Tag: Ralston Valley

  • Ralston Valley pounces on Boulder in 5A girls soccer’s first round

    Ralston Valley sophomore Alyssa Kaiser (24) hugs fellow sophomore Emma Musson (9) after the Mustangs' first-half goal Tuesday at the North Area Athletic Complex. Ralston Valley scored a 3-0 victory over Boulder to advance to the second round of the Class 5A state tournament (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley sophomore Alyssa Kaiser (24) hugs fellow sophomore Emma Musson (9) after the Mustangs’ first-half goal Tuesday at the North Area Athletic Complex. Ralston Valley scored a 3-0 victory over Boulder to advance to the second round of the Class 5A state tournament (Dennis Pleuss)

    ARVADA — Ralston Valley soccer players were in the right place at the right time when sophomore Alyssa Kaiser was putting shots goal Tuesday at the North Area Athletic Complex.

    Sophomore Emma Musson and senior Janelle Feldmann both knocked in rebounds off shots from Kaiser shots in the first round of the Class 5A girls’ soccer state tournament.

    “I just shot the ball as hard and I could. Hopefully it would go in or go off the keeper,” said Kaiser after the No. 10-seeded Mustangs took a 3-0 victory over the No. 23-seeded Boulder Panthers. “We talked about shooting outside the box a lot.”

    Ralston Valley broke a scoreless tie late in the first half capitalizing on a hard shot from Kaiser that Boulder freshman goalie Faviola Morquecho couldn’t keep in her grasp. Musson was able to calmly settle the ball off the rebound then fire a shot past Morquecho with just 33.6 seconds left in the first half.

    Ralston Valley sophomore Alyssa Kaiser (24) works against Boulder senior Sarah Radzihovsky (1) on Tuesday during the Class 5A girls soccer first-round playoff game at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley sophomore Alyssa Kaiser (24) works against Boulder senior Sarah Radzihovsky (1) on Tuesday during the Class 5A girls soccer first-round playoff game at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “Alyssa played harder, smarter and more unselfish tonight than I’ve ever seen her play,” Ralston Valley coach Kamee Morwood said of her sophomore standout. “She changed the entire game for us. She gave us the opportunities. She put the team on her shoulders.”

    The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead into halftime after a wild final four minutes of the first half that full of scoring opportunities for Ralston Valley and Boulder.

    The Panthers nearly put in an own-goal in the 36th minute. Morquecho had to tip the arrant clearing attempt over the cross bar. Kaiser dodged past a couple of Boulder defenders a minute later, but her shot hit the far post and was cleared.

    Then it was the Panthers chance to get on the scoreboard. A good run by senior Sarah Radzihovsky got the ball deep into Ralston Valley’s defensive zone, but junior goalie Renee Roemer was able to make the save on Boulder senior Carin Cleveland in the 38th minute.

    Musson’s goal with less than a minute left before halftime finally broke the scoreless tie.

    “Boulder is a great team. We were looking for that one aspect that would change it before half and we found it,” Feldmann said. “We were able to go into the second half with some confidence and fire.”

    Feldmann’s goal came in the 59th minute to give the Mustangs (13-3) a 2-0 lead. For the second time Kaiser hit the cross bar with a shot, but Feldmann was there to put the ball into the net.

    “We’ve missed a lot of those this season against teams we’ve lost to on rebounds we weren’t there for,” Morwood said. “We really talked about it going into this game.”

    Ralston Valley senior Shae Sellers (3) looks back for the ball as Boulder senior Sarah Radzihovsky (1) takes a spill Tuesday at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley senior Shae Sellers (3) looks back for the ball as Boulder senior Sarah Radzihovsky (1) takes a spill Tuesday at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)

    The Mustangs added an insurance goal in the 74th minute on a high shot by sophomore Alaina Snedden that beat Morquecho. Roemer picked up the shutout victory in net for the Mustangs.

    Boulder had success at NAAC last year in the first round of the playoffs. The Panthers knocked off Arvada West 1-0 last year.

    “We’ve seen what happens when you underestimate teams,” Feldmann said. “We knew it was going to be a tough game. Every team in the playoffs is going to be hard from here on out.”

    Next up for Ralston Valley will be a second-round date with No. 7-seeded Cherry Creek. The Bruins (12-4) overcame a first-half deficit against Heritage on Tuesday to eventually take a 3-2 victory. The second-round game will be played Friday at Stutler Bowl.

