the alumni volume i edition iii january 2008

Go online to www.thealumninews.org to see our feature on Chat� eld wrestler Adeline Gray

Making accountability accountable

The Colorado Department of Education (pictured above) released its School Accountability Reports on Dec. 5. Com-missioner Dwight Jones has initiated the process of revising the standards of the state’s CSAP tests. The Alumni/Sta�

The AlumniColorado’s Authority for High School Academics, Activities and Athletics News Volume I Edition III Established 2006

Winter Sports Previews

In this issue...

Football

5A

- State championship wrap-up

6

Students of the Month

Justice High School

- Dion Martinez

- Lolita Respects Nothing

Page 7

Spirit

State Spirit Championships

- Denver Coliseum Nov. 30 - Dec. 1

Page 17

Swimming

Fairview High School

- Lady Knights looking forward to state

Page 15

Basketball

The Denver Street School

- At-risk youth � nd success with school — that provides more than just hoops

Page 13

Coach of the Month

Mountain VistaHead Pom Coach

- Keri Trimble

Page 8

CHSAA

All-Academic Teams - The top teams for overall GPA

Page 4

Pueblo West takes down Monarch

(continued on page 21)

(continued on page 3)

In the first of two state championship games at Invesco Field at Mile High on Dec. 1, the

Pueblo West Cyclones de-feated the Monarch Coyotes 21-14 to win the school’s first Class 4A state title. In uncharacteristic form, Pueblo West scored the game-winner through the air rather than relying on the ground game that had sparked the postseason run. With 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Pueblo West senior quarterback Chaz

Pueblo West coach Monte Pinkerton said the call that led to the game-winning touch-down was an easy one. “I was wanting to get out-side because we were having a little bit of success with that bootleg and I wanted to let Chaz get out there and make a decision,” Pinkerton said. “He had been making good

decisions all game long. Plus we had the choice to either run or throw it away if we had to or kick the field goal. I was pretty confident with our chances there.” Monarch had tied the game on a 13-play drive that fin-ished with a 5-yard touch-down run by junior Sean Fox with 5:16 left in the game.

Vaughan found senior tight end Bo Martinez in the back of the end zone from 11 yards out to key the win. “It’s pretty unlikely — if you followed us through the whole season, we like to run a lot, but it probably opened up the pass to allow Bo to make that catch,” Vaughan said. On the day, Vaughan went 3-for-5 for 33 yards passing with one touchdown, adding eight rushes for 31 yards and one touchdown. Martinez finished with just two catches for 25 yards, but the decisive catch has secured a spot in Pueblo sports history. “I had confidence pulling it in,” Martinez said. “I saw it coming and I knew I had it. I grabbed it and I just held on. As soon as I caught it, I knew we were going to win.”

Revision of statewide standards may help Colorado schools continue to excel

Martinez’ late scorekeys thrilling win for unheralded Cyclones

By Ryan RussoThe Alumni

By Matthew GreenThe Alumni

4A CHSAA State Football Championship — Dec. 1 — Invesco Field, Denver

The Cyclones beat the Coyotes 21-14 for the Class 4A title. The Alumni/Sta�

No one can escape report cards. Not even the schools themselves.

On Dec. 5, the Colorado Department of Education released its annual School Ac-countability Reports, grading the level of progress of every school in the state. This year showed very little change from last, but Mark Stevens, communications director for the CDE, said the state’s progress needs to be seen over a period of time. “There are 178 districts in the state,” he said. “You have a fairly large system and you are not going to see dramatic leaps and bounds in just one year. What we want to see is sustained, steady improve-ment. If you can improve by more than one or two percent every year, that is what you want to see.” The State Accountability

Reports are based on a com-plex formula using the Colo-rado Student Assessment Pro-gram scores of every student in every public school in the state in reading, writing, math and science. These scores tell each parent how their child is doing. From all these tests combined, the schools are given a weighted average for

performance across the state. But Stevens urges parents to look at the whole report — not just the rating. “The rating is what gets the most attention, but what gets lost in the mix is the whole bucket load of data that surrounds each school in terms of the students, a profile of the teachers, a little bit about the

budget, and even environ-mental issues about safety and discipline,” Stevens said. “The rating has to be put into context of the whole school’s story.” The State Accountability Reports were developed seven years ago, prompted by state law and driven by the legis-lature’s desire for schools to

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Contents:

Academics.........................................................................CHSAA...............................................................................The Alumni Top 50...........................................................School of the Month.........................................................Students of the Month.....................................................Coach of the Month..........................................................Then and Now...................................................................Athletes of the Month.......................................................Basketball..........................................................................Ice Hockey.........................................................................Swimming..........................................................................Football.............................................................................Spirit..................................................................................Fitness...............................................................................Around the State..............................................................

3456789

1012141516171819

The Alumni Sta� Publisher

Matthew A. CastillejaVice President of OperationsVice President of Operations

Isaiah P. CastillejaEditor-in-ChiefDon Cameron

Assistant EditorLaura FreemanCopy EditorCopy EditorRyan Russo

Web site/DesignerWeb site/DesignerJoe Ybarra

Staff WritersAlexa Castilleja

Kyle GarrattMatthew GreenScott Kaniewski

Ryan RussoAaron SmithRenee Torres

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Nick Perea Distribution

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Letter from the Publisher Dear readers,

The second half of the school year is under way and the staff at The Alumni would like to thank you for your positive feedback and support. We are determined to become more comprehensive and more timely with each issue. We aim to provide more feature stories on the students and staff who make our educational system as good as it is. In the upcoming months, look for; features on teacher of the month, official of the month, Prom 2008, the presidential election of 2008 and many other topics. And at the end of the school year, we will present awards for those who made 2007-08 so special, including school of the year, students of the year, coach of the year and athletes of the year. In February, The Alumni will be offering the first $1,500 Colorado High School Student Journalism Scholarship Award for 2008-09. We will start accepting applications for students who are interested in participating in the award. We look forward to hearing from you. From all of us here at The Alumni, we wish you a safe and prosperous new year.

Thank you,

Matthew A. Castilleja CEO/Publisher The Alumni News Agency/The Alumni The Alumni The Alumni

Colorado Department of Education footnotes...Enrollment tops 800,000 but the district also runs an

online school and charters Hope Online Learning Acad-emy, which serves students across the state through learn-ing centers. The 10 largest school dis-tricts in the 2007-2008 school year are Jefferson County Schools (86,182 students), Denver Public Schools (73,053), Douglas County Schools (52,983), Cherry Creek Schools (50,631), Adams 12 Five Star Schools (38,821), Aurora Public Schools (33,573), Colorado Springs School District 11 (29,518), Boulder Valley Schools (28,696), Poudre School District (25,610) and St. Vrain Valley Schools (24,582). Statewide enrollment has grown every year since 1989, when the total stood at 562,755.

The Colorado Department of Education announced that the statewide pupil count for 2007 increased by 8,613 over the previous year, bringing the total to 802,639 students. The 1.08 percent increase brings the state enrollment above 800,000 students for the first time. Most of the growth between 2006 and 2007 occurred in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, where totals surged by 8,039. Grades seven through 12 grew by just 574 students. The districts with the largest student enrollment increases over the past year were: • Douglas County School Dis-trict (up 2,613 since 2006) • Adams 12 Five Star Schools (up 1,480)• Brighton School District 27J (up 1,039)• Cherry Creek Schools (up 947)• St. Vrain Valley School Dis-trict (up 571)• Falcon School District 49 (up 527)• Boulder Valley School Dis-trict (up 525)• Denver Public Schools (up 492)• Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 (up 432). The Charter School Institute also saw an increase of over 1,000 students between 2006 and 2007. Enrollment in char-

ter schools authorized by the institute — an independent agency within the Colorado Department of Education — increased from 2,735 to 4,421. Among the 802,639 students, 61.5 percent (493,378) are white; 27.9 percent (224,250) are Hispanic; 6 percent are black (47,936); 3.5 percent are Asian (27,664) and 1.2 percent are American Indian (9,411). Ten districts have had en-rollment increases of 1,000 students or more since 2003. They are:• Douglas County School Dis-trict — up 10,974 to 52,983• Brighton School District 27J — up 4,324 to 12,608 • Falcon School District 49 — up 4,123 to 12,783 • Adams 12 Five Star Schools — up 3,952 to 38,821 • Cherry Creek Schools — up 3,949 to 50,631• Vilas Re-5 School District — up 3,404 to 3,789 • St. Vrain Valley School Dis-trict — up 2,986 to 24,582 • Academy School District 20 — up 2,340 to 21,423 • Mesa County Valley School District 51 — up 1,103 to 21,308 • Aurora Public Schools — up 1,043 to 33,573 Vilas Re-5 School District enrolls just 76 students as a traditional school district serving its local community

Colo. teacher wins awardEllis Elementary School first-grade teacher Bonnie Staack was named the Colorado De-partment of Education Title I Distinguished Teacher of the Year. Staack was chosen for bringing all her students to grade level or above in reading, writing and mathematics.

