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  • 5A football playoff bracket

    Football’s 2013 state playoff bracket for Class 5A.

    2013 CHSAA State Football Championships CHSAA 5A Football Championship

  • Fairview grabs 5A’s top seed as football brackets are released

    (Courtesy photo)
    Fairview is the No. 1 seed in 5A. (Courtesy photo)

    The groundwork, as is so often the case, was laid four years ago. Tom McCartney saw it in his freshmen then. Those freshmen are now seniors, and that group has Fairview seeded No. 1 overall in the Class 5A football playoffs.

    “We knew that it was a special group,” McCartney, Fairview’s coach, said Sunday morning. “We also knew that for them to do the things and reach some of the goals they’ve set, you’ve got to have junior compliments. You want to know that your juniors are also part of that.

    “We’ve been kind of waiting on this group of seniors for a while, and a lot of them have gotten a lot of playing time as sophomores and juniors,” he continued. “When you get in those kinds of battles against teams like Pomona and Ralston Valley, and Legacy and Arvada West and Boulder — and Grandview in the playoffs last year, and Regis the year before — all of those experiences help. So, yes, to be honest with you, we’ve seen this coming from this particular group. We knew this was a talented group.”

    The Knights were the lone 5A team to finish the regular season unbeaten (9-0). They were ranked No. 2 in the CHSAANow.com football poll in recent weeks, but were No. 1 in Wild Card points during that stretch, and finished atop the final Wild Card standings released Sunday morning.

    And so, when the 5A bracket was unveiled, it was Fairview in the No. 1 spot. (See the full bracket.)

    “It feels awesome,” McCartney said. “It’s playoff football. We’re just going to prepare. We understand that if you win you move on, and if you don’t you’re done. We want to keep playing. The best way to keep playing is to be prepared and to improve.”

    Fairview draws No. 32 Mountain Vista (3-6) in the first round. The two teams played in 2010 and 2011, both Mountain Vista wins.

    “Our seniors, when they were freshmen, played them. And so we know a little bit about them,” McCartney said. “We’ve got a ton of respect for coach (Ric) Cash. His teams are always prepared. They’re always hard-nosed.”

    Rounding out the top-5 seeds in 5A were No. 2 Valor Christian, No. 3 Cherry Creek, No. 4 Regis Jesuit and No. 5 ThunderRidge.

    The top 16 seeds host in the first round, meaning No. 6 Cherokee Trail, No. 7 Columbine, No. 8 Pomona, No. 9 Chatfield, No. 10 Grand Junction, No. 11 Mountain Range, No. 12 Doherty, No. 13 Prairie View, No. 14 Rangeview, No. 15 Ralston Valley and No. 16 Douglas County will get home games.

    Other qualifiers were No. 17 Legend, No. 18 Arapahoe, No. 19 Overland, No. 20 Grandview, No. 21 Gateway, No. 22 Heritage, No. 23 Westminster, No. 24 Rocky Mountain, No. 25 Fountain-Fort Carson, No. 26 Hinkley, No. 27 Arvada West, No. 28 Castle View, No. 29 Fort Collins, No. 30 Lakewood and No. 31 Eaglecrest.

    The 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man brackets were also released on Sunday.

    Brush is 2A’s top seed. As the top-8 host in the first round, No. 2 Manitou Springs, No. 3 Platte Valley, No. 4 Faith Christian, No. 5 Gunnison, No. 6 Bennett, No. 7 Kent Denver and No. 8 Florence will all get home games.

    Also qualifying in 2A were No. 9 Strasburg, No. 10 Lamar, No. 11 Olathe, No. 12 Fort Lupton, No. 13 Aspen, No. 14 Ridge View Academy, No. 15 Jefferson and No. 16 The Academy.

    In 1A, Buena Vista got the top seed. No. 2 Limon, No. 3 Centauri, No. 4 Paonia, No. 5 Monte Vista, No. 6 Hotchkiss, No. 7 Yuma and No. 8 Platte Canyon will also host first-round games.

    Additional 1A qualifiers were No. 9 Resurrection Christian, No. 10 Rye, No. 11 Burlington, No. 12 Cedaredge, No. 13 Colorado Springs Christian, No. 14 Wray, No. 15 Lyons and No. 16 Front Range Christian.

    Hoehne is 8-man’s top seed. Also hosting in the first round will be No. 2 Dayspring Christian, No. 3 Norwood, No. 4 Simla, No. 5 Caliche, No. 6 Kiowa, No. 7 Sargent and No. 8 Dove Creek. Also qualifying were No. 9 Sanford, No. 10 Vail Christian, No. 11 Merino, No. 12 Walsh, No. 13 Akron, No. 14 West Grand, No. 15 Fowler and No. 16 Granada.

    Liberty/Stratton grabbed 6-man’s top seed. Also qualifying were No. 2 Hi-Plains, No. 3 Eads, No. 4 Prairie, No. 5 Otis, No. 6 Peetz, No. 7 Hanover and No. 8 Flagler

  • Football poll adds Mountain Range in 5A; Coronado on top in 3A

    (Pam Wagner)
    Mountain Range is ranked 10th this week. (Pam Wagner)

    Mountain Range, 7-1 this season, has joined this week’s CHSAANow.com football poll in Class 5A.

    The Mustangs, ranked No. 10, are riding a four-game winning streak, including a 22-16 decision against Rocky Mountain last week. Their lone loss this season came at Grand Junction on Sept. 20.

    Valor Christian remained atop the 5A ranking with 19 of the 22 first-place votes. Fairview, which got the other three first-place votes, stayed in the No. 2 spot following its big win over Pomona, and continued to be followed by No. 3 Regis Jesuit, No. 4 Cherry Creek and No. 5 ThunderRidge.