    Ralston Valley sophomore Emma Musson (9) fires a shot past Boulder junior Tessa Regnier during the first half Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley sophomore Emma Musson (9) fires a shot past Boulder junior Tessa Regnier during the first half Tuesday. (Dennis Pleuss)
  • Chamberlain deals gem for No. 5 Chatfield baseball in win over Ralston Valley

    Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain throws to the plate Wednesday during the Chargers' 5-4 victory against Ralston Valley. Chamberlain gave up just four hits in six inning of work to get the victory on the mound. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain throws to the plate Wednesday during the Chargers’ 5-4 victory against Ralston Valley. Chamberlain gave up just four hits in six inning of work to get the victory on the mound. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)

    LAKEWOOD — Fittingly, the baseball found Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain on the final out Wednesday afternoon as the Chargers hung on to down Ralston Valley 5-4.

    The senior pitched six strong innings for the No. 5 ranked team in the CHSAANow.com Class 5A baseball state rankings against Jeffco League rival Ralston Valley at Keli McGregor Field at All Star Park in Lakewood. Chamberlain gave up just four hits and an unearned run to allow the Chargers to take a 5-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh frame.

    However, the Mustangs (13-5, 3-4 in league) rallied when junior Sean O’Dell took the mound to close the game for Chatfield.

    “I didn’t know what to do,” said Chamberlain, who moved to shortstop for the seventh inning. “It was a little nerve-wracking after that home run.”

    Ralston Valley senior Daniel Jurney ripped a two-out, three-run home run to cut Chatfield’s lead to 5-4. Senior Jacob Knipp then dropped in a single to bring the game-winning run to the plate, but Jordan Holloway hit a grounder to Chamberlain at shortstop. Chamberlain calmly fielded the ball and fired it to first base for the final out.

    Ralston Valley senior Daniel Jurney (17) is greeted at home plate by teammates Mitch Robinson (16), Jacob Gallegos (27) and Jacob Knipp (5) after Jurney's three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday. It wasn't enough as the Mustangs lost to Chatfield 5-4. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley senior Daniel Jurney (17) is greeted at home plate by teammates Mitch Robinson (16), Jacob Gallegos (27) and Jacob Knipp (5) after Jurney’s three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday. It wasn’t enough as the Mustangs lost to Chatfield 5-4. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)

    “He (Chamberlain) is a good athlete,” Chatfield coach Brandon Stone said. “He made the play when we needed it made. You can’t ask anything more from a player.”

    After back-to-back conference losses last week to No. 3 Columbine and No. 6 Arvada West knocked Chatfield (16-2, 5-2) from it undefeated record, the Chargers needed to respond going into the final week of the regular season. They have.

    Chatfield put up 20 runs in a 20-4 victory against Standley Lake on Monday. The Chargers can make it three-straight wins and clinch an top three finish in the competitive 5A Jeffco League going into the postseason that begins Saturday, May 10.

    “I knew it was a huge game today,” Chamberlain said. “I knew my teammates needed me to come out and perform. I threw a lot of strikes and got them a lot of ground balls. It worked out for us.”

    The Chargers’ big offensive inning came in the top of the second. Junior Kyle Winkler led off with a double to start the three-run inning. Senior Matthew Jarecki ripped a RBI single before O’Dell contributed a two-run single to give Chatfield a 3-0 lead.

    Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain crosses home plate in the top of the seventh inning Wednesday. The Chargers tacked on a pair of runs in the inning and were able to hold on to a 5-4 victory against Ralston Valley. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield senior Nick Chamberlain crosses home plate in the top of the seventh inning Wednesday. The Chargers tacked on a pair of runs in the inning and were able to hold on to a 5-4 victory against Ralston Valley. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Chamberlin and Winkler both scored in the top of the seventh inning to extend the Chargers’ lead to 5-1. Winkler finished 3-for-4 from the plate with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.

    “It’s real big,” said Winkler of the victory. “This was a really good opponent. We really needed to get this win. Ralston Valley was ready for us. We got their best.”

    Ralston Valley senior Jake Griffith took the loss on the mound. They lefty had to leave the game in the top of the second inning with an injury. Senior Mitch Robinson moved to shortstop to pitcher and after giving up the two-run double to O’Dell he was pretty solid pitching into the seventh inning.

    “He (Robinson) was really sharp,” Ralston Valley coach Shane Freehling said of Robinson, who gave just four hits and struck out six. “He kept us in the ball game and gave us a chance to win.”

    The Mustangs lone run before Jurney’s three-run home run came off an error in the bottom of the sixth inning. Knipp had a strong day at the plate going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

    “It shows where you are at. We are even-steven with a team that was No. 1 in the state,” Freehling said. “That was a good baseball game. It was well-pitched and well-played.”

    Ralston Valley has lost three of its last four games, but a win Saturday, May 3, against rival Pomona should assure the Mustangs one of the seven wild card spots for the playoffs.

    “This team can get hot,” Freehling said. “If they get hot at the right time we are as dangerous as anybody.”

    Chatfield closes out its regular season at home against Bear Creek at 11 a.m. Saturday.

    “I don’t think our mentality has never wavered,” Stone said of his team’s losses last week. “I think we’ve come back to realize that everything is out in front of us, just like everybody else. We are trying to play every game tough, down to the wire, and see what happens come playoff time.”

    Chatfield junior Sean O'Dell (2) forces out Ralston Valley senior Jordan Holloway at second base before completing a double play Wednesday afternoon at Keli McGregor Field at All Star Park in Lakewood. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Chatfield junior Sean O’Dell (2) forces out Ralston Valley senior Jordan Holloway at second base before completing a double play Wednesday afternoon at Keli McGregor Field at All Star Park in Lakewood. More photos. (Dennis Pleuss)
  • Photos: Chatfield baseball beats Ralston Valley

    LAKEWOOD — Chatfield’s Nick Chamberlain allowed just one unearned run in six innings, and the No. 5 Chargers then held on in the seventh to beat Ralston Valley 5-4.

  • Photos: Ralston Valley baseball homers three times in win over Lakewood

    ARVADA — Connor Roth, Tyler Carlson and Jacob Knipp each homered as Ralston Valley baseball beat Lakewood 11-2 on Monday.

    Daniel Jurney was also 1-for-4 with three RBIs, while Jordan Holloway threw six innings for the win. Holloway allowed four hits and two earedn runs, while striking out nine against four walks.

  • Little movement in final girls soccer rankings of the season

    Jefferson Academy Kent Denver girls soccer
    Jefferson Academy had one of the bigger jumps of the week, moving up to No. 3 in Class 3A. (Pam Wagner)

    With the playoffs just around the corner, girls soccer seems to have a pretty clear picture. For now, anyway.

    Not only did none of the No. 1 teams change this week, none of the three classes added a new team in this week’s CHSAANow.com rankings.

    There were jumps here and there — Jefferson Academy went from No. 6 to No. 3 in 3A; Palmer Ridge from No. 10 to No. 8 in 4A — but most of the movement amounted to tinkering.

    The No. 1 teams this week are Pine Creek (5A), Cheyenne Mountain (4A) and Colorado Academy (3A).

    With the regular season ending on Friday, these will serve as the final rankings.

    Complete polls for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Soccer Polls

