CHSAANow

Tag: Mead

  • Softball rankings: Eaton moves up to No. 1 in Class 3A

    (Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)

    Eaton’s softball team, now 7-1-0, has moved up to the No. 1 spot in this week’s Class 3A rankings.

    The polls, voted upon by head coaches around the state, will serve as part of the seeding criteria in softball this season. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.

    Complete rankings for each class are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Softball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (9) 7-1-0 173 1 0-1-0
    2 Fossil Ridge 9-1-0 134 3 2-0-0
    3 Lakewood (4) 8-0-0 132 7 5-0-0
    4 Broomfield (3) 10-0-0 120 2 2-0-0
    5 Smoky Hill (1) 8-0-0 103 5 2-0-0
    6 Chatfield 8-2-0 83 6 1-0-0
    7 Legend 5-2-0 68 9 2-0-0
    8 Legacy (2) 5-3-0 59 4 0-2-0
    9 Grand Junction Central 6-3-0 51 8 2-1-0
    10 Cherokee Trail 5-2-0 40 10 2-1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Columbine 29, Castle View 23, Rocky Mountain 19, Arvada West 16, Douglas County 16, Horizon 15, Hinkley 10, Fruita Monument 8, Highlands Ranch 7, Brighton 6, Ralston Valley 6, Cherry Creek 5, Fort Collins 5, ThunderRidge 5, Valor Christian 5, Denver East 3, Fountain-Fort Carson 3, Mountain Range 3, Rampart 3, Eaglecrest 2, Arapahoe 1, Pomona 1, Regis Jesuit 1.
    Dropped out
    None.
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Mead (7) 8-0-0 129 1 1-0-0
    2 Wheat Ridge (6) 7-0-0 122 2 2-0-0
    3 Holy Family 6-2-0 96 3 3-0-0
    4 D’Evelyn (1) 8-0-0 67 – 5-0-0
    5 Silver Creek 5-4-0 55 7 3-0-0
    6 Erie 5-3-0 46 4 1-1-0
    7 Riverdale Ridge 9-1-0 38 5 4-0-0
    8 Conifer 6-1-0 37 – 3-0-0
    9 Frederick 8-2-0 28 6 3-1-0
    10 Ponderosa 5-2-0 18 9 3-2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo Central 17, Mesa Ridge 15, Pueblo West 14, Windsor 14, Roosevelt 12, Pueblo South 9, Northfield 9, Mullen 8, Pueblo Centennial 8, Bear Creek 6, Air Academy 5, Discovery Canyon 5, Falcon 5, Golden 3, Palisade 2, Niwot 1, Pueblo County 1.
    Dropped out
    Air Academy (8), Mesa Ridge (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (6) 7-1-0 101 2 2-0-0
    2 University (5) 6-2-0 98 1 1-1-0
    3 Rocky Ford 6-0-0 74 3 1-0-0
    4 Lyons 5-2-0 66 5 2-0-0
    5 Strasburg 4-3-0 59 8 0-0-0
    6 Limon 6-2-0 55 4 1-1-0
    7 Lutheran (1) 6-1-0 43 9 1-0-0
    8 La Junta 4-3-0 40 10 2-2-0
    9 Brush 4-4-0 35 7 1-1-0
    10 Sterling 5-3-0 29 6 1-1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Fort Lupton 15, Delta 10, Alamosa 9, Basalt 8, Denver West 8, The Academy 8, Aspen 7, Burlington 7, Montezuma-Cortez 7, Weld Central 7, Faith Christian 6, Holyoke 6, Lamar 6, Yuma 4, Jefferson 3, Sheridan 2, Cedaredge 1, Harrison 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Lineup balance has Mead softball off to a monumental start to the season

    Mead Elizabeth softball
    (Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)

    One look through the Mead batting order and it’s tough to figure out who’s the best hitter to have up in a clutch situation.

    In reality, it could be anyone from the leadoff spot to the nine-hole. The Mavericks are as consistent as can be from top to bottom and that’s a big reason that they’re currently ranked No. 1 in the Class 4A softball rankings and also a perceived favorite to make a run at a state championship.

    The season opened with wins over Elizabeth and Windsor, but it wasn’t until a 12-4 win over defending champion Erie that the Mavericks truly felt like they had something special coming together this season.

