Gazette Preps rewind: TCA football, Pikes Peak Christian volleyball run up lengthy win streaks, Corinna Arellano earns career hit 150
14ners
Brayden Moreno, Pine Creek, so., football – Although Moreno finished the night 5-of-9 passing against Chaparral, it was an effective five completions.
Moreno threw for 126 yards and three touchdowns, both season highs, in the Eagles’ 50-25 win against the Wolverines. His .556 completion percentage also gave the sophomore a new season high, and his 100.5 QB rating is a career-best mark.
Jackson Rice, Cheyenne Mountain, jr., boys soccer – In their match against Lewis-Palmer, the Red-Tailed Hawks won 4-1, and Rice helped keep the Rangers at bay.
Rice finished the Red-Tailed Hawks’ win with a career-high 12 saves in 80 minutes, which allowed Cheyenne Mountain to win its fifth consecutive game.
From Sept. 30 to Oct. 16, the Red-Tailed Hawks allowed more than one goal in a game just once and Rice had 28 saves.
Macy Smith, Palmer Ridge, sr., softball – The Bears dominated every aspect of their regional softball contests, and Smith dazzled in her final regional tournament.
In the Bears’ 15-0 victory against Pueblo East in the opener, Smith went 3-for-3 and hit her fourth home run of the season. Her four RBIs marked her fourth game this year with three or more RBIs in a game.
Corinne Harlow, Cheyenne Mountain, jr., softball – The Red-Tailed Hawks hitter saved her best performances for the latter portion of the season.
In three regional contests, Harlow finished with 10 RBIs, seven hits and seven runs to help the Red-Tailed Hawks advance to the 4A state playoffs. She powered Cheyenne Mountain past Thornton 15-3 with two home runs and five RBIs.
It’s Harlow’s third time this season with at least four RBIs and two homers in a game.
Rideau Dravida, Air Academy, sr., softball – In an elimination game, Dravida’s clutch performance paved the way for the Kadets to make the 4A state playoffs.
Dravida finished with four hits, four RBIs and three doubles, all game highs, in a 15-5 victory over Silver Creek. In three regional games, Dravida finished 8-for-8 and scored four runs.
Isabella Monk, Widefield, sr., softball – Monk’s best hitting performance of the season helped lead the Gladiators to a win in the regional opener against Palisade.
The Gladiators beat the Bulldogs 16-3, and Monk had a season-high four hits, going 4-for-4. It’s Monk’s second game this season in which she was perfect in the batter’s box. Monk also had five RBIs and a homer in the victory.
In the Gladiators’ rematch with the Bulldogs, Monk had her ninth double of the season and helped Widefield improve to 23-3 and clinch a state berth.
Landry Roberts, Cheyenne Mountain, jr., girls volleyball – Roberts punched the clock against Air Academy and proceeded to go to work.
The Texas Tech commit finished the match against the Kadets with 16 kills and, for the second consecutive game, four aces. Roberts also acted as a wall at the net, getting five blocks and 14 digs.
Ellie Wagner, Evangel Christian Academy, jr., girls volleyball – One of Colorado’s top kills leaders showed why she holds that title.
Wagner helped push the Eagles to a 3-2 win (24-26, 25-12, 25-17, 20-25, 15-9) against Elbert as she finished with a game-high 27 kills.
Following a 22-kill match against Pikes Peak Christian, Wagner has seven games with more than 20 kills this year, including a career-high 36 against Cheraw on Sept. 27.
Alexis Schoofs, Banning Lewis, jr., girls volleyball – Each time Schoofs stepped up to serve last week, the Stallions’ opponents knew the likely outcome.
Schoofs finished the match against La Junta with a career-high eight aces and helped the Stallions end a four-game skid. The junior also ended the night with two blocks and 12 kills.
Ethan Mangrum, Sand Creek, jr., football – Each week, the Scorpions running back finds new ways to wow the crowd. In a 48-6 victory over Gateway, he found 99.
Mangrum had a career-long 99-yard rushing touchdown and finished with a career-high 276 rushing yards on 10 carries and four scores.
This was Mangrum’s 16th consecutive 100-plus yard game and eighth contest in a row with at least one touchdown.
Liam Smith, Colorado Springs Christian, jr., football – The Lions finished their game against Ellicott with 15 rushing yards. Smith ended the night with 30 of those. That’s not a typo.
Three other Lions runners carried the ball eight times for -15 yards, but Smith ran for 30 on seven carries and a pair of touchdowns. The CSCS junior also had a team-high three receptions for 47 yards and a receiving touchdown.
Troy Johnson, Lewis-Palmer, sr., football – Johnson made the most of his eight touches in a 62-0 victory over Palmer.
