AURORA | A look back at some of the key games, tournaments and happenings in Aurora prep sports from Sept. 21-26, 2020:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26: The first state championship event of the curtailed fall sports season was awarded at the Class 5A boys state tennis tournament and it went to Cherry Creek, which edged Regis Jesuit by four points after two days of play at Gates Tennis Center. Despite the loss, the Raiders swept the three singles state championships for a second straight season as senior Morgan Schilling (No. 1), junior Conor Kaczmarczyk (No. 2) and sophomore Cameron Kruep (No. 3) each came away victorious, while the No. 3 doubles team of Aidan Sobolevsky and Alexander Samuelson lost their title match. …The Cherokee Trail softball team rallied for a pair of Centennial League victories over Eaglecrest with wins of 5-3 and 11-9 to conclude the league season. Jenna Medhus homered and picked up the pitching victory in both games for the Cougars, while Ryleigh Cruz homered twice and Caitlin Cushenbery once in the finale, while also featured a big fly and five RBI for Kelsey Bell. Alex Hendrian picked up four RBI for Eaglecrest between the games. …The Smoky Hill softball team completed the Centennial League season undefeated with a pair of 10-0 wins over Arapahoe in a home doubleheader. Delaney Farnsworth and Kenedy Sandoval both threw complete games and allowed just a combined three hits and no runs, while Amrajie Bass drove in six runs between the two games and the Buffaloes’ two seniors, Jahlisa Klear and Kailen Theel, contributed with Theel driving in two runs in the first game and Klear adding two hits in the second game. …The Rangeview softball team tried to rally, but fell short in a 6-4 EMAC road loss at Adams City. …The Vista PEAK softball team’s home game with Alameda was canceled.
— Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Saturday, Sept. 26, here
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25: The Class 5A boys state tennis tournament, condensed from three days to two because of the coronavirus pandemic, began at Gates Tennis Center and saw all three singles players and all four doubles teams from Regis Jesuit win both their matches. Cherokee Trail got on the scoreboard for the first time since 2015 with a win by No. 1 singles player Shawn Springer, who lost to defending state champion Morgan Schilling in the second round. …The Regis Jesuit softball team scored five times in the first inning of its Continental League contest against Douglas County and it helped the Raiders come away with a 7-5 victory. Brooke Carey homered and drove in two runs and Natalie Shellhorn and Lanie Smith also had RBI for Regis Jesuit. …Aurora Central dropped a doubleheader to Fort Lupton, while Hinkley honored its seniors before a home loss to Arvada.
— Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Friday, Sept. 25, here
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24: The six teams that chose to play fall in the fall season were able to get on the field for the first time were able to practice for the first time as they began to prepare for the start of the season in two weeks. Cherokee Trail, Eaglecrest, Grandview, Overland, Regis Jesuit and Smoky Hill started the path to playing after a lengthy process that will also include a spring season. Read the Sentinel’s cover story, Tale of Two Seasons, here. …Three Aurora teams — Eaglecrest, Gateway and Rangeview — competed at the Class 5A Southern Regional boys golf tournament held at South Suburban G.C., which yielded just one state qualifier for the 5A state tournament in Eaglecrest sophomore Andrew White, who got in with his round of 75 that tied him for sixth individually. The Raptors tied for sixth as a team, while Rangeview came in 12th and Gateway did not have enough finishers to register a team score. …Jenna Medhus homered twice and drove in five runs and Ryleigh Cruz also homered as Cherokee Trail powered past Arapahoe 9-3 in a rescheduled Centennial League contest. Cayman Lightner picked up the win with three innings on the mound. …The Rangeview softball team had been on a hot streak offensively, but managed just one hit in a 14-0 EMAC loss to Brighton, while Hinkley dropped a 17-1 decision to Westminster in another league contest.
— Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Thursday, Sept. 24, here
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23: Cherokee Trail played host to the Centennial League Championship cross country meet for the second straight season and the Cougars swept the individual titles with Caden Smith winning the boys race and Cameron McConnell taking the girls race. Smith — who surged past Grandview’s Peter Fox and Jake Sheykhet for the victory — paced the Cherokee Trail boys to the team league title, while the girls finished an Aurora-best second behind Arapahoe. …Regis Jesuit finished fourth as a team in the loaded Class 5A Central Regional boys golf tournament at Overland G.C., but had three qualifiers for the 5A state tournament in Teddy Hummel and Ryan Occhionero (who both shot 75) and Liam Wood (76). Talyn Haskell shot 80 to lead Smoky Hill. …The Smoky Hill softball team clinched the Centennial League championship in style with a 13-0 road win at Cherry Creek in a game that saw the Buffaloes rack up 16 hits in just three at-bats. Amrajie Bass homered twice and drove in six runs to back a combined 1-hit effort from pitchers Kenedy Sandoval and Delaney Farnsworth. Jahlisa Klear and Gabi Giroux each had three hits and three RBI. …A monster offensive game for Ryleigh Cruz — 4-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI — helped Cherokee Trail top Grandview 16-12 in a Centennial League slugfest. Brooke Scott had three hits and Caitlin Cushenbery three RBI for the Cougars, while Miranda Ferrier and Liz Herting each plated three runs for the Wolves. …Alex Hendrian did it on the mound and at the plate in Eaglecrest’s 9-2 Centennial League softball win over Mullen, as she threw a complete-game four-hitter with eight strikeouts and also homered. Maddie Demoss and Jayden Paulsen each had three hits for the Raptors.
— Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Wednesday, Sept. 23, here
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22: Junior Dawson Thulin earned a repeat trip to the Class 4A boys state golf tournament with his ninth-place finish in the 4A Region 3 tournament at Quail Dunes G.C. in Fort Morgan. Thulin carded a 77 to lead the way for the Bison, who were 14th as a team. …The Vista PEAK softball team got up big, then held on for a 13-10 victory over Westminster. …The Overland softball team got just one hit from Katelynn Czerpak in a 12-0 loss to Standley Lake, while Rangeview got a win by forfeit against Hinkley.
— Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Tuesday, Sept. 22, here
MONDAY, SEPT. 21: Junior Kenny VanWormer and senior Josh Stone each earned bids in the Class 5A boys state golf tournament with their performance at the 5A Northern Regional at Hyland Hills G.C. While VanWormer qualified comfortably with a 76, Stone shot 80 and made it through a playoff to get in. …Tyler Cassaday secured Cherokee Trail’s lone spot in the 5A state tournament as he qualified out of the 5A Western Regional at Raccoon Creek G.C. Cassaday shot a 76 for the Cougars, who placed seventh as a team. …Aurora Central had no state qualifiers out of the 4A Region 2 boys golf tournament at Country Club of Colorado with Rofiul Mohamed-Nasir leading the Trojans with a 126. …The Grandview softball team smacked the ball all around the yard in an 8-1 Centennial League victory over Cherry Creek that saw the Wolves pile up 12 hits, including four home runs. Alyssa Walker had two dingers and drove in four runs, while Miranda Ferrier and Jenny Allen also homered and had two RBI. Lyla Michels joined Walker and Ferrier with three hits. …The Regis Jesuit softball team scored three times in the top of the seventh to secure an 8-5 win over Heritage in a game that included homers from Brooke Carey and Kendell Kersey and a win by Lanie Smith in relief. …Kenedy Sandoval threw a complete game for the Smoky Hill softball team in a 9-3 Centennial League win over Mullen and she struck out eight in the process. Izzy and Gabi Giroux each doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Buffaloes and Amrajie Bass plated two.
— Aurora prep sports scoreboard for Monday, Sept. 21, here