    “It’s all about a team-first attitude,” coach Amanda Macaluso said. “Our chemistry is amazing this year. I think part of has to do with COVID and the fact that we’re just so grateful to be playing in any way shape or form. They’re all about whatever the team needs.”

    She’s not lying. Although the Mavericks lineup varies in terms of batting order, every other key stat is consistent no matter who is at the plate. No one has more than nine RBIs and six players have at least five. The team has hit eight home runs with three players responsible for two bombs a piece while two others have one to their names.

    “We just have a really strong one through nine,” junior Emily Sauvageau said. “We don’t have any easy outs in our lineup. You go through the whole thing and it’s really difficult to get anyone out.”

    Erie Mead softball
    (Steve Oathout)

    That especially helps when on the defensive side when the pitching staff is led by a sophomore. Josslynn Veltien has been everything Mead needs her to be to balance out a well-producing lineup. In 46 innings she’s given up just 18 earned runs while striking out 52 hitters.

    Perhaps her biggest test came just last week when the Mavericks needed 11 innings to get a hard-fought win over Silver Creek. Getting through that one and keeping their record unblemished gave the Mavericks that little extra bit of confidence that this could be their year.

    “In that game we didn’t give up,” Veltien said. “We kept pushing. We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game. In the future we know that if we get into tight games like that, we won’t just freak out and give it up.”

    Add mental toughness to the list of reasons Mead is firing on all cylinders this year. Veronica Elsis’ nine RBIs help. She shares the team lead in hits at 11 with Delaney Wilson and Savanna Griebling. Sauvageau is batting .500 and “seeing watermelons at the plate right now” according to Macaluso.

    Adding in mental toughness can make a team playing so well even more unstoppable.

    “In years past, our biggest struggle is that we couldn’t win those close games,” Macaluso said. “We didn’t have the confidence that if they were wearing an Erie Tigers jersey, we were already defeated. We completely overcome that panic, if you will, and we are really just confident in each and every kid and every at-bat. They trust each other.”

    The Mavericks still have games remaining against Erie and Holy Family, the last two 4A state champions. But with wins against both team already, they’re hoping they can continue to show that anyone looking to claim a state title has to go through them first.

    Rocky Mountain Mead softball
    (David Johnson/davidjohnsonphotography.org)

  • Softball rankings: Five newcomers join the polls

    Fossil Ridge Grand Junction Central softball
    (David Johnson/davidjohnsonphotography.org)

    Five new teams hopped into the softball rankings this week: Grand Junction Central, Cherokee Trail, Ponderosa, Mesa Ridge, and La Junta.

    The polls, voted upon by head coaches around the state, will serve as part of the seeding criteria in softball this season. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.

    Complete rankings for each class are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Softball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Rock Canyon (12) 7-0-0 145 1
    2 Broomfield (1) 8-0-0 110 5
    3 Fossil Ridge 7-1-0 108 2
    4 Legacy (1) 5-1-0 94 3
    5 Smoky Hill 6-0-0 77 6
    6 Chatfield (1) 7-2-0 69 4
    7 Lakewood (1) 3-0-0 66 7
    8 Grand Junction Central 4-2-0 38 –
    9 Legend 3-2-0 37 10
    10 Cherokee Trail 3-1-0 27 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Castle View 23, Columbine 23, Rocky Mountain 21, Cherry Creek 18, Brighton 13, Douglas County 10, Hinkley 10, Arvada West 7, Highlands Ranch 7, Horizon 6, Fountain-Fort Carson 5, Mountain Range 5, Chaparral 4, Eaglecrest 3, Fort Collins 3, Rampart 2, Arapahoe 1, Ralston Valley 1, ThunderRidge 1, Valor Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Columbine (8), Cherry Creek (9).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Mead (12) 7-0-0 164 1
    2 Wheat Ridge (5) 5-0-0 150 2
    3 Holy Family (1) 3-2-0 112 3
    4 Erie 4-2-0 79 4
    5 Riverdale Ridge 5-1-0 56 10
    6 Frederick 5-1-0 52 5
    7 Silver Creek 2-4-0 35 6
    8 Air Academy 4-1-0 33 7
    9 Ponderosa 2-0-0 29 –
    10 Mesa Ridge 5-0-0 23 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo South 21, Pueblo West 21, Windsor 20, Conifer 17, Pueblo Central 16, Northfield 16, Pueblo Centennial 12, Discovery Canyon 11, Roosevelt 11, Mountain View 9, Mullen 8, Berthoud 7, Coronado 5, Bear Creek 4, Pueblo County 4, Golden 3, Severance 3, Durango 1, Elizabeth 1, Evergreen 1, Niwot 1, Palisade 1, Standley Lake 1.
    Dropped out
    Pueblo South (8), Windsor (9).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 University (8) 5-1-0 106 1
    2 Eaton (1) 5-1-0 90 2
    3 Rocky Ford (1) 5-0-0 80 3
    4 Limon 5-1-0 54 4
    5 Lyons 3-2-0 46 7
    6 Sterling 4-2-0 45 10
    7 Brush 3-3-0 42 6
    8 Strasburg 4-3-0 40 5
    9 Lutheran (1) 5-1-0 35 9
    10 La Junta 2-1-0 20 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Lamar 16, Peak to Peak 11, Basalt 8, Cedaredge 5, Fort Lupton 3, Montezuma-Cortez 3, Weld Central 1.
    Dropped out
    Lamar (8).

