Good morning! Welcome back to Sportsland! Thanks for checking it out. For all the best high school sports news, CHSAA updates, features and more — you’re in the right spot.
So bear with me here. This whole “potentially unprecedented May storm” coming this week is already messing with schedules. A handful of first-round playoff matchups that were scheduled for today were moved to yesterday — the day I’m writing this newsletter. I’m sure the weather will throw a wrench in all these schedules I’m about to throw at you!
So, here’s who is in the mix. But keep in mind some qualifiers might be eliminated by the time you’re reading this! Updated brackets for all sports can be found at CHSAANow.com.
Here are the Colorado Trust for Local News (Sportsland) state playoff qualifiers.
The first round will begin on Tuesday for 5A, Wednesday for 2A and 4A, and Thursday for 3A. Second round games will be played for 5A on Friday, while 2A, 3A and 4A will play its second round on Saturday.
5A: No. 1 Ralston Valley, No. 11 Columbine, No. 12 Horizon, No. 25 Arvada West, No. 26 Prairie View, No. 27 Chatfield
4A: No. 6 Evergreen, No. 10 Green Mountain, No. 12 Mullen, No. 13 Golden, No. 19 Riverdale Ridge, No. 21 Standley Lake, No. 22 Adams City, No. 24 Dakota Ridge, No. 28 Frederick, No. 29 D’Evelyn
3A: No. 18 Stargate School, No. 31 Conifer
2A: No. 2 Forge Christian, No. 8 Flatirons Academy
The first round begins Tuesday for 4A and Wednesday for 5A. The second round will follow, with 4A playing on Friday and 5A playing on Saturday. The quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday, May 12 (4A) and Wednesday, May 13 (5A). The higher-seeded team will host each of the matches through the quarterfinal round.
5A: No. 5 Lakewood, No. 9 Ralston Valley, No. 21 Chatfield, No. 23 Columbine
4A: No. 2 Evergreen, No. 12 Golden, No. 17 Green Mountain, No. 18 Mullen, No. 19 Dakota Ridge, No. 22 Conifer
The first round will begin on Tuesday for 4A and Wednesday for 5A, and the 4A second round will follow on Thursday. Quarterfinals for 5A will be played on Friday, while the 4A quarterfinals will take place the next day, on Saturday. The higher-seeded team will host every playoff match through the quarterfinals.
5A: No. 12 Ralston Valley, No. 15 Columbine, No. 16 Chatfield
4A: No. 2 Golden, No. 4 Evergreen, No. 11 Dakota Ridge, No. 13 Mullen, No. 17 Green Mountain, No. 19 Horizon
The state championship tournament will be played at Fountain-Fort Carson High School on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
4A: No. 1 D’Evelyn, No. 5 Mullen, No. 1 Stargate School
Don’t forget to check out our Can’t-Miss Games of the Week — Playoff Edition — Below! Let’s keep it rolling.
And baseball brackets are coming soon!
💡 SPORTSLAND WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT 💡
The Lakewood boys lacrosse team went undefeated in the Class 5A League #2 to capture the program's first conference title. It was also the first league title in a boys’ sport since 2021. Credit: Dennis Pleuss
Lakewood boys lacrosse wins first league title after conference sweep
When Lakewood’s athletic director Mike Hughes handed the boys lacrosse Class 5A League #2 championship plaque to senior captain Murphy Shanley on Friday night at Trailblazer Stadium, the mission was officially completed.
“It’s phenomenal,” Shanley said after celebrating with teammates. “Last year, we were working toward it, but this year we knew it was really doable. We set it at the beginning of the year, and it has been phenomenal to get it done.”
Lakewood (14-1 record, 8-0 in league) finished off a clean sweep through the conference with a 12-3 victory over Monarch in the Tigers’ regular-season finale.
HISTORY: It’s the first league championship for a boys' athletic team from Lakewood High School since 2021. The Tigers won the boys soccer 5A Jeffco League title five years ago.
“It’s the best group I’ve coached,” said Head Coach Darin Denton, who has coached lacrosse in Jeffco for nearly two decades. “It means a lot to me. The friendships that they have and the camaraderie is incredible.”
WHAT’S NEXT? Lakewood is the No. 5 seed in the 5A boys lacrosse state tournament. The Tigers get a first-round bye after finishing in the top eight. Lakewood will host a second-round playoff game on Saturday, May 9, at Trailblazer Stadium.
