CHSAANow

Tag: Gunnison

  • Football rankings: Buena Vista moves to top of 1A

    Buena Vista has taken over the top spot of the CHSAANow.com Class 1A football rankings following their 53-12 win over Centauri and former No. 1 Paonia’s 35-0 loss against Bayfield.

    The Demons are the only new No. 1 seed after a week filled with few upsets.

    Cherry Creek remains in the top spot of 5A as the Bruins had a bye this week. They traveled to Utah two weeks ago where they beat Jordan 38-35. They return to the field Friday night to take on Cherokee Trail.

    After dropping out of the 5A rankings last week, Grandview is back in the poll at No. 9. Columbine remains at No. 2 after beating Ralston Valley 21-7 Thursday night. The Mustangs, ranked No. 3 last week, fell four slots following their loss.

    In 4A, Pine Creek remains No. 1 after drubbing Pueblo West 47-7 Saturday. But the first time this season, they were not voted there unanimously.

    Vista Ridge Palmer Ridge football
    Vista Ridge is up to No. 2 in 4A football. Photos from their win over Palmer Ridge. (Josh Watt/CHSAANow.com)

    The Vista Ridge Wolves gained two first-place votes after an impressive 40-28 win over Palmer Ridge, who stays in this week’s poll at No. 10. Vista Ridge is now No. 2, and faces Pine Creek on Friday.

    There were no new teams that joined the 4A rankings.

    Pueblo East is still the top team in 3A, although half the first-place votes went to other teams. The Eagles needed plenty of offense to get by Discovery Canyon Friday night. They took the game 47-36.

    D’Evelyn returned to the 3A poll after falling out two weeks ago. They got a much-needed 49-30 win over Pueblo County Friday night.

    Kent Denver remains the team to beat in 2A after they shut out Ridgeview Academy 40-0. Bayfield leapt over La Junta for the No. 2 slot after its big win over Paonia.

    A 28-7 win over Roaring Fork got Gunnison back in the rankings at No. 10. The Cowboys are the only 2A newcomers this week.

    In 1A, Buena Vista takes over the top spot with Resurrection Christian coming in at No. 2 and only trail the Demons by a single point in the voting.

    Previously unranked Limon made the biggest jump this week as they land at No. 7.

    There wasn’t a lot of movement in the 8-man rankings, but Hoehne does join the poll this week at No. 10.

    There were no newcomers to 6-man, although Hanover (No. 6) and Peetz (No. 7) each moved up one slot from last week.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. 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 Cherry Creek (18) 4-0 180 1 Bye
    2 Columbine 4-0 153 2 W
    3 Valor Christian 2-2 111 4 Bye
    4 Regis Jesuit 3-1 110 5 W
    5 Mullen 3-1 83 6 W
    6 Pomona 2-2 81 7 W
    7 Ralston Valley 3-1 78 3 L
    8 Arapahoe 4-0 53 8 W
    9 Grandview 3-1 27 – W
    10 Cherokee Trail 3-1 22 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Fairview 21, Rock Canyon 18, Heritage 14, Overland 10, Westminster 10, ThunderRidge 6, Chaparral 4, Doherty 4, Horizon 3, Fountain-Fort Carson 2, Rocky Mountain 1.
    Dropped out
    Heritage (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pine Creek (14) 4-0 149 1 W
    2 Vista Ridge (2) 4-0 128 3 W
    3 Longmont 4-0 127 2 W
    4 Windsor 4-0 120 4 W
    5 Greeley West 4-0 82 5 W
    6 Dakota Ridge 3-1 58 6 W
    7 Rampart 4-0 51 8 W
    8 Durango 4-0 41 10 Bye
    9 Montrose 3-1 40 9 Bye
    10 Palmer Ridge 3-1 25 7 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Ponderosa 24, Aurora Central 12, George Washington 10, Mountain View 5, Wheat Ridge 4, Skyline 2, Pueblo South 1, Pueblo West 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pueblo East (7) 4-1 118 1 W
    2 Palisade (3) 4-0 113 3 W
    3 Fort Morgan (3) 4-0 112 2 W
    4 Rifle 4-0 90 4 W
    5 Roosevelt 3-1 84 5 W
    6 Holy Family 3-1 62 6 W
    7 Mead (1) 4-0 52 8 W
    8 Berthoud 4-0 44 7 W
    9 Delta 3-1 38 9 W
    10 D’Evelyn 3-1 23 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Evergreen 10, Lewis-Palmer 6, The Classical Academy 5, Erie 4, Eagle Valley 3, Harrison 3, Centaurus 2, Conifer 1.
    Dropped out
    Conifer (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Kent Denver (7) 4-0 103 1 W
    2 Bayfield (2) 3-0 93 3 W
    3 La Junta (2) 4-0 87 2 Bye
    4 Platte Valley 3-1 71 5 Bye
    5 Brush 3-1 66 4 W
    6 Eaton 3-1 51 6 W
    7 Sterling 3-1 37 7 Bye
    8 The Academy 4-0 30 9 W
    9 Alameda 4-0 28 10 W
    10 Gunnison 2-2 17 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Lamar 11, Olathe 11, Faith Christian 6, Machebeuf 2, Valley 2, Moffat County 1.
    Dropped out
    Lamar (8).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Buena Vista (8) 5-0 120 2 W
    2 Resurrection Christian (4) 5-0 119 3 W
    3 Paonia 3-1 93 1 L
    4 Cedaredge (1) 4-0 85 5 W
    5 Rye 3-1 63 7 Bye
    6 Monte Vista 3-1 60 6 W
    7 Limon 4-0 49 – W
    8 Platte Canyon 3-1 47 8 W
    9 Meeker 2-2 31 9 W
    10 Burlington 3-1 18 4 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Wiggins 13, Crowley County 8, Yuma 5, Peyton 2, Center 1, Ellicott 1.
    Dropped out
    Center (10).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Dayspring Christian (6) 4-0 87 1 W
    2 Sedgwick County (2) 4-0 83 2 W
    3 Merino 4-0 69 5 W
    4 Norwood (1) 4-1 68 3 W
    5 Akron (1) 3-1 52 6 W
    6 Sargent 3-1 49 4 L
    7 Haxtun 4-0 42 7 W
    8 Granada 3-1 34 8 W
    9 Springfield 3-1 26 9 Bye
    10 Hoehne 3-1 10 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Holly 8, Caliche 7, Dove Creek 7, Gilpin County 3, Vail Christian 3, Kiowa 2, West Grand 1.
    Dropped out
    Holly (10).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (6) 4-0 69 1 W
    2 Eads (1) 4-0 55 2 W
    3 Kit Carson 4-0 52 3 W
    4 Arickaree/Woodlin 3-1 50 4 W
    5 Pawnee 3-1 43 5 W
    6 Hanover 4-0 25 7 W
    7 Peetz 2-2 22 8 Bye
    8 Otis 3-1 15 6 L
    9 Cheraw 3-1 13 9 W
    10 La Veta 4-0 11 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    North Park 8, Genoa-Hugo/Karval 7, Cotopaxi 6, Cheyenne Wells 3, Walsh 3, Idalia 2, Flagler 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Boys golf’s regional fields and schedules for 5A, 4A and 3A

    Below are the complete fields for this season’s boys golf regionals, which begin on Monday.