The Rangers running back finished with seven carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns against the Terrors and had a reception for 16 yards and a score. Johnson is up to 93 rushing yards per game and has 10 total touchdowns this year to lead the Rangers.
Jacob Green, Falcon, so., boys soccer – In just 120 minutes in goal this season, Green has allowed just one goal. In the Falcons’ match against Elizabeth, his astute goalkeeping gave him his second win in as many games.
Green stopped seven Cardinals shots in the Falcons’ 5-1 win in his second game in the net and first career start. The Falcons keeper has nine saves this year.
Landon Strutz, Coronado, sr., boys soccer – With four goals against Palmer last week, Strutz nearly matched his total from his junior season.
Strutz’s four-goal game in the Cougars’ 8-0 win against the Terrors gave the Coronado senior his first multi-goal match since his freshman campaign. Strutz added an assist in the match, which gave him nine points.
Exciting finishes
Boys soccer
Vanguard 2, Colorado Springs Christian 1
The Lions won the previous two meetings against the Coursers. But Vanguard snapped its losing streak to CSCS after breaking a first-half tie.
Vanguard and Colorado Springs Christian entered the second half knotted at 1-1, but a goal in the 66th minute allowed the Coursers to earn their 10th victory of the season.
The Coursers’ win on Oct. 14 gave Vanguard its first season with 10 or more victories since 2022, when it ended the year 11-4.
Palmer 2, Mesa Ridge 0
Eduardo Rodriguez and Joshua Paz each scored in the first half against the Grizzlies to boost the Terrors to their third win.
Though the Terrors improved to 3-8-2, that third victory had significant meaning to Palmer players. The Terrors had lost six in a row to Mesa Ridge, and it’s their first win over the Grizzlies since 2013.
The victory also serves as the first shutout against Mesa Ridge in 11 meetings and the Terrors’ first time blanking an opponent since Oct. 2, 2023, when Palmer beat Sierra 9-0.
If you haven’t heard …
TCA football scores 56 in first half, unbeaten streak swells to 20
With four minutes left in the first quarter against Alameda last Friday, The Classical Academy already had a running clock.
The Titans scored 42 in the opening quarter and a season-high 56 in the shutout win to improve to 7-0. The defending 2A champion Titans have allowed just one touchdown in October.
TCA has not dropped a game since Nov. 11, 2023, when the Titans lost 16-14 to Delta in the 2A quarterfinals. Since that loss, the Titans have outscored their opponents 852-220 and, if TCA wins against D’Evelyn this week and Mitchell in the finale, The Classical Academy’s win streak will balloon to 22 consecutive games.
Palmer Ridge’s Corinna Arellano earns career hit 150, 23rd in nation in homers
Arellano’s lone hit against Roosevelt in the regional finale held special meaning for the senior. It gave Arellano 150 hits in four years for the Bears and the hit, a home run, put the senior at 23rd in the nation with 12 home runs for the season.
Palmer Ridge has a 21-4 record ahead of the 4A state playoffs. Arellano and the Bears’ play have propelled the team to the No. 2 seed at the tournament.
Pikes Peak Christian girls volleyball builds win streak to 11
One season after an 11-13 finish, the Eagles continue to scorch their opponents and have a 19-2 record prior to their game at Bethune on Tuesday.
This is Pikes Peak Christian’s best mark since 2018, when the Eagles recorded 18 wins. The Eagles haven’t dropped a match in more than a month and since their last loss, a 2-0 defeat (22-25, 23-25) against Wray, PPC have dropped just five games.
As of Tuesday, the Eagles are 11th in 1A’s RPI.
Football results
Football results
D’Evelyn 2, Mitchell 0 (FF)
Cheyenne Mountain 63, Thornton 13
Legend 56, Fountain-Fort Carson 13
Pine Creek 50, Chaparral 25
Montrose 54, Mesa Ridge 22
Durango 41, Air Academy 0
Florence 57, Woodland Park 8
Simla 54, St. Mary’s 38
Colorado Springs Christian 44, Ellicott 0
Falcon 42, Doherty 0
Lamar 42, Manitou Springs 0
La Junta 45, Banning Lewis Academy 0
Lewis-Palmer 62, Palmer 0
Canon City 21, Coronado 20
Rampart 17, Liberty 3
Pueblo West 51, Widefield 0
Sand Creek 48, Gateway 6
Palmer Ridge 41, Vista Ridge 7
The Classical Academy 56, Alameda 0
Pueblo County 41, Sierra 0
Discovery Canyon 21, Harrison 0
Walsh 62, Hanover 26
Calhan 72, South Park 0