In the rivalry week between Rangeview and Gateway, the Raiders won by a 3-0 count, but not without a number of thrilling contests.
The two district rivals met in boys soccer, volleyball and football in the span of five days, with Rangeview pulling off a sweep in a series of exceptionally close contests.
The unbeaten Rangeview boys soccer team started the winning week off with a 1-0 victory over the Olys on Oct. 8 at Aurora Public Schools Stadium, with junior Fernando Chavez netting the game-winner in the closing seconds of regulation on an assist from senior Jose Martinez. The win kept Rangeview atop the EMAC standings and it eventually claimed the outright championship with a 3-0 win over Hinkley Oct. 15.
Gateway’s volleyball team tried to even the series on Oct. 10, as sophomore Kelsie Hurtado and the Olys surged to a two-set lead on Rangeview in its home gym.
The advantage didn’t last, however, as the Raiders came roaring back behind seniors Rachel Virbickis and Rachel Bates and freshman Tyler Speller. Virbickis racked up 12 kills, Bates 11 and Speller nine as Rangeview rallied for an epic 15-25, 18-25, 25-16, 25-19, 18-16 victory that extended its winning streak to nine and kept them as the frontrunner for the EMAC title.
The capper came Oct. 11 at APS Stadium, when the Raiders came away with a 7-6 victory to keep the Anvil traveling trophy for the fifth straight season.
The game was decided by a single point for the third straight season, with the Raiders winning 16-15 in 2011 and 25-24 in 2012. This time, a missed extra point after a late Gateway touchdown by Nyerre Williams proved to be the difference. Senior quarterback Darien Odegard scored Rangeview’s TD in the third quarter, with Taylor Thompson’s extra point standing up.
• The Overland gymnastics team finished second at the Centennial/Continental League Championship meet Oct. 16 at Cherry Creek High School. The Trailblazers had everybody in the lineup for the first time all season and produced a score of 182.3 points to come in only behind host Cherry Creek (183.9) in the eight-team field that also included some teams from the Colorado Springs area. Junior Kellyn Toole won an individual league title in the floor exercise with her score of 9.75, while junior Devin Bundas led Overland with her third-place all-around finish.
• In another big rivalry contest, the Cherokee Trail football team rallied past Grandview for a 21-9 victory Oct. 11 at Legacy Stadium. Junior running back Cameron Smith scored two touchdowns in the second half and Izaiah Lottie had the other for the Cougars, who trailed the Wolves 7-0 at halftime. Smith had a game-high 132 yards rushing, while junior Chukwuma Obinnah rushed for 105 yards and Grandview’s score.
• The Centennial League Cross Country Championships were filled with fantastic finishes on Oct. 11 at deKoevend Park, as both the boys and girls varsity races came down to the wire. Smoky Hill junior Blake Yount won the boys title with a rocket finish that saw him catch Cherry Creek’s Shane Rhodes at the tape. Grandview’s Erin Norton nearly picked off Cherry Creek’s Jordyn Colter at the line in the girls race, but finished a second behind in second.
• The Grandview volleyball team won its second consecutive five-set match with a 22-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-16, 15-5 triumph over Cherry Creek on Oct. 10, led by the double-digit kill performances of Haley Mclaren (16), Morgan Montgomery (14) and Megan Lehrer (10), while Sydney Ederhoff piled up 33 digs.
• The Smoky Hill boys soccer team won its second consecutive Centennial League championship with a 2-1 victory over Cherry Creek on Oct. 10 at Village Green Fields. Junior Walter Prince — who earlier in the week was credited with the only goal in a 1-0 decision over then-league frontrunner Grandview — scored both goals for the Buffaloes (13-2) against the Bruins, with assists going to Colton Ladyga and Tyler Glenn.
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