Seven new teams joined this week’s boys basketball rankings: Cherry Creek (5A), Valor Christian (5A), Boulder (5A), Glenwood Springs (4A), Thomas Jefferson (4A), Manitou Springs (3A) and Sanford (2A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Delta’s defense turned up the heat, and turned an early deficit into a big halftime lead. The Panthers would go on to beat Montrose 52-37 in a non-league matchup on Tuesday.
Delta trailed 14-7 in the first quarter, but a 5-0 run made it 14-12 after the first break. The Panthers then used a 12-2 advantage in the second quarter to take a 24-16 lead at halftime.
“Our girls played with great focus and determination tonight,” Delta coach Kyle Crowder said. “Defensively we were really solid which forced Montrose to take shots we wanted them taking. Offensively we were balanced with multiple girls contributing good numbers.
(Jake Green)
“We rebounded well and this led to opportunities on the offensive end,” Crowder added. “We were solid from the free throw line all night, but much better then we have been down the stretch when we needed to be. Montrose is a solid ball club and they are always a challenge. We are really excited for the win.”
Delta expanded its lead to 37-23 after three, and it was 41-24 in the fourth before a 10-1 run by Montrose cut it to 42-34. Montrose began to foul in order to try to narrow the gap further, but Delta made its free throws to secure the win.
The Panthers were led by 16 points from senior Sara Geddes, and 14 from junior Keely Porter.
Montrose got eight points apiece from Hadley Greiner, Josie Eccher and Caraline Burwell.
“Give coach Crowder and his team a lot of credit,” Montrose coach Steve Skiff said. “They were able to come in and execute. We will regroup and be ready to open league play on Friday.”
Highland has moved up to the No. 1 spot in this week’s Class 2A boys basketball poll.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Rangeview (14)
13-0
149
1
2-0
2
Denver East
12-0
105
4
2-0
3
Eaglecrest (1)
11-2
100
2
1-1
4
Smoky Hill
11-2
99
3
1-1
5
Grandview
9-4
81
6
2-0
6
Ralston Valley
12-2
66
9
3-0
7
Fairview
11-3
64
7
3-0
8
Columbine
10-2
60
5
1-1
9
Chaparral
9-5
28
10
2-0
10
Pine Creek
11-2
17
–
3-1
Others receiving votes:
Cherry Creek 16, Legend 14, Doherty 6, Highlands Ranch 5, Overland 5, Arapahoe 2, Boulder 2, Mountain Vista 2, Valor Christian 2, ThunderRidge 1, Vista Peak Prep 1.
Dropped out
Arapahoe (8).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Cheyenne Mountain (7)
12-0
114
1
3-0
2
Mead (4)
12-1
112
2
3-0
3
Longmont (1)
10-2
83
7
2-0
4
Northfield
10-3
67
6
1-0
5
Harrison
9-2
62
3
1-1
6
Pueblo West
9-4
57
4
1-2
7
Golden
9-5
29
5
1-2
8
Erie
10-3
23
8
2-1
9
Green Mountain
9-4
20
10
1-1
10
Montrose
11-3
16
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Thomas Jefferson 14, Glenwood Springs 13, Lincoln 13, Skyline 13, Pueblo East 7, Centaurus 4, The Classical Academy 4, Evergreen 2, Ponderosa 2, Silver Creek 2, Frederick 1, Lewis-Palmer 1, Widefield 1.
Dropped out
Lewis-Palmer (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Resurrection Christian (16)
10-0
177
1
2-0
2
The Vanguard School
8-1
123
5
2-0
3
Sterling
9-1
122
3
2-0
4
Lutheran
7-2
118
2
1-0
5
Faith Christian
9-2
107
4
2-0
6
Centauri (2)
11-0
100
6
2-0
7
DSST: Byers
8-1
56
7
2-1
8
Eaton
10-1
41
10
2-0
9
University
9-2
36
8
1-1
10
Englewood
8-0
35
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Manitou Springs 23, Gunnison 10, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 8, St. Mary’s 8, Jefferson Academy 6, Manual 5, Montezuma-Cortez 5, Colorado Academy 4, Jefferson 3, Strasburg 3.
This week’s girls basketball rankings added six new squads: Fruita Monument (5A), Sierra (4A), Montrose (4A), University (3A), Heritage Christian (2A), and Kit Carson (1A).
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. During the regular season, they are released each Monday.
Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
First-place votes are in parentheses.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Cherry Creek (12)
8-1
147
1
3-0
2
Grandview (1)
8-2
129
2
2-0
3
Valor Christian (2)
10-1
124
3
2-0
4
Highlands Ranch
8-4
104
4
1-1
5
Regis Jesuit
7-3
86
5
2-0
6
Fossil Ridge
6-1
73
7
0-0
7
Ralston Valley
8-2
51
8
2-1
8
Cherokee Trail
9-2
45
6
1-1
9
Fruita Monument
14-1
28
–
2-0
10
Vista Peak Prep
9-1
12
9
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Chaparral 8, Fountain-Fort Carson 8, Mountain Vista 7, Denver East 3.