    Columbine stayed in sixth this week, while Cherokee Trail bumped up two spots to seventh. Pomona remained in eighth and Grand Junction moved up to ninth after beating 4A No. 1 Montrose.

    Despite the loss, Montrose remained atop the 4A ranking. Pine Creek moved up to No. 2, jumping Monarch, which fell to No. 3.

    Coronado is now atop the 3A poll after Palisade’s loss to Delta. Discovery Canyon is second and Palisade dropped to third.

    Delta joined the ranking at No. 7, as did Roosevelt (No. 9) following its win over then-No. 3 Silver Creek. Silver Creek dropped to No. 8 this week.

    Complete rankings for all polls are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

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

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Valor Christian (19) 7-1 217 1 W
    2 Fairview (3) 7-0 193 2 W
    3 Regis Jesuit 7-1 165 3 W
    4 Cherry Creek 7-1 154 4 W
    5 ThunderRidge 7-1 144 5 W
    6 Columbine 7-1 103 6 W
    7 Cherokee Trail 6-2 89 9 W
    8 Pomona 6-2 60 8 L
    9 Grand Junction 6-2 42 10 W
    10 Mountain Range 7-1 13 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Ralston Valley 8, Arapahoe 7, Chatfield 5, Overland 5, Legend 4, Rock Canyon 1.
    Dropped out
    Chatfield (7).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Montrose (10) 7-1 185 1 L
    2 Pine Creek (3) 6-2 169 3 W
    3 Monarch (7) 6-1 158 2 W
    4 Falcon (1) 7-1 122 4 W
    5 Pueblo South 7-1 110 5 W
    6 Durango 7-1 98 7 W
    7 Longmont 6-1 92 6 W
    8 Broomfield 5-2 69 8 W
    9 Loveland 6-1 54 10 W
    10 Standley Lake 7-1 48 9 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Windsor 25, Denver South 14, Pueblo West 6, Dakota Ridge 4, Wheat Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Coronado (9) 9-0 137 2 W
    2 Discovery Canyon (1) 7-1 127 4 W
    3 Palisade (4) 7-1 126 1 L
    4 Holy Family (1) 6-1 101 5 W
    5 Mead 7-0 91 8 W
    6 Elizabeth (1) 6-2 62 7 W
    7 Delta 6-2 52 – W
    8 Silver Creek 5-2 45 3 L
    9 Roosevelt 5-2 40 – W
    10 Rifle 6-2 39 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Conifer 33, The Classical Academy 12, Glenwood Springs 6, Evergreen 5, Lutheran 4.
    Dropped out
    Evergreen (6), Conifer (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Brush (9) 7-0 99 1 W
    2 Manitou Springs (1) 8-0 86 3 W
    3 Platte Valley 6-1 84 2 W
    4 Faith Christian 7-2 57 6 W
    5 Florence 6-2 50 5 W
    6 Kent Denver 6-2 46 4 L
    7 Strasburg 6-2 36 7 W
    8 Bennett 6-2 32 9 W
    9 Gunnison 6-2 20 10 W
    10 Lamar 6-2 14 8 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Olathe 12, Jefferson 8, Fort Lupton 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Buena Vista (11) 8-0 153 1 W
    2 Limon (5) 8-0 148 2 W
    3 Centauri 7-1 122 4 W
    4 Paonia 7-1 104 7 W
    5 Hotchkiss 6-2 85 3 L
    6 Monte Vista 7-1 83 5 W
    7 Cedaredge 6-2 69 6 W
    8 Resurrection Christian 5-2 44 – W
    9 Yuma 5-3 33 9 W
    10 Platte Canyon 7-1 19 10 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Rye 7, Burlington 4, Jefferson 4, Holyoke 2, Wray 2, Lyons 1.
    Dropped out
    Wray (8).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Hoehne (7) 8-0 97 1 W
    2 Dayspring Christian (3) 8-0 92 2 W
    3 Norwood 7-1 76 5 W
    4 Simla 7-0 71 4 W
    5 Caliche 7-1 61 3 L
    6 Kiowa 6-2 40 6 L
    7 McClave 7-1 37 9 W
    8 Sargent 6-2 28 10 W
    9 Dove Creek 6-2 23 8 L
    10 Walsh 6-2 13 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Merino 8, Akron 2, Sangre de Cristo 1, Springfield 1.
    Dropped out
    Akron (7).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Liberty/Stratton (8) 8-0 48 1 W
    2 Arickaree (2) 8-0 41 2 W
    3 Eads 7-1 26 4 W
    4 Hi-Plains 7-1 19 3 W
    5 Otis 5-2 13 5 W
    Others receiving votes:
    Prairie 3.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Grand Junction, Broomfield join respective football polls

    Grand Junction football
    Grand Junction is ranked No. 10 this week. (Courtesy photo)

    Grand Junction was idle last week. No matter, the Tigers have rejoined this week’s CHSAANow.com football poll in Class 5A.

    Grand Junction (5-2), last ranked Sept. 9, is No. 10 in the poll. The Tigers took the spot vacated by Arapahoe after the Warriors were upset by Lakewood last week. Up next for GJ: Unbeaten Montrose, which is No. 1 in 4A.

    Valor Christian continued to lead the 5A poll, and received 22 of the 23 first-place votes. Fairview remained in second, and Regis Jesuit in third. Cherry Creek is fourth and ThunderRidge fifth after the two schools swapped places.

    Columbine (No. 6) and Chatfield (No. 7) also stayed put, while Pomona moved up to No. 8. The Panthers, coming off a win over rival Ralston Valley, have a big showdown with Fairview on Friday afternoon.

