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Tag: Kent Denver

  • 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

  • Field hockey roundup: Cherry Creek, Colorado Academy set to play in final

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — Livvy List wasn’t even sure it counted, the goal that would send her team to the field hockey final.

    But it did, and was the difference for third-seeded Cherry Creek in a 1-0 win over No. 2 Kent Denver in the semifinals at All-City Stadium on Wednesday night.(Bracket)

    Livvy List
    Livvy List

    “My teammate passed it into me and then I one-timed it and it was kind of high up,” said List, a senior. “I was kind of surprised it made it in. I didn’t know if it was going to count because it was so high up. But I’m happy it did.”

    The lone score came with 16:27 remaining in the first half. Cherry Creek’s defense stifled Kent the rest of the way, and the Bruins’ ability to control possession limited chances for the Sun Devils.

    “We were definitely hungry for the ball,” Cherry Creek coach Ashley Thompson said. “Any 50-50 ball, I told the girls that it had to be ours. Any loose ball had to be received by a blue uniform.”

    During a timeout after her goal, List said, “We just decided that we were going to let no goals in whatsoever, go as hard as we could — it’s only 30 minutes of our lives — just go as hard as we can. And it happened.”

    Kent Denver did have a fantastic chance to tie the game with just over eight minutes remaining, but Cherry Creek goalkeeper Casie Hilyard made an outstanding save on a one-on-one opportunity, then kicked the rebound out, as well.

    “Considering she just put pads on three months — both of our goalies — I think she did an excellent job,” Thompson said. “We started with two new goalies this year and they had never put pads on. They are here for their team and they’ve learned a ton and worked very hard. Hopefully they’ll keep learning until the end.”

    The win avenged an earlier 3-1 loss to Kent Denver just two weeks ago. The two teams also tied 1-1 on Sept. 17.

    “It is literally the best feeling ever,” List said. “Honestly, I’d rather lose in the season and tie in the season and then win when it matters. I could not be happier right now.”

    “I think it made us that much more hungry,” Thompson said of the earlier games. “We did not want to lose, having been beaten by them. But we also learned from the technical mistakes that we had made when we played them before. We watched game tape. We tried to capitalize on playing a very clean defensive game, which we haven’t always done, and we tried to exploit their weaknesses. It worked.”

    [divider]

    (1) Colorado Academy 7, (4) Palmer Ridge 2. Palmer Ridge had a swift response after surrendering a goal in the opening minutes. But so did Colorado Academy.

    And, when Wednesday’s semifinal was over, it seemed as if Colorado Academy never stopped responding. The top-seeded Mustangs rolled to a 7-2 win over No. 4 Palmer Ridge.

    Colorado Academy’s Madeline Webster scored just 2:05 into the game, and though Palmer Ridge’s Jessica Berg tied things at 1 six minutes later, it didn’t shake the Mustangs.

    Sterre Van Ede.
    Sterre Van Ede

    “The first goal really gave us confidence, and because (the tying goal) was so early on, we knew that we could get more goals,” said junior Sterre Van Ede.

    In fact, it was Van Ede’s rocket off a corner which gave Colorado Academy a 2-1 advantage and lead for good with 16:04 to play in the first half. She added her second tally, a near-replica off another corner, in the second half which made it 4-1.

    “Their goalie is really good,” Van Ede said, “and we just decided to hit the ball as hard as possible.”

    Webster and Henley Hall also had two goals for Colorado Academy. Isabelle Chandler also scored for the Mustangs.

    Daelynn Demello scored Palmer Ridge’s other goal on a penalty stroke with 16:37 to play in the game.

    It was the third time Colorado Academy had beaten Palmer Ridge this season, following a 7-0 win on Sept. 7 and a 2-1 decision just two weeks ago.

    “I think it’s always hard to beat a team three times, because you never know how a team’s going to respond for the third time,” Colorado Academy coach Daan Polders said. “They played the way we were expecting them to play. We were prepared for that.”

