Now, the wise apples over in the Grading The Week (GTW) offices will readily confess our sins because 1.) There are so darn many, we’ve lost count; and 2.) It’s good for the soul.

And Team GTW has got to admit: Before last Tuesday, we’d never really heard of the Colorado Summit. And, because of what is believed to be an act of sporting/community altruism … we won’t be hearing that name for very much longer.

OK, OK, OK, here’s the juice. You know that sweet Denver Summit FC logo that dropped earlier in the week? The nifty green, gold and red number? The one that’ll represent the city’s new National Women’s Soccer League expansion team? The same NWSL team that features Peyton Manning and Mikaela Shiffrin as part of its ownership group?

At any rate, the “Summit” part reportedly needed a little … um … navigating.

Denver’s Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) franchise, which calls Mines’ Marv Kay Stadium home, has been using “Summit” since it was founded in 2022.

A Classy Summit — A

Now this is usually the part that gets the lawyers excited. Because while registering trademarks can cost hundreds of dollars, acquiring them from their original rightsholder often costs a whole heck of a lot more.

The Summit could’ve played hardball. Instead, the new soccer brand/nickname was met with a public bow and a hearty congratulation on the part of the “old” Summit, the little guys on the block.

The ultimate frisbee team said via a release that it was “passing the torch” to the new NWSL team, announcing that it would “relinquish its name to Denver’s new … expansion club.”

That’s it? No shakedowns? No litigious finger-wagging? Just a “passing of the torch?” Nobody’s that nice, surely. This is America. We want receipts!

“There was no payment for the team name,” Denver Summit FC spokesperson Brendan Hannan told Denverite.com last week. “The two clubs collaborated on a mutually beneficial relationship.”

And as part of that, moving forward, the old Summit will soon cease to be the Summit at all. The frisbee crew has already begun the process of a rebrand, starting with an online survey for fans that features 10 options — “Alpine,” “Echo,” “Sky” and “Mint” are our personal faves — as well as a box for a write-in option.

Might we suggest “Class?”

Summit FC’s logos — A

And speaking of classy, a GTW salute to Matthew Wolff, who designed the new Summit FC branding. A golden sky? Check. Tip o’ the cap to Red Rocks? Check. A clean green and white base? Check and check. There’s even a secondary logo with mountains tucked inside a giant, burnt red “D” — a very cool, yet totally unique, nod to Broncos helmets past.

Betts powers Team USA to gold — A

Sticking with folks who can’t seem to stop winning, Sienna Betts just took home another trophy.

The former Grandview High School girls basketball star and UCLA signee this past Sunday helped Team USA’s national women’s basketball team notch its fourth straight gold medal in the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup in Czechia.

Betts recorded a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in a victory over Australia that clinched the gold for the Stars & Stripes. She also averaged a double-double for the tourney (14.6 points, 10.0 boards per game) and led all players in field-goal percentage (58.7%). Her older sister, Lauren, whom she’ll join in Westwood, was part of the Team USA squad that won the U19 World Cup in 2021.

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Marshall Manning, 14, has enrolled at Baylor School in Chattanooga, according to a report from The Tennessean. The boarding school has become a contender in football in recent years, winning the Division II-AAA championship in 2022 and finishing runner-up in each of the past two seasons.

Marshall is a quarterback like many of his other family members. His father is a Pro Football Hall of Famer after playing 18 seasons in the NFL with the Colts and the Broncos. His uncle Eli won two Super Bowls with the Giants. His grandfather Archie played 14 years in the NFL. And his cousin Arch is expected to be the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns this fall.

Marshall previously attended Kent Denver School, a private school located in Cherry Hills Village for sixth through 12th grades, with his twin sister, Mosley. The Tennessean reported that Marshall’s transfer was “ahead of his eighth-grade year,” but a video posted on his Hudl page last December refers to his “8th grade” highlights in Colorado, and Mosley’s Hudl page lists her as part of the Class of 2029.

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The 5-foot-7 Kentucky commit led a defense that allowed just 13 goals en route to a 15-1-4 record and 5A state championship victory over Castle View. She scored the loan goal in the title game and finished with four goals and two assists on a season that also ended with 5A player of the year honors.

In addition, she carried a 4.18 weighted GPA in the classroom and volunteered for multiple initiatives as part of Fossil Ridge’s National Honor Society and Key Club.

“Teagan is a tremendous leader who clearly helped shift the culture of the program,” Windsor head coach Mike Lordemann said in a release announcing the award. “Ask any coach what wins championships, and most will say the same thing: defense. We simply couldn’t break down Fossil Ridge’s defense with Teagan anchoring it.”

Myers joins elite company as a Gatorade player of the year, with notable alumni including U.S. Women’s National Team star Mallory Swanson (nee Pugh) with Mountain Vista in 2014-15.

