Freshman Luis Uresti capped a perfect run for the Rangeview boys tennis team at No. 1 singles with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Eaglecrest’s Kameron Fink Sept. 4 in a dual match.
Uresti won the championship of the Smoky Hill Buff Invitational on Sept. 1 and didn’t drop a set in five matches on the season for coach Simon Moorwood — who called him one of the most talented players he’s ever seen at Rangeview — but Uresti has to move back to Mexico with his family immediately.
He attended Gateway, where his aunt works, and planned to stay for a year before a family emergency called the Mexico City native back to his home country. Uresti hopes to return in the future.
• The Cherokee Trail boys soccer team improved to 3-0 with 3-0 home win against George Washington Sept. 4. The Cougars have outscored their three opponents 14-1 thus far.
• The Cherokee Trail volleyball team won the Regis Jesuit Jam, topping a field of 30 teams playing Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the Gold Crown Fieldhouse.
The Cougars downed Rock Canyon and Monarch to open, swept host Regis Jesuit in the semifinals and took down a strong Highlands Ranch team in four games to win the championship.
Senior Kayla Slofkiss, sophomore Sidney Wicks and freshman Shannon Webb made the all-tournament team.
• Grandview opened the football season in a big way with a 32-10 road victory at Vista, Calif., Aug. 31.
New starting quarterback Reece Weber threw four touchdown passes to Wyoming-bound wide receiver Tanner Gentry, who also had a school-record 242 receiving yards.
The Wolves held Vista — a San Diego area school — to just 153 yards of total offense.
• The state cross country meet called Aurora its temporary home for two years, but it’s moved on to a new venue in 2012.
Three city teams got a look at the new course at the Norris Penrose Equestrian Center — which will be the site of the state meet on Oct. 27 — on Aug. 31 at the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede, and Grandview junior Erin Norton and Smoky Hill senior Rachael Chacko took a liking to the 3.1-mile course.
Norton and Chacko finished 3rd and 7th, respectively, in the Class 5A girls race and tuned up for an individual showdown on Sept. 6 with the individual city title at stake in the Aurora City Championship meet.
The Grandview girls were a city-best sixth in the team standings and the Wolves were also the top Aurora team in the boys race in 12th.
• A strong second half propelled an emotional Gateway football team to a 26-0 victory over Smoky Hill Aug. 31 in a non-league Aurora tilt at Legacy Stadium.
Senior quarterback Tate Johnson rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one, Miguel Gonzalez piled up 135 yards and a touchdown on the ground and Darius Harvey caught a touchdown pass, had an interception and fumble recovery — among five turnovers generated by Gateway — as the Olys gave coach Justin Hoffman a win in the opening game for the first time in five seasons.
• Aurora Central running back Jeffrey Tootle ran roughshod over Vista PEAK on Aug. 31, rushing for 273 yards and six touchdowns in the Trojans’ 54-26 victory at APS Stadium.
Tootle had scoring runs of 39, 36, 34, 32, 25 and 13 yards — including three straight that broke open the game in the third quarter — and helped give Taylor Calvert a win in his debut as head coach.
Aurora Central got its first season-opening win since 2007.
Sophomore Isaiah Young had 118 yards receiving and caught two touchdown passes, sophomore Noah Butler threw for one and ran for one and junior D.J. Ortiz got into the end zone as well for Vista PEAK, which dropped to 1-1.
• Seth Replogle also got a win in his debut as Overland head football coach, as the Trailblazers scored late for a 13-6 victory against Arvada West Aug. 31 at Stutler Bowl.
Austin Conway and Mallan Robinson scored touchdowns for Overland, which matched its win total for the entire 2011 campaign.
• Regis Jesuit’s physical ground game produced a 36-21 victory over Rangeview on Aug. 30 at APS Stadium, as it piled up nearly 400 rushing in the all-Aurora matchup.
Sophomore Chukwuma Obinnah piled up 241 yards and a touchdown and junior Grant Neal added 55 yards and two TDs for Regis Jesuit, which rallied after Rangeview took a 15-0 lead.
Kietrich Griffin and Darien Odegard rushed for touchdowns for Rangeview and Treyvon Nubine had an interception and 99-yard kickoff return for a score.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com