    “We had already beat them twice,” Van Ede said, “why not a third time?”

    Colorado Academy has now won 23 games in a row, and is unbeaten (32-0-2) over its past 34. The Mustangs have not lost since the 2011 final, to Kent Denver.

    Colorado Academy beat Cherry Creek 3-1 on Sept. 25.

  • Football roundup: Mullen knocks off No. 7 Chatfield

    There were a few brief minutes where Chatfield seized the lead against Mullen for the first time on Friday night. In those minutes, it seemed Chatfield would escape with a win.

    Not so.

    Mullen pulled off the upset against the No. 7 Chargers, 40-34, to pick up its second win this season. Chatfield fell to 6-2.

    Mullen led for nearly the entire game — including gaps of 24-9 and 31-16 — but Chatfield tied things at 31 early in the fourth, then took a 34-31 lead on a field goal with 5:46 remaining. The Mustangs answered right back with a touchdown to regain a lead at 37-34.

    Penalties set the ensuing kickoff up from Chatfield’s 30, and Mullen caught the Chargers off-guard with an onside kick. The Mustangs recovered at the 11-yard-line. They added a 23-yard field goal with 1:40 to play.

    Chatfield marched down the field and attempted a Hail Mary from midfield as time expired, but the pass was intercepted.

    The biggest upset of the night, though, came in 3A. That’s where unranked Delta knocked off No. 1 Palisade, 31-21. Palisade rallied from a 21-7 hole at halftime to tie things at 21 after three quarters. But Delta prevailed.

    “We had a good lead at half, and we threw a pick-6 in the third and we caused ourselves some problems and turned it into a football game,” Delta coach Ben Johnson told ColoradoPreps.com’s Built Ford Tough Scoreboard Show on Friday night.

    “Our kids played a wonderful game, and it was a big game,” he said. “Our kids played real well. We’ve got another one next week. Hopefully we can — our goal is to win this league.”

    Palisade plays No. 10 Rifle next week. Rifle beat Steamboat Springs 50-10 on Friday.

    3A saw two other big upsets on Friday night: Glenwood Springs beat No. 6 Evergreen 35-7, and Roosevelt took down No. 3 Silver Creek 23-20.

    “It was a very exciting game. I think everyone got their money’s worth tonight,” Roosevelt’s Nolan Eastin told the Scoreboard Show. “Silver Creek’s such a good team. They’re so talented. We had to grind one out: we had some early turnovers, we got behind. It shows a lot about our character.

    “The game of football is a funny game, it goes high and low,” he continued. “We had a lot of lows in the first quarter, but our guys just hung in there and kept fighting and scrapping and grinding away. We made some plays, and here come the Roughriders in the second half. We were able to hold them on ‘D’ and come away with a big win.”

    Roosevelt was able to secure the win by owning possession.

    “They can’t hurt you much when they’re not on ‘O’ — and they have a great ‘O,’” Eastin said. “They’re explosive on offense, and we knew that. So we wanted to try and chew up some clock and grind the ball away and kind of ground and pound it.”

    Elsewhere in 3A, No. 2 Coronado improved to a state-best 9-0 following a 27-9 win over Woodland Park.

    In 4A, eighth-ranked Broomfield picked up an impressive 21-13 win over Montbello.

    “They came over here and gave us everything we wanted,” Broomfield coach Gary Davies told the Scoreboard Show. “There was a penalty on the last play of the half, and we had to run one more play, and we scored from 85 yards out on a run, and that put us up 21-7. Basically, in the second half we just kind of hung on. But, you know, it was a win, and I’m very happy we were on that side of the score.”

    In recent weeks, Broomfield has beaten Denver South, Standley Lake and, now, Montbello. The Eagles have won five consecutive games.

