon in season-opener
DENVER — Lincoln boys basketball opened its season with an 89-67 win over Falcon on Wednesday.
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Photos: No. 5 Harrison football shuts out Falcon
COLORADO SPRINGS — No. 5 Harrison is now 6-0 in Class 3A after beating Falcon 42-0 on Saturday.
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All-state baseball teams for the 2018 season
The 2018 all-state baseball teams honor the best players in the sport as judged by the leagues and coaches. They are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches.
Player and coach of the year was also selected by a vote of the coaches.
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Class 5A
Mountain Vista’s Sam Ireland. (Tim Bourke/MaxPreps) Player of the year: Sam Ireland, Mountain Vista
Coach of the year: Ron Quintana, Mountain Vista
First Team Name School Pos. Year Brayden Brooks Mountain Range Senior Garrett Declue Arapahoe LHP/CF Senior Riley Egloff Heritage RHP/3B Senior Sam Ireland Mountain Vista RHP/3B/1B Junior Niklavs Levensteins Ralston Valley 3B/2B Senior Jack Liffrig Mountain Vista LHP Senior Justin Olson Pine Creek 1B/LHP Senior Tanner O’Tremba Cherry Creek Zach Paschke Mountain Vista INF Senior Second Team Name School Pos. Year Justin Boyd Legend SS/CF Junior Matthew Boyd Regis Jesuit Senior Riley Cornelio Pine Creek SS/RHP Junior Brandon Dryer Arapahoe LF/RHP/2B Senior Hayden Heinze Rocky Mountain OF Senior AJ Jergensen Ralston Valley OF Junior Arian Jimenez-Quezada Heritage SS/3B/RHP Senior Kasey Koppelmaa Chatfield LHP/OF Senior Andrew Morris Monarch 2B/P Senior Josh Thompson Highlands Ranch P Senior Honorable mention:
- Luke Bailey, Chaparral, OF, Senior
- Jake Barber, Cherokee Trail, Senior
- Simon Baumgardt, Lakewood, P/SS, Junior
- Tyler Boggs, Fruita Monument, C, Senior
- Alex Champagne, Heritage, SS/2B, Freshman
- Colten Chase, Cherokee Trail, Senior
- Dorsey Chatham, Boulder,
- Pete Chronowski, Heritage, LHP/1B, Junior
- Benjamin Derosiers, Castle View, LHP/1B/CF, Senior
- Ozzie Dominguez, Aurora Central, P/1B, Senior
- John Emerson, Denver East, Junior
- Tanner Garner, Broomfield, Senior
- Zach Goodman, Arapahoe, C/OF/UTIL, Senior
- Jake Greiving, Legend, C/OF/3B, Junior
- Zach Harstad, Loveland, 1B/LHP/OF, Junior
- Calvin Hunt, Ralston Valley, RHP, Junior
- Jenner Kehe, Lakewood, P/OF/SS, Sophomore
- Cam Kennedy, Smoky Hill, CF/3B/2B, Junior
- Reese Lansville, ThunderRidge, RHP/INF, Senior
- Cale Lansville, ThunderRidge, RHP/INF, Freshman
- Grant Magill, Mountain Vista, C, Junior
- Jayden Martinez, Grandview, OF/DH, Junior
- Nick Merone, Rock Canyon,
- Trey Morrill, Fruita Monument, P/OF, Senior
- Cade Nelson, Rocky Mountain, INF/P, Junior
- Drew Norsen, Fort Collins, OF/LHP, Sophomore
- Jay Onken, Pine Creek, OF/RHP, Senior
- Ryan Overboe, Legacy, LHP/1B/RF, Senior
- Quentin Parr, Cherry Creek,
- Mike Polson, Mountain Range, Senior
- Henry Rock, Fairview, Junior
- Tyler Schultz, Cherry Creek,
- Frankie Shearn, Columbine, OF, Senior
- Ross Smith, Legacy, RHP/RF, Senior
- Drew Stahl, Mountain Vista, INF, Junior
- Ryan Stohr, Dakota Ridge, RHP/1B, Junior
- Zach Sulyma, Eaglecrest, 3B/C, Senior
- David Velasquez, Brighton, SS/P/3B, Senior
- Wyatt Wendell, Rock Canyon,
- Reggie Williams, Douglas County, Senior
- Kevin Zapanta, Overland, 2B/1B/RHP, Senior
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Class 4A
Valor Christian’s Josh Danyliw. (Paul DiSalvo/MaxPreps) Player of the year: Josh Danyliw, Valor Christian
Coach of the year: Dan Sanchez, Pueblo West
First Team Name School Pos. Year Ryan Barber Valor Christian RF Senior Brady Carstens Mead P/INF Senior Josh Danyliw Valor Christian P Senior Tyler Declusin Pueblo West 2B/RHP Junior Jack Denker Cheyenne Mountain OF Senior Michael Ellis Cheyenne Mountain 1B/RHP Sophomore Trey McBride Fort Morgan OF/C Senior Jack McLaughlin Golden SS/RHP Senior Zach Thomas Pueblo West C/RHP Senior Harris Williams Denver North OF Senior Second Team Name School Pos. Year Lincoln Andrews Canon City INF/P Junior Nick Bowermaster Thomas Jefferson SS/RHP Junior Jayden Cordova Pueblo West OF Junior Edwing Corrales Kennedy P/SS Senior Darrian Escobar-Winter Falcon INF/RHP Senior Ryan Jares Windsor RHP/UTIL Senior Owen Lockner Windsor RHP/3B Junior Garrett Martin Standley Lake P/SS Senior Zechariah Reid Valor Christian RHP/CF/RF Senior Honorable mention:
- Donavin Ada, Pueblo East, SS/RHP, Senior
- Connor Balliet, Berthoud, Senior
- Braden Barker, Mountain View, P/C, Senior
- Noah Befus, Longmont, OF/P, Senior
- Reece Bishop, Mesa Ridge, SS/P/INF, Sophomore
- Tyler Boyd, Glenwood Springs, Senior
- Nick Caswell, Littleton, Senior
- Brady Choban, Lewis-Palmer, 1B/P, Senior
- Chance Eben, Northridge, RHP/LF, Senior
- Avery Fulford, Conifer, Junior
- Ty Garcia, Pueblo West, LHP, Senior
- Gabe Halaby, Palmer Ridge, CF/RHP, Senior
- JP Hamer, Fort Morgan, Junior
- Zac Hanenberg, Canon City, INF/P, Senior
- Brennan Heitz, Widefield, P/1B/OF, Senior
- Kyle Jameson, Pueblo West, SS, Junior
- Rafe Kinder, Valor Christian, 1B/C/DH, Junior
- Daevion Kinnard, Mesa Ridge, CF/P/UTIL, Senior
- Collin Kringlen, Holy Family, 1B/RHP, Junior
- Noah Lasecki, The Classical Academy, 1B/P, Junior
- Cesar Loma, Greeley Central, 3B/RHP/C, Junior
- Austin Martindale, Pueblo South,
- Turner McDonald, Summit, SS/RHP, Senior
- Hunter Miller, Pueblo County, 3B/P, Senior
- Adam Muniz, Pueblo Central, 3B/SS/2B, Junior
- Ben Muscatello, Evergreen, Senior
- Corey Musch, Skyview, CF/LF, Junior
- Brandin Obrecht, Roosevelt, P/UTIL, Senior
- John Ochoa, D’Evelyn, 1B/P/OF, Senior
- Connery O’Donnell, Roosevelt, P/OF, Senior
- Jack Patterson, Evergreen, Senior
- Braden Peninger, Windsor, SS, Senior
- Jayson Peterson, Arvada, OF/P, Senior
- Brady Renck, Longmont, 2B/SS/P, Junior
- Mark Reyes, Discovery Canyon, C/OF, Senior
- Spencer Rich, Silver Creek, INF, Junior
- Josue Rivera, Denver North, 1B/3B/RHP, Junior
- Carlos Rosales, Alameda, P/3B/1B, Senior
- Weston Siefken, Holy Family, 2B/SS/RHP, Junior
- Zach Slaughter, Pueblo Centennial, RHP/OF, Junior
- Colin Steinke, Elizabeth, INF/P, Senior
- Anthony Tate, Wheat Ridge, CF, Junior
- Logan Thorton, Windsor, P, Junior
- Brett Wagner, Palisade, Senior
- Joseph Wasick, Vista Peak Prep, RHP/OF, Junior
- Zach Watts, Windsor, 1B/RHP, Senior
- Cameron Wolfe, Battle Mountain, C/INF/OF, Junior
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Class 3A
University’s Grayson Swanson. (Geoffrey Sager/MaxPreps) Player of the year: Grayson Swanson, University
Coach of the year: Casey Miller, University
First Team Name School Pos. Year Matt Bagnato Peak to Peak 2B/SS Senior Jaspar Carmichael Delta SS/P Senior Dalton Chandler Lamar RHP/1B Senior Levi Dart University INF/P Senior Tyler Mattingley Faith Christian RHP/OF Senior Jose Mercado Valley Senior Grayson Swanson University OF/P Senior Jared Ure Eaton INF/P Junior Noah VanSickle Kent Denver P/INF Senior Second Team Name School Pos. Year Colton Eberhardt Lamar RHP/C/3B Senior Zeke Hass Eaton OF Senior Davin Jacobs Lamar OF/RHP Senior Kalob Padilla University INF/P Junior Jake Sandau Eaton OF/P Senior Colin Stone Faith Christian C Senior Chance Strand Alamosa RHP/OF Senior Lee Strang University UTIL Senior Lucas Watson Lamar SS Senior Honorable mention:
