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Issue 439
March 29, 2010 What did people think of when March came around? They thought of random weather. They thought of the infamous ides, and if winter would hide. They thought of daylight, and moonlight, and “Madness”. March was an ideal month, as for the first time, we began to settle into the year. But it cannot be forgotten that March was also a beginning; and with it, came the start of spring sports… Before we enter the exciting world of athletics, there is a need to clarify. With two high schools now representing the district, there has been a juggle of varsity programs. Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge both have individual sports teams. These teams compete in the 4A division. There has also been a creation of five district-teams, where students from both high schools come together to form one team; these teams compete in the 5A division. This month, we will look at the programs separately. THE DISTRICT-TEAMS Boys and Girls Lacrosse are the only two active district-teams during the spring season. With Lacrosse being considered one of the fastest growing sports in America, it’s safe to assume the programs will draw some attention. Currently, the boys have struggled out of the gate, and have yet to claim a victory. They hope to reverse their fortunes this week as they go on the road against an undefeated Colorado Academy. The girls, on the other hand, are an early contender to take the Southern Division. With only one loss on the season, they are in prime position to end the year with a winning record, and be considered one of the best Girls Lacrosse teams in the state. You can catch the girls in action over the next few Wednesday nights, as they host Southern Division foe Fountain Valley on the 7th, and Southern Division leaders, the Air Academy Kadets on the 14th. Games start at 6:00pm. THE SCHOOL-TEAMS The Lewis-Palmer Rangers are a long withstanding community staple. The Palmer Ridge Bears are a new generation, representing promise and progress. With both teams having varsity programs, local success is easy to come by. Girls Soccer is a perfect example of this success. In soccer, communication on the field is key, and these girls seem to be on the same page. Both teams flew out of the gate with aggressive, intelligent play. Both teams recorded a 10-0 shut-out victory in their second game. Since then, the teams have gone separate ways. Lewis-Palmer remains an undefeated power house, posting blow-out wins on the road. Palmer Ridge on the other hand, is beginning to feel the effects of a long string of away games. With a .500 record, they still remain unbeaten at home. You can watch the Bears try to fight their way back to a high scoring home win when they host Vista Ridge in a Friday night showdown on April 2nd, at 6:00pm. As for the Rangers, look for them to try and continue their impressive winning streak this Thursday, April 1st, at 6:00pm, as they host the currently undefeated Eagles of Pine Creek in what could be billed as a ‘Battle of the Unbeaten’. The classic confrontation may be taking place on a comical day, but you can be sure neither team will be in the holiday spirit of getting fooled. Issue 443
April 26, 2010 Toothpaste and orange juice. Oil and water. NBC and late night television. These are things that don’t go together well. It has been said that drama and sports fit this category; that the dramatic and athletic do not get along. But in actuality, drama is what we love about sports… The Great American Pastime Get your peanuts and crackerjacks it’s baseball season! The Palmer Ridge Bears know that high school baseball doesn’t reach into October, so they’re taking the final stretch of the season seriously. The Bears are on a seven game winning streak, and in fine form. During those seven games, they’ve outscored their opponents 77-8, averaging an astounding 11 points per game. Playoffs seem inevitable as they currently lead the Pioneer division with 10 wins. This sets the stage for a two game season ending series against second place Valor Christian. You can see the Bears in game one of the series on their home field at Palmer Ridge High School, Tuesday, April 27th at 4:00pm. The Gritty Girls LP Girls Soccer is clearly the biggest story in local High School sports. These girls are tough. Lead by Head Coach Ian Wale, the lady Rangers have rallied to an unprecedented 12-0 record. I watched the girls in action against a hardheaded 7-3 Castle View team. The Rangers took it 6-2, but it didn’t come easy. The game was not a game at all, but rather, a fight to the finish. Lewis Palmer played tough, plowing their way through the opposition to get to the goal. With questionable calls, thrilling goals, and spirited saves, the match-up left the spectator with everything to love about the sport of soccer. When asked about the game Coach Wale disclosed, “Not every game is perfect and this one certainly wasn’t” but went on to commend his girls, saying he was “proud of them, the way they keep on scoring”. This success is due to the tough tandem playing as a team. With nearly an equal amount of assists as there are goals, there is no perennial “ball hog” in the group. Noelle Limbird, Sammie Lewis, Erika Balk, and Virginia Limbird all look destined for double-digit scoring seasons, and it’s not out of reach for others. All of this leads to expectations. Making a serious run at the State Championship is not out of the question. Before all of that though, the Rangers will try for an undefeated regular season. They have three games left to make it happen. I encourage you to go to Don Breese Stadium on Monday night, April 26th, at 6:00pm and catch the girls throw down against Mesa Ridge. Then, one game remains. April 29th should be a soccer spectacle, as Lewis Palmer takes on a currently undefeated Cheyenne Mountain (11-0). They are the top two teams in the CS Metro Division, and without doubt, a division champ will be crowned. The spectacular season finale will be filled with excitement, fantastic individual feats, and a triumphant team effort. There will be a victor and a victim; a bold champ and a breakdown. It sounds like the things great drama is made of. Issue 448
