Ten Aurora boys golfers advanced to the Sept. 29-30 Class 5A state tournament at regional qualifiers.
Four-time 5A state champion Regis Jesuit takes its full compliment of seniors Jack Lazzeri and Kevin Shafer and juniors Andrew McCormick and Bennett Rogers to the state meet at the Colorado Springs Country Club after coach Craig Rogers’ team captured the Central Regional championship Sept. 16 at Green Valley Ranch Club.
Led by 3-over-par 75s from Bennett Rogers — who was in contention for individual medalist honors until a poor finish in Hole No. 18 — and Shafer and McCormick’s 78, the Raiders finished two shots clear of Columbine and Broomfield to grab an automatic team state berth.
In the same regional, freshman Davis Bryant shot a 75 to become Eaglecrest’s first boys state qualifier since Keith Brady in 2006.
Centennial League champion Cherokee Trail qualified for the state tournament as a team for the first time in program history with a runner-up finish at the Southern Regional Sept. 15 at Denver’s Wellshire Golf Course.
Sophomore Bradley Scalia led the Cougars with a 3-over 74, while junior Ji Woo Jang shot 76 and senior Zach Goldsmith carded a 77. Scalia finished in the top 20 at the 2013 5A state tournament and Cherokee Trail’s fourth member — senior Mitchell Nevin — also played at state as a sophomore in 2012.
Smoky Hill junior Paul Cleveland shot a 79 to miss a playoff by a single strong and make a second straight trip to state.
No Aurora golfers qualified out of the Western Regional at Raccoon Creek G.C. or the Northern Regional at Aurora’s Meadow Hills G.C., but Mason Jowsey and Matt McCartney of Grandview achieved alternate status.
• Sydni Odegard slammed a three-run walk-off home run to lift the Grandview softball team to an improbable 12-10 win over visiting Eaglecrest on Sept. 16. The Wolves trailed 10-2 going into their final at-bat, but scored 10 times in the final frame to prevail. Loghan Thomas also homered and drove in three runs, as did Odegard, while Jordyn Wiatrak hit a grand slam in the first inning for the Raptors.
• The Regis Jesuit boys tennis team challenged powerhouse Mountain Vista in a Continental League dual match Sept. 16, but came up just short in a 4-3 loss. Sophomore Erich Nuss posted the Raiders’ lone singles win in the No. 3 spot, while the No. 3 doubles team of Truett Davis and Steven Bummer and the No. 4 duo of Luca Abbott and Max Koszowski also prevailed. The No. 2 doubles team of Joey Robertson and Alec Jotte split sets in their match, but lost 7-5 in the third.
• Rangeview quarterback Quaid Vincent had to take the ACT test and arrive later than the team to the Raiders’ South Metro League contest on Sept. 13 in Grand Junction, but once he arrived, he threw three touchdown passes and ran for one as Rangeview blanked Grand Junction 42-0 at Stocker Stadium.
• Ahonsai Ohimai rushed for three touchdowns and also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score as the Hinkley football broke a losing streak to Aurora Public Schools rival that stretched nearly two decades with a 24-10 victory over the Olys on Sept. 12 at APS Stadium.
• Justice Taylor blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, defensive lineman Connor Sinks scooped up a fumble and took it back for a score and the Regis Jesuit defense stymied Cherokee Trail’s offensive in a 27-7 victory for the Raiders in a miserably cold and rainy contest Sept. 11 at Legacy Stadium. Running backs Alec Barnes and Trevor Williams also scored for seventh-ranked Regis Jesuit, which shut down just about everything outside of Izaiah Lottie (200 yards rushing, TD) for No. 2 Cherokee Trail. Both teams moved to 2-1 on the season.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel
