Note: For more photos from Brian Livergood, click here.
Next-door neighbors Broomfield and Legacy are on a collision course to possibly decide the regular-season champ in the state’s most dominant conference — the Front Range League South.
In the spring, the two schools played for the Class 5A baseball title as Broomfield won in a thriller. The latest chapter to this rivalry could be just ahead.
The No. 3 Eagles (8-2, 4-0 FRL South) rallied for a combined seven second-half goals to upend No. 4 Boulder and No. 8 Fairview over the past week. Legacy (9-1, 3-1), meanwhile, has won three straight over the last eight days, outscoring teams 10-1.
The two will meet Oct. 13. If everything goes to plan (which is no sure bet in the FRL), the league title will be decided then.
Yep, it’s that time of year. League races are heating up as the state playoffs aren’t far away.
With first-round games starting as soon as Oct. 26, here’s where some of the top teams and players currently stand.
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Class 5A
While the Front Range League South has four teams inside the top 10, JeffCo’s Valor Christian has asserted itself as the clear favorite in the classification.
The Eagles (10-0-1, 3-0 5A Jefferson County League) have quality wins over No. 4 Boulder and No. 3 Broomfield. Shut both of them out.
The Highlands Ranch school’s win streak is up to eight games since their lone blemish of the year — a 1-1 draw against ThunderRidge on Aug. 31. Their league race is currently a three-team affair along with Ralston Valley (6-4, 2-0) and Columbine (5-5, 2-0). All three will meet up over the next two weeks.
Other league races: In the 5A/4A Centennial League, which has produced two of the last four state champs, No. 7 Arapahoe (7-2-1, 2-0) is a half game up on Cherry Creek (5-4-1, 2-1). Defending champ Grandview (3-5-2, 1-1) and No. 6 Cherokee Trail (9-3, 2-2) are a game back.
In the 5A/4A Continental League, Heritage (8-3-1, 6-1) currently holds the tiebreaker against Castle View (7-4-1, 6-1) and is a half game up on Legend (6-5, 5-1) and No. 9 Regis Jesuit (6-3-2, 5-1-1).
No. 5 Denver East (7-1, 2-0) and No. 10 Rangeview (8-1, 2-0) are tied atop the Denver League.
Individually, Liberty’s Caden Hickox has the 5A goal lead with 18 in 11 games. Vista Ridge’s Carson Tapia is second at 15 and Monarch’s Sean Kendall and Bear Creek’s Anthony Montoya are tied for third with 12.
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Class 4A
No. 1 Durango (12-0, 5-0 Southwestern League) is the last standing unblemished team in the state after No. 5 George Washington’s 4-0 loss to No. 2 Northfield Friday.
The Demons, led by Nikolas Korte’s 11 goals and Cedar Newman’s 10, have a slight lead over GW in the RPI standings and a comfortable one inside their league.
But are they the most impressive team in the state? Northfield might beg to differ.
The defending champs (9-0-1, 5-0 4A/3A Denver League) haven’t lost a game in a season and a half and have outscored teams 43-1 this fall. A regular-season league title could be decided as soon as Thursday when the Nighthawks travel to Regis Groff (10-1, 5-1).
Elsewhere, No. 3 Centaurus (8-2, 2-0 5A/4A NCAC) has been one of the better turnaround stories in the state.
Under first-year coach David Wood, the Warriors are likely going to have their first winning season since 2019. Junior Garrett Pugh has been a major reason why, establishing himself as one of the better keepers in the class.
Down in Colorado Springs, No. 4 Cheyenne Mountain (9-1-1, 1-0 4A Pikes Peak) and No. 6 Air Academy (9-1-1, 1-0) look to be title contenders once again. The state powers are early into play in the Pikes Peak League.
Individually, Kaidin Reese of Mesa Ridge and Matan Yosefian of Standley Lake lead the class in goals with 20 apiece.
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Class 3A
Jefferson Academy is finally back at No. 1, the place it started this fall and wished it’d ended a year ago.
The 2021 runner-up has won six straight, beating No. 9 Peak to Peak and Kent Denver over the past week.
The Jags (9-1, 4-0 3A/2A Metro League), who’s lone loss of the year came to 4A No. 3 Centaurus in early September, will control their own destiny in league, and maybe the state rankings, too, with five games to play.
No. 2 Liberty Common (7-1-1, 2-0 3A/2A Patriot League) fell from the top spot despite winning its last three games by a mercy-rule score of 10-0. It’ll look for a crucial league win against No. 7 Frontier Academy (8-2-1, 3-0) Thursday.
The individual goals race in the class is currently a close-knit affair. Fort Lupton teammates Santiago Gonzales (20) and Giancarlo Mendez (19) are one-two in 3A for the Bluedevils, who aren’t ranked despite an impressive 9-3 record and 7-0 start inside the 3A/2A Frontier League.
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Class 2A
They’re rivals in the Mile High East League. And both are looking more and more like state contenders.
No. 3 Denver Christian (9-1, 6-0) and No. 4 Bishop Machebeuf (9-1, 5-0) are tied for the longest winning streak in the class at eight games. The Thunder haven’t allowed a goal in 27 days. The Buffaloes have scored in the double figures in each of their last six games.
Something will give when they meet, with a possible league title on the line, Oct. 11.
Elsewhere, defending champ Crested Butte (10-3, 6-0 2A Intermountain League), ranked fifth, lost to 3A 2021 champ Roaring Fork 1-0 last Friday. But it regrouped quickly.
Reigning player of the year Jacob Bernholtz netted a hat trick in a 10-0 win over Caprock Academy Tuesday. The Titans currently have a comfortable lead in their league race.
No. 1 Thomas MacLaren (10-1, 3-0 Black Forest League) is back atop the state rankings after outscoring its last three opponents 22-0. Matthew Zimmer had six goals and three assists in that span and 18 and five on the year.
No. 2 Vail Mountain (8-4, 4-1 3A/2A Western Slope League) lost to 4A Summit 2-1 Tuesday. All four losses on the season for the Gore Rangers have come outside Class 2A. They currently trail 3A Coal Ridge — who they lost to on Sept. 10 — by a half game in their league standings.