- Chase Allen, Colorado Academy, Sophomore
- Caden Alonzo, Alamosa, 1B/RHP, Junior
- Andrew Broadhrst, Roaring Fork, INF/P, Senior
- Macklin Brockmeyer, Faith Christian, INF/RHP, Junior
- Stephen Clutter, Monte Vista, OF/P, Senior
- Colin Cole, Brush, C/C, Senior
- Tristen Crowther, Centauri, 3B/P, Junior
- Travis Cunningham, Eaton, P/OF, Senior
- Damon Elarton, Rye,
- Tyler Eldred, Lutheran, Senior
- Jasen Engel, Montezuma-Cortez, SS/P, Senior
- Jamison Fuentes, Aspen, P/CF/1B, Senior
- Michael Gettman, Bayfield, OF/P, Senior
- Andres Guevara, Lamar, C/OF, Senior
- Matt Haines, St. Mary’s, 1B, Senior
- Bodie Hume, Sterling, Senior
- Justin Kahn, DSST: Stapleton, 1B/RHP/C, Junior
- Ben Kuhnel, Middle Park, 1B/LHP, Junior
- Keaton Laverty, Pagosa Springs, 1B/SS/RHP, Senior
- Joe Machado, Bishop Machebeuf, 2B/RHP, Senior
- Caleb Madrid, Sheridan, 1B/P/OF, Junior
- Joe Medina, University, INF, Junior
- Chase Meyers, Cedaredge, 1B, Senior
- Wyatt Morris, Platte Canyon, RHP/C/SS, Senior
- Elijah Pacheco, Jefferson, UTIL, Sophomore
- Garrett Potter, DSST: Stapleton, RHP/RF/1B, Senior
- Sam Richards, Colorado Academy, Senior
- Ernesto Rios, Platte Valley, INF/RHP/OF, Junior
- Cole Roosma, Platte Canyon, Senior
- Brian Shawcroft, Centauri, SS/2B, Senior
- Hayden Siebers, Resurrection Christian, P/1B, Senior
- Juan Sigala, Jefferson, UTIL, Senior
- Cutter Smith, Bennett, P/SS/3B, Junior
- Carson Spence, Strasburg, OF/C, Senior
- Sam Tameler, Salida, Senior
- Jake Thiret, Prospect Ridge Academy, RHP/OF/1B, Junior
- Cole Thompson, The Academy, P/OF, Senior
- Raul Torres, Basalt,
- Noa Vogel, Lutheran, Senior
- Jordan Yates, Buena Vista, 1B/P, Senior
- John Zamora, The Academy, INF/P, Junior
- Tyler Zimmerman, Alamosa, 2B/RHP, Senior
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Class 2A
Paonia’s Kayden Seriani. (Jeffery Tucker/MaxPreps) Player of the year: Kayden Seriani, Paonia
Coach of the year: Nate Miller, Paonia
First Team Name School Pos. Year Cannan Bennett Limon P/C/SS Junior Chandon Dunker Sedgwick County RHP/3B/1B Senior Jimmy Fargo Dayspring Christian Academy P/C/CF Senior Greg Garcia Rocky Ford 1B/P Senior Jonathan Gonzalez Hotchkiss P/INF Senior Rodney Gregg Peyton P/1B/OF Junior Jaden Miller Paonia Senior Anders Schopp Paonia Senior Kayden Seriani Paonia Senior Second Team Name School Pos. Year Josh Lang Front Range Christian OF Sophomore Drew Lloyd Front Range Christian P/C/INF Junior Jaeden Meyers Peyton P/INF/C Junior Seth Mondragon Dayspring Christian Academy Carlos Parra Del Norte Presley Pene Hotchkiss OF/P Junior Slater Podgorny Paonia Senior Trey Redner Swink OF/P Senior Rupert Shaw Peyton P/INF/C Junior Braden Witzel Burlington Junior Honorable mention:
- Paul Brophy, Yuma, 1B/P, Junior
- Drew Coffin, Haxtun, Junior
- Cael Croissant, Wiggins, SS/2B/P, Senior
- Ryan Davis, Sargent, P/SS, Senior
- Brennan Ehmke, Sedgwick County, RHP/SS/3B, Senior
- Chase Fulkerson, Dawson School, SS/P, Senior
- Eddie Glaser, Calhan, SS/P, Junior
- Adan Guerrero, Dolores Huerta Prep, Senior
- Joe Hayes, Calhan, C/3B, Junior
- Chase Hiatt, Hotchkiss, C, Senior
- Hauk Hubbard, Limon, P/SS/3B, Junior
- Logan Hughes, Meeker, Senior
- Eli Kirk, Hotchkiss, OF/P, Senior
- Guy Larsen, Sanford, LF/P, Senior
- Justin Lear, Lyons, CF/P, Senior
- Tyler Lewis, Swink, C, Junior
- Will Lorenz, Gilpin County, SS/C/RHP, Junior
- Cade McKinley, Sedgwick County, OF/P, Senior
- Santino Mendoza, Rocky Ford, P/OF/INF, Sophomore
- Trevor Milne, Sargent, P/1B, Senior
- Patrick Mortensen, Center,
- Grey Neal, Paonia, Sophomore
- Daniel Perry, Evangelical Christian, LHP/1B, Junior
- Zachary Perry, Evangelical Christian, C, Senior
- TJ Peter, South Park, UTIL/RHP, Junior
- Chase Powell, Merino, Senior
- Ricardo Ramirez, Highland, SS/RHP/UTIL, Senior
- AJ Strobel, Peyton, P/C/OF, Junior
- Addison Weathers, Yuma, SS, Senior
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Class 1A
Caliche’s Brayden Nichols. (Lance Wendt/LanceWendt.com) Player of the year: Brayden Nichols, Caliche
Coach of the year: JP Lambrecht, Caliche
First Team Name School Pos. Year Jonah Cox Cornerstone Christian Academy SS Sophomore Nick Crum Holly 2B/OF/RHP Senior Will Gabriel Nucla Junior Cullen Glosson Otis P/SS Junior Jose Magallanes Holly C/SS/RHP Freshman Edgar Newman Cheyenne Wells Senior Brayden Nichols Caliche Senior Dominic Puchino Longmont Christian P/1B/OF Sophomore Nate Roach Cornerstone Christian Academy C/RHP/1B Senior Logan Sircy Peetz Senior Honorable mention:
- Brock Briscoe, Caliche, Senior
- Derick Carroll, Manzanola, P/INF, Senior
- Cord Colson, Nucla, Senior
- Beau Dukes, Springfield, Junior
- Mike Foster, Caliche, Senior
- Chance Gulliford, Cotopaxi, P/3B, Sophomore
- Zach Haase, Eads, Senior
- Zach Holtz, Peetz, Junior
- Devon Jara, Granada, P/C, Junior
- Patrick Jones, Springfield, Junior
- Asher Kark, Denver Jewish Day, C/SS, Junior
- Willard Kennedy, Holly, 1B/DH/INF, Junior
- Kyle Klann, Stratton/Liberty, Junior
- Devin Littlefield, Prairie, SS/P/UTIL, Junior
- Bryce Miracle, Otis, P/SS/C, Junior
- Frank Ogden, Cotopaxi, C/OF/P, Sophomore
- Brigden Parker, Eads, Freshman
- Ethan Richmond, Stratton/Liberty, Junior
- Blake Roelle, Peetz, Junior
- Devin Ruybal, Antonito, Senior
- Cade Walker, Cornerstone Christian Academy, 1B/2B/RHP, Junior
- Brandon Williams, Fleming, INF/RHP/C, Sophomore
- Blake Williams, Manzanola, P/3B/SS, Freshman
- Tyler Wytulka, Nucla, Freshman
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Five former Colorado high school football players selected in the NFL Draft
(Matt McGee/Flickr) Kalen Ballage, Daniel Carlson, JK Scott, Sam Jones and Jacob Martin — five former Colorado high school football players — were all selected in the NFL Draft on Saturday.
It is the first time since 2006 that five Colorado products have been selected in the same draft.
Ballage, a 2014 graduate of Falcon High School, was selected in the fourth round by the Miami Dolphins.
Carlson, a 2013 graduate of The Classical Academy, went in the fifth round to the Minnesota Vikings.
Scott, who graduated from Mullen in 2014, was also drafted in the fifth round, going to the Green Bay Packers.
Jones, a ThunderRidge alum from 2013, went in the sixth round to the Denver Broncos.
Martin graduated from Cherokee Trail in 2014. He was also drafted in the sixth round, selected by the Seattle Seahawks.
Ballage, Carlson, Jones and Martin are the first players from their respective high schools to ever be selected in the NFL Draft. Scott is the fifth former Mullen Mustang to be drafted.
Ballage, a senior running back out of Arizona State, went to the Dolphins with the No. 131 overall pick.