    Montrose is a unanimous pick atop 4A, and Monarch remained in that poll’s No. 2 spot. Pine Creek bumped up to No. 3, Falcon is fourth and Pueblo South rounds out the top 5.

    (Pam Wagner)
    Broomfield is No. 8 in 4A. (Pam Wagner)

    Broomfield (4-2) joined the 4A ranking after beating then-No. 3 Standley Lake last week. The Eagles are eighth. Standley Lake fell to ninth.

    Conifer joined the 3A poll. The Lobos are No. 9 following consecutive wins over ranked opponents Lutheran, D’Evelyn and Rifle. Rifle, No. 3 last week, dropped to No. 10 this week.

    Gunnison (No. 10) is the lone newcomer to 2A, while 1A added Yuma (No. 9) and Platte Canyon (No. 10). 8-man added Sargent at No. 10, and 6-man added Otis (No. 5).

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

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

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Valor Christian (22) 6-1 229 1 W
    2 Fairview (1) 6-0 192 2 W
    3 Regis Jesuit 6-1 158 3 W
    4 Cherry Creek 6-1 154 5 W
    5 ThunderRidge 6-1 153 4 W
    6 Columbine 6-1 101 6 W
    7 Chatfield 6-1 100 7 W
    8 Pomona 6-1 82 9 W
    9 Cherokee Trail 5-2 50 10 W
    10 Grand Junction 5-2 19 – Bye
    Others receiving votes:
    Overland 10, Rock Canyon 6, Mountain Range 5, Arapahoe 4, Lakewood 1, Ralston Valley 1.
    Dropped out
    Arapahoe (8).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Montrose (24) 7-0 240 1 W
    2 Monarch 5-1 189 2 W
    3 Pine Creek 5-2 180 5 W
    4 Falcon 6-1 151 6 W
    5 Pueblo South 6-1 118 8 W
    6 Longmont 5-1 109 7 W
    7 Durango 6-1 97 10 W
    8 Broomfield 4-2 64 – W
    9 Standley Lake 6-1 62 3 L
    10 Loveland 5-1 59 4 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Windsor 23, Pueblo West 8, Denver South 6, Pueblo Centennial 6, Cañon City 4, Montbello 2, Sand Creek 2.
    Dropped out
    Montbello (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Palisade (17) 7-0 179 1 W
    2 Coronado 8-0 126 2 W
    3 Silver Creek (1) 5-1 116 4 W
    4 Discovery Canyon 6-1 115 5 Bye
    5 Holy Family 5-1 96 6 W
    6 Evergreen 6-1 93 7 W
    7 Elizabeth 5-2 64 9 W
    8 Mead 6-0 57 8 W
    9 Conifer 5-2 38 – W
    10 Rifle 5-2 33 3 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Roosevelt 26, The Classical Academy 24, Frederick 10, Delta 5, Glenwood Springs 5, Lutheran 1.
    Dropped out
    Roosevelt (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Brush (11) 6-0 110 1 W
    2 Platte Valley 5-1 92 4 W
    3 Manitou Springs 7-0 84 3 W
    4 Kent Denver 6-1 81 2 W
    5 Florence 5-2 57 5 W
    6 Faith Christian 6-2 51 6 W
    7 Strasburg 5-2 38 9 W
    8 Lamar 5-2 31 7 L
    9 Bennett 5-2 29 8 W
    10 Gunnison 5-2 11 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Olathe 10, Jefferson 7, Fort Lupton 3, Denver West 2.
    Dropped out
    Eaton (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Buena Vista (12) 7-0 163 1 W
    2 Limon (5) 7-0 154 2 W
    3 Hotchkiss 6-1 136 3 W
    4 Centauri 6-1 118 4 W
    5 Monte Vista 6-1 85 5 W
    6 Cedaredge 5-2 76 7 W
    7 Paonia 6-1 65 6 W
    8 Wray 4-3 40 8 W
    9 Yuma 4-3 27 – W
    10 Platte Canyon 6-1 26 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Resurrection Christian 17, Lyons 13, Burlington 6, Cornerstone Christian 3, Rye 3, Crowley County 2, Wiggins 1.
    Dropped out
    Wiggins (9), Lyons (10).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Hoehne (6) 7-0 96 1 W
    2 Dayspring Christian (4) 7-0 93 2 W
    3 Caliche 7-0 72 3 W
    4 Simla 6-0 66 4 W
    5 Norwood 6-1 50 5 W
    6 Kiowa 6-1 48 6 Bye
    7 Akron 5-2 27 8 W
    8 Dove Creek 6-1 26 9 W
    9 McClave 6-1 25 7 W
    10 Sargent 5-2 20 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Vail Christian 12, Sanford 8, Springfield 5, West Grand 2.
    Dropped out
    Sanford (10).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Liberty/Stratton (7) 7-0 48 1 W
    2 Arickaree (4) 7-0 47 2 W
    3 Hi-Plains 6-1 25 5 W
    4 Eads 6-1 24 4 W
    5 Otis 4-2 16 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Briggsdale 5.
    Dropped out
    Briggsdale (3).

  • Palisade takes over atop 3A football ranking

    (Courtesy photo)
    Palisade is now the No. 1 team in Class 3A. (Betsy McLaughlin/Palisade Tribune)

    Palisade edged then-No. 1 Rifle last Friday after rallying from a 27-14 halftime deficit. Tuesday, Palisade is on top of CHSAANow.com’s Class 3A football poll.

    The Bulldogs received all 13 first-place votes in moving up from No. 2 taking over at No. 1. Rifle dropped to third. Unbeaten Coronado, which has the most wins in the state at 7-0, is second.

