CHSAANow

Tag: Evergreen

  • Boys basketball rankings: Wray now No. 1 in 2A

    After going 3-0 last week, Wray has moved up to No. 1 in the Class 2A boys basketball rankings.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches around the state.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Cherry Creek (10) 11-0 283 1 3-0
    2 Regis Jesuit (8) 11-0 275 2 2-0
    3 Rangeview 11-0 262 3 2-0
    4 ThunderRidge (2) 5-2 208 4 0-1
    5 Chaparral 8-2 205 5 0-1
    6 George Washington 9-2 190 7 2-0
    7 Mountain Vista 9-2 138 6 2-0
    8 Fossil Ridge 11-1 130 8 3-0
    9 Denver East 10-3 119 8 2-0
    10 Fairview 10-2 85 11 3-0
    11 Valor Christian 8-3 76 12 0-1
    12 Eaglecrest 7-3 73 15 3-0
    13 Fountain-Fort Carson 8-1 63 – 2-0
    14 Chatfield 9-2 62 10 0-1
    15 Rock Canyon 6-4 49 – 0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Doherty 36, Overland 24, Rampart 23, Douglas County 23, Smoky Hill 17, Mullen 13, Silver Creek 12, Ralston Valley 10, Gateway 9, Columbine 4, Arapahoe 4, Boulder 4, Air Academy 1, Vista PEAK 1, Horizon 1
    Dropped out
    Doherty (13), Overland (14)
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Windsor (17) 9-1 364 1 1-0
    2 Longmont (1) 9-1 346 2 1-0
    3 Pueblo Central (1) 11-1 276 4 2-0
    4 Montrose (3) 12-0 252 6 3-0
    5 Mead (2) 6-3 240 3 0-1
    6 Lewis-Palmer 7-2 232 5 3-1
    7 Erie (1) 6-2 192 8 0-0
    8 Evergreen 9-3 178 7 1-1
    9 Steamboat Springs (1) 10-0 165 8 2-0
    10 Golden 10-2 163 10 2-0
    11 Green Mountain 10-2 122 12 2-0
    12 Holy Family 6-5 101 15 1-1
    13 Aurora Central 10-1 98 11 2-0
    14 Pueblo South 10-2 95 13 3-0
    15 Centaurus 4-4 67 14 0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Thompson Valley 54, D’Evelyn 28, Frederick 21, Pueblo East 20, Sand Creek 20, Palisade 20, Severance 16, Thomas Jefferson 14, Mountain View 11, Canon City 11, Wheat Ridge 3, Denver North 3, Elizabeth 2, Summit 2, Widefield 1, Falcon 1, Grand Junction 1, Durango 1
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 St. Mary’s (20) 9-0 482 1 1-0
    2 Lutheran (12) 10-1 431 2 2-0
    3 Sterling 10-1 383 4 2-0
    4 Manitou Springs 11-0 376 3 2-0
    5 Manual 8-2 262 6 1-0
    6 Centauri 10-1 256 5 1-1
    7 Faith Christian 7-3 246 8 2-0
    8 Colorado Academy 7-1 213 7 1-1
    9 Resurrection Christian 8-3 200 8 1-1
    10 Englewood 9-1 171 14 2-0
    11 Highland 10-1 169 11 3-0
    12 Coal Ridge 9-2 149 10 1-1
    13 Aspen 10-1 118 15 3-0
    14 Kent Denver 8-4 96 12 1-1
    15 The Pinnacle (1) 11-1 93 13 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Colorado Springs Christian 56, Strasburg 55, Gunnison 37, Salida 26, Estes Park 22, Brush 18, Alamosa 15, Buena Vista 13, University 10, Bishop Machebeuf 9, DSST: Montview 9, Bennett 8, Basalt 5, Eaton 4, Moffat County 4, Eagle Ridge Academy 3, Arrupe Jesuit 3, DSST: Conservatory Green 3, Banning Lewis 3, Pagosa Springs 3, DSST: College View 2, Platte Valley 1, Lamar 1, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 1, Fort Lupton 1, Middle Park 1, The Vanguard School 1, Prospect Ridge Academy 1
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Wray (21) 12-0 329 2 3-0
    2 Limon 10-1 302 1 1-1
    3 Peyton (1) 8-1 275 3 1-0
    4 Denver Christian 9-1 227 4 2-0
    5 Sanford 8-3 226 6 1-1
    6 Yuma 7-3 216 5 0-0
    7 Holly 12-1 197 8 3-0
    8 Mancos 10-1 178 7 3-0
    9 Ignacio 9-2 133 10 2-0
    10 Sedgwick County 9-4 108 11 2-0
    11 Meeker 8-3 99 8 2-2
    12 Fowler 8-4 84 12 2-1
    13 Wiggins 7-4 44 13 1-1
    14 Crested Butte 6-3 41 15 2-1
    15 Thomas MacLaren 6-2 35 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Del Norte 33, Monte Vista 27, Vail Mountain 21, Center 14, Holyoke 14, Byers 8, Lake County 7, Dayspring Christian Academy 6, Cedaredge 5, Vail Christian 3, Soroco 2, Clear Creek 2, Calhan 1, Dolores 1, Rye 1, Rocky Ford 1
    Dropped out
    Monte Vista (14)
    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Belleview Christian (19) 12-0 345 1 2-0
    2 De Beque (1) 10-1 299 2 2-0
    3 Cheraw (2) 12-0 295 3 3-0
    4 Primero 8-1 262 4 0-1
    5 Merino (1) 7-4 216 5 2-0
    6 Granada 11-1 192 11 3-0
    7 Caprock Academy 11-1 187 8 2-0
    8 Mile High Academy (1) 6-2 176 7 3-1
    9 Evangelical Christian 8-2 153 6 0-0
    10 Haxtun 8-4 136 12 1-1
    11 Briggsdale 8-2 135 10 1-0
    12 Sangre de Cristo 8-3 102 13 2-1
    13 Denver Jewish Day 6-2 100 8 2-0
    14 Genoa-Hugo 8-3 71 15 2-0
    15 Eads 9-3 61 14 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Cheyenne Wells 34, Kim/Branson 28, Flatirons Academy 27, Simla 18, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 14, Longmont Christian 8, Elbert 6, Hi-Plains 4, Sierra Grande 4, McClave 2, Fleming 2, Denver Waldorf 1, Prairie 1, Dove Creek 1
    Dropped out
    None.