— Mark StevensCDE

Colorado’s Authority for High School Academics, Activities and Athletics News2

Newswww.thealumninews.org

Starting this month, Colorado Department of Education Commissioner Dwight Jones will be leading the way for review and revision of the standards. “The discussion is under way and the process will take place statewide, especially at the local level, and should last about a year,” Stevens said. Every year, each school is rated in three different ways: the SAR, the School Accreditation System, and the Federal Adequate Yearly Progress Report. Jo O’Brien,

the assistant commissioner of CDE’s Office of Learning and Results, wants to see these ratings combined into one. “There are three different thermometers every year that schools are measured [by],” O’Brien said. “My personal wish is that there would be a report card that brought all three together, because the results can be confusing. A parent can say, ‘OK, I heard that the federal government didn’t like the fact that minor-ity student ratings didn’t get achieved, but the report card that came from the governor’s office said my school had a rating of excellent improve-ment — now I am confused.’ So that confusion doesn’t fos-ter trust in the system.” O’Brien would like to see some cost-effective form of feedback for the parents on a regular basis. “It would be helpful to have quarterly feed-back, an e-mail or something

Colorado students fare well against other states

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(continued from page 1)

“Thirteen years ago, the Internet was just taking o� , and look at that fact alone... If the standards change, then the tests need to change too.”

Mark StevensCommunications Director

Colorado Department of Education

CDE reviews standards

Colorado above average

become accountable. “There was a time in educa-tion reform and school im-provement that there was not a whole lot of focus on re-sults,” Stevens said. “You had every school district going their own way and deciding what the students needed to learn. In turn, you had Aurora right next to Denver essential-ly teaching two things in per-haps 10 different ways. The whole standards idea said let’s be efficient and let’s have an agreed-upon course of action or course of learning so the students know where they are headed and the teachers know what is to be expected.” In 1994, there was a standards movement nationwide. Then-Colo-rado Gov. Roy Romer helped initiate educa-tion standards, and since 1994 Colorado has gone from hav-ing 21 unsatisfactory schools to just 11. But critics argue that the state is simply “teaching to the test.” “Yeah, we are teaching to the test, because that’s the standard,” Stevens said. “If we know what the standard is, and we are teaching for today’s workplace or for today’s colleges, then our stu-dents will have the right tools and the right skills for what-ever is next for them.” One key point: The state’s standards have not changed since they were initiated more than a decade ago. “Ideas have changed since then,” Stevens said. “Thirteen years ago, the Internet was just tak-ing off, and look at that fact alone on how the standards have changed. If the standards change, then the tests need to change too.”

to tell me how the school’s doing, or how my child’s do-ing. I am not talking about more testing, but there are indicators that can be used,” she said.

Colorado’s students have con-tinued to do very well when compared to the rest of the nation. Last year, a sampling of roughly 12,000 Colorado stu-dents was used in the National Assessment of Educational Progress test — dubbed the “Nation’s Report Card.” Results from the test

showed that Colorado’s students faired above average in three of the four categories tested and scored aver-age in the other. The NAEP is a federal program that assesses what students know in certain subject areas.

The report was established to help assess and compare students between states. “We are ahead of the aver-age nationally, but there is al-ways room for improvement,” Stevens said. The consensus from the Colorado Department of Edu-cation is that parents need to take a more proactive role within their schools. Accord-ing to Stevens, “Understand-ing and knowing what the standards are, and knowing how your student is doing against those standards, are key. “As a parent, you need to go to the school, set up an ap-pointment with the principal and see what can be done to support teacher standards and the educational programs in place.”

For more information,Contact Mark Stevens

303-866-6397

www.thealumninews.org 3

Academics January 2008

2007 CHSAA All-Academic TeamsThe Colorado High School Activities Association released its all-academic teams for the fall season in mid-December. Each team must meet a number of requirements to be considered.

Jan. 16

Baseball Draw

- 8:30 a.m.

Jan. 30

Boys Swimming Draw

- 9:30 a.m.

Jan. 29

Girls Soccer Draw

- 8 a.m.

Jan. 25 - Jan. 26

Speech Festival Tournament

- Heritage High School

Jan. 24 - Jan. 26

CMEA Clinic/Conference

- The Broadmoor

Jan. 24

Board of Control Meeting at the Radisson SE- 8:30 a.m.

Jan. 23

Hall of Fame Banquet at the Radisson SE- 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 22

Equity Committee Meeting - 9:30 a.m.

Jan. 21

Regional Wrestling O� cials Draw

- 1 p.m.

Jan. 21

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

- CHSAA o� ce closed

All- Academic Requirements:

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1. Team must have a 3.2 cumulative (on an unweighted 4.0 scale) or higher grade-point average. Note: Football teams must have a cumula-tive GPA of 3.0 or higher.2. On the nomination form, list only the team aggregate grade-point average. No player names need to be listed.3. All team member cumulative grade-point averages must be consid-ered. The team aggregate cumulative GPA is submitted for nomina-tion. To figure the cumulative GPA, a school would take the grades of each player and figure them the same way the individual’s GPA is determined (i.e., point values for the grades are totaled and divided by the total number of hours taken).4. All classes will be considered for determining the cumulative team GPA.5. Only varsity teams are eligible.6. Boys and girls teams should be separate (i.e. boys cross country, girls cross country).7. Only players’ grade-point averages may be used (managers, team attendants, student trainers should not be included) for inclusion in the award.8. Activity must be CHSAA-sanctioned, including all athletics, speech (festival and tournament), student council and music (orchestra, band and choir).9. Round cumulative GPAs off to the nearest hundredth - example: 3.2110. To be considered a varsity participant for this program, the student must spend 75 percent or more time with the varsity program.

3.853.673.85

School:Boys Cross-Country

School:3A

5A4A

BayfieldMontezuma-Cortez

Denver East

School:Class: GPA:

3.853.673.85

School:Girls Cross-Country

School:3A

5A4A

EatonRock CanyonDenver East

School:Class: GPA:

Student Leadership

1A

2A

4A3A

2A

5A

KarvalEvangelical Christian

Rocky FordBrush

Greeley CentralMountain Vista

3.813.703.703.683.823.79

School:Class: GPA:

3.60School:

Ice HockeySchool:

N/A Ft. CollinsSchool:Class: GPA:

Football

6-Man

1A

2A2A

8-Man

3A

ArickareeVail Christian

BrushBurlington

EatonMoffat County

3.733.193.213.283.283.44

School:Class: GPA:

4A Fountain-Ft. Carson 3.295A Fruita Monument 3.49

3.883.77

School:Boys Golf

School:4A5A

Pueblo CentennialFruita Monument

School:Class: GPA:

3.493.88

School:Gymnastics

School:4A5A

EvergreenChatfield

School:Class: GPA:

3.643.423.46

School:Boys Soccer

School:3A

5A4A

Middle ParkFountain-Ft. Carson

Poudre

School:Class: GPA:

Softball

3A

5A

5A5A

4AWeld CentralRock Canyon

ColumbineAir Academy

Mountain Vista

3.673.763.633.633.63

School:Class: GPA:

Spirit

2A

4A5A

3ACheyenne Wells

Weld Central

MonarchSilver Creek

3.873.804.003.69

School:Class: GPA:

3.833.603.60

School:Boys Tennis

School:4A

5A5A

Weld CentralFruita MonumentMountain Vista

School:Class: GPA:

Volleyball

1A

2A

4A3A

1A

5A

CalicheStratton

BennettSimla

SkylineFruita Monument

3.893.893.883.783.843.80

School:Class: GPA:


CHSAAwww.thealumninews.org

CHSAANotableDates

Top 50 January 2008


Top 50 Colorado High SchoolsCherry Creek tops Grandview for the top spot, as there is a lot of change in the top 10. This year’s School Accountability Reports weigh heavy for all schools who have made the list and those who have fallen out.

Rankings are based on the following criteria:1. Academics2. Activities3. Athletics4. Community Service 5. Sportsmanship

Every high school is eligible for the Top 50

Go online at www.thealumninews.org and tell us why your school should be on the list.

Rankings are determined by a panel of five at The Alumni along with academic information and statistics from the Colorado Department of Education and the help from our partners at the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) with state records and statistics.