    All live scores will be available on golf.rcasey.wpengine.com.

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    Class 5A

    Southern

    Team Note
    Coronado Colorado Springs Metro 1
    Arapahoe Centennial 1
    Liberty Colorado Springs Metro 5
    Ralston Valley Jeffco 2
    Fruita Monument Southwestern 2
    Rangeview East Metro 3
    Highlands Ranch Continental 4
    Boulder Front Range 3
    Smoky Hill Centennial 5
    Bear Creek Jeffco 6
    Greeley West Front Range 8
    Aurora Central East Metro 6
    Legend Continental 7
    Mountain Range Front Range 10

    Central

    Team Note
    Regis Jesuit Continental 1
    Denver East Denver Prep 1
    Doherty Colorado Springs Metro 2
    Cherry Creek Centennial 2
    Columbine Jeffco 3
    Fort Collins Front Range 4
    Northglenn/Thornton East Metro 4
    Rock Canyon Continental 5
    Rampart Colorado Springs Metro 6
    Eaglecrest Centennial 6
    Pomona Jeffco 7
    Legacy Front Range 6
    ThunderRidge Continental 8
    Poudre Front Range 9
    Westminster East Metro 7

    Northern

    Team Note
    Fossil Ridge Front Range 1
    Prairie View East Metro 1
    Heritage Continental 2
    Palmer Colorado Springs Metro 3
    Cherokee Trail Centennial 3
    Dakota Ridge Jeffco 4
    Fairview Front Range 5
    Gateway East Metro 5
    Castle View Continental 6
    Chatfield Jeffco 8
    Broomfield Front Range 7
    Douglas County Continental 9
    Hinkley East Metro 8
    Overland Centennial 7
    Rocky Mountain Front Range 11

    Western

    Team Note
    Grand Junction Southwestern 1
    Lakewood Jeffco 1
    George Washington Denver Prep 2
    Brighton East Metro 2
    Mountain Vista Continental 3
    Grand Junction Central Southwestern 3
    Pine Creek Colorado Springs Metro 4
    Grandview Centennial 4
    Arvada West Jeffco 5
    Monarch Front Range 2
    Chaparral Continental 10
    Fountain-Fort Carson Colorado Springs Metro 7
    Horizon Front Range 13
    Adams City East Metro 9

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Metro

    Team League
    Mullen Centennial
    Elizabeth Colorado 7
    Englewood Colorado 7
    Vista PEAK Colorado 7
    Ponderosa Continental
    Denver North Denver Prep
    Denver South Denver Prep
    Denver West Denver Prep
    Kennedy Denver Prep
    Thomas Jefferson Denver Prep
    Arvada Jeffco
    Conifer Jeffco
    D’Evelyn Jeffco
    Evergreen Jeffco
    Golden Jeffco
    Green Mountain Jeffco
    Littleton Jeffco
    Standley Lake Jeffco
    Valor Christian Jeffco
    Wheat Ridge Jeffco

    Northern

    Team League
    Fort Morgan Colorado 7
    Centaurus Northern
    Greeley Central Northern
    Longmont Northern
    Mountain View Northern
    Niwot Northern
    Northridge Northern
    Silver Creek Northern
    Thompson Valley Northern
    Berthoud Tri Valley
    Erie Tri Valley
    Frederick Tri Valley
    Holy Family Tri Valley
    Roosevelt Tri Valley
    Skyline Tri Valley
    Windsor Tri Valley

    Southern

    Team League
    Canon City CS Metro
    The Classical Academy CS Metro
    Harrison CS Metro
    Mesa Ridge CS Metro
    Mitchell CS Metro
    Sierra CS Metro
    Widefield CS Metro
    Woodland CS Metro
    Air Academy Pikes Peak
    Cheyenne Mountain Pikes Peak
    Discovery Canyon Pikes Peak
    Falcon Pikes Peak
    Lewis-Palmer Pikes Peak
    Palmer Ridge Pikes Peak
    Sand Creek Pikes Peak
    Vista Ridge Pikes Peak
    Pueblo Centennial South Central
    Pueblo Central South Central
    Pueblo County South Central
    Pueblo East South Central
    Pueblo South South Central
    Pueblo West South Central

    Western

    Team League
    Durango Southwestern
    Montezuma-Cortez Southwestern
    Montrose Southwestern
    Battle Mountain Western Slope
    Delta Western Slope
    Eagle Valley Western Slope
    Palisade Western Slope
    Rifle Western Slope
    Steamboat Springs Western Slope
    Summit Western Slope

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Metro

    • Site: CommonGround GC
    • Date: Sept. 22, 8:30 a.m.
    Team League
    Colorado Academy Metro
    Kent Denver Metro
    Lutheran Metro
    Machebeuf Metro
    SkyView Academy Metro
    Denver Academy Mile High
    Denver Christian Mile High
    Front Range Christian Mile High
    C.S. Christian Tri-Peaks
    James Irwin Tri-Peaks
    Manitou Springs Tri-Peaks
    St. Mary’s Tri-Peaks
    Cornerstone Christian 5280

    Northern

    • Site: Highland Meadows
    • Date: Sept. 22, 9 a.m.
    Team League
    Holyoke Lower Platte
    Yuma Lower Platte
    Faith Christian Metro
    Jefferson Academy Metro
    Peak to Peak Metro
    Dawson Mile High
    Resurrection Christian Mile High
    Brush Patriot
    Eaton Patriot
    Estes Park Patriot
    Frontier Academy Patriot
    Strasburg Patriot
    Sterling Patriot
    Burlington Union Pacific

    Southern

    • Site: Hollydot
    • Date: Sept. 22, 9 a.m.
    Team League
    Cheyenne Wells High Plains
    La Veta Fisher’s Peak
    Alamosa Intermountain
    Monte Vista Intermountain
    Pagosa Springs Intermountain
    Fowler Santa Fe
    Rocky Ford Santa Fe
    Rye Santa Fe
    Swallows Academy Santa Fe
    Swink Santa Fe
    Florence Tri-Peaks
    La Junta Tri-Peaks
    Lamar Tri-Peaks
    Trinidad Tri-Peaks

    Western

    • Site: Steamboat Springs GC
    • Date: Sept. 22, 9 a.m.
    Team Note
    Lake County Frontier
    Buena Vista Tri-Peaks
    Salida Tri-Peaks
    Aspen Western Slope
    Basalt Western Slope
    Cedaredge Western Slope
    Coal Ridge Western Slope
    Grand Valley Western Slope
    Gunnison Western Slope
    Moffat County Western Slope
    Rangely Western Slope
    Vail Christian Western Slope
    Vail Mountain Western Slope

  • Football roundup: Fruita Monument beats rival Grand Junction, moves to 2-0

    For the first time since the 2012, Fruita Monument has won consecutive games. The Wildcats are 2-0 under new coach Todd Casebier following a 23-0 win over Grand Junction on Friday.