    “We just seem to be able to find ways to win games,” Davies said. “I’m not sure any of our wins have been very pretty. The kids just keep hanging in there and they don’t quit. I like where we’re sitting.”

    Elsewhere in 4A, No. 7 Durango rallied to beat 5A Fruita Monument 17-10.

    At the 2A level, No. 9 Bennett beat No. 4 Kent Denver 14-7.

    “We’ve been itching at it for quite a few years with Kent,” Bennett coach Rick Jacoby told the Scoreboard Show. “It was a big for the kids, it was the program and our school and our town.

    “They were inside the 10 (yard-line) four times and our defense stepped up huge and kept them out of the end zone.”

    Elsewhere, it was No. 7 Strasburg over Eaton 32-7.

    “Overall, I thought we really kind of controlled the line of scrimmage, and were able to get enough points up there (in the first half) to be pretty comfortable in the second half,” Strasburg coach Jeff Giger told the Scoreboard Show.

    In 1A, Resurrection Christian upset No. 8 Wray 35-13.

    “We were able to get a few of our kids that had been hurt back, and I think that was a key tonight,” Resurrection Christian coach Mark Roggy told the Scoreboard Show. “I thought out defense played very well. We were able to control the tempo of the game against a very good, potent Wray ballclub, and we were able to balance our offense. That’s big for the way we think about football here.”

    Elsewhere, No.7 Paonia topped No. 3 Hotchkiss 21-0.

    “The kids played hard; it was a fun battle,” Paonia coach Brent McRae told the Scoreboard Show. “Our defense played well. They were so prepared and so disciplined and we put a lot of respect on our defensive side of the ball.”

    It was a big night for 8-man football with three games between ranked opponents. Included was No. 2 Dayspring Christian’s 38-15 win over No. 3 Caliche, as well as No. 4 Simla’s 40-8 win over No. 6 Kiowa.

    “It was an ugly game for both teams, a defensive battle even though there was 30 points on the board, but our kids played their tails off and Kiowa has a good football team,” Simla coach Shane Zimmerman told the Scoreboard Show of his team’s win.

    Also, fifth-ranked Norwood beat No. 8 Dove Creek 56-28.

    “Dove Creek out and (drove on) us right off the bat, but we had the depth to keep putting kids in and wore ’em down and started putting points on the board in the second half,” Norwood coach Brandon Alexander told the Scoreboard Show.

  • Seniors play big role in field hockey’s growth

    Colorado Academy is the No. 1 seed in this year's state playoffs. (Courtesy photo)
    Colorado Academy is the No. 1 seed in this year’s state playoffs. (Courtesy photo)

    This group leads by example, and if they have it there way, the number of girls following in their footsteps will continue to grow.

    Now in its 16th season, field hockey has proven a popular sport among young women across thirteen state high schools. Recently, the sport has grown in Colorado schools — thanks to members of the class of 2013.

    “Every summer there is a summer league where you can come back and play,” said Colorado Academy captain Mandy Weeks. “Alumni, current high schoolers, young kids and adults all come and play during the summer.”

    In Colorado, there are three premier field hockey clubs that girls can get involved in: Denver Field Hockey Club, and Colorado Field Hockey Association and Club Lewy located in Colorado Springs. Weeks has gotten involved in Denver’s club, along with a handful of other girls from local high schools.

    At Smoky Hill, Jessica Schnitzer first got involved in the game in middle school when the varsity team came down to promote their team.

    “They came down and passed out flyers and taught us how to play,” said Schnitzer. “They kind of told us about the team.”

    Now part of the varsity team, Schnitzer and her teammates have gotten involved in the community. Smoky Hill, along with a handful of other schools, have started programs that raise awareness about their teams at the seventh- and eighth-grade levels.

    “I try to make sure the people at our school know about field hockey and what we’re all about,” Schnitzer said. “The team makes sure we get involved in school activities like participating in the homecoming parade and going down to the middle school and working with the younger kids.”

    Kent Denver's Chloe Dikeou. (Courtesy photo)
    Kent Denver’s Chloe Dikeou. (Courtesy photo)

    Players and coaches have both contributed to field hockey’s growth at Kent Denver.

    “Field hockey wouldn’t be possible without our coach, Kathy James,” the Sun Devils’ Chloe Dikeou said. “She has helped develop our program tremendously. We have the second largest sports program at our school behind boys lacrosse.”

    Some players have gotten so involved in the game that they hope to coach after graduating this summer. Bailey Taber of St. Mary’s Academy and Hannah Coburn of Mountain Vista plan to return as coaches.

    “I want to come back next year and help coach — I love sports, encouraging my teammates and teaching the newbies,” Taber said.  “At St. Mary’s, it’s very unique. We get to have a ton of fun while staying competitive. Our teammates become our family.”

    Coburn has seen the program grow over her time at Mountain Vista.

    “I am going to play field hockey in college and it would be my dream to coach when I come back during the summer at the middle school, high school or club level,” Coburn said. “I have been a part of Denver field hockey for four years but have been coaching and mentoring for two. I’m really proud of our school and the passion it has for the sport. I’m really excited to see where the program goes in the future.”

    Taber has also helped the sport grow internationally. During a two-week service trip to Uganda last summer, she brought field hockey to an orphanage.

    “We brought plastic field hockey sticks and taught some of the kids down there how to play,” Taber said.  “I ran camps and we did a bunch of projects for the community on a two-week service trip to an orphanage. I hope to go back next summer with the same organization and help work with them some more.”

    (Courtesy photo)
    (Courtesy photo)

    Kayla Wayne, of Grandview, has reached out to the athletic community through social media.

    “I usually tell people to come out to our games over Facebook or Twitter, and talk to other friends who don’t play,” said Wayne. “A lot of my friends notice how close we are on and off the field and that brings them to games.”

    In 2013, Daelynn Demello of Palmer Ridge leads the league in points (55) and goals (20), and is tied for first in assists with 15. She and her team lost to Colorado Academy in last season’s championship game.

    “This year we’re hoping to make it to (the state final) again, it will help the sport continue to grow at our school,” Demello said.

    This season’s state championship bracket was released Tuesday morning Colorado Academy once again claimed the top seed and will play Cheyenne Mountain in the first round.

    The semifinals of will take place on Oct. 23, and a state champion will emerge on Oct. 28 in the finals at All-City stadium in Denver.

  • Mountain View now No. 3 in 4A girls cross country ranking

    Mountain View made a big jump in this week’s 4A Colorado Track XC/CHSAANow.com girls cross country poll, moving from seventh to third.

    The 2A poll was the only ranking to add new teams this week. Heritage Christian (No. 8) and Skyview Academy (No. 10) joined.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    Colorado Track XC/CHSAANow.com Girls Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Fort Collins (9) 135 1
    2 Monarch (5) 130 2
    3 Cherry Creek 113 3
    4 Pine Creek 98 4
    5 ThunderRidge 63 5
    6 Legacy 62 9
    7 Rock Canyon 54 8
    8 Fairview 47 7
    9 Mountain Vista 32 6
    10 Grandview 12 10
    Others receiving votes:
    Castle View 10, Fossil Ridge 8, Heritage 5, Arapahoe 1.
    Dropped out:
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Thompson Valley (7) 131 1
    2 The Classical Academy (3) 125 2
    3 Mountain View (3) 123 7
    4 Niwot 110 4
    5 Air Academy (1) 94 3
    6 Cheyenne Mountain (1) 86 5
    7 Battle Mountain 50 6
    8 Coronado 34 8
    9 Evergreen 33 9
    10 Durango 15 10
    Others receiving votes:
    Wheat Ridge 12, Palmer Ridge 10, Broomfield 3.
    Dropped out:
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Salida (12) 120 1
    2 Holy Family 102 2
    3 Peak to Peak 87 3
    4 Colorado Academy 73 4
    5 Kent Denver 66 5
    6 Estes Park 54 6
    7 Moffat County 48 8
    8 Frontier Academy 45 7
    9 Bayfield 22 9
    10 Alamosa 18 10
    Others receiving votes:
    Pagosa Springs 12, St. Mary’s 9, Buena Vista 3, Platte Valley 1.
    Dropped out:
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM PTS PVS
    1 Hotchkiss (10) 106 1
    2 Lyons (1) 86 2
    3 Paonia 84 4
    4 Vanguard 80 3
    5 Resurrection Christian 74 6
    6 Denver Christian 49 5
    7 Nederland 39 9
    8 Heritage Christian 31 –
    9 Shining Mountain 24 7
    10 SkyView Academy 15 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 10, Mancos 3, Yuma 3, Rocky Ford 1.
    Dropped out:
    Sargent (8), Custer County (10).