... the next 25

26. Faith Christian27. Arapahoe28. Kent Denver29. Cherokee Trail30. Mountain Range31. Mountain View32. Air Academy33. Mountain Vista34. Smoky Hill35. The Vanguard36. D’Evelyn37. Lewis-Palmer38. The Classical Academy39. Denver School Science40. James Irwin Charter41. Pueblo Tech42. Heritage 43. Chatfield44. Simla45. Flagler46. Platte Valley47. Ponderosa48. Alamosa49. Telluride50. Standley Lake

Did you know?

The Colorado Department of Education is

made up of more than 40 units with 300-plus staff members

For more information, go to www.cde.state.co.us

CommentsRank Last Month School

CSCS

Cheyenne Mountain

The Cougars scored an EXCELLENT assessment on the SAR with a rating of 1.50Niwot

Douglas County

Monarch

Berthoud

Boulder

Legacy

Holy Family

Highlands Ranch

Merino

The Bears scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.67

Grandview

Pueblo West

Columbine

2

Ralston Valley

Bear Creek

Loveland

Mullen

Broomfield

Cherry Creek

N/A

Fairview

25

24

23

22

21

20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8 8

5

6

5

4

4

11

14

10

9

N/A

21

N/A

12

18 Eads

17 Akron

7

24

16 Longmont

13 Erie

N/A

N/A

N/A

7

3 6

2 1

1 3

The Wolves’ win at Invesco for the Class 5A state football championship was the school’s first for the boys: a day earlier, cheer won state at the CHSAA spirit championships at the Denver Coliseum

The Bruins scored an EXCELLENT assessment in last month’s Colorado Department of Education’s School Accountability Reports (SAR) with a rating of 1.78

The Mustangs pom team took home the class 4A state title at the Denver Coliseum

On top of one of the state’s highest composite ACT scores, the Knights also scored an EXCELLENT assessment on the SAR with a rating of 1.77

The Mustangs ice hockey team started the season red-hot, as expected, and cheer coach Brian Franca won the Class 4A coach of the year award at the state spirit championshipsThe Huskies almost pulled off a huge win at the Class 5A state football championship against Grandview, finishing as runner-up, but the school’s coed cheer squad took home a state title for Class 4A/5A

The Eagles scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.92 and the school’s pom squad won the Class 4A title at the state spirit championshipsThe Indians scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.91 and will send 51 percent of their seniors to a four-year college

The Lightning scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.76 and the boys basketball team got off to a solid start

The Rebels scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.72

The Falcons scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 1.05

The Panthers scored an EXCELLENT assessment on the SAR with a rating of 1.42

What an impressive run to the Class 4A state football title for the Cyclones

Eventhough the Coyotes lost to Pueblo West in the Class 4A state football championship, the school did score an EXCELLENT assessment on the SAR with a rating of 1.39The Tigers finished runner-up in cheer at the Class 3A state spirit championships to Buena Vista

The Eagles scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.91

The Rams scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.69

The Colorado Springs Christian Lions have the largest enrollment for a private Christian school in the state

The Rams scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.98

The Trojans scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.73

The Tigers coed cheer team won the Class 3A title at the spirit championships

Talk about a school that has had their ups and downs. The Spartans won the Class 3A state football championship on Dec. 1 and scored a HIGH assessment on the SAR with a rating of 0.79

The Indians scored an EXCELLENT assessment on the SAR with a rating of 1.70

Pro� leSchool: Justice High School (JHS)Location: 1777 6th Street, Boulder, Colo.Founded: 2002Mascot: PhoenixColors: Navy blue, Columbia blue and whiteClassification: 1ADistrict: Boulder Valley School District # RE2Conference: IndependentEnrollment: 82Principal: Tijani [T.J.] ColeAthletic Director: Maurice HenriquesRival: Maranatha ChristianFaculty: The faculty of Justice High School is made up of eight full-time certified teachers along with business professionals, volunteers, graduate students and student teachers. The student/faculty ratio is 13:1.

The Alumni School of the Month: Justice High School

Justice High School is located in the Boulder County Justice Center. The Alumni/Sta�

JHS Principal Tijani ColeThe Alumni/Sta�

JHS Athletic Director Maurice Henriques The Alumni/Sta�

Rising above the ordinary to achieve the impossible.” That is the

motto students at Justice High School in Boulder try to live by while attending school based out of the Boulder County Justice Center. Founded in 2000 by Tijani Cole, Justice High School was established to help at-risk youth get a second chance at graduating high school. Most of the students who are en-rolled at Justice have been ex-pelled from the high schools they attended previously or have had run-ins with the law. “Starting this school was a stiff task,” said Cole, now the school’s principal. “I had al-ready done it before, so I had spent a lot of time developing and creating other schools and curriculums. Here, I wanted to fine-tune some things that I wanted to see done differently and improve upon.” Cole helped start Boulder

Prep High School, then turned his focus to Justice to help youth who weren’t given enough opportunities to suc-ceed, he said. “Obviously youth in many communities do not have enough resources. We created Justice to try to breach the gap for kids who didn’t have the proper re-sources for education,” Cole said.

Besides creating additional opportunities for youth in Colorado, Cole said the prop-er establishment and structure for at-risk youth are important for the students to succeed. “What these kids really need is consistency,” he said. “In order to do so, you need pas-sionate, high-energy people who will take what these kids throw at you and let it bounce off and say, ‘OK, let’s get back to education.’ ” Justice High School pro-vides a curriculum designed for pre-Advanced Placement

instruction and offers a num-ber of programs such as the Business and Entrepreneur Program that gives students a chance to apply classroom instruction to real-life job op-portunities. “We are not much differ-ent than anybody else, but what we try do to is gear our kids to be more college prep-oriented,” Cole noted. “One

of the things I teach in my classroom is called FIRAC a learning comprehension skill used by lawyers to help break down key facts, important issues and interpret rules. This skill helps the students break down long readings and analyze the key points of the readings.” Other programs include moot court, a drama program and Colorado High School Activities Association activi-ties basketball, cross-country, football, spirit and tennis. Justice High School Athletic

Director Maurice Henriques said athletics are not just about wins and losses. “When the kids just show up, it’s a win,” he said. “We are help-ing kids who have had parents and schools who have quit on these kids. Having a second chance and being in such a small school allows these kids to experience these activities.” The most prudent char-acteristic of Justice High School is the setting where the school operates. Many of the school’s classrooms are located inside courtrooms on the northern wing of the Boul-der County Justice Center. Before classes even start, students must walk through metal detectors located at the entrance of the building guarded by county officers. It’s an unlikely beginning to any student’s day, but for those who attend Justice High School, this serves as a con-stant reminder of where they have been and what they are accomplishing. “I think the reason why schools like Boulder Prep and Justice are successful is because, at the end of the day, the kids believe that no matter how tough we are on them, they know you care,” Cole said. “That is what keeps these kids coming back.”

“We created Justice to try to breach the gap for kids who didn’t have the proper resources for education.”

T.J. ColePrincipal

Justice High School

Unique setting, no-quit motto de� ne Phoenix

By Ryan RussoThe Alumni


Sponsored Bywww.ColoradoMortgageFunder.com

School of the Month

7

Male Student of the Month Female Student of the MonthName: Dion MartinezSchool: JHSGrade: SeniorGPA: 3.0Activities: Basketball, football and moot courtCollege interests: “Somewhere in Colorado — this is home for me and my son.”

