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The best thing I saw this week: Remember the name, Jake Seda.

The D’Evelyn freshman got the start on the mound in the Jaguars’ Class 4A/3A Jeffco League baseball opener against rival Green Mountain on April 21 at D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. Seda didn’t show any nerves, throwing a one-hit, complete-game shutout in a 6-0 victory for D’Evelyn (10-5, 1-0 in league).

This freshman stud had 13 strikeouts and allowed only 1 hit. Unreal.

Last week, I spoke about how the high school baseball season is giving the Rockies a boost. They just swept the Mets! Amazing. Since when did the Nuggets become the odd ones out? The Avs and Rockies are electric right now.

Now for the best high school highlights of the week 🔥

Everyone had to wake up after prom and win a league title, right? That night’s a little foggy for me all these years later, but I’m pretty sure I did that the day after. 😅

Ok, enough of that. Now, for a team that actually did.

Golden’s girls lacrosse has emerged as a state championship contender.

For one, they just ended Evergreen’s dominant stranglehold of the league. The Cougars had won 33 straight league games dating back to 2019 until the Demons put an end to that this weekend with an 18-11 victory.

“This is a chance for us for sure,” Golden coach Robby McClure said of the Demons stepping into a state championship contender role. “I’m confident in our girls, and I think they are confident. We are right where we need to be heading into the playoffs.”

Golden (11-2 record, 2-0 in Class 4A West League) has already wrapped up its first girls lacrosse conference title since 2008. 

ALL THE OFFENSE: Golden had nine different goal scorers against the Cougars. Sophomore Tatum Pyatt led the way for the Demons with five goals.

“It means so much for this program. I can’t even put it into words,” Golden’s leading scorer Katie Hufford said of the win over Evergreen. “It has been 18 years since we’ve had a shot at league. Beating them felt like a breath of fresh air. We stuck it to them.”

JEFFCO DOMINANCE: Jeffco schools have dominated the 4A girls lacrosse state tournament since CHSAA added the 4A classification in 2021. Evergreen won the state title in 2021, 2024 and 2025. Green Mountain claimed the championship in 2022. Is Golden next?

“It is definitely our turn,” Hufford said. “We are ready. We are pumped. We are hyped.”

SPORTSLAND is thrilled to partner with Dennis Pleuss, the Sports Information Director for Jeffco Public Schools, to bring you the best whip-around athletics coverage of all your Jeffco schools’ sports teams.

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 connecting generations of families through sports.

Clashes between players, coaches and even officials peppered a feisty rivalry matchup between Evergreen and Conifer boys lacrosse squads last week.

The Lobos battled on their home field, but Evergreen exploded offensively in a 15-6 win on April 22. The Cougars — now No. 2 in CHSAA’s 4A boys lacrosse rankings — proved why they’re one of the favorites to win the state title this year.

HISTORY: Evergreen lost in the semifinal last season to eventual champion Dakota Ridge, but the Cougars are loaded with 13 hungry seniors who want revenge in their last dance on the high school field.

“We have a history of making deep runs in the playoffs, and I think this year is not much different,” Head Coach Mark Stapor said. “I think the biggest difference in this team is their mental toughness.”

STORY OF THE GAME: Senior Chase Riemma

Riemma told me he’s only played one season of varsity lacrosse. Why is that significant? Well, the senior is committed to the University of Dubuque in Iowa. That’s a Division III school. Not everyone can get up off the couch and join a team, then play at a D3 level.

Riemma also eclipsed 250 career face-off wins against Conifer. That’s a LOT in one season, especially considering the school record is 420 by Will Stubenvoll, who played three seasons and graduated in 2019.

He’s also chasing a career in aviation at Dubuque, but still has business to take care of this spring. One, he wants to get to 300 face-off wins. But also:

“If we play our game and we play smart and play how we practice, the state title is ours. All day,” Riemma told me.

We want to hear from you!

Last week’s poll: How do you feel about N.I.L being a factor in recruiting high school players?
Good for them! (42.86%)

All records current as of April 27

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