May 31, 2010 The ending is everything. All great novels, films, and folk tales are defined by the way they finish. Some end tragic, and others inspiring. The problem with sports however, is that only one team every year walks away without regrets. Only one team can conquer their ultimate goal. For the hundreds of others, the season will always end in “what if”… The Almost The 2010 Lewis-Palmer Girl’s Soccer campaign was a memorable one. They won 19 straight games. Of course that only led to a heartbreaking 0-4 loss to Wheat Ridge in the State semi-finals, and just like that, the Rangers season was over. For seniors on the team, their soccer playing days may be over as well. This leaves us with questions of what’s to come. While it’s true that nine varsity players graduated, including the teams assist leader Sammie Lewis, the future seems bright. The teams leading scorer Kourtney Guetlein, just a sophomore, has two years left to try to lead her team to a state title. Other promising players that will return include Noelle Limbird (12 goals), and Brandi Arsenault (the teams leader in saves). Lewis-Palmer Girl’s Soccer went 19-1; let’s be clear, that’s a great year. But there’s no doubt that the girls, along with head Coach Ian Wale look forward to next year; a year where they plan on turning that one, into a zero. Another team looking forward is Palmer Ridge Girls Tennis. Shannon Babcock, a freshman, went 9-0 in league play throughout the year, earning her a spot at the State Tournament. It was the Bears debut at state. Losing the opening match surely wasn’t the way that Palmer Ridge would have dreamed it up. Look for Babcock and the Bears to work hard, and bounce back better than ever. A Swimming Symphony In the ever revolving world of sports, it’s nice to have a constant. A rarity indeed, Colorado 4A sports has one, and it lies in the midst monument. Because when all else fails, Lewis-Palmer Swimming does not. If I were an eight-year-old boy, I’m quite sure I’d be on a quest to prove these kids are a rare bread of sea creature human hybrids. But alas, I am not, and these sort of sci-fi beings do not exist (at least, I don’t think they do). The teens of Lewis-Palmer just happen to be extraordinary swimmers. Don’t believe me? Well, the girls swim team finished 4th overall at State. As for the Boys, they won the whole thing. A 1st place finish at state, for the second year in a row! The Rangers score of 408 placed them well atop the bracket, and 127 points higher than second place, Cheyenne Mountain (281). Led by Coach Alan Arata the boys won three individual events at state. They also won all three relay races, and put at least one athlete in 11 of 12 finals events. Ryan Arata, a sophomore, was the one to cross the finish line in the final relay, sealing the win, and setting a new state record by nearly two full seconds. Arata also set an individual state record in the 100 Butterfly. He wasn’t the only one going swiftly through the water however; it took the entire team performing well to pull off the victory. One of those performers was Senior Pat Cardillo, who did his part in winning the 50 freestyle. In the end, the Rangers capped off their championship season with a victory lap in the pool. They also finished their last season in the 4A division, fittingly, as winners. Next year they step up the competition, and return to class 5A (a division they competed in from ‘05-’08). It will be interesting to see how they fare with stronger competition. For now, they give us something rare. Something only one team gets a year. They give us the perfect ending. Issue 453
July 5, 2010 When Jim Joyce said “safe”; when Walt Coleman called it an incomplete pass on a snowy day in foxboro; when the Yankees lost four in a row in ’04; when the U.S. didn’t get the goal; and when Scott Norwood missed wide right, our mothers reminded us, in our fits of rage, that it’s “just a game”. In the Beginning… In 2004, the youth of Monument sat around all summer watching television. They spent their autumn after-school kicking dirt, and their spring indoors, indulging themselves in old video games. Then, something spectacular happened. In December of 2005, after a year of reckless recruiting, a new sport dawned upon our community - Lacrosse. Officially made a Club at that time, the Ranger Lacrosse Club was on the brink of popularity, though it only had about 25 participants. But what started with a couple dozen, and two teams, would evolve greatly. Building Rome (or something close) Mike McKinley, founder of the club, had his struggles turning the relatively unknown sport into a local staple. “That’s one of the problems you have running a club,” he says, “getting the word out”. He cites handing out flyers, but admits, “Those only get ditched”. He relied heavily on word-of-mouth campaigns and got some help from his son, Blake, who enlisted his friends to participate. Starting with 7th and 8th graders, McKinley found himself turning down several kids due to size and age issues. This didn’t sit well. He soon enacted the club, including an all-star cast for his Board of Directors that would consist of Lacrosse guru Jeff Cole, and Lewis-Palmer Lacrosse coaches Sean Denmeade and Nancy Fritzsche. “We wanted to feed the program” says McKinley, in reference to the high schools newly formed teams. This led to a 6th grade team. That led to a 5th, and a 4th. From 