CHSAANow

Tag: Arapahoe

  • Notebook: Arapahoe wrestling granted a weight allowance

    Arapahoe’s wrestling team has been granted a two-pound weight allowance for this weekend’s tournaments due to an inability to practice created by last week’s tragic shooting.

    In an email to Arapahoe, Cherokee Trail and Gateway high schools, assistant commissioner Harry Waterman wrote, “Due to the tragic event that took place at Arapahoe High School last week, it has created a hardship on the ability for the Arapahoe wrestling team to conduct practice.”

    In fact, Arapahoe has practiced just once since last Thursday.

    “This has made it very difficult to have structured work-outs and maintain their weight,” Waterman wrote. “As a result, I am permitting a (two-pound) allowance for all wrestlers in the following tournaments this Saturday: Cherokee Trail dual tournament, Gateway JV tournament.”

    Program helps Gambian national team

    USA Volleyball’s Leave a Ball Behind program at the state volleyball tournament helped provide volleyballs for the Gambian national team.

    “They were very excited to receive them and are using two at a time so that they can last through the next year,” reports a peace corps volunteer who works with the team.

    Here’s a picture of the team with the items which were donated via USA Volleyball:

    (Courtesy photo)
    (Courtesy photo)

    Short stuff

    • You may notice a slight difference in how public address announcers are handling basketball games. Due to a new rule from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), announcers can no longer make announcements during play. The goal, according to the rule, “is to remove play by play commentary.” Thus, they are no longer permitted to announce information such as “assist by,” “rebound by,” and so on. Announcing fouls, scorers, and free-throw shooters is still allowed.
    • Changes out of the tennis committee meeting earlier this month: Teams will only be eligible to compete for the team championships if they qualify for four or more positions at the state championships. This is a move toward something golf already has in place. Additionally, regional hosts for the 5A girls this spring will not be determined until after the final league standings.
    • This season’s winter break, meaning no practice, is Dec. 24-Dec. 27, and Jan. 1. Voluntary winter practices are Dec. 28, 30 & 31.
    • Next year’s Championship Saturday (the Class 5A, 4A, 3A football title games) again falls just after Thanksgiving. It is Nov. 29.
    • Football can begin 2014 practice on Aug. 11. Zero Week is Aug. 21; Week 1 is Aug. 28.
    • We have published a database of coaching changes in football.

  • Arapahoe, Grand Junction join 5A boys basketball ranking

    Thomas Jefferson Pueblo County boys basketball
    Thomas Jefferson remained in the No. 3 spot in the 4A poll. (Pam Wagner)

    Unbeatens Arapahoe and Grand Junction have joined this week’s CHSAANow.com boys basketball rankings in 5A.

    The Warriors (3-0) are No. 9, while Grand Junction (5-0) is No. 10. Highlands Ranch, last week’s No. 5, and Chaparral, last week’s No. 10, both dropped out this week.

    Elsewhere, Denver East maintained its grip on the top spot, and Fossil Ridge continued its climb up the poll. The SaberCats are No. 2 this week, moving up two spots from No. 4. Fossil Ridge went 3-0 last week, including a 66-48 win over Highlands Ranch.

    Overland fell one spot to No. 3, and is followed by No. 4 Mountain Vista and No. 5 Regis Jesuit. Mountain Vista moved up from eighth; Regis up from No 6.

    Eaglecrest is sixth in this week’s 5A poll, Legend is seventh and Rangeview fell five spots to eighth.

    In addition to Denver East, the other four No. 1 teams remained the same this week: Valor Christian (4A), Holy Family (3A), Sanford (2A) and Caliche (1A).

    The 4A poll added Air Academy at No. 10 this week. That ranking also saw Thompson Valley jump from fifth to second following wins over three 5A teams. Thomas Jefferson is third.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