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It was March 22 of last year, and Rudden started for Cherry Creek in a travel tournament against Valley Vista. An elbow injury cut short his sophomore season, so the then-junior was still looking to establish himself within Colorado’s most successful big-school program.

RELATED: Meet the finalists for the inaugural Roy Halladay Award

Rudden threw a complete game, one-hit shutout in a 1-0 win, dominating with his fastball-slider combo in a preview of what was to come as the right-hander became a central force in the Bruins’ back-to-back Class 5A championship seasons.

“He showed us his bulldog mentality,” Cherry Creek pitching coach Dave Veres recalled. “It was one of those (ah-ha) moments. No pitch clock needed for this guy. He’s a get-it-and-go type of guy. Puts all the pressure on the hitters. And once we got that one-run lead, he was like, ‘That’s all I need. That’s plenty.’

“And as that game went on, he got tougher and tougher to hit, which foreshadowed what he would do the next couple years. Once he got the ball, you couldn’t take it out of his hand.”

Rudden came up clutch for Cherry Creek in the biggest moments. Last year, he delivered under do-or-die circumstances in the penultimate game of the state tournament against Regis Jesuit, setting up Creek’s ninth ring. And this spring, he sealed the program’s 10th title with a masterful start, again against the Raiders, in the championship game.

Along the way, the Michigan commit excelled in the classroom (4.3 GPA) and set a high standard with community service and school club involvement. For all of that, Rudden is the winner of the inaugural Roy Halladay Award, to be presented annually to Colorado’s top senior ballplayer, scholar and community steward.

“To have my name in the same conversation as Halladay is such a blessing,” Rudden said. “The kind of player he was and the status he had is something that every Colorado baseball player hopes to achieve. So I’m blessed to get this honor.

“I believe this has a ton of potential to be a big-time award in the years to come. And I hope it motivates more high school players in the community to not just be good players, but good students and good people.”

Intensity is one of Rudden’s best intangibles that led to his impressive prep career on and off the diamond.

In this year’s title game, where Rudden threw five innings of one-run ball in an 8-1 Cherry Creek win, Regis Jesuit threatened to take an early lead with two runners on in the first inning. But Rudden struck out a pair of batters to escape the jam, then yelled toward the Raiders’ dugout.

“That was our chance, and then he slammed the door on us after that,” Regis Jesuit head coach Matt Darr said. “That first inning epitomized how there’s a competitiveness to him that’s another level compared to most. … You feel like you’re up against somebody who’s almost invincible even though we’ve seen guys with better stuff, but they’re not as tough as him.”

Rudden’s competitiveness translated to leadership in the dugout. Cherry Creek head coach Joe Smith said the senior routinely pulled fellow players aside for chats if they weren’t playing up to the program’s expectations of effort and hustle.

Rudden’s edge seeped into his schoolwork, too, where even as a senior he refused to let up in his final high school semester despite having a scholarship to Michigan in the bag.

“Wyatt had just come home from a game this spring, and he had pitched well,” said Rudden’s dad, Nick, who won a pair of baseball championships with the Bruins in the late 1990s. “Postgame, he lifted. Then he gets home at about 9:30, and I go, ‘What’s going on?’ He goes, ‘I’ve got to go study (for an AP test).’ This was routine for him. He would often be up until like 2 in the morning studying.

“That night, my wife (Megan) and I just looked at each other. Even with college already set, he was going up to study because he believes it’s his obligation to be the best he can be. He’s not the kind of kid who is going to leave anything on the table.”

Rudden’s younger brother, Cherry Creek junior second baseman Walker Rudden, saw that in Wyatt from a young age.

When Walker was 11 and Wyatt was 12, they played a tournament together in Cooperstown. When Walker hit a homer before Wyatt, the older brother was peeved.

“So then he came up the next at-bat and crushed one of the longest homers I’ve ever seen a little kid hit,” Walker said with a laugh. “Then he just smiled at me when we got back into the dugout.”

Outside of baseball and school, Rudden’s desire to give back didn’t waver.

Since childhood, Rudden’s been heavily involved in the Bags of Fun Foundation, which puts together backpacks with toys and games for children fighting life-threatening conditions. Since middle school, he’s volunteered about 15 weekends a year for Boys Team Charity, with projects such as cleaning up farms that target food scarcity, serving at food kitchens, and most recently painting planter boxes for a senior living facility. And this winter and spring, he’s been an assistant coach for a 9U Little League team.

Inside the walls of his school, he’s also involved in Link Crew, National Honor Society, DECA and Leadership Club.

“A quote I come back to a lot is, ‘Who you are when you do anything is who you are when you do everything,'” Rudden said. “Going through the motions at school will never better you, and neither will doing that in the community. If you want to be a great player and a great person, every time you have an opportunity to better yourself and better others, you have to take it.”