  • No. 10 Golden boys basketball stays hot with win over No. 7 Evergreen

    GOLDEN — Timing is everything.

    Golden’s boys basketball team has picked the right time to be playing its best basketball of the season. The Demons — No. 10 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A rankings — won their seventh straight game Friday night with a 61-49 home victory over No. 7 Evergreen.

    “We are a young team. It’s coming together,” said Golden sophomore Aliou Diallo, who scored a game-high 17 points. “When we start hitting shots we are a scary team.”

    The Demons are frightening young with no seniors this year. Despite the youth, Golden (10-2 record) has put itself in position for a home seed for the state tournament that begins Tuesday, March 9.

    Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano (1) went over the 1,000-point career scoring mark Friday night. Lauritano had 15 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Cougars suffered a road loss to Golden. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    “It would be awesome,” Golden coach Lou Vullo said of possibility having a home game to open the playoffs. “We could be dangerous.”

    After back-to-back losses three weeks ago against Evergreen and Green Mountain, the Demons have been unbeatable. The Cougars (9-3) had already won the 4A Jeffco League title with a 7-1 conference record and having defeated Golden and Green Mountain during conference play.

    However, the Demons jumped out to a 22-12 lead after the first quarter and never looked back on its home court Friday night.

    “Our mindset was just to get revenge,” Golden sophomore Alan Acevedo said of facing Evergreen again.

    Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano led the charge for the Cougars in the second quarter cutting the Demons’ lead to 32-29 at halftime. Lauritano actually went over the 1,000-point career scoring mark in the second quarter. He finished with 15 points, but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter.

    The start of the third quarter was key. Diallo drained a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the second half and sunk another basket in the first minute of the third quarter to extend Golden’s lead to 37-29.

    “It was really big. We talked about it at halftime to come out focused like we were in the first quarter,” Diallo said.

    Golden junior Richie Pruett rips down a rebound during the Demons’ 7th straight victory Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Senior Jackson Mott had 14 points for the Cougars, but Golden’s defense wouldn’t allow Evergreen to get within striking distance.

    “We have really been focusing on defense,” Vullo said after the Demons held the Cougars to just six made field goals in the second half Friday night. “Our defense was pitiful at the start. We’ve started to pick it up a little bit.”

    Juniors Zach Weiler had a driving layup and Logan Brewer made a pair of free throws to close out the quarter for the Demons.

    “We preach to the boys that it is super important how you start and end the quarter,” Vullo said. “We started and ended that third quarter well.”

