Snow Disrupts First Round of Boys Lacrosse State Playoffs

Photo By Lane Miller

A late-season snowstorm hit Colorado just as the boys lacrosse postseason got started, forcing most of the 5A first-round games to shift from Wednesday to Thursday. Two 5A games beat the weather. Cherokee Trail advanced with a win over Chatfield, and Ralston Valley moved on after beating Pine Creek 15-5.

On the 4A side, the schedule largely held. No. 9 Cheyenne Mountain kicked things off a day early, rolling past Denver North 20-2.

Here is where things stand headed into the next round.

Class 5A

Top Seeds: 1. Valor Christian, 2. Cherry Creek, 3. Regis Jesuit, 4. Arapahoe

Defending Champion: Cherry Creek

The only confirmed second-round matchup is No. 5 Lakewood hosting No. 12 Cherokee Trail. Lakewood finished 14-1, with their only loss coming in overtime to Rock Canyon.

No. 1 Valor Christian and No. 2 Cherry Creek have not lost to an in-state opponent this spring. The Eagles have won 10 straight. The Bruins have won 11 in a row, closing the regular season with wins over Arapahoe and Regis Jesuit.

Team to watch: Fairview. The sixth-seeded Knights are 12-3, and their three losses came by a combined four goals. Senior Kai Modica put up 39 goals and 54 assists in the regular season. Senior Hook Dancy led the team with 57 goals.

Class 4A

Top Seeds: 1. Air Academy, 2. Evergreen, 3. Grand Junction, 4. Aspen

Defending Champion: Dakota Ridge

Air Academy finished 14-1, with their only loss coming to 5A's Legend in the regular-season finale. Junior Alex Sirois has 52 goals this spring.

No. 3 Grand Junction is also 14-1, but the path gets harder fast. Defending champion Dakota Ridge heads to the Western Slope on Friday. The Eagles got past Fruita Monument 9-8 in the first round.

Telluride is a potential quarterfinal opponent for Grand Junction. The Miners are the only team to beat the Tigers this season. Seniors Browen Wills and Rocco Bertagnolli are both 40-plus goal scorers.

Team to watch: Cheyenne Mountain. The ninth-seeded Red-Tailed Hawks are 10-6, but three of those losses came by one goal, including an overtime loss to No. 2 Evergreen. They also pushed No. 1 Air Academy to a 9-7 final. Freshman Sage Bowen scored five goals in the first-round win over Denver North. Senior Liam Morrison added four assists. The Hawks visit Steamboat Springs on Friday.

One game still to be played: Holy Family vs. Conifer was postponed and has not been rescheduled.