Dropped out
Mountain Vista (10).
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mullen (13)
8-3
164
1
2-0
2
Pueblo West (4)
10-0
154
2
1-0
3
Berthoud
11-0
111
3
3-0
4
Green Mountain
10-1
90
7
2-0
5
Sand Creek
8-1
89
5
2-0
6
Air Academy
6-2
79
6
1-0
7
Holy Family
6-4
48
10
3-0
8
Erie
9-1
44
4
1-1
9
Sierra
7-3
34
–
2-0
10
Montrose
11-2
22
–
1-0
Others receiving votes:
Ponderosa 21, Greeley Central 17, Falcon 15, Evergreen 11, George Washington 11, Pueblo County 5, Thompson Valley 5, Mesa Ridge 4, Pueblo South 4, Golden 3, D’Evelyn 2, Littleton 1, Mead 1.
Dropped out
Ponderosa (8), George Washington (9).
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
St. Mary’s (13)
8-1
130
1
2-0
2
Lutheran
6-1
97
2
0-0
3
Centauri
9-0
95
3
0-0
4
Alamosa
7-1
75
6
1-0
5
The Academy
7-0
73
4
1-0
6
Pagosa Springs
6-2
70
5
1-0
7
Platte Valley
5-1
36
8
0-0
8
The Vanguard
7-1
35
7
1-1
9
Eaton
7-2
33
9
0-0
10
University
7-2
27
–
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Delta 22, Resurrection Christian 9, Riverdale Ridge 4, Colorado Springs Christian 2, Manitou Springs 2, Moffat County 2, Brush 1, Grand Valley 1, Trinidad 1.
Cotopaxi 26, Elbert 14, Wiley 12, De Beque 11, Evangelical Christian 9, Bethune 8, Dove Creek 6, Flatirons Academy 4, McClave 4, Kim/Branson 3, Deer Trail 2, Haxtun 2, Longmont Christian 2, Front Range Baptist 1, Mile High Academy 1.
MONTROSE — Montrose girls basketball won the Alpine Bank Black Canyon Classic with a 42-11 win over Palisade in the final on Saturday.
The team is now 8-1 this season.
“Really happy with how we came out and played today,” Montrose coach Steve Skiff said. “Our effort on defense was outstanding and led to easy offense.”
Kennadie Minerich scored 11 points, Allie Nichols had ten and Morgan Carroll scored six.
Montrose jumped out to a 12-1 lead after the first quarter. They pushed that lead to 23-1 at halftime, and were up 38-4 after three quarters.
The 2019 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created from the results of the coaches’ vote.
There was all kinds of playoff football action around the state on Saturday. The end result is that championship matchups are set in three classifications, and semifinals in three others.
The Grizzlies were able to tie the game at 12-12 just before halftime, and went up 14-12 with a two-point conversion attempt. Then, they added another touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter.
“They do some really nice things on defense that gave us some problems, and we finally got some things going and quit having some penalties,” Van Sickle said of turning things around. “The boys just kept plugging away.”
Of advancing to the championship game, the coach added, “It was one of our goals. I thought we had a pretty good group. … I think we’ve earned our shot at Sedgwick next week.
Hudson Grant scored two rushing touchdowns for Pikes Peak Christian.
(1) Sedgwick County 48, (5) Dayspring Christian 0
The four-time defending champs are headed back to a title game thanks to another dominating performance. The Cougars have not allowed a point in their past five games.
“I think our defense played pretty well,” coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show. “We gave up some big plays at time, but really strapped it on when they got on our side of the field.”
Sedgwick County had four rushing touchdowns in the first half as they built at 28-0 lead. They added three more in the second half.
The Cougars are seeking to become the first 8-man team to ever win five state titles in a row.
“We haven’t really talked a whole lot about that throughout the season,” Michel said. “We talk about taking care of stuff day-to-day. We’ll go into it like it’s any other week.”
[divider]
Class 1A semifinals
(1) Strasburg 14, (5) Centauri 7
Trystan Graf rushed for two touchdowns — both in the second quarter — as Strasburg reached the 1A title game for the fourth year in a row.
“I tell you what, this game didn’t disappoint. It was a hard-fought win,” Strasburg coach Brian Brown told the Scoreboard Show.
After a scoreless first quarter, Strasburg went up 14-0 at the half. Centauri’s Eric Maez hit Mason Claunch for a 24-yard score with five minutes left, but Strasburg’s defense was able to seal the win.
“We are just such an aggressive group of young men,” Brown said. “Toward the end of the game, they just kind of owned the line of scrimmage.”
