All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
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The Niwot High School girls volleyball team went back to its usual routine after last week's match against the most competitive team in the conference. The Cougars swept Northridge High School (25-9, 25-11, 25-20) and Fort Morgan High School (25-12, 25-16, 25-10) after a tough loss to Thompson Valley High School last week. Such success was of little surprise to head coach Tony Engel, who was confident in the Cougars' serving abilities and discipline. On Thursday's game against Fort Morgan, the...
For the second straight season, Niwot High School was eliminated in the Class 4A boys tennis state tournament quarterfinals. This year, it was No. 2 seed Colorado Academy that delivered a 6-1 defeat of the No. 7 Cougars on Friday, Sept. 30. Niwot's lone victory came courtesy of sophomore Oskar Hansen at No. 2 singles. In the No. 1 singles match, Niwot senior LiChen Liao, who forfeited his first-round match two days prior due to a sprained ankle, lost in a third-set tiebreaker. Each of the...
Niwot High School football lost for just the second time this season, as the Thompson Valley High School Eagles overtook the Cougars 44-14 Sept. 29. Niwot is now 3-2 on the year at the season's midpoint, still with good odds of competing for a playoff berth. Niwot started the game on defense as Thompson Valley was able to return the opening kickoff over 90 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles kept their momentum going with a two-point conversion that gave them an 8-0 lead. The Cougars struggled to...
Niwot High School boys soccer split their games this week, crushing Severance in a 9-1 victory while falling just short of Skyline in a 2-1 loss. Niwot is now 5-3-1 on the year. The Cougars have a +11 goal differential this season, as they have dominated in their easier games and played close against top-ranked teams. Niwot’s victory against Severance was a dominant one. Niwot knocked down four goals in the first half, with most coming back-to-back in the earlier minutes. Severance was able to g...
The capabilities of the Niwot Cougar girls softball team were on full display during homecoming week. The week's schedule kicked off with a win against the Northridge High School team that Niwot hadn't prevailed against since the 2021 season. Their matchup with Northridge earlier in the season resulted in a hard fought 5-4 loss but last Tuesday, the Cougars prevailed 8-4. Seniors Autumn Rutherford and Anne Booth continued to show their strength at the plate, going 4-4 and 3-4, respectively. The...
Niwot High School's volleyball team is proof statistics and records do not tell the complete story. Before Wednesday night's game on Sept. 20, Niwot had a split record. Facing Severance High School with three wins and three losses, a victory would be a nice way to start fresh. And with a 3-0 sweep of the Silver Knights, the Cougars did just that. Walking in with a record that tied Severance High's record at the time, the numbers would suggest a close match. But when broken down, head coach Tony...
One rough day is all it takes to destroy a golfer's state championship hopes. Emmett Shell learned that lesson last year when he missed the state cut at regionals despite qualifying the prior season. Now another year wiser, the Niwot High School golfer wasn't about to squander another opportunity to compete at the state tournament. Playing cautiously, Shell shot a 2-over-par 74 at the 4A Region 3 meet on Sept. 21 to finish sixth individually, well within the state cut. "This was meaningful in...
Don't blame the Niwot High School Cougars for wanting more from their performance in last week's 4A Region 3 golf tournament at Greeley's Boomerang Links Golf Course. But compared with their results from a year ago, the Cougars can take pride in qualifying two players for next week's 4A State Tournament. Coming off a disappointing showing a year ago at the regional event, senior Emmett Shell earned his way back into the state competition after his one-year hiatus. Shell cruised to a two-over...
In any sport, a bye week can be a curse or a blessing. If momentum is running high, a bye can be a buzz killer. But on the other hand, a week without competition can be a blessing when long weeks of practice and competition have taken a physical and mental toll. For the Niwot High School gymnastics team, this week's bye may be the blessing Coach Marisa Purcell and her team need. After hosting their final home meet of the season on Wednesday evening, Sept. 20, in an event that saw their top...
The Niwot High School baseball program has been around for 50 years, and it's been 25 years since the Cougars began a run of five state Class 4A titles in eight years. Saturday, Sept. 23, as part of Niwot High's homecoming week, former players and coaches gathered at the baseball field for a barbeque hosted by NHS Baseball Coach Ken Rosales, and Niwot Baseball, Inc. Approximately 45 alumni, current and former coaches, spouses and fans gathered to see the newly refurbished infield, and take some...