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

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Denver East (22) 5-0 220 1 2-0
    2 Fossil Ridge 6-0 186 4 3-0
    3 Overland 2-2 155 2 1-0
    4 Mountain Vista 4-0 126 8 3-0
    5 Regis Jesuit 4-1 125 6 2-1
    6 Eaglecrest 6-1 118 7 3-0
    7 Legend 4-0 66 9 2-0
    8 Rangeview 4-1 60 3 2-1
    9 Arapahoe 3-0 31 – 0-0
    10 Grand Junction 5-0 23 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Fairview 20, Chaparral 16, Grandview 16, Monarch 15, Highlands Ranch 14, Chatfield 6, Cherry Creek 5, Ralston Valley 4, ThunderRidge 4.
    Dropped out
    Highlands Ranch (5), Chaparral (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Valor Christian (16) 6-0 177 1 4-0
    2 Thompson Valley (2) 6-0 135 5 3-0
    3 Thomas Jefferson 3-0 129 3 3-0
    4 Longmont 5-0 109 6 3-0
    5 Pueblo East 5-2 99 4 3-1
    6 Sand Creek 3-0 85 7 1-0
    7 Golden 6-1 55 10 3-1
    8 D’Evelyn 4-2 46 9 2-1
    9 Cheyenne Mountain 3-1 45 2 2-1
    10 Air Academy 6-1 40 – 4-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Falcon 35, Greeley Central 11, Lewis-Palmer 8, Mountain View 7, Frederick 6, Mesa Ridge 2, Palmer Ridge 2, Glenwood Springs 1, Ponderosa 1, Pueblo South 1.
    Dropped out
    Denver South (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holy Family (8) 5-0 98 1 2-0
    2 Colorado Academy (1) 4-0 81 3 2-0
    3 Brush (1) 2-0 77 2 1-0
    4 Jefferson Academy 4-0 69 9 4-0
    5 Bishop Machebeuf 4-0 67 6 3-0
    6 Faith Christian 4-3 36 4 3-1
    7 Moffat County 3-1 29 7 3-1
    8 The Pinnacle 3-1 22 – 1-0
    9 Kent Denver 3-1 20 10 2-0
    10 Colorado Springs Christian 1-2 19 5 1-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Denver Science & Tech 10, St. Mary’s 6, Valley 6, Aspen 4, Monte Vista 4, Cedaredge 2, Sterling 1.
    Dropped out
    Aspen (8).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Sanford (12) 4-0 155 1 4-0
    2 Yuma (3) 3-0 125 2 2-0
    3 Akron 2-0 110 4 1-0
    4 Lutheran 2-1 106 3 1-0
    5 Ignacio (1) 5-0 101 5 2-0
    6 Resurrection Christian 4-2 75 6 3-0
    7 Limon 3-1 39 9 2-0
    8 Simla 3-1 31 10 2-0
    9 Rye 4-1 30 – 1-1
    10 Denver Christian 1-3 24 7 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Swink 23, Peyton 22, Haxtun 13, Alexander Dawson 11, Sedgwick County 6, Crowley County 3, Front Range Christian 3, Custer County 1, Paonia 1, Rangely 1, Sierra Grande 1.
    Dropped out
    Peyton (8).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Caliche (6) 4-0 60 1 2-0
    2 Hi-Plains 3-1 50 2 1-1
    3 McClave 4-0 49 3 2-0
    4 Shining Mountain 4-0 42 5 2-0
    5 Vail Christian 3-1 37 6 2-0
    6 Norwood 2-2 25 4 1-1
    7 Prairie 3-1 21 7 2-0
    8 Holly 2-1 14 8 1-0
    9 Cheyenne Wells 3-0 10 – 1-0
    10 Jim Elliot Christian 2-1 8 9 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Fleming 5, Stratton 3, Cheraw 2, Granada 2, Walsh 2.
    Dropped out
    Granada (10).

  • Day 1 results from the state spirit championships

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

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

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

    [divider]

    Class 5A poms

    Grandview won the 5A poms competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Grandview won the 5A poms competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Prelims
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Grandview 94.83 471.00
    2 Thunderridge 94.50 470.50
    3 Cherry Creek 93.33 466.50
    4 Ralston Valley 92.67 461.50
    5 Legacy 92.50 461.50
    6 Arapahoe 92.00 462.00
    7 Chatfield 90.17 450.00
    8 Regis 89.33 445.50
    9 Fairview 89.17 440.00
    10 Fruita Monument 87.33 437.50
    11 Horizon 86.50 431.50
    12 Prairie View 84.50 422.00
    13 Eaglecrest 83.33 419.00
    14 Rocky Mountain 83.17 417.50
    14 Doherty 83.17 414.00
    16 Boulder 83.00 417.00
    17 Arvada West 82.00 408.50
    18 Dakota Ridge 81.17 404.50
    19 Littleton 80.33 400.00
    20 Brighton 79.50 399.50
    21 Grand Junction 79.17 394.00
    22 Fossil Ridge 79.00 399.00
    23 Denver East 78.67 393.00
    24 Central (Gj) 76.33 380.00
    25 Mountain Range 76.17 384.50
    26 Bear Creek 70.67 357.00
    Finals
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Grandview 95.00 473.00
    2 Thunderridge 94.67 472.50
    2 Legacy  94.67 468.00
    4 Arapahoe 93.83 468.50
    5 Cherry Creek 93.33 468.00
    6 Ralston Valley 92.50 462.00

    [divider]

    Class 5A cheer

    Rock Canyon won the 5A cheer competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Rock Canyon won the 5A cheer competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Prelims
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Rock Canyon 91.47 457.00
    2 Grandview 88.63 445.00
    3 Douglas County 88.53 441.10
    4 Eaglecrest 87.70 435.70
    5 Chaparral 85.83 428.20
    6 Rocky Mountain 83.67 419.10
    7 Arapahoe 83.17 411.20
    8 Pine Creek 81.70 407.20
    9 Fossil Ridge 79.10 397.70
    10 Regis 76.63 388.60
    11 Prairie View 73.93 366.80
    12 Horizon 73.83 369.50
    13 Legacy 71.37 354.60
    14 Monarch 71.27 356.80
    15 Standley Lake 70.83 348.10
    16 Highlands Ranch 70.83 355.30
    17 Loveland 69.93 347.90
    18 Cherry Creek 69.63 349.70
    19 Bear Creek 68.87 335.20
    20 Poudre 68.67 342.00
    21 Heritage 68.40 339.90
    22 Denver East 68.07 343.30
    23 Smoky Hill 67.93 340.60
    24 Grand Junction 66.87 331.60
    25 Rangeview 65.73 331.60
    26 Brighton 62.90 317.50
    27 Columbine 62.73 312.20
    28 Rampart 59.47 293.20
    29 Littleton 58.87 288.70
    30 Greeley West 57.90 291.50
    31 Thornton 54.40 269.70
    32 Boulder 53.97 275.70
    33 Northglenn 52.33 274.40
    34 George Washington 48.07 249.90
    35 Overland 45.77 231.80
    36 Chatfield 44.73 230.30
    37 Hinkley 35.00 182.40
    38 Gateway 0.00 0.00
    Finals
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Rock Canyon 93.23 466.80
    2 Eaglecrest 91.10 456.50
    3 Grandview 89.70 447.30
    4 Pine Creek 87.53 431.80
    5 Rocky Mountain 83.40 417.80
    6 Douglas County 83.23 418.50
    7 Arapahoe 83.13 421.80
    8 Chaparral 80.87 404.50