Of making a title game for the fourth-consecutive season, Brown said, “Like I tell the boys: I’m just the bus driver, they’re the ones that get on the bus, and they know the path. They just keep forging ahead.”
(3) Limon 15, (2) Holyoke 7
The defending-champion Badgers will return to the championship game after building a 15-0 lead and then relying on its defense to secure the win.
“It was a great football game between two really good teams,” coach Mike O’Dwyer told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids just stepped up a little bit, especially on the defensive side of the ball.”
Limon went up 15-0 with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Holyoke’s Miles Sprague made it 15-7 with a four-yard rushing touchdown.
Later in the fourth quarter, Holyoke recovered a fumble, and also forced Limon to turn it over on downs, but Limon’s defense didn’t allow another score.
“It was a tremendous effort by our kids,” O’Dwyer said.
[divider]
Class 2A semifinals
(4) Delta 17, (9) Basalt 6
Nolan Bynum and Hunter Hughes connected for two touchdown passes to help the Panthers move to a title game.
Delta led 10-0 at the half. Basalt made it 10-6 in the third quarter, but Delta responded with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
“It was a real physical game. They did some really nice things, we were just able to get more points on the board to advance,” coach Ben Johnson told the Scoreboard Show.
“We got after their quarterback really well. I thought the D-line played really well, and we tackled really well.”
It is Delta’s first appearance in a title game since 1961.
“It’s been a while,” Johnson said. “The community’s really excited about it. We had great fan support here in Basalt today. They’re excited about this opportunity for Delta High School.”
(2) Sterling 21, (3) Resurrection Christian 14
Sterling is headed to a championship game for the first time since 2004.
The Tigers trailed 7-0 in the first quarter before reeling off 21 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to go ahead 21-7.
“It was a lot of fun out there today. It was a great atmosphere,” Sterling coach Rob Busmente told the Scoreboard Show. “It was nip-and-tuck going back and forth between us and them. We made some plays when we had to, and were fortunate to come out with the win.”
Resurrection Christian scored late in the third quarter, but Sterling didn’t allow them to do so again, and secured their spot in next week’s title game with a late interception.
“We got them to fourth down, and Peyton Rose was able to step in front of his guy, and got it back for us,” Busmente said. “It was just one of those things where we tell our kids, ‘If there’s time on the clock, we’ve got to play ball.’”
[divider]
Class 3A quarterfinals
(8) Green Mountain 30, (1) Mead 21
In the upset of the day, the Rams built a 17-7 halftime lead, and then answered every rally attempt Mead made in the second half to win.
“It was a heck of a game,” Green Mountain coach Jesse German told the Scoreboard Show. “It’s everything we’ve been preaching along the way. It took us awhile to get to a point where the kids have the unwavering belief … and total buy-in, but this is a special group.”
Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Mead cut the lead to 17-14, but Green Mountain responded quickly with a rushing score on the ensuing drive. That made it 23-14.
Mead didn’t go away. The top-seeded Mavericks got a passing touchdown from which made it 23-21 with seven minutes left.
But another rushing touchdown from Green Mountain with three minutes left secured the win.
Frederick’s Jake Green found Blake Duran for a 78-yard touchdown with eight seconds left to lift the Warriors to the win.
“We could’ve taken it to overtime, I guess, but we didn’t want to do that again,” coach Travis Peeples told the Scoreboard Show. “I called timeout with 20 seconds or so left, and we drew up a little play, kind of Sandlot play. The kids wanted to do it, and it worked. It’s really a tribute to how bad they wanted to win this game.”
Green also scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown with three minutes left, and then Frederick converted on a two-point attempt to tie the game at 25. They forced a punt, and got the ball back with less than a minute to play. Then Green hit Duran for the winner.
Green finished with three passing touchdowns — two went to Brandon Horby — and also had a rushing score.
Now Frederick is headed to the semis for just the second time in school history.
“We’re not just trying to get to the semis, we’re trying to get past there,” Peeples said. “I think we’ve got a team that can do that.”
More photos. (Chris Fehrm/Chris Fehrm Photography)
(2) Pueblo South 21, (7) Durango 14
In a close game that mirrored their narrow regular season matchup, the Colts scored a late touchdown to advance.
“It was another wild game,” Pueblo South coach Ryan Goddard told the Scoreboard Show. “Two good teams going at it. I’m just proud of our kids and the way they played.”
The game always within a score for one team. Durango led 7-0 with a touchdown in the first quarter, and then South tied it up immediately with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Then, Durango went up 14-7 late in the first quarter, and South tied it at 14 with 34 seconds left in the half.
The Colts got the winning score on a 3-yard run from quarterback Logan Petit with 1:11 to play.
“Credit to our defense, because all afternoon they just came up with huge stops when we needed them the most,” Goddard said.