Niwot High School football came out of a bye week with a 29-15 victory against the Eagle Valley Devils for their homecoming game, only the second varsity football game played on the Cougars' home field. Niwot took the lead on the first play of the game, and never looked back as they posted their third win of the season, giving the Cougars a 3-1 record heading into the middle of the season. Niwot started the game off with a bang, scoring on a 90-yard kickoff return by Eric Dillion, giving Niwot...
Niwot High School boys soccer was able to bounce back from a tough week with a win at home against the Roosevelt High School Rough Riders this past Tuesday, Sept. 19. The Cougars dominated in their win as they easily got past Roosevelt with a 3-0 victory. Niwot had more trouble on Thursday, Sept. 21, as they fell to the Northridge High School Grizzlies, 2-1 at Northridge. Niwot is now 4-2-2 on the year, an impressive start given their strength of schedule. Niwot's Tuesday match with Roosevelt wa...
Coach Aimee Hites was happy with the way her Niwot boys tennis squad finished out the regular season, and even happier with the Cougars' No. 7 seed for the state playoffs. "I really like our seed," Hites said. "I'm happy to be on the other side of Kent Denver," which is the No. 1 seed in Class 4A. In the final week of the regular season, the Cougars lost to Kent Denver, 5-2, with Niwot wins coming from LiChen Liao at No. 1 singles and Charlie Kirtland at No. 3 singles. Niwot followed with...
It wouldn't be a stretch to describe Manan Gangwar as an eternal optimist. Despite taking some lumps early in his Niwot High School boys tennis career, the senior has remained positive throughout it all and even values those difficult times. "When you lose a lot, it helps you gain a new perspective, which is why losing is really important," Gangwar said. "You just know what to do better next time." Gangwar is now giving out lumps far more than he's taking them. Through Sept. 17, his varsity matc...
The Niwot High School girls softball team bounced back with two blowout wins, not letting a single defeat in last weekend's tournament throw them off course. Cougar pitching continued to get stronger through both games, the team's bats were also out in force, and both games ended in mercy-rule victories. "It was a good week for the team," said Coach Bobby Matthews. "Getting two run-rule victories was great. The way the team played Monday against cross-town rival Silver Creek in an 11-0 win was...
Not much went right for the Niwot Cougars a year ago at the Region 4 golf tournament. This time around, Coach Ed Weaver is hoping things take a different turn Thursday, Sept. 21 at Boomerang Links Golf Course in Greeley. The Cougars enter this year’s tournament ranked third in the region behind Windsor High School and Longs Peak League nemesis Riverdale Ridge High School and are looking to qualify a full contingent of golfers to the 4A state tournament on Oct. 2-3. But to ensure that, the Cougars will most likely need to find a way to do s...
GIRLS XC Look out Colorado, Niwot’s Addison Ritzenhein is a runaway freight train with no slowing down in sight. The sophomore picked up speed on the final downhill stretch and steamed through the finish line Saturday at the St. Vrain Cross Country Invitational, leaving all competitors far behind while crushing the girls’ course record along the way. In her second race of the season, Ritzenhein picked up her second victory, this time by a whopping 30 seconds over teammate and second-place finisher Olivia Alessandrini, who added the silver med...
Coming off a sweep of the top five places in the all-around competition at a three-team meet this past week in Thornton, the Niwot High School girls gymnastics team appears ready to test the deeper waters of 4A state competition -- especially considering that two of their top gymnasts were less than 100% and did not finish among that top tier. Once again behind the stellar performance of junior Maeve Flentie, the Cougars continued their meet-to-meet improvement, finishing with 175.40 points, their highest team total in their three early season...
The Niwot High School boys soccer team finally lost its undefeated record, tying Centaurus High School 0-0 before losing 3-1 to rival Silver Creek High School. The Cougars are now 3-1-2 on the season with their Thursday loss against Silver Creek being their first loss of the season. Both Centaurus (#1) and Silver Creek (#4) were top teams in the league and ranked in the CHSAA top 10, so Niwot playing close with them is a good sign for the season. Niwot's first game last week was on Tuesday where...
Twenty-five years ago, the Niwot High School baseball program won its first state title, winning the Class 4A championship game with a mercy-rule 5-inning 14-0 victory over Broomfield. A celebration of that first state title as well as the 50-year program is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 23 at 12 noon at the NHS baseball field as part of Homecoming Week. Senior Eric Larson led off the 1998 championship game with a homerun, and sophomore Mike Moat pitched a shutout. That marked the first of five s...