  • Top-ranked Mead softball walks off No. 6 Silver Creek in the 11th inning

    Erie Mead softball
    (Steve Oathout)

    There’s nothing like an 11-inning pitcher’s duel to set the tone for softball games for the rest of the season.

    That’s what fans were treated to as Class 4A No. 1 Mead and No. 6 Silver Creek went toe to toe in one of the most thrilling games of the relatively young season. Down to their last out, it was the Mavericks (7-0 overall, 1-0 4A NCAA) getting the walk-off win in the 11th inning.

    The teams matched each other run for run in the first and third innings but the game was mostly dominated by stellar pitching on both sides.

    Silver Creek (2-4, 0-3) senior Maddie Kuehl gave up 14 hits, but limited to the Mavericks to just two earned runs the entire game. She struck out 12 hitters and put just one on base with a walk. It was hard for Mead sophomore Joslynn Veltien to be better, but she was able to do by the slimmest of margins. She struck out 15 hitters and allowed just 11 hits. All three runs the Raptors scored were earned.

    Maddox Boston was the offensive key for the Mavericks, going 2-for-5 at the plate and crossing home twice. Veronica Elsis, Tayler Brown and Emily Sauvageau all drove in runs for Mead.

    Sophomore Isabelle Martinez and junior Ashley Gaccetta did their best to solve Veltien’s work in the circle. Martinez was 3-for-5 and scored and run while Gaccetta went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI’s.

    The two teams will meet exactly one month after this class showdown as they will face each other in their regular season finales on Oct. 1.

  • Softball rankings: Mead jumps up to No. 1 in Class 4A

    Mead Elizabeth softball
    (Lisa Hayes/StillOfTheMomentPhotography.com)

    Mead softball, off to a 6-0 start, is now the No. 1 team in Class 4A after moving up from No. 9 last week.

    The polls, voted upon by head coaches around the state, will serve as part of the seeding criteria in softball this season. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.