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

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pine Creek (8) 11-1-1 114 1 1-0-1
    2 Mountain Vista (2) 11-1-2 108 2 1-0-1
    3 Rock Canyon (3) 11-1-0 96 3 2-0-0
    4 Fossil Ridge 10-0-2 95 5 3-0-0
    5 Fairview 11-2-0 68 4 2-1-0
    6 Smoky Hill 11-1-1 67 6 3-0-1
    7 Legacy 11-2-0 42 7 2-0-0
    8 Arapahoe 10-3-1 34 9 3-0-0
    9 Cherry Creek 10-4-0 32 8 2-0-0
    10 Ralston Valley 11-2-0 26 10 2-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Liberty 13, Columbine 12, Monarch 3, Arvada West 2, Regis Jesuit 2, Boulder 1, Rangeview 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Cheyenne Mountain (10) 11-0-2 108 1 3-0-0
    2 Broomfield (1) 11-1-1 97 2 3-0-0
    3 Sand Creek 11-2-1 62 4 2-0-0
    4 Battle Mountain 12-1-0 61 6 2-0-0
    5 Lewis-Palmer 9-2-3 60 3 2-0-0
    6 Niwot 11-2-0 40 8 1-1-0
    7 Valor Christian 9-5-0 31 5 1-2-0
    8 Palmer Ridge 7-4-1 28 10 1-0-1
    9 Wheat Ridge 11-3-0 21 7 2-1-0
    10 Englewood 11-0-1 16 9 2-0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo Centennial 13, Green Mountain 12, Ponderosa 10, Air Academy 9, Skyview 8, Windsor 8, Silver Creek 7, Weld Central 6, Evergreen 4, Mead 2, Montrose 1, Skyline 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Colorado Academy (10) 10-3-0 118 1 3-0-0
    2 St. Mary’s (1) 11-1-0 100 3 3-0-0
    3 Jefferson Academy 11-2-0 80 6 3-0-0
    4 Holy Family (1) 8-3-1 72 5 2-1-0
    5 Kent Denver 8-4-1 71 2 1-1-0
    6 Coal Ridge 13-1-0 64 4 1-1-0
    7 Frontier Academy 8-2-2 39 7 2-1-0
    8 The Academy 11-1-0 37 8 2-0-0
    9 Faith Christian 9-4-0 18 9 2-1-0
    10 St. Mary’s Academy 7-6-0 15 10 2-1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    The Classical Academy 12, Fountain Valley 7, Manitou Springs 7, Sterling 7, Roaring Fork 6, Alamosa 2, Basalt 2, SkyView Academy 2, Grand Valley 1, Liberty Common 1.
    Dropped out
    None.
  • Ralston Valley edges Standley Lake to gain inside track for Jeffco girls’ soccer title

    Ralston Valley senior Shae Sellers, right, tries to elude the pressure from Standley Lake freshman Camille Garcia during the first half Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Ralston Valley senior Shae Sellers, right, tries to elude the pressure from Standley Lake freshman Camille Garcia during the first half Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)

    ARVADA — Every goal has been a treasured commodity during the race for the Class 5A Jeffco girls’ soccer league championship this spring.

    That was definitely the case Friday night at the North Area Athletic Complex. A goal by Ralston Valley sophomore Emma Musson in the 65th minute gave the Mustangs, No. 10 in the latest CHSAANow.com 5A girls’ soccer rankings, a 3-1 lead. Ralston Valley hung on for a 3-2 victory against Standley Lake.

    “I thought we would score more, but Standley Lake came back harder,” Musson said of what turned out to be the game-winning goal. “It was rough.”

    Standley Lake senior Sammie Brown scored in the 72nd minute to close the Gators to within one goal, but Standley Lake wasn’t able to get the equalizer in the final minutes to force overtime.

    “It opened up in the second half,” Standley Lake coach Jeff Vigil said. “Both teams just gave it everything they had. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, we are on the wrong end of it but our season isn’t over.”

    Standley Lake freshman Sophia Brown (13) and Ralston Valley senior Brenna Marinez (17) both elevate for a header Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Standley Lake freshman Sophia Brown (13) and Ralston Valley senior Brenna Marinez (17) both elevate for a header Friday at the North Area Athletic Complex. (Dennis Pleuss)

    Ralston Valley (11-2), Standley Lake (10-3) and Columbine (10-3) entered the day with identical 5-1 league records. The victory vaulted the Mustangs atop the conference standings alone. Chatfield upset Columbine 2-1 on Friday to drop the Rebels one game behind the Mustangs with one league game remaining.

    Columbine will actually face Ralston Valley in both teams’ league finale at 4 p.m. April 29, at NAAC. A victory or tie Tuesday would win the league title for the Mustangs. A Rebels win could force a three-way tie where Columbine would likely take the crown with least goals allowed in league play.

    The conference game was originally scheduled for April 3, but snow postponed the game to the end of the league docket.

    “No matter what we have to win.” Ralston Valley coach Kamee Morwood said. “I knew when our game against Columbine got cancelled it would come down to the league championship. It’s huge because they will be a good view of what we’ll get in the playoffs.”

    Ralston Valley freshman Lindsay Guerrero opened up the scoring Friday with a goal in the 35th minute off an assist from Musson.

    “I just crossed it in and hoped someone would be there to finish it,” Musson said.

    Standley Lake answered early in the second half when junior Taylor McRae headed in a free kick taken by sophomore Kat Lopez to tie the game at 1-1.

    Ralston Valley regained the lead in the 63rd minute with Kasee Horton deflecting in a corner kick by sophomore Alyssa Kaiser. Musson’s goal came less than a two minutes later for a 3-1 Ralston Valley lead.

