Denver Post staff writer Neil H. Devlin looks at the action ahead in high school sports:
VOLLEYBALL
Regionals. Everyone into the pool play. Throughout five classes, eight teams in each of four regionals will be whittled to two by Saturday for the right to make the state tournament. With an interesting mix of changeover and repeats, all five state championship programs from a year ago are back to defend. Eaglecrest (Class 5A), Battle Mountain (4A), Colorado Springs Christian (3A), Hoehne (2A) and Kit Carson (1A) bring a combined 2007 record of 98-15, led by Hoehne’s 23-0. Teams in each region will play six pool-play games, then contribute to the eight-team class fields at the state tournament, Nov. 9-10, at the Denver Coliseum.
BOYS SOCCER
Super Saturday. Head to Englewood Saturday for about as much of the pitch as you want. Class 5A will offer semifinals at 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., 4A at 2:30 and 4:45 p.m. The day will be capped at 7:30 p.m., when 3A will have its championship. The 5A-4A championships will be Wednesday at Englewood.
GYMNASTICS
Tumble for you. It was said gymnastics would have gone away by now. Not so. Two classes of girls will decide all-around and team titles in addition to individual apparatus winners Friday and Saturday at Thornton High School. The 5A fliers will embark on their team and all-around beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Friday; for 4A, it will be at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. Winners for both classes will determine individual exercise winners at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
FOOTBALL
Regular season. Sure, playoffs are here for five of the seven classes, but don’t forget regular-season finales in 4A and 3A that have significant meaning. Example: Defending 4A champion Wheat Ridge, sitting at No. 17 in wild-card points, needs a Mountain Plains League victory today, 7 p.m., against Dakota Ridge, ranked No. 3 in The Denver Post/9News 4A poll, and help from elsewhere. In 3A, the South Metro’s third seed to the postseason should be more clear after defending state champion Alamosa travels to Florence and Harrison heads to Woodland Park. All are 2-3 in league. Also, 3A No. 2 Falcon, bidding for an undefeated regular season, will be in the area today, 6 p.m., in a nonleague game at Rock Canyon in Highlands Ranch, and the 3A North Metro’s Conifer-Centaurus winner will have a home game in the playoff opener, a roadie for the loser. And how about the 3A Western Slope’s top-ranked Glenwood Springs? The Demons will be at Delta in search of a 10th consecutive victory.
WINTER SPORTS
Second season. In case you were wondering, the Colorado school year’s season No. 2 will begin practice on Nov. 10. As always, there will be overlap with the upper three football championships (Dec. 1), but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There will be plenty going on until then.