Very few high school student-athletes take their work more seriously than Niwot volleyball senior Lizzy Kaus. Prior to the season, Cougars head coach Tony Engel described the work ethic of his middle blocker, saying she "comes to work with a hard hat on every day," and locks in on getting better. An improved Kaus finally got to reap the benefit of her efforts on Sept. 5 when she helped Niwot to a season-opening sweep of Silver Creek High School. The third-year varsity player contributed four...
Last week's Niwot High softball squad started with a hard-fought loss that served as a warmup for a successful tournament the following Friday and Saturday in Loveland. Ultimately, the team ended the week with a 5-3 record, a 20th-place ranking in Colorado Class 4A and a fifth-place spot solidly in the middle of rankings of the Longs Peak League. Tuesday's game against the Roosevelt High School Roughriders presented a challenge that the Cougars battled through from the first inning, when Cougar...
By most standards, Niwot Boys Tennis is off to a strong start, but when you are used to competing at the top levels of the sport, sometimes it’s hard to keep it in perspective. The Niwot Cougars are off to a 4-2 start, and 4-0 in league play. “It’s been a little rough,” according to Head Coach Aimee Hites, who was speaking of recent losses to Colorado Academy and Cheyenne Mountain. The Cougars lost both matches by a score of 4-3, to two of Colorado’s top prep tennis programs at any level. “We were up 3-0 against Cheyenne Mountain,” Hites said,...
Golf balls were flying this past week for the Niwot High School Cougars as 16 players teed it up in four different events. The varsity team took to the links last Tuesday at Ute Creek Golf Course in the Longs Peak League’s Skyline tournament, coming up one stroke shy of nemesis Riverdale Ridge High School for the victory. The Cougars’ JV representatives at the Skyline JV event ran away with a 25-stroke victory over second-place Severance High School in that nine-hole tournament. And, across town at Twin Peaks Golf Course, two Niwot foursomes te...
The results of last Wednesday's RE-1J District Cross Country Meet may have looked like opening the floodgates, but Niwot head coach Kelly Christensen described the outcome as more of a controlled release. The Cougars, who had seen their top runners held out of competition in the first weeks of the season, were on full display on their home course and the visual effect was a green wave. Both the girls and the boys teams easily ran to victory with the girls capturing the top 13 individual places...
After finishing eighth in the Class 4A state championship a year ago, Niwot's Maeve Flentie was looking at this season as a year to solidify her position as one of the state's best gymnasts. Last Wednesday at home, Flentie took a big step forward, winning the All-Around title at the Cougar-hosted, three-team meet. The junior led her team to a team-total of 173.5 points, two points better than the Cougars' meet total of 171 in their prior competition. Roosevelt High School finished in second...
Niwot girls volleyball coach Tony Engel was pleased with how his team came out of the gate to start the season, winning a 3-set match against Silver Creek High School Sept. 5. The team's season opener was one of the latest in Colorado as Silver Creek and many other teams started the season as early as Aug. 17. "We came out a little nervous," Engel said. "We didn't play our game. We were a little over excited. We kind of settled down and we figured out what Niwot volleyball was," Coach Engel...
Niwot High School Boys Soccer wrapped up the fourth game of the year, tying against Denver North High School 1-1 as the Cougars remain undefeated at 3-0-1. Niwot struggled early on against the Denver North Vikings, as they went scoreless during the first half, but junior goalkeeper Malachi Gilmore was also able to shut out Denver North during that half. Niwot switched goalies at the half, putting in junior Lucas Willard. Willard let one goal get by him, but he played a good half. Niwot struggled...
Twenty-five years ago, the Niwot High School baseball program won its first state title, winning the Class 4A championship game with a mercy-rule 5-inning 14-0 victory over Broomfield. A celebration of that first state title as well as the 50-year program is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 23 at 12 noon at the NHS baseball field as part of Homecoming Week. Senior Eric Larson led off the 1998 championship game with a homerun, and sophomore Mike Moat pitched a shutout. That marked the first of five s...