As Rudden heads off to Michigan, the 6-foot, 180-pound hurler’s hyperfocus in all aspects of life won’t sway. And as Cherry Creek senior teammate Mason Scott explains, neither will Rudden’s confidence on the mound, although he’ll need to further develop his curveball and changeup to be a more dynamic pitcher at the Division I level.

“There is no hitter that Wyatt is ever scared to pitch to,” Scott said. “He’ll throw inside. He’ll throw any pitch in any count. That’s what makes him make so difficult to hit off of — he’s not scared of you, and you know that. Wyatt’s favorite pitch is a two-seam on your hands, and I think that says everything you need to know about him.”

The Roy Halladay Award

The Roy Halladay Award honors the top senior baseball player, scholar and community steward in Colorado. The award, named after the late Hall of Fame pitcher who attended Arvada West before becoming a Cy Young winner with the Blue Jays and Phillies, factors in on-field performance as well as grades and community service.

The award is backed by a non-profit, the Colorado High School Baseball Player Award Corporation, led by board president Ed Henderson, treasurer Alan Bossart and secretary Justin North. The winner is decided by a 14-person selection committee, which votes on the winner and finalists based on a system that gives candidates three points for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote and one point for a third-place vote.

The trophy for the award, named “The Mighty Casey,” is made by the Lundeen Sculpture company in Loveland. It is an approximately 15-inch-tall bronze sculpture of an old-time ballplayer leaning on his bat. The winner also receives a $1,000 scholarship and an honorary luncheon put on by the non-profit in downtown Denver.

Anyone wishing to make a tax-deductible donation to the award should email reporter Kyle Newman at knewman@denverpost.com.

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Roy Halladay Award Winner

RHP Wyatt Rudden, Sr., Cherry Creek

One of several aces on a stacked Bruins’ pitching staff, the Michigan commit dominated in the title game win over Regis Jesuit and finished the season 9-2 with a 2.46 ERA and 85 strikeouts. He won the inaugural Roy Halladay Award for his play in addition to his grades (4.3 GPA) and service in the community.

Coach of the Year

Jackie McBroom, Golden

The 10th-year Demons coach led Golden to its first state title in 22 years, and second overall, amid their third straight Class 4A Final Four appearance. When McBroom took over the Golden program a decade ago, the Demons were perennially on the outside looking in when it came playoff time. Now, they’re a prominent 4A force.

Pitchers

RHP Ethan Wachsmann, Jr., Grandview

The Wake Forest commit dominated hitters with a fastball that ran into the high 90s while helping the Wolves to the Class 5A Final Four. Wachsmann was 8-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 11 games, with two complete games and 80 Ks.

RHP Hudson Alpert, Jr., Regis Jesuit

The Vanderbilt commit was a central reason for the Raiders’ return trip to the 5A state title game, even though he missed the final weekend of state due to injury. He was 6-3 with a 1.76 ERA and 65 Ks in 10 games.

RHP Ryan Falke, Sr., Cherry Creek

Another one of the Bruins’ big guns, the Washington State commit was a factor in why Cherry Creek only lost one time in state all season. Falke was 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA, one save and 70 Ks in 13 games.

RHP Sawyer Brinkman, Sr., Golden

The Dodge City Community College commit helped pitch the Demons to the title and was the Class 4A Jeffco League MVP in the process. He was 10-1 with a 1.52 ERA, 112 Ks and just 18 walks in 13 games.

RHP Ross Frank, Sr., Rocky Mountain

The Monterey Peninsula College commit and Roy Halladay Award finalist was the Lobos’ ace for three seasons while leading them back to the 5A tournament. He went 10-2 with a 1.28 ERA, 106 Ks and only eight walks in 14 games.

RHP Luke Reasbeck, Sr., Regis Jesuit

The North Greenville commit formed a formidable one-two punch alongside Alpert, going 5-1 with a 1.85 ERA in 10 games with 53 Ks and only four walks. He was pure nails during the Raiders’ state tournament run.

LHP Carter Wilcox, Sr., Cherokee Trail

The Iowa commit was a finalist for the Roy Halladay Award as the Cougars’ centerpiece. He went 5-4 with a 1.85 ERA in 12 games. His dominating swing-and-miss arsenal paced 5A with 116 strikeouts.

RHP Blake Swift, Jr., Pueblo County

The still-uncommitted Hornets ace was virtually untouchable this season with a 0.33 ERA and 11-1 record in 14 games, including 74 strikeouts and no homers given up as PCHS made the 4A state tournament.

LHP Maverick Scarpella, Jr., Broomfield

One of two aces for the Eagles alongside BYU commit Ethan Zufall, the Indian Hills commit routinely came up clutch during Broomfield’s deep playoff run. He threw a no-hitter in the regional final and went 8-1 with a 2.13 ERA and 75 Ks in 12 games.

