Cherokee Trail’s come-from-behind victory in the last inning of the regular season may prove to be quite a feat.
The Cougars may need an equally impressive rally if they are to win the school’s first state title in any sport when the first of four rounds of the regional and state softball tournament for three classifications begins at 10 a.m. Friday at the Aurora Sports Complex.
It’s a long road, and not just for Class 4A Cherokee Trail. In their case, the Cougars, aside from taking a sixth seed and being dropped on the same side of the bracket as highly regarded Mullen and Windsor, will begin by facing the same team that just about ended their 14-game winning streak.
“Well, we get a rematch. It’s going to be a very good game again,” Cherokee Trail coach Dick Hormann said.
Hormann’s Cougars trailed Conifer (seeded 11th, 16-5 record) 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh last week. But Brooke Bails hit a home run that “may still be rolling,” according to Hormann, and freshman Abby Drayton’s two-out, two-run single won it.
It was thrilling for Cherokee Trail, a state semifinalist last season, but the buzz wore off quickly when the brackets were released Sunday.
“I thought we were a top-four team,” said Hormann, whose team never dropped below No. 4 in The Denver Post/9News 4A poll this season.
Such is the case for many of the 48 teams that will decide the three championships:
Class 5A
Top-seeded Wheat Ridge (19-2) missed the playoffs last season after winning state titles in 2002 and 2003, and finishing second in 2004, and the Farmers are back with a vengeance.
The Jefferson County League champions did not lose to an in-state team this season. Pitchers Kyla Nelson and Giana Zimmerman have more than 100 strikeouts apiece, and if either happens to allow a ball into play, the Farmers’ defense has committed just 21 errors in 21 games.
But Wheat Ridge is not suffering from a bout of overconfidence heading into its game against Overland (10-11).
“I’ve seen it happen too many times; the 16 team comes in and beats the No. 1 team. You have to take it game by game,” Farmers coach Eric Larson said.
Second-seeded Rocky Mountain (20-1) has been dominant behind pitcher Cory Berliner, who struck out 183 batters and allowed three earned runs in 101 innings. The Lobos will face Kathryn McGlamery, Blake Dowling and the East Angels (10-9), a team making its first regional appearance since 2002.
Eaglecrest missed the postseason and will not defend its state title, but runner-up Pomona (17-5) is back with shortstop Ashli Holland and will face Brighton (16-4).
Every other game in the bracket is a tossup. Fort Collins (15-6) and pitcher Jamie Juelfs will take on Highlands Ranch (16-5) and last season’s Denver Post player of the year Melisa Ryba; six-time state champion Arvada West (18-4), with the big-hitting Mikey Kenney, will challenge Legacy (15-7) pitcher Shelby Babcock (191 K’s); Chaparral (14-7) will play surging Lakewood (13-8); and third-ranked Cherry Creek (18-3), led by Sami Springer and the big arm and bat of Kelli Henderson, will see Pine Creek (15-6).
Those dead heats are trumped by the Mountain Vista (19-2) and Columbine (16-6) showdown. The Rebels are powered by strikeout machine Kelsey O’Brien, while Lauren Cross leads a Mountain Vista team that has exceeded expectations but compensated by raising its goals.
“After graduating seven seniors last year, I thought we would have a good team, but I really didn’t know. But we’ve put together probably the best team we’ve had here and we haven’t played our best game yet,” Mountain Vista coach Bret Grammerstorf said.
Class 4A
Berthoud, the No. 1 seed in 4A at 19-2, has not seen Montrose (10-10) play and won’t until the teams are on the field together. No matter, as the Spartans wouldn’t change anything, even if they had a stack of game film.
Pitcher Kassie Haubert (0.41 ERA) will be expected to dominate as usual, and Alisa Heronema, Alyssa Lucero, Kassie Haubert and Jasmine Cervantes will generate runs.
“I doubt that (Berthoud) has ever played Montrose, but that’s all we’re thinking about. As far as my team is concerned, they have one game on Friday,” Berthoud coach Dick Klocek said.
Two-time defending state champion Pueblo West (15-5-1) has a chance to become the third school to win three in a row. Arvada West (1993-96) and Erie (2000-current) are the others.
Windsor (19-2), which edged Mullen in district play, will try to keep rolling against Pueblo Central (12-8) while the Mullen (19-2) will look to rebound against Greeley West (13-9). Windsor pitcher Alex Neely proved she can pitch with the pressure on, and Mallory Duran, Chelsea O’Connor and Dani Finkelstein can produce from the plate in the same situation.
Class 3A
It begins and ends with Erie (16-5), the six-time defending champion. The Tigers’ two in-state losses were to 5A Jeffco powerhouses Arvada West and Wheat Ridge, and only Holy Family and Eaton have flirted with beating them.
Some in the field, however, think this could be the year Erie’s streak ends.
“This year, a lot of teams understand that there is no team out there that just kicked everybody else. Erie is the team to beat, but teams feel more confident that they have a chance,” Rocky Ford coach Mark Lowther said.
The Meloneers (17-4) have three good pitchers, led by Morgan Schlegel; Mary Lucero and Amber Lowther have combined for 49 RBIs. They could see Erie in the semifinals.
Limon (20-1) has five shutouts in its past seven games, and pitcher Kelsey Dutton has more than 200 strikeouts. Holy Family (18-3) and Middle Park (17-4), with pitcher Whitney Young, are also contenders.