While Niwot High School was on a rampage early this year, with a hot 2-0 start, the Cougars have finally cooled down as they lost their first game of the year against the Skyview High School Wolverines. Niwot lost in a heartbreaker, 16-14, with the outcome decided on the final play of the game. Niwot started the game on offense with Haden Shaw breaking off a long run on the second play of the game that gave Niwot great field position. Chad Volf connected with Sergio Pimentel through the air a...
Six years after his older brother Jason scored 13 goals for Niwot High School in 2017, Josh Rodriguez is currently enjoying his own stellar senior season for the Cougars boys soccer team. The younger Rodriguez owns six of Niwot's eight goals scored, plus a pair of assists through three games. He credited his early success to his teammates, who together have the Cougars off to an undefeated start. "I've known a lot of them for a while, so the chemistry is there," Rodriguez said. "It's obviously...
Niwot High School's softball team entered into the Labor Day weekend at fifth place in the 4A Longs Peak league. They finished out the last week of August with a 5-3 record, a persevering attitude and excitement for how the rest of the season will proceed. With a few weeks of experience, the team is getting to know how they'll work together on the field, maintaining focus and appearing to build on-field connections. On Aug. 24, the Cougars started the day with a 15-0 win over Thompson Valley,...
What a difference a week makes! After struggling two weeks ago at their own golf tournament, the Niwot Cougars roared back last week, finishing a close second at the Fort Morgan league event, three shots behind Riverdale Ridge High School, and then winning the Mountain View league event at the Olde Course at Loveland by three strokes over those same Ravens. The tournaments were highlighted by individual titles at both events for senior Emmett Shell. The Cougars' low average leader throughout...
Hundreds of runners and their fans were out in force Saturday, Sept. 2, for the 2023 Wyoming Cross Country Invitational at the Little America Resort Golf Course in Cheyenne. Collegiate men’s and women’s teams as well as high school varsity and junior varsity boys’ and girls’ teams from across Wyoming and Colorado were represented at the spectacle. The collegiate host, the University of Wyoming Cowboys, edged out rival Colorado State to win the men’s event. The CSU women, ranked 26th in the nation, returned the favor by winning their race over...
Niwot High School football is now two weeks into the current season and with a 29-14 win against the Thornton High School Trojans, Niwot is off to a 2-0 start. Niwot was dominant on the offensive side of the ball scoring points during each quarter, with the defense keeping Thornton off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. Niwot started the game on defense, quickly shutting Thornton down with an interception by senior defensive back Sergio Pimentel on a deep pass. Niwot then started its...
High school coaches know that the first event of any new season comes brimming with high expectations, high anxiety, and heightened nerves. How all that manifests for young athletes in the spotlight is part of the unknown thrill of opening night. “The first meet usually goes one of two ways,” Niwot High School gymnastics Coach Marisa Purcell explained. “When they come out, they have super high energy and they’re even more excited when you’re at home. So, either all that adrenaline is good and you go out and get a really high score or it’s like...
Niwot High School boys soccer started strong as the Cougars continue to pile up wins on the season, with their most recent coming against the George Washington High School Patriots this past Wednesday with a 2-1 victory. Niwot is now 3-0 on the season, with all three games varying with ease. This was Niwot's closest game to date this season, with Niwot holding on at the end of the game to squeak by. Senior Josh Rodriguez was able to get an early goal that was assisted by senior Bo Gardner. The...
The Niwot High School football season started strong with a narrow 14-7 victory against the Greeley Central High School Wildcats. Niwot found a lot of success on offense with a wide variety of passing and rushing plays. Quarterback Chad Volf dominated success on the ground which helped open up the Cougar air attack. On the defensive side of the ball, Niwot shut Greeley down, only allowing one score, while also holding them off at the end of the game. To start the game, Niwot was on defense,...
Switching high schools often comes with its challenges but for Jenna Hobson, her transition from Boulder to Niwot High School was made easier thanks to a "welcoming" softball program. Now in the midst of her third and final varsity softball season at Niwot, the senior looks back fondly on her time with the Cougars. "We've been talking about senior night the whole season," Hobson said. "I'm so sad to leave everyone. They're my best friends. You don't know them and then they're the people that...
The Niwot High School boys soccer season has started off hot, as the Cougars are 2-0 now after the second week of the season. Niwot beat the Wheat Ridge Farmers 1-0 last Thursday. Niwot was much stronger than the score would indicate as they maintained possession throughout most of the game, getting solid shots on net all during the game. Josh Rodriguez was able to kick Niwot off to an early lead with a goal assisted by Bo Gardner halfway through the first period. Niwot got good shots off all...