Kalen Ballage as a senior at Falcon. (Tim Visser/MaxPreps) At Falcon, Ballage rushed for 2,690 yards and 35 touchdowns during the course of his career, including nearly 1,943 and 25 scores as a senior. As a senior, he was the Class 4A player of the year, and a member of the first-team all-state team.
Ballage measured at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds during the NFL Combine, where he also ran a 4.46 40-yard dash.
Ballage was the first Colorado product to be selected in this year’s NFL Draft. Last season, Valor Christian graduate Christian McCaffrey was the lone product selected, going in the first round.
This is the first time since 2012 and 2013 that products of Colorado high schools have been selected in consecutive drafts.
Carlson, a senior kicker at Auburn, was selected a round after Ballage, going No. 167 overall to the Vikings. He was the first kicker selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.
At Auburn, Carlson didn’t miss a point-after attempt in his career, going 198-of-198. He also made 92 of 114 field goal attempts, including 23 of 31 as a senior.
Carlson stood out at TCA, too, in both football and soccer. He made 14 of 20 field goal attempts for the Titans.
Carlson is just the third kicker from Colorado to ever be drafted, and the first since 1987, when Cherry Creek product Steve DeLine went to the San Francisco 49ers.
Scott, a senior punter at Alabama, went five picks after Carlson, at No. 172 to the Packers. He is the third punter from Colorado to ever be taken, and first since 1988 (Simla’s Barry Helton).
Scott set the Alabama record for career punting yards, as well as career punting average, and was part of two national championship teams.
At Mullen, Scott averaged 43.8 yards per punt as a senior. He also made 8 of 15 field goals as a senior, and 23 of 24 extra points. He also made a a 59- and 58-yard field goal with the Mustangs, and was named first-team all-state as a senior.
Sam Jones during his time at ThunderRidge. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com) Jones was drafted by his hometown Denver Broncos with the No. 183rd overall selection, in the sixth round.
He finished his redshirt junior season at Arizona State last fall. He was a team captain for the Sun Devils last season, and was a three-year starter on the offensive line.
At ThunderRidge, he was a first-team all-state pick as a senior.
Martin, a senior defensive end from Temple, went to the Seahawks at No. 186 overall.
He had a stellar career at Temple, notching 11.5 career sacks, as well as 17.5 tackles for a loss.
During his career at Cherokee Trail, Martin helped the Cougars reach the Class 5A championship game.
He was a first-team all-state pick as a senior.
Find a complete list of former Colorado high school football players selected in the draft in our NFL Draft database.
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Kessler’s home run locks up Falcon baseball’s upset win over No. 8 Air Academy
(Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com) U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Clutch performances from the plate and from the gloves provided Falcon with a 6-5 win over Air Academy on Thursday.
In the seventh inning, the Falcons held a 5-3 lead and the Air Academy bats were beginning to come alive. The Falcons (4-4 overall, 1-3 Pikes Peak Athletic Conference) had kept the Kadets scoreless until the fifth inning and as the game progressed, Falcon knew it couldn’t slow down offensively. That’s when Conner Kessler came up big for his team.
“I came up to the plate and was expecting a fastball and I knew I needed a hit,” Kessler said. “That was my first home run ever, so I was really excited.”
Not only was the home run a big moment for him, but Kessler’s bomb proved to be the difference maker as Class 4A No. 8 Air Academy (3-6, 3-1) came out and got two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Those runs would have tied the game if not for Kessler’s bomb.
The bats weren’t the only winning factor though, as right fielder Aaron Torres chipped in defensively, throwing out two runners. The last runner was rounding third base and headed home for the tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Torres launched a dagger that stopped him in his tracks and ended the game.
“I just remembered what I’ve done in practice and I trusted my arm and hoped for the best,” Torres said. “I’m just glad my catcher caught the ball and made me look good.”
(Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com) Micah Bregard started the game for Air Academy and pitched five innings and allowed five runs with eight strikeouts. Bo Powers came in to relieve Bregard and gave up one run and struck out two batters.
“This was a great team victory today,” Falcon coach Dana Reichers said. “It showed the resilience of our kids and their will to overcome adversity, especially since we didn’t play well against them earlier this week.”
Sellers started on the mound for Falcon and pitched 4 and 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs with four strikeouts. This is Sellers’ second start of the season since transitioning from a relief pitcher. Kessler was brought in for relief and allowed only three hits and two runs and also struck out four batters.
“Kody Sellers was lights out tonight,” Reichers said. “This is the second game in a row where he was unhittable the first five innings and he is a warrior who goes and battles every game.”
It was an important win for Falcon since it avenged a loss to the Kadets from earlier in the week. It was also the first league win of the year.
