CHSAANow

Tag: Chatfield

  • Notebook: Chatfield baseball hires coach in February, No. 1 in Wild Card points in April

    Chatfield Horizon baseball
    (Pam Wagner)

    In mid-February, Chatfield sent out a release announcing the hire of baseball coach Brandon Stone.

    Stone was up against it. Chatfield’s first game was exactly 30 days away.

    Well, Stone’s Chargers are now 11-0, and sit atop Class 5A baseball’s Wild Card points by a sizable margin. Through the weekend’s games, Chatfield has 114.091 points; second-place Regis Jesuit is at 111.364, third-place ThunderRidge has 109.000.

    We’re only at the midpoint of the 2014 season, but Chatfield is just two wins away from matching its entire total from all of last season, when the Chargers went 13-10.

    Still, that record is somewhat deceiving. Chatfield cruised through the district round to reach the final eight last year (where they went 0-2). Now, they’re carrying the momentum on through to this spring.

    Leading the way has been junior Kyle Winkler, who is batting .559 with a team-high 18 RBIs, five doubles and a home run. It’s a dangerous lineup, which features seven players hitting .390 or above, and five kids with double-digit RBIs. The latter group doesn’t even include Blake Moore, who has three home runs.

    The staff, led by a trio of seniors, has been good, too. Nick Chamberlain has a 1.33 ERA in a team-high 21 innings pitched. Patrick Barder carries a 2.58 ERA in 19 innings, while Travis Schnoor is at 3.50 in 12 innings.

    Chatfield hasn’t won a game in the final eight since 2008. Does that change this year?

    Pomona OL commits to CU

    Pomona senior-to-be Dillon Middlemiss committed to the University of Colorado on Saturday.

    It had apparently been a goal of his since middle school. From his Twitter account:

    He’s the third local football player from the class of 2015 to commit publicly thus far. Pine Creek defensive back Avery Anderson and Valor Christian defensive back Eric Lee have both pledged to Nebraska.

    Middlemiss is 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds.

    Valor Christian football’s national schedule

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

    Next season, Valor Christian football will play against East High School out of Salt Lake City, Utah, according to NationalHSFootball.com.

    East went 13-1 last season, with the lone loss coming in the Class 4A championship game. The Leopards feature senior-to-be Christian Folau, a linebacker who has committed to Stanford.

    The two teams will play on Sept. 5 at Valor.

    It is the third out-of-state team the Eagles will play next season. They’ll open up at Bonneville, Idaho, on Aug. 22 (Zero Week), before returning home to play Pomona on Aug. 29. The East game is the following week, and then Valor — a five-time defending champion across classes 5A, 4A and 3A — hosts Chandler (Ariz.) on Sept. 12.

    Denver East’s Carey gets his own day

    Gov. John Hickenlooper and Rep. Angela Williams proclaimed April 10 “Rudy Carey Day” for the Denver East coach.

    Here’s a picture our Tom Robinson snapped at the announcement last week:

    (Tom Robinson/CHSAANow.com)
    (Tom Robinson/CHSAANow.com)

    Short stuff:

    • Denver East guard Dom Collier was an honorable mention All-American pick by MaxPreps.
    • On a related note, Collier’s Angels finished at No. 10 in MaxPreps’ national rankings. It’s the highest finish for a boys team in this state since the ranking started in 2005-06.
    • Regis Jesuit’s girls basketball team finished at No. 11 in those same rankings. It, too, is the highest finish ever for a girls team from Colorado. That ranking started in 2005-06, as well.
    • Cherry Creek baseball coach Marc Johnson won the 700th game of his career on Wednesday. Friday, the Bruins’ Brian Perry won his 200th as boys lacrosse coach.
    • Here’s a quick roundup of recent football coaching hires. Included: Rod Dobbs at Chaparral, Jeff Krumlauf at Doherty, Brian Tinker at Fossil Ridge and Craig Ball at Gilpin County. As always, here’s our football coaching changes tracker.
    • Manitou Springs may be the next to fill its vacancy, according to our Dan Mohrmann. The school interviewed candidates on Friday.
    • April’s Legislative Council meeting is Thursday. This post will take you through the ins and outs of what will be voted on and discussed. Among the topics are a potential 5A football seeding committee. Find the full agenda, including PDFs of all proposals, here.
    • Here’s an interesting take on youth sports from Changing The Game Project, where they examine “an adult driven, hyper competitive race to the top in both academics and athletics that serves the needs of the adults, but rarely the kids.” This culture, they argue, “produces bitter athletes who get hurt, burnout, and quit sports altogether.”

  • Fairview climbs to No. 4 in latest 5A baseball ranking

    Fairview Arvada West baseball
    Fairview, and shortstop Cameron Frazier (3) are No. 4 in this week’s 5A baseball poll. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Perhaps no win was bigger for Fairview in recent years than last Thursday’s decision over then-No. 5 Rocky Mountain.

    But the win for the Knights was just one-fourth a tough 4-0 week last week, and now they find themselves ranked No. 4 in this week’s CHSAANow.com Class 5A baseball poll. Fairview was seventh last week.

    The Knights are actually 7-0 in Colorado, with the lone loss coming in Arizona during a Spring Break tournament. Their lineup has produced double-digit scoring outputs the past four games.

    ThunderRidge remained in its top spot in the 5A ranking, where it has been since the preseason. Regis Jesuit stayed at No. 2, and Chatfield held firm at No. 3.

    Behind Fairview, Columbine rounds out the top five.

    Ralston Valley is No. 6, Mountain Vista is No. 7 and Arapahoe is No. 8. Rocky Mountain dropped to No. 9 after going 1-2 last week.

    Chaparral is the lone newcomer to 5A this week. The Wolverines rejoined the poll at No. 10.

    Elsewhere, Swink took over the top spot in the 2A ranking. At 9-0, Swink moved up from No. 2. Former No. 1 Resurrection Christian dropped to No. 3.

    The 2A poll added Kiowa (No. 8) this week.

    The other No. 1 teams remained the same. Those are Montrose (4A), Holy Family (3A) and Stratton (1A).

    The 4A poll has two new teams this week: Wheat Ridge, which joined all the way at No. 5, and Elizabeth, which is No. 7.