    Vullo actually hit a milestone himself this week. He picked up his 250th career varsity high school coaching victory with Wednesday’s win over Conifer.

    Golden is Vullo’s third career coaching stop. He spent five years at Sheridan, nine years at Pinnacle and is in his third season coaching the Demons. It’s likely Golden will make the 32-team 4A state tournament which would make Vullo 17-for-17 when it comes to qualifying his teams to the postseason.

    Evergreen senior Jackson Mott (10) goes up for a shot over Golden junior Logan Brewer (35) on Friday night at Golden High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Golden is on the road against Green Mountain (Monday) and Littleton (Wednesday) to wrap up things before brackets for the state tournament are released on Monday, March 8. First-round games are scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 9.

    “We feel hungry and we aren’t going to stop,” Acevedo said. “

    Green Mountain (10-2) is also hot. The No. 12 Rams have won six straight games after taking an 88-25 victory Friday night against Alameda International. Green Mountain defeated Golden 63-50 back on Feb. 3.

    “Monday is really important,” Diallo said of the rematch against Green Mountain. “That is another one we have marked on our schedule because the first time they took advantage of us.”

    Evergreen is scheduled to close out its regular season at Standley Lake (Monday) and at home against Green Mountain (Wednesday).

    Golden sophomore Alan Acevedo (30) drives the lane against Evergreen during the second half Friday night. Acevedo poured in 16 points, including four 3-pointers in the first half to help the Demons to a 61-49 victory over the Class 4A Jeffco League champions. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Video: Jeffco Preps With Pleuss (March)

    Jeffco Preps With Pleuss is a monthly roundup of Jeffco prep highlights hosted by Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ sports information director. There was plenty of boys and girls basketball action in February with Season B sports in full swing. We have boys highlights from Chatfield vs. Columbine, Green Mountain vs. Golden and D’Evelyn vs. Evergreen. Green Mountain girls basketball team improved its 4A Jeffco League winning streak to 28 conference victories over the past three seasons winning back-to-back league titles. Boys wrestling got going and we have highlights of duals involving Columbine, Lakewood, Chatfield, Pomona and Jefferson. Girls wrestling teams from Chatfield and Pomona are two of the best in the state in the first year of the being a CHSAA-sanctioned sport.

  • Girls swimming & diving rankings: Glenwood Springs now No. 1 in 3A

    (Brent Murphy/BrentMurphyPhoto.com)

    This week’s girls swimming rankings are below.

    These team rankings are created from the top marks of the season so far which have been entered in MaxPreps. They are compiled by PrepSwimCo.com.

    In addition, the top individual marks of the season to date are compiled here.

    [divider]

    PrepSwimCo.com Girls Swimming & Diving Rankings

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Glenwood Springs 3
    2 Holy Family 4
    3 Evergreen 1
    4 Aspen 2
    5 Pueblo County 9
    6 Gunnison 6
    7 Liberty Common 5
    8 St. Mary’s Academy 10
    9 Green Mountain 7
    10 Discovery Canyon –
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Heritage 1
    2 Niwot 2
    3 Mullen 4
    4 Pine Creek 3
    5 Rampart 5
    6 Broomfield 6
    7 Silver Creek –
    8 Windsor 7
    9 Cheyenne Mountain 8
    10 Longmont 9
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Fairview 1
    2 Cherry Creek 2
    3 Regis Jesuit 3
    4 Fossil Ridge 4
    5 Lewis-Palmer 5
    6 Legacy 6
    7 Arapahoe 7
    8 Grandview –
    9 Chatfield 8
    10 Valor Christian 9

  • Boys basketball rankings: Windsor takes over as No. 1 in 4A

    Windsor Ralston Valley boys basketball
    (Kevin McNearny)