    Complete rankings for each class are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Softball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (12) 5-0-0 140 1 5-0-0
    2 Fossil Ridge 5-1-0 117 3 5-1-0
    3 Legacy (1) 3-1-0 102 2 3-1-0
    4 Chatfield (2) 6-1-0 90 5 6-1-0
    5 Broomfield 5-0-0 84 9 5-0-0
    6 Smoky Hill 3-0-0 77 8 3-0-0
    7 Lakewood (1) 2-0-0 60 10 2-0-0
    8 Columbine 2-3-0 39 4 2-3-0
    9 Cherry Creek 3-1-0 34 – 3-1-0
    10 Legend 1-2-0 33 7 1-2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Arvada West 24, Rocky Mountain 24, Cherokee Trail 15, Brighton 13, Horizon 13, Grand Junction Central 12, Hinkley 10, Regis Jesuit 7, Highlands Ranch 6, Castle View 5, Poudre 5, Valor Christian 5, Chaparral 4, Ralston Valley 4, Mountain Vista 3, Eaglecrest 2, Fruita Monument 2, Douglas County 1, Loveland 1, Monarch 1, Prairie View 1, ThunderRidge 1.
    Dropped out
    Rocky Mountain (6).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Mead (9) 6-0-0 142 9 6-0-0
    2 Wheat Ridge (6) 3-0-0 134 3 3-0-0
    3 Holy Family (2) 2-2-0 112 1 2-2-0
    4 Erie 3-2-0 84 2 3-2-0
    5 Frederick 4-0-0 67 8 4-0-0
    6 Silver Creek 2-3-0 53 4 2-3-0
    7 Air Academy 2-1-0 47 10 2-1-0
    8 Pueblo South 1-2-0 42 5 1-2-0
    9 Windsor 3-2-0 35 – 3-2-0
    10 Riverdale Ridge 3-1-0 33 6 3-1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Mesa Ridge 29, Pueblo Centennial 28, Pueblo County 23, Pueblo Central 21, Mountain View 18, Conifer 17, Ponderosa 17, Northridge 15, Mullen 13, D’Evelyn 11, Eagle Valley 10, Evergreen 10, Niwot 10, Roosevelt 9, Bear Creek 8, Discovery Canyon 8, Falcon 8, Berthoud 7, Vista Peak Prep 6, Northfield 6, Coronado 5, Standley Lake 4, Rifle 3, Severance 3, Palisade 2, Palmer Ridge 2, Palisade 2, Golden 1.
    Dropped out
    Pueblo West (7).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 University (10) 4-0-0 129 1 4-0-0
    2 Eaton 4-1-0 106 2 4-1-0
    3 Rocky Ford 4-0-0 83 5 4-0-0
    4 Limon 4-1-0 57 7 4-1-0
    5 Strasburg (1) 2-3-0 52 3 2-3-0
    6 Brush 2-2-0 50 6 2-2-0
    7 Lyons (1) 2-1-0 49 – 2-1-0
    8 Lamar 2-0-0 41 9 2-0-0
    9 Lutheran (1) 5-0-0 38 8 5-0-0
    10 Sterling 2-2-0 37 4 2-2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Basalt 29, Montezuma-Cortez 29, La Junta 22, Delta 15, Peak to Peak 14, Fort Lupton 9, The Academy 7, Cedaredge 1, Faith Christian 1, Weld Central 1.
    Dropped out
    La Junta (10).

  • Photos: Softball teams converge on Fort Collins for CWSFA Invite

    Fossil Ridge softball took down Grand Junction Central 12-1 while Mead, Poudre and Rocky Mountain all competed at the CWSFA Invite.

  • A loaded softball schedule saw eight games among top-10 teams

    The softball season saw perhaps its most impactful day of the season so far on Tuesday.

    A total of eight games pitting ranked teams against one another took place, including a walk-off win and an extra-inning matchup.

    [divider]

    4A: (9) Mead 12, (2) Erie 4

    Erie Mead softball
    (Steve Oathout)

    The Mavericks, now 3-0, are off to the best start in program history. Mead advanced to the regional round last season.

    [divider]

    4A: (3) Wheat Ridge 5, (1) Holy Family 3

    Elizabeth Uhl threw a complete game, allowing just two earned runs, for the Farmers, who moved to 3-0.

    Down 1-0 in the third, Wheat Ridge plated two with a double from Aaliyah Arellano. The next inning, Aliyah Rothstein singled home a run, Lee Quezada drove another in with a sac fly, and Isabella Martinez plated another with a single.

    Holy Family got a run back in the fourth, and another in the seventh, but the rally fell short.

    Tyler Whitlock went 4-for-4 for Holy Family.

    [divider]

    3A: (2) Eaton 17, (3) Strasburg 16

    Eaton got its offense started early with a six-run first inning, and never really looked back in a big win.

    The squad also plated one more in the second, seven in the third, and three in the fourth.

    Yaritza Puente, a senior, led Eaton with four RBIs as part of a 2-for-3 day, and Sadie Ross, a freshman, drove in three as she went 3-for-4.

    Blayke Duncan, Brooke Beacom, Jaymie Woody and Emma Pinkstaff each had two RBIs for Eaton.