    3A added No. 9 Brush, while 1A added No. 6 Briggsdale.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Baseball 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 ThunderRidge (6) 8-2 126 1 3-0
    2 Regis Jesuit (4) 8-3 114 2 3-0
    3 Chatfield (3) 11-0 106 3 2-0
    4 Fairview 10-1 87 7 4-0
    5 Columbine (1) 11-0 78 6 2-0
    6 Ralston Valley 9-1 71 4 1-0
    7 Mountain Vista 10-1 44 9 3-0
    8 Arapahoe 9-2 41 8 2-1
    9 Rocky Mountain 4-5 32 5 1-2
    10 Chaparral 7-4 27 – 4-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherry Creek 16, Central (G.J.) 10, Fruita Monument 6, Legacy 4, Rock Canyon 3, Dakota Ridge 2, Pine Creek 2, Brighton 1.
    Dropped out
    Dakota Ridge (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Montrose (5) 9-2 112 1 1-1
    2 Niwot (4) 10-1 106 4 3-0
    3 Windsor (4) 12-1 101 2 3-0
    4 Delta (1) 11-1 77 5 0-1
    5 Wheat Ridge 7-2 64 – 3-0
    6 Lewis-Palmer 8-3 50 9 3-0
    7 Elizabeth 10-1 41 – 3-0
    8 Valor Christian 7-5 38 3 0-2
    9 Evergreen 7-2 36 10 3-0
    10 Palmer Ridge 8-3 31 7 3-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo Centennial 19, Longmont 17, Air Academy 16, Ponderosa 12, Mesa Ridge 10, Mountain View 9, Skyline 7, Pueblo East 4, Canon City 3, Falcon 3, Pueblo West 2, Widefield 2, Durango 1, Green Mountain 1, Pueblo South 1.
    Dropped out
    Longmont (6), Falcon (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holy Family (6) 12-0 85 1 4-0
    2 Eaton (3) 8-0 84 2 1-0
    3 Faith Christian 9-1 67 3 4-0
    4 Gunnison 10-0 49 7 3-0
    5 Valley 10-1 46 5 2-1
    6 Cedaredge 11-0 41 6 2-0
    7 Lamar 9-3 38 4 2-2
    8 University 7-2 28 9 1-1
    9 Brush 7-1 24 – 4-0
    10 The Classical Academy 7-2 18 8 3-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Bayfield 14, La Junta 1.
    Dropped out
    Bayfield (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Swink (3) 9-0 63 2 4-0
    2 Rye (1) 9-1 55 4 3-0
    3 Resurrection Christian (2) 8-2 52 1 2-1
    4 Hotchkiss (1) 11-2 42 7 2-0
    5 Peyton 9-1 39 6 2-1
    6 Sedgwick County 7-1 36 8 2-0
    7 Lutheran 5-4 21 5 2-1
    8 Kiowa 7-3 15 – 5-1
    9 Limon 6-3 13 10 1-1
    10 Denver Christian 4-3 11 3 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Haxtun 6, Holyoke 6, Dolores 5, Front Range Christian 5, Lyons 5, Sierra Grande 4, Byers 2, Nucla 2, Rocky Ford 2, Yuma 1.
    Dropped out
    Ignacio (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Stratton (5) 5-1 50 1 1-1
    2 Granada 3-2 40 3 0-1
    3 Elbert 5-1 38 2 1-0
    4 Caliche 5-6 29 4 2-0
    5 Eads 4-7 28 7 2-1
    6 Briggsdale 5-4 20 – 3-1
    7 Community Christian 5-5 15 6 2-0
    8 Peetz 1-2 14 8 0-1
    9 Fleming 3-3 11 10 0-0
    10 Dove Creek 2-8 9 9 0-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Cornerstone Christian 7, County Line 7, Holly 3, Manzanola 3, Cotopaxi 1.
    Dropped out
    Holly (5).

  • Centaurus takes over as No. 1 in girls lacrosse ranking

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Centaurus’ girls lacrosse team has toppled two No. 1 teams thus far this season. It follows that they should eventually get their turn at the top.

    Well, that time has arrive. The Warriors (9-1) received six of the eight-first place votes in this week’s CHSAANow.com girls lacrosse poll to move into the No. 1 spot.

    Their latest victory over a No. 1 team came against Air Academy last Tuesday. Centaurus followed that with a 12-10 win over then-No. 7 Kent Denver on Friday.

    Chatfield moved up one place to No. 2, while Air Academy dropped to No. 3 this week.

    Arapahoe is fourth, and Cherry Creek fifth.

    Rampart was the lone newcomer to this week’s ranking, joining at No. 10.

    The complete poll is below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Lacrosse Poll

    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.

    Girls Lacrosse
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Centaurus (6) 9-1 78 2 3-0
    2 Chatfield (2) 8-0 70 3 2-0
    3 Air Academy 6-1 67 1 1-1
    4 Arapahoe 5-1 57 4 1-0
    5 Cherry Creek 6-4 45 5 3-0
    6 Kent Denver 4-4 37 7 1-1
    7 Denver East 9-0 29 6 4-0
    8 Colorado Academy 7-1 28 8 1-0
    9 Palmer Ridge 6-2 15 9 1-1
    10 Rampart 8-1 5 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Mullen 3, ThunderRidge 2, Chaparral 1, Palmer 1.
    Dropped out
    Mullen (10).

  • Baseball’s Wild Card point standings, April 9

    Wild Card points help determine the postseason fields in 3A, 4A and 5A, with 4A and 5A also using them for seeding. Find a more detailed breakdown here.

    Baseball’s Wild Card point standings for April 9 are below.