    “I’m just proud for our kids,” Casebier told Colorado Preps’ Scoreboard Show on Friday night. “They’ve had sand kicked in their face around here for a while, and our coaching staff has been great. I’m happy for Fruita.”

    Fruita finished 1-9 in Class 5A last season.

    “Any ‘W’ is important for Fruita right now,” Casebier said. “The fact that we’re 2-0 really is the most important thing, because the kids even buy in more, they work harder, and you just can kind of feel the wave going our direction.

    “I was part of a similar thing in Montrose, and some of the same things are happening for us here at Fruita. So I’m excited about that, and just happy to be a part of it. It’s just a neat deal for everybody.”

    This is also the first time Fruita Monument has beat Grand Junction since the 2012 season, when the Wildcats went 5-5 — their largest win total over the past decade.

    “I’ve just seen potential from the get-go since I’ve been here, and I really feel like it’s coming together,” Casebier said. “We’ll enjoy it this weekend and go back to work. We’ve got a big one coming up next week in Montrose.”

    Casebier was the coach at Montrose for 10 seasons prior to joining Fruita Monument, leading them to the 4A title game in 2013.

    “It’s going to be strange, for sure, being in a different locker room and looking across that field,” Casebier said. “Montrose was great to me, and I’ve got a lot of friends on the staff, all those kids I coached. So it’ll be hard that way, but at the same time, they’re competitors and of course, our guys at Fruita, we need to win. And I know Montrose wants this.

    “It’ll be a good football game. We’ll hug afterwards either way. Again, I’m not looking forward to playing those guys, but, as you said, I don’t do the schedule.”

    [divider]

    5A: (7) Regis Jesuit 23, (10) Mullen 17

    Michael Pavlakovich passed for a touchdown and rushed for another as No. 7 Regis Jesuit beat longtime rival Mullen, ranked No. 10, on Friday.

    The Raiders also got a rushing touchdown from Alec Barnes and solid defense all night in beating Mullen for the third season in a row.

    The win was the first for new head coach Danny Filleman, who moved from Arizona this offseason. Regis Jesuit had a tough loss against Cherry Creek in Week 1.

    The Raiders (1-1) will play Cherokee Trail next week. The Cougars beat Denver East 35-7 on Friday to move to 2-0.

    Mullen (1-1) got rushing touchdowns from Marcus McElroy Jr. and Shamond Hamilton in the loss. The Mustangs have a tough opponent in Pomona next week.

    [divider]

    1A: (5) Platte Canyon 36, (10) Wiggins 20

    Platte Canyon got an important early-season with thanks to a big second half that allowed the Huskies to pull away.

    Platte Canyon led just 14-8 at halftime, but extended that to 22-14 after three then scored twice in the fourth quarter to put this one out of reach.

    The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but was moved up to Friday so a few Wiggins players could attend ACT testing.

    [divider]

    4A: (2) Longmont 45, (5) Falcon 26

    Longmont jumped out to a 10-0 lead at halftime, then pushed it to 24-7 in the third quarter. The Trojans, last season’s 4A runner-up, would roll from there.

    No. 2 Longmont is now 2-0 this season.

    Falcon, meanwhile, opened the season against the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the classification. The Falcons lost to Pine Creek in Week 1.

    [divider]

    3A/4A: (9) Greeley West 28, (8) D’Evelyn 20

    Greeley West led 14-0 at halftime, and 21-7 after three quarters, then held on for the win.

    The Spartans, who were 1-9 in 2013, have now started 2-0 in consecutive seasons.

    [divider]

    5A: (8) Fairview 35, Boulder 17

    Thomas Creese, the latest in a long line of successful Fairview quarterbacks, threw three touchdowns to lead the Knights to a rivalry win over Boulder on Friday night.

    Fairview led 21-0 in the first half, but Boulder rallied to make it 21-10 and later, 28-17, but Fairview held on.

    Boulder’s TJ Jones had two touchdowns in the loss.

    The game was the 52nd in the history of the two schools. Fairview has now won eight consecutive in the series, and 11 of the past 12. The Knights lead the overall series 32-20, according to BoCoPreps.com.

    [divider]

    5A: Bentonville (Ark.) 41, (3) Valor Christian 22

    Bentonville, the reigning 7A champion, took a lead in the second quarter and never looked back.

    Valor Christian had a 10-7 lead with 9:59 to go in the second, but Bentonville answered two minutes later and eventually built a 28-10 lead after three quarters. It grew to 35-10 before Valor broke the unanswered points streak.

    Eagles quarterback Dylan McCaffrey rushed for a score and threw for another in the loss.

    [divider]

    Notables

    • In the annual Cannon Game down south, Pueblo East beat Pueblo South 54-21. Dutch Clark Stadium unveiled its new scoreboard, too.
    • Crowley County knocked off 1A No. 4 Rye, 21-20. The deciding moment was a blocked field goal with 1:30 left. “It was a heck of a play,” Chargers coach Brandon Roe told the Scoreboard Show.
    • Monte Vista, ranked No. 8 in 1A, upset 2A No. 9 Gunnison 10-9. Monte Vista had a 60-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-22 late in the game. “It’s good for both programs to play top-ten teams from each other’s classification,” coach Manny Wasinger told the Scoreboard Show.
    • Florence stunned 2A No. 2 Faith Christian, 15-12.
    • No. 5 Pawnee handed defending 6-man champion Arickaree/Woodlin, ranked No. 3, its first loss of the season in a 31-26 game.
    • Another 6-man top-10 showdown: No. 4 Kit Carson beat No. 8 Cheraw 44-33.
    • 1A No. 1 Paonia shutout Ignacio 49-0, extending its winning streak to 25 games. That mark is second only to 4A’s Pine Creek, which has won 27 in a row. Pine Creek has a bye this week.
    • TJ Shelton had four touchdowns as No. 9 Meeker beat Coal Ridge 36-6 in 1A.
    • Silver Creek threw a 99-yard touchdown pass, but lost to 4A No. 3 Dakota Ridge, 44-21.
    • Sterling upset 2A No. 8 Strasburg, 26-18.
    • 8-man Springfield knocked off No. 3 Hoehne, 26-14.