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Students of the Month

Name: Lolita Respects NothingSchool: JHSGrade: SeniorGPA: 3.0Activities: Basketball and tennisCollege interests: Fort Lewis College

Dion Martinez had a good reason to grow up: Junior was counting on him. A senior at Justice High School in Boulder, Martinez is a new father. The birth of Dion Martinez Jr. forced Dion into a

relationship he had no experience with. “I didn’t have a dad to show me how to ride a bike or shoot a jump shot or this is right or this is wrong,” Martinez said. “If I had someone to coach me through all the bad choices that I had made in my life, it would have turned out differently. But I know if I am not there for my son, he will miss out on the same teachings.” After enduring some tough times in his childhood, Martinez has found a niche at Justice, putting in solid academic work while pursuing basketball and other activities. “When I think about things now, I think about my son first,” Martinez said. “It was tough going to school and having a kid. I had to adjust to taking care of him and working to pay child support and participating in extracurricular activities. I’m still a kid, but I have to be a father first, and I have to put a lot of things aside.” Martinez encountered Justice several years ago when he was having trouble with the law and not attending school. He says he owes everything to Justice High School Principal Tijani (T.J) Cole. “T.J. found me a place to go,” Martinez said. “When I first came to court, I expressed my desire for athletics, and Justice was the perfect fit for me. … I look up to T.J. because he runs the school, has a family and is a judge. T.J. is a great role model to look up to.” Many of the students who attend Justice come from troubled pasts, especially with the law. Martinez said the students believe they can move away from their pasts and succeed in life. “I have been at Justice for five years,” he said. “This is a great school, a school of opportunity. Justice gives the kids here a chance to succeed. If you were to tell the same kids here a couple of years ago that they would graduate, they would have called you a liar. “If you look at our wall of fame and see all the kids who have done such good things and kept going, you’d be hard-pressed to think that, at one time, these same kids were deemed by society as at-risk or delinquents.”Martinez participates in moot court, an extracurricular activity simulating court proceedings, usually including drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. “I want to be a lawyer. That is what I want to do when I go to college. I started competing in moot court when I was a freshman and I have been doing it ever since,” Martinez said. Martinez also plays basketball and football. “I love the competitive nature of basketball,” he said. “I like the team spirit of moving the ball around with five guys on the floor, and we have a good team, so that makes playing so much better.” Martinez wants to study pre-law but would consider becoming a counselor or probation officer for kids who have walked the same path as he once did. “I want to stay in Colorado because that is important to me,” Martinez said. “My major goal is to graduate high school first, but eventually I want to get a degree in something so my son can live a good life and have his dad there. I want to one day be able to look at my son and look back at my life and say I did that, and be proud of what I have accomplished.”

Justice High School senior Lolita Respects Nothing had been through a lot before finding a home at the charter school based at the foot of the Flatirons in Boulder. Basketball has proven to be the one constant throughout her life that will allow her move on to the next

level of competition when she attends Fort Lewis College. Seven-sixteenth American Indian, Respects Nothing will receive full tuition and play basketball when she attends college next fall in Durango. “At first I didn’t think I was going to go to college, I thought I was going to go to the Air Force after high school,” she said. “But then I was sent to Justice and T.J. [Principal Tijani Cole] helped me get on my feet and I started to play basketball and a lot of good things started to happen in my life. “This school has helped me get back on track. As soon as I came here, I started attending class every day and doing my work and I started to get better grades.” Respects Nothing has always found motivation from her grandfather, Woodrow Respects Nothing, who inspired her to pursue her dreams. “I have always wanted to make my grandpa proud. He had been the only father figure I had ever had in my life. He taught me a lot — how to ride a horse, change a tire — and he would always tell me about his old war stories.”

Unfortunately, her grandfather passed away last year, a day before his 84th birthday. But she says because of his influence in her life, her grandfather will never truly be gone. “I know he would be proud of what I have accomplished,” she said. Respects Nothing moved to Colorado from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation located between Wounded Knee and Manderson in southwest South Dakota, where most of her family now resides. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is one of the largest in the United States and is home to the Oglala Sioux, a tribe established in 1889. Her name Respects Nothing comes from her great-great-grandfather, when his name was translated into English while being moved to a reservation in South Dakota many years ago. The name means “fears nothing” in American Indian. Respects Nothing aspires to be in the Women’s National Basketball Association. “I have dreamed to play in the WNBA since I was a little girl,” she said. Before attending Justice, she attended North High School and later Arvada West High School. She plans on majoring in sports medicine at Fort Lewis College — a notion that appeared unfathomable just a short time ago. Respects Nothing is grateful toward her mentors and the staff at Justice who helped her change her life and reach for her dreams. “None of this,” she said, “would have been possible without their help.”

“This school helped me get back on track. As soon as I came here, I started attending class every day.”

Lolita Respects NothingJustice High School

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Keri Trimble after receiving the CSCA Coach of the Year award at the state spirit championships. The Alumni/Sta�

Like the teams and classes she helps orchestrate, Keri Trimble is not afraid

of the hard work. “What people don’t realize is that these squads work dou-ble time because they cheer and support every activity during the entire school year,” Trimble said. “Whether it is cheer, dance or pom, these teams practice and compete all year long.” Trimble’s energy was a major reason why her peers named her the 2007 Colorado Spirit Coaches Association Coach of the Year. “I feel really honored,” Trimble said after receiving her plaque at the 2007 state

spirit championships in No-vember. “There are so many amazing coaches and every-thing I have learned I have learned from all of them. … For my peers to recognize me by choosing me for this award means the world.” CSCA Coach of the Year candidates are nominated at the end of each season by a committee of coaches throughout the state, who then narrow down the field to five finalists. The coach of the year is then determined by a vote by every coach in the state. “Winning this award means so much to me,” Trimble said. “I would not be here if it were not for my family and friends and for those who have sup-ported me throughout my career.” Born and raised in Colo-rado, Trimble is a graduate of Heritage High School in Littleton. Now married and a mother of two 10-year-olds, Britta and Taylor, Trimble

began her teaching career 17 years ago in California and has taught English for 14 years and spirit for nine. For the past seven years, she has taught and coached at Moun-tain Vista High School — as the dance and fitness instruc-tor for the past three years and head pom coach for the past five years. Trimble helped open the high school in the 2001-02 school year and says much of the school’s success is due to community support. “It has been so fun to watch our school grow,” she said. “I re-member our first year we only filled up one pod of the entire school, and now we are this giant school with over 2,000 students. None of it would have been possible if it were not for the parents and the strong support of everyone in the area. Our success is also a tribute to the Continental Conference and the Douglas County School District.” Last year, Trimble coached

The Alumni Coach of the Month: Keri Trimble

her pom squad to the Class 5A state pom championship as well as a fifth-place finish at nationals at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. This year, Trimble’s pom squad took home confer-ence and regional titles but fell short of qualifying for the Class 5A finals, eventu-ally won by Grandview High School. “This year was a rough year. We had to fight through a lot of adversity, but we continued to cheer for the other teams who did qualify for finals and I am happy to say our girls were gracious and wonder-ful spectators,” Trimble said. “We are going to continue to get better and better.” Mountain Vista’s cheer team did take home its second

consecutive state champion-ship. Trimble is excited for the future of spirit and says the sport has so much potential. “It is crazy to think that our sport was not recognized as a sport until last year,” she said. “Our state has so many great coaches — we are really the state that the nation looks up to. Colorado is becoming a front-runner for spirit, our schools are well-represented at nationals, and we had 14 teams from Colorado compete last year.” Despite her success as a teacher and coach, Trimble says her kids in and out of the classroom will always come first. “I will always look for what’s best for the kids,” she said, “and that’s the best rec-ognition I can ever receive.”

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Serving willingly, and proudly

Greg Alexie had made up his mind. He was going to leave college and

join the U.S. Marine Corps. That decision has led the 2004 Longmont High School graduate halfway around the world. And with no regrets. Alexie left MidAmerica Nazarene University in Kan-sas after one year to join the Marines and fulfill a lifelong dream. “It’s a good experience,” Alexie said while on leave Dec. 27. “I think every male coming out of high school should do it. That’s how I was raised. People have done it for you. It’s respecting what they have done, and I’m doing it for people younger than me.” Alexie already has done a tour in Iraq. In May, he’ll be heading to Afghanistan. It’s a far cry from playing NAIA collegiate football for MidAmerica Nazarene. His grandparents had used personal funds to pay most of Alexie’s tuition. He took advantage of that opportunity for a year, then decided col-lege wasn’t for him.. “All my college was paid for and [friends] asked me why the hell I did it,” Alexie said. “It wasn’t too appealing for me. I just did it to play football. It wasn’t all I wanted to do.” His grandparents echoed his friends’ sentiments, telling him not to leave school. But Alexie had made up his mind. “Me being me, if I decide

Then Greg Alexie was a standout football player at Longmont High School from 2000-04. Courtesy/Alexie family

Now Greg Alexie now serves in the military where he aspires to become a sergeant. Courtesy/Alexie family

something, it’s going to hap-pen,” he said. “There’s noth-ing that can stop me. If I put my mind to it, it’s going to happen.” His seven months in Iraq were busy in the al-Anbar province. “You’re always told by intel that there were suicide bombers,” Alexie said. “We’d be on the lookout — stop all of them you thought was the kind of vehicle that might have IEDs [improved explo-sive devices]. Most of the time it was IEDs on the side or under the road and in trees. They had them everywhere.” It was definitely different from what Alexie was used to. “At first you’re nervous and scared the first year,” he said. “Then a couple of IEDs go off and it gets to the point you get angry that people put them out there. And then you get complacent.” Alexie, 21, wasn’t compla-cent during the holidays while in Longmont. He savored a very special present in De-cember. On Christmas Eve, he proposed to his girlfriend, Kelli Martin. Alexie had asked Martin’s father for permission to pro-pose. Then on Christmas Eve, after spending an evening with her family and before

crazy because of the moun-tains. “A sniper can stop a whole division almost. You can’t see where they’re at. So it’ll be exciting, something new.” Alexie is a lance corporal in the Marines. In December, he took a test to try and become a corporal, missing by a mere four points. His goal is to be-come a sergeant by the time his four-year active contract is up. With nearly two years remaining on that contract, he has a good chance of achiev-ing that goal. He and Martin have wed-ding plans for May 2009. By then, he’d be four months shy of leaving the Corps or re-en-listing. He’s not sure what his decision will be. “Every day I think about staying in or getting out,” he said. If he stays in, he’d like to be a drill instructor. If he opts out, he might pursue a career as a state patrolman. For now, he’ll enjoy his time with the Corps, the good times and the bad. “I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he said. “It’s the experience of my life. It’s 90 percent bad and 10 percent good. But the good times make the whole Marine Corps worth it.”