    [divider]

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

    Class 5A
    Rank School Points
    1 Chatfield 112.000
    2 Regis Jesuit 107.778
    3 Fairview 106.444
    4 ThunderRidge 105.750
    5 Columbine 105.100
    6 Arapahoe 101.778
    7 Mountain Vista 99.889
    8 Ralston Valley 99.600
    9 Chaparral 98.750
    10 Rock Canyon 96.444
    11 Grand Junction Central 96.385
    12 Fruita Monument 96.357
    13 Monarch 96.143
    14 Grand Junction 96.077
    15 Pine Creek 95.778
    16 Brighton 95.000
    17 Fossil Ridge 92.444
    18 Prairie View 92.000
    19 Arvada West 91.600
    20 Cherry Creek 91.556
    21 Horizon 91.444
    22 Mountain Range 90.250
    23 Dakota Ridge 89.000
    24 Douglas County 88.444
    25 Castle View 87.375
    26 Lincoln 87.250
    27 Eaglecrest 86.875
    28 Lakewood 86.800
    29 Rocky Mountain 86.714
    30 Northglenn 86.667
    31 Boulder 85.900
    32 Mullen 85.500
    33 Denver East 85.455
    34 Bear Creek 83.600
    35 Heritage 82.000
    36 Doherty 81.111
    37 Legend 81.000
    38 Rangeview 80.273
    39 Standley Lake 80.200
    40 Highlands Ranch 79.778
    41 Westminster 78.727
    42 Fort Collins 78.571
    43 Aurora Central 78.444
    44 Greeley West 77.111
    45 George Washington 76.923
    46 Overland 76.200
    47 Liberty 76.143
    48 Poudre 75.625
    49 Palmer 72.778
    50 Pomona 72.556
    51 Fountain-Fort Carson 72.100
    52 Littleton 71.375
    53 Legacy 70.875
    54 Smoky Hill 70.778
    55 Grandview 69.100
    56 Cherokee Trail 68.600
    57 Montbello 67.545
    58 Rampart 65.375
    59 Hinkley 64.545
    60 Loveland 63.444
    61 Gateway 60.700
    62 Adams City 59.273
    63 Thornton 53.571

    Class 4A
    Rank School Points
    1 Niwot 101.889
    2 Wheat Ridge 98.286
    3 Lewis-Palmer 97.889
    4 Montrose 97.800
    5 Elizabeth 96.222
    6 Evergreen 95.714
    7 Ponderosa 94.111
    8 Windsor 92.818
    9 Palmer Ridge 92.250
    10 Durango 92.100
    11 Delta 91.167
    12 Longmont 91.000
    13 Valor Christian 90.909
    14 Palisade 90.400
    15 Pueblo East 88.000
    16 D’Evelyn 87.875
    17 Thomas Jefferson 85.889
    18 Falcon 85.500
    19 Golden 85.125
    20 Canon City 85.000
    21 Pueblo Centennial 83.333
    22 Green Mountain 83.125
    23 Skyview 83.100
    24 Mesa Ridge 81.727
    25 Frederick 81.700
    26 Widefield 81.300
    27 Steamboat Springs 80.286
    28 Kennedy 80.077
    29 Thompson Valley 80.000
    30 Rifle 79.909
    31 Air Academy 79.857
    32 Denver North 79.444
    33 Northridge 79.444
    34 Skyline 79.000
    35 Greeley Central 78.400
    36 Eagle Valley 77.889
    37 Montezuma-Cortez 77.583
    38 Erie 77.000
    39 Pueblo South 76.900
    40 Vista PEAK Prep 76.818
    41 Discovery Canyon 76.667
    42 Mead 75.333
    43 Denver West 74.750
    44 Broomfield 73.000
    45 Mountain View 72.889
    46 Pueblo Central 72.778
    47 Pueblo West 71.571
    48 Coronado 71.556
    49 Glenwood Springs 70.625
    50 Fort Morgan 70.091
    51 Conifer 70.000
    52 Cheyenne Mountain 69.000
    53 Sand Creek 68.333
    54 Roosevelt 68.000
    55 Pueblo County 67.889
    56 Berthoud 67.000
    57 Silver Creek 66.455
    58 Summit 63.667
    59 Englewood 62.889
    60 Battle Mountain 61.778
    61 Vista Ridge 60.778
    62 Alameda 60.500
    63 Arvada 58.286
    64 Weld Central 58.167
    65 Woodland Park 57.125
    66 Denver South 54.250
    67 Centaurus 54.125
    68 Mitchell 50.000
    69 Sierra 48.778
    70 Harrison 38.571

    Class 3A
    Rank School Points
    1 Eaton 88.429
    2 Valley 87.889
    3 Bayfield 85.000
    4 Holy Family 82.700
    5 Faith Christian 81.571
    6 Brush 80.400
    7 Cedaredge 80.333
    8 Gunnison 78.625
    9 University 76.286
    10 The Classical Academy 76.000
    11 Arrupe Jesuit 74.000
    12 Platte Valley 73.500
    13 Lamar 73.400
    14 Basalt 71.167
    15 Buena Vista 71.000
    16 Centauri 69.000
    17 Kent Denver 68.400
    18 Florence 68.000
    19 Olathe 67.300
    20 St. Mary’s 65.875
    21 Moffat County 65.571
    22 Bennett 65.500
    23 Fort Lupton 65.273
    24 La Junta 65.100
    25 Pagosa Springs 64.125
    26 Peak to Peak 60.273
    27 Sheridan 60.182
    28 The Academy 59.333
    29 Trinidad 59.100
    30 Clear Creek/Gilpin County 58.500
    31 Colorado Academy 58.429
    32 Alamosa 58.200
    33 Manitou Springs 57.222
    34 Sterling 57.111
    35 Jefferson Academy 55.600
    36 Strasburg 54.600
    37 Bishop Machebeuf 53.100
    38 Platte Canyon 53.000
    39 Roaring Fork 51.556
    40 Monte Vista 51.143
    41 Coal Ridge 50.750
    42 Grand Valley 50.000
    43 Colorado Springs Christian 49.833
    44 Ellicott 47.750
    45 Dolores Huerta Prep 45.444
    46 Bruce Randolph 45.200
    47 Manual 44.250
    48 Salida 43.222
    49 Denver Science & Tech Stapleton 42.600
    50 Middle Park 41.667
    51 Jefferson 41.000
    52 Aspen 39.444
    53 Estes Park 39.286
    54 KIPP Denver Collegiate 25.000

