COLORADO SPRINGS — In the first half, Aumiere Shedrick looked like he could barely stand up. The 200-plus-pound running back for Harrison was nursing what turned out to be a hyper-extended knee and without him, it was difficult for the Panthers to find the end zone.
That wasn’t the case in the second half. In the final 24 minutes of the game, Shedrick ran for 190 yards and three touchdowns to power Class 3A No. 7 Harrison to a 20-7 win over Pueblo Central on Friday night.
When Shedrick limped over to the sideline in the first quarter, he wouldn’t have dreamed of putting together such a gutty performance where he finished with 253 total rushing yards.
“Not possible,” he said. “I was going to do what I do best and get a few yards here and there, but I didn’t expect to come away with 250.”
The Panthers (4-0 overall) were getting okay offensive production in the first half, but couldn’t find a way to get the ball into the end zone.
It was the Wildcats (3-1) who struck first, mostly in part to a 24-yard pass from Ryley Roth to Nicholas Krasovic that set up a Nico Martin touchdown run.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Central held the 7-0 into halftime, but momentum quickly shifted to Harrison. Shedrick and quarterback Orlando Westbrook marched the Panthers down the field on the first drive of the half where Shedrick got into the end zone from two yards out.
That score opened the flood gates for the ground game.
“There are nights where we’ve come out and thrown for 350 yards,” Harrison coach Al Melo said. “The way we established our tempo in the first half, I think it wore them down a bit. We were able to establish the running game and when we got that going, they were on their heels.”
An interception from Sergio Alvarado gave the Panthers the ball back and Shedrick, with his one and a half legs, found the end zone again, this time from 20 yards to give Harrison its first lead of the game about halfway through the third quarter.
“He’s a good size kid, man,” Central coach Kris Cotterman said. “He runs hard and did a great job.”
A sliver of hope remained for the Wildcats after Al Ashford muffed a punt to give them the ball back in Harrison territory. But the defense held up and Ashford later made a key interception with 7:47 left in the game to all but ice it.
“He’s a sophomore and he’s a heck of a DB,” Melo said. “We’ve told him all year don’t let the ball bounce because then we give up yards, but that was a long way to run to make a fair catch. Our defense stood up and made some great plays so it didn’t hurt us.”
The Panthers will head south next week to face Pueblo County in their final non-league game. The Wildcats will return home to face Sand Creek in a game where Cotterman looks forward to correcting the mistakes made on Friday.
“We lost the game, but we played with effort,” he said. “That’s how we’re building our program is by fixing mistakes and we’ll just keep playing with effort.”
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Ponderosa 34, Pueblo West 33, Longmont 22, Denver South 7, Vista Peak 6, Grand Junction Central 5, Air Academy 4, Greeley West 4, Hinkley 3, Wheat Ridge 1.
Dropped out
Ponderosa (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Erie (12)
3-0
144
1
Bye
2
Palisade
3-0
105
3
W
3
Discovery Canyon
4-0
101
4
W
4
Pueblo East
3-1
99
2
L
5
Thomas Jefferson (2)
3-0
82
7
W
6
Palmer Ridge (1)
2-2
80
5
W
7
Harrison
3-0
58
8
W
8
Holy Family
2-1
52
6
L
9
Durango
2-2
42
10
W
10
Fort Morgan
2-1
18
9
L
Others receiving votes:
Mead 7, Frederick 6, Lewis-Palmer 6, Pueblo Central 6, Battle Mountain 5, Canon City 2, George Washington 2, Pueblo Centennial 2, Evergreen 1, Glenwood Springs 1, Pueblo South 1, Skyview 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
La Junta (7)
4-0
112
2
W
2
Platte Valley (3)
4-0
110
3
W
3
Bayfield (1)
3-1
95
1
L
4
Rifle (2)
3-0
91
6
W
5
Basalt
3-0
75
8
W
6
Resurrection Christian
3-0
68
4
W
7
Salida
4-0
53
9
W
8
Berthoud
3-1
29
10
W
9
Eaton
2-1
26
7
L
10
Kent Denver
2-1
26
5
L
Others receiving votes:
Alameda 8, Alamosa 6, Delta 6, Aspen 3, Bennett 3, Pagosa Springs 2, Faith Christian 1, Middle Park 1.