    The 3A ranking added Roosevelt (No. 10) this week.

    In the 5A poll, Fairview has moved up to No. 2 from No. 3.

    The Knights (5-0) are 5A’s lone remaining unbeaten team, and got one first-place vote. Valor Christian got the other 23 and remained atop the ranking.

    Regis Jesuit is third this week, and is followed by No. 4 ThunderRidge and No. 5 Cherry Creek.

    Columbine rejoined the 5A ranking at sixth after its wild win over then-No. 2 Chatfield. Chatfield dropped to seventh this week.

    Arapahoe is eighth, Pomona is ninth and Cherokee Trail fell to tenth after its loss to Cherry Creek last week.

    Montrose, idle last week, remained in 4A’s No. 1 spot. Monarch moved up to No. 2, and Standley Lake is No. 3 this week. That ranking added Pueblo South at No. 8 and Durango at No. 10.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Football Polls

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

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Valor Christian (23) 5-1 239 1 W
    2 Fairview (1) 5-0 207 3 W
    3 Regis Jesuit 5-1 176 5 W
    4 ThunderRidge 5-1 151 6 W
    5 Cherry Creek 5-1 150 8 W
    6 Columbine 5-1 94 – W
    7 Chatfield 5-1 90 2 L
    8 Pomona 5-1 66 9 W
    9 Arapahoe 5-1 60 10 W
    10 Cherokee Trail 4-2 53 4 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Ralston Valley 13, Doherty 10, Grandview 5, Overland 3, Mountain Range 2, Grand Junction 1.
    Dropped out
    Grandview (7).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Montrose (23) 6-0 230 1 Bye
    2 Monarch 4-1 179 3 W
    3 Standley Lake 6-0 164 6 W
    4 Loveland 5-0 161 4 W
    5 Pine Creek 4-2 145 8 W
    6 Falcon 5-1 82 2 L
    7 Longmont 4-1 80 10 W
    8 Pueblo South 5-1 60 – W
    9 Montbello 5-1 53 5 L
    10 Durango 5-1 50 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Broomfield 43, Wheat Ridge 7, Pueblo West 4, Denver South 2, Pueblo Centennial 2, Windsor 2, Sand Creek 1.
    Dropped out
    Pueblo West (7), Pueblo Centennial (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Palisade (15) 6-0 150 2 W
    2 Coronado 7-0 116 3 W
    3 Rifle 5-1 113 1 L
    4 Silver Creek 4-1 105 4 W
    5 Discovery Canyon 6-1 87 5 W
    6 Holy Family 4-1 64 6 W
    7 Evergreen 5-1 54 8 W
    8 Mead 5-0 50 7 W
    9 Elizabeth 4-2 39 9 W
    10 Roosevelt 3-2 20 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Frederick 13, Conifer 10, The Classical Academy 1, Delta 1, Glenwood Springs 1, Pueblo East 1.
    Dropped out
    D’Evelyn (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Brush (12) 5-0 120 1 W
    2 Kent Denver 5-1 102 2 W
    3 Manitou Springs 6-0 93 3 W
    4 Platte Valley 4-1 89 4 W
    5 Florence 4-2 62 8 W
    6 Faith Christian 5-2 58 6 W
    7 Lamar 5-1 50 5 L
    8 Bennett 4-2 28 10 W
    9 Strasburg 4-2 24 7 L
    10 Eaton 3-2 10 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Gunnison 7, Denver West 6, Olathe 6, Bayfield 2, Jefferson 2, La Junta 1.
    Dropped out
    Denver West (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Buena Vista (8) 6-0 141 1 W
    2 Limon (7) 6-0 138 2 W
    3 Hotchkiss 5-1 121 3 W
    4 Centauri 5-1 102 4 W
    5 Monte Vista 5-1 77 6 W
    6 Paonia 5-1 65 8 W
    7 Cedaredge 4-2 61 7 W
    8 Wray 3-3 33 – W
    9 Wiggins 4-1 22 5 L
    10 Lyons 5-0 16 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Cornerstone Christian 12, Center 7, Meeker 7, Nederland 6, Burlington 5, Rye 5, Platte Canyon 4, Resurrection Christian 3.
    Dropped out
    Jefferson (9), Meeker (10).

    8-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Hoehne (6) 6-0 78 1 W
    2 Dayspring Christian (2) 6-0 72 2 W
    3 Caliche 6-0 61 3 W
    4 Simla 5-0 56 5 Bye
    5 Norwood 5-1 44 6 W
    6 Kiowa 6-1 38 7 W
    7 McClave 5-1 27 9 W
    8 Akron 4-2 25 4 L
    9 Dove Creek 5-1 24 10 W
    10 Sanford (1) 5-1 10 – W
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 7, Springfield 5, Soroco 2.
    Dropped out
    Granada (8).

    6-man
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Liberty/Stratton (7) 6-0 43 1 W
    2 Arickaree (3) 6-0 42 3 W
    3 Briggsdale 5-0 28 4 W
    4 Eads 5-1 20 5 W
    5 Hi-Plains 5-1 13 2 L
    Others receiving votes:
    Hanover 2, Otis 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • 5A softball regional tournament brackets

    A complete schedule for the Class 5A regional softball playoffs. All games are Oct. 12, unless noted.

    Printable bracket: 5A softball regionals

    Go to region: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

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  • Football roundup: No. 8 Pine Creek storms back to beat No. 2 Falcon

    The big showdown down South took a turn at halftime.

    Trailing second-ranked Falcon 13-8, No. 8 Pine Creek scored the game’s final 21 points en route to a 29-13 win in Class 4A football.