    [divider]

    More coverage

  • Top-10 football schedule and scoreboard for Week 2 games

    Regis Jesuit Mullen football
    No. 7 Regis Jesuit and No. 10 Mullen play on Friday night. (Mark Adams)

    A complete schedule and scoreboard for football’s top-10 teams during Week 2 in the 2015 season.

    [divider]
    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    1 Cherry Creek 3-0
    Fri: W 7-6 at (2) Pomona
    2 Pomona 1-1
    Fri: L 6-7 vs. (1) Cherry Creek
    3 Valor Christian 1-2
    Fri: L 22-41 at Bentonville (Ark.)
    4 Columbine 2-0
    Off this week.
    5 Grandview 2-0
    Thurs: W 53-7 vs. Gateway
    6 Ralston Valley 2-0
    Thurs: W 42-0 at ThunderRidge
    7 Regis Jesuit 1-1
    Fri: W 23-17 vs. (10) Mullen
    8 Fairview 2-0
    Fri: W 35-17 vs. Boulder
    9 Doherty 1-1
    Thurs: L 6-7 at Arapahoe
    10 Mullen 1-1
    Fri: L 17-23 at (7) Regis Jesuit

    Class 4A
    1 Pine Creek 2-0
    Off this week.
    2 Longmont 2-0
    Fri: W 45-26 at (5) Falcon
    3 Dakota Ridge 2-0
    Fri: W 44-21 at Silver Creek
    4 Windsor 2-0
    Fri: W 36-14 at (7) Broomfield
    5 Falcon 0-2
    Fri: L 26-45 vs. (2) Longmont
    6 Vista Ridge 2-0
    Fri: W 55-7 vs. Pueblo West
    7 Broomfield 0-2
    Fri: L 14-36 vs. (4) Windsor
    8 Ponderosa 2-0
    Fri: W 21-20 at Mesa Ridge
    9 Greeley West 2-0
    Fri: W 28-20 at (3A 8) D’Evelyn
    10 Wheat Ridge 2-0
    Off this week.

    Class 3A
    1 Pueblo East 2-1
    Fri: W 54-21 vs. Pueblo South
    2 Fort Morgan 2-0
    Thurs: W 49-0 at Niwot
    3 Holy Family 2-0
    Fri: W 64-60 at Discovery Canyon
    4 Rifle 3-0
    Fri: W 61-0 vs. Jefferson
    5 Palisade 2-0
    Sat: W 55-28 at Pueblo Central
    6 Roosevelt 2-1
    Thurs: W 41-8 at Loveland
    7 Berthoud 2-0
    Sat: W 53-7 at Arvada
    8 D’Evelyn 1-1
    Fri: L 20-28 vs. (4A 9) Greeley West
    9 Lewis-Palmer 2-0
    Thurs: W 49-7 vs. Sand Creek
    10 Delta 2-1
    Fri: W 48-13 vs. Pagosa Springs

    Class 2A
    1 Kent Denver 2-0
    Fri: W 47-0 at Englewood
    2 Faith Christian 1-1
    Fri: L 12-15 at Florence
    3 Eaton 2-0
    Fri: W 48-0 vs. Holyoke
    4 Brush 1-1
    Fri: W 36-19 at Weld Central
    5 Platte Valley 2-1
    Fri: W 46-6 vs. Bennett
    6 Bayfield 2-0
    Fri: W 34-20 vs. Miyamura (N.M.)
    7 La Junta 3-0
    Fri: W 27-8 vs. Alamosa
    8 Strasburg 0-2
    Fri: L 18-26 at Sterling
    9 Gunnison 0-2
    Fri: L 9-10 vs. (1A 8) Monte Vista
    10 Lamar 1-1
    Fri: W 18-13 at Centauri

    Class 1A
    1 Paonia 2-0
    Fri: W 49-0 vs. Ignacio
    2 Buena Vista 2-0
    Fri: W 42-7 vs. Hotchkiss
    3 Resurrection Christian 3-0
    Fri: W 55-6 vs. Yuma
    4 Rye 2-1
    Fri: L 20-21 vs. Crowley County
    5 Platte Canyon 2-0
    Fri: W 36-20 vs. (10) Wiggins
    6 Burlington 2-0
    Fri: W 41-0 vs. Front Range Christian
    7 Cedaredge 2-0
    Fri: W 14-12 at Olathe
    8 Monte Vista 1-1
    Fri: W 10-9 vs. (2A 9) Gunnison
    9 Meeker 1-2
    Fri: W 36-6 vs. Coal Ridge
    10 Wiggins 1-1
    Sat: L 20-36 at (5) Platte Canyon

    Class 8-man
    1 Dayspring Christian 2-0
    Sat: W 54-8 vs. Hayden
    2 Norwood 3-0
    Fri: W 46-0 vs. Del Norte
    3 Hoehne 1-1
    Fri: L 14-26 vs. Springfield
    4 Granada 2-0
    Fri: W 79-32 vs. Sanford
    5 Sedgwick County 3-0
    Fri: W 70-0 at Leyton (Neb.)
    6 Sargent 2-0
    Fri: W 50-6 at Wiley
    7 Caliche 2-1
    Fri: W 48-6 at Potter-Dix (Neb.)
    8 Akron 1-1
    Fri: W 40-0 vs. Fowler
    9 Haxtun 2-0
    Off this week.
    10 Merino 2-0
    Fri: W 20-6 at Simla

    Class 6-man
    1 Fleming 2-0
    Fri: W 61-0 vs. Idalia
    2 Eads 2-0
    Fri: W 54-0 at Hi-Plains
    3 Arickaree/Woodlin 1-1
    Fri: L 26-31 vs. (5) Pawnee
    4 Kit Carson 2-0
    Fri: W 44-33 vs. (8) Cheraw
    5 Pawnee 2-0
    Fri: W 31-26 at (3) Arickaree/Woodlin
    6 Hanover 2-0
    Thurs: W 46-0 vs. Colorado D&B
    7 Peetz 1-2
    Sat: W 63-33 at Briggsdale
    8 Cheraw 1-1
    Fri: L 33-44 at (4) Kit Carson
    9 Otis 2-0
    Fri: W 83-34 at Flagler
    10 North Park 1-1
    Off this week.

  • Cherry Creek, Kent Denver, Dayspring Christian new No. 1 teams in football rankings

    Cherry Creek Regis Jesuit football
    Cherry Creek is atop the Class 5A football poll this week. More photos. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    Cherry Creek, fresh off of two impressive wins to begin the season, has ascended to the top of CHSAANow.com’s Class 5A football rankings this week.

    The Bruins, defending 5A champions, beat Heritage in Zero Week, then followed it up with a 17-3 win over then-No. 4 Regis Jesuit in Week 1. They received 11 of the 18 first-place votes, and edged out Pomona, which moved up to No. 2 after getting six first-place votes.