Dropped out
None.
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Strasburg (8)
3-0
98
1
Bye
2
Limon (2)
3-0
89
2
W
3
Burlington
2-1
68
3
W
4
Peyton
3-0
65
4
W
5
Wray
2-1
56
6
W
6
Centauri
2-1
51
5
W
7
Crowley County
3-1
31
7
W
8
Holyoke
3-0
23
8
Bye
9
Meeker
1-2
21
9
L
10
Buena Vista
2-1
12
10
L
Others receiving votes:
Paonia 11, Jefferson 8, St. Mary’s 5, Colorado Springs Christian 4, Yuma 3, Clear Creek 2, Olathe 2, Estes Park 1.
Dropped out
None.
8-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sedgwick County (13)
3-0
137
1
W
2
West Grand
4-0
121
2
W
3
Mancos (1)
3-0
80
10
W
4
Caliche
2-1
64
7
W
5
Hoehne
2-1
63
5
W
6
Holly
3-1
60
6
W
7
Rangely
4-0
49
8
W
8
Fowler
2-1
48
4
W
9
Sargent
2-1
36
3
L
10
Sanford
3-0
30
–
W
Others receiving votes:
Simla 20, Akron 16, Merino 12, Norwood 10, Pikes Peak Christian 10, Soroco 9, Haxtun 4, Springfield 1.
Eight newcomers joined this week’s football rankings. They are: ThunderRidge (5A), Ponderosa (4A), Harrison (3A), Salida and Berthoud (2A), Buena Vista (1A), Mancos (8-man), and Cotopaxi (6-man).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Cherry Creek (9)
3-0
99
1
W
2
Valor Christian (1)
3-0
89
2
W
3
Columbine
3-0
78
4
W
4
Pomona
2-1
68
3
L
5
Grandview
3-0
56
5
W
6
Eaglecrest
3-0
45
7
W
7
ThunderRidge
3-0
38
–
W
8
Ralston Valley
3-0
28
8
W
9
Fairview
2-1
26
6
L
10
Arvada West
3-0
15
9
W
Others receiving votes:
Cherokee Trail 6, Mullen 2.
Dropped out
Mullen (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Pine Creek (13)
3-0
148
1
W
2
Loveland (2)
2-0
120
2
W
3
Chatfield
3-0
103
4
W
4
Skyline
2-0
80
5
Bye
5
Rampart
2-1
61
7
W
6
Broomfield
2-1
57
6
W
7
Montrose
3-0
53
8
W
8
Windsor
1-1
42
3
L
9
Ponderosa
1-2
31
–
W
10
Fruita Monument
1-1
27
9
Bye
Others receiving votes:
Vista Ridge 18, Heritage 15, Longmont 14, Grand Junction Central 12, Pueblo West 11, Brighton 10, Denver South 7, Hinkley 6, Vista Peak 6, Greeley West 2, Greeley Central 1, Widefield 1.
Dropped out
Monarch (10).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Erie (6)
3-0
104
1
W
2
Pueblo East (4)
3-0
93
3
W
3
Palisade
2-0
72
4
W
4
Discovery Canyon
3-0
65
6
W
5
Palmer Ridge
1-2
64
2
L
6
Holy Family
2-0
62
5
Bye
7
Thomas Jefferson (1)
2-0
52
7
Bye
8
Harrison
2-0
22
–
W
9
Fort Morgan
2-0
19
10
W
10
Durango
1-2
15
8
L
Others receiving votes:
Mead 6, Pueblo South 5, Conifer 4, Evergreen 4, Pueblo Centennial 4, Roosevelt 4, Frederick 3, Lewis-Palmer 3, Canon City 2, George Washington 1, Skyview 1.
