AURORA | A look at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Sept. 6-10:
• The Aurora City Championship cross-country meet is set for 4 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Aurora Sports Park, where new individual city champs will be crowned. Both Rangeview’s Rikki Gonzales — who won the last three Aurora girls race titles — and Smoky Hill’s Kyle Ames, who claimed the last two boys events, have graduated.
The girls race should be hotly contested as Grandview’s Erin Norton and Brooke Genovese and Smoky Hill’s Rachael Chacko took the three spots behind Gonzales last year. Grandview’s Nick Horton and Smoky Hill’s Charlie Kleeman are the lone returning all-city boys (top seven). The Smoky Hill boys and Regis Jesuit girls are defending team champions.
• Football for the week opens with a doozy Sept. 6, as Grandview takes on Chaparral at 7 p.m. at Sports Authority Stadium in Parker. Both teams are ranked in the top six in Class 5A and won strong debuts on the road to open the season.
• Some quality volleyball is on tap Sept. 6, with one game taking place in Aurora when rolling Cherokee Trail (5-0) visits Rangeview and new coach Larry Deffenbaugh at 6:15 p.m. Grandview (0-1) and Eaglecrest (1-0) both head to Colorado Springs for marquee matchups, with the Wolves taking on 4A powerhouse Cheyenne Mountain — which just had a 49-match winning streak snapped — and the Raptors going against Pine Creek.
• The Dave Sanders Invitational softball tournament runs Sept. 7-8 at the Aurora Sports Park, with Grandview and Smoky Hill among the 16-team field slated to play. The 3-0 Wolves are in the same pool as Brighton, which beat them on the way to last season’s Class 5A state championship game. Smoky Hill (1-2) is in a pool that includes tournament host Columbine.
• Friday Night Lights on Sept. 7 includes a big one at Regis Jesuit with Horizon visiting the Raiders at 7 p.m. at Lou Kellogg Stadium in a battle of first week winners. Rangeview looks for revenge against Arapahoe in a 6 p.m. contest after losing 25-0 to the Warriors last season and Overland plays Fairview at Boulder’s Recht Field at 7 p.m. looking to get to 2-0 under Seth Replogle.
• Overland and Smoky Hill host volleyball tournaments Sept. 7 with Aurora Central, Gateway, Hinkley and Rangeview in the 14-team field at Overland beginning at 8 a.m.
• The Centennial League boys golf season flew by, with the fifth and final meet of the season set for 1 p.m. Sept. 10 at Fitzsimons G.C.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555