    It was the fourth league game Ralston Valley has been involved in that was decided by one goal.

    “To go into this week of the season there are three teams tied for first and three other teams fighting to get in,” Morwood said. “It speaks for the talent in Jeffco and the coaches who really care about there kids and really want their kids in (the playoffs). It’s been awesome.”

    The first round of the 5A state playoffs begin May 6.

    Jeffco receives three automatic bids to the 32-team tournament. It’s almost a lock Ralston Valley, Columbine and Standley Lake will finish in the top three to gain berths to state. Dakota Ridge and Arvada West could fight their way into an automatic bid, but more likely will have to earn one of the 11 at-large bids.

    Standley Lake concludes its regular season with a non-league game against Niwot on Monday, April 28, at NAAC. The Gators last league contest is 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, against Bear Creek at Lakewood Memorial Field.

    “I think we have a playoff run in us,” Vigil said. “I’m excited about it.”

    Standley Lake senior Krissy Collins, left, and Ralston Valley sophomore Rachel Bolin chase after a loose ball in the Gators' defensive end Friday night. The Mustangs took a 3-2 victory against the Gators. (Dennis Pleuss)
    Standley Lake senior Krissy Collins, left, and Ralston Valley sophomore Rachel Bolin chase after a loose ball in the Gators’ defensive end Friday night. The Mustangs took a 3-2 victory against the Gators. (Dennis Pleuss)
  • Notebook: Fairview’s lineup provides spark to successful baseball season

    Fairview Legacy baseball
    (Pam Wagner)

    BOULDER — Fairview’s baseball team made such quick work of Greeley West in a win last Saturday — it took 57 minutes — that the Knights held batting practice afterward.

    The win was a 10-0 affair in five innings, blown open by an eight-run fourth inning which included Jeff Clarke’s home run over the scoreboard in left field. Eight of their nine players recorded at least one hit, and seven had at least one RBI.

    Sitting in their dugout after the game, a few players approached coach Rick Harig and asked if they could take batting practice. They didn’t feel like they’d been on the field long enough. Harig shrugged: “Sure, why not.”

    So the Knights took hacks for another hour. Not that they really needed the practice. These guys can hit.

    Saturday’s game was the seventh in a row in which Fairview’s lineup had produced double-digit runs, and Tuesday’s 15-0 win over Poudre made it eight straight.

    Fairview Legacy baseball
    (Pam Wagner)

    Fairview now has four players with at least four home runs — Clarke, Cam Frazier and Walker Harris — and its 18 homers as a team is third-best in the state among all classifications.

    Clarke is hitting .579 with 33 RBIs, Frazier is at .526 with 20 RBIs and Jacob Thoning is hitting .500 with 17 RBIs. No one who sees regular at-bats is hitting below .333. And this is a team which lost designated hitter Steve D’Epagnier to a torn labrum after five games.

    The Knights lead Class 5A in team batting average (.447), slugging percentage (.698), RBIs (152) and runs (167).

    For context, ThunderRidge led 5A in batting average and runs scored en route to the championship last season. Rocky Mountain, the runner-up, led 5A in RBIs, and was second in runs.

    More context: 2012 champion Cherry Creek led 5A in RBIs and runs, and was second in home runs. 2011 champ Regis Jesuit led 5A in runs, home runs and RBIs.

    But ThunderRidge, Cherry Creek and Regis also had great pitching staffs. In fact, Cherry Creek’s team led 5A with a 1.75 ERA in 2012. And pitching is what separates teams in the postseason, where seemingly everyone can hit.

    Fairview’s arms have matured this season and become more consistent compared to prior years. As a staff, the Knights have a 2.23 ERA, which is third-best in 5A at this point.

    Senior Ryan Kokora carries a 1.18 ERA in 29 2/3 innings, and is now 6-0. He started (and won) Fairview’s biggest win of the season, a 10-7 victory at Rocky Mountain on April 10. Kokora gave up seven runs that day, five earned, but hasn’t allowed anything else in any of his other appearances. In fact, outside of the Rocky Mountain game — in which he pitched well, make no mistake — Kokora has allowed just eight hits.

    But one pitcher can’t carry a team through the postseason.

    Fairview Legacy baseball
    (Pam Wagner)

    Fortunately for Fairview, the Knights have what amounts to two aces. Ryan Madden, a junior, is 6-1 with a 3.37 ERA and 31 strikeouts against just five walks in 35 1/3 innings.