heading to his grandparents’ house, Alexie found the op-portunity. “I presented the gift to her in my room,” he said. “That’s the way I wanted it. Not in front of a lot of people.” She accepted the proposal. “I’ve known her since fourth grade,” he said. “I wanted to date her then. I have a little letter I wrote to her in fourth grade.” For the past seven months, Alexie has been stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. He and Martin have been able to spend a reasonable amount of time together despite the distance. He was given leave for the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. And she’s vis-ited him in California twice:

once to accompany him to the Marine Corps Ball and an-other time for fun. But on Jan. 2, Alexie head-ed back to Camp Pendleton. When May rolls around, he’ll be back on a ship headed overseas. “She doesn’t want me to get deployed again,” Alexie said. “But I’ve got to go out and do my job.” He said from what he’s heard, situations in Afghani-stan are different from Iraq.“Right now it’s pretty crazy,” Alexie said. “It’s a lot differ-ent from Iraq. Iraq is pretty quiet because of all the suc-cess we’ve had. We’re getting rid of the insurgents, helping build roads, helping the po-litical system. Afghanistan is

Then Now• Two-year letterman in football at Longmont High School• Graduated from Longmont in 2004• Attended MidAmerica Nazarene University, Kan.

• Joined the U.S. Ma-rine Corps in 2005•Lance corporal in U.S. Marine Corps, E-3 in Marines• Goal of becoming a sergeant

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Longmont grad � nds career in Marines

By Scott KaniewskiThe Alumni

Then & Now

Pro� leName: Luke WittySchool: Frederick High SchoolFrederick High SchoolDate of birth: April 26, 1990Grade: Senior GPA: 2.93Sport: Basketball, footballYears lettered: (4) basketball, (3) footballHobbies: Hanging out with friends and teammates

Frederick senior Luke Witty has been a two-sport standout in basketball and football for the Warriors. The Alumni/Sta�

him go to 15 feet.” Then came a basketball camp before Luke started eighth grade. He remembers it quite clearly. “The first time, I was at Mesa [State College] camp,” Luke said. He describes a scenario in which he was playing a game: “I got the ball and shot it and I looked down where I was. I was behind the three-point line. I looked over at my dad and I had a scared look on my face.” The response was quite the opposite of what Luke an-ticipated. “He was like, ‘Hey, you made it,’ ” Luke said. Luke, now a senior with the Class 4A Warriors, is using his shots from everywhere to help Frederick thrive. Through mid-December, he was averaging 29.1 points per game. He’s scored at least 30 points five times this season, including a career-high 35 against Greeley Central on Dec. 11. That training growing up has proved fruitful. Terry said his son, who plays guard/for-ward, is shooting over 50 per-cent from the field inside the arc. He is making 3-pointers

at a 30-percent clip. “When he was an eighth-grader, I started letting him practice the three-pointer,” Terry said. “He hat-ed it that all his buddies were shooting the three.” Terry said holding back on the three until Luke was ready “made his shot.” “A lot of kids develop bad habits,” the coach said. “I wouldn’t let him do that until he was strong enough to shoot that and not change his shot to shoot it.” At 17, Luke understands why his dad trained him the way he did. And he’s thankful for it. “I didn’t really mind that much because I trusted him,” Luke said. “He was a high school coach. When I was little, he was worried about me throwing the ball and not shooting it. I’m glad he did that now.” Despite ranking first in Class 4A in scoring and first overall among players in all classes with at least four games played, Luke hasn’t received a lot of college inter-est. Not in basketball at least. Luke was named all-confer-ence in the Tri-Valley Confer-ence in football this fall.

At 6-foot-3, he makes for an attractive receiver and has re-ceived letters of interest from several colleges for football. But for the boy who grew up with a basketball coach for a father, Luke’s true love re-mains roundball. He said he’d rather play college basketball than college football. While Terry said he tries to remain realistic, several peo-ple have told him that Luke could play Division 1 college basketball. “I’ve heard from other people, officials and other coaches, that he might be Di-vision 1 material,” Terry said. “It makes you proud.” Grades won’t be a problem when Luke does decide on a school to attend. At Frederick, he is carrying a 2.93 grade-point average. And Luke is showing he can handle pressure. He is the only returning starter from last year’s team that reached the 4A state tournament. The Warriors are depending on him — and he is responding. Luke said the competition has been tougher than last season. “It was easier last year when we moved up to 4A, and they didn’t know who we were,” Luke said. “But this year,

everyone kind of knows I can shoot. I have to work a lot harder.” The Warriors were 2-5 (1-2 in the Northern League) on Dec. 17. In their first seven games, he was held to fewer than 20 points just once, a 17-point effort in a loss to league opponent Fort Morgan. Terry knows this season will only get harder for Luke. Terry said defenses know they have to stop his son, but it’s easier said than done. “With Fort Morgan, they had scouted us or knew from last year his strengths and weaknesses and how to stop him and to stop the other players,” the coach said. “Be-fore that, people knew who they wanted to stop but hadn’t seen him to know how to stop him. We’ll have to counter that and defend against the things that they did. And hopefully if other teams pick up on it, we can figure out a way to get him more active and involved so they can’t sag off on him.” Luke knows that it means more hard work. But that hard work has paid off throughout his life. Even if it means not shooting the three until he gets the OK.

The Alumni Male Athlete of the Month: Luke Witty

Growing up as the son of a basketball coach, Luke Witty was given a rule

as a kid — don’t shoot the 3-pointer. Witty’s father and coach, Terry, told his son he could shoot only 2-pointers, whether in practice, at camps or in games. First it was 10-foot shots. Then an older Luke was allowed to work on 15-foot-ers. As Luke grew older and hit middle school, his friends started chucking up threes. It was fun, a feat of strength, a rite of passage for 11- or 12-year-olds. Terry, the Frederick High School boys basketball coach, said, “I wouldn’t let him shoot the three. I wouldn’t let him go outside 10 feet when he was younger. Then he got some more strength and I let

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Athlete of the Month

Pro� leName: Brittany LongSchool: Faith ChristianDate of birth: Sept. 29, 1989Grade: SeniorGPA: 3.5Sport: BasketballYears lettered: (4) basketballCollege commitment: Regis University Regis University

Faith Christian senior Brittany Long enjoys camping and anything outdoors when she is not on the court. The Alumni/Sta�

The Alumni Female Athlete of the Month: Brittany Long

Ask Brittany Long to speak about herself and Faith Christian’s bas-

ketball senior guard hesitates. Her tone resonates an unwill-ingness to talk, let alone brag, about her game. But her stats reveal a game worth talking about. Through six games, she is one of the top scorers in the state, pumping in 25.2 points per game and is shooting 82.1 percent from the free-throw line for an Eagles team ranked second in Class 3A. But ask her about her team and words of praise hit the listener’s ear more frequently than Long knocks down jump shots. Her voice spikes with excitement and rips with gen-uine appreciation.