Catchers

Brendan Fritch, Sr., Broomfield 

The Davidson commit could hit for average and power. He led 5A with a .545 average and also paced the classification with a .613 on-base percentage and hit five homers as the offensive soul of the Eagles’ Final Four team.

Spike Magill, Sr., Mountain Vista

The Evansville commit was a dominant backstop for the Golden Eagles and also Mountain Vista’s best offensive player with a .494 average, .556 on-base percentage and 1.361 OPS.

Jack Espiritu-Niswonger, Sr., Fairview

The Dartmouth commit has been a stalwart for three seasons behind the dish up in Boulder, hitting over .400 each year. This spring, he batted .411 with a .522 on-base percentage and 1.166 OPS.

Nate Glad, Sr., Cheyenne Mountain

The Northeastern Junior College commit helped the Red-Tailed Hawks to the 4A title game with his glove and his bat, as he batted .459 with seven homers, a .500 on-base percentage and 1.261 OPS.

Infielders

SS Owen Morgan, Sr., Fossil Ridge

The Oregon commit was a centerpiece of Fossil Ridge’s first 5A state tournament appearance, leading the SaberCats with a .538 average and .602 on-base percentage to go along with four homers and a 1.326 OPS.

1B/OF Connor Larkin, Sr., Cherry Creek

The Oklahoma commit cleaned up on postseason honors via the state’s Gatorade player of the year, the CHSAA 5A player of the year and the Centennial League player of the year while hitting .457 with 11 homers.

SS Tate Deal, Sr., Arvada West

The Evansville commit helped the Wildcats to a deep 5A tournament run with slick fielding and a powerful bat. He hit .391 with 12 doubles, nine homers, 32 RBIs and a 1.309 OPS.

SS Tommy Feldhake, Sr., Castle View

The South Carolina Upstate commit flashed leather as Castle View’s defensive leader. He raked, too, with a .472 average, .552 on-base percentage and 1.372 OPS topped off by an impressive performance at state.

INF Jansen Roberts, Sr., Cheyenne Mountain

The Crowder College commit’s play and leadership powered Cheyenne Mountain’s 4A title game trip. He led the team with a .481 average, eight homers, .865 slugging and 1.450 OPS.

SS Jaydon Stroup, Sr., Golden

The Mesa Community College commit was a starter as a sophomore when Golden lost in the 4A title game and has been a pillar in the two seasons since. He hit .402 with a .530 on-base percentage and 1.243 OPS.

SS Chase Chapman, Sr., Grandview

The uncommitted Wolves star provided plus-defense in addition to being the most consistent hitter on a 5A Final Four team; Chapman batted .451 with 21 extra-base hits, good for a .563 on-base percentage and 1.331 OPS.

SS Ethan Fillinger, Sr., Windsor

The UNC commit helped the Wizards to a third-place finish at the 4A state tournament with sure hands and a live arm in the six hole combined with a potent bat that hit .482 with four homers and a 1.354 OPS.

SS Sean Goldy, Sr., Cherry Creek

The West Virginia commit made an array of impressive plays during the Bruins’ 6-0 postseason run, with speed and quickness in the field and on the bases. He hit .368 with four homers, 17 steals and a .451 on-base percentage.

1B Luca Casali, Sr., Golden

The Western Oklahoma State commit was a key cog in the Demons’ title run and could play the outfield, too. As a hitter, Casali batted a team-best .456 with a .568 on-base percentage, .811 slugging and 1.379 OPS.

1B Bricen Moore, Jr., Douglas County

A versatile defender who can also play the outfield, Moore was the Huskies’ best hitter this season with a .429 average, 14 extra-base hits (three homers), .494 on-base percentage and 1.234 OPS.

Outfielders

Mason Griffin, Sr., Fossil Ridge

The UNC commit consistently came through in the clutch for the SaberCats through the state tournament. The Northern League player of the year led 5A with 50 RBIs while batting .511 with six homers and a 1.530 OPS.

Sam Harry, Sr., Castle View

The Cal State Sacramento commit led the Sabercats with a .489 average and .566 on-base percentage and also posted a 1.321 OPS to help Castle View to the 5A state tournament.

Caden Williamson, Sr., Broomfield

Another potent bat in the Broomfield lineup alongside Fritch, the Quinnipiac commit hit leadoff and played a speedy center field, batting .402 with 40 RBIs, five homers, a .728 slugging and a 1.205 OPS.

Colin Metz, Sr., Chatfield

The Dodge City commit who played on the Chargers’ defensive line during the fall was a heavy-hitter, leading Chatfield with a .429 average, 24 RBIs and nine homers plus a .473 on-base percentage and 1.283 OPS.