    Windsor boys basketball is the new No. 1 team in this week’s Class 4A rankings.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches around the state.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Cherry Creek (12) 8-0 311 1 2-0
    2 Regis Jesuit (6) 9-0 309 4 3-0
    3 Rangeview 9-0 285 2 2-0
    4 ThunderRidge (4) 5-1 256 3 2-1
    5 Chaparral 8-1 244 5 2-1
    6 Mountain Vista 7-2 177 6 2-1
    7 George Washington 7-2 174 10 3-0
    8 Fossil Ridge 8-1 149 7 1-1
    9 Denver East 8-3 125 8 1-1
    10 Chatfield 9-1 113 12 2-1
    11 Fairview 7-2 103 – 2-0
    12 Valor Christian (1) 8-2 93 11 3-0
    13 Doherty 7-1 83 14 1-0
    14 Overland 6-2 63 8 1-1
    15 Eaglecrest 4-3 53 13 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Fountain-Fort Carson 32, Rampart 27, Rock Canyon 25, Ralston Valley 21, Silver Creek 20, Gateway 18, Smoky Hill 18, Douglas County 13, Mullen 12, Mountain Range 9, Columbine 5, Vista PEAK 5, Horizon 5, Rocky Mountain 5, Grandview 4, Boulder 1, Arapahoe 1, Air Academy 1
    Dropped out
    Rampart (15)
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Windsor (18) 8-1 373 2 5-1
    2 Longmont (4) 8-1 356 3 6-1
    3 Mead (3) 6-2 341 1 3-2
    4 Pueblo Central (1) 9-1 262 5 5-1
    5 Lewis-Palmer 4-1 239 4 3-0
    6 Montrose 9-0 202 7 7-0
    7 Evergreen 8-2 201 6 3-2
    8 Erie 6-2 195 8 4-1
    9 Steamboat Springs (2) 8-0 159 14 3-0
    10 Golden 8-2 137 11 4-0
    11 Aurora Central 8-1 131 12 8-1
    12 Green Mountain 8-2 121 15 4-1
    13 Pueblo South 7-2 99 8 4-1
    14 Centaurus 4-4 94 10 3-3
    15 Holy Family 5-4 61 – 3-3
    Others receiving votes:
    D’Evelyn 54, Pueblo East 36, Thompson Valley 34, Canon City 32, Severance 32, Palisade 31, Frederick 23, Palmer Ridge 16, Mountain View 14, Coronado 14, Thomas Jefferson 12, Mesa Ridge 12, Harrison 11, Wheat Ridge 10, Widefield 10, Sand Creek 9, Mitchell 7, Littleton 7, Falcon 6, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Discovery Canyon 5, Fort Morgan 4, Elizabeth 2, Roosevelt 1, Summit 1, Alameda 1
    Dropped out
    Pueblo East (13)
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 St. Mary’s (16) 8-0 464 1 1-0
    2 Lutheran (15) 8-1 430 2 3-0
    3 Manitou Springs 9-0 363 3 2-0
    4 Sterling 8-1 353 4 2-0
    5 Centauri 9-0 308 5 3-0
    6 Manual (1) 7-2 247 8 3-0
    7 Colorado Academy 6-0 234 7 2-0
    8 Faith Christian 5-3 229 6 1-0
    9 Resurrection Christian 7-2 212 8 3-0
    10 Coal Ridge 8-1 185 11 3-0
    11 Highland 7-1 144 12 1-0
    12 Kent Denver 7-3 129 10 1-2
    13 The Pinnacle 9-0 128 14 1-0
    14 Englewood 7-1 117 13 2-0
    15 Aspen (1) 7-1 70 – 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Bennett 65, Strasburg 41, Colorado Springs Christian 39, Salida 37, Brush 36, University 24, Gunnison 22, Buena Vista 19, DSST: Montview 18, Eaton 17, Basalt 15, Arrupe Jesuit 15, Estes Park 14, Alamosa 14, Moffat County 13, Middle Park 12, Bishop Machebeuf 11, Roaring Fork 11, DSST: Byers 10, The Vanguard School 7, Woodland Park 6, DSST: Conservatory Green 6, Delta 4, Banning Lewis 3, Pagosa Springs 3, Platte Valley 1, DSST: College View 1, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 1, Eagle Ridge Academy 1, Lamar 1
    Dropped out
    Strasburg (15)
    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Limon (18) 9-0 342 1 2-0
    2 Wray (2) 9-0 323 2 3-0
    3 Peyton (2) 7-1 266 7 3-0
    4 Denver Christian (1) 7-1 243 4 3-0
    5 Yuma 7-3 235 6 3-0
    6 Sanford 7-2 222 5 2-0
    7 Mancos 7-1 216 3 1-1
    8 Holly 9-1 193 8 2-0
    9 Meeker 6-1 139 12 2-0
    10 Ignacio 7-2 115 13 3-0
    11 Sedgwick County 7-4 90 11 2-1
    12 Fowler 6-3 86 8 2-0
    13 Wiggins 6-3 63 10 1-2
    14 Monte Vista 4-3 49 – 2-0
    15 Crested Butte 4-2 48 14 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Holyoke 29, Soroco 29, Thomas MacLaren 28, West Grand 22, Byers 21, Gilpin County 19, Clear Creek 16, Del Norte 16, Lyons 14, Vail Mountain 12, Center 11, Dayspring Christian Academy 10, Twin Peaks Charter Academy 7, Lake County 5, Lotus School for Excellence 5, Vail Christian 3, Cedaredge 1, Golden View Classical 1, Dolores 1
    Dropped out
    Soroco (15)
    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Belleview Christian (21) 10-0 367 1 3-0
    2 De Beque (3) 8-1 328 2 3-0
    3 Cheraw (1) 9-0 295 3 2-0
    4 Primero 8-0 269 4 1-0
    5 Merino 5-4 214 5 1-2
    6 Evangelical Christian 8-2 187 6 2-1
    7 Mile High Academy (1) 3-1 184 7 3-0
    8 Caprock Academy 9-1 153 15 4-0
    9 Denver Jewish Day 4-2 149 10 0-1
    10 Briggsdale 7-2 144 14 2-0
    11 Granada 8-1 143 8 3-0
    12 Haxtun 7-3 138 8 2-1
    13 Sangre de Cristo 6-2 109 12 2-1
    14 Eads 7-2 95 13 3-1
    15 Genoa-Hugo 6-3 73 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Cheyenne Wells 65, Flatirons Academy 52, Simla 42, Kim/Branson 27, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 18, Caliche 12, Fleming 10, Sierra Grande 8, Prairie 8, Walsh 7, Longmont Christian 7, Springfield 5, Denver Waldorf 3, Hi-Plains 3, Dove Creek 2, Idalia 1, Elbert 1, McClave 1
    Dropped out
    Flatirons Academy (11)