    Mike Vlasity is the team’s closer with a 0.88 ERA, and has 21 strikeouts to two walks in 16 innings.

    Johnny Feauto or Jacob Kearney will likely be Fairview’s third starter should they need one in the postseason. Neither have been needed since early April.

    All of them have flourished under the guidance of senior catcher Cannon Casey, who calls pitches all game, and has since he was a sophomore.

    It’s all amounted to this: Fairview is unbeaten in Colorado so far this season (11-0), with the lone loss coming over spring break in Arizona. The Knights already have 14 wins, which is the most since going 16-5 during the 2008-09 season. That is also the last time they won a postseason game. Fairview beat Arvada West in the first round of districts that season, but then lost to Grandview in the second round.

    As far as recent history goes, the Knights lost in the first round of districts in 2013 and 2010, and didn’t even make the postseason in 2012 or 2011. In fact, Fairview’s last trip to the Final 8 came during the 2007 season, when it went 1-2.

    So this is quite a turnaround. As of Thursday, Fairview is No. 2 in CHSAANow.com’s 5A baseball poll and No. 3 in the wild card points standings.

    The school made a surprise trip to football’s championship game in the fall. Is its baseball program next?

    Short stuff

    • Eaton hired Zac Lemon to be its next football coach, according to Colorado Preps, filling one of the bigger jobs in 2A. Lemon had been at 1A Hotchkiss, where he was 60-16-1 in seven seasons. Here’s our coaching changes tracker.
    • In recent months, Regis Jesuit’s 6-foot-4, 295-pound offensive lineman Tim Lynott has hauled in the scholarship offers. Thursday, the 2015 grad was offered by Wyoming. That followed an offer from Utah State on Monday. He’s now up to 12 total, and counts Miami, Oregon, UCLA, Arizona State and Kansas State among his offers. CU and CSU have both offered, as well.
    • He’s a 2016 graduate, but Legacy quarterback Matt Lynch committed to Colorado State during the Rams’ spring game this past Saturday, according to BoCoPreps.com. “It did shock me a little bit,” Lynch told BoCoPreps of committing early.
    • Eaglecrest picked Tom Brennan as its girls basketball coach. He was an assistant at the school this past season, and was also on the staff at ThunderRidge when it won 5A titles from 2003-05. “We are confident coach Brennan can take this program to a different level of success moving forward while also providing long term stability and consistently high expectations year in and year out,” Eaglecrest AD Vince Orlando said in a statement. In addition, the school hired Rhonda Appleton-Webb as an assistant.
    • Chatfield cracked MaxPreps’ top 50 national baseball rankings on Monday. Though, that will likely change after the No. 1 Chargers lost to No. 3 Columbine on Wednesday.
    • Ralston Valley’s Jordan Holloway went 4-for-4 with three home runs and nine RBIs in a win over Standley Lake last Saturday.
    • Dakota Ridge golfer Sydney Merchant set the course record at The Meadows Golf Course on Monday when she shot a 63. Just another golfer to watch for in the loaded 5A field.
    • The Colorado 7 League added an eighth team during the 2014-16 realignment, but will keep its name.
    • If you missed it, Pueblo East hired longtime assistant Mike Massaro as its boys basketball coach.
    • This is neat, via Aaron Matas: The Xcel Energy Center, home to the Minnesota Wild, has high school hockey jerseys adorning its walls.
    • Rule change for swimming: In the backstroke, “any part of the swimmer’s body must be on or above the water at the finish.” This will take effect in the 2014-15 season. Previously, the swimmer could be underwater.
  • Photos: Arapahoe wins boys swimming’s Jeffco Invite

    ARVADA — Arapahoe amassed 430 total points in winning boys swimming’s Jeffco Invite on Saturday. D’Evelyn (251 points) was second, and Ralston Valley (174) was third.

  • New No. 1 teams in baseball rankings: Chatfield, Windsor

    Chatfield Horizon baseball
    Chatfield is the No. 1 team in this week’s 5A baseball poll. (Pam Wagner)

    Chatfield, 13-0 to start the 2014 season, has taken over atop this week’s Class 5A baseball poll from CHSAANow.com.

    The Chargers moved up from No. 3 and received seven of the 15 first-place votes. They had 131 total points to top the ranking.