Christian Lopez, Sr., Regis Jesuit

The Cal Bakersfield commit showcased speed and defensive prowess as the Raiders’ center fielder. As the team’s leadoff man, Lopez also shined, hitting .398 with a .500 on-base percentage and team-best 15 steals.

Aiden Wilson, Sr., Pine Creek

The Garden City commit had a sure glove in the outfield and could also hit for average and power. He hit .463 with a team-best 41 RBIs and 17 extra-base hits, including seven homers and a 1.533 OPS.

Utility

RHP/SS/CF Cooper Vais, Soph., Arvada West

The 5A Jeffco League MVP propelled the Wildcats to a deep run in the 5A tournament. The head coach’s kid hit .347 with five homers, a .600 slugging and 1.022 OPS, and went 8-1 with a 1.29 ERA on the mound.

3B/OF Jack Phiel, Sr., Northfield

The Haverford commit tore up the City League this season while leading the Nighthawks to the league title. The defensively versatile Phiel batted .479 with 33 RBIs and 22 extra-base hits, including eight homers and a 1.650 OPS.

LHP/OF Favi Gaeta, Sr., Prairie View

The Colorado Northwestern commit was 10-1 with a 1.14 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 14 games this season as one of the more dominant arms in the state. He also raked offensively with a .405 average and 1.329 OPS.

RHP/1B Jerry Stone, Sr., Prairie View

The Colorado Northwestern commit was a one-two punch on the mound alongside Gaeta, with a 5-1 record, 1.34 ERA and 64 Ks in 12 games. He also had a .365 average, five homers and 1.152 OPS in the box.

RHP/1B Aaron Jaquez, Jr., Falcon

The North Carolina commit, who posted a 2.25 ERA and 32 Ks in five games pitching, did everything for the Falcons this spring en route to hitting .522 with 26 RBIs, a .570 on-base percentage and a 1.301 OPS.

LHP/1B Ben Simons, Sr., Coal Ridge

The Roy Halladay Award finalist led the state with 51 RBIs and was a dominant two-way player to lead the Titans to their first state title. He hit .565, and was 6-1 with a 1.11 ERA and 85 Ks in 11 games on the mound.

RHP/OF Easton Embrey, Sr., Palisade

The Florence-Darlington Tech commit used his arm and bat to help lead the Bulldogs to the 4A Final Four. Embrey hit .467 with a .508 on-base percentage and was the team’s most-used pitcher with a 4.15 ERA in 14 games.

RHP/SS Thomas Stewart, Sr., Mullen

The Virginia commit was the Mustangs’ unquestioned two-way star this spring, as he led the team with a .459 average, .564 on-base percentage and 1.240 OPS. He also had a 2.67 ERA in nine games on the mound.

RHP/OF/3B Maddox Burnett, Jr., Erie 

The BYU commit was a pillar for the Tigers this season and is one of the top juniors in the state. He hit .419 with a 1.085 OPS, and on the mound, he was Erie’s ace with a 2.74 ERA, 8-2 record and 70 Ks in 11 games.

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The Demons had just lost a 1-0 heartbreaker in the Class 4A title round to Severance after the would-be tying run was thrown out at the plate to end the game. So the runner-up trophy was sent back to Golden in the car of head coach Jackie McBroom’s wife instead of on the team bus.

“The players did not want that trophy on the bus,” McBroom recalled with a laugh. “We were proud of what we had accomplished, but there was a lot of disappointment that we didn’t win the whole thing.

“So the guys who were there with us, whether they were juniors or seniors this year, they didn’t forget that feeling. It was a driving force for them to get back to that spot and finish what the team from two years ago started.”

The Demons did just that, capturing the Class 4A championship by beating Cheyenne Mountain on May 31 at the Air Force Academy in the winner-take-all game of the double-elimination tournament. It gave the Demons their second title, but first since MLB all-star Mark Melancon headlined their original championship team in 2003. It also resulted in McBroom being tabbed as The Denver Post’s All Colorado Coach of the Year.

Raising the trophy that the Demons really wanted was a fitting capper for Golden, which has been Colorado’s most dominant Class 4A program over the last four years. In that time, they’ve made four state tournaments, three Final Fours and amassed a 97-20 record.

That’s a long way from what McBroom inherited in his first season leading the Demons in 2016. The year before McBroom took the job on 24th Street, Golden was 6-13 and finished tied for last in the Jeffco League. Now, they’ve won the league five years in a row.

“I give a lot of credit to that first group that I had,” said McBroom, who’d previously been a Golden assistant coach and head coach at Abraham Lincoln. “We finished 10-9 and didn’t make the playoffs, but those seniors started to change the culture, and then the talented sophomore class we had that year carried that on. We made the state tournament in my second year. The baseline (for perennial success) was set.”