“This win is very important for our team,” Torres said. “Air Academy is a great team and their pitcher did great, so this win gives a start and hopefully will carry us throughout the season.”
Air Academy will host Vista Ridge and Falcon will host Cheyenne Mountain next Tuesday.
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Falcon hires new football coach from Illinois
Falcon has named Chris Waca its new football coach, incoming athletic director Jen Gregg said on Monday.
Waca comes to Colorado with 19 years of coaching experience, most recently in Illinois.
“He is very excited to move to beautiful Colorado,” Gregg said. “Falcon High School is looking forward having Coach Waca and to begin the summer workouts and get ready for fall football.”
Waca was an assistant in Illinois from 1998-2008, helping a team win a state title in 2004, and first became a head coach at Kewanee High School in 2009. He coached that program for four seasons, going 10-27, and led the team to its first playoff appearance in 12 seasons.
Most recently, he was an assistant at Plano (Ill.) from 2013-16.
Waca replaces Terry Poirier at Falcon, a Class 3A program. Poirier headed the Falcons for three seasons, going 10-20.
Falcon finished 2-8 last season.
Follow the coaching movement this offseason in our coaching changes tracker.
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All-state boys basketball teams for the 2017-18 season
The 2017-18 all-state boys basketball 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 week-long vote of coaches.
A specific player of the year vote was held in each class, as was a vote for coach of the year.
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Class 5A
(Marcus Gipson/Jmariahimages.com) Player of the year: Sam Masten, Rock Canyon
Coach of the year: Michael Rogers, Grandview
First Team Name School Year Pos. Ronnie DeGray III Chaparral Junior SF/F Jon’il Fugett George Washington Senior PG/SG Kaison Hammonds ThunderRidge Senior PG Daylen Kountz Denver East Senior – Sam Masten Rock Canyon Senior G Second Team Name School Year Pos. Ben Boone Grandview Senior F Kenny Foster Smoky Hill Junior – Mike Polson Mountain Range Senior G Dayne Prim Grandview Junior F Tucson Redding Overland Senior PG/G/SG Honorable mention: Alijah Bates, Doherty, Junior; Dawson Carper, Rampart, Senior; Tyson Cruickshank, ThunderRidge, Senior; Moz Doria, Liberty, Senior; Damian Forrest, Poudre, Junior; Tyson Gilbert, Rock Canyon, Senior; Joe Golden, Doherty, Senior; XaiV’ion Jackson, Eaglecrest, Senior; Kevin Jimenez, Northglenn, Senior; Michkaleke Man-man baker, Gateway, Senior; Elijah Martinez, Regis Jesuit, Senior; Trey Morrill, Fruita Monument, Senior; Ryan Ongala, Rangeview, Senior; D’Auntray Pierce, George Washington, Senior; Avery Rembao, Loveland, Junior; Kobe Sanders, Chaparral, Sophomore; Andre Sepeda, Greeley West, Junior; Daijon Smith, Overland, Senior; Connor Staib, Mountain Vista, Senior; Dimitri Stanley, Cherry Creek, Senior; Brendan Sullivan, Highlands Ranch, Senior; Sam Tiley, Fort Collins, Senior; Joseph Urynowicz, Rocky Mountain, Junior; Kam Vincel, Prairie View, Senior.
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Class 4A
(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com) Player of the year: Luke Johnson, Longmont
Coach of the year: Jeff Kloster, Longmont
First Team Name School Year Pos. Marcell Barbee Pueblo South Senior F Luke Johnson Longmont Senior PG Joel Scott Lewis-Palmer Junior F/G Nieyem’e Smeyer-williams Pueblo West Senior PG/SG Adam Thistlewood Golden Senior SG/SF Second Team Name School Year Pos. TJ Davis Widefield Senior PF/W Charles Dinegar D’Evelyn Senior PF/SF Trent Dykema Silver Creek Senior PG/SG Deven Nelson Mesa Ridge Senior P/SG Matthew Ragsdale Lewis-Palmer Junior SG/PG Honorable mention: Jared Belcher, The Classical Academy, Senior; Brayden Blick, Skyline, Senior; Jeremy Cody, Pueblo South, Senior; Connor Hawk, Ponderosa, Senior; Devin Huffman, Battle Mountain, Senior; Te’rae Johnson, Vista PEAK Prep, Senior; Jared Kasprzak, Thompson Valley, Senior; Garrett Martin, Standley Lake, Senior; Nico Martin, Pueblo Central, Junior; Noah Martinez, Falcon, Senior; Trey McBride, Fort Morgan, Senior; Turner McDonald, Summit, Senior; Tre Pierre, Widefield, Senior; Jeremy Randle, Valor Christian, Senior; Derrian Reed, Sierra, Senior; Kirk Relford, Windsor, Senior; Chase Rogers, Evergreen, Senior; Hunter Shkapich, Valor Christian, Junior; Mark Studer, Conifer, Senior; Alex Telles, Green Mountain, Senior; Bridger Tenney, Evergreen, Senior; Kade Terrell, Montrose, Senior; Justin Wiersema, Thompson Valley, Senior.