    [divider]

    Class 4A/5A co-ed cheer

    Dakota Ridge won the co-ed cheer competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Dakota Ridge won the co-ed cheer competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Prelims
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Dakota Ridge 88.53 440.60
    2 Mountain Vista 84.23 421.80
    3 Thunderridge 76.63 385.30
    4 Castle View 76.40 379.10
    5 Cherokee Trail 74.93 372.40
    6 Palisade 72.80 366.00
    7 Air Academy 71.47 357.00
    8 Falcon 70.50 355.50
    9 Legend 70.37 353.30
    10 Ralston Valley 69.67 342.30
    11 Fruita Monument 68.30 339.50
    12 Fountain-Ft. Carson 66.80 332.10
    13 Centaurus 65.27 326.60
    14 Liberty 63.90 317.30
    15 Greeley Central 60.90 311.10
    16 Doherty 59.07 297.00
    17 Arvada West 58.13 296.80
    18 Westminster 56.27 285.20
    19 Montrose 55.43 282.10
    20 Steamboat Springs 53.17 276.50
    21 Abraham Lincoln  52.33 261.70
    22 Central (Gj) 51.47 261.50
    23 Pomona 50.30 252.40
    24 Pueblo County 48.97 247.40
    25 Denver West 48.10 239.50
    26 John F. Kennedy 47.73 243.30
    27 Arvada 44.43 228.00
    28 Aurora Central  44.37 215.00
    29 Adams City 43.93 224.80
    30 Denver South 41.90 214.30
    31 Skyview 0.00 0.00
    31 Sierra 0.00 0.00
    Finals
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Dakota Ridge 93.80 465.60
    2 Mountain Vista 83.17 414.20
    3 Castleview 78.20 391.50
    4 Thunderridge 74.30 375.00
    5 Cherokee Trail 72.43 358.00
    6 Palisade 57.77 288.30

    [divider]

    Hip hop

    Mountain Vista won the hip hop competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Mountain Vista won the hip hop competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Prelims
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Mountain Vista 94.67 472.00
    2 Overland 91.33 457.00
    3 Monarch 90.33 452.00
    4 Greeley West 87.67 435.00
    5 Smoky Hill 86.00 431.00
    6 Thornton 84.67 425.00
    7 Northglenn 84.17 423.50
    8 Sand Creek 83.67 417.50
    9 Northridge 82.67 414.00
    10 Montezuma-Cortez 82.00 408.00
    11 Weld Central 80.33 399.00
    12 Pueblo Central 78.83 389.50
    13 Skyline 72.00 359.00
    14 Pomona 70.67 353.00
    15 Greeley Central 62.33 312.00
    16 Rampart 58.00 292.00
    Finals
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Mountain Vista 96.00 476.00
    2 Overland 93.33 466.50
    3 Greeley West 92.00 457.50
    4 Monarch 91.50 458.50

    [divider]

    Jazz

    Heritage won the jazz competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Heritage won the jazz competition at state spirit. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    Prelims
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Heritage 91.17 454.00
    2 Rock Canyon 90.67 449.00
    3 Ponderosa 90.50 453.00
    4 Golden 90.33 449.50
    5 Legend 90.00 448.50
    6 Chaparral 88.00 439.00
    7 Columbine 87.00 434.00
    8 Standley Lake 85.50 428.50
    9 Rangeview 84.50 423.50
    10 Douglas County 84.33 423.00
    11 Castle View 83.67 420.00
    12 Palmer Ridge 82.33 410.00
    12 Silver Creek 82.33 409.50
    14 Thompson Valley 81.50 407.50
    15 Pueblo West 81.33 408.50
    16 Gateway 78.50 391.50
    17 Niwot 77.67 388.50
    18 Highlands Ranch 71.83 360.50
    19 Cherokee Trail 71.33 357.00
    Finals
    Rank Team Score Tie break
    1 Heritage 93.33 465.00
    2 Ponderosa 93.17 465.50
    3 Golden 93.00 463.00
    4 Rock Canyon 91.83 459.00

  • Regis Jesuit on top of 5A girls basketball’s preseason ranking

    (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
    Regis Jesuit begins 2013-14 atop the 5A girls basketball poll. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Regis Jesuit is the unanimous No. 1 selection in CHSAANow.com’s preseason girls basketball ranking in 5A.