  • D’Evelyn boys basketball gets signature win over No. 6 Evergreen

    EVERGREEN — D’Evelyn at least delayed Evergreen staking claim to the Class 4A Jeffco League boys basketball title Wednesday night.

    The Jaguars took a 57-51 road victory against the No. 6-ranked Cougars. Evergreen (7-2, 6-1 in 4A Jeffco) had the chance to clinch the 4A Jeffco League title with a win over D’Evelyn. The Cougars haven’t won a boys hoops league title since the 2003-04 season.

    “Dolan has a great team,” D’Evelyn coach Will Gosch said of Evergreen coach Jeff Dolan’s Cougars. “I think we caught them off guard. I have to give credit to our kids and I think our coaching staff had a good plan coming in.”

    D’Even junior Troy Benko (13) goes up for a shot over Evergreen junior Jameson Davis (30) on Wednesday. The Jaguars handed the Cougars their first conference loss of the season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Evergreen does still control its own destiny in winning the conference title. The Cougars have one league game remaining at home against Alameda International (0-8, 0-7) on Friday. Evergreen has the head-to-head tiebreaker over No. 15 Green Mountain (7-2, 6-1), so a win over Alameda will still clinch the league title for the Cougars.

    However, the snowy Wednesday night in Evergreen belonged to D’Evelyn. The Jaguars (6-3, 4-3) came in on a 2-game losing streak after losses to Golden and Green Mountain, but D’Evelyn came out firing scoring 22 points in the first quarter.

    “We are learning what it means to be ready and playing in this system,” Gosch said. “It’s fun when a kid starts getting hot.”

    D’Evelyn junior Dewayne Johnson scored at will in the first quarter. Johnson poured in 15 points in the first 8 minutes that included three 3-pointers and a monster dunk on a breakaway.

    “DJ came up huge in the first quarter,” D’Evelyn junior Max Grant said. “That kind of set the tone for the whole game and we built off that energy.”

    D’Evelyn broke out to a 22-14 lead in the first quarter against a stingy Evergreen defense that hadn’t allowed any opponent 50+ points in a game this season.

    “We haven’t seen DJ play like that,” Gosch said of Johnson. “He has a pretty shot and he trusted his shot early.”

    The Cougars locked down defensively on Johnson as he finished with 17 points, but Grant, senior Luke Kjellsen, Troy Benko and Bodhi Anderson combined for 29 points for the Jaguars.

    D’Evelyn senior Luke Kjellsen (43) has tight coverage on Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano (1) during the first quarter Wednesday at Evergreen High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    A huge key was the third quarter where D’Evelyn was able to extend its 31-29 halftime lead to double-digits with driving layup by sophomore Elijah Gusmus that turned into a 3-point play when he was fouled.

    “Our goal was to get the first two minutes out of the way and we did,” Gosch said of the Jaguars’ mentality coming out of halftime. “We kept attacking the rim. We’ve been light and tentative going to the rim at times this year. We have work on that a lot.”