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Class 3A
(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com) Player of the year: Bodie Hume, Sterling
Coach of the year: Jeff Lehnus, Bayfield
First Team Name School Year Pos. Jaedon Bowles Manual Junior W Tyler Eldred Lutheran Senior – Jonah Gardner Faith Christian Senior – Bodie Hume Sterling Senior SF/SG Ryan Phelps Bayfield Senior C Second Team Name School Year Pos. Ry Adams Alamosa Senior G Cade Carroll Buena Vista Senior PG/SG Seth Fuqua The Vanguard School Junior – Benjamin Hawkins Faith Christian Senior – Justin Thompson Roaring Fork Senior F Honorable mention: Nehemiah Baustian, Jefferson, Senior; Bryson Becker, Platte Valley, Junior; Peter Carlson, Cedaredge, Senior; Elijah Chavez, Arrupe Jesuit, Senior; Deante Dennis, Colorado Academy, Junior; James Doyle, Kent Denver, Junior; Jasen Engel, Montezuma-Cortez, Senior; Logan Freed, Delta, Senior; Isaac Gallegos, The Academy, Junior; Jorge Gonzales, Olathe, Senior; Isaiah Griego, Pagosa Springs, Senior; Draven Hackley, St. Mary’s, Senior; Keyante Harris, Ridge View Academy, Senior; Justin Henderson, Basalt, Senior; Brandon Herrera, Coal Ridge, Senior; Zach Hidalgo, Frontier Academy, Senior; Noah Hopkins, Colorado Springs Christian, Senior; Kade Hurst, Grand Valley, Senior; Vince Jones, DSST: Stapleton, Senior; Brock Lane, Strasburg, Senior; Jon Nuschy, La Junta, Junior; Keyon Prior, Bayfield, Junior; Angelo Ramirez, Alamosa, Senior; Riley Schaefer, Sterling, Senior; Cole Sienknecht, Manitou Springs, Senior; Max Swanlund, Estes Park, Senior.
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Class 2A
(Jeffrey Tucker/MaxPreps) Player of the year: Bradley Carnes-Clabey, Crowley County
Coach of the year: Dave Sheffield, Yuma
First Team Name School Year Pos. Bradley Carnes-Clabey Crowley County Senior – Austin Davis Byers Senior SF/G Logan Hughes Meeker Senior – Victor Mendoza Yuma Junior SF Carlos Parra Del Norte Senior F/G Second Team Name School Year Pos. Jakob Chrisman Yuma Junior C Diego Covarrubias Yuma Senior SF Doak Mantle Meeker Senior – Hayden McCuen Byers Junior PF Johnny Valdez Ignacio Senior SG Honorable mention: Eu Asefaw, Denver Christian, Junior; Tate Bessire, Highland, Sophomore; Hayden Carter, Crowley County, Senior; Layne Christensen, Plateau Valley, Senior; Joel George, Simla, Junior; Jonah Hanson, Burlington, Senior; David Jarvis, Twin Peaks Charter Academy, Senior; Jakob Juul, Fowler, Senior; Ben Kelly, Calhan, Senior; Sebastian Moritz, Vail Christian, Senior; Maguire Peterson, Sanford, Senior; Gavyn Pure, Dawson School, Senior; Sam Rodriguez, Hotchkiss, Senior; Kai Roubideaux, Ignacio, Senior; Noah Sarria, Clear Creek, Senior; Patrick Scoggins, Rangely, Senior; Caden Showalter, Mancos, Sophomore; Zach Sittler, Sanford, Senior; Charles Sparks, Calhan, Senior; Josh Stover, Rocky Ford, Senior.