    The poll, released on Monday, featured 18 first-place votes. The Raiders received each one. And it makes sense: Regis Jesuit did not graduate any players from last year’s team which won the title. The squad also has six seniors committed to Division I schools, including Diani Akigbogun (Texas) and Justine Hall (Purdue).

    Highlands Ranch, last season’s 5A runner-up, is No. 2 in the preseason ranking. Arapahoe is third, Grandview is fourth and Rock Canyon rounds out the top-5.

    Monarch, with coach Gail Hook returning from a one-year hiatus, is sixth. Castle View is seventh, ThunderRidge is eighth, Cherry Creek is ninth and Poudre is tenth.

    (Pam Wagner)
    Holy Family is ranked No. 1 in 3A girls basketball. Broomfield is No. 1 in 4A. (Pam Wagner)

    In 4A, Broomfield heads the preseason poll. The Eagles reached last year’s semifinals, where they lost to eventual champion Pueblo South by three points. Pueblo South begins the season ranked No. 2.

    Holy Family is on top of the 3A ranking. The Tigers won last year’s championship.

    The 2A poll is headed by Yuma, even though the Indians received three first-place votes to Akron’s four. Akron beat Yuma in last season’s title game, and is ranked second.

    Caliche is the preseason No. 1 team in 1A. The Buffaloes lost in last season’s quarterfinals. Defending champion Wiley is unranked to begin the season.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Basketball Polls

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

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Regis Jesuit (18) 0-0 180
    2 Highlands Ranch 0-0 145
    3 Arapahoe 0-0 115
    4 Grandview 0-0 85
    5 Rock Canyon 0-0 75
    6 Monarch 0-0 69
    7 Castle View 0-0 53
    8 ThunderRidge 0-0 51
    9 Cherry Creek 0-0 41
    10 Poudre 0-0 34
    Others receiving votes:
    Horizon 30, Chaparral 22, Denver East 21, Lakewood 18, Ralston Valley 16, Palmer 14, Fossil Ridge 10, Rampart 8, Legacy 2, Heritage 1.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Broomfield (8) 0-0 137
    2 Pueblo South (5) 0-0 123
    3 D’Evelyn (2) 0-0 119
    4 Mesa Ridge 0-0 109
    5 Sand Creek 0-0 74
    6 Pueblo West 0-0 44
    7 Montrose 0-0 42
    8 Palmer Ridge 0-0 28
    9 Canon City 0-0 19
    10 Air Academy 0-0 17
    Others receiving votes:
    Silver Creek 16, Windsor 15, Mullen 14, Valor Christian 14, Elizabeth 12, Pueblo County 9, Centaurus 8, Golden 5, Rifle 5, Evergreen 4, Greeley Central 4, Glenwood Springs 3, Thompson Valley 2, Berthoud 1, Conifer 1.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Holy Family (14) 0-0 140
    2 Pagosa Springs 0-0 107
    3 Denver Science & Tech 0-0 101
    4 Lamar 0-0 70
    5 Centauri 0-0 68
    6 St. Mary’s 0-0 63
    7 Eaton 0-0 42
    8 Valley 0-0 35
    9 Peak to Peak 0-0 30
    10 Sterling 0-0 26
    Others receiving votes:
    Bishop Machebeuf 21, Kent Denver 15, Manitou Springs 11, Olathe 8, Coal Ridge 7, Grand Valley 7, Clear Creek 6, Platte Valley 4, Salida 3, Trinidad 3, Moffat County 2, Buena Vista 1.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Yuma (3) 0-0 82
    2 Akron (4) 0-0 74
    3 Lutheran (2) 0-0 67
    4 Peyton 0-0 66
    5 Sangre de Cristo 0-0 33
    6 Holyoke 0-0 27
    7 Paonia 0-0 26
    8 Rye 0-0 18
    9 The Vanguard 0-0 17
    10 Meeker 0-0 16
    Others receiving votes:
    Ignacio 11, Del Norte 9, Hoehne 9, Simla 8, Las Animas 5, Liberty Common 5, Swink 5, Limon 4, Sanford 4, Burlington 3, Calhan 3, Heritage Christian 2, Springfield 2, Center 1, Highland 1.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Caliche (4) 0-0 57
    2 Eads 0-0 56
    3 Stratton 0-0 40
    4 Idalia 0-0 39
    5 Norwood (2) 0-0 35
    6 Kit Carson 0-0 31
    7 Hi-Plains 0-0 30
    8 Kim 0-0 23
    9 Pawnee 0-0 19
    10 Walsh (1) 0-0 18
    Others receiving votes:
    Dove Creek 13, Wiley 9, Belleview Christian 4, Prairie 4, Cheraw 3, Otis 3, McClave 2, Jim Elliot Christian 1.

  • Grandview sweeps Arapahoe to claim 5A volleyball title

    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

    DENVER — Morgan Montgomery tripped over her teammate, yet still managed to flail an arm at the ball. Somehow, she connected and sent it toward the net. It clipped the top, and fell to the ground for a point.