    “We made some adjustments at halftime and really came out and played well,” Pine Creek coach Todd Miller told ColoradoPreps.com’s Built Ford Tough Scoreboard Show on Friday night. “We got them off the field, our offense controlled the second half, and that was able to keep (Falcon star Kalen Ballage) from carrying the ball. We’ve got a chance of winning when he’s not carrying it.”

    Ballage did finish the game with 196 yards and two scores.

    “We kind of took a punch in our mouth in the first half — playing in about 40 mile-per-hour winds — and we were able to adjust,” Miller told the Scoreboard Show. “Our kids just controlled the line of scrimmage and Scott Savage and James Fisher had space and they found creases, and we were able to get up on people. And Lavanson Coffey, our blocking fullback, just had a great game and we just kind of went back to old-fashioned football, running between the tackles and getting chunks of yardage and able to put some points on the board.”

    Pine Creek is now 3-0 against 4A competition. The Eagles opened 1-2 against 5A foes Fountain-Fort Carson, Lakewood and Columbine.

    “Going through Columbine, going through Lakewood and Fountain-Fort Carson prepared us for this (game against Falcon),” Miller said. “We had a couple of tough losses early, but we went through some hard practices and hard losses against tough, physical teams and they pay dividends on nights like tonight.”

    The other monster game on Friday night ended with No. 2 Palisade nipping No. 1 Rifle in 3A, 28-27. The Bulldogs’ Levi Hoaglund found John Goff with 17 seconds remaining to secure the win.

    “We had a group of guys that just persevered and hung with it,” Palisade coach Joe Ramunno told the Scoreboard Show.

    Palisade trailed 27-14 at halftime.

    “That’s just kind of the nature of kids that we have here at Palisade,” Ramunno said. “It’s been that way for many, many years — you can go back to the 50s. They’re tough guys that just kind of hang in there. And we got out-played tonight. I really felt like we were outplayed for almost three-and-a-half quarters. Very fortunate to come out with a win, and they just have that mentality: there’s a lot of fight in that dog.”

    At the 5A level, it was another week of destruction. No. 2 Chatfield lost to unranked Columbine in a wild game, No. 8 Cherry Creek topped No. 4 Cherokee Trail and Overland upset No. 7 Grandview, beating the Wolves for the first time in a very long time. Since 2004, Overland was 0-9 against Grandview and was outscored 103-336 over that span.

    Mullen very nearly took down No. 10 Arapahoe, but the Warriors survived in overtime, 27-21. Arapahoe was up 21-0 at halftime.

    When the dust cleared, it left Fairview as 5A’s lone remaining unbeaten team. The Knights (5-0) topped Arvada West 41-21 on Friday.

    Elsewhere, it was No. 8 Paonia beating No. 10 Meeker in 1A despite six turnovers.

    “I hope it was six. I don’t know, I kind of lost count,” Paonia coach Brent McRae told the Scoreboard show. “We just kind of huddled them up and said, ‘Here’s the deal, boys: this happens. This happens in life. And you can pick it up and finish and keep believing and keep fighting or you can lay down.’  They fought for each other.”

    Also, 2A’s eighth-ranked Florence rebounded from last week’s loss to Manitou Springs to beat No. 5 Lamar.

    “They knew what they had to do, what they had to clean up, and they had a pretty good week of practice and took a lot of pride in cleaning up what we needed to clean up,” Florence coach Jeremy Nix told the Scoreboard Show.

  • Columbine edges No. 2 Chatfield in wild football game

    Columbine senior Bernard McDondle attempts to shed the tackle attempt of Chatfield junior Jeremy Thompson during the Class 5A Super 6 League game Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. McDondle had a monster night racking up 285 yards rushing and six touchdowns in the Rebels' dramatic 50-43 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Columbine senior Bernard McDondle attempts to shed the tackle attempt of Chatfield junior Jeremy Thompson during the Class 5A Super 6 League game Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. McDondle had a monster night racking up 285 yards rushing and six touchdowns in the Rebels’ dramatic 50-43 victory. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LAKEWOOD — Columbine senior Bernard McDondle rushed for 285 yards and six touchdowns Friday night, but his most important role late was that of a decoy.

    The Rebels (5-1, 1-1 in 5A Super 6 League) pulled out a 50-43 victory against previously undefeated and No. 2-ranked Chatfield (5-1, 1-1) thanks to a play Columbine calls “hide-a-ball” in the final minute at Jeffco Stadium. Junior Austin Norton scored on a 65-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter when Chatfield led 43-42.

    “We’ve been working on it all week,” said Norton, who picked up the football after some slight of hand by Columbine quarterback Michael Tait. “It worked out perfectly and we fooled (Chatfield) with the play.”

    Tait faked a pitch to McDondle after placing the ball behind a Columbine lineman’s legs. Norton picked up the ball and raced down the sideline untouched to score the eventual game-winning touchdown as the majority of Chatfield defenders had their eyes on McDondle.

    “As soon as (Chatfield) bit onto me I knew it was money,” McDondle said of the perfectly executed trick play.

    McDondle put up some remarkable rushing numbers in the rivalry between the two south Jeffco-area schools. He carried the ball 27 times to rack up his 285 yards. His 67-yard touchdown on the first Rebels’ drive of the second half put him over 200 yards on the night. He scored on runs of 10, 45 and 4 yards in the first half, before tacking on touchdown runs of 13 and 25 yards in the fourth quarter.

    “(McDondle) is a special, special player,” Columbine coach Andy Lowry said.

    Neither squad led by more than seven points as both offenses answered one other time after time.