    Class 2A
    Rank School Points
    1 Rye 73.000
    2 Peyton 72.250
    3 Hotchkiss 71.273
    4 Swink 71.000
    5 Sedgwick County 69.000
    6 Kiowa 68.500
    7 Resurrection Christian 67.500
    8 Rocky Ford 67.111
    9 Ignacio 66.250
    10 Lutheran 64.429
    11 Denver Christian 63.800
    12 Limon 63.250
    13 Holyoke 62.333
    14 Calhan 62.286
    15 Haxtun 59.818
    16 Nucla 59.429
    17 Yuma 58.500
    18 Paonia 56.625
    19 Custer County 56.250
    20 Las Animas 55.900
    21 Burlington 55.889
    22 Rangely 55.375
    23 Dolores 55.286
    24 Center 54.143
    25 Crowley County 54.000
    26 Alexander Dawson 52.000
    27 South Park 51.778
    28 Akron 50.857
    29 Lyons 50.143
    30 Fowler 48.625
    31 Dayspring Christian Academy 47.429
    32 Merino 45.167
    33 Sierra Grande 44.800
    34 Antonito 44.400
    35 Springfield 43.667
    36 Front Range Christian 42.286
    37 Wray 40.333
    38 John Mall 40.200
    39 Evangelical Christian 39.667
    40 Simla 38.571
    41 Sargent 36.600
    42 Highland 35.875
    43 County Line [Wiley/McClave] 35.556
    44 Longmont Christian 35.125
    45 Byers 35.000
    46 Meeker 33.333
    47 Sanford 30.800
    48 Denver Academy 28.333
    49 Wiggins 26.250
    50 Pikes Peak Christian 25.000
    51 Cripple Creek-Victor 18.571

    Class 1A
    Rank School Points
    1 Stratton 54.200
    2 Elbert 52.600
    3 Granada 48.800
    4 Dove Creek 46.333
    5 Cotopaxi 45.800
    6 Peetz 42.333
    7 Community Christian 41.000
    8 Caliche 40.889
    9 Fleming 37.500
    10 Eads 36.900
    11 Manzanola 36.875
    12 Holly 32.200
    13 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 28.500
    14 Cornerstone Christian Academy 24.500
    15 Cheyenne Wells 24.000
    16 Briggsdale 18.400
    17 Primero 13.750
    18 Walsh 12.500
    19 Denver Jewish Day 10.000
    20 Weldon Valley 10.000

  • Chatfield now No. 3 in 5A baseball poll

    Chatfield Horizon baseball
    Chatfield is No. 3 in this week’s 5A baseball poll. (Pam Wagner)

    Chatfield’s off to an unbeaten start in 2014. And its charge up the rankings continued on Monday.

    The Chargers, now 9-0, moved up to No. 3 in CHSAANow.com’s Class 5A baseball poll this week. They only joined the poll a week ago.

    ThunderRidge remained on top of the 5A ranking, a spot it has occupied since the preseason. The Grizzlies got seven of the 11 first-place vote.

    Regis Jesuit moved up to No. 2 from No. 4. Ralston Valley is fourth this week, and Rocky Mountain rounds out the top five.

    Columbine bumped up one place from No. 7 to No. 6, Fairview went from No. 10 to No. 7 and Arapahoe held firm at No. 8.

    5A’s two newcomers this week are No. 9 Mountain Vista and No. 10 Dakota Ridge.

    In 4A, Montrose remained at No. 1, and continued to be followed by No. 2 Windsor and No. 3 Valor Christian. Niwot made a big jump from No. 8 to No. 4, and Delta went from No. 7 to No. 5.

    New to the 4A poll this week are No. 9 Lewis-Palmer and No. 10 Evergreen.

    Holy Family continued to lead the 3A ranking, which added No. 6 Cedaredge, No. 7 Gunnison and No. 10 Bayfield.

    The 2A poll added Sedgwick County at No. 8. Resurrection Christian stayed at No. 1.

    In 1A, Stratton remained on top. That poll added No. 8 Peetz.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Baseball 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 ThunderRidge (7) 5-2 102 1 3-2
    2 Regis Jesuit 5-3 81 4 4-2
    3 Chatfield (2) 9-0 80 6 7-0
    4 Ralston Valley (1) 8-1 62 3 6-1
    5 Rocky Mountain 3-3 55 2 2-3
    6 Columbine 9-0 53 7 6-0
    7 Fairview 6-1 48 10 4-1
    8 Arapahoe (1) 7-1 46 8 3-0
    9 Mountain Vista 7-1 24 – 6-0
    10 Dakota Ridge 5-5 12 – 2-4
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherry Creek 10, Grand Junction 8, Chaparral 6, Fruita Monument 6, Central (G.J.) 5, Grandview 4, Northglenn 2, Brighton 1.
    Dropped out
    Grandview (5), Cherry Creek (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Montrose (7) 8-1 96 1 3-1
    2 Windsor (1) 9-1 82 2 4-1
    3 Valor Christian 7-3 74 3 4-2
    4 Niwot (2) 7-1 69 8 2-0
    5 Delta (2) 11-0 59 7 5-0
    6 Longmont 6-2 44 4 3-1
    7 Palmer Ridge 5-2 30 9 3-2
    8 Falcon 4-3 26 5 0-3
    9 Lewis-Palmer 5-3 24 – 3-3
    10 Evergreen 4-2 21 – 2-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Air Academy 20, Elizabeth 20, Pueblo Centennial 20, Wheat Ridge 15, Ponderosa 14, Mountain View 10, Skyline 8, Mesa Ridge 7, Green Mountain 6, Pueblo East 5, Pueblo West 5, Canon City 3, Broomfield 2, D’Evelyn 2, Steamboat Springs 1.
    Dropped out
    Air Academy (6), Mountain View (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holy Family (6) 8-0 77 1 5-0
    2 Eaton (2) 7-0 74 2 5-0
    3 Faith Christian 5-1 60 4 3-0
    4 Lamar 7-1 51 3 4-1
    5 Valley 8-0 42 5 2-0
    6 Cedaredge 9-0 36 – 6-0
    7 Gunnison 7-0 32 – 4-0
    8 The Classical Academy 4-1 20 8 2-1
    9 University 6-1 15 7 4-1
    10 Bayfield 7-3 13 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Brush 11, Kent Denver 3, Platte Canyon 2, Arrupe Jesuit 1, La Junta 1, St. Mary’s 1.
    Dropped out
    Brush (6), Kent Denver (9), Basalt (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Resurrection Christian (5) 6-1 55 1 5-1
    2 Swink 5-0 45 4 3-0
    3 Denver Christian 2-2 42 3 1-1
    4 Rye (1) 6-1 39 7 4-1
    5 Lutheran 3-3 36 2 1-1
    6 Peyton 7-0 30 8 4-0
    7 Hotchkiss 9-2 24 9 4-0
    8 Sedgwick County 5-1 13 – 5-1
    9 Ignacio 3-2 12 10 1-1
    10 Limon 5-2 11 5 3-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Kiowa 7, Rocky Ford 7, Front Range Christian 5, Yuma 4.
    Dropped out
    Holyoke (6).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Stratton (4) 4-0 49 1 3-0
    2 Elbert 4-1 41 2 1-1
    3 Granada 3-1 33 6 3-1
    4 Caliche 3-6 24 3 3-6
    5 Holly (1) 2-3 22 4 2-3
    6 Community Christian 3-5 20 7 1-2
    7 Eads 2-6 19 10 2-3
    8 Peetz 1-1 14 – 1-0
    9 Dove Creek 2-6 12 8 0-2
    10 Fleming 3-3 11 5 3-3
    Others receiving votes:
    Briggsdale 9, Cotopaxi 8, Cornerstone Christian 7, Weldon Valley 3, Walsh 2, Manzanola 1.
    Dropped out
    Weldon Valley (9).