Dropped out
Mead (9).
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Bayfield (11)
3-0
127
1
W
2
La Junta (1)
3-0
102
2
W
3
Platte Valley
3-0
93
3
W
4
Resurrection Christian
2-0
82
4
Bye
5
Kent Denver (1)
2-0
79
6
W
6
Rifle
2-0
71
5
W
7
Eaton
2-0
47
9
W
8
Basalt
2-0
43
7
W
9
Salida
3-0
30
–
W
10
Berthoud
2-1
12
–
W
Others receiving votes:
Bennett 5, Bishop Machebeuf 5, Alamosa 4, The Academy 4, Moffat County 3, Pagosa Springs 3, Faith Christian 2, Delta 1, D’Evelyn 1, University 1.
Dropped out
Bennett (8), D’Evelyn (10).
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Strasburg (8)
3-0
115
1
W
2
Limon (4)
2-0
109
2
W
3
Burlington
1-1
82
4
W
4
Peyton
2-0
74
5
W
5
Centauri
1-1
65
3
L
6
Wray
1-1
56
6
W
7
Crowley County
2-1
40
7
L
8
Holyoke
3-0
29
9
W
9
Meeker
1-1
24
8
Bye
10
Buena Vista
2-0
19
–
W
Others receiving votes:
Yuma 14, Paonia 12, Jefferson 8, St. Mary’s 5, Platte Canyon 4, Colorado Springs Christian 3, Olathe 1.
Dropped out
Cornerstone Christian (10).
8-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Sedgwick County (13)
2-0
130
1
W
2
West Grand
3-0
116
2
W
3
Sargent
2-0
83
5
W
4
Fowler
1-1
53
–
W
5
Hoehne
1-1
50
8
W
6
Holly
2-1
45
6
W
7
Caliche
1-1
38
7
Bye
8
Rangely
3-0
37
9
W
9
Akron
2-1
31
4
L
10
Mancos
2-0
30
–
W
Others receiving votes:
Merino 24, Soroco 14, Haxtun 13, Sanford 12, Byers 10, Simla 9, Norwood 6, Pikes Peak Christian 6, Custer County 3, Vail Christian 3, Dove Creek 2.
Dropped out
Merino (3), Soroco (10).
6-man
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Stratton/Liberty (8)
2-0
98
1
W
2
Otis (1)
2-0
87
2
W
3
Kit Carson (1)
2-0
84
3
W
4
Peetz
1-1
62
6
W
5
Flagler/Hi-Plains
2-0
55
8
W
6
Prairie
1-1
51
4
W
7
Cheyenne Wells
2-0
41
7
W
8
Briggsdale
1-1
25
10
L
9
Cotopaxi
2-0
14
–
W
10
Arickaree/Woodlin
1-1
12
5
L
Others receiving votes:
Granada 6, Fleming 5, Idalia 4, Weldon Valley 3, Manzanola 2, North Park 1.
LAKEWOOD — During the final day of the state track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium, Fountain Fort-Carson continued a championship tradition that is nearly unmatched in Colorado.
The Trojans (100 points) won the 5A boys state crown for the fourth time in five years. Cherry Creek was the runner-up with 71.
A dynamic group of athletes featuring Jalen Lyon (200-meter dash and 400 champion), Deondre Ritter (2nd in 100), and Jequan Hogan (high jump champion, triple jump runner-up, third place in long jump) led the way in explosive events.
But, in the 800 relay final Cherry Creek was in first after three legs. Lyon, a University of Northern Colorado recruit, made up the gap on the anchor leg, helping Fountain win a thrilling race in 1 minute, 26.53 seconds. The Bruins were second in 1:26.65.
“We knew it was going to be close, because Cherry Creek always pushes us like that,” Lyon said. “I fought him at the end and that was probably the most adrenaline I’ve ever had in a race. I had my boys on my mind.”