    Evergreen turned up the pressure defensively and nearly tied the game in the final minute. The Cougars forced a handful of D’Evelyn turnovers, but the shots just wouldn’t fall in the final minute for Evergreen.

    Evergreen senior Jackson Mott finished with a team-high 17 points. Senior Griffin Lauritano pitched in 15 points and senior Jared Stiller had 11 points in the loss that ended a 7-game winning streak for the Cougars.

    “It’s a great win, but we aren’t satisfied,” Grant said.

    D’Evelyn was No. 25 in the RPI standings before Wednesday’s win. The Jaguars head into their final five games of their regular-season schedule with some momentum.

    “I feel like this is a great start to something special,” Gosch said.

    Evergreen closes out its regular season after Friday’s league finale against Alameda with non-league games against Wheat Ridge, Golden, Standley Lake and Green Mountain. The Cougars will likely grab the automatic bid for the 32-team 4A state tournament as the 4A Jeffco League champion.

    Brackets are scheduled to be released Monday, March 8. First-round games will be played Tuesday, March 9.

    Evergreen senior Jackson Mott (10) is boxed in by D’Evelyn juniors Braeden Scheer (12), Dewayne Johnson (5) and Max Grant (3) during the Class 4A Jeffco League game Wednesday night. The Jaguars ended a 2-game losing streak with a huge 57-51 victory over No. 6 Evergreen. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Girls swimming & diving rankings: Evergreen, Heritage and Fairview lead the way

    This week’s girls swimming rankings are below.

    These team rankings are created from the top marks of the season so far which have been entered in MaxPreps. They are compiled by PrepSwimCo.com.

    In addition, the top individual marks of the season to date are compiled here.

    [divider]

    PrepSwimCo.com Girls Swimming & Diving Rankings

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Evergreen –
    2 Aspen –
    3 Glenwood Springs –
    4 Holy Family –
    5 Liberty Common –
    6 Gunnison –
    7 Green Mountain –
    8 Manitou Springs –
    9 Pueblo County –
    10 St. Mary’s Academy –
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Heritage –
    2 Niwot –
    3 Pine Creek –
    4 Mullen –
    5 Rampart –
    6 Broomfield –
    7 Windsor –
    8 Cheyenne Mountain –
    9 Longmont –
    10 Greeley West –
    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PVS
    1 Fairview –
    2 Cherry Creek –
    3 Regis Jesuit –
    4 Fossil Ridge –
    5 Lewis-Palmer –
    6 Legacy –
    7 Arapahoe –
    8 Chatfield –
    9 Valor Christian –
    10 Ralston Valley –

  • Boys basketball rankings: New No. 1 teams in 3A and 1A

    (Austin Hogan-McCool)

    Belleview Christian (1A) and St. Mary’s (3A) each moved up to No. 1 in their respective boys basketball rankings this week.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. They are a factor in the postseason. During the regular season, the poll will release each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Basketball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches around the state.

    First-place votes are in parentheses.