    Montgomery turned around, almost looking embarrassed, shrugged her shoulders and laughed. As if to say, That was ridiculous.

    “They always say, ‘The team with the momentum, the ball’s going to fall in your court.’ And it definitely did,” Montgomery, a Grandview senior, would say afterward. “Haley (McLaren) and I just went for it. We didn’t know what was going on. It just went in our favor and we’re so thankful for that.”

    Everything, it seemed, went in Grandview’s favor during the Class 5A volleyball championship match against Arapahoe on Saturday night at the Denver Coliseum. The Wolves won a back-and-forth first set, 25-22, then rolled to a 25-12 win in the second and secured the title with a 25-17 win in the third.

    Saturday’s match marked Grandview’s 23rd-straight win this season. In fact, the Wolves hadn’t dropped a set since Oct. 15 before losing one to Cherry Creek in the semifinals.

    “It was a nice run, a great way to finish my high school career,” said senior Alyssa Svalberg.

    It was the fourth title in Grandview’s history. The Wolves also won in 2007, 2005 and 2004. But Grandview’s recent trips to the title game — there have now been nine of them — ended in defeats. The squad was runner-up each of the last two seasons.

    “It’s nice to be on this side again,” Wolves coach Patty Childress said.

    “This is our third time in the state finals, so all the kids — me, Morgan, Sydney (Ederhoff) and Claire (Gordon) — who have been through three state titles now, we just wanted this so bad,” Svalberg said. “Not only for ourselves, but for everyone and our coach.

    “Every single person on our team is a factor, no matter how much they play, no matter what. We’re just such a big family, and all the seniors just came out so strong. We knew from Day 1, even before tryouts, we were like, ‘This is our mission.’”

    So what was the difference? How was Grandview able to make the jump from a two-time bridesmaid? This year, there were eight seniors leading the way.

    “Last year, we had one senior and she was real quiet,” Childress said. “So these kids had to step up and lead as juniors. I think that helped.”

    Saturday was the third meeting between Grandview and Arapahoe this season. Grandview won all three, but, “Every time we’ve played,” Childress said, “it’s just been back-and-forth.”

    Arapahoe actually jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the first set during Saturday’s title match. But Childress called a timeout, calmed her bunch, and they proceeded to chip away. The lead shrunk to 12-9, then it was 14-13, then 16-16. Grandview eventually grabbed a 21-20 lead in that game and held on. For good.

    That’s because Grandview jumped all over Arapahoe in the second game. It was 7-2 before the Warriors blinked. Then Wolves junior Sarah Mullens, who only recently returned from knee surgery, went on an ace binge which sparked a back-breaking seven-point run to make it 17-5.

    “They hadn’t really passed against Sarah because this is the first time she’s played against them,” Childress said. “All the kids on the bench were just saying, ‘Well now they know what we go through everyday in practice. We have to deal with her serving to us.’”

    When the third game rolled around, Grandview again jumped out big. It was 5-1 and 10-4 early. Mongomery’s flailing, falling point made it 11-5, and was fitting at that time. Grandview was a wave, washing over the 5A field.

    “We had,” Svalberg said, “an insane season.”

    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)
    (Kevin Keyser/KeyserImages.com)

  • Wingard leads the way in Ralston Valley football’s win over Arapahoe

    Ralston Valley junior Andrew Wingard cuts upfield during the Mustangs' 58-28 first-round Class 5A victory against Arapahoe on Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. Wingard rushed for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the win. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley junior Andrew Wingard cuts upfield during the Mustangs’ 58-28 first-round Class 5A victory against Arapahoe on Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. Wingard rushed for 268 yards and three touchdowns in the win. (Dennis Pleuss)

    ARVADA — It was a bit of a spooky start to the Class 5A football postseason for Ralston Valley running back Andrew Wingard.

    The day after Halloween, the Mustangs’ junior fumbled on his first carry Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex against No. 18-seeded Arapahoe in the first-round playoff game. Wingard would lose another fumble, but besides putting the ball on the ground twice Wingard was spectacular for No. 15-seed Ralston Valley (7-3) in the Mustangs’ 58-28 victory.

    Wingard finished with 20 carries for 268 yards and a trio of touchdowns on the ground. Still, the junior first mentioned his miscues after the win.

    “That’s not happening again. I haven’t fumbled all season. I don’t know what got into me. No excuses,” Wingard said. “Thankfully, we came out with the W.”

    Ralston Valley senior quarterback Jacob Knipp drops back to pass as Arapahoe senior Spencer Elliot applies some pressure Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. The Mustangs scored a 58-28 home victory to advance to the second round. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley senior quarterback Jacob Knipp drops back to pass as Arapahoe senior Spencer Elliot applies some pressure Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. The Mustangs scored a 58-28 home victory to advance to the second round. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Wingard missed sometime this season due to injury, but clearly is back to top form after his best game of the season.

    “(Wingard) is doing a lot of good things for our team right now. We are going to keep giving him the ball,” said Ralston Valley senior quarterback Jacob Knipp, who had 98 yards passing, including a 29-yard touchdown strike to senior John Morales.

    Ralston Valley sophomore Kyle Rush also found his way into the end zone three times for Ralston Valley. Rush finished with 59 yards on the ground on eight carries. The Mustangs piled up 402 yards on the ground.