The camaraderie and expectations within the program are elements of their success.
(Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“We’re a family,” Lyon said. “We make jokes, we practice hard, we push each other hard, and we talk each other up. The coaches also push us to continue the legacy.”
Following in the footsteps of older brother Christian (100 and 200 titles in 2016), Lyon joined a lengthy list of sprinters who have won multiple sprint crowns in the same season for the Trojans. Donovan Williams (2017), Tevin Donnell (2015), and Markesh Woodson (2011) all claimed championships of their own in the shorter sprint races.
That is quite a run of talent. Fountain has now tallied 20 state championships (all since 1960) in boys track and field, tying Fort Collins for the state record.
Several of the terrific Trojans, ones who won’t soon be forgotten, have signed with college programs, including Jason Farrell (hurdler, Northern Colorado) and Jequan Hogan (Texas Tech). Hogan was the New Balance national champion indoors in the triple jump as a senior.
Jawuan Tate (158-9) added 10 more points to Fountain’s total with a discus crown. Iosua Maika (49-4) finished fifth in shot put.
[divider]
Class 5A
Devin Cadena of Rock Canyon (10.70) nipped Deondre Ritter (10.71) in a fast 100 final. The Jaguars tasted plenty of success this weekend.
Liberty veteran Andrew Doctor did the same to Overland’s Joel Nyatusah with times of 14.35 to 14.38 in the high hurdle final.
Michael Mooney (3,200 champion Thursday) capped a terrific career for Broomfield with a winning dive against Mountain Vista’s Carter Dillon in the 1,600. 4:16.15 and 4:16.17 were the final marks for the pair of Division I recruits.
The Broomfield Eagles also produced the 300 hurdle champion in Mitchell Gorman (37.83).
Highlands Ranch junior Drake Nugent launched a winning throw of 55 feet, 9.5 inches in shot put.
Fort Collins was exceptional in triple jump, finishing 1st (junior Allam Bushara, 49-9.25, outstanding mark), 3rd, 4th, and 8th. Micaylon Moore, the third place finisher, won long jump as well.
[divider]
Class 4A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Silver Creek (3:23) finished runner-up in the 1,600 relay behind Mullen (3:22). That added enough points to their final tally to secure their first-ever title in track and field. The school’s last team championship came in football in 2012. The Raptors (60.5 points) pulled away from Pueblo South (52), Pine Creek (51), and Valor Christian (50).
Silver Creek’s James Lee (University of Pennsylvania recruit) won the 800 on Friday and finished as the runner-up in the 1,600 on Saturday as they received further contributions in distance, jumps, pole vault, throws, and relays. In cross country, the Raptors had gotten close to winning titles each of the last two seasons with Lee, Brock Dykema (Colorado State), and Logan Simington (Arkansas State) all among the top talents in the classification.
Pueblo South did win the 400 relay in a thriller over Mullen with times of 42.44 and 42.47 seconds.
185-9 was the winning mark in discus for Kain Medrano of Pueblo East. That surpassed a 28-year old classification record of 183-11 by Ron Wach of Estes Park.
Medrano’s teammate, Luc Andrada, claimed the 100 crown in 10.66 seconds.
Angelo Hurtado of Roosevelt cleared the 110 hurdles quicker than anyone in 4A with a time of 14.48.
Tyrese Van Horne (21.63) added to a rich tradition in sprints for the Harrison Panthers with a 200 championship. He’s only a sophomore.
Sensational underclassmen Cole Sprout of Valor Christian (4:14) responded to a strong move by James Lee (4:19) with a fast 300-meter finish to win the four-lapper.
Valor’s Dane Palazzo and Pine Creek’s Wyatt Wieland shared the 300 hurdles crown with a time of 38.01.
Yet another champion was crowned from Colorado Springs as Air Academy senior Josiah Molascon (14-6) won pole vault.