    Columbine used its vaunted rushing attack to the tune of 485 yards on the ground. While McDondle accounted for the majority of offense, Tait finished with 82 yards passing and 63 yards rushing.

    Chatfield junior quarterback Kyle Winkler gets off a pass Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. Despite going 27 for 39 passing for 294 yards and a touchdown, Winkler and the Chargers suffered their first loss of the season to rival Columbine, 50-43. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield junior quarterback Kyle Winkler gets off a pass Friday night at Jeffco Stadium. Despite going 27 for 39 passing for 294 yards and a touchdown, Winkler and the Chargers suffered their first loss of the season to rival Columbine, 50-43. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Chatfield’s offense wouldn’t be outdone. The Chargers had a balanced output with 294 passing yards from junior quarterback Kyle Winkler to go along with 271 rushing yards. Junior Michael Callahan-Harris had his best game of the season with 28 carries for 187 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Brendan Murphy had a pair of short touchdown runs for the Chargers, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.

    “It was a lot of ups and downs the whole game,” said Winkler, who was 27-of-39 passing. “I was pacing the sidelines that last Columbine drive. We just didn’t stop them there.”

    Winkler nearly guided the Chargers in position to at least tie the game in the final minute. Chatfield drove down into Columbine territory in the waning seconds. Senior Jahrel Olson nearly made a spectacular one-handed grab in the back of the end zone with in the final 10 seconds, but he stepped out of bounds before he was able to control the pass from 28 yards out from Winkler.

    While combining for 93 points and 1,132 yards, it was the type of game McDondle fully expected.

    “I knew walking into it that it would be a battle,” McDondle said. “It’s always a battle with Chatfield.”

  • No. 6 Ralston Valley shuts out Columbine softball

    Ralston Valley sophomores Rylie Strong, right, and Hannah Peterson were all smiles Saturday after the Mustangs beat Columbine 2-0 in a Class 5A Jeffco League showdown. Strong threw her fourth shutout of the season for the No. 6 ranked Ralston Valley. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley sophomores Rylie Strong, right, and Hannah Peterson were all smiles Saturday after the Mustangs beat Columbine 2-0 in a Class 5A Jeffco League showdown. Strong threw her fourth shutout of the season for the No. 6 ranked Ralston Valley. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Before turning its attention to the postseason, Ralston Valley softball has some unfinished business in the Class 5A Jeffco League.

    The No. 6 ranked Mustangs took one step closer to a shot at winning their 10th conference softball title since Ralston Valley High School in Arvada opened during the 2000-01 school year. Ralston Valley (12-4, 5-1 in league) remained atop the 5A Jeffco standings with a 2-0 shutout victory at home Saturday morning against Columbine (11-4, 3-3).

    Dakota Ridge (15-3, 6-1) is the only other 5A Jeffco team with one league loss going into the final week of the regular season. The Eagles used an eight-run fourth inning Saturday to hand rival Chatfield an 11-4 loss. It was Chatfield’s second conference loss. Ralston Valley edged Dakota Ridge 2-1 at the start of the conference schedule.

    “I think until you get out of league that is what you concentrate on,” Ralston Valley coach Wendy Davies said. “You have to focus on one win at a time because if you don’t win those you aren’t going anywhere.”

    While regional/state qualifying tournaments loom just around the corner (Saturday, Oct. 12), the Mustangs take pride in winning the always deep and competitive 5A Jeffco League.

    “I definitely think league is important to all of us,” Ralston Valley senior Sierra Galbreath said. “I think that league (title) would prove how bad we’ve wanted it this whole season.”

    Ralston Valley senior Sierra Galbreath fouls off a pitch during the fifth inning Saturday against Columbine. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley senior Sierra Galbreath fouls off a pitch during the fifth inning Saturday against Columbine. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Columbine had dropped its previous two conference games to Dakota Ridge and Pomona. However, the Rebels gave the Mustangs all they could handle. Columbine actually out-hit Ralston Valley by a six to three count, but three errors cost the young Rebels that start just two seniors.

    “We know we’re good, but we are really young,” Columbine coach Robin Ortiz said. “What we talked about coming into the game is we couldn’t make mistakes. Ralston Valley is good enough that they’ll capitalize on mistakes.”

    The Mustangs pushed across their first run in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Brenna Martinez was caught in a pickle between second and third base, but a throwing error allowed Martinez to escape and score.

    Ralston Valley had opportunities in the fourth and fifth innings to extend its lead, but Columbine junior pitcher Madison Reuter was able to keep the Rebels within a run. The biggest jam Reuter was able to get out of was a bases loaded situation with Galbreath at the plate. Galbreath eventually flied out to center field to end the bottom of the fifth inning.

    Reuter allowed three hits while walking three batters and striking out two. Ralston Valley senior McKenzie Sadler provided an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning with an RBI double to the gap that scored Martinez.

    Columbine threatened in the top of the seventh inning with singles by junior Shelby Copley and sophomore Alex Scheid to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with two outs. However, Ralston Valley sophomore pitcher Rylie Strong struck out pitch-hitter Kacey Cruz to end the game.

    Strong allowed six hits and struck out five in her fourth shutout victory this season. She also retired 12 straight batters in the middle innings.

    Columbine junior Madison Reuter delivers to the plate Saturday against Ralston Valley. Reuter took the loss despite only allowing three hits. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Columbine junior Madison Reuter delivers to the plate Saturday against Ralston Valley. Reuter took the loss despite only allowing three hits. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “I just have to make sure I throw my pitches in the right spots,” Strong said of protecting a one-run lead for the majority of the game. “I really don’t get nervous.”

    Davies gave credit to her senior leadership, Strong for another solid outing and catcher Alexa Samuels for calling a good game behind the plate.

