Good morning and welcome back! This is SPORTSLAND. If you’re new, thanks for reading! You’re in the best spot for all things high school and local community sports!
What makes a rival?
I’m a big-time sucker for a good sports documentary. There are some I come back to endlessly every few weeks or so (Hoop Dreams, The Last Dance, Bill Russell: Legend, to name a few). You get the idea: I love basketball.
This week I’m watching (or rewatching once again, I should say) Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals on HBO. Not only did Magic Johnson and Larry Bird save the NBA, but they also built the best possible dichotomy of rivals the league has ever seen. It’s unparalleled, even in the present day.
Still, the admiration and love these two archenemies feel for one another, and the connection that will always link them in history, only make that relationship that much more captivating.
What does make a rival? Is it just a frequency of competition and familiarity? Or does some deeper respect and fondness have to exist under the surface to look at your opponent and say, “I see you as my rival?”
The best part about the Colorado Trust for Local News communities — Arvada, Brighton, Conifer, Clear Creek County, Evergreen, Fort Lupton, Golden, Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster — is the constant intermingling of teams, sprouting rivalries, the endless transaction of bragging rights and more. These kids know each other and generally like each other. Until the whistle blows, at least.
Jeffco Athletics, of Jeffco Public Schools, includes most of those communities listed above, and has one of the coolest traditions I’ve seen in high school sports. Seniors from all Jeffco schools rock some version of their school’s uniforms in an all-star-like exhibition, both the girls and boys teams. It reminds me of the old NBA All-Star game when players rocked their own teams’ jerseys.
But it pits friends and rivals against one another, just for the fun of the sport and the competition between peers — perhaps for the last time.
Read more in our weekly Regional Round-Up below ↙
💡 SPORTSLAND WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT 💡
Golden senior Brody McBroom will likely be the closer for the Demons again this season, while moving from third base to shortstop defensively.
⚾ Turning the page: Golden baseball onto its next chapter after winning the 4A state title in 2025
REPEAT? REPEAT? — That’s the question constantly bombarding Golden High School head baseball coach Jackie McBroom coming into the 2026 season.
“I’ve got that question a hundred million times,” McBroom said of Golden having the chance to win back-to-back state titles. “We are focused on game-to-game.”
Well, that’s what a coach is supposed to say. But after the Demons won last season to capture the program’s second state title (the first was in 2003), it’s only human nature to wonder if Golden can stay atop the mountain.
The Demons (3-1) are in Alabama for Spring Break, but they aren’t enjoying Gulf Shores. Golden is testing its mettle against some of the state’s best teams tournament-style. The Demons take on the Hoover Buccaneers (13-5) record, on Wednesday (tomorrow), to get the tournament started.
What’s new?
Departing bullpen - The graduation of Sawyer Brinkman, Taden Svendsen and Austin Maleki changed the makeup of Golden’s pitching staff this season. Brinkman had a 17-2 record with an ERA below 1.50 over his senior and junior seasons.
Junior Dylan Paulson - The junior left-hander struck out 13 batters in five shutout innings in a 9-1 victory over Summit on March 19. Paulson, who dominantly was a center-fielder last year, pitched just one inning in his sophomore season.
Sophomore Austin Bittner - As a freshman, Bittner, also a lefty, finished the game on the mound for the Demons in the title game and also pitched in three other games during the double-elimination tournament. The one-two lefty pitching combo of Bittner and Paulson will likely carry a lot of the load on the mound for the Demons
Golden juniors — catcher Caycen Mead (left) and pitcher/outfielder Dylan Paulson — will be key to the Demons' success this season, coming off the Class 4A state championship run of a year ago.
What championship elements remain?
McBroom Duo - Head Coach Jackie McBroom and his son, Brody McBroom, combine for a dynamic foundation the Demons can lean on in a new season. Brody will likely fill the role of the Demons’ closer again. He pitched the seventh inning against Summit after senior Gunnar Hetrick pitched the sixth.
Strength in hits - Coach McBroom said hitting might actually be the Demons’ strength this season. Brody McBroom led the Demons’ offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate against the Tigers (1-3). His double to lead off the third inning nearly left the yard, hitting just a few feet below the top of the fence in left field. Paulson also went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored from his lead-off position. Hetrick has a pair of hits. Junior Liam Leffert has taken over the clean-up spot in the line-up and is batting .667 early with eight hits.
“I think we definitely have the tools to go back and win it again,” Brody McBroom said. “We’ve got some new guys who are still learning and getting better. We definitely aren’t at our best yet. I think we have good chemistry already as a team. We are just trying to get better and become a tight-knit group. Everyone wants to play for each other and win together.”
The Demons’ next home game is against Denver North (2-3 record) on April 1.
Who is your GOAT? Email me at [email protected] and plead your case!
If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, welcome! And thanks for reading! Want Sportsland in your inbox every Tuesday morning?
WHY SPORTSLAND? Sportsland is the go-to high school sports newsletter in Colorado, covering athletics across Jefferson and Adams Counties. We give you all the game updates, yes, but we also go deep behind the scenes to give you context to some of the best sports stories in our coverage areas. The best part? It’s FREE!
While other news stations prioritize Denver’s professional and college sports teams, we keep our eyes on the high school athletics landscape, providing key updates and legislative news from CHSAA, hard-hitting feature stories and connect generations of families through sports.
📍 REGIONAL ROUNDUP 📍
Jeffco boys, girls senior basketball players enjoy ‘Last Dance’ in annual exhibition
ONE LAST DANCE — Before going off to college, and with several leaving basketball behind to focus on other sports at the next level, rivals-turned-friends shared the court one last time to commemorate their high school careers at the Gold Crown Field House.