  • 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).

  • 5A boys soccer poll adds Boulder and Arvada West

    Boulder (No. 9) and Arvada West (No. 10) joined CHSAANow.com’s 5A boys soccer ranking this week.

    In 4A, Wheat Ridge (No. 8) was the lone newcomer. The 3A poll added No. 9 Aurora West College Prep.

    All three No. 1 teams remained the same.

    Complete polls for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Boys Soccer Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rangeview (7) 13-0-0 102 1 2-0-0
    2 Rock Canyon (3) 11-0-2 92 3 2-0-0
    3 Smoky Hill (1) 13-2-0 89 7 2-0-0
    4 Pine Creek 11-1-2 82 5 2-0-1
    5 Grandview (1) 11-2-1 73 2 0-1-0
    6 Fairview 10-2-1 54 6 2-1-0
    7 George Washington 10-0-2 46 9 2-0-0
    8 Cherry Creek 10-3-1 37 4 3-2-0
    9 Boulder 10-3-0 31 – 2-0-0
    10 Arvada West 10-2-0 19 – 1-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Montbello 14, Highlands Ranch 10, Aurora Central 8, Chatfield 1, Fruita Monument 1, Standley Lake 1.
    Dropped out
    Montbello (8), Standley Lake (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Air Academy (10) 14-1-0 118 1 3-1-0
    2 Broomfield (1) 9-2-2 100 2 1-0-0
    3 Ponderosa (1) 10-3-1 85 5 2-0-0
    4 Cheyenne Mountain 11-3-0 76 4 3-0-0
    5 Evergreen 11-2-0 71 3 2-1-0
    6 Denver North 11-1-0 61 7 2-0-0
    7 Valor Christian 10-3-0 56 6 1-0-0
    8 Wheat Ridge 9-3-1 21 – 1-0-1
    9 Battle Mountain 11-2-0 20 9 2-0-0
    10 Niwot 7-3-1 18 10 2-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Golden 8, Pueblo Centennial 7, Greeley Central 6, Denver South 5, Lewis-Palmer 2, Skyline 2, Greeley West 1, Pueblo West 1, Silver Creek 1, Windsor 1.
    Dropped out
    Golden (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Colorado Academy (11) 13-0-1 128 1 1-0-1
    2 Salida (2) 13-0-0 108 3 2-0-0
    3 The Classical Academy 13-1-0 107 2 1-0-0
    4 Kent Denver 10-2-1 80 5 1-0-1
    5 Coal Ridge 10-2-1 56 4 2-1-1
    6 Frontier Academy 12-0-0 51 6 2-0-0
    7 Bruce Randolph 9-1-2 46 8 0-0-1
    8 Holy Family 10-3-0 43 7 2-1-0
    9 Aurora West College Prep 11-2-0 29 – 3-0-0
    10 Manitou Springs 10-3-0 15 9 1-1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Crested Butte 14, Faith Christian 14, Telluride 8, Roaring Fork 7, Jefferson 4, Basalt 3, Machebeuf 2.
    Dropped out
    Roaring Fork (10).