    Ralston Valley finishes out its conference schedule with back-to-back games this Monday (Sept. 30) and Tuesday (Oct. 1). The Mustangs travel to Standley Lake for a 4:30 p.m. Monday before hosting Chatfield at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

    “I think the next two are going to be intense games,” Davies said. “We just have to take care of business on our own end.”

    Columbine closes out its regular season against Arvada West and Chatfield before heading into the postseason.

  • Girls gymnastics season hits halfway point

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    As the 2013 CHSAA girls gymnastics season hits its midpoint, there are some teams that are posting some top scores, along with multiple individual performances that need to be recognized.

    CHSAA gymnastics schools submit their team scores to the CHSAA Office, but post the top individual and team results to cohsgymnastics.blogspot.com.

    Note: Scores as reported to the blog on or before September 20.

    The top 25 team scores up to this point include Mountain Range  with the top score at 182.6 (Sept. 19), but also the season’s third (180.0, Aug. 29) and fifth (178.9, Sept. 6) best scores. Overland has the second best team score (180.475, Sept. 6) and 21st (169.9, Sept. 11) top score.

    Defending 5A team state champion Broomfield has the fourth and 10th best scores this season (179.9, Aug. 29; 176.6, Sept. 4). Green Mountain checks in with the season’s sixth best score (178.675, Sept. 18), while Arvada West has posted the seventh (178.55, Sept. 5), 11th (174.8, Sept. 6), 12th (173.825, Aug. 29) and 23rd (168.75, Sept. 18).

    Cherry Creek has the eighth (178.425, Sept. 7), ninth (177.325, Sept. 11) and 20th (170.325, Sept. 18). Chatfield checks in with the 13th best score (173.125, Sept. 10), while defending 4A team state champion Elizabeth has the 14th (172.450, Aug. 29) top team score this season.

    Ponderosa checks in with No. 15 (171.3, Sept. 18), while Rocky Mountain’s team scores so far this season rank 16th (170.875, Sept. 6) and 19th (170.5, Sept. 19). Pomona has the 17th (170.775, Sept. 10) and 22nd (169.8, Aug. 29). Fort Morgan comes in at 18th (170.75, Sept. 19), Niwot 24th (169.235, Sept. 6) and Evergreen 25th (168.9, Aug. 29).

    The top 10 individual scores by event, include Veronica Versina who has posted the top score (9.625, Sept. 18) and 10th (9.375) best score so far. Green Mountain’s Kathy Nguyen has scored the second highest in vault at 9.6 on Sept. 18. Broomfield’s Kailey Licata has posted a 9.5 (Aug. 29), while teammate Melanie Stelling hit a 9.45 that same day.

    Mountain Range’s Alex Wilson comes in with the fifth top score so far at 9.425 (Sept. 6), while Columbine’s Baylie Trammel has two scores tied for the sixth spot (9.4, Sept. 18 and Aug. 29) top scores at the midpoint. Overland’s Ashlyn Graybill and McKenna Turbyne are also tied at sixth to round out the vault’s top 10, matching Trammel’s 9.4, both on Sept. 6.

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    On the balance beam at midseason, Mountain Range’s Taylor Molliconi holds the best score with 9.65 on Sept. 19, while Overland’s Kellyn Toole posted a 9.625 on Sept. 18 for No. 2. Cherry Creek’s Sela Buted and Sara Fangrow come at No. 3 (9.6, Sept. 20) and No. 4 (9.525, Sept. 7), respectively. There are three gymnasts holding down the No. 5 spot on the list, with Lakewood’s Hanna Roshka scoring 9.5 twice (Sept. 7, Sept. 10) and Marinna Dilley of Fort Collins with 9.5 on Sept. 6. Arvada West’s Jillian Kerr also has a 9.5, scoring that on Sept. 6.

    On the uneven bars, Overland’s Devin Bundas holds the No. 1 spot (9.8, Sept. 6), followed by teammate Ashlynn Graybill (9.625, Sept. 6). MRHS’s Molliconi and Broomfield’s Licata are tied with the third best score at 9.55. Molliconi also holds the No. 6 spot (9.5, Sept. 18) and No. 8 (9.4, Sept. 19). Meanwhile,   Thompson Valley’s Anisha Alvarado checks in at No. 7 (9.450, Sept. 19) and tied for 10th (9.35, Sept. 6). Columbine’s Trammel is No. 9 (9.375, Sept. 7) and Mountain Range’s Syd Kotar is tied at No. 10 (9.350, Sept. 6).

    On the floor, Cherry Creek’s Olivia solow-Niederman holds the No. 1 (9.65, Sept. 20) and No. 7 (9.525, Sept. 7) spots. Ana Eyssimont from Chatfield is at No. 2 (9.625, Sept. 10), while Broomfield’s Licata sites tied for third (9.6, Aug. 29) with Arvada West’s Jessica Jankowski (9.6, Sept. 5). Jankowski is also tied for No. 8 (9.5, Sept. 6). Molliconi (MRHS) is tied at No. 5 (9.55, Sept. 19) with Overland’s Bundas (9.55, Sept. 11). Cherry Creek’s Buted is one of three gymnasts tied at No. 8 (9.5, Sept. 20) with Jankowski and Pomona’s Hagemann (9.5, Sept. 10)

    The top all-around score at the midpoint goes to Mountain Range’s Molliconi who holds the No. 1 (37.6, Sept. 19) and No. 3 (37.2, Sept. 6) spots. Broomfield’s Licata holds the No. 2 (37.3, Aug. 29) and No. 4 (37.125, Sept. 4) spots. Bundas (Overland) is tied for fifth (36.975, Sept. 11) with Cherry Creek’s Solow-Niederman (Sept. 7). Cherry Creek’s Fangrow is in No. 7 (36.9, Sept. 7) and Arvada West’s Vasina is No. 8 (36.85, Sept. 18). Solow-Niederman is tied for 10th (36.825, Sept. 20) with Columbine’s Trammel (Sept. 18) and A West’s Jankowski (Sept. 5).