While it hasn't come simply by chance, Tony Engel enjoys a luxury that not every high school head coach possesses. For the third consecutive year, over 75 students tried out for Engel's Niwot High School girls volleyball program, giving him more than enough talent to replace the six seniors he lost following last season. The only downside is that Engel was forced to make cuts with roughly 50 total roster spots available within Niwot's varsity, junior varsity, C and D teams. "This year was by...
The beauty of golf is that it rewards a balance among strength, finesse, and mental acumen. When all aspects are clicking, the game can seem easy. But when the scales are out of balance, golf can be one of the most frustrating sports. Niwot High School golf coach Ed Weaver has spent this season coaxing his players to find that equilibrium. And he knows he hasn't finished delivering the message. "Length is our strength and length is our nemesis," Weaver explained while discussing the host...
“Go out steady . . . gradually pick up the pace . . . and sprint to a strong finish.” Sounds like a great strategy for an individual cross-country runner. It’s also the approach Niwot Coach Kelly Christensen uses to sketch out the blueprint for his team’s entire season. “We kind of travel to the beat of our own drum,” Christensen said. “We take a slower approach to our season than you might normally see. We’re a team that goes very late into June with our track athletes and a lot of the other teams don’t. While we’re still racing track in lat...
Coach Christina Ayers took her Niwot High School cheer squad to Colorado State University July 6-9 for a cheer camp, and they came home with first-place and second-place awards. "We attended the UCA Varsity Summer Camp at CSU this summer," Ayers said. "During the camp, the team won the Spirit Bananas on the first night, and during the showcase, came in first in the Camp Dance and second in the Game Day Routine." "Our objective this camp was to unite our team and continue forward with our...
Skyler Messinger, a corner infielder for the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class A California League, was named the Colorado Rockies' Minor League Player of the Month for July. In 22 games during July, Messinger hit .326, with a .414 on base percentage and a .744 slugging percentage. His production included 10 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 28 RBIs and two stolen bases. "At the end of May I made a pretty big swing change," Messinger said. "My last year at Texas I hit with a really wide stance and...
When Niwot opens its football season on the road at Greeley Central High School on Friday, Aug. 25, the Cougars should have at least 16 seniors suiting up, the most in Coach Nik Blume's four-year stint as head coach. Collectively, they should weigh far more than a ton, with some players checking in at 275 pounds. For perspective, the Cougars had only three seniors last season, when they finished 3-7. "We averaged 30 kids in the weight room and 30 kids at summer practices this year," Blume said. "When I started four years ago, we were lucky to...
Walker Bounds was met with a "dream opportunity" when Niwot High School Athletic Director Joe Brown reached out to him regarding the school's vacant boys basketball head coaching position. The 2016 Niwot graduate played three varsity seasons for the Cougars and has long seen the program's potential for success. "Being a Niwot kid, growing up in Niwot and being around the program my whole life, it just meant a little more in the sense that it felt like I was coming home," Bounds said. "It was...
Although challenging, Sawyer Bennett learned a lot about his golf game while navigating the monstrous RainDance National Resort & Golf in Windsor on Aug. 15. The Niwot High School sophomore admitted that he was plagued by "careless mistakes" but he nonetheless held his head high after shooting a seven-over-par-72 on the longest course in North America. His 79 strokes placed him in a five-way tie for 10th individually at the Second Annual Resurrection Christian Invitational. "It's a test of your...
Walking away from last Tuesday’s Second Annual Resurrection Christian Invitational at RainDance National Resort & Golf Course in Windsor, the Niwot High School boys golf team had every right to feel good about its third-place finish -- highest among the Class 4A schools participating. But the Cougars also couldn’t be blamed for lamenting the one that got away. The Cougars’ three-player total of 238, which was 20 strokes ahead of the nearest 4A competitor, Mead High School, was just four strokes behind the first-place total of 234 posted by th...
Five girls 4A state championships in the past five years. Two boys state championships and two runner-up finishes in the last four. To say that the Niwot cross country program is a championship machine may be an understatement. In his eighth year as head coach, Kelly Christensen has found a formula that other coaches around the state would love to steal. Christensen says it’s not that complicated. “The right kids are coming to Niwot and the families are super supportive. They drink the Kool-Aid,” Christensen says with a smile in his voice. “It...