    Coaches looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Cherry Creek (12) 6-0 273 1 2-0
    2 Rangeview (2) 7-0 266 2 2-0
    3 ThunderRidge (3) 3-0 254 6 2-0
    4 Regis Jesuit (3) 6-0 227 4 2-0
    5 Chaparral 6-0 213 7 2-0
    6 Mountain Vista 5-1 202 3 1-1
    7 Fossil Ridge 7-0 158 8 3-0
    8 Denver East 7-2 136 – 3-0
    9 Overland 5-1 115 8 1-1
    10 George Washington 4-2 98 5 1-2
    11 Valor Christian (1) 5-2 80 13 3-0
    12 Chatfield 7-0 75 – 3-0
    13 Eaglecrest 3-2 62 12 2-1
    14 Doherty 6-1 54 10 1-1
    15 Rampart 5-1 49 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Fairview 46, Smoky Hill 35, Rock Canyon 31, Douglas County 24, Vista PEAK 19, Silver Creek 18, Gateway 16, Mullen 15, Ralston Valley 14, Mountain Range 8, Columbine 8, Fountain-Fort Carson 7, Arapahoe 5, Grandview 3, Boulder 3, Legend 2, Highlands Ranch 2, Horizon 1, Far Northeast Warriors 1
    Dropped out
    Ralston Valley (11), Smoky Hill (14), Rock Canyon (15)
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Mead (13) 5-0 333 1 2-0
    2 Windsor (6) 6-0 287 2 3-0
    3 Longmont (2) 6-0 275 3 4-0
    4 Lewis-Palmer 4-1 253 4 3-0
    5 Pueblo Central (1) 7-1 203 6 3-1
    6 Evergreen 6-1 182 7 1-1
    7 Montrose (1) 7-0 172 10 5-0
    8 Erie 4-1 144 5 2-0
    9 Pueblo South 6-1 131 8 3-0
    10 Centaurus 3-3 125 8 2-2
    11 Golden 6-2 102 11 2-0
    12 Aurora Central 6-1 74 14 6-1
    13 Pueblo East 2-2 72 13 1-1
    14 Steamboat Springs 5-0 71 – 0-0
    15 Green Mountain 5-2 70 12 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Thompson Valley 37, Canon City 32, Frederick 30, Palisade 25, Roosevelt 20, Severance 20, Sand Creek 19, D’Evelyn 19, Mountain View 16, Harrison 15, Denver North 7, Thomas Jefferson 7, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Wheat Ridge 5, Weld Central 4, Holy Family 2, Pueblo Centennial 1, Falcon 1, Durango 1
    Dropped out
    D’Evelyn (15)
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 St. Mary’s (9) 7-0 351 2 3-0
    2 Lutheran (15) 5-1 331 1 2-0
    3 Manitou Springs 7-0 276 3 3-0
    4 Sterling 6-1 244 7 3-0
    5 Centauri 6-0 214 5 2-0
    6 Faith Christian 4-3 187 4 2-1
    7 Colorado Academy 4-0 164 8 0-0
    8 Resurrection Christian 4-2 155 6 1-1
    9 Manual 4-2 149 11 2-0
    10 Kent Denver 6-1 134 8 2-0
    11 Coal Ridge 5-1 116 13 3-0
    12 Highland 6-1 107 12 2-0
    13 Englewood 5-1 82 14 2-0
    14 The Pinnacle 8-0 66 – 3-0
    15 Strasburg 5-1 61 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Buena Vista 48, Colorado Springs Christian 46, Eaton 44, Salida 35, Brush 31, Aspen 21, University 20, Alamosa 18, Estes Park 17, The Vanguard School 10, Bishop Machebeuf 9, Gunnison 9, Bennett 8, Pagosa Springs 8, DSST: Byers 8, DSST: Conservatory Green 6, Arrupe Jesuit 5, Basalt 5, Platte Valley 4, Moffat County 4, Woodland Park 2, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 1, Frontier Academy 1, Liberty Common 1, Fort Lupton 1, Roaring Fork 1
    Dropped out
    Eaton (10), Buena Vista (15)
    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Limon (20) 7-0 349 1 2-0
    2 Wray (2) 6-0 319 2 3-0
    3 Mancos 6-0 271 3 1-0
    4 Denver Christian (1) 4-1 216 5 1-0
    5 Sanford 5-2 210 7 2-1
    6 Yuma 4-3 208 6 2-0
    7 Peyton 4-1 197 12 3-0
    8 Holly 7-1 188 8 3-1
    9 Fowler 4-3 143 4 1-2
    10 Wiggins 5-1 111 14 1-1
    11 Sedgwick County 5-3 107 8 2-1
    12 Meeker 4-1 106 10 1-1
    13 Ignacio 4-2 75 11 3-0
    14 Crested Butte 3-1 70 13 1-0
    15 Soroco (1) 5-1 48 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    West Grand 40, Monte Vista 34, Holyoke 29, Gilpin County 22, Byers 19, Clear Creek 19, Del Norte 18, Thomas MacLaren 14, Lyons 13, Vail Mountain 11, Dayspring Christian Academy 10, Center 8, Vail Christian 5, Golden View Classical 4, Dolores 4, Rye 4, Cedaredge 3, Atlas Prep 2, South Park 1, Heritage Christian 1, Swallows Charter Academy 1
    Dropped out
    West Grand (15)
    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Belleview Christian (16) 7-0 298 2 3-0
    2 De Beque (2) 5-1 255 1 0-1
    3 Cheraw 7-0 237 6 2-0
    4 Primero 7-0 219 5 3-0
    5 Merino (1) 4-2 160 4 2-1
    6 Evangelical Christian 6-1 157 12 2-0
    7 Mile High Academy (2) 0-1 123 3 0-1
    8 Haxtun 5-2 118 7 1-1
    9 Granada 5-1 111 8 1-1
    10 Denver Jewish Day 4-1 94 15 1-0
    11 Flatirons Academy 4-1 80 13 1-1
    12 Sangre de Cristo 4-1 79 11 1-1
    13 Eads 4-1 73 – 1-1
    14 Briggsdale 5-2 68 8 2-1
    15 Caprock Academy 5-1 66 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Cheyenne Wells 61, Simla 61, Genoa-Hugo 52, Denver Waldorf 49, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 38, Kit Carson 28, McClave 17, Kim/Branson 11, Springfield 10, Longmont Christian 10, Sierra Grande 8, Creede 8, Ouray 7, Walsh 7, Elbert 4, Fleming 3, Idalia 3, Dove Creek 2, Prairie 2, Arickaree/Woodlin 1
    Dropped out
    Cheyenne Wells (10), Kit Carson (14)