    Cherry Creek and Pomona play on Friday.

    Pomona, No. 3 in the preseason, beat No. 1 Valor Christian last week. Valor Christian fell to No. 3 in the 5A poll.

    Columbine is fourth, and Grandview moved into the top five following its win over Chaparral. Ralston Valley also moved up — to sixth — after its Week 1 win over Eaglecrest.

    Regis Jesuit fell three spots to seventh, Fairview is eighth and Doherty moved up to ninth. Mullen is the lone newcomer to 5A this week at No. 10. The Mustangs opened the season with a 41-0 win against Gateway.

    There are also new No. 1 teams in the 2A and 8-man rankings.

    Kent Denver Gunnison football
    Kent Denver is now No. 1 in Class 2A. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Kent Denver takes over in 2A following its win over then-No. 7 Gunnison, coupled with Brush’s loss to rival Fort Morgan. The 2A ranking added No. 7 La Junta this week.

    In 8-man, Dayspring Christian takes over at the top. The Eagles narrowly edged out Norwood with 75 total points to Norwood’s 74 — despite Norwood actually getting more first-place votes (four) than Dayspring (three).

    The 8-man poll added Haxtun (No. 9) and Merino (No. 10) this week.

    Each of the other No. 1 teams held firm this week: Pine Creek (4A), Pueblo East (3A), Paonia (1A) and Fleming (6-man).

    The biggest movers in 4A’s ranking were Windsor, which moved up to fourth and Vista Ridge, now ranked No. 6. That poll added three new teams: No. 8 Ponderosa, No. 9 Greeley West and No. 10 Wheat Ridge.

    In 3A, Rifle jumped up from No. 8 to No. 4. That poll, too, has three new members: No. 7 Berthoud, No. 8 D’Evelyn and No. 9 Lewis-Palmer.

    There were no new teams in 1A, though Burlington did jump from No. 10 to No. 6.

    The 6-man poll added Cheraw at No. 8.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

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

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Cherry Creek (11) 2-0 173 2
    2 Pomona (6) 1-0 166 3
    3 Valor Christian 1-1 126 1
    4 Columbine 2-0 121 5
    5 Grandview 1-0 87 7
    6 Ralston Valley 1-0 75 9
    7 Regis Jesuit 0-1 68 4
    8 Fairview 1-0 64 6
    9 Doherty (1) 1-0 32 10
    10 Mullen 1-0 27 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherokee Trail 17, Legacy 11, Lakewood 4, Rocky Mountain 4, Fountain-Fort Carson 3, Heritage 3, Mountain Vista 3, Arapahoe 2, Horizon 2, Eaglecrest 1, ThunderRidge 1.
    Dropped out
    Fountain-Fort Carson (8).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Pine Creek (12) 2-0 120 1
    2 Longmont 1-0 105 2
    3 Dakota Ridge 1-0 92 3
    4 Windsor 1-0 77 7
    5 Falcon 0-1 57 4
    6 Vista Ridge 1-0 46 10
    7 Broomfield 0-1 36 6
    8 Ponderosa 1-0 31 –
    9 Greeley West 1-0 29 –
    10 Wheat Ridge 2-0 18 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Loveland 13, Montrose 7, Pueblo West 7, Rampart 6, Denver South 4, Palmer Ridge 4, Fort Collins 3, Durango 2, Silver Creek 2, Greeley Central 1.
    Dropped out
    Denver South (5), Fort Collins (8), Pueblo South (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Pueblo East (8) 1-1 130 1
    2 Fort Morgan (5) 1-0 109 2
    3 Holy Family 1-0 107 4
    4 Rifle (1) 2-0 89 8
    5 Palisade 1-0 72 5
    6 Roosevelt 1-1 50 6
    7 Berthoud 1-0 43 –
    8 D’Evelyn 1-0 35 –
    9 Lewis-Palmer 1-0 29 –
    10 Delta 1-1 24 9
    Others receiving votes:
    Discovery Canyon 20, Mead 13, Evergreen 11, The Classical Academy 8, Conifer 7, Erie 6, Mitchell 4, Pueblo Central 4, Canon City 3, Pueblo County 2, Eagle Valley 1, Frederick 1, Lutheran 1, Thomas Jefferson 1.
    Dropped out
    Evergreen (3), Discovery Canyon (7), Lutheran (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Kent Denver (10) 1-0 109 2
    2 Faith Christian 1-0 88 4
    3 Eaton 2-0 77 6
    4 Brush (1) 0-1 76 1
    5 Platte Valley 1-1 67 5
    6 Bayfield 1-0 52 8
    7 La Junta 2-0 35 –
    8 Strasburg 0-1 31 3
    9 Gunnison 0-1 29 7
    10 Lamar 0-1 10 10
    Others receiving votes:
    Moffat County 7, Alameda 5, Florence 5, Sterling 5, Trinidad 4, Battle Mountain 3, Olathe 3, Aspen 2, Roaring Fork 1.
    Dropped out
    Florence (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Paonia (10) 1-0 136 1
    2 Buena Vista (3) 1-0 128 2
    3 Resurrection Christian (1) 2-0 113 4
    4 Rye 2-0 86 6
    5 Platte Canyon 1-0 75 5
    6 Burlington 1-0 44 10
    7 Cedaredge 1-0 42 8
    8 Monte Vista 0-1 39 7
    9 Meeker 0-2 34 3
    10 Wiggins 1-0 30 9
    Others receiving votes:
    Centauri 20, Limon 17, Ellicott 10, Crowley County 2, Center 1, Hotchkiss 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Dayspring Christian (3) 1-0 75 3
    2 Norwood (4) 2-0 74 2
    3 Hoehne 1-0 66 5
    4 Granada 1-0 61 4
    5 Sedgwick County (1) 3-0 54 7
    6 Sargent 1-0 38 10
    7 Caliche (1) 1-1 26 1
    8 Akron 0-1 21 6
    9 Haxtun 2-0 20 –
    10 Merino 0-1 20 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Kiowa 14, Holly 12, Springfield 8, Soroco 3, Wiley 3, Gilpin County 1.
    Dropped out
    Springfield (8), Simla (9).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Fleming (6) 1-0 69 1
    2 Eads (1) 1-0 61 2
    3 Arickaree/Woodlin 1-0 59 3
    4 Kit Carson 1-0 48 4
    5 Pawnee 1-0 36 7
    6 Hanover 1-0 29 6
    7 Peetz 0-2 24 5
    8 Cheraw 1-0 23 –
    9 Otis 1-0 20 10
    10 North Park 1-1 11 8
    Others receiving votes:
    Idalia 4, Cheyenne Wells 1.
    Dropped out
    Walsh (9).

  • Photos: No. 2 Kent Denver football beats No. 7 Gunnison

    ENGLEWOOD — Second-ranked Kent Denver jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead, and went on to beat No. 7 Gunnison 41-13 in a Class 2A showdown on Friday evening.

