Note: For more photos from Cindy Betancourt, click here.

The month of March was kind to the Class 5A top-ranked Cherry Creek boys lacrosse team.

April isn’t off to a bad start, either.

The Bruins (7-0) closed out a perfect March with a thrilling 9-7 victory over No. 3 Valor Christian, surviving a slow start that saw the Eagles scored five goals in the first quarter. Brody Fisher’s three goals and Gus Blue’s three assists keyed the rally.

Cherry Creek then toppled No. 8 Poudre School District 16-11, going up 5-1 after one. The team followed that up with an 8-7 triumph Monday over Scarsdale (NY).

With the first month of the season – and spring break – in the past, action will only pick up from here in the boys lacrosse season. First-round playoff games are just a little more than a month away, with the season wrapping up May 22 at the University of Denver.

That makes the coming weeks that much bigger. A huge top-10 matchup in the CHSAANow.com Coaches Poll awaits in 5A on Thursday with two more next Tuesday, while only two top-10 matchups overall in 4A take place over the next week.

Four teams remain undefeated in 5A, led by Cherry Creek and No. 2 Mountain Vista (6-0). Two of those unbeatens will fall this week though, with No. 5 Legend taking on the Golden Eagles on Thursday, and Cherry Creek hosting No. 4 Denver South next Tuesday.

Cheyenne Mountain, Erie and Dawson School are the top three teams in 4A.

Here is a quick look at the two classifications headed into the first full week of April:

Class 5A

A massive week is in store for Mountain Vista, which opens league play Thursday with Legend (5-0). After going up against Highlands Ranch on Friday, the Golden Eagles travel to face No. 6 Regis Jesuit (5-1) next Tuesday.

Mountain Vista rolled through March, averaging more than 17 goals in five victories while allowing only six goals a contest. The team opened April with a 7-6 victory over the same Scarsdale squad that fell to Cherry Creek on Monday.

Legend opened league play with a 25-3 rout of ThunderRidge. Ryan Menard scored nine times and Magnus Langtry added six goals and three assists. The Titans are allowing only four goals a contest behind sophomore Logan Giesler.

South (4-0) hosts a Cherokee Trail team Thursday that is 5-2, with a one-goal loss coming in California before a 14-6 setback to No. 7 Colorado Academy last Friday. The Ravens haven’t played since March 23, when they handed 4A Northfield its first loss, 20-8. Grady Ward tallied five goals and an assist in that game, and Wyatt Hurd had three goals and six assists.

Regis Jesuit has won five in a row since a season-opening loss to South. The Raiders (5-1) topped Kent Denver and Colorado Academy last week. Ethan Hughes scored three goals in the victory over the Mustangs.

 

Class 4A

A tough overtime loss to Rock Canyon on March 25 hasn’t slowed Erie down.

The second-ranked Tigers (4-1, 1-0) responded by winning its league opener 14-5 over Thompson Valley last Thursday, thanks to a one-goal, seven-assist showing from Charlie O’Brien. The junior scored five goals Monday and added two assists in an 11-3 victory over No. 8 Air Academy, the 4A runner-up last season. Colin Selters recorded 13 saves.

The 4A Western League has been busy already, and one of the week’s best games will come on the western side of the state. No. 7 Steamboat Springs (4-1, 2-0) hosts No. 9 Aspen (3-1, 2-1) on Wednesday.

The Skiers opened up the season with an 11-10 loss to Glenwood Springs – the only contest the Demons have played thus far – before winning its next three. Steamboat Springs’ only loss came to No. 1 Cheyenne Mountain, but the Sailors have been strong on offense in its four victories. Junior Evan Ellis leads the team with 17 goals and 12 assists.

Air Academy (1-3) has yet to gain any traction this spring, but the Kadets’ losses have come to 4A ranked teams in Dakota Ridge and Erie, and 5A’s Denver South. Air Academy vists No. 3 Dawson School on Monday.

Lutheran cracked the top 10 after the Lions took down previous No. 6 Green Mountain 11-3 last Wednesday. Lutheran (2-0) has a busy month with eight games on tap.