Colorado Boys Top 10 Moments: Valor Christian enjoyed another dominant 2016-17

Video: Luke Mccaffrey's highlights Cherry Creek High
See the junior signal-caller lead the state champions.

When the Valley (Gilcrest) baseball team recorded the final out of a 17-1 victory in the Class 3A state championship game Sunday, it brought to a conclusion a wild spring – and 2016-17 year, for that matter.

A school year that began back in August with the first practice ended with three baseball games the day before Memorial Day. The spring season was turned upside-down by a number of heavy rainstorms that delayed state tournaments across the board, including turning the three-day state track meet into a two-day jam-packed affair.

Along the way, state champions were crowned in multiple classifications across 13 sports. From repeat winners to first-time titlists, the past year offered a little bit of everything.

Here is a look (in no particular order) at 10 moments that stood out among boys' sports from the 2016-17 year:

• Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) captures titles in football, basketball, baseball and lacrosse
It's almost a ho-hum occurrence to talk about the Eagles winning state championships, but Valor Christian accomplished something in the boys' arena this year that had never done before.

The Eagles closed out the fall with a 30-14 victory over Pomona (Arvada) in the Class 5A title game, defending their 2015 crown and claiming the team's seventh state title in eight seasons.

In March, the boys basketball team avenged a 2016 finals loss in winning its first state title with a 68-55 victory over Lewis-Palmer (Monument) in 4A.

The Eagles closed out May with a 20-12 victory against Dawson School (Lafayette) in the 4A lacrosse championship – defending that title. The baseball team also overcame an earlier state defeat, winning its final three games – including a 7-3 victory over Evergreen in the 4A title game – to defend another crown.

• Kent Denver (Englewood) has a fall season to remember
Kent Denver's fall season was as dominant overall as it gets. The Sun Devils brought home three state team championships, and earned a runner-up trophy as well.

Kent Denver's golf team won the 3A title in September in Aurora, giving the program its state-record ninth overall in the sport. Oliver Jack took home medalist honors in a playoff.

Two weeks later, it was the tennis team's turn. Kent Denver captured the 4A state title with 91 points, winning all three singles titles and three of the four doubles crowns. Casey Ross captured the No. 1 singles championship for the team, 6-4, 6-0.

On Nov. 12, the Sun Devils' boys soccer team edged Jefferson Academy (Broomfield) 4-2 in a shootout for the program's third consecutive state title. On Nov. 26, the football team came up just shy of a championship, falling to La Junta 17-10 in the 2A state title game.

• Boulder edges rival Broomfield in marathon shootout to win 5A soccer title
Going into the 5A state soccer title game, it was a safe bet that Boulder and Broomfield would be evenly matched.

The Front Range League rivals are all-too-familiar with one another, but what took place Nov. 12 defied all expectations. A 1-1 tie after 120 minutes of play turned into a marathon round of penalty kicks, with the Panthers eventually edging Broomfield 13-12 after 14 rounds.

Boulder finished a perfect 20-0 to win its first state title since the 2012 season.

• Pueblo East notches a three-peat in 3A football
If defending a state championship is difficult, then doing it three years in a row has to be quite the tall task.

Yet, Pueblo East's football team did exactly that this fall, capturing a third consecutive 3A state title with a 35-6 victory over Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs). The second-seeded Eagles avenged their only regular-season defeat to the Thunder, scoring four touchdowns in the second half to pull away.

Senior Bryson Torres rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns to finish the season with more than 1,800 yards and 28 rushing scores. • Hunter Willits becomes the state's 20th four-time wrestling champion
Pueblo County senior Hunter Willits hated losing more than anything, so with history on the line Feb. 18 at Pepsi Center, there was no way he was going to end his prep career on a sour note.

Willits had his name placed in the record books as the state's 20th four-time wrestling champion, winning the 4A 152-pound championship with a 13-0 major decision. He finished his career 167-7 overall and helped lead the Hornets to another 4A team championship.

Willits' twin brother, Grant, captured his third state title moments before Hunter did.

• Monarch (Louisville) hockey ends run of bad luck in finals with first state championship
After four consecutive years of losing in the state championship game, Monarch's hockey team finally came up a winner. The Coyotes rallied from a third-period deficit to defeat Regis Jesuit (Aurora) 2-1 on March 6 to give the program its first-ever state title in the sport.

The Coyotes had fallen to Ralston Valley (Arvada) in 2013 and 2014, and lost to Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) in three overtimes one year later. In 2016, Regis Jesuit rolled to a 6-1 victory, but Monarch gained its revenge last winter and upended the top seed.

• John Olander goes out a champion with Eaglecrest (Centennial) basketball
Coaching in his final game at Eaglecrest after 16 seasons, John Olander found out what it's like to go out on top.
The Raptors defeated George Washington (Denver) 53-47 on March 11 at the Denver Coliseum, avenging a loss in the 2016 state title game and giving the program its first championship since 2013.

Eaglecrest finished the year 24-4. George Washington hadn't been in the title game since 2009. Earlier in the year, Patriots senior Jervay Green scored 64 points in a victory over Denver West, tied for fourth-highest in state history.

• Monarch's Isaac Green runs away with state championships
Monarch senior Isaac Green had enjoyed a strong prep career going into his senior season, but what he accomplished this year was something to remember.

Green got the ball rolling in October, leading the Coyotes to the 5A team cross country championship and winning the individual title in Colorado Springs with a time of 15 minutes, 57.24 seconds.

Two weeks ago Green took his turn at state track. All he did there was win the 800 (1 minute, 52.92 seconds), the 1,600 (4:21.98) and the 3,200 (9:26.39) and team with three others to win the 4x800 relay (7:50.04).

The Coyotes finished just behind Fountain-Fort Carson in the team standings by only five points.

• TCA's Tanner Norman enters the state record books
The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs) took home the 3A state championship in track and field earlier this month, and senior Tanner Norman was a big reason why. Norman won the 1,600 (4:16.85) and the 3,200 (9:14.45, a state meet record).

Earlier in the year, though, Norman set an even more impressive record in the 3,200 at the Pueblo Twilight meet on May 5. Norman ran a 9:04.97 that day for Colorado Prep record, erasing the former mark of 9:05.89 set by Brent Vaughn of Smoky Hill (Aurora) in 2003.

In October, Norman won the 3A cross country title with a time of 15:44.71 and helped lead the Titans to second overall in the team standings.

• Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins) wins sixth 5A baseball title in 11 years
Rocky Mountain has become synonymous with 5A baseball over the past decade-plus, having won five state titles in 10 years and taking second in two other years.

The Lobos added to that mark last weekend, winning the 5A state championship at All-City Stadium in Denver with a 9-5 victory over Broomfield. Rocky Mountain (20-6) fell to the Eagles two days earlier, but came back to knock off Broomfield on Sunday, withstanding a late rally.