Haxtun – Every now and then a school has a crop of students that has the potential to be special.
In Haxtun’s case, it has two. The junior and senior classes of boys at the small northeastern Colorado school with an enrollment of 84 have a chance to join the 1994-95 Cherry Creek Bruins as the only schools to win Colorado’s triple crown of titles in football, boys basketball and baseball in the same school year.
The Fightin’ Bulldogs were a heavy favorite in the fall to win the Class A 8-man football title, and they did by crushing Plains League rival Merino 30-0.
On the hardcourt, Haxtun wasn’t supposed to be in contention when it arrived in Pueblo in March, especially considering it never had won a boys basketball title. A victory over Eads in the 1A title game was the second leg of its potential run to glory.
Part III will be played out beginning Friday at Pueblo’s Runyon Complex. Haxtun, sporting an 18-4 record, will look to complete the feat by winning the 2A baseball championship series.
“I don’t really feel any pressure, because we weren’t supposed to make it this far in baseball anyway,” said junior left fielder Andy Wernsman, who also was the school’s quarterback. “I feel like we’re just going to play, have fun and get it done.”
Unlike Cherry Creek, which had just two players that competed on all three of its title teams, more than half of the Bulldogs’ baseball team consists of multisport athletes. Seniors Chris Urbach and Mike Lampman have been the unquestioned leaders in baseball, but they know and understand that without the juniors, including Cameron Ham, Wernsman and Caleb Contreras, this team wouldn’t be where it is.
“A lot of these kids’ parents and people around the community started talking about it last year, when we walked off the field,” Haxtun baseball coach Alan Coffin said. “That’s a testament to their talent and their courage going into things … they see challenges as an opportunity.
“They like the idea of going against the best. Win, lose or draw, they know they’ll put out a heck of a game.”
Said Cherry Creek coach Marc Johnson, who had Houston Astros closer Brad Lidge and a freshman named Darnell McDonald on his 1995 team: “That was one of the more special moments I’ve had as a coach, simply because the triple crown is just so rare.
“Those kids should be very excited about the chance of doing something like that. There is a lot pressure, but it’s a good kind of pressure. My advice to them would just be to relax and go out and have fun. If it was meant to be, then it was meant to be. Even to be able to attempt it is unreal.”
The Bulldogs have a potent lineup from top to bottom. Ham leads the team with eight home runs, while Urbach and Contreras each have six. Lampman, while not supplying as much pop, has been the most consistent hitter with a .560 average.
Urbach has been the main man on the mound as well for Haxtun. The right-handed hurler, who will pitch next season at Colby (Kan.) Community College, is 8-1.
“This whole year has been unbelievable, and to have a chance at the triple crown, it’s something we’re never going to forget,” Urbach said.
At least one gentleman in Haxtun won’t be celebrating the Bulldogs’ accomplishments if they are to pull it off. At practice, Haxtun has been known to have a home run derby, and a house sits just 20 feet beyond the 290-foot fence. The home has been plunked more than a couple times. Urbach shattered a window last week that prompted a call to the local authorities by the miffed homeowner, who also keeps all the baseballs hit into his yard.
“I don’t think he’ll want one,” Urbach said when asked if they would make up a championship ring for the homeowner. Up first in the semifinals for Haxtun will be last year’s runner-up, Las Animas (20-2). The second-seeded Trojans breezed past Holly in the first round, then were able to get to Resurrection Christian’s Chris Carls in the quarterfinals to advance.
Possibly with the best one-through- nine lineup in the small-school ranks, Las Animas has received notable contributions from Charles Alvidrez (.500), Trevor Wilson (.596) and Brandon Alvarez (.500) throughout the season.
Wilson is the ace of the pitching staff, with a 6-0 record and a state-best 0.41 earned run average. Also expect Wilson and B.J. Ronquillo to see some time on the mound.
“We’ve talked about Haxtun and what they have done is no issue to us, but there is no question they know how to win,” said Las Animas coach Carl Lindauer, who will look to guide the Trojans to their first baseball title since 1973. “They have the experience in the title-game setting and they are not going to get shook up very easily.”
The top half of the bracket will feature an unlikely semifinal matchup of Eagles, 16th-seeded Wray (15-9) and 12th-seeded Evangelical Christian (16-4).
Wray was down to its last strike when senior Weston Johnson delivered a two-out, three-run home run for a 4-3 victory in the first round last weekend in Byers. Johnson’s heroics seemed to wake up the Eagles’ bats in the second game against Rye, and they blasted the Thunderbolts 12-6 to advance.
Evangelical Christian, the 2A basketball champion, will try to ride the arm of pitching standout Ryan Rosenhahn.
Staff writer Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