  • Colorado Academy joins girls lacrosse poll at No. 8

    Colorado Academy is the lone newcomer to this week’s CHSAANow.com girls lacrosse rankings.

    The Mustangs, off to a 6-1 start, are ranked No. 8.

    Elsewhere, not much changed as teams Nos. 1-5 all stayed put. Those are Air Academy, Centaurus, Chatfield, Arapahoe and Cherry Creek.

    Air Academy and Centaurus play on Tuesday.

    The complete poll is below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Lacrosse Poll

    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.

    Girls Lacrosse
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Air Academy (5) 5-0 68 1 1-0
    2 Centaurus (2) 6-1 63 2 2-1
    3 Chatfield 6-0 57 3 3-0
    4 Arapahoe 4-1 47 4 2-0
    5 Cherry Creek 3-4 35 5 1-2
    6 Denver East 5-0 34 6 2-0
    7 Kent Denver 3-3 32 7 2-2
    8 Colorado Academy 6-1 20 – 1-1
    9 Palmer Ridge 5-1 13 9 0-0
    10 Mullen 3-1 7 8 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Rampart 5, ThunderRidge 3, Cheyenne Mountain 2.
    Dropped out
    Cheyenne Mountain (10).

  • No. 3 Chatfield stays hot to begin defense of Jeffco League girls lacrosse title

    Chatfield Wheat Ridge girls lacrosse
    Chatfield junior Kendra Lanuza, left, tracks down Wheat Ridge senior Sydnie Kroneberger during Thursday’s Jeffco League girls lacrosse opener for both teams. Lanuza tallied five goals in the Chargers’ 19-3 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LAKEWOOD — A handful of premier girls lacrosse players from the Jeffco League were on display Thursday at Trailblazer Stadium.

    Ranked No. 3 in the latest CHSAANow.com girl’s lacrosse poll and sporting a handful of future college players, Chatfield remained undefeated on the season with a 19-3 victory against conference rival Wheat Ridge. It was the league opener for the Chargers (5-0, 1-0 in league) and Farmers (2-4, 0-1).

    Chatfield Wheat Ridge girls lacrosse
    Chatfield freshman Tess Albert (11) advances the ball up the field against Wheat Ridge junior Jamie Nguyen during the first half Thursday. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “It’s hard to rank our priorities, but league is definitely is probably my top priority,” Chatfield coach Adam Everett said of defending the conference title it won last year. “It’s my top priority to do well in the Jeffco League. It’s always a tough conference.”

    The Chargers showed its offense depth early and often Thursday afternoon. Chatfield scored the first 11 goals against Wheat Ridge. Senior Shelby Piper led the way scoring four times in the first half, including three straight goals in a span of two minutes.

    Piper finished with five goals and four assists. Junior Kendra Lanuza also pitched in five goals and senior Rachael Walker found the back of the net four times for the Chargers.

    “We want everyone on the team to be a threat,” Chatfield senior defender Allie Sale said. “We want everyone to be able to handle the ball, all the defense can go in the attack and all the attack can go on defense. That is really important to us this year.”

    Senior Tess Albert (three goals), sophomore Jen Lanuza (one goal) and junior Summer Stafford finished up the offensive barrage for Chatfield. Senior Emily McMinimee was solid in goal for the Chargers allowing just three goals.

    “Our offense has been doing really well, but our defense has really come together,” Everett said. “Emily (McMinimee) has just been outstanding the past couple of games. We’ve got come experience back there on defense. Allie Sale really organizes everything. The chemistry is really there.”

    Chatfield Wheat Ridge girls lacrosse
    Wheat Ridge senior Gianna Ossello (16) has 164 career goals for the Farmers. She will take her talents to Duke University next school year. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Chatfield had the task of trying to contain Wheat Ridge senior Gianna Ossello, who will play for Duke University next school year. Ossello has tallied 148 goals and 52 assists in her first three years as a Farmer.

    Despite the efforts of Sale, one of her good friends, Chatfield couldn’t keep Ossello off the score sheet. The senior scored two goals and assisted on the third goal for the Farmers.

    “My goal all four years is not to let Gianna get a point against us,” said Sale after she took photos with Ossello at the conclusion of the game. “She has gotten it every year.”

    Ossello had 16 goals so far in her four games played this season for Wheat Ridge.

    “She (Ossello) is an incredible player,” Everett said. “It’s been a privilege to have my teams play against her. She presents different challenges. I think we did a fairly good job against her.”

    Junior Amanda Malecki picked up the goal off the assist from Ossello. Wheat Ridge scored the final two goals of the first half to break the shutout.

    While losing to Chatfield was disappointing, Ossello hopes for the best for the Chargers for the remainder of the season.

    “I’m definitely rooting for them,” Ossello said. “I’ve got a lot of really good friends on that team. They are well composed. They are good sports. I’m looking forward to seeing how far they go.”