This spring, the Demons lost only one regular-season game to a 4A opponent — a 3-2 setback to Denver North on April 1. After that, Golden rattled off 20 straight wins before losing to Cheyenne Mountain in eight innings in the championship round, which the Demons entered in the driver’s seat.

In the winner-take-all game that followed, Golden didn’t flinch under pressure in a 5-1 victory to secure the title.

“(McBroom) really didn’t even say much after that loss to Cheyenne Mountain — it was more about the way he was holding himself,” senior first baseman Luca Casali explained. “He didn’t seem stressed, he didn’t seem worried. The players saw that and we believed we were fine. We were ready to go take it.”

Four seniors fueled Golden’s title run: Casali (Western Oklahoma State commit), shortstop Jaydon Stroup (Mesa Community College), right-hander Sawyer Brinkman (Dodge City) and left-hander Taden Svendsen (Trinidad State).

Brinkman was Golden’s ace all season, winning 10 games with a 1.52 ERA, but it was Svendsen who pitched the decisive win over Cheyenne Mountain via 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball.

Casali noted that McBroom, who coaches with tough love, found the right balance of “knowing when to let the seniors take over the leadership in a situation, and when he should step in.”

“That played a big role in having our team mesh,” Casali said. “After that loss to Denver North, he let us hear it after the game. He was hard on us. But he also (empowered) us seniors with taking ownership of the team, and consistently solicited input from us about what we needed to work on, and what to focus on to keep bringing the younger players along.”

Coaching continuity has also been key in Golden’s rise as a 4A force.

Around McBroom, Charlie Stevens is the Demons’ longtime pitching coach. Assistant Chip Glass, the 1994 College World Series MVP with Oklahoma, coaches the outfield. And Chad Sigg, Roy Halladay’s catcher at Arvada West who has now won five state titles as a player and assistant coach, is also a key part of the varsity staff.

And if the last half-decade is any indication, the trophy accumulation in Golden might just be getting going.

“It amazes me every year that we show up in the winter and start hitting, and we’ve got a whole new crop of players who are capable of elevating the program again,” Sigg said. “It’s like Columbine football — you want to go play for programs like that. Jackie doesn’t go out and recruit kids, but they find him and want to play for Golden baseball. Every year’s a reload, not a rebuild, and we expect that to continue.”

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Ben Simons, Coal Ridge

Position: LHP/1B

GPA: 3.98

Commitment: None

Stats: .565 average, .672 on-base percentage, 51 RBIs, 15 doubles, 7 triples, 1 homer, .941 slugging, 1.613 OPS; 6-1 with 1.11 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 16 games, .177 opponent average

Community: Simons is heavily involved in his church doing lots of community work through that, including assisting the elderly with chores that they physically cannot do. He’s also involved with youth sports and mentoring in the New Castle community, having volunteered for youth basketball and baseball camps. For now, he is forgoing playing baseball in college — he had several JuCo offers, plus one to Colorado Mesa — to go on a two-year mission.

About Simons: Simons was the backbone of Coal Ridge’s run to the Class 3A state title game — the first boys championship in school history to put the small Western Slope town on the map. A two-way star, he led the entire state in RBIs and hit for contact and power as the driving force in the lineup. He was nearly untouchable on the mound and was CHSAA’s 3A player of the year, in addition to a three-time Western Slope League player of the year.

Ross Frank, Rocky Mountain

Position: RHP/SS

GPA: 3.9

Commitment: Monterey Peninsula College

Stats: 10-2 with 1.28 ERA, 106 strikeouts and only 8 walks in 14 games; .304 average with 21 RBIs, 6 doubles, 1 triple, .407 on-base percentage, .391 slugging, .798 OPS

Community: Frank volunteered at Respite Care in Fort Collins, where he worked with kids with special needs. Frank and his teammates took those kids to do activities, such as bowling and swimming, a few times a year. He was also a spirit leader at Rocky Mountain who was tasked with generating support for Lobo athletics, volunteered to serve food to those experiencing homelessness, and participated in a free baseball camp for local youth players.

About Frank: In a storied Rocky Mountain program that’s produced a few professional players, Frank etched himself into program history. The four-year letter-winner reset the Rocky Mountain pitching record book, overtaking former Mariners pitcher Marco Gonzales in single-season strikeouts and innings (71) as well as career strikeouts (245) and innings (188 1/3) while leading the Lobos back to the Class 5A state tournament in ’25.

Carter Wilcox, Cherokee Trail

Position: LHP

GPA: 3.67

Commitment: Iowa

Stats: 5-4 with 1.85 ERA in 12 games, 116 strikeouts, 35 walks, 2 homers allowed, .130 opponent batting average

Community: Wilcox assisted with Cherokee Trail’s annual Ronald McDonald House Donation and the school’s Unified Wiffle Ball game. He is also a member of the Cougars’ BE KIND program. He participated in the Unified Turkey Trot and raised money for Lahaina for school caps and gowns after the wildfires, and helped with hurricane relief. He helped run two elementary school field days.