    A total of six teams got first-place votes, including former No. 1 ThunderRidge, which dropped to No. 6 following its loss to Mountain Vista last week.

    Fairview got two of those first-place votes and is No. 2 this week. Columbine, which plays Chatfield on Wednesday, is third, and Regis Jesuit is fourth. Mountain Vista rounds out the top five.

    After ThunderRidge, Arapahoe is seventh and Ralston Valley is eighth. Chaparral is No. 9 this week, and Rocky Mountain is No. 10.

    The 4A ranking also got a new No. 1 team this week when Windsor overtook Montrose. The Wizards received six of the 13 first-place votes, and had 115 overall points.

    Montrose dropped to second this week, and is followed by No. 3 Niwot. Wheat Ridge bumped up one place to No. 4, while Lewis-Palmer is No. 5 after 3-0 week which included a win over then-No. 10 Palmer Ridge on Saturday.

    Longmont is the lone newcomer to the 4A poll, joining at No. 10.

    The other No. 1 teams held firm atop their respective rankings. Holy Family continued to lead 3A, Swink remain atop of 2A and Stratton continued to lead 1A.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Baseball Polls

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

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

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

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Chatfield (7) 13-0 131 3 2-0
    2 Fairview (2) 13-1 121 4 3-0
    3 Columbine (3) 14-0 116 5 3-0
    4 Regis Jesuit (1) 11-3 109 2 3-0
    5 Mountain Vista (1) 13-1 105 7 3-0
    6 ThunderRidge (1) 10-3 86 1 2-1
    7 Arapahoe 12-2 47 8 3-0
    8 Ralston Valley 11-2 46 6 2-1
    9 Chaparral 10-4 31 10 3-0
    10 Rocky Mountain 7-5 21 9 3-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherry Creek 5, Central (G.J.) 3, Monarch 2, Grand Junction 1, Rock Canyon 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Windsor (6) 14-1 115 3 2-0
    2 Montrose (5) 11-2 106 1 2-0
    3 Niwot (1) 12-2 91 2 2-1
    4 Wheat Ridge 11-2 81 5 4-0
    5 Lewis-Palmer 11-3 72 6 3-0
    6 Delta (1) 12-2 52 4 1-1
    7 Evergreen 10-2 37 9 3-0
    8 Valor Christian 9-5 32 8 2-0
    9 Palmer Ridge 10-4 28 10 2-1
    10 Longmont 9-4 20 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Pueblo East 18, Pueblo Centennial 13, Mesa Ridge 12, Durango 11, Ponderosa 11, Elizabeth 8, Pueblo South 4, Thomas Jefferson 2, Broomfield 1, Rifle 1.
    Dropped out
    Elizabeth (7).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Holy Family (5) 13-0 85 1 1-0
    2 Eaton (4) 11-0 84 2 3-0
    3 Faith Christian 13-1 70 3 4-0
    4 Lamar 11-3 53 7 2-0
    5 University 10-3 40 8 3-1
    6 The Classical Academy 11-2 38 10 4-0
    7 Valley 12-2 34 5 2-1
    8 Gunnison 12-1 28 4 2-1
    9 Brush 8-3 20 9 1-2
    10 Cedaredge 11-1 19 6 0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Bayfield 18, Alamosa 2, Kent Denver 1, La Junta 1, Platte Valley 1, Sterling 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Swink (3) 13-0 56 1 4-0
    2 Resurrection Christian (2) 11-2 53 3 3-0
    3 Rye (1) 10-1 51 2 1-0
    4 Sedgwick County 14-1 40 6 7-0
    5 Hotchkiss 11-3 35 4 0-1
    6 Lutheran 6-7 24 7 1-3
    7 Peyton 11-2 18 5 2-1
    8 Byers 4-2 13 2-1
    9 Kiowa 9-4 12 8 2-1
    10 Denver Christian 7-5 11 10 3-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Limon 10, Lyons 4, Rocky Ford 4, Nucla 1.
    Dropped out
    Limon (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Stratton (3) 5-1 46 1 0-0
    2 Eads 5-8 37 5 1-1
    3 Granada (1) 3-2 33 2 0-0
    4 Elbert (1) 6-2 31 3 1-1
    5 Caliche 3-8 30 4 -2-2
    6 Community Christian 6-6 24 7 1-1
    7 Fleming 5-4 18 9 2-1
    8 Holly 4-4 17 1-0
    9 Briggsdale 7-4 13 6 2-0
    10 Dove Creek 3-11 11 10 1-3
    Others receiving votes:
    Cornerstone Christian 9, Peetz 5, Cotopaxi 2, Manzanola 1.
    Dropped out
    Peetz (8).
  • Pine Creek, Colorado Academy new No. 1s in girls soccer rankings

    Pine Creek toppled No. 1 Mountain Vista last week. This week, the Eagles now occupy that No. 1 spot.

