Teams like Cheyenne Mountain appear to have a legitimate shot at breaking the usual lacrosse dominance by Air Academy, Kent Denver and Cherry Creek this season.
Photo by Ray Chen
Like any good coach, Mary Serre isn't going to risk jinxing things, preferring to let big picture coach-speak phrases such as "taking it one step at a time" and "unfinished business" describe the aspirations of the
Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) girls lacrosse team.
However the Indians, like many programs thirsty for a taste of postseason glory, have that look about them. And maybe, just maybe, this is the season when a program such as Cheyenne Mountain's breaks through the traditional Colorado championship trinity of
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village),
Kent Denver (Englewood) and
Air Academy (US Air Force Academy).
"I hope so," Serre said regarding the chances of a new name finally being added to the list of the state's previous champions. "I think it's a year for some other teams. The competition is getting steady from across the state. I think this could be anyone's year. We're seeing more schools playing, more girls involved and more club teams are evolving."
Sarah Cromer, Cherry Creek
Photo by Ray Chen
The 15-year history of the girls lacrosse state championship is dominated by a recurring theme. Cherry Creek has collected nine state titles, followed by three for Kent Denver and a pair for Air Academy, the defending champion that has won two of the past four crowns. The only program beyond those three that has claimed the same prize is Colorado Academy (2000).
Moreover, Cherry Creek and Kent Denver have collided in eight of the 15 state championship games, although their last state-title meeting occurred in 2007. Air Academy has reached the title game four times, leaving just three other programs —
Colorado Academy (Denver),
Denver East (2010) and
Heritage/Littleton (Littleton) (2008) — that have even reached the state final.
If that trend was to ever change, this could be the year.
While Cherry Creek, Kent and Air Academy certainly will be heard from, and easily could continue the historical trend, other squads are showing signs they could break through.
Serre's Cheyenne Mountain Indians are undefeated, improving to 14-0 with an impressive 18-8 win Tuesday at Palmer Ridge. Continental League champion
Regis Jesuit (Aurora) notched a two-goal win against Kent on Monday and went undefeated in league play.
Centaurus (Lafayette) has not missed a beat following the graduation of national record-setting scorer Emma Lazaroff, while
Chatfield (Littleton) completed its undefeated march through the Jeffco League with a title-clinching win against Columbine on Tuesday.
Despite Mother Nature's protests, this final week of the regular season could provide a sample of what's to come during the upcoming state tournament. While Air Academy's intriguing showdown with Centaurus on Wednesday will not be made up after it was washed out by snow, the Kadets nonetheless will host Cheyenne Mountain on Friday with the championship of the Southern League on the line.
Already having its league title in hand, Cherry Creek was scheduled to complete the regular season with a date Thursday against Columbine at the University of Denver's Barton Lacrosse Stadium, assuming the turf is dry enough, followed by a regular season-finale at Regis on Friday. Kent, fresh on the heels of its tough loss against Regis, is scheduled to complete the regular season with a demanding final postseason tune-up against a 10-4 Chaparral team on Thursday.
"It's the end of the season, and you're tired when you have a lot of things to focus on," Serre said. "Yes, we have to work on our draws, we have to work on our defense. But then you also have to try and just have fun with it. You're tired. There's health issues. Finals are coming up. There are a lot of distractions right now and you need to be well-balanced this time of year."