    Chatfield hopes to ride its balanced scoring attack and stingy defense where no Jeffco team has ventured. Jeffco has never won a state title in girls lacrosse.

    “You can already feel the momentum we’ve already picked up,” Piper said. “Hopefully we’ll take it into playoffs and state. That is what our dream is.”

    Chatfield Wheat Ridge girls lacrosse
    Chatfield senior Rachael Walker (21) prepares to shoot a shot past Wheat Ridge senior goalie Jenna Yoches on Thursday. Walker scored four goals in the Chargers’ 19-3 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield Wheat Ridge girls lacrosse
    Chatfield junior Summer Stafford (2) closes in on Wheat Ridge junior Nora Ridgeway (9) during the first half Thursday at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood. The Chargers improved to 5-0 on the season with a dominating 19-3 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

  • All-state boys basketball teams for 2013-14 season

    Denver East Fossil Ridge boys basketball
    Denver East’s Dom Collier, center, is the player of the year in 5A. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    The 2013-14 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 coaches, and then a vote of coaches.

    The players who received the most votes in their classification were selected as the player of the year in their class.

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


    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Player of the year: Dominique Collier, Denver East

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Zach Braxton Highlands Ranch Senior C
    Dominique Collier Denver East Senior G
    Ronnie Harrell Denver East Senior SG/F
    Jeremiah Paige Rangeview Senior SG
    Jake Pemberton Mountain Vista Senior G
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Austin Conway Overland Junior PG
    De’Ron Davis Overland Sophomore F
    Jake Holtzmann Chaparral Junior SF/PF
    Darius Rieter Chatfield Senior G
    Broderick Robinson Grand Junction Senior G
    Alex Semedeni Fossil Ridge Senior F
    Third Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Marcus Asmus Standley Lake Senior F
    Blend Avdili Eaglecrest Junior C
    Thomas Neff Arvada West Junior G/F
    Evan Smith Fossil Ridge Senior PG
    Michael Sparks Abraham Lincoln Junior G


    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Player of the year: Ghassan Nehme, Cheyenne Mountain

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Dylan Clark Sand Creek Senior SG
    Chase Foster Valor Christian Senior F/G
    Dylan Gavin Pueblo East Senior F
    Ghassan Nehme Cheyenne Mountain Senior SG
    Ibrahim Sylla Denver South Senior C
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Ty McGee D’Evelyn Senior F
    Tyson Purifoy Denver South Senior G
    Collin Smith Thompson valley Senior F
    Alex Therrien Frederick Senior SG
    Dalton Walker Windsor Senior SF
    Romello Washington Vista Peak Senior PG
    Third Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Treyvon Andres Thomas Jefferson Senior F
    Dylan Brink Erie Junior G
    Jake Gavitt Elizabeth Junior F
    TJ Gradisar Pueblo East Senior G
    Jimmy Valdez Pueblo East Senior F


    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Player of the year: David Sommers, Holy Family

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Justin Bassey Colorado Academy Sophomore G
    Jack Buckmelter Colorado Academy Sophomore G
    Chase Gonzalez The Pinnacle Senior F
    Bryson Sharpley Jefferson Academy Senior F
    David Sommers Holy Family Senior SG
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Geoffrey Dunker Brush Senior G
    Luke Golter Holy Family Junior G
    Grant Harkness Faith Christian Junior C
    Samuel Howard Colorado Springs Christian Sophomore F
    Trent Lichtenwalter Aspen Senior PF
    Chase Megyeri Manitou Springs Senior G
    Matt Timlin Bishop Machebeuf Senior PG
    Third Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Alex Greenly St. Mary’s Junior SF
    Michael Hanley Kent Denver Senior SG
    Deron Harrell Denver Science & Tech Sophomore G
    Kort Hawthorn Moffat County Sophomore G
    Chris Helbig Holy Family Sophomore PG
    Sam Parker Grand Valley Junior G


    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Player of the year: Brady Baer, Akron

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Brady Baer Akron Senior SG
    Chance Canty Sanford Sophomore F
    Calder Larsen Sanford Senior G
    Gavin Liggett Limon Senior G
    James Willis Lutheran Junior G
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Brandon Book Swink Senior G
    Reilly Carew Lutheran Senior G
    Adison Jones Ignacio Junior PF/SG
    Christian Ortiz Center Junior G
    Aaron Thieman Simla Senior PG/SG
    Third Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Brock Buxman Resurrection Christian Senior SG
    Jared Clarkson Akron Junior PG
    Connor Fiscus Merino Junior PG
    Arjun Gill Liberty Common Senior PG
    Wyatt Hayes Ignacio Sophomore G


    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Player of the year: Avery Marzolf, Hi-Plains

    First Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Alex Beal Shining Mountain Senior G/F
    Avery Marzolf Hi-Plains Senior C
    Justin Miltenberger Hi-Plains Senior F
    Morgan Rummel Norwood Senior G
    Matt Sanders Cheyenne Wells Senior PG
    Second Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Clay Cordell Hi-Plains Senior PG
    Mitch Davison Caliche Senior G
    Josh Fiscus Peetz Senior SG
    Parker Poage Vail Christian Senior SF
    Jussiah Sanchez Primero Senior G
    Third Team
    Name School Year Pos.
    Michael Durrill Cornerstone Christian Junior PF
    Dakota Kingsley Caliche Senior F/G
    Austin Littlefield Prairie Junior PG
    Dalton Renner Cheyenne wells Senior C
    Trevor Thompson Liberty/Stratton Senior PF
    Dakota Will-Potter Briggsdale Senior SF

  • Baseball’s Wild Card point standings, April 2

    Wild Card points help determine the postseason fields in 3A, 4A and 5A, with 4A and 5A also using them for seeding. Find a more detailed breakdown here.

    Baseball’s Wild Card point standings for April 2 are below.