    Pine Creek beat Mountain Vista 4-3 on the road last Friday. Monday, the Eagles got eight of the 11 first-place votes and amassed 111 overall points to become the new No. 1 team.

    Mountain Vista didn’t drop far. The Golden Eagles are No. 2 this week, while Rock Canyon is No. 3. Fairview is No 4 and Fossil Ridge rounds out the top five.

    Unbeaten Smoky Hill (No. 6) and Ralston Valley (No. 10) are newcomers to the 5A ranking this week.

    In 4A, Cheyenne Mountain continued to lead the ranking. That poll added Palmer Ridge at No. 10.

    3A, however, also got a new No. 1 team. Colorado Academy took over for Kent Denver, which went 1-1-1 last week. Kent dropped to No. 2.

    The lone newcomer to the ranking was No. 10 St. Mary’s Academy, which beat Kent last week.

    Complete polls for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Girls Soccer Polls

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

    Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Pine Creek (8) 10-1-0 111 3 3-0-0
    2 Mountain Vista (3) 10-1-1 109 1 2-1-0
    3 Rock Canyon 9-1-0 96 2 2-0-0
    4 Fairview 9-1-0 88 5 2-0-0
    5 Fossil Ridge 7-0-2 75 4 2-0-0
    6 Smoky Hill 8-1-0 50 3-0-0
    7 Legacy 9-2-0 34 8 3-0-0
    8 Cherry Creek 8-4-0 27 6 1-1-0
    9 Arapahoe 7-3-1 26 10 1-1-1
    10 Ralston Valley 9-2-0 19 2-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Columbine 17, Arvada West 11, Standley Lake 11, Brighton 10, Prairie View 9, Liberty 8, Regis Jesuit 5, Grandview 2, Greeley West 2, Rangeview 2, Boulder 1, Castle View 1, Fruita Monument 1.
    Dropped out
    Columbine (7), Arvada West (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Cheyenne Mountain (9) 8-0-2 99 1 1-0-1
    2 Broomfield (1) 8-1-1 81 3 3-0-0
    3 Lewis-Palmer 7-2-3 57 4 1-1-1
    4 Sand Creek 9-2-1 47 2 0-1-1
    5 Valor Christian 8-3-0 43 5 2-1-0
    6 Battle Mountain 10-1-0 38 6 0-0-0
    7 Wheat Ridge 9-2-0 36 8 2-0-0
    8 Niwot 10-1-0 33 10 2-0-0
    9 Englewood 9-0-0 28 9 2-0-0
    10 Palmer Ridge 6-4-0 22 3-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Windsor 11, Evergreen 9, Pueblo Centennial 9, Glenwood Springs 7, Palisade 6, Longmont 4, Montrose 4, Skyview 4, Green Mountain 3, Silver Creek 3, Weld Central 3, Air Academy 2, Ponderosa 1.
    Dropped out
    Evergreen (7).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Colorado Academy (6) 7-3-0 96 2 1-0-0
    2 Kent Denver (3) 7-3-1 76 1 1-1-1
    3 St. Mary’s 8-1-0 73 3 1-0-0
    4 Coal Ridge (1) 12-0-0 62 5 2-0-0
    5 Holy Family 6-2-1 57 4 1-1-0
    6 Jefferson Academy 8-2-0 39 6 2-0-0
    7 Frontier Academy 6-1-2 38 8 2-0-1
    8 The Academy 9-1-0 21 9 3-0-0
    9 Faith Christian 7-3-0 20 7 1-1-0
    10 St. Mary’s Academy 5-5-0 19 3-0-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Evangelical Christian 12, Sterling 10, Denver Science & Tech 7, Manitou Springs 7, The Classical Academy 7, Liberty Common 4, Alamosa 3, Basalt 1, Fountain Valley 1, SkyView Academy 1.
    Dropped out
    Manitou Springs (10).