Now that one of the better keepers – Smoky Hill graduate and All-Colorado goalkeeper Miguel Rosales – in recent memory is away, a solid handful of teams have a chance to play for it all. The top skill seems to rest at Grandview, which should head up the top-heavy Centennial League. The Wolves lost leading scorer Paul Smith to a family move. Coach Bruce Brown doesn’t seem as worried about replacing the goals on his talented team as he is Smith’s leadership. Smoky Hill, of course, won’t disappear, not with the recent tradition and coach Danny Winsor, one of the best in the state. Cherry Creek is pretty stacked as well and will be tough. The depth, however, seems to reside up north with the Fort Collins trio, led by the namesake Lambkins, who got a lot of young players good minutes last season and still have the glue in versatile All-Colorado senior Alexander Deitz. The Continental League might not be its usual self, but that could change as chemistry builds. Pine Creek, Palmer and Air Academy should be tough down south, and Chatfield and Wheat Ridge should head up a Jeffco League that could be more competitive.
Teams to watch
1. Grandview; 2. Fort Collins; 3. Cherry Creek; 4. Arapahoe; 5. Rocky Mountain; 6. Poudre; 7. Chatfield; 8. Smoky Hill; 9. Heritage 10. Wheat Ridge.
Returning all-state players
Issa Bissau, Chatfield, Sr.; Paulo Del Piccolo, Wheat Ridge, Jr.; Alexander Deitz, Fort Collins, Sr.; Cameron Gorsevski, Grandview, Sr.; Marc Hershberger, Northglenn, Jr.; Lance Patterson, Grandview, Sr.; Jamie Rios, Brighton, Sr.; Danny Starr, Mountain Vista, Sr.; Tommy Tucker, Pine Creek, Sr.
