When you pull off a fantastic run to the state title game and you return many of your key players, guess what. You get the top preseason ranking. Mullen begins as the team to beat, and rightfully so, especially as long as All-Colorado junior Danielle Foxhoven is playing. Behind the Mustangs are the usual faces – Arapahoe, Mountain Vista, Heritage, etc. The balance of power remains in the Continental League, which could get deeper if teams such as Chaparral, Highlands Ranch or Douglas County find cohesion. While much of the classification seems status quo, remember that two of the four finalists in the past two years were dark horses at the beginning of the season: Mullen and Mountain Vista. The Centennial League battle will include Smoky Hill, while Green Mountain should spice up things in the Jefferson County League. Up north, Poudre gets the early nod ahead of city rivals Fort Collins and Rocky Mountain. Locally, East remains the city team to beat. Lewis-Palmer shouldn’t be far behind Air Academy in Colorado Springs.
TOP TEAMS
1. Mullen
2. Arapahoe
3. Mountain Vista
4. Heritage
5. Cherry Creek
6. Grandview
7. Chatfield
8. Poudre
9. Air Academy
10. Columbine
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Rachael Barstow, Fort Collins, Sr.; Leslie Boersma, Heritage, Jr.; Mona Booco, Pomona, Sr.; Kaylee Boryla, Cherry Creek, Sr.; Lauren Cavarra, Arapahoe, Sr.; Aleah DeGeneres, Chatfield, Sr.; Tori Delmonico, Chatfield, Jr.; Traci Dreesen, Green Mountain, Sr.; Danielle Foxhoven, Mullen, Jr.; Karter Haug, Mountain Vista, Sr.; Jackie Hendrickson, Rampart, Jr.; Alex Hooker, Heritage, Sr.; Kori Johnson, Smoky Hill, Sr.; Alison Kenney, Rocky Mountain, Jr.; Joellen Keyser, Horizon, Jr.; Krista Kruse, Poudre, Sr.; Brittney MacDonald, Mullen, Sr.; Kristin Medeiros, H. Ranch, Sr.; Jessica Richardson, Chaparral, Sr.; Jessica Rogers, Poudre, Sr.; Briana Schulze, Eaglecrest, Sr.; Chelsea Stewart, Mountain Vista, Jr.; Beth West, Grandview, Jr.; Bri Young, Chaparral, Jr.