    [divider]

    5A: (5) Chatfield 4, (7) Legend 3

    Chatfield, now 3-0, walked off for the win in the bottom of the seventh inning.

    Avery Rohlman was 2-for-3 with two RBIs for the Chargers, while Madison Shepard and Abigale Washco each also drove in a run.

    Pitcher Isabelle DiNapoli threw the complete-game for Chatfield, striking out 10. She didn’t allow an earned run.

    Legend’s Kaylyn English went 3-for-4 in the loss.

    [divider]

    5A: (9) Broomfield 5, (6) Rocky Mountain 3

    Kenzi Garner led the way for Broomfield in the win.

    At the plate, the senior tripled and homered as part of a 3-for-4 day at the plate. She drove in two runs, and scored three times herself.

    In the circle, Garner threw a complete game, striking out nine.

    Chloe Eiguren was 3-for-3 for the Eagles, and had an RBI. Claire Comstock also drove in a run.

    Hannah Bailey had two RBIs for Rocky Mountain.

    [divider]

    3A: (10) La Junta 11, (7) Limon 10 (9 inn.)

    The game saw a ton of offense, and fittingly, the two ranked teams battled to extra innings.

    Limon grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first, only to see La Junta tie it in the bottom half.

    La Junta eventually grabbed a 9-5 lead after five innings, but Limon cut it to 9-7 after six, and then took a 10-9 lead in the top of the seventh. La Junta tied it in the bottom half of that inning, and then pushed the winning run across in the ninth.

    [divider]

    3A: (1) University 14, (6) Brush 8

    The two teams battled back and forth, trading the lead four times in the first four innings, before University broke the game open.

    The Bulldogs pushed two across in the fifth, and then exploded for a seven-run sixth inning in the win.

    [divider]

    5A: (1) Rock Canyon vs. (2) Legacy

    Legacy Rock Canyon softball
    (PaulDiSalvoPhotography.com)

    In a game that was delayed by poor weather, Rock Canyon leads Legacy 7-1 in the third inning.

    Find a photo gallery here.

    Read more from BoCoPreps.com.

  • Softball rankings: Rock Canyon takes over as No. 1 in 5A

    (@RockCanyonAD/Twitter)

    Rock Canyon has moved up to the No. 1 spot in this week’s Class 5A softball rankings

    Each poll was released on Monday.

    The polls, voted upon by head coaches around the state, will serve as part of the seeding criteria in softball this season. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.

    Complete rankings for each class are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Softball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings will factor into postseason seeding. More information is available here.