    Colorado’s gymnastics teams head to regionals (Oct. 23 at Cherry Creek; Oct. 24 at Mountain Range and Oct. 25 at Arvada West) to qualify for the state championship meet on November 1-2 at Thornton High School.

    All-Around Top 10
    Rank Gymnast Score School Date
    1 Taylor Molliconi 37.600 Mountain Range 9/19
    2 Kailey Licata 37.300 Broomfield 8/29
    3 Taylor Molliconi 37.200 Mountain Range 9/6
    4 Kailey Licata 37.125 Broomfield 9/4
    T5 Devin Bundas 36.975 Overland 9/11
    T5 Olivia Solow-Niederman 36.975 Cherry Creek 9/7
    7 Sara Fangrow 36.900 Cherry Creek 9/7
    8 Veronica Vasina 36.850 Arvada West 9/18
    T9 Baylie Trammel 36.825 Columbine 9/18
    T9 Olivia Solow-Niederman 36.825 Cherry Creek 9/20
    T9 Jessica Jankowski 36.825 Arvada West 9/5
    Floor Exercise Top 10
    Rank Gymnast Score School Date
    1 Olivia Solow-Niederman 9.650 Cherry Creek 9/20
    2 Ana Eyssimont 9.625 Chatfield 9/10
    T3 Kailey Licata 9.600 Broomfield 8/29
    T3 Jessica Jankowski 9.600 Arvada West 9/5
    T5 Taylor Molliconi 9.550 Mountain Range 9/19
    T5 Devin Bundas 9.550 Overland 9/11
    7 Olivia Solow-Niederman 9.525 Cherry Creek 9/7
    T8 Sela Buted 9.500 Cherry Creek 9/20
    T8 Hadley Hagemann 9.500 Pomona 9/10
    T8 Jessica Jankowski 9.500 Arvada West 9/6
    Uneven Bars Top 10
    Rank Gymnast Score School Date
    1 Devin Bundas 9.800 Overland 9/6
    2 Ashlynn Graybill 9.625 Overland 9/6
    T3 Taylor Molliconi 9.550 Mountain Range 8/29
    T3 Kailey Licata 9.550 Broomfield 9/4
    5 Baylie Trammel 9.525 Columbine 9/18
    6 Taylor Molliconi 9.500 Mountain Range 9/6
    7 Anisha Alvarado 9.450 Thompson Valley 9/19
    8 Taylor Molliconi 9.400 Mountain Range 9/19
    9 Baylie Trammel 9.375 Columbine 9/7
    T10 Syd Kotar 9.350 Mountain Range 9/19
    T10 Anisha Alvarado 9.350 Thompson Valley 9/6
    Beam Top 10 Scores
    Rank Gymnast Score School Date
    1 Taylor Molliconi 9.650 Mountain Range 9/19
    2 Kellyn Toole 9.625 Overland 9/18
    3 Sela Buted 9.600 Cherry Creek 9/20
    4 Sara Fangrow 9.525 Cherry Creek 9/7
    T5 Hanna Roshak 9.500 Lakewood 9/10
    T5 Hanna Roshak 9.500 Lakewood 9/7
    T5 Marinna Dilley 9.500 Fort Collins 9/6
    T5 Jillian Kerr 9.500 Arvada West 9/5
    9 Hanna Roshak 9.475 Lakewood 9/4
    10 Niki Moya 9.475 Bear Creek 9/20
    Vault Top 10 Scores
    Rank Gymnast Score School Date
    1 Veronica Versina 9.625 Arvada West 9/18
    2 Kathy Nguyen 9.600 Green Mountain 9/18
    3 Kailey Licata 9.500 Broomfield 8/29
    4 Melanie Stelling 9.450 Broomfield 8/29
    5 Alex Wilson 9.425 Mountain Range 9/6
    T6 Baylie Trammel 9.400 Columbine 9/18
    T6 Baylie Trammel 9.400 Columbine 8/30
    T6 Ashlynn Graybill 9.400 Overland 9/6
    T6 McKenna Turbyne 9.400 Overland 9/6
    10 Veronica Versina 9.375 Arvada West 9/6
    Top 25 Teams Scores
    Rank School Score Date
    1 Mountain Range 182.600 9/19
    2 Overland 180.475 9/6
    3 Mountain Range 180.000 8/29
    4 Broomfield 179.900 8/29
    5 Mountain Range 1 178.900 9/6
    6 Green Mountain 178.675 9/18
    7 Arvada West 178.550 9/5
    8 Cherry Creek 178.425 9/7
    9 Cherry Creek 177.325 9/11
    10 Broomfield 176.600 9/4
    11 Arvada West 174.800 9/6
    12 Arvada West 173.825 8/29
    13 Chatfield 173.125 9/10
    14 Elizabeth 172.450 8/29
    15 Ponderosa 171.300 9/18
    16 Rocky Mountain 170.875 9/6
    17 Pomona 170.775 9/10
    18 Fort Morgan 170.750 9/19
    19 Rocky Mountain 170.500 9/19
    20 Cherry Creek 170.375 9/18
    21 Overland 169.900 9/11
    22 Pomona 169.800 8/29
    23 Arvada West 169.750 9/18
    24 Niwot 169.325 9/6
    25 Evergreen 168.900 8/29