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Class 1A
(Dustin Price/dustinpricephotography.com) Player of the year: Logan Sircy, Peetz
Coach of the year: Sean Fehringer, Peetz
First Team Name School Year Pos. Isaac Borchers Creede Senior G/F Micah Crane South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett] Senior – Adam Poole Front Range Baptist Senior SG/PG/SF Logan Sircy Peetz Senior – Caid Smith Genoa-Hugo/Karval Senior – Second Team Name School Year Pos. Cameron Archer Denver Waldorf Senior G Nathan Fairmont Shining Mountain Senior – Jesse Gomez Holly Senior – Thomas Manuel South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett] Senior – Arthur Rodriguez Sierra Grande Senior PG/PF Honorable mention: Isaiah Bowsher, Heritage Christian, Senior; Vince Damelio, Primero, Senior; Tre Fehringer, Peetz, Senior; Casper Freedle, Creede, Junior; Cullen Glosson, Otis, Junior; Bryson Long, Peetz, Junior; Nic Martin, North Park, Senior; Jayden McCombs-Farmer, Kit Carson, Sophomore; Ethan Oblander, Weldon Valley, Senior; Brigden Parker, Eads, Freshman; Kevin Ramirez, Arickaree/Woodlin, Junior; Beau Roth, Cheyenne Wells, Senior; Matthew Tanner, Fleming, Senior; Josiah Vasquez, Cheraw, Junior; Kurt Voll, Cotopaxi, Senior; Owen Voll, Cotopaxi, Senior; Brandt Vos, Cornerstone Christian Academy, Junior; Deric Woods, Front Range Baptist, Junior.
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4A boys basketball Great 8 roundup: No. 1 Pueblo South fends off Valor Christian
(1) Pueblo South 59, (9) Valor Christian 50
(Charles Hurley/@PuebloRdoSports) Pueblo South raced out to a 11-2 lead in the first quarter, and also went up 27-19 in the second, before holding off the defending Class 4A champions.
Valor Christian tied the game at various points in the third and fourth quarters, including 48-48 late, but Pueblo South closed the game on an 11-2 run.
What’s more: Pueblo South did that without star Marcell Barbee, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter.
Jeremy Cody led the Colts with 20 points and eight rebounds. Barbee had 16 points, and David Caporicci added 11.
Valor Christian was led by Jeremy Randle’s 15 points, and Roger Rosengarten had 10 for the Eagles.
The win means the Colts will play Longmont in next week’s Final 4.
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(6) Pueblo West 57, (14) Ponderosa 48
(Anthony Sandstrom/Pueblo West View) Ponderosa twice pulled within a point of Pueblo West in the fourth quarter, but the Cyclones pulled away late to secure the Great 8 win.
Pueblo West led 39-34 going into the fourth quarter, only to see Ponderosa cut their lead to 44-43 and 46-45 midway through the final frame.
At that point, Pueblo West went on a 10-0 run to make it 56-45 late in the quarter.
Ponderosa had led 17-10 at one point in the first quarter.
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(5) Longmont 62, (4) Falcon 54
(Adam Dunivan/BoCoPreps.com) It was a game that featured 10 ties or lead changes in the first half, but Longmont was able to pull away in the second half to move to the Final 4.
The Trojans rallied from down 18-11 to take a 26-24 halftime lead. That lead expanded to 40-34 after the third quarter, and Falcon would not get closer than four points in that final frame.
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(2) Lewis-Palmer 70, (10) Widefield 67
(Photo: Lewis-Palmer HS) Widefield trailed by as many as 10 in the third quarter, but pulled to within four heading into the final eight minutes.
Lewis-Palmer regained a seven-point lead, but the Gladiators went on a 8-1 run to tie the game 67-67 with under a minute remaining.
With a trip to the Final 4 on the line, it was Matthew Ragsdale who buried the 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Rangers will face Pueblo West in the 4A semifinals on Friday as they look to win their first state title since 2013.
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Boys basketball’s 4A and 5A state tournament brackets are out
(Marcus Gipson/Jmariahimages.com) AURORA — Rock Canyon and Pueblo South grabbed No. 1 overall seeds on Sunday when the Class 5A and 4A boys basketball brackets were unveiled.
Find the full brackets here:
Rock Canyon (21-2) leads the 5A field, having finished atop the final RPI standings of the regular season. Other high seeds in 5A include No. 2 ThunderRidge, No. 3 Chaparral, No. 4 Denver East, No. 5 George Washington, No. 6 Grandview, No. 7 Doherty and No. 8 Overland.
Defending champion Eaglecrest is seeded No. 16.
In 4A, Pueblo South (21-2) also was No. 1 in the final RPI standings. No. 2 Lewis-Palmer, No. 3 Golden, No. 4 Falcon, No. 5 Longmont, No. 6 Pueblo West, No. 7 Silver Creek and No. 8 Evergreen are also high 4A seeds.
Defending champion Valor Christian is seeded ninth.
Both tournaments begin play on Wednesday, with seeds Nos. 32-48 playing in the first round.
Round 2 games take place on Saturday, with the Sweet 16 set for Feb. 28. The Great 8 is March 3, the Final 4 will be March 8, and championship games are set for March 10.
The Great 8 (5A only), Final 4 and championship games will be played at the Denver Coliseum.