Preps: Golf season wraps up, tennis teams battle through regional play
Courtesy photo
The golf season wrapped up on Tuesday with the Class 3A state tournament, hosted by Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo. Basalt sophomore Griffin Didier finished as the state runner-up to Evergreen senior Tyler Long (9-under 135). Didier was only four shots back.
A 10th-place finish from senior Jackson Stewart helped BHS to a third-placed team finish, behind state champion Evergreen and runner-up Resurrection Christian.
Aspen was sixth.
“We are thrilled for Griffin for a really outstanding few days of golf,” BHS coach Travis Stewart wrote via text. “He and the young nucleus of Hudson Arnold and Parker Strelecki are the future of the program.”
For Jackson Stewart, the son of coach Travis Stewart, it was a good way to finish a strong career playing with the Longhorns.
“We are also so proud of Jackson for his top-10 finish,” Travis Stewart said. “As a team captain this year, his steady leadership and consistent great play helped the team stay in top form. This is a great moment for the program and individuals.”
Didier’s runner-up finish is second in BHS history to only Tristan Rohrbaugh, who won the 3A state championship as a senior in 2013 at Pueblo Country Club.
Tennis teams battle it out at regionals
Neither Aspen nor Basalt tennis had any players make the final on the first day of the Class 4A, Region 8 tournament on Wednesday in Grand Junction, although a few players still have a chance to qualify for state via playbacks on Thursday. Only the top two finishers per flight advance to the season finale in Pueblo.
At No. 1 singles, Aspen’s Gaspar Riboud won his first-round match 6-1, 6-0, before losing to top-seeded Daniel Blanch of Vail Christian, 6-1, 6-0. Riboud did advance to the playback final against Grand Junction Central’s Canaan Ross. Basalt’s Fritz Simmons lost his first-round match to Steamboat’s Liam Siefken, 8-6, 0-6, 3-6.
At No. 2 singles, Basalt’s Jacob Roggie beat Aspen’s Daane Reische in the first round, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Roggie then lost to top seed Wyat Fisher of Vail Christian, 6-0, 6-0. Roggie also made the playback final.
At No. 3 singles, Aspen’s Jasper McBride lost in the first round to Central’s Ronan Norman, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Basalt’s Isaac Zevin lost in the first round to Steamboat’s Ibrokhim Nuriddinov, 6-1, 6-3.
At No. 1 doubles, Aspen’s Francesco Freedman and Christopher Andrews lost in the first round to Vail Christian, 6-1, 6-1. Basalt’s AJ Lott and Hank Bielenberg lost in the first round to Central, 6-2, 6-1.
At No. 2 doubles, Aspen’s Nicholas Stephens and Luke Abbaszadeh rallied to win their first-round match, beating a pair from Steamboat Springs, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. AHS then lost in the second round to a team from Vail Christian, 6-1, 6-1. Stephens and Abbaszadeh did make the playback final. Basalt’s Luke Incze and Mikal Martin lost in the first round to Central, 6-2, 6-4.
At No. 3 doubles, Basalt’s Tyler Portman and Chad New won their first-round match, beating Durango, 7-5, 6-2. They then lost to Grand Junction in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-1. They are in the playback finals. Aspen’s Gavin Smith and Bo Pfaffmann lost in the first round to Vail Christian, 7-5, 6-1. They also lost to Steamboat in the playback semis, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
At No. 4 doubles, Aspen’s Chase Slesinger-Hall and Soren Tudge won in the first round, beating Central, 6-2, 6-4. They lost to Vail Christian in the semis, 6-3, 6-2, before beating Basalt’s Ethan Thomson and Ethan Ganley in the playback semis, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Slesinger-Hall and Tudge made the playback finals. Thomson and Ganley lost in the first round to Vail Christian, 6-2, 6-3.
Aspen football heads to Moffat on Thursday
Basalt football’s undefeated run through the regular season will get its next test on Friday night, when the Longhorns host a red-hot Coal Ridge team on the BHS field. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
Basalt is 5-0 (1-0) and currently ranked No. 3 in RPI in all of Class 2A after a 30-14 win at defending 2A champion Delta last week in the league opener. Coal Ridge (4-1, 1-0) has won four straight games, including a 40-15 rout of Moffat County in the league opener last week. The Titans were No. 13 in RPI as of Wednesday night.
Aspen (3-2, 1-0) will look to stay at the top of the league standings when it plays on Thursday night at Moffat County (2-3, 0-1). Kickoff is 7 p.m. in Craig.
The Skiers have bounced back from a 1-2 start with back-to-back wins over Kent Denver (34-13) and last week at Middle Park (38-2) in the league opener. Aspen was No. 25 in RPI as of Wednesday night, while Moffat was No. 26.
Roaring Fork (2-3) will host Meeker (3-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in Carbondale.
Softball season approaches finish
Basalt softball played Tuesday at Rifle, losing 9-4. The Bears pulled away with a seven-run fourth inning, although BHS responded with all four of its runs in the fifth.
Rifle is now 9-13 overall after losing to Palisade on Wednesday.
The Longhorns are now 6-15 overall with only two games remaining in the regular season, a home doubleheader against Gunnison on Saturday.
Aspen (0-15), which lost twice at Delta on Wednesday, only has a single game at Battle Mountain on Thursday remaining on the schedule.
Announcements on postseason play could come as early as Sunday.
BHS volleyball hosts Coal Ridge
Basalt volleyball played Tuesday at Vail Mountain, losing 3-2. Set scores were 25-20, 15-25, 25-21, 20-25, 15-12. BHS (2-7 overall) has lost six straight, the last three losses all coming in five sets. The Longhorns are back at it on Thursday with a 6 p.m. home match with Coal Ridge (6-8).
Aspen hosted Gunnison on Wednesday night, although a final score wasn’t available by print deadline. The Skiers are off until traveling to North Fork on Oct. 17.
Roaring Fork soccer keeps winning
Aspen soccer played on Tuesday at Roaring Fork, losing 1-0 to the Rams. It’s a third straight loss for the Skiers, who fall to 3-7 overall. They now have a short lull in the schedule before hosting Vail Mountain on Oct. 17.
It was the third straight win — and fifth straight non-loss — for Roaring Fork. The Rams are now 7-2-1 overall heading into Friday night’s game at Glenwood Springs.
Basalt, 4-6 overall, hasn’t played since a 5-4 loss to Vail Mountain on Oct. 3. The Longhorns return to the pitch on Thursday with a 4 p.m. home game against Rifle (6-2-1).
Cross country preps for regionals
Following last week’s races in Delta and Aspen, local cross country teams are gearing up for the Oct. 25 regional meet, hosted by Middle Park in Fraser.
Skiers add new coaches for winter
Aspen High School recently announced the hiring of two new coaches for the upcoming winter season. Jay Miller, a longtime youth coach in the valley, has taken over the reins of the AHS hockey program, which seeks to return to varsity play this season.
“With over 20 years of coaching experience, including 15 years at the professional junior level, Jay brings a wealth of knowledge, leadership, and a winning mentality to our team,” AHS wrote on its Instagram page when announcing the hire.
Also coming on board is Greg Bodkins, who will take over as the Nordic ski team’s head coach. With a background racing and coaching out east, Bodkins has more recently become a fixture in the local Nordic community.
“With experience as an instructor for the North American Telemark Organization and coaching both high school and club teams on the East Coast, Greg has a wealth of knowledge to bring to Aspen,” AHS wrote on Instagram.
Winter sports practices officially get underway on Nov. 18.
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