    [divider]

    [WPS_photo_gallery id=”17″]

  • McKissick has four TDs to lead No. 2 Kent Denver football past No. 7 Gunnison

    Kent Denver Gunnison football
    Kent Denver’s Wyllis McKissick had four scores on Friday. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    ENGLEWOOD — Wyllis McKissick scored four touchdowns as No. 2 Kent Denver beat No. 7 Gunnison on Friday evening.

    McKissick, a senior, led the Sun Devils to a 41-13 win in Class 2A action.

    “I was nervous this morning, couldn’t get any sleep last night, so I’m glad it worked out how it did,” McKissick said after the game.

    The Sun Devils (1-0) got the game off on the right foot. Tom Boatman, a senior, intercepted a pass on the first drive of the game, but Kent wasn’t able to convert deep into Gunnison (0-1) territory. McKissick fumbled the ball on the second play near the goal line.

    Kent Denver Gunnison football
    Kent Denver’s Tom Boatman (17) had an interception in the first quarter. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    “Definitely a lot of things we can work on,” he said. “We didn’t have our strongest start, but once we got the ball rolling, we turned up the heat and its good to see that.”

    After the turnover, the running back and his team seemed to forget about the play completely and dominated throughout on offense and defense.

    Gunnison struggled to get anything going on offense in the first half and was forced to punt five times. In the second quarter, McKissick’s 57-yard run for a touchdown made it 20-0. Later in the quarter, he broke tackles for another long run touchdown, this one 48 yards.

    Gunnison wasn’t able to gain any momentum against their opponent’s physical defense.

    “Kent is a good football team, we played a little tentative and a little tight,” said first-year Gunnison coach Shane Zimmerman. “I think we can get a lot better. We’ve got nowhere to go but up.”

    In the second half, the Sun Devils continued to control the running game. McKissick added a third touchdown in the third quarter of four yards. His final score was a 45-yard run.

    Last season, Jaden Franklin was Kent Denver’s start — he had 1,971 yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. It looks like the Sun Devils have a very capable replacement.

    Kent Denver Gunnison football
    Kent Denver’s defense was stout on Friday. More photos. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    “We have the potential to have a great running team,” said Kent Denver coach Scott Yates. “There is a lot of things we need to do a lot better — up front as far as protection and blocking — that we didn’t do today at times.

    “We had a couple of plays where our running backs made spectacular individual efforts. Wasn’t like we had a great big hole.”

    Last season, Kent Denver went undefeated during the regular season and lost in dramatic fashion, a 14-6 defeat to Brush in the 2A title game which came down to a goal-line stand.

    “We think we have a chance to be pretty competitive,” Yates said. “But, the truth is this is our first game this year. We have so many things to work out and get better.

    “Obviously the goal is to make it all the way to the end, but it is too early for me to be projecting that at all.”

  • Top-10 football schedule and scoreboard for Week 1 games

    Cherry Creek Heritage football
    No. 2 Cherry Creek has No. 4 Regis Jesuit at home this week. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)

    A complete schedule and scoreboard for football’s top-10 teams during Week 1 in the 2015 season.

    [divider]
    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    A complete schedule and scoreboard for football’s top-10 teams during Week 1 in the 2015 season.

    [divider]
    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    1 Valor Christian 1-1
    Fri: L 14-28 vs. (3) Pomona
    2 Cherry Creek 2-0
    Fri: W 17-3 vs. (4) Regis Jesuit
    3 Pomona 1-0
    Fri: W 28-14 at (1) Valor Christian
    4 Regis Jesuit 0-1
    Fri: L 3-17 at (2) Cherry Creek
    5 Columbine 2-0
    Thurs: W 28-0 vs. Overland
    6 Fairview 1-0
    Fri: W 21-12 vs. Grand Junction
    7 Grandview 1-0
    Fri: W 29-12 at Chaparral
    8 Fountain-Fort Carson 0-2
    Fri: L 21-31 at Lakewood
    9 Ralston Valley 1-0
    Fri: W 33-27 at Eaglecrest
    10 Doherty 1-0
    Fri: W 34-8 vs. Palmer

    Class 4A
    1 Pine Creek 2-0
    Fri: W 35-13 vs. (4) Falcon
    2 Longmont 1-0
    Off this week.
    3 Dakota Ridge 1-0
    Fri: W 38-9 at Monarch
    4 Falcon 0-1
    Fri: L 13-35 at (1) Pine Creek
    5 Denver South 0-1
    Fri: L 18-36 vs. Loveland
    6 Broomfield 0-1
    Fri: L 31-35 at Legacy
    7 Windsor 1-0
    Fri: W 25-12 vs. (3A 6) Roosevelt
    8 Fort Collins 0-1
    Fri: L 20-39 vs. Poudre
    9 Pueblo South 0-1
    Sat: L 0-24 at Ponderosa
    10 Vista Ridge 1-0
    Fri: W 48-21 vs. Northglenn

    Class 3A
    1 Pueblo East 1-1
    Sat: W 49-0 at Coronado
    2 Fort Morgan 1-0
    Fri: W 47-7 vs. (2A 1) Brush
    3 Evergreen 0-1
    Fri: L 24-29 at Lewis-Palmer
    4 Holy Family 1-0
    Fri: W 49-43 vs. Mountain View
    5 Palisade 1-0
    Fri: W 21-6 vs. The Classical Academy
    6 Roosevelt 1-1
    Fri: L 12-25 at (4A 7) Windsor
    7 Discovery Canyon 0-1
    Fri: L 29-36 vs. Silver Creek
    8 Rifle 2-0
    Fri: W 41-0 at Moffat County
    9 Delta 1-1
    Fri: L 7-28 at Montrose
    10 Lutheran 0-1
    Off this week.