“We’re a really close group of girls and everyone has the same goal in mind,” Long said. “Everyone’s willing to come to practice, work hard, compete and push each other, which is the coolest thing, to be in practice with each other, knowing we can push each other and work hard.” Ask Faith Christian head coach Debbie Candelaria about Long’s-game and she can speak plenty about a com-plete package that features a solid jump shot, an intense drive to the basket, a great in-between game and excellent court-vision. Ask Candelaria about Brittany Long the per-son and she raves about solid character and unselfishness. “She has the biggest heart for God and for others. She just desires to show that in her life,” said Candelaria, who emphasizes Long’s passion for faith, family and friends as paramount to her life. “She’s not just talking, she’s also walking that. That’s some-thing everyone needs to know about her.” After finishing 22-6 in 2006-07 with a season-ending

loss in the second round of the state tournament, Faith Chris-tian recognizes a state title as goal No. 1. “It was an emotional roller-coaster because our boys had lost the night before and we were really close with the boy’s team, so it affected our team when we got on the floor,” Long said of last year’s state loss. “It was heart-breaking because we knew we had the talent, we just were dead on the court. It was disappointing coming out of that game knowing we could have done so much bet-ter, but we just fell apart.” With each season, Long has raised her scoring average and her profile in the local basket-ball scene. Committed to play college ball at Regis Univer-sity next year, she is acutely aware that her last chance to capture a high school state championship is upon her. “Ever since I was a fresh-man, we’ve been in the state playoffs, but last year defi-nitely hit me by watching se-niors who I was really close to and saying, “Wow, they never have that chance again,” Long said. “Being a senior this year, it really hit me that I love this

so much and a state champi-onship is definitely my aim. It has definitely impacted how I practice and how the whole team practices.” But Long is about more than intense practices and title aspirations. As Candelaria at-tests, Long has earned a repu-tation as the team prankster, masterminding team missions to cover houses in toilet pa-per, among other things. Can-delaria’s home was recently the target for a thorough dous-ing of the white stuff. “None of the girls will own up to it, but I am solidly convinced that the girls toilet-papered my house. It was, by far, the best and the worst toi-let-paper job I have ever seen in my life. It looked like it had snowed,” Candelaria said. “To this day, I know it was them and I know that Brit-tany was the spearhead. She is always up for playing a prank on someone and she is always the spearhead, and she always gets away with it.” Candelaria has reason to be lenient. She calls Long one of the top-five basketball players she as coached or played with or against. No small praise from a woman who played

hoops for Vanguard Univer-sity in Southern California. “The tools and the mechan-ics that she has, especially at her age, are unbelievable. Every team that we play, they know who Brittany Long is and they know, “We’ve got to take her away.” Despite that, she still manages to move in-credibly without the ball and she works hard getting posi-tion on people,” Candelaria said. Long fits the mold of a Dis-ney-esque character almost to the level of cliché: an incred-ibly gifted, genuinely team-first athlete well-mannered beyond her years without any disdain toward a sport that sometimes comes from having played it since child-hood. The “riding off into the sunset” moment of this script would be a state title for the Eagles and vast potential for Long’s future on and off the court. “The team goal is a state championship, for sure,” Candelaria said. “She’s a player you don’t forget. She’s definitely going to make an impact in this world and I’m excited to see it. She’s got a big vision.”

Senior guard is Long on talent, Long on potential

By Kyle GarrattThe Alumni

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No fuedin’ in this Family

Last year, reaching the state playoffs meant a successful season for the Holy

Family High School girls basketball team. It meant the Tigers the Tigers were one of the best eight teams in the state in Class 3A. This season, that won’t be good enough. The Tigers are 9-0 to start the season and have high as-pirations. “Everyone wants to win state,” said Dori Gills, a

senior averaging more than 14 points per game. Senior Jessica Gittner leads the Tigers in scoring. Her 111 points as of Jan. 7 ranked eighth in the state in Class 3A. She also leads the team in assists and rebounds. “She makes all her team-mates around her better,” Holy Family coach Ron Rossi said. “She leads her team.” Gittner, a two-time first-team, all-Metro player, has made a con-certed effort to put up more points.“I’m try-ing to be more assertive,” Gittner said. “I’m shooting when I’m open.” Gittner (15.9 points per game) is one of four players averaging in double figures for the Tigers. That wealth-sharing could be a byproduct of team camaraderie. The night before every game, the Tigers gather at a players parents’ house for dinner. Whether it’s a meal of pizza, submarine sandwiches

or ravioli, the dinners have brought the team closer. “You get to see everyone off the court,” said captain Sara Sza-bo. “You talk and hang out.” Gills said there is a distinct closeness to the team. “We’re more positive,” Gills said. “We have more of a team at-titude.” The dinners also help the

parents, Rossi said. “The par-ents get to see the kids in an-other light,” Rossi said. “And the kids get to see how other people live.” Holy Family also is benefit-ing from an influx of fresh-man talent. Sarah Talmanez has taken over the starting point guard position, and Tay-lor Helbig is the first guard off the bench for the Tigers. Talmanez is averaging 10

points per game. “They han-dle the pressure really well,” Gittner said. Rossi knew he was getting some talented players. “We just had to see if they could play at the varsity level,” he said. It’s not just the starters that Holy Family has to rely on. “If our starters’ play is off,

our bench players always step in,” Gills said. “Jessica and Dori are our most dominant play-ers,” Szabo add-ed. “But we have a strong bench.” Over the sum-mer, Holy Family played in tourna-

ments that included teams from Class 5A and 4A. The Tigers were competitive with those teams, defeating sev-eral. That success is transferring to the regular season. Holy Family won the Yuma Tour-nament Jan. 5 and has scored at least 60 points in all but two games. In addition to a scorching high-scoring offense, the

Tigers have improved their defense. Holy Family has yet to allow a team to score 40 points. The Tigers held Yuma to 21 points in the January tournament and held Alameda to 12 earlier in the season. The Tigers are playing more man-to-man defense. Holy Family’s talent level has allowed it to forgo solely playing zone defense, Rossi said. The Tigers also The Tigers also can run multiple defenses. “We change up the defense a lot, from a full-court press to half-court,” Rossi said. With league play approach-ing, the Tigers are preparing for a higher-intensity game, especially with hopes of a deep playoff run. Said Gittner, “We play every game like it’s our last.” While the Tigers were at a summer camp in Fort Col-lins, the team talked about last year’s effort and the 2007-08 season. The Class 3A state finals will be at the same site as the summer camp in Fort Collins. “We want to come back,” Rossi said, “and play on that floor.”

Close-knit Tigers roar to 9-0 start


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At Denver Street, on-court success is just part of the equation

By Kyle GarrattThe Alumni

Most sports fans are familiar with the idea of a raw athlete.

Coaches and analysts refer to such an individual as unpol-ished, usually implying that said athlete is blessed with a plethora of athletic talent and physical gifts but lacks tech-nique or has character issues. If this description applies to a team, the Denver Street School boys basketball team fits the mold. Denver Street School pro-vides education for at-risk and troubled youths in Denver who might have been kicked out of another school or had other behavioral or family is-sues. As a result, the school’s students typically have ex-perienced less structure and

instruction than the average high school student, both in the classroom and on the court. “You just don’t have as ex-tensive of an engagement or involvement of parents with their kids in sports at such an early age in the inner city as you do in the suburbs,” said Tom Tillapaugh, founder and executive director of Denver Street School. “By the time they are in junior high or high school, sub-urban kids have played organized team sports for many, many years, whereas in the urban setting you don’t always have that.” Denver Street School, a Class 1A school, has two campuses — an East campus in Aurora and West campus in Lakewood — teaching about 100 students total. Tillapaugh founded the school in 1985 and other cities began dupli-cating the model, giving birth to the National Association of Street Schools, which now has 40 member schools. “It’s purposely small. The street school model is one that you have no more than a ten

2 record through Jan. 10 and finished last year with a 19-1 record. Two players, Eric Swift and Christian Lewis, average 25 points per game, and some of the season’s sta-tistical comparisons look as if they came from a video game that was played on the “easy” setting: the team has out-re-bounded opponents 299 to 68;

dished out 125 as-sists while allowing opponents only 17; and man-aged a 101 to 12 advantage in steals. Earlier this season, Street beat Ponderosa

High School, a Class 5A school. “A lot of our players are great athletes,” Galanaugh said. “We typically have two potential [college] Division 1 players on our team.” Getting those players ready for college goes beyond ad-vancing who they are on the court. “The majority of the kids that we have made some bad decisions and are just trying to navigate through their lives in the inner city,” Galanaugh said. “So we have to try and

get them to think more with their heads instead of their emotions.” Getting the kids in school is the first step, then basketball serves as motivation. The players have to maintain a C average in each of their class-es to play in games. “I didn’t go to school for my first three years of high school,” said Rick Morales, a senior point guard. “I was making the wrong choices with the wrong people. My brother went to this school and he told me to check it out. They wanted me to play basketball for them, and over here you can’t play if you’re not passing all your classes. That’s why I came back to school, to play basketball.” Denver Street School’s on-court success is impressive, but the ultimate goal is to serve as a means to education. “I want to win every game, but I don’t care if we win a game,” Tillapaugh said. “It’s more important that they learn and grow than win.” A few raw athletes will be transformed into polished citizens. “In my old school we had 7,000 [students] and about 40 a class,” said Peterly Celestin, a junior small forward. “I was just messing around and never went to class. I just decided to come to the Street School and think about my future.”

to one [students to teacher] ratio in the classroom,” Til-lapaugh said. The small classroom size and unique school concept provide for an intimate teach-ing environment, if not a deep bench or teammates who are deeply familiar with one an-other. “There hasn’t been one year

when we’ve had more than two returning players, which is kind of a drag, but that’s the nature of the beast,” head coach Jim Galanaugh said. “Our fifth starter just turned 14, so we don’t have the numbers or the depth that you have at a bigger school,” Til-lapaugh added. Despite the lack of able bodies or classical basketball training, the Bulldogs manage to not only compete, but also enjoy great success, thanks in large part to some talented players. The team owns a 10-

A winning attitude hits the Street

“I want to win every game, but I don’t care if we win a game... It’s more important that they learn and grow than win.”