    [divider]

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

    Class 5A
    Rank School Points
    1 Chatfield 109.429
    2 Regis Jesuit 104.167
    3 Fairview 104.000
    4 ThunderRidge 103.286
    5 Columbine 101.000
    6 Dakota Ridge 97.125
    7 Arapahoe 96.143
    8 Douglas County 94.857
    9 Rock Canyon 93.667
    10 Monarch 92.800
    11 Ralston Valley 92.714
    12 Mountain Vista 92.500
    13 Grand Junction Central 92.000
    14 Fossil Ridge 91.857
    15 Grand Junction 91.400
    16 Fruita Monument 90.545
    17 Chaparral 90.333
    18 Prairie View 89.714
    19 Brighton 87.875
    20 Mullen 87.667
    21 Arvada West 86.875
    22 Rocky Mountain 86.400
    23 Lakewood 86.000
    24 Lincoln 85.667
    25 Castle View 85.500
    26 Cherry Creek 84.125
    27 Pine Creek 82.625
    28 Mountain Range 82.429
    29 Standley Lake 81.625
    30 Bear Creek 81.571
    31 Doherty 81.000
    32 Horizon 80.714
    33 Highlands Ranch 80.714
    34 Denver East 78.667
    35 Northglenn 76.625
    36 Grandview 76.400
    37 Rangeview 76.333
    38 Aurora Central 75.750
    39 Legend 75.714
    40 Greeley West 75.143
    41 Eaglecrest 74.500
    42 Boulder 73.857
    43 Overland 73.667
    44 Littleton 73.167
    45 George Washington 72.636
    46 Montbello 71.875
    47 Palmer 71.286
    48 Heritage 70.714
    49 Liberty 69.857
    50 Fountain-Fort Carson 69.714
    51 Westminster 68.875
    52 Pomona 67.429
    53 Poudre 67.167
    54 Legacy 64.333
    55 Rampart 63.875
    56 Cherokee Trail 63.400
    57 Hinkley 61.889
    58 Loveland 60.200
    59 Fort Collins 60.000
    60 Smoky Hill 59.429
    61 Gateway 57.444
    62 Adams City 51.111
    63 Thornton 49.000

    Class 4A
    Rank School Points
    1 Evergreen 99.500
    2 Niwot 99.250
    3 Elizabeth 99.167
    4 Ponderosa 95.000
    5 Montrose 94.875
    6 Lewis-Palmer 94.000
    7 Wheat Ridge 93.250
    8 Windsor 92.625
    9 Green Mountain 92.600
    10 Delta 91.222
    11 Longmont 90.143
    12 Skyview 88.143
    13 Falcon 87.714
    14 Palmer Ridge 86.857
    15 Skyline 86.000
    16 Air Academy 85.400
    17 Valor Christian 84.625
    18 Canon City 83.800
    19 Durango 83.625
    20 D’Evelyn 82.000
    21 Palisade 81.625
    22 Golden 80.200
    23 Pueblo Centennial 79.333
    24 Thomas Jefferson 79.250
    25 Mesa Ridge 79.222
    26 Northridge 77.833
    27 Widefield 77.500
    28 Mountain View 74.750
    29 Rifle 74.429
    30 Erie 74.333
    31 Frederick 74.286
    32 Denver North 74.250
    33 Vista PEAK Prep 74.222
    34 Conifer 74.000
    35 Steamboat Springs 73.500
    36 Kennedy 73.273
    37 Montezuma-Cortez 72.750
    38 Denver West 71.500
    39 Battle Mountain 71.500
    40 Alameda 71.000
    41 Pueblo Central 70.667
    42 Pueblo West 70.333
    43 Greeley Central 70.222
    44 Eagle Valley 69.500
    45 Pueblo East 69.500
    46 Silver Creek 69.375
    47 Pueblo South 68.857
    48 Mead 68.750
    49 Thompson Valley 67.333
    50 Berthoud 67.167
    51 Discovery Canyon 66.571
    52 Coronado 64.000
    53 Vista Ridge 64.000
    54 Pueblo County 62.833
    55 Sand Creek 62.667
    56 Arvada 62.000
    57 Fort Morgan 60.333
    58 Englewood 60.143
    59 Cheyenne Mountain 60.000
    60 Broomfield 59.600
    61 Woodland Park 55.500
    62 Centaurus 53.000
    63 Summit 52.000
    64 Glenwood Springs 51.000
    65 Roosevelt 50.833
    66 Denver South 48.909
    67 Weld Central 45.833
    68 Sierra 45.571
    69 Mitchell 38.000
    70 Harrison 34.000

    Class 3A
    Rank School Points
    1 Eaton 90.500
    2 Valley 82.000
    3 Kent Denver 82.000
    4 Cedaredge 80.800
    5 Holy Family 80.667
    6 Gunnison 79.000
    7 The Classical Academy 79.000
    8 University 78.000
    9 Lamar 77.167
    10 Faith Christian 77.000
    11 Arrupe Jesuit 75.333
    12 Basalt 75.000
    13 Brush 69.750
    14 Fort Lupton 69.250
    15 Centauri 67.000
    16 Platte Valley 66.600
    17 Florence 65.500
    18 St. Mary’s 65.000
    19 Olathe 63.111
    20 Moffat County 61.286
    21 Strasburg 61.000
    22 Bennett 60.750
    23 Sheridan 60.571
    24 Manitou Springs 58.000
    25 La Junta 57.125
    26 Buena Vista 56.500
    27 Bishop Machebeuf 54.429
    28 Pagosa Springs 54.333
    29 The Academy 53.200
    30 Peak to Peak 53.000
    31 Clear Creek/Gilpin County 51.667
    32 Alamosa 51.333
    33 Ellicott 51.250
    34 Sterling 50.125
    35 Trinidad 49.714
    36 Roaring Fork 46.000
    37 Colorado Springs Christian 45.500
    38 Dolores Huerta Prep 44.143
    39 Monte Vista 43.800
    40 Jefferson Academy 42.000
    41 Salida 41.000
    42 Denver Science & Tech Stapleton 39.500
    43 Coal Ridge 38.833
    44 Grand Valley 38.750
    45 Platte Canyon 38.600
    46 Middle Park 36.250
    47 Colorado Academy 36.000
    48 Estes Park 35.571
    49 Aspen 34.286
    50 Manual 34.200
    51 Bruce Randolph 33.250
    52 Jefferson 28.333
    53 KIPP Denver Collegiate 20.000