    Class 2A
    1 Brush 0-1
    Fri: L 7-47 at (3A 2) Fort Morgan
    2 Kent Denver 1-0
    Fri: W 41-13 vs. (7) Gunnison
    3 Strasburg 0-1
    Fri: L 7-30 vs. (5) Platte Valley
    4 Faith Christian 1-0
    Fri: W 46-32 vs. Manitou Springs
    5 Platte Valley 1-1
    Fri: W 30-7 at (3) Strasburg
    6 Eaton 2-0
    Fri: W 52-13 at Bennett
    7 Gunnison 0-1
    Fri: L 13-41 at (2) Kent Denver
    8 Bayfield 1-0
    Off this week.
    9 Florence 0-1
    Fri: L 12-21 vs. Harrison
    10 Lamar 0-1
    Fri: L 6-21 vs. (1A 10) Burlington

    Class 1A
    1 Paonia 1-0
    Fri: W 21-7 at (7) Monte Vista
    2 Buena Vista 1-0
    Fri: W 33-12 at Alamosa
    3 Meeker 0-2
    Fri: L 14-16 at Roaring Fork
    4 Resurrection Christian 2-0
    Fri: W 33-0 at Highland
    5 Platte Canyon 1-0
    Fri: W 34-15 at Ridge View Academy
    6 Rye 2-0
    Fri: W 42-7 vs. Rocky Ford
    7 Monte Vista 0-1
    Fri: L 7-21 vs. (1) Paonia
    8 Cedaredge 1-0
    Fri: W 21-6 vs. Basalt
    9 Wiggins 1-0
    Fri: W 41-7 vs. Lyons
    10 Burlington 1-0
    Fri: W 21-6 at (2A 10) Lamar

    Class 8-man
    1 Caliche 1-1
    Fri: L 6-12 at Kiowa
    2 Norwood 2-0
    Fri: W 41-12 vs. Dove Creek
    3 Dayspring Christian 1-0
    Sat: W 64-6 at Custer County
    4 Granada 1-0
    Fri: W 20-12 at Swink
    5 Hoehne 1-0
    Fri: W 49-16 at McClave
    6 Akron 0-1
    Fri: L 21-29 at Holyoke
    7 Sedgwick County 2-0
    Fri: W 59-0 vs. Paxton (Neb.)
    8 Springfield 1-1
    Fri: W 46-0 vs. Del Norte
    9 Simla 0-1
    Fri: L 20-46 at Haxtun
    10 Sargent 1-0
    Off this week.

    Class 6-man
    1 Fleming 1-0
    Sat: W 68-25 at (8) North Park
    2 Eads 1-0
    Fri: W 54-6 vs. Manzanola
    3 Arickaree/Woodlin 1-0
    Fri: W 58-50 at (5) Peetz
    4 Kit Carson 1-0
    Fri: W 52-24 vs. Genoa-Hugo/Karval
    5 Peetz 0-2
    Fri: L 50-58 vs. (3) Arickaree/Woodlin
    6 Hanover 1-0
    Sat: W 54-6 vs. Miami-Yoder
    7 Pawnee 1-0
    Fri: W 54-28 at Briggsdale
    8 North Park 1-1
    Sat: L 25-68 vs. (1) Fleming
    9 Walsh 0-1
    Fri: L 32-64 at Cheraw
    10 Otis 1-0
    Off this week.

  • Top-10 football schedule and scoreboard for Zero Week games

    Valor Christian football
    Valor Christian, the preseason No. 1 team in 5A, opens with Bonneville, Idaho, in Zero Week. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    A complete schedule and scoreboard for football’s top-10 teams during Zero Week in the 2015 season.

    [divider]
    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A | 8-man | 6-man

    Class 5A
    1 Valor Christian 1-0
    Fri: W 51-12 vs. Bonneville (Idaho)
    2 Cherry Creek 1-0
    Fri: W 31-0 at Heritage
    3 Pomona 0-0
    Off this week.
    4 Regis Jesuit 0-0
    Off this week.
    5 Columbine 1-0
    Fri: W 34-7 at (8) Fountain-Fort Carson
    6 Fairview 0-0
    Off this week.
    7 Grandview 0-0
    Off this week.
    8 Fountain-Fort Carson 0-1
    Fri: L 34-7 vs. (5) Columbine
    9 Ralston Valley 0-0
    Off this week.
    10 Doherty 0-0
    Off this week.

    Class 4A
    1 Pine Creek 1-0
    Fri: W 45-0 at Pueblo Centennial
    2 Longmont 1-0
    Fri: W 48-27 vs. (3A 1) Pueblo East
    3 Dakota Ridge 0-0
    Off this week.
    4 Falcon 0-0
    Off this week.
    5 Denver South 0-0
    Off this week.
    6 Broomfield 0-0
    Off this week.
    7 Windsor 0-0
    Off this week.
    8 Fort Collins 0-0
    Off this week.
    9 Pueblo South 0-0
    Off this week.
    10 Vista Ridge 0-0
    Off this week.

    Class 3A
    1 Pueblo East 0-1
    Fri: L 48-27 at (4A 2) Longmont
    2 Fort Morgan 0-0
    Off this week.
    3 Evergreen 0-0
    Off this week.
    4 Holy Family 0-0
    Off this week.
    5 Palisade 0-0
    Off this week.
    6 Roosevelt 1-0
    Fri: W 50-12 vs. Thompson Valley
    7 Discovery Canyon 0-0
    Off this week.
    8 Rifle 1-0
    Fri: W 47-12 vs. Grand County (Utah)
    9 Delta 1-0
    Fri: W 38-35 at The Classical Academy
    10 Lutheran 0-1
    Fri: L 33-7 at Durango

    Class 2A
    1 Brush 0-0
    Off this week.
    2 Kent Denver 0-0
    Off this week.
    3 Strasburg 0-0
    Off this week.
    4 Faith Christian 0-0
    Off this week.
    5 Platte Valley 0-1
    Fri: L 15-13 at (1A 4) Resurrection Christian
    6 Eaton 0-0
    Off this week.
    7 Gunnison 0-0
    Off this week.
    8 Bayfield 1-0
    Fri: W 43-0 at Kirtland Central (N.M.)
    9 Florence 0-0
    Off this week.
    10 Lamar 0-0
    Off this week.

    Class 1A
    1 Paonia 0-0
    Off this week.
    2 Buena Vista 0-0
    Off this week.
    3 Meeker 0-1
    Sat: L 17-16 at (6) Rye
    4 Resurrection Christian 1-0
    Fri: W 15-13 at (2A 5) Platte Valley
    5 Platte Canyon 0-0
    Off this week.
    6 Rye 1-0
    Sat: W 17-16 vs. (3) Meeker
    7 Monte Vista 0-0
    Off this week.
    8 Cedaredge 0-0
    Off this week.
    9 Wiggins 0-0
    Off this week.
    10 Burlington 0-0
    Off this week.

    Class 8-man
    1 Caliche 1-0
    Sat: W 30-18 vs. Soroco
    2 Norwood 1-0
    Fri: W 48-12 vs. Mancos
    3 Dayspring Christian 0-0
    Off this week.
    4 Granada 0-0
    Off this week.
    5 Hoehne 0-0
    Off this week.
    6 Akron 0-0
    Off this week.
    7 Sedgwick County 1-0
    Fri: W 94-8 at Creek Valley (Neb.)
    8 Springfield 0-1
    Fri: L 40-28 at (10) Sargent
    9 Simla 0-0
    Off this week.
    10 Sargent 1-0
    Fri: W 40-28 vs. (8) Springfield

    Class 6-man
    1 Fleming 0-0
    Off this week.
    2 Eads 0-0
    Off this week.
    3 Arickaree/Woodlin 0-0
    Off this week.
    4 Kit Carson 0-0
    Off this week.
    5 Peetz 0-1
    Fri: L 60-26 vs. (8) North Park
    6 Hanover 0-0
    Off this week.
    7 Pawnee 0-0
    Off this week.
    8 North Park 1-0
    Fri: W 60-26 at (5) Peetz
    9 Walsh 0-0
    Off this week.
    10 Otis 1-0
    Fri: W 50-7 vs. Weldon Valley

  • Reid Kahl gets fresh start with defending 2A football champ Brush

    Brush head coach Reid Kahl chats with his assistants during football practice. (Photo courtesy of Scott Hodgson/Brush High School)
    Brush head coach Reid Kahl chats with his assistants during football practice. (Photo courtesy of Scott Hodgson/Brush High School)

    [dropcap]R[/dropcap]eid Kahl is no stranger to defending state championships. Kahl was able to secure Class 4A titles in 2006 and 2008 while he was the head coach at Wheat Ridge.

    Now he has the task of defending a 2A championship. Only, unlike those at Wheat Ridge, this is not a state championship that he won. This offseason, Kahl was hired by Brush to take over for Randy Dreitz. Dreitz left the team in March after leading the Beetdiggers to the 2A state championship.

    “After the season was over last year, everybody pretty much knew that Randy was going to retire,” Kahl said. “I didn’t think much about it until later in the spring when the job opened up. I had a lot of people from the community reach out to me and show a lot of interest in me doing it.”

    The start of Brush’s title defense is a more interesting story for Kahl himself rather than the team. The Beetdiggers kick their season off by traveling to Fort Morgan on Sept. 4. Kahl was a standout football player for the Mustangs, who happen to be the Beetdiggers’ rivals.

    “I’m going to be completely honest with you, and I’m not just saying this, it’s been a much bigger deal for everyone else than it has been for me,” Kahl said. “It’s been since 2001, which was my last season in Fort Morgan.”

    Karl left the Farmers after the 2013 season and took last year off before taking the job at Brush. It was a summer of turnover at the school as a new principal and athletic director were named at the same meeting.

    To echo the sentiment of Kahl, it was really the community support that brought his name into the coaching search since there wasn’t an athletic director to include him in it.

    “None of us that hired Reid were here,” said athletic director Scott Hodgson, who is also in his first year at the school after coming over from Holly. “Once we found out that was the choice, we were really happy. He’s had great success everywhere he’s been.”

    Karl comes in this season with the task of defending a state championship that he was not a part of. The Beetdiggers also lost a big senior class, including 2A player of the year Kyle Rosenbrock.

    Fair or not, this young Brush team comes into the season, not only with a new coach, but also with a target on its back.

    “It’s a different situation and it’s not an easy situation,” Kahl said. “They graduated a ton of seniors last year and I have a really inexperienced team. We all know that there’s a big target on our back and I talked to the kids about it when I first met with them.”

    But that won’t matter to the teams on the opposite sideline. They’ll only see “Brush” on the jerseys and they’ll know that was the last team to walk away as state champions.

    Besides, Brush opened up as preseason No. 1 in 2A on Monday.

    Karl knows the expectations are high and that he is walking into a program that will expect him to win. His track record at Wheat Ridge indicates that he can find success. His plan is to just run the systems that he’s comfortable running and hope that it translates into wins for the Beetdiggers.

    “I’ve installed a lot of the same offense that I run wherever I’m (coaching),” Kahl said. “We spent a lot time on it over the summer and the kids have done a nice job picking it up.”

    He gets his chance to see just how well they’ve picked it up when Brush travels to Fort Morgan on Sept. 4. Kahl has plenty of good memories from when he was with the Mustangs but knows once the ball kicked-off, it’s time to focus on his job as the coach of the Beetdiggers.

    “After 26 years of coaching, it’s not like I was there yesterday,” Kahl said. “I think it seems to be a big to people on the outside and not so much for me.”

    [divider]

    Small-school football preview

    Defending champions:

    Returning All-State athletes:

    • 2A: Cole Bryant (Sr.) La Junta, Connor Dooley (Sr.) Kent Denver, Anthony Ibarra (Sr.) Platte Valley, Parker Joens (Sr.) Platte Valley, Brett Loyd, (Sr.) Moffat County, Mitchell Martin, (Sr.) Strasburg, Will McKissick (Sr.) Kent Denver, Ty Percival (Sr.) Gunnison, Victor Perez (Sr.) Montezuma-Cortez, Zane Phelps (Sr.) Bayfield, Carl Schmidt (Sr.) Kent Denver, Clay Shaver (Sr.) Brush, Joao Thives (Sr.) Denver North, Brady Wilson (Sr.) Gunnison, Luke Wilson (Sr.) Kent Denver, Zeke Zuelke (Sr.) Bennett
    • 1A: Beau Beckman (Sr.) Wray, Hank Bode (Sr.) Platte Canyon, Bryce Buhr (Sr.) Crowley County, Devin Christian (Sr.) Limon, Luke Cross (Sr.) Resurrection Christian, Sabyn Diamond (Sr.) Buena Vista, Austin Dinis (Sr.) Wiggins, Cooper Eggleston (Sr.) Buena Vista, Jayden Hilferty (Sr.) Limon, TJ Shelton (Sr.) Meeker, Taylor Walters (Sr.) Paonia, Cooper Ward (Sr.) Resurrection Christian, Trey Zupancic (Sr.) Rye
    • 8-man: Alex Davis (Sr.) Vail Christian, Spencer Gatlin (Sr.) Dove Creek, Jason George (Sr.) Simla, Rafe Hutches (Sr.) Springfield, Tre Jensen (Sr.) Granada, Anthony Payne (Jr.) Hoehne, Mitch Sides (Sr.) Dayspring Schristian Academy, Bruce Taylor (Sr.) Caliche, Matt Thieman (Sr.) Simla, Joey Younkerman (Sr.) Sargent
    • 6-man: Jaxon Crawford (Jr.) Kit Carson, Dylan Dixon (Sr.) Eads, Luke Duggan (Sr.) Pawnee, Caine Farmer (Sr.) Kit Carson, Chase Flynn (Jr.) Stratton/Liberty, Tristan Headrick (Sr.) Cheraw, Ben Lambrecht (Sr.) Fleming, Reagan Lane (Sr.) Eads, Trent Leoffler (Sr.) Arickaree/Woodlin, Jordan Nelson (Sr.) Peetz, Tanner Patterson (Jr.) Otis, Marco Solis (Sr.) Kit Carson, Joesph Stahley (Sr.) Fleming, Alex Vandenbark (Jr.) Fleming, Cody Wilson (Jr.) Peetz

    Regular season begins: Sept. 3

    Postseason begins: Nov. 7

    State championship: Nov. 21 (6-man), Nov. 28 (8-man, 1A and 2A)