There have been 57 new entries to football’s record book through Week 6 this season.
Is it the best offensive season Colorado has ever seen?
It’s hard to say.
2014 has been special, there’s no question. We’ve seen a 553-yard, nine-touchdown rushing performance, and a new state passing record — in the same game. We’ve seen Cheraw throw nine team touchdowns in a game, also a new record.
We’ve seen Cotopaxi’s Alex Burger score ten total touchdowns in a game. D’Evelyn quarterback Owen Burke threw for more than 530 yards in consecutive weeks. Cheraw’s Tristan Headrick tied the state receiving touchdown record with six. Two players have recorded 99-yard touchdowns runs.
Last Friday, two quarterbacks threw for six touchdowns.
Pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards, rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, total offense, all-purpose yardage. Nothing’s safe.
Put it this way: Holy Family quarterback Chris Helbig threw for an eye-popping 491 yards on Sept. 5. That’s just the fourth-best mark this season.
But.
This has undoubtedly been the most closely-followed football season in terms of combing for records. After each week, we literally go through each boxscore to scan for outstanding (perhaps record-setting) performances. Additionally, our partners at MaxPreps — specifically, Gerry Valerio — have been kind enough to create a weekly report which highlights similar individual performances.
In the past, the record book has been solely reliant on schools reporting performances to the CHSAA office. And while we still verify each record-setting performance with the school or coach to ensure the accuracy of the record, finding the data is now largely on us.
“We’ve always relied on schools sending us information,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bert Borgman, who has been in charge of CHSAA’s record books for years. “Now, with a vehicle like CHSAANow and a resource like MaxPreps, we are able to go out and find these things ourselves.”
So, yes, there has been a dramatic increase in record book-worthy performances this season. But the reason for the increase likely boils down to this: When you go looking for data, as opposed to waiting for it to come to you, you will inevitably find more of it.
Expect similar record results for the upcoming basketball season. We’re also looking at restarting the volleyball record book, which has sat dormant for a few years.
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Short stuff
- Passing this along as a PSA: Boys tennis’ state tournaments will likely be delayed tomorrow. Here’s the plan.
- Our board of directors is taking a look at the transfer rule. Expect some type of change to be forwarded to the Legislative Council.
- A look at field hockey’s growth as a sport.
- There will be no Stableford scoring system for girls golf next spring. In my mind, this is a move that eventually needs to be made. Alas, not yet.
- La Junta beat Lamar in volleyball on Tuesday night. It was their first win over Lamar since 1995, according to the La Junta Tribune-Democrat. “We wanted to end this nightmare and get it over with,” La Junta coach Heath Grantham told the paper afterward.
- Two weeks ago, legendary basketball coach Guy Gibbs gave a speech to Regis Jesuit students about his life experiences. Midway through, he brought up CHSAA associate commissioner Tom Robinson, who was his assistant at Regis for 10 years before becoming head coach himself. Gibbs mentioned that he would often turn to Robinson on the bench at crucial points of games for his thoughts. I pointed this out to Tom, who shrugged in his way and said, “Well, I was always sitting there.”
- In an email to CHSAA staff this week, a field hockey official who did the Regis Jesuit-Fossil Ridge game complimented the Raiders on their sportsmanship. Regis led 7-1 at halftime, “but instead of racking up an embarrassing score,” the official wrote, “(Regis Jesuit coach) Spencer (Wagner) had his team play a ‘training game’ in the second half. … At no time did they attempt to advance their 7-1 score. … Coaches like Spencer know what absolute sportsmanship is and demonstrated this (Monday).”
- Nice column here detailing the good sportsmanship displayed by Vail Christian senior Cooper Gould, who missed a short putt that helped his opponent win the state title.
- Lewis-Palmer volleyball is ranked No. 5 in MaxPreps’ latest national poll released Wednesday.
- Chatfield’s Kyle Winler committed to Miami (Ohio) for baseball.
- Two highlight packages to pass along: First from Glenwood Springs quarterback Dante Sparaco, a sophomore who is seeing wide recruiting attention already. Secondly: Doherty running back TeQuan Baker.
- Ponderosa hired longtime Douglas County assistant Bob Maloney as its baseball coach.
- Another new baseball coach: Jeff Allen at Fort Lupton.
- The softball programs at Rock Canyon and Regis Jesuit raised more than $5,000 for charity on Saturday.
- 2014 Fairview graduate Sam Martin, who holds a few career state receiving records, scored four touchdowns in Miami (Ohio)’s win over UMass on Saturday. The in-state schools made a mistake in not offering him a scholarship.
- Lewis-Palmer grad Josh Scott, now a star for Colorado men’s basketball, graces the cover of Sporting News.
- Grandview grad Kevin Gausman, now with the Baltimore Orioles, started the last home game in Derek Jeter’s career. “That’s pretty incredible!!” he tweeted. Now, he’s in the ALCS.