[divider]
Class 3A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Bayfield’s Carl Heide (14.65) was unmatched in the 110 hurdles. He also won the 300 hurdles in 38.69 (state record in 3A yesterday). Heide provided a boatload of points for a program that has one other track championship in their history (girls in 1991).
Bayfield tallied 79.5 points to win their first boys track title, but the Wolverines have corralled plenty of hardware in other seasons this school year while winning 2A football and 3A basketball. The Classical Academy was the runner-up with 73 points.
Lutheran, always a major presence, especially in sprints, had won four team championships in a row (three in 3A, one in 2A).
Seven Lindsey of Kent Denver topped all challengers in the 100 (10.74) and 200 (21.78).
Junior Chad Jackson, an Alamosa stalwart, completed 400 meters in first place with a time of 49.91.
Woodland Park junior Skye Ciccarelli (6-4) conquered high jump.
No one was able to better RidgeView Academy senior Inaujee Ison in long jump (21-2.25).
The Spartans of Berthoud (43.18) celebrated a victorious 400 relay.
Ryan Moen, a senior for TCA who also won the 3,200, had just enough foot speed to outlean Denver West sophomore Yasin Sado in the 1,600. Sado was also the runner-up in the 800. 4:25.72 and 4:25.75 were the final times.
[divider]
Class 2A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The team competition between Resurrection Christian and Lyons was close, but the Cougars displayed the necessary depth to outlast the Boulder County power. The group donned in white and blue racked up 63 points, holding off both Lyons (58) and Cedaredge (58).
Rez had earned runner-up honors in recent years, but had never before won state. That changed this weekend with placers in most events on and off the track. Freshman Tanner Applebee (21-3.5) was the long jump champion on Thursday for a program that started only seven years ago.
Patrick Scoggins of Rangely (51.02) grabbed gold in the 400. The senior had an illustrious career with a number of state medals.
Ben Kelley further cemented his status as one of the greatest 2A competitors in state history in any event by going back-to-back in the 1,600 (4:23). The leap team was led by junior Grant Redmond (6-5 high jump) of Soroco, Kelley’s teammate.
14.90 was the winning mark in 110 hurdles by Austin Davis of Byers.
Michael Morgan of Buena Vista (11.23) was the 100 sprint king.
Hoehne has a veteran 300 hurdler in Jacob Yates (39.50) who proved his worth as a champion.
22.62 was the winning 200 time by Ty Grant of Cedaredge, continuing a proud tradition in sprints for the program. The 400 relay (45.12) and the 1,600 relay (3:30.01) crowns were also claimed by Cedaredge.
[divider]
Class 1A
(Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
Heritage Christian boys compiled a monstrous total of 169 points to win their fifth state championship in six years.
Junior Levi Kilian (1:59, 4:34, 10:04) swept the 1A distance events and shattered 1A state meet records in the 1,600 and 3,200. Isaiah Bowsher (4:38) also broke a state meet record that was previously held by Ryan Dollerschell of Prairie in the 1,600 (4:42 in 2014). Seth Bruxvoort (4:45) and Keaton Case (4:47) ensured the Eagles of a sweep of the top four places.
HCA also flourished in the sprints as Josh Damir (11.28, 22.87) swept the 100 and 200. He was the runner-up in the 300 hurdles. The Eagles finished the meet with a victorious 1,600 relay of 3:35.
Cotopaxi junior Arlo Garner (15.42, 39.56) was the title winner of the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles.
Holly sophomore Alex Ramos (50.72) proved his worth in the 400 as an underclassmen. He could be a force for years to come.
North Park (45.68) had a stronger foursome in the 400 relay than anyone else in 1A.
Pole vaulters will have to deal with Pikes Peak Christian again next year. Juniors Tommy Harmon (12-3) and Sam Smith (11-3) were wildly impressive in earning gold and silver.
The 2017 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 head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created entirely from the results of the coaches’ vote.