Tom TillapaughFounder and executive director

The Denver Street School


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Basketball January 2008


Ralston roarin’ as icers seek redemption

Title game loss serves as motivating factor


Last year still stings the Ralston Valley High School hockey team.

The top seed in last year’s playoff, Ralston reached the championship game but fell short against No. 3 Aspen. A number of talented se-niors graduated, leaving the Mustangs to wonder what this season had in store. So far, so good. The Mustangs, in just their second season, were 8-0-1 after a 3-1 victory over Chat-

field in their Foothills Confer-ence opener Jan. 4. Defenseman and captain Connor Knutson knows what it’s going to take to get back to the title game. The senior was there last year when the team lost to Aspen 1-0 in the title game. “We lost a lot of good kids last year, a lot of skill players,” Knutson said Jan. 4. “This year … everyone wants it.” Junior Graham Smith, a captain, likes the makeup of the Mustangs. “We lost a lot of seniors, but it feels a bit more of a team this year,” Smith said. “The chem-istry is there.” That chemistry was on dis-play in the win over Chatfield. All facets of the game were clicking. From the start, the Mustangs flexed their physi-cal play when Knutson flat-tened Chatfield forward Mat-thew Anthone. The defense held the Chargers to eight

shots, while the power-play unit scored twice. Assistant coach Steve Gustafson sounded like his players when asked about the chemistry of this year’s team. “Last year, we looked for a few guys to carry us,” Gus-tafson said. “This year, night in and night out, it’s another

guy. They get along really well. You can see it on the ice, off the ice, in the locker room.” Goalie Adam Lucas sur-rendered just one goal in the Chatfield game. The Mus-tangs face a problem most teams would envy. They have three goaltenders who could start for most teams. Lucas, a junior, is battling with seniors

Sebastian Trujillo and Matt Hardiek for the starting job.Gustafson doesn’t mind hav-ing three great goalies. “It doesn’t happen often,” Gustafson said. “We’re just trying to give them some im-portant games.” Last season, Hardiek led the Mustangs to the championship

game. This year, the Mus-tangs coaches haven’t com-mitted to a No. 1 goaltender. Lucas gave up one goal on eight shots vs. Chatfield and made a great save on Char-

gers forward Kyle Kube. Lu-cas had to do the splits to stop Kube, but he kicked away the shot to keep the score 1-0. “We have great goaltend-ing,” said Knutson, who scored his second goal of the season that game. Knutson’s solid play has fortified a strong defensive unit. “They like playing de-fense,” Gustafson said. “Some

kids, all they want to do is score and see their names in the scorelines. But they aren’t like that. They don’t want to give up a shot.” Smith, who scored his sev-enth goal of the season against Chatfield, has to go up against his defense every practice. He knows how tough it is to try to beat them. “Our defense is great,” he said. “They’re very strong. It’s nice we can rely on them. One-on-one, they are tough.” With league play recently under way, it’s still a long way before the postseason and another shot at a state championship. But with the way they’ve been playing, and with strength in every part of their game, it won’t be a surprise if the Mustangs find themselves back in an envi-able position. Gustafson likes this team at least as much as last year’s state runner-ups. “They don’t give up,” Gus-tafson said. “We have a lot of guys who know what it takes. They don’t want to settle for silver again.”

“We have a lot of guys who know what it takes. They don’t want to settle for silver again.”

Steve GustafsonAssistant coach

Ralston Valley High School

Ice Hockeywww.thealumninews.org

another four to six.” Smartt, the catalyst be-hind Fairview’s success, has pushed his team to set goals daily. And reach them. “He’s definitely hard and he doesn’t give in to complain-ing, but he does it in a way where you feel that you are benefiting from it,” freshman Caroline Patterson said. Smartt has created an en-vironment of progress and personal growth that allows his athletes to perform at their best. The Knights recently placed second behind Cherry Creek High School at the Colorado Invitational, the second-larg-est meet during the regular season. State finals are set for Feb. 14-16 in Fort Collins, and Smartt said a strong team — not just strong individuals — will be a key ingredient to winning. “Our chances at state will depend heavily on the team’s depth” Smartt said, “Along with senior Sophie Lucas, we have many swimmers who have the ability to place in the top eight in their individual races.” Senior captain Jillian Smith has the Knights focused on

Team depth carries Fairview to state

By Renee TorresThe Alumni

Versatile Lady Knights pose a threat

Check out the prac-tice pool of the Fairview Knights girls swim team at

the South Boulder Recreation Center and you can’t help notice the state qualifier and state champion banners of years past. The banners serve as a re-minder of the excellence the Knight faithful have grown accustomed to. “We already have 16 girls who have qualified for state in at least one individual event,” said Fairview coach Bob Smartt, “and we expect

camaraderie and unity as well as doing all the small things. “As a captain, I need to make sure that we work hard at ev-ery practice,” Smith said. Senior Mackenzie Patterson is attempting to achieve a personal goal that has yet to be accomplished. Patterson swims only in summer meets, while most athletes swim year-round. She hopes to be-come the first summer-only swimmer to finish in the top

16 in the state in the 200-yard individual medley. “The time for the top 16 last year was 2.16, and my time was 2.18,” Patterson said. “I know I’m going against people who are train-ing year-round. But Bob has such a strong training method. I know if I keep working at it he’ll set me up to do as well as I can.” Knights sophomore Tay-lor Kitayama is a nationally

ranked synchronized swim-mer and will be a lead par-ticipant for Fairview in the backstroke. “It’s tough to say where I am right now. The competi-tion keeps getting harder and harder,” Kitayama said. “I just have to do my best.” With so many dynamic and versatile swimmers, Fairview has one of the deepest and most-balanced teams in the state.

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The Lady Knights gather for a photograph after practice at the South Boulder Recreation Center. The Alumni/Sta�

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Swimming January 2008

The Wolves’ win in football was their school’s third state championship this year. The Alumni/Sta�

Grandview tops Douglas County

Grandview over-came a blocked punt late in the fourth quarter and

proved resilient in overtime to take home the Class 5A football state championship Dec. 1 at Invesco Field at Mile High. Senior running back Bo Bolen scored three touchdowns in the Wolves’ 20-14 win against the Douglas County Huskies. “Bo wanted it more than anyone else on the field to-day,” said Grandview head coach John Schultz. Bolen finished with 98 yards rushing on 26 carries. His last carry was the crucial one, as he scored on a 10-yard run between the tackles to put the Wolves up by a touch-down in overtime. The extra point was blocked, but Grand-view held Douglas County to secure the Wolves’ first foot-ball state crown . “As a kid you always dream about being in the champion-ship game, and you always dream about being the break-through player that makes the plays,” Bolen said. Bolen had two other scor-

ing rushes of 1 and 17 yards, but he credited the Douglas County defense. “D.C. was fighting the whole way. They stopped me in the first half. We knew we were going to have to play four quarters and we did,” Bolen said. Just before game time, the weather turned unfavorable, and rain fell until midway through the second quarter. Douglas County scored first on a 2-yard run by junior run-ning back Jose Astorga, but Grandview countered with 5:38 left in the second quarter on a 17-yard dash by Bolen. With the score tied at seven late in the third quarter, Grandview converted back-to-back fourth-down conver-sions to extend the drive into the fourth quarter. Schultz rolled the dice again on a fourth-and-1 at the Huskies’ 2- yard line, and his players responded. Two plays later, Bolen powered his way to his second score of the night. “We needed to get into the end zone. On fourth and one, we should be able to win the line of scrimmage and we did,” Schultz said. Douglas County tied the game on a 9-yard Will Ar-nold to Justin Brown strike with 6:30 left in the fourth. And after the defense forced Grandview to punt near the Wolves 44-yard line, Huskies senior defensive back Tyler Jackson blocked the punt and

returned the ball for an appar-ent touchdown. “When they came through and made that play, we were very lucky to get a second chance. … They blocked one in one of our scrimmages as well and we worked on it all week, but they made the play there when it counted,” Schultz said. But the touchdown was called back due to a block-in-the-back penalty on Douglas County, and Huskies junior Gabe Romano was short on a 41-yard field goal bid. “It might have been my guy

on the outside,” Bolen said of the blocked punt. “I just couldn’t get to him because they were coming so hard on the inside. But when we got that break I was happy, and when they missed the field goal, it was another joyful moment,” The game was forced into overtime, and after Bolen scored first, his team’s de-fense was able to hold Doug-las County from scoring, giv-ing the Wolves their first title in a boys sport. Astorga finished with 104 yards on 23 carries and a

touchdown and senior quar-terback Will Arnold went 5-for-11 for 107 yards and one touchdown for Douglas County. Grandview finished the season with a 12-2 record and Douglas County finished at 11-3. The title was the third for Grandview this fall. The previous day, varsity pom won state competitions at the Denver Coliseum; volleyball defeated Eaglecrest for the state championship on Nov. 10; and boys soccer finished runner-up to Smoky Hill.

