Falcons girls getting tougher

Highlands Ranch hoops team is young but playing hard

BY JIM BENTON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Hard work is starting to pay dividends for Highlands Ranch basketball player Ezra Simonich.

Simonich, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, scored 23 points on Feb. 7 in a Continental League showdown against Regis Jesuit which matched two top ten teams in the CHSAANow state rankings.

“I’ve been working real hard to get my shot going and I felt like the habit paid o ,” said Simonich.

She made ve 3-point baskets to lead the way for the fth-ranked Falcons, who used a strong second and third periods in which they outscored the Raiders 38-19 to pull away from the Raiders, who came into the game ranked sixth.

“We passed really well and we came out a lot faster and harder than we have this season,” added Simonich. “ at’s why we got up and then we were able to keep that throughout the game. We’ve grown a lot. We all know where each other is at and we’re really playing well as a team.”

“ e kids played great as a team,” said Falcons coach Caryn Jarocki. “ ey actually executed the game plan better than we have in the past. ey are learning to take what we learn in practice and executing that in the game.”

Highlands Ranch’s varsity roster is young with ve freshman, three sophomores and two seniors.

“We are a very young team and they are growing by leaps and bounds,” Jarocki said. “ ey are getting tougher every day. ey have been thrusted into roles that they shouldn’t have to play but they are. ey are young and they are doing it. I’m proud of them.

“Now the sky is the limit. I think they are feeling the fever of it. ey are gaining con dence every day.” e Falcons’ two seniors, Maddie Groth and Bailey Williamson, had 12 and 10 points respectively against Regis. when they’re asked to move along.”

In the game against Legend on Feb. 7, the Falcons rolled to a 50-39 victory.

Highlands Ranch faced piggyback league rst place games against both Regis and Legend and won both contests.

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Falcons are 8-0 in the league and 18-3 overall. Legend is 7-1 and 14-7 while underRidge is 7-2 in the league and Regis 6-2.

Jarocki swelled her Colorado all-best winning mark to 716-186 in 34 years of coaching, including the rst 11 seasons at Colorado Academy. She has helped Highlands Ranch win seven state championships.

Polis’ words draw worries e network provides shelter from Jan. 2 through March 31, its website says. Guests stay at local churches that open their facilities on a rotating basis. In 2022, the network sheltered ve households, according to Laydon. e Nextdoor posted earlier this month, which garnered dozens of reactions and comments, also expressed concern about the idea of “potential plans to circumvent the Town Council and change the Rock’s zoning.”

Douglas County has no large-scale homeless shelter, but the Winter Shelter Network — an organization of churches — serves Douglas County women and children experiencing homelessness.

Pastor Mike Polhemus of e Rock church has said he hopes to get help, outlining the details of expanding the program into a year-round shelter network.

He said he envisions multiple churches making up the network with one or two families or individuals housed at each location to avoid having a large homeless community.

“As you may know, on January 17, 2023, during Governor Polis’ State of the State address, Governor Polis stipulated he is contemplating the possibility of preempting local government land use zoning with new potential land use and zoning legislation,” the post read. “ us, potentially, allowing accessory dwelling units (“ADU’s”) and similar, be permitted with landowners on their properties - without any local government approval.”

Accessory dwelling units — small residential spaces located behind a house or attached to a garage — are already allowed in several metroarea cities.

In his annual State of the State speech, Polis seemed to tease at the possibility of state intervention in how local communities govern housing.

“Since issues like transportation, water, energy and more inherently cross jurisdictional boundaries, it becomes a statewide problem that truly impacts all of us,” Polis said. He spoke of the need for more exible zoning to allow more housing and “streamlined regulations that cut through red tape.”

In an interview with Colorado Public Radio, Polis spoke in favor of seeing more accessory dwelling units — among other types of housing — but the governor has avoided providing speci cs on what actions he favors.

Gray, Castle Rock’s mayor, said “there’s been talk of pushing for ADUs” or other housing.

“Our fear is it’ll take away local rule,” Gray said.

In response to questions from Colorado Community Media in January, the governor and his ofce didn’t specify what changes to zoning policy he would support or oppose. Polis had not said that he wants the state to require zoning changes in cities.

After his State of the State address, the governor was focused on gathering input to work with state lawmakers and develop a proposal on landuse policy. As of early February, the governor’s spokesperson con rmed to CCM there was still no bill introduced for such a proposal.