    The Mustangs even had a special teams touchdown when senior Mitchell Robinson blocked a punt and senior teammate Jon Baumann recovered the ball in the end zone.

    “I’m happy with what we did offensively, defensively and on special teams,” Ralston Valley coach Matt Loyd said. “If we clean up the mistakes I’ll be really happy.”

    Arapahoe senior Ethan Brunhofer had a huge game with 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdowns in the Warriors' 58-28 loss to Ralston Valley on Friday. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Arapahoe senior Ethan Brunhofer had a huge game with 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdowns in the Warriors’ 58-28 loss to Ralston Valley on Friday. (Dennis Pleuss)

    The victory sets up a second-round date with defending 5A state champion and No. 2 seed Valor Christian. The Eagles scored a 63-22 victory over Eaglecrest on Friday night.

    “We are well aware of what we are going up against,” Loyd said of facing Valor, which has won four straight state football titles in various classifications since 2009.

    Arapahoe closed out the season with a 6-4 record. The Warriors had a quality win against eventual Super 6 League champion Columbine earlier in their conference schedule, but dropped league games against Lakewood and Chatfield before entering the playoffs.

    Senior quarterback Gabe Peterson finished 19-for-30 passing for 239 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Peterson’s favorite target Ethan Brunhofer had a monster game. The senior hauled in 11 passing for 144 yards. His final catch was a 7-yard touchdown.

    Ralston Valley sophomore Kyle Rush, right, attempts to break the tackle by Arapahoe senior Kyle Foss on Friday in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley sophomore Kyle Rush, right, attempts to break the tackle by Arapahoe senior Kyle Foss on Friday in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs. (Dennis Pleuss)

  • 5A football playoff bracket

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

    2013 CHSAA State Football Championships CHSAA 5A Football Championship

  • Fairview grabs 5A’s top seed as football brackets are released

    (Courtesy photo)
    Fairview is the No. 1 seed in 5A. (Courtesy photo)

    The groundwork, as is so often the case, was laid four years ago. Tom McCartney saw it in his freshmen then. Those freshmen are now seniors, and that group has Fairview seeded No. 1 overall in the Class 5A football playoffs.

    “We knew that it was a special group,” McCartney, Fairview’s coach, said Sunday morning. “We also knew that for them to do the things and reach some of the goals they’ve set, you’ve got to have junior compliments. You want to know that your juniors are also part of that.

    “We’ve been kind of waiting on this group of seniors for a while, and a lot of them have gotten a lot of playing time as sophomores and juniors,” he continued. “When you get in those kinds of battles against teams like Pomona and Ralston Valley, and Legacy and Arvada West and Boulder — and Grandview in the playoffs last year, and Regis the year before — all of those experiences help. So, yes, to be honest with you, we’ve seen this coming from this particular group. We knew this was a talented group.”

    The Knights were the lone 5A team to finish the regular season unbeaten (9-0). They were ranked No. 2 in the CHSAANow.com football poll in recent weeks, but were No. 1 in Wild Card points during that stretch, and finished atop the final Wild Card standings released Sunday morning.

    And so, when the 5A bracket was unveiled, it was Fairview in the No. 1 spot. (See the full bracket.)

    “It feels awesome,” McCartney said. “It’s playoff football. We’re just going to prepare. We understand that if you win you move on, and if you don’t you’re done. We want to keep playing. The best way to keep playing is to be prepared and to improve.”

    Fairview draws No. 32 Mountain Vista (3-6) in the first round. The two teams played in 2010 and 2011, both Mountain Vista wins.

    “Our seniors, when they were freshmen, played them. And so we know a little bit about them,” McCartney said. “We’ve got a ton of respect for coach (Ric) Cash. His teams are always prepared. They’re always hard-nosed.”

    Rounding out the top-5 seeds in 5A were No. 2 Valor Christian, No. 3 Cherry Creek, No. 4 Regis Jesuit and No. 5 ThunderRidge.

    The top 16 seeds host in the first round, meaning No. 6 Cherokee Trail, No. 7 Columbine, No. 8 Pomona, No. 9 Chatfield, No. 10 Grand Junction, No. 11 Mountain Range, No. 12 Doherty, No. 13 Prairie View, No. 14 Rangeview, No. 15 Ralston Valley and No. 16 Douglas County will get home games.

    Other qualifiers were No. 17 Legend, No. 18 Arapahoe, No. 19 Overland, No. 20 Grandview, No. 21 Gateway, No. 22 Heritage, No. 23 Westminster, No. 24 Rocky Mountain, No. 25 Fountain-Fort Carson, No. 26 Hinkley, No. 27 Arvada West, No. 28 Castle View, No. 29 Fort Collins, No. 30 Lakewood and No. 31 Eaglecrest.

    The 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man brackets were also released on Sunday.

    Brush is 2A’s top seed. As the top-8 host in the first round, No. 2 Manitou Springs, No. 3 Platte Valley, No. 4 Faith Christian, No. 5 Gunnison, No. 6 Bennett, No. 7 Kent Denver and No. 8 Florence will all get home games.