  • Photo gallery: Boys tennis state championships

    The 5A and 4A boys tennis state championships wrapped up on Saturday. Cherry Creek (5A) and Kent Denver (4A) captured team titles.

  • Kent Denver lives up to expectations, wins 4A boys tennis crown

    4A champion Kent Denver. (Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)
    4A champion Kent Denver. More photos. (Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)

    PUEBLO — This is a team Randy Ross couldn’t wait to unveil.

    The veteran Kent Denver boys tennis coach had a feeling his 2013 Sun Devil squad could win a state title.

    He was right.

    Kent dominated the competition, clinching the Class 4A state crown on Friday, thanks to advancing all its players — No. 1 singles through No. 4 doubles — through to championship matches at the City Park Tennis Complex.

    For good measure, Kent Denver won five of the seven championship brackets Saturday, which was a school record for individual state crowns at a state tournament.

    “It was really a lot of fun,” said Ross, who just finished his 18th season coaching Kent Denver. “We knew this was going to be a strong time for Kent Denver tennis and we lived up to our expectations.”

    This was Kent Denver’s sixth boys state tennis championship in school history. The Sun Devils tied Cheyenne Mountain for the crown in 1999 and won it outright in 2003, 2004, 2008 and 2009.

    The Sun Devils ended up with 91 points, easily outdistancing Colorado Academy (54) and Niwot (50). Perennial power Cheyenne Mountain, which had won state three years in a row, placed fourth with 25 points.

    “I’m really proud of the way my guys played,” Ross said. “We came in here and got the job done.”

    Kent Denver’s latest state titles was powered by champions, sophomore Willie Gold (No. 2 singles), freshman Casey Ross (No. 3 singles), sophomore Kevin Adams/senior Ryan Beyer (No. 1 doubles), junior Andrew Thompson/sophomore Blake Parsons (No. 3 doubles) and senior Brad Soderberg/junior Jack Trueblood (No. 4 doubles).

    “It was great that I was able to help our team win state,” said Casey Ross, the coach’s son. “I have been around the team my whole life (15 years) and I have always wanted to win a state championship.”

    Casey now adds his state title to the two his brother Cory won in 1998 and 1999 at No. 1 singles while playing for Kent Denver. Cory was in attendance Saturday to see his younger brother’s victory.

    “That was really special,” Casey said about his brother being there for his win.

    Coach Ross admitted he could not have scripted things much better.

    “The reason I started coaching in high school was to coach my sons and I have had that opportunity to do so at Kent Denver,” coach Ross said. “It is really cool to have both your sons win state titles, and also have the team win.”

    The Sun Devils’ only losses came when junior David Mitchell (No. 1 singles), and senior Josh Rubin and freshman Niko Hereford (No. 2 doubles) were defeated.

    The No. 1 singles finishers in 4A. (Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)
    The No. 1 singles finishers in 4A. More photos. (Bethany Brookens/CHSAANow.com)

    Mitchell, is a three-time state finalist, winning at No. 1 singles as a freshman and taking second the past two seasons in the same bracket.

    Mitchell was outlasted by Discovery Canyon’s Luke Lorenz 7-5, 6-4 Saturday. Mitchell had a 2-0 season record against Lorenz prior to state.

    “Luke played very, very well,” coach Ross said. “I have to hand it to him. He played great. Also, Colorado Academy also played well. We wanted to go 7-for-7, but give those other players credit.”

    Colorado Academy’s Daniel Dilzell/Seth Miller edged Kent’s Rubin and Hereford, 6-1, 6-3.

    Coach Ross wasn’t making any guarantees, but he knows the future of his program is very bright.

    “We are only losing three seniors, and we have a lot of very good players coming back,” Ross said. “We also have some talented players who should be moving up to varsity next year.”

  • 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.