  • Photos: Evergreen, Bear Creek and Thomas Jefferson boys wrestling meet in a triangular

    Evergreen boys wrestling beat both Thomas Jefferson and Bear Creek as the three teams met in a triangular on Saturday.

  • No. 7 Evergreen zeros in on 4A Jeffco boys hoops title after win versus No. 12 Green Mountain

    LAKEWOOD — Evergreen is officially the front-runner in the race for the Class 4A Jeffco League boys basketball title.

    The Cougars — No. 7 in this week’s CHSAANow.com 4A boys hoops rankings — took a 1-game lead in the conference with a 54-41 victory over No. 12 Green Mountain on Wednesday night on the Rams’ home court.

    “It’s a huge game. This puts us in a good spot to run the table the rest of the way,” Evergreen senior Jackson Mott said of the Cougars winning the conference title.

    Evergreen senior Jared Stiller (13) had a solid night with 13 points against Green Mountain on Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    It has been awhile since Evergreen has claimed a boys basketball league title. The 2003-04 season was the last time the Cougars won a conference crown.

    “It was kind of revenge. We had these guys and Golden marked on our calendars,” Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano said. “This is a really tough place to play against a really well-coached team. To get a win like this was good. Now we control our own destiny. We just have to take care of business the rest of the way.”

    Evergreen finished tied for fourth in 4A Jeffco last season. The senior-laded Cougars had a clear focus this season on ending the league championship drought. Evergreen has four more league games — Littleton, Conifer, D’Evelyn and Alameda — that count toward the conference standings.

    “We are looking forward to the next four (league games) and hopefully see what happens in the state tournament,” Evergreen coach Jeff Dolan said.

    The Cougars (5-1, 4-0 in league) grabbed its fifth straight victory of the season after an opening season loss at home against No. 3 Longmont. Evergreen’s defense has been remarkable. The Cougars haven’t allowed an opponent over 45 points in any game this season.

    “That has really been our identity,” Mott said of the Cougars tireless defensive effort. “It gives us a chance to win every game.”

    No. 12 Green Mountain (4-2, 3-1) came in averaging nearly 70 points per game, but were held to 24 points through three quarters. Senior Austin Peterson caught fire for the Rams in the fourth quarter scoring 14 of his game-high 20 points in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Evergreen’s 20-point lead.

    Green Mountain junior Luke Davis (3) had 8 points off the bench for the Rams, but it wasn’t enough as Green Mountain’s 4-game winning streak came to an end Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The Cougars had a 15-0 run that spanned from late in the third quarter until a few minutes into the fourth quarter that gave Evergreen the cushion it needed. Green Mountain saw its 4-game winning streak come to an end.

    “It’s great. We are excited about the rivalry win over Green Mountain,” Dolan said. “In the third and beginning of the fourth we started to turn it up.”

    Lauritano (14 points) and senior Jared Stiller (13 points) dominated the inside offensively for the Cougars. Mott (14 points) and senior Aaron Browne (9 points) canned three 3-pointers each to jumpstart Evergreen from the outside.

    “Mott struggled a little early, but that kid works out every single day,” Dolan said. “Same thing with Aaron, he is a shooter. They hit them in a big, big game. They are seniors and are experienced. They have played in games like this before.”

    Evergreen heads to Littleton (3-3, 2-2) on Friday to face the Lions in an attempt to extend its winning streak to six.

    Green Mountain is on the road Friday against Wheat Ridge (4-3, 3-2).

    Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano, left, is guarded by Green Mountain senior Dylan Green during the first quarter Wednesday. The Cougars grabbed a big 54-41 victory against the Rams to take a 1-game lead in the race for the Class 4A Jeffco League title. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)