Congrats to Rory McIlroy; that’s a hard guy to root against. But of course, I was cheering on Colorado’s Wyndham Clark at the Masters, the Valor Christian alum and former U.S. Open winner. But nothing brings me peace like Jim Nantz and a lush TV of green all day.

But “hello friends,” it’s Sportsland again! Welcome back, or welcome for the first time! Here, we talk high school sports and community sports stories in the Centennial State.

Colorado sports are so electric right now. Whether it’s the Colorado Avalanche entering the NHL Playoffs as the No. 1 seed, the Professional Women’s Hockey League setting records at Ball Arena, or college hockey shining on the national stage, it’s clear Colorado is the hockey hub of the country. DU just won it’s 11th (yes, 11th) college hockey national championship. (The team even has a celebration tonight at Magness Arena).

The Rockies have fans literally ripping their shirts off. And right here in Arvada, that same energy showed up when A-West baseball took on rival Ralston Valley to open Jeffco League play under lightning flashes. More in our WEEKLY SPOTLIGHT below!

REAL QUICK — My favorite thing I saw this week. Prepare your eyes, and behold:

Young or old, large or small, it didn’t matter. What began as a small group of fans (maybe 10?) in the 300 level at Coors Field blossomed into an ocean of shirtless baseball fans twirling their tops above their heads and adopting a high school student section-like fervor in the middle of a Wednesday matinee game. The Rockies responded and swept Houston.

I wrote about the spectacle and the early hope that endangers Colorado baseball fans this early in the season. Read the full story here: Early glimmer of hope feeds starving Colorado Rockies fans.

One of the very best cross-town rivalries in all the Colorado Trust for Local News areas was electric on the baseball diamond on April 9 at Arvada West High School, and it wasn’t just because of the 45-minute lightning delay.

(I also was hit with lightning delays covering the Brighton vs. Westminster girls soccer league opener. Brighton got a much-needed win on the Wolves’ home field. Gotta love springtime.)

A-West officially started its defense of the Class 5A Jeffco League title with a 10-5 victory over rival Ralston Valley. The lightning delay turned the game into a 3.5-hour battle.

“We usually play these guys at the end of the year, but it’s nice to come out here and beat them to have some good momentum pushing forward into league,” A-West senior Brayden Reiner said. “(Ralston Valley) and Valor are probably going to be our best competition in the league.”

A-West handled the Mustangs 16-5 in the second game of the series on April 11, and now sits at 2-0 in the 5A Jeffco League.

CATS STILL ROLLING: A-West went a perfect 12-0 in conference play a season ago, with the Wildcats claiming their first baseball league title since 2014. Arvada West (9-3 record) is on a seven-game win streak in 2026, and the team begins a two-game series at Bear Creek today at 4 p.m.

MUSTANGS ARE FINE: At 8-4, Ralston Valley’s goals are still on the board for the season. The Mustangs have a chance to bounce back in a two-game series against Lakewood (2-10 record) this week, with the first game at home today at 4 p.m.

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 connect generations of families through sports.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — Colorado coaches and athletes could have a clearer definition of recruiting practices by April 22.

That’s when the legislative council of the Colorado High School Activities Association meets to discuss that and several other proposals during its spring meeting. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Douglas County School District Legacy campus in Parker.

Who proposed it? The CHSAA board of directors.

What does it mean? The agenda said no school representatives shall “recruit any student or solicit or encourage any other person in a school or athletic team, such as a school administrator, coach or assistant coach.” That list also includes employees, volunteers, student-athletes, parents or family members of student-athletes. The agenda notes that any school found to be recruiting students may be subject to penalties from the commissioner, including potential expulsion.

ALL in favor: Those in favor say the rule "strengthens expectations and clarifies recruiting,” the agenda noted. There were no comments in opposition.

MORE: Concerning non-high school student contact — Schools may ONLY have contact with students in their district attendance area. Informational nights are exempt. Schools cannot have a direct contract with non-prospective students if the subject is athletics.

In favor: Those in favor point to a universal approach to appropriate levels of contact.

Opposed: Those opposed point to the possibility of more competition within the district and of inter-school district contact issues.

More from the meeting’s resolution will be updated on our websites this week! Read the full story below from Steve Smith!

We want to hear from you!

Last week’s poll: Who is your favorite Colorado high school success story?
TIE - Lauren & Sienna Betts, Chauncey Billups (25%)

All records current as of April 13

Something you want to see covered? Email me at [email protected] with any and all tips!

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