2005 to 2006, the program doubled in young athletes, and continues to grow, now hosting nearly 150 kids. The Great Unknown Many people don’t know the sport of Lacrosse. So here are some starting points. The sport is physical. It is fast. It is fun. It is year round. It is unique. It is impulsive. At the start of a half you can feel the wrath of a sport on the rise. Mckinley states there is “an art to it”, and he may very well be right. Unlike most sports, there is a sense of community in Lacrosse, with professional teams helping support the growth of the sport in any way possible. It’s a tight-nip group; an exclusive club, but anyone is welcome. The most important aspect may very well be the growth of our children. Girl’s teams are now running from 4th to 8th grade, with Boy’s teams from 2nd to 8th. McKinley, now former president of the club, still coaches teams, and declares that coaching is more like an “adventure in child rearing”. He states that it’s “opened the door to a lot of kids who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, play other sports”. Bottom line, it sounds like a growing up thing. It’s something for kids to do. They learn from some of the communities most respected parents, about discipline, respect, competition, and good sportsmanship. It’s a good reminder that sometimes sports are about more than winning. They’re about self discovery and accomplishment. They’re about success, and dealing with our failures. They’re about inspiration and commendation. It’s a reminder that sports help us grow, as human beings, and as a society; and that they’re certainly more than “just a game”. To find out more about the Ranger Lacrosse Club, how to volunteer, or how to sign up your child, visit www.RangerLacrosse.org Issue 462
September 6, 2010 Did you ever hear the one about the red scarf? It’s about a girl Sarah, and a boy Kyle. Sarah would always wear this hideous red scarf, even if it didn’t match. In fact, Kyle had never seen her without it. Eventually the two start dating, but she never takes off the scarf. Finally, on their wedding day, Kyle asks about it. But Sarah shrugs it off and tells him, “You can wait a little longer”. The two raise a life and a family, with 4 children. The kids never ask about the scarf either. Several years later Sarah gets very sick, and is on her death bed. Kyle asks one last time about the red scarf, and Sarah finally gives him permission to remove it. He reaches down, unravels the scarf, and Sarah’s head falls off. The Tale of Two Teams The countdown to cool weather is upon us. With each passing day comes the realization that our “fun in the sun” is almost done. With these thoughts, comes anticipation; because, folks, football season is here. Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge both have promising teams. I’ve had a chance to observe the teams at practice and they are very different. For the Rangers and Tony Ramunno, their coach of 25 years, this season is about reclaiming a standard. Lewis-Palmer has long been the community’s premier football team. And once upon a time, they were a dominant one. After starting out in the 2A class, Lewis-Palmer worked all the way up to 5A football. Now, in 2010, they return to the 3A division, where hopefully they can remain, and find some success. Last year (6-4) is something to build on. They hope to improve their home record (3-3 last season) and rely on returning starters to shine. Look for their leading passer (Ben Shaum), Sack Leader (Andrew Phelps), and Interception leader (Seth Cavera) to all return, with bigger goals in mind. On the other side there are the Bears. As opposed to Lewis-Palmer, where the coach has years of experience, Palmer Ridge’s Monte Gutowski is entering his second year. He appears to have it under control though. Heading for the practice field, the first thing you can hear is Gutowski’s voice, hollering directions to his team. The goal for the Bears this year is to set a standard. They want to win now, and the team appears physical, and ready on the defensive end. Last year the team finished with a 5-5 record. Not bad for a first year school and coach, with no seniors on the team. Look for the Bears to try and break the even mark, and walk away with a wining season. It’s Showtime Though Football seems to command our attention, Fall Sports do offer other options. Here’s a preview of the best home games to see this year, of all sports, from both schools. (All home games played at Lewis-Palmer) Saturday, September 11th – Pueblo West @ Palmer Ridge (Varsity Boys Soccer) – Last year the Bears incredible 13-3 season, ended with a 4-2 loss at Pueblo West. Look for the Bears to try and rebound at home. Monday, September 13th – Ponderosa @ Lewis-Palmer (Varsity Girls Softball) – The currently 2-1 Lady Rangers take on what is, as of now, an undefeated Ponderosa team. Tuesday, October 5th 6:00pm – Liberty @ Lewis-Palmer (Varsity Boys Soccer) – last year these two teams met as the top two teams in the CS Metro division. The game ended in a scoreless draw. Friday, October 8th 7:00pm - Palmer Ridge Bears @ Lewis-Palmer Rangers (Varsity Football) – A town rivalry is born. Friday, October 29th – Canon City @ Palmer Ridge (Varsity Boys Football) – Two teams trying to break out with a winning record meet late in the year. It’s the Bears last home game, and surely a playoff indicator. Every season is a story, and these are the games that will shape the ending. There will be a surprise team, a disappointment, a classic game, and a winner and a loser. There’s always a twist ending in sports, and you never know what the year will hold. But it’s important for our players and coaches to keep their cool, and never lose their heads. MORE "NICK'S SPORTS SNIPPETZ" TO COME... |
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