The ninth annual Jeffco Senior Game featured Blue versus White teams made up of senior players from several Jeffco schools — Ralston Valley, Golden, Columbine, Green Mountain, Standley Lake, Evergreen, Arvada, Arvada West, Bear Creek, Conifer, Littleton, Chatfield, Jefferson, Alameda, Dakota Ridge, Pomona, D’Evelyn and Wheat Ridge.
GIRLS — The White Team easily rolled the Blue Team, winning 81-51 with a flurry of 3-pointers.
White Team MVP was Standley Lake’s Aaliyah Valenzuela - 14 points. Jefferson’s Meadow Mondragon also finished with 17 points and five 3-pointers for White.
Blue Team MVP was Columbine’s Taylor Speir - 11 points.
Fun Fact on Speir: Though she is keeping busy this spring, playing soccer and running track for the Rebels, Speir will continue her basketball career as a freshman at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden this fall.
“I’m really excited about it,” Speir said of playing for Mines coach Brittany Simpson. “It’s a great opportunity and a great school. It is where I wanted to be, and it’s close to home, which I’m excited about. It will be great to have my family and friends be able to still watch me play.”
BOYS — Blue squad beat the White squad in a 100-97 come-from-behind victory.
Green Mountain’s Jack Swanson finished with an and-one play and game-sealing dunk to win.
Blue Team MVP was Ralston Valley’s Zeke Andrews - 19 points.
White Team MVP was Columbine’s Cash Boykin - 19 points.
Columbine's Cash Boykin (left) and Ralston Valley's Zeke Andrews were named the MVPs of the boys game at the 9th annual Jeffco HS Senior Basketball Games on Monday, March 16, at the Gold Crown Field House.
Fun fact on Andrews: The two-sport athlete has signed to play quarterback at the University of Northern Colorado.
“It was fun to get out here and mess around a little bit,” Andrews said of going up against some of his Arvada West rivals, which included Noah Meurer, who will likely be a receiver for Andrews at UNC next season. “It was a good time.”
🏅 Area Highlight Reel 🏅
🥍 Lakewood boys lacrosse off to best start in nearly a decade: The Tigers are 3-0 and rolling. But can they manage their recent success? It’s been a while since Lakewood was a force in lacrosse, but with a victory over last year’s state champs, eyebrows are being raised. Read the full story ➡
🏈 Could state football title game changes come to Colorado? Other states are implementing a separation of leagues between private and public schools, citing an imbalance of power. Could this come to the Centennial State? Should it? Vote in our Poll of the Week below! Read the full story ➡
🏒 PWHL hosts open practice, youth clinic at Family Sports Center: Last week, we highlighted why Denver needs a professional women’s hockey team. It turns out, the pro PWHL teams weren’t finished in the Mile High City. See how the players, including a Colorado native, showed youth players the ropes in their free time. Read the full story ➡
🏆 Regis Jesuit's Eric Fiedler Named Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year: While Riverdale Ridge’s Brihanna Crittendon took home the award for the girls’ side, Regis Jesuit’s Fiedler can say he’s the best boys basketball player in the state. Read the full story ➡
⚽ Evergreen girls soccer claws out first victory of the season: Going for a three-peat might make focusing on day-to-day opponents more difficult, but the two-time defending champion Cougars snagged their first win after two ties to get back on track. Read the full story here ➡
🤼 Orediggers win medals, podium spots at winter championships: We’re not done celebrating our area wrestlers yet. Corinne Westeman details the Colorado School of Mines wrestlers who shone on the biggest college stage to bring home some hardware. Read the full story here ➡
🔫 Clear Creek Sport Shooting Park set to reopen in Dumont: After three years of being dormant, the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District is stepping in to reopen a shooting range in the county. Tentative reopening is set for late April. Read more details here ➡
📣 Sportsland Poll of the Week!
We want to hear from you!
Should public and private schools play in different leagues?
Last week’s poll: How many brackets do you typically make?
A handful or so (60%)
👀 Can’t-miss games of the week 👀
All records current as of March. 23
Tuesday at 6 p.m.: 🏐 Boys volleyball - Legend (4-0) @ Bear Creek (7-5) - Undefeated Legend travels to Lakewood to take on the sturdy Bears, who have won four of their last six.
Wednesday at 4:30 p.m:. 🥍 Boys lacrosse - Prairie View (3-1) @ Denver North (2-3) - Can Prairie View stay hot or does Denver North win its third game to get to .500?
Thursday at 6 p.m.: ⚽ Girls soccer - Riverdale Ridge (3-0-1) @ Silver Creek (2-1) - The Ravens have scored 27 goals in three wins this season until tying Denver North on March 19. Silver Creek looks to build on a 2-1 start.
Friday at 4 p.m.: ⚾ Baseball - Fort Lupton (1-1) at Liberty Common (1-1) - With many of our area teams out of town in tournaments, catch the Blue Devils in Fort Collins as they try to improve to 2-1.
Saturday 2 p.m.: 🥍 Boys lacrosse - Mullen (2-1) @ Lutheran (3-0) - The high-scoring Mullen Mustangs look to get back in the win column against undefeated Lutheran on the Lions’ home turf.
Something you want to see covered? Email me at [email protected] with all tips!
📅 2026 SPRING SPORTS SCHEDULE:
Use the toolbar at the top of the link below to search your sport and find your next matchups!
💛 Support Sportsland Today
Your backing ensures we can keep covering every athlete, every school, every rivalry and every milestone across our communities. Thank you for helping local sports thrive!
If you appreciate a keen eye on high school sports and important athletic news for you and your families, consider a donation to keep local sports journalism thriving!