    Also qualifying in 2A were No. 9 Strasburg, No. 10 Lamar, No. 11 Olathe, No. 12 Fort Lupton, No. 13 Aspen, No. 14 Ridge View Academy, No. 15 Jefferson and No. 16 The Academy.

    In 1A, Buena Vista got the top seed. No. 2 Limon, No. 3 Centauri, No. 4 Paonia, No. 5 Monte Vista, No. 6 Hotchkiss, No. 7 Yuma and No. 8 Platte Canyon will also host first-round games.

    Additional 1A qualifiers were No. 9 Resurrection Christian, No. 10 Rye, No. 11 Burlington, No. 12 Cedaredge, No. 13 Colorado Springs Christian, No. 14 Wray, No. 15 Lyons and No. 16 Front Range Christian.

    Hoehne is 8-man’s top seed. Also hosting in the first round will be No. 2 Dayspring Christian, No. 3 Norwood, No. 4 Simla, No. 5 Caliche, No. 6 Kiowa, No. 7 Sargent and No. 8 Dove Creek. Also qualifying were No. 9 Sanford, No. 10 Vail Christian, No. 11 Merino, No. 12 Walsh, No. 13 Akron, No. 14 West Grand, No. 15 Fowler and No. 16 Granada.

    Liberty/Stratton grabbed 6-man’s top seed. Also qualifying were No. 2 Hi-Plains, No. 3 Eads, No. 4 Prairie, No. 5 Otis, No. 6 Peetz, No. 7 Hanover and No. 8 Flagler

  • Chatfield beats Arapahoe football on game’s final play

    Chatfield Arapahoe football
    Chatfield junior quarterback Kyle Winkler, far left, drops back to pass while getting some protection by senior offensive lineman Denis Tsimbalist as Arapahoe defenders Charlie Leonard (33) and Brian Dennis (83) look to get to Winkler. Chatfield took a 48-46 victory Friday at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood on a last-second touchdown pass from Winkler in the final regular season game for both the Chargers and Warriors. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LAKEWOOD — Chatfield quarterback Kyle Winkler wouldn’t allow history to repeat itself Friday night at Jeffco Stadium.

    Winkler, a junior, threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to running back junior Michael Callahan-Harris on the final play of the game as time expired against Arapahoe. The fourth touchdown toss of the night by Winkler gave the Chargers a dramatic 48-46 victory in the Class 5A Super 6 League showdown.

    “It was just a great designed play. Michael was wide open,” said Winkler of the play called ’98 ducks.’ “We put it in about two weeks ago for this kind of situation. It worked out.”

    Chatfield was in the almost exact state of affairs three weeks ago against rival Columbine. The Chargers trailed by seven points, but had the ball on the Rebels 18-yard line with 1.4 seconds left. Winkler’s pass fell incomplete, allowing Columbine to win 50-43.

    Winkler said he had flashbacks to the Columbine game before taking the snap with 2.6 second left from Arapahoe’s 20-yard line and trailing 46-42.

    Chatfield Arapahoe football
    Chatfield junior running back Jake Carstensen, far left, looses his grip on the football as Arapahoe defenders Talon Jones and Taden Jones combine on the tackle. Chatfield wide receiver Lander Davidson actually recovered the fumble on the play. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Chatfield offensive coordinator Craig Aukland called the play, but head coach Bret McGatlin put in his two cents, keeping Callahan-Harris in the backfield on the play instead of on the line. McGatlin wanted to keep this running back hidden before coming out of the backfield on a wheel route.

    “Just wanted to get me open and make something happen,” said Callahan-Harris, who also had 16 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to go along with his game-winning touchdown catch.

    Winkler was able to buy some time in the pocket before hitting Callahan-Harris with the pass. The junior running back caught the ball near the 5-yard line and quickly turned up field and into the end zone.

    “I thought Winkler got sacked for a second. I couldn’t see what was going on,” McGatlin said. “Then I saw the ball in the air. It’s a great finish for our regular season.”

    The victory actually helped out Chatfield’s chief rival; No. 6 Columbine (8-1, 4-1 in league) win the Super 6 conference title outright. Chatfield (7-2, 3-2) prevented Arapahoe (6-3, 3-2) from taking the crown. The Warriors handed the Rebels their lone league loss.

    “I’m going to send (Columbine coach Andy Lowry) a text that just says ‘Your welcome.’ Andy is one of my best friends,” said McGatlin, who was an assistant coach under Lowry at Columbine for four years before taking over Chatfield’s program. “I don’t know if I want to see (Columbine) again in the playoffs, but we wouldn’t mind it.”

    Winkler called helping Columbine win a league title out “bittersweet”.

    Arapahoe and Chatfield will both head into the 5A playoffs next week after combining for 1,081 yards of offense from the line of scrimmage.

    Arapahoe senior quarterback Gabe Peterson had a monster night throwing for 17-of-25 for 295 yards and four touchdowns. Peterson guided the Warriors’ offense for two fourth-quarter touchdowns after Chatfield had a 42-31 lead going to the final quarter.

    Chatfield Arapahoe football
    Arapahoe senior running back Jose Cancanon, right, tries to avoid Chatfield junior Matt Gaiter during the Class 5A Super 6 League game Friday at Jeffco Stadium. Cancanon had 107 yards rushing and also caught a touchdown pass, but it wasn’t enough for the Warriors as they fell to the Chargers 48-46. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Seniors Kevin Dement and Ethan Brunhofer combined for 11 catches to mass 219 yards and three touchdowns for the Warriors.

    Arapahoe took 46-42 lead when Peterson connected with Brunhofer on a 13-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-down play with 1 minute, 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

    However, Chatfield’s hurry-up offense mounted an 80-yard drive in 12 plays to pull off the remarkable last-minute comeback.

    “Our offense helps with that tempo. We are used to having to drive in a short time,” Callahan-Harris said. “It shouldn’t have come down to that, but it did and we won.”

    The other offensive standouts for Chatfield included running back Jake Carstensen. The junior had 119 yards rushing and a touchdown on just five carries. Senior Brandon Zanier had five catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Sean O’Dell had just one catch, but it went for a 74-yard touchdown during the Chargers’ 21-point first quarter.

    Chatfield Arapahoe football
    Arapahoe senior Ethan Brunhofer turns up field after a catch Friday at the Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood. Brunhofer had six catches for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Warriors’ 48-46 loss to Chatfield. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield Arapahoe football
    Arapahoe senior quarterback Gabe Peterson loads up for a pass as Chatfield lineman Matt Gaiter closes in Friday at Jeffco Stadium. Peterson threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns, but the Warriors fell short in their regular-season finale. (Dennis Pleuss)

  • 4A’s Windsor, 3A’s Lamar join this week’s volleyball polls

    Windsor (4A), Lamar (3A), Vail Christian and Rocky Mountain Lutheran (1A) are newcomers to this week’s CHSAANow.com volleyball polls.

    The five No. 1s from last week — Grandview (5A), Lewis-Palmer (4A), Manitou Springs (3A), Resurrection Christian (2A) and Caliche (1A) — all stayed put.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    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.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Grandview (10) 16-2 109 1 2-0
    2 Arapahoe (1) 16-2 100 2 2-0
    3 Fossil Ridge 17-0 84 3 2-0
    4 Regis Jesuit 16-2 71 5 2-0
    5 Doherty 15-3 53 4 2-0
    6 Cherry Creek 14-4 51 6 2-0
    7 Mountain Vista 15-4 44 8 0-0
    8 Eaglecrest 12-5 32 7 1-1
    9 Lakewood 14-4 20 10 2-0
    10 Fruita Monument 15-3 17 9 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Rampart 15, Cherokee Trail 6, Ralston Valley 3.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (10) 17-1 136 1 2-0
    2 Longmont (2) 17-0 120 3 2-0
    3 Cheyenne Mountain (1) 15-2 119 2 1-1
    4 Air Academy 18-4 79 4 5-1
    5 Thomas Jefferson (1) 17-0 63 5 2-0
    6 Montrose 15-3 60 7 3-0
    7 Ponderosa 12-6 58 6 0-0
    8 Valor Christian 14-4 38 8 4-2
    9 Battle Mountain 18-1 32 9 6-0
    10 Windsor 14-4 21 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Coronado 15, Niwot 10, Elizabeth 8, Roosevelt 7, Pueblo West 5.
    Dropped out
    Niwot (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Manitou Springs (6) 19-0 94 1 1-0
    2 Eaton (4) 19-1 93 2 3-0
    3 Valley 15-5 75 3 2-1
    4 Platte Valley 13-5 55 5 2-0
    5 Holy Family 13-5 46 4 1-2
    6 Bayfield 15-3 45 6 2-0
    7 Gunnison 16-3 44 7 1-0
    8 Lamar 17-2 27 – 2-0
    9 Sterling 12-5 25 8 2-0
    10 Coal Ridge 16-2 24 9 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    University 16, Fort Lupton 4, Olathe 3, Machebeuf 1, St. Mary’s 1.
    Dropped out
    University (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (7) 19-0 88 1 4-0
    2 Fowler (2) 19-0 78 2 2-0
    3 Lutheran 17-2 67 3 1-1
    4 Paonia 19-0 66 4 3-0
    5 Sangre de Cristo 18-1 39 6 2-0
    6 Sargent 17-2 35 5 3-0
    7 Swink 16-3 32 7 3-0
    8 Yuma 14-5 26 8 3-1
    9 Lyons 13-6 25 9 0-2
    10 C.S. School 18-1 15 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Dayspring Christian 7, Akron 5, Ridgway 4, SkyView Academy 3, Del Norte 2, Rye 2, Custer County 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Caliche (6) 17-1 69 1 1-0
    2 Otis (1) 18-1 63 2 3-0
    3 Dove Creek 19-0 48 5 2-0
    4 Fleming 16-3 47 3 2-0
    5 Flagler 16-3 44 4 4-0
    6 Eads 17-2 32 6 2-0
    7 Hi-Plains 14-5 20 7 2-0
    8 Idalia 10-5 15 8 0-0
    9 Vail Christian 14-5 13 – 2-0
    10 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 17-2 12 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Edison 11, La Veta 7, Stratton 3, Cheraw 2, Belleview Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Stratton (9), Edison (10).