About Wilcox: The southpaw consistently put Cherokee Trail on his back whenever he took the mound. Wilcox has drawn some Tim Lincecum comps for the way he gets the most out of his frame with a unique delivery and arm slot. He consistently revved his fastball up into the mid-90s, and when paired with a nasty high-70s slider, the Ks piled up and he led the state in strikeouts with his ability to generate whiffs in all parts of the zone.

The Tennessee commit helped lead the Lions to four state titles during a decorated career with the Parker prep power, capped by a Class 4A player of the year nod after she hit .547 with 52 RBIs and 10 home runs last fall. The shortstop also stole 10 bases and had a .933 fielding percentage in her fourth and final all-state season.

“She controls the game from her defensive position and can change it with one swing,” Riverdale Ridge head coach Ray Garza said in a release announcing the award. “And it’s not just stats. Coaches and scouts look at how she carries herself — she lifts up her team, she’s vocal, supportive and leads by example, even when things aren’t perfect.”

In addition to her work on the diamond, Barnhart has donated time to the Miracle League of Metro Denver, which offers children and adults living with intellectual or physical challenges the opportunity to play baseball, and volunteered as a nanny for a family with a terminally ill parent.

She carries a 4.0 GPA and will play on scholarship at Tennessee starting next fall.

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On the first day of Legend’s football summer camp, Ryken Banks thought he knew the drill. Except for the bit where his new coach decided he was Hellbent on being an active part of it.

“He walks in the weight room, and he looks over at us, and he was like, ‘I’m next,'” Banks, the Titans’ running back, said of Jake Heaps’ first June in Legend blue. “So, he hops in.”

Before long, Banks, who averaged 6.4 yards per carry over his first three varsity seasons, was doing something he’d never done during a Titans lifting session before: Spotting his head coach on the bench press.

“Playing since I was a freshman, I’ve kind of had the same thing for three years,” the 6-foot-1 senior reflected. “Getting this new thing, seeing the type of players we have and (Heaps) really playing to the best of our abilities, it’s just kind of a new, refreshing thing that’s exciting.”

Dave Logan’s Cherry Creek dynasty rolls on like the Gunnison River. Valor Christian is tweaking again. Legend? Your reigning Class 5A football runners-up might be the most fascinating Front Range gridiron tale south of Boulder this fall.

Bolles on board

This past February, longtime coach Monte Thelen was replaced by Heaps, better known around these parts as Russell Wilson’s personal QB guru.

It’s one of those hiring Hail Marys that can get an athletic director in hot water if things go off the rails. Yet the Titans haven’t stopped swinging big since. Quarterback DJ Bordeaux, a three-star passer who’s committed to Boston College, got a hardship waiver to enroll at Legend, making the Titans his fourth program in four years. One of Heaps’ first hires was to bring in Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles on board to serve as director of player development.

“So, our wives are best friends. We’re best friends,” the affable Heaps, who quarterbacked BYU (2010-11), Kansas (2012-13) and Miami (2014), told me last week. “Our kids are playing the same flag football games together. And so we got really close. But going back to the mantra of we’re going to do it better than everybody’s ever done it before. I mean, I’ve got this unbelievable resource. How am I not going to get him involved in our program?

“When I took the job, (Bolles) was like, ‘OK, what can I do?’ He wanted to jump in and be on the coaching staff. And I’m like, ‘Oh, buddy, hey, you’ve got other things to do here, man.’ When you’re done playing, heck yeah, we’ll do this thing together. But I’ve got to keep you in a certain role. I don’t need George Payton and Sean Payton breathing down my neck, you know what I mean?”

There will be more Broncos, past and present, in and around Hilltop Road in the months to come, if Heaps can keep pulling strings.

“We’re working on it,” the coach said. “… We got some good relationships still there (at Dove Valley). And so, yeah, we’re,  I’m working all those things and not trying to put it all out there all at once, but yeah — we’re taking advantage of that connection. For sure.”

Sean Payton?

He laughed.

“That’s a Garett question,” Heaps countered. “He’s always welcome. We would love to have him, for sure. But we’re excited. I think Garett having that connection is just a fun opportunity for these kids to get exposed to that.”

Russ, too?

“I don’t know if I could get him to come back for the bye week,” Heaps replied. “But Russ will certainly have an influence and an opportunity to meet our kids, and for them to meet him, absolutely. How can I not pull all the resources that I possibly can?”

Was Russ OK with this?

“That was a really cool conversation, because I couldn’t take this job without his blessing,” Heaps continued. “That’s my first priority. And the school knew that.

