2026 CHSAA Girls Lacrosse State Championships: First Round Results, Scores, and Quarterfinal Previews

Photo By Craig Meyers

The 2026 Colorado girls lacrosse state playoffs are underway, and the first round told us a lot about which teams are built for this moment. Here is a full breakdown of where things stand in both 5A and 4A.

5A First Round: Seeds Hold, One Upset Worth Watching

The top seeds took care of business across the board. Valor Christian beat Chatfield 19-5, Regis Jesuit rolled Columbine 23-6, and Heritage handled Poudre 19-6. None of those results were surprises. All three top seeds looked sharp heading into the quarterfinals.

The most interesting result of the round came from the 8-9 matchup. Rock Canyon, the 8 seed, beat 9-seed Cherry Creek 11-8. Rock Canyon has been winning close games all season, and this was no different. They now get Valor Christian in the quarterfinals, which tips off Saturday at 2 p.m. at Valor. That is a tough draw, but Rock Canyon has earned the right to be there.

Fairview took care of Denver East 18-5, and Kent Denver beat Pine Creek 16-4. Both look ready to compete on Saturday.

5A Quarterfinals Schedule, Saturday May 9

The four quarterfinal matchups:

9 a.m., Heritage (#3) vs. Kent Denver (#6) at LPS Centennial Stadium. This is the game to watch in the bottom half. Kent Denver is well-coached and dangerous. Heritage will need to play their brand of physical, possessive lacrosse to advance.

10 a.m., Regis Jesuit (#2) vs. Arapahoe (#7) at Lou Kellogg Stadium. Arapahoe beat ThunderRidge 18-8 in the first round and looked good doing it. Regis Jesuit is the clear favorite, but Arapahoe has the athletes to make it competitive.

11 a.m., Fairview (#4) vs. Colorado Academy (#5). This is the tightest matchup on paper in the quarterfinals. Two well-matched programs. Colorado Academy won 22-3 over Ralston Valley and looked dangerous. Expect this one to be close.

2 p.m., Valor Christian (#1) vs. Rock Canyon (#8). Valor is the top seed for a reason. They have not been challenged yet. Rock Canyon will test that.

The 5A semifinals are set for Tuesday, May 12, with the state championship on Friday, May 15.

4A: Mountain Programs Making Noise

The 4A bracket started a round earlier, and a few results stand out.

Roaring Fork beat Fruita Monument 17-8 on Thursday night. Roaring Fork is the 3 seed and they have been one of the more consistent programs in 4A all season. They advance to the quarterfinals on Monday, May 11.

Aspen, seeded 8th, beat rival Telluride 12-7 in the second round Thursday. That sets up a quarterfinal against the winner of Battle Mountain and Green Mountain. Battle Mountain is the top seed in 4A and gets a home game tonight at 4 p.m.

The other second round games happening today, May 8: Evergreen (#4) vs. Mead at 4:30 p.m., Steamboat Springs (#5) vs. Holy Family at 4 p.m., Golden (#2) vs. Summit at 5 p.m. at Trailblazer Stadium, Air Academy (#7) vs. Durango at 7 p.m. (with a live stream available), and Cheyenne Mountain (#6) vs. Dakota Ridge at 5 p.m. at Cheyenne Mountain.

The 4A quarterfinals are Monday, May 11. Semifinals are Wednesday, May 13. Both 4A and 5A championship games are scheduled for Friday, May 15.

The Big Picture

In 5A, Valor Christian and Regis Jesuit are the two programs everyone else needs to beat. Both looked dominant in round one. The question is whether Heritage or Fairview can put together a complete game to knock off one of them in the semis.

In 4A, Battle Mountain enters as the clear favorite on the strength of their seed and schedule. But Roaring Fork and Aspen are both playing with confidence. The Roaring Valley matchups could produce some of the better lacrosse of the entire tournament.

State championships in both classifications are set for May 15. We will have full coverage as the bracket plays out. View the Girls Playoff Bracket HERE