    Class 2A
    Rank School Points
    1 Rye 69.143
    2 Peyton 69.143
    3 Swink 67.333
    4 Hotchkiss 65.000
    5 Kiowa 65.000
    6 Sedgwick County 63.000
    7 Front Range Christian 62.500
    8 Rangely 62.200
    9 Denver Christian 59.500
    10 Sierra Grande 59.333
    11 Resurrection Christian 59.000
    12 Springfield 59.000
    13 Ignacio 58.667
    14 Rocky Ford 58.143
    15 Yuma 57.750
    16 Fowler 57.400
    17 Limon 56.429
    18 Holyoke 55.667
    19 Crowley County 54.200
    20 Nucla 53.800
    21 Burlington 53.667
    22 Lyons 52.833
    23 Dolores 52.714
    24 Center 51.286
    25 Lutheran 51.200
    26 Alexander Dawson 49.714
    27 Custer County 49.667
    28 Haxtun 49.000
    29 South Park 48.143
    30 Paonia 47.167
    31 Akron 45.000
    32 Calhan 44.667
    33 John Mall 44.000
    34 Las Animas 42.000
    35 Evangelical Christian 39.500
    36 Wray 39.000
    37 Dayspring Christian Academy 38.000
    38 Merino 37.500
    39 Longmont Christian 35.286
    40 Sargent 33.000
    41 Highland 32.750
    42 Meeker 32.500
    43 Simla 30.000
    44 Sanford 27.500
    45 Antonito 26.000
    46 Wiggins 25.000
    47 Denver Academy 20.000
    48 County Line [Wiley/McClave] 15.750
    49 Pikes Peak Christian 15.000
    50 Cripple Creek-Victor 10.000

    Class 1A
    Rank School Points
    1 Stratton 62.333
    2 Elbert 61.250
    3 Weldon Valley 50.000
    4 Granada 44.500
    5 Dove Creek 44.500
    6 Cotopaxi 40.250
    7 Peetz 38.000
    8 Community Christian 36.857
    9 Manzanola 33.800
    10 Eads 28.857
    11 Caliche 28.286
    12 Rocky Mountain Lutheran 25.750
    13 Cheyenne Wells 23.333
    14 Fleming 22.500
    15 Cornerstone Christian Academy 22.000
    16 Holly 13.333
    17 Primero 11.667
    18 Briggsdale 10.000
    19 Denver Jewish Day 7.500

  • Senior group leads emergence of Chatfield girls lacrosse

    Cherry Creek Chatfield girls lacrosse

    Since becoming sanctioned seven years ago, Chatfield’s girls lacrosse program has slowly been trying to evolve into a state powerhouse.

    The road hasn’t always been a smooth one. The Chargers have fallen in the second round of the state playoffs in each of the past three seasons, but a core group of seniors has third-ranked Chatfield believing that 2014 could be the year big things happen.

    Look no further than March 21, the team’s final game before spring break. The Chargers came into the Stutler Bowl to face defending state champion Cherry Creek on its home field, and left with an impressive 14-9 victory.

    Cherry Creek Chatfield girls lacrosse
    (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)

    “Going into the Stutler Bowl was definitely a big game. The girls were ready,” Chatfield coach Adam Everett said. “I could tell from their responses and their body language that they were ready for a big test. It was a fun game.

    “Going into the Stutler Bowl to play Creek is a big deal for just about anyone. I’m glad everything turned out in our favor.”

    Chatfield (3-0) has been waiting a while to hear those words. Even after capturing its first Jeffco League title in 2013, the team was stunned by a 20-9 defeat to Arapahoe in the playoffs.

    “The wheels came off. I think that’s the ghost that kind of haunts us,” Everett said. “Do we have the mentality to win the big game when the pressure is on and to get us over some of the hurdles we’ve encountered over the past couple years? That’s where I have to rely on this group of seniors.”

    Those seniors have been the foundation and helped to put the school on the lacrosse map. Most of them have played together since grade school and made the varsity squad their freshman year.

    Five Chargers have signed to play at the collegiate level. Rachael Walker (Oregon), Emily McMinimee (Duquesne) and Allie Sale (American) are the program’s first Division I signees; Savannah Mellberg is headed to Scripps College and Shelby Piper to Allegheny College, both D-III programs.

    Junior Kendra Lanuza has verbally committed to the University of Denver.

    “Coming in was not easy. We had to work really hard to get onto the team,” McMinimee said of the group’s freshman year. “But I think we’ve made a difference. It made it a lot easier to have those others with me.”

    McMinimee has started at goalie over the past four seasons. Walker and Piper have made for a formidable attacking duo, with Sale and Mellberg helping to anchor the defense.

    In her three-plus years with the program, Walker has 134 goals and 123 assists; Piper has notched 172 goals to go along with 69 assists. Lanuza leads the team this season with 15 goals.

    “I think it’s extraordinarily important to have so many options on the attack. So many girls can handle the ball and score and also look for the assist as well,” Everett said. “It’s really important, and something I think that is underrated on our team.”

    Cherry Creek Chatfield girls lacrosse
    (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)

    Chatfield opened 2014 with victories over ThunderRidge and St. Mary’s Academy by a combined 36-9 margin. It was the victory over Cherry Creek, though, that really showed the squad it can compete with the state’s elite.

    Walker scored six goals in the victory, with Piper and Lanuza adding three each. McMinimee recorded nine saves.

    “I’ve never had a moment where we’ve been so happy,” Walker said. “We’ve never worked as a team as much as we did that game. We pulled it together from the beginning.”

    The players will be the first to say though that one victory doesn’t make a whole season. There are still plenty of tests over the next several weeks, and opponents in Jeffco will be eagerly awaiting to try and dethrone the defending league champs.

    “We can’t go into any game thinking we’ll beat everybody just because we beat Creek,” McMinimee said. “We still have to work really hard and prepare for every game.”

    The players have their eyes on making a postseason run, but before that can happen the Chargers have to get through an April gauntlet first. The Jeffco League opener is Thursday against Wheat Ridge. Chatfield will play 12 games in April, including a 2013 playoff rematch against Arapahoe on April 26.

    Everett said defending the league title could be even tougher because of the target on the team’s back and the possibility of falling prey to overconfidence.

    “We always go into every game prepared and taking it one game at a time,” he said. “I think that’s really essential for Jeffco. This year it’s essential the girls are prepared for every single challenge that comes up.”