With three All-Americans graduated and a 2005 state championship trophy already a bit dusty in the display case, the first order of business for Cherry Creek is to find the personality of its new boys lacrosse squad.
Runner-up Kent Denver is full of familiar faces, but they are not smiling after coming up short last season.
A wave of schools across the Front Range are establishing an identity for the first time, and they want membership into a very elite club of powerhouse programs.
“In my own humble opinion, it is going to be the best year of high school lacrosse ever. Any of the top 10 (teams) could beat somebody if they are not on,” Kent Denver coach Tom Graesser said. “I watch teams now and get a lot of angst as an old man, thinking, ‘My goodness. How are we going to beat them?”‘
It wasn’t always this way.
Only three schools have won state titles since the sport was sanctioned in 1999 – Kent Denver (1999, 2001, 2003-04), Cherry Creek (2002, 2005) and East (2000).
Arapahoe is the only other team to reach the title game, and Heritage, Regis and Golden round out the seven programs to reach the semifinals.
“In years past, guys would say, ‘Oh, man. We have to play Kent.’ And we would take a thumping those first couple of years. … Now we look at it like we have a shot for a win,” Golden coach Mike Thumim said.
Thumim’s Demons, despite graduating 17 seniors, are the best example of an up-and-coming team ready to run with the big boys.
Last season, Golden became the first Jefferson County school to reach the semis.
Ready to make a move into that top tier are teams such as Columbine, Boulder, Mullen, Fairview, Arapahoe, Fort Collins, Grandview and others. All will be decided between the first game Thursday and the state championship game on May 19.
“We had two teams beat us last year who had never beat us before, Fort Collins and Regis. We are proof positive that the gap has diminished,” Graesser said.
But Cherry Creek is still the team to beat.
The Bruins’ Cameron Kerr, Tyler O’Crowley, Payton Sanders and Colin Bolling return to head a talented group of 16 returning letter-winners.
Kerr, Bolling and Ryan Driver combined for 69 goals and 59 assists last season.
Kent Denver returns a senior group that starts with Ian Ferrell, Josh Reichert, Matt Kelsic and T.J. Slattery.
Heritage went 13-3 last season but exited the playoffs much earlier than desired, but a number of coaches say the Eagles, along with East, are in a position to challenge for a title. Regis will be looking to improve on a Final Four appearance last season.
As for the up-and-comers, many think this might be the season in which they reap the rewards after spending years building new programs.
“We went from 55 (players on the roster) up to 95 this year….There are always your mainstays, like Kent Denver and Cherry Creek, but there are teams like us that are going to surprise a lot of people,” Columbine coach Steve Bailey said. ” The equalization of talent is going to make things interesting.”
