Denver Post staff writer Jon E. Yunt looks at upcoming action in high school sports:
BASEBALL
What a weekend!
It has been nothing but positive since the advent of the double-elimination format in 2003, and this weekend should be no different. From Greeley to Aurora, fans should be treated to good baseball.
In Class 5A, it begins with the Rocky Mountain Lobos. Coach Scott Bullock’s crew is in search of consecutive title No. 4 and would like nothing better than to get through the first weekend unscathed at All-City Field. Centennial League tough guys Cherry Creek, Grandview and Mullen will try to play spoiler.
The Class 4A tournament, at All-Star Park and Cherokee Trail, looks more like the Northern League tournament, with five of the eight coming from the state’s most powerful conference. The top-seeded Mountain View Mountain Lions (20-1) have a little revenge on their minds out of the chute against Silver Creek, which defeated them 3-1 on March 18. Second-seeded Montrose brings a bit of the unknown from the Western Slope.
Class 3A, much like 5A, is all about figuring out how to trip the giant. Eaton’s Fightin’ Reds have won a state-best 58 consecutive games and are playing just a hop, skip and jump from home at Butch Butler Field in Greeley on Friday against upstart Legend (9-11).
The Metropolitan League’s finest — Faith Christian, Holy Family and Kent Denver — are all on the bottom half of the bracket at Colorado School of Mines.
The Class 2A bracket is a who’s who of small-school baseball royalty. Las Animas, Limon and Paonia have won 2A crowns in the last decade, and Resurrection Christian has been a perennial bridesmaid of late. Limon’s Matt Brown, The Denver Post’s Gold Helmet winner in the fall, struck out 20 last year in the semifinals and will be a tough matchup for coach Carl Lindauer’s Las Animas Trojans. Coach Tad Carls hopes Resurrection’s pitching depth is enough to guide it to the title.
Fleming and Stratton are in uncharted territory in Class 1A. They will have had a week to think about Saturday’s championship game at Englewood High School, where the winner will earn its first baseball banner to hang in the gym.
TRACK AND FIELD
Jeffco extravaganza
It was singer Baz Luhrmann who reminded us in 1999, “But trust me on the sunscreen.” Three long days are at hand at Sixth and Kipling. Littleton swept the big-school boys and girls titles last year but will be hard- pressed to repeat. In Class 3A, The Classical Academy has become a cross country/track and field factory and will be tough to beat. Watch Titans distance runner Kaitlin Hanenburg, who will end a stellar prep career this weekend.
GIRLS SOCCER
Super Saturday
The CHSAA deemed it such several years ago: six state semifinal games leading up to next week’s finales at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.
The 5A field is set, with Rocky Mountain vs. Arapahoe and Mountain Vista vs. Fairview kicking things off at Englewood High School. Class 4A also is at Englewood, and Class 3A will be at All-City Stadium.