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Bolen’s e� orthelps Wolves’ to 5A crownBy Ryan RussoThe Alumni

5A CHSAA State Football Championship — Dec. 1 — Invesco Field, Denver


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Class 5A State Spirit Jazz Champions Greeley West High School

Class 5A State Spirit Cheer Champions Mountain Vista High School

Class 4A/5A State Spirit CO-ED Champions Douglas County High School

Class 4A State Spirit Cheer Champions Mullen High School

Class 5A State Spirit Pom Champions Grandview High School

Class 4A State Spirit Pom Champions Broom� eld High School

Class 5A State Cheer Final Results

Mountain VistaThunderRidgeCherry CreekSmoky HillChaparralPonderosa

Team Finalscore

Tie-breaktotal

95.00

95.00

93.17

92.17

91.83

91.33

473.50

471.50

464.50

458.50

457.50

452.50

Class 4A/5A State CO-ED Final Results

Douglas CountyMontroseSierraRalston Valley

Team Finalscore

Tie-breaktotal

95.00

92.33

92.00

89.00

www.thealumninews.org

See Class 2A/3A results on page 19 Around the State

17

475.00

462.00

459.00

441.00

Class 4A State Pom Final Results

BroomfieldEvergreenRock CanyonRegis

Team Finalscore

Tie-breaktotal

95.00

92.33

92.00

89.00

475.00

462.00

459.00

441.00

Class 4A State Cheer Final Results

MullenBroomfieldGlenwood SpringsCheyenne MountainLibertyRalston Valley

Team Finalscore

Tie-breaktotal

94.50

94.00

91.33

91.17

89.67

85.00

472.50

470.50

455.50

456.50

450.00

432.50

January 2008

CHSAA State Spirit Championships — Nov. 30-Dec. 1 — The Denver Coliseum

Class 5A State Pom Final Results

GrandviewLegacyThunderRidgeCherry CreekSmoky HillChaparral

Team Finalscore

Tie-breaktotal

95.33

93.33

92.33

92.00

91.67

88.33

476.50

468.00

460.00

459.00

458.00

443.00

Class 5A State Jazz Final Results

Greeley WestPonderosa

Team Finalscore

Tie-breaktotal

95.33

94.00

477.00

471.00

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Fitnesswww.thealumninews.org

Monarch then converted a two-point conversion to tie the game at 14. “We were planning on scoring on the next drive any-ways, but when they scored on the two-point conversion, that definitely made it more interesting,” Martinez said. Monarch head coach Phil Bravo said his team made too many mistakes on key drives. “We made mistakes defen-sively when they were driving that hurt us, but we will give them credit because they beat us. They have a great team,” Bravo said. Monarch appeared to set the tone early in the game when it drove 12 plays for 66 yards on its first drive, scoring on a 31-yard field goal by senior kicker Erik Henry. But after Pueblo West failed to capitalize on its following drives, Monarch gave a gift to the Cyclones when senior tailback Cale Soole fumbled to set up Pueblo West deep in Coyotes territory. Pueblo West took advantage of the turnover when Vaughan scooted for a 5-yard touch-down, putting the Cyclones up 7-3. Cyclones senior running back Joe Torres followed with a 2-yard TD scamper in the second quarter to increase the lead to 14-3, but Monarch countered with a 38-yard field goal before the half to cut the deficit to 14-6. Both teams were held score-less in the third quarter, and Monarch started the scoring in the second half with Fox’s touchdown. Offensively, Monarch was led by Soole, who ran for 138 yards on 33 carries, and senior quarterback Derek DiCarlo, who was 1-for-8 passing for 27 yards and an interception.

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Coming Soon!- Teacher of the Month, O� cial of the Month

Girls Swimming- State Championships Preview

Around the State- Updates from high schoolconferences

Boys and Girls Basketball- Coverage around the state

Wrestling- State Championships Preview

Speech Festival- Coverage and Highlights

CHSAA- Hall of Fame Ceremony

The Alumni Top 50- See who makes next months list

Skiing- State Championships Preview

Next Issue

(continued from page 1)


Class 2A/3A State Spirit Championships

Results

Class 2A CheerName:

1. Cheyenne Wells2. Telluride

Final Score:90.1789.17

Class 2A Pom

Name:1. Calhan2. Antonito

Final Score:90.3388.00

Class 3A CheerName:

1. Buena Vista2. Holy Family3. Bay� eld4. CSCS

Final Score:93.0091.6790.3386.67

Class 3A PomFinal Score:

91.3388.00

Name:1. University2. Weld Central

Class 2A/3A CO-EDName:

1. Erie2. Strasburg3. La Junta4. Valley5. Florence6. James Irwin7. C.C.-Victor

Final Score:89.6784.3379.1778.1776.0072.8372.50

Boulder will have a Winter Ball (Jan. 19)… Mullen will host the annual Mother and Daughter Mass and Brunch (Jan. 27)… Cherry Creek’s Snowball Dance (Jan. 26) will be at the North and South Gyms from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m... Eaglecrest Tech Crew Team placed second at the Techie Olympics at the Colorado State Thespian Conference. There will be a dance concert (Jan. 11-12)... Brighton seniors Dani Chaplin (softball) and Breann Fuller (swimming) have signed letters of intent for Colorado State University. Both students will receive Divi-sion 1 athletic scholarships... Rangeview will host the 2008 Continental League Music Festival (Jan. 14) at the Boettcher Concert Hall. The concert will feature a concert band, choir and orchestra. All schools in the Continental League will be featured in the concert... ThunderRidge’s Kiffany Lychock (Technology and Science) was selected to represent Thunder-Ridge at the annual Douglas County Federation of Teachers Apple Award Program. Brooke Bechtel and Nathan Landman won the first-round of the UNC Mathematics Contest. They will participate in the final-round (Feb. 2) to win scholarships to UNC... Arvada’s boys varsity basketball team is on to a conference leading 11-1 record. The girls varsity basketball team is also on to a conference leading 9-1 start. Both teams will play conference opponent Columbine (Jan. 18) at home...

Colorado Springs Christian School will host a Battle of the Bands (Jan. 25)... Yuma will host a Knowledge Bowl (Jan. 19). The boys and girls varsity basketball teams will play Brush (Jan. 17) and Weld Central (Jan. 18). Honor Band will have a concert (Jan. 28)… Platte Valley will have a Financial Aid night (Jan. 16) 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Platte Valley will have a Crazy Horse Gallery Exhibit (Feb. 1 and Feb. 8) from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. There will be a Sweet Heart Dance (Feb. 2) from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m… Uni-versity’s school newspaper PawPrint will take a field trip to the Greeley Tribune (Jan. 18) 11:45 a.m. – 1:40 p.m. They will also have a Senior Project/Theatre Production (Jan. 26) at 7 p.m. at Ishanose Omofoma Auditorium. University will host a Forensics University Festival (Jan. 19) at 8 a.m. There will be a Future Business Leaders of America district conference meeting (Feb. 6) from 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m… Estes Park’s marching band took first place in Class 2A at the Frederick Marching Invitational, first place in Class 2A at the Colorado Bandmasters Asso-ciation Northern Regional. The girls swim team went into the Winter Break undefeated. Twin sisters Lauren and Makenzie Hewson received the Hoyt Brauner Most Valu-able Swimmer Award for the 2007-08 swim season…

Around Class 5A

Around Class 3A

Around the StateJanuary 2008

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Watkins

the alumni volume i edition iii january 2008

Documents

high school academics

pueblo west cyclones

ground game

school accountability

pueblo sports history

state title

gamewinning touch

state championship games