BASEBALL
And down the stretch they come
Last-minute jockeying for district qualifying and seeding for Classes 5A, 4A and 3A will last into Tuesday. The lower classes will be playing playoff games by then.
The Centennial and Jefferson County Leagues are among those in 5A with much yet to decide — Cherokee Trail will host Grandview today at 4:15 p.m. involving Centennial co-leaders in Aurora — as does the East Metro, which will feature today’s 4 p.m. Prairie View at Northglenn game, a showdown for league honors.
In 4A, three Jeffco games loom large Saturday: Golden at Valor Christian, 11 a.m.; D’Evelyn at Green Mountain, 1 p.m.; and Wheat Ridge at Evergreen, 1:30 p.m., at Keli McGregor Field at All-Star Park.
Classes 2A and 1A will complete districts by Saturday.
On Wednesday, after giving 5A, 4A and 3A extended opportunities to complete the regular season, the Colorado High School Activities Association will release 32-team district brackets. Eight teams will advance to double-elimination rounds.
BOYS LACROSSE
Bracketology
The 24-teams field has been released, and it is deep. The top eight seeds, headed by No. 1 Regis Jesuit (14-1) and No. 2 Cherry Creek (13-2), will sit and watch this week as Nos. 9-24 duke it out to advance to the round of 16.
A first-round game of note includes No. 20 Evergreen (11-4) — which dedicated its season to late coach Toby Plank, who passed away in December — at No. 13 Monarch (10-5) on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Or how about No. 18 Denver East, with retiring coach Jon Barocas, at No. 15 Highlands Ranch (9-6)? Finally the Western Slope’s lone representative, No. 16 Steamboat Springs (9-6), will host No. 17 Rock Canyon (11-4) on Saturday.
TRACK AND FIELD
On your mark
Final regular-season opportunities await for qualifying before the postseason.
Competitors will complete the regular circuit this weekend before heading into conference meets.
Look for running, jumping and throwing Friday and Saturday at All-City Stadium in Denver, Battle Mountain, Cedaredge, Colorado Springs, Eaton, Elbert, Grand Junction, Stutler Bowl in Greenwood Village, Sports Authority Stadium in Parker, Limon, Longmont, Pagosa Springs and District 12 Stadium in Thornton.
GIRLS TENNIS
Regional rounds
Sixteen sites across the state already started playing as early as Tuesday and will send their top two qualifiers in each of the seven positions to next week’s state tournaments at Denver’s Gates Tennis Center (5A) and Pueblo City Park (4A).
GIRLS SOCCER
The end is here
The regular season on the pitch will be completed by Friday. The CHSAA will release playoff brackets Sunday.
Neil H. Devlin and Jon E. Yunt, The Denver Post
