CHSAA approves slight change to Sunday contact rules

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

DENVER – e Colorado High School Activities Association changed the rules for Sunday contact between coaches and studentathletes Jan. 24.

e association’s legislative council, the decision-making arm for CHSAA, voted to keep the Sunday no-contact rule in place during a team’s season, de ned as the start of o cial practice through the state tournament.

e original rule was in place during a given school year. e switch allows high-school coaches to be in touch with their athletes during club-level contests but only after their seasons end.

Sta notes said many high-school coaches are coaching club sports where a lot of their players – and others – play Sundays. In addition, athletes and coaches can be in the

Stargate School

Boys basketball same place when college coaches are in attendance and potential scholarships are in the discussion.

Brendan Carlucci, the athletic director for Poudre Schools in Fort Collins, said the state needs more quality coaches.

“We’ll be on the verge of hiring someone, but then they say they aren’t willing to give up coaching six Sunday tournaments,” he told the council. “We are putting less talented coaches in front of kids. Our student-athletes deserve the very best.” ere were no dissenting comments, nor were there any dissenting thoughts in CHSAA’s sta notes.

“We need to get the most quali ed coaches in front of our kids,” added Lakewood’s athletic director, Mike Hughes.

“ is doesn’t lead to Sunday games,” Carlucci told the council. “We need to put the very best coaches in front of our kids. is is

Sports Scorecard

erick 47-36 on the Golden Eagles’ mats Jan. 24.

e Eagles won their fth game in a row, a 67-17 triumph over Arrupe Jesuit in Denver Jan. 27.

Louis Garcia scored nine of the Generals’ points. No stats were available for the Eagles. Stargate School took care of Manual High School 81-75 in Denver Jan. 25.

No stats were available for either team.

e Eagles also turned back DSST-Byers 70-52 in ornton Jan. 24. Simon Alexander led the Falcons with 15 points. Ilyas Elmi scored 14. Stargate’s Dylan Perkins topped his team’s scorecard with 18 points, Hunter Roark scored 16, and Connor Rusch added 14.

Girls basketball

Manual topped Stargate School 42-30 in ornton Jan. 25. Savannah Cooper scored seven points for the Eagles. Cali Cottrell and Grace Clem had six.

Riverdale Ridge High School

Boys wrestling

Riverdale Ridge’s Mikey Medina (106 pounds) and AJ Hague (120) won tournament titles at the Bear Creek Wrestling Invitational Jan. 28 in Lakewood.

Ariel Villalobos took second at 132 pounds. Ian Ingalls was second at 126 pounds. RRHS nished third in the team standings.

Riverdale Ridge downed Fred- e Ravens’ on-mat winners were Medina, Hague, Ian Ingalls (126), Ariel Villalobos (132), Nathan Salazar (144) and Connor Murphy (215).

Girls basketball

Riverdale Ridge rolled over Niwot 83-16 on the Cougars’ oor

Jan. 26. Brihanna Crittendon scored 32 points for the Ravens. Macayla Stark added 12, and Cimonie Martinez scored 10.

Riverdale Ridge beat Fort Morgan 86-6 in Fort Morgan Jan. 24. Crittendon scored a team-high 32 points for the Ravens. Danicka Rojas scored 14, and Macayla Stark added 10.

Boys basketball e Ravens rallied in the fourth quarter to top Niwot 78-72 in Niwot Jan. 26. No stats were available for RRHS. Jerek Funkhouser scored 25 for the Cougars.

Resurrection Christian topped Riverdale $Ridge 57-47 in ornton Jan. 28. No stats were available for either team.

Riverdale Ridge beat Fort Morgan 82-46 on the Mustangs’ oor

Jan. 25. Wesley Carnes had 17 points for Fort Morgan. Nathan Gerken tossed in 10. No stats were available for the Ravens.

Severance stopped Riverdale Ridge 78-71 in ornton Jan. 24. No stats were available.

SEE SCORECARD, P24 hampering us.” e new rule takes e ect July 1. ere is no expected nancial impact.

Soccer overtime e council also turned down a request to eliminate overtime periods in regular-season soccer matches. It needed a two-thirds vote to pass, and 81 percent of those casting ballots voted no.

Arrupe Jesuit High School’s assistant principal for student services, Mike Lovinguth, the chairman of the state’s soccer committee, outlined some reasons in sta notes to request the change. It aligns with the NCAA, and the state’s high-school soccer o cials association agreed.

“ e committee felt that by eliminating overtime in the regular season, o cials would have the ability to accept back-to-back games at di erent locations, knowing that there will not be a situation