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.
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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.
⭐ TEAM OF THE WEEK ⭐
Thornton High School girls soccer took major steps in 2026 under first-year head coach Amanda Carpio, going from just two wins last year to seven this year and 5-5 in 5A/4A Colorado League play. Credit: John Renfrow
Thornton High School girls soccer makes major leap in 2026 under first-year head coach Amanda Carpio
Not all success stories are determined in the postseason.
Take Thornton High School’s girls soccer in 2026, for example. Last year, the Trojans only won two games all year, finishing 2-10-3 and 1-6-3 in the 5A/4A Colorado League.
This year was a different story. Despite missing out on the playoffs this year, Thornton improved to 7-8 and 5-5 in league play under first-year head coach Amanda Carpio.
But if you ask her, it was all the players.
“All of the praise just goes to all the players,” Carpio said. “Each and every one of them has locked in, as the kids like to say, this season. And they've showed a lot of commitment to the team, showing up to practices, putting in 110% effort every single practice and game.”
Stars like Olivia Mateo and Camila Montenegro led a nine-member senior class. Plus, junior Dayanis Holguin-Loya (16 goals this year) is returning next season.
“Thornton’s just a great place to be,” Carpio said. “I'm incredibly proud of each and every one of them, and I'm hoping that we can just continue to build off of it for next season.”
🏅 Area Highlight Reel 🏅
Golden junior Caycen Mead slides into second base ahead of the tag of D'Evelyn shortstop Kevyn Feldon during the league game on Tuesday, April 28, at Golden High School. The Demons won 11-4. Credit: Dennis Pleuss
⚾ Golden baseball powers past D’Evelyn for 11th straight victory: The Demons are peaking at the perfect time as the postseason looms large. Read the full story ➡
✍ CHSAA Legislative Council reworks definition of recruiting: What is a prospective student and the rules on recruiting them? Read the full story ➡
⚽ Evergreen girls soccer wins back-to-back 4A/3A Jeffco titles: The Cougars’ dominance in the Jeffco league continues. Evergreen will attempt an unprecedented third straight 4A state title. Read the full story ➡
🏃♂ Mines men’s track & field team wins conference title: The Colorado School of Mines teams are preparing for the May 21-23 national championships. Read the full story ➡
⚾ Arvada West baseball ripping through 5A Jeffco League: The Wildcats are on a heater on the diamond and have established themselves as a state title favorite. Read the full story ➡
🚵♂ Bikes boost business as Trek Trails at Virginia Canyon opens: It’s officially mountain biking season in Colorado. Read the full story ➡
📣 Sportsland Poll of the Week!
We want to hear from you!
Now that the Nuggets are out, who is your pick to win the NBA Championship?
Last week’s poll: What was the biggest problem with the Nuggets this season?
HC David Adelman (50%) - And it’s just been reported he is coming back.
👀 Can’t-miss games of the week —
PLAYOFF EDITION 🏆
All matchups current as of May 4
🥍 Tuesday, May 5, time TBD: 4A Girls Lacrosse - No. 17 Green Mountain @ No. 16 Grand Junction — Can the Rams survive another game despite a tough 3-11 season?
🥍 Wednesday, May 6, time TBD: 5A Girls Lacrosse - No. 12 Ralston Valley @ No. 5 Colorado Academy — Did the tough Jeffco league prepare the Mustangs for an upset?
🏐 Thursday, May 7, at 1:45 p.m.: 4A Boys Volleyball - No. 5 Mullen vs. No. 4 Pueblo South at Fountain Fort-Carson High School — There’s nothing like a No. 4 vs. No 5 matchup in the first round.
⚽🥍🏐 Friday, May 8 — TAKE YOUR PICK: Girls soccer 5A second round, 4A boys lacrosse second round, 5A girls lacrosse second round, boys volleyball second round. View updated brackets at CHSAANow.com.
⚽🥍🏐 Saturday, May 9 — TAKE YOUR PICK: Girls soccer 2A, 3A, 4A second round, 5A boys lacrosse second round, 4A girls lacrosse second round, boys volleyball semifinals and championships! View updated brackets at CHSAANow.com.
Something you want to see covered? Email me at [email protected] with any and all tips!
📅 2026 SPRING SPORTS SCHEDULE:
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