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (11) 3-0-0 130 2 3-0-0
    2 Legacy 2-0-0 108 4 2-0-0
    3 Fossil Ridge 1-1-0 85 3 1-1-0
    4 Columbine 1-1-0 72 1 1-1-0
    5 Chatfield (1) 2-0-0 66 9 2-0-0
    6 Rocky Mountain (1) 0-0-0 65 8 0-0-0
    7 Legend 0-0-0 57 5 0-0-0
    8 Smoky Hill (1) 2-0-0 55 6 2-0-0
    9 Broomfield 0-0-0 36 7 0-0-0
    10 Lakewood (1) 1-0-0 30 – 1-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Arvada West 21, Ralston Valley 19, Cherokee Trail 15, Mountain Vista 13, Grand Junction Central 12, Valor Christian 12, Cherry Creek 11, Eaglecrest 11, Brighton 10, Hinkley 10, Castle View 9, Fort Collins 8, Pomona 8, Vista Ridge 6, Fairview 5, Arapahoe 3, Douglas County 1, Fruita Monument 1, ThunderRidge 1.
    Dropped out
    Ralston Valley (10).
    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holy Family (10) 2-0-0 106 1 2-0-0
    2 Erie 0-1-0 69 2 0-1-0
    3 Wheat Ridge 2-0-0 65 5 2-0-0
    4 Silver Creek 0-1-0 58 3 0-1-0
    5 Pueblo South 1-1-0 47 4 1-1-0
    6 Riverdale Ridge 2-0-0 36 – 2-0-0
    7 Pueblo West 1-0-0 30 – 1-0-0
    8 Frederick 3-0-0 24 – 3-0-0
    9 Mead 2-0-0 23 6 2-0-0
    10 Air Academy 1-0-0 19 – 1-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Mullen 16, Pueblo County 15, Pueblo Central 10, Pueblo East 10, Roosevelt 10, Discovery Canyon 8, Bear Creek 7, Conifer 7, Elizabeth 7, Mountain View 7, Windsor 7, Golden 5, Mesa Ridge 4, Pueblo Centennial 4, Berthoud 3, Longmont 3, D’Evelyn 2, Evergreen 2, Rifle 1.
    Dropped out
    Mountain View (7), Golden (8), Pueblo County (9), Mullen (10).
    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 University (10) 1-0-0 124 1 1-0-0
    2 Eaton (1) 2-0-0 106 2 2-0-0
    3 Strasburg (1) 1-1-0 76 3 1-1-0
    4 Sterling 2-0-0 67 6 2-0-0
    5 Rocky Ford 1-0-0 62 7 1-0-0
    6 Brush 1-1-0 45 4 1-1-0
    7 Limon 1-0-0 40 5 1-0-0
    8 Lutheran (1) 4-0-0 38 – 4-0-0
    9 Lamar 1-0-0 28 – 1-0-0
    10 La Junta 0-1-0 23 10 0-1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Montezuma-Cortez 19, Basalt 17, Lyons 15, Fort Lupton 12, Peak to Peak 11, Resurrection Christian 7, The Academy 7, Weld Central 6, Alamosa 4, Faith Christian 4, Burlington 2, Cedaredge 1, The Classical Academy 1.
    Dropped out
    Basalt (8), The Academy (9).

  • Football players across the state are turning to boys tennis as an alternative

    (Photo courtesy of University athletic director Ryan Wehrman)

    Gunnar Ponzer always wanted to give tennis a shot. He and his friends would sometimes go to a court and hit some balls around just for fun, but rarely was there ever a chance to do it competitively.

    At least until COVID-19 turned high school sports on their head. Boys tennis was one of four  XDC V  sports given the green light to compete in the fall. Ponzer had spent his previous falls making a name for himself on the University football team.

    “A linebacker and a running back,” he boasted proudly.

    In 2020 his shoulder pads and helmet have to wait. Instead, he’s lacing a pair of sneakers and grabbing a racket to play tennis at a competitive level.

    “This was my best opportunity because nothing’s going on right now,” Ponzer said. “I might as well just play tennis because I’ve always wanted to.”

    His football coaches offered encouragement that he find an activity for the fall, much like the Limon coaches toward their boys golf team.

    For Ponzer it was a no-brainer but he had no desire to do it alone. He pushed fellow junior Jack Virgil to join the team, too.

    “There was a little back and forth on if I’d do it but there are still fall and winter workouts,” Virgil said. “That was something I took into consideration but overall I just wanted to stay active.”

    (Photo courtesy of University athletic director Ryan Wehrman)

    Athletically, this is one of the biggest ways for a high school kid to go out on a limb. As a couple of kids who have played football their entire lives, taking on a new challenge with no previous experience can be a risky decision.

    “I’ve had people just ask me how it’s going and things like that,” Virgil said. “There were a few friends that asked why I was doing it and I should just be working out. But for the most part friends and coaches just ask how it’s going. There’s no real negative or positive reaction, it’s very neutral.”

    If he needs reassurances, he doesn’t need to look far. University athletic director Ryan Wehrman pointed out that during a match against Riverdale Ridge there was an opposing player who also jumped at the chance to play tennis with football getting pushed back. Before long the players’ parents were talking about the shared experience.

    About 30 miles away, Mead added an entire tennis program. It also got a boost in numbers when Brayden Keys, Nathan Bailey and Porter Eastin all grabbed a racket and jumped at the chance to compete in something different this fall.

    Kids want to continue to be kids. And as the world and the Colorado high school sports world tries to claw its way back to normal, nothing is going to stop a group of competitive-minded athletes from finding different ways to battle.

  • Photos: No. 6 Mead softball grabs big win over Elizabeth

    Sixth-ranked Mead softball put its offense on full display on Monday and came away with a 14-4 win over Elizabeth.