“And immediately he was like, ‘You’ve got to do this. You are born to do this. This is going to be such a great opportunity for you to grow your craft.’ (Him) recognizing that as a best friend, which is what he truly is, was really cool and really special.”

‘I don’t want to try to be Dave Logan’

Legend built something special under Thelen, too, which only adds to the intrigue. Heaps, meanwhile, had never coached in this state, or at this level, before the Titans sought him out. Why this gig? Why now?

“I crave impact,” Heaps said. “And the reason why I crave it is because I know how important it was to me in my career, in my journey. And how important (my) high school coach was to me and shaping me and who I am and what I became.”

The office still needs some shaping. Actually, it’s not so much an office as a skeletal approximation of the old “Gruden’s QB Camp” set. A whiteboard hangs from one wall, opposite a wall that’s entirely a whiteboard. A small couch is tucked into a back corner.

“And eventually we’ll get like a little desk over here with a couple monitors and all that,” Heaps said. “Get it ready for the film-watching and all that good stuff.”

With Wilson with the Giants and ex-Ohio State QB Will Howard, another protégé, in Pittsburgh, Heaps figures to be racking up the airline miles soon, breaking down Grandview and Columbine tape while jet-setting to NFL stops. Which sounds not unlike a certain voice of the Broncos, now that you mention it.

“(Logan) is a legend here, and he’s done such a great job,” Heaps said. “It’s so unique to take over all the programs that he has had and then to churn out consistent, constant winners … he’s been a winner his entire life. And so you admire people like that.

“And Dave is Dave. I can’t be Dave, but I can be Jake Heaps … I don’t want to try to be Dave Logan. I don’t want to try to be anybody else. Dave’s uniquely Dave. I want to be me. And that’s how I’m going to do this thing: Full throttle.”

Among his players, though, that 13-10 loss to Logan’s Bruins in the 5A title game still burns. The Titans even have a group rolling that’s called “ABC.”

As in, Always Beat Creek.

“I’m absolutely grateful for what we had last year. Don’t get me wrong,” Legend wideout Ryan Iglesias said. “But this year the hype is up, and we’re ready to hit the hype. We have everything we need.

“I’d say we’re the bar. I don’t think anyone else is the bar. I think it’s us … we’re a better team than we were before. It’s going to be the best year we’ve ever had yet. Mark my words. We’re the bar.”

Heaps has Pete Carroll on speed dial. He could hook on with any number of NFL and college staffs from coast to coast. Instead, he’s grinding away in a room with no desk yet. Lifting with his kids at the crack of dawn.

“It’s just really funny,” Iglesias noted. “Not only is it super cool to see your coach lift like that, but I think it’s better because we get to connect with our coach personally. It’s so much fun because obviously I get to lift with my boys, and then I get to lift with another head coach that I really love.”

And like it or not, he’s next.

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En route to All-American honors at the University of Florida in 2024, the then-junior was fretting to her teammates about carrying a 93% in the class. Otis’ fellow Gators couldn’t help but laugh, if only because they knew exactly what was coming.

Otis demolished the final with a 112% … and finished the course with an A-plus.

“She was joking about having a really low A, and we were like, ‘Korbe, what are you talking about? It’s still an A,'” recalled Florida teammate Keagan Rothrock. “And she was like, ‘But it’s not good enough. It’s not high enough.’ We were like, ‘Korbe, it’s an A, sister, you’re okay.’

“When she ended up bringing that grade up by acing the final, we were like, ‘See, you had nothing to worry about. You prepare for everything.'”

Such is the approach for Otis, the Columbine High School alum whose blue-collar work ethic made her one of the best college players in the nation. In the final weeks of a Division I career that started at Louisville and ended in Gainesville, Otis was the sixth pick in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s inaugural college draft on May 3. After her Gators were eliminated in the Women’s College World Series last week, the 22-year-old began her professional career with the AUSL’s Blaze.

For Otis, playing professionally is likely just a detour en route to her ultimate career goal of becoming a surgeon. Otis graduated from Florida with a biology degree, earned the NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the highest GPA (4.0) at the WCWS, and is currently in the process of applying to medical schools.

So yeah, she’s prepared for everything. But even the meticulous Otis didn’t prepare for this: Having the chance to go pro in both her sport and as a doctor.

“Playing professional softball is never something I thought I would be able to do,” Otis said. “I’m so happy to be able to do it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to enroll in medical school in the fall of 2026. What that’s going to look like for my playing career, I’m not sure yet, but I’m just here along for the ride as long as I can be.”

Otis was a centerpiece of two straight Women’s College World Series teams at Florida, where the outfielder was a force in the middle of the lineup. She hit .377 with a .519 on-base percentage, 15 homers and 109 walks across her two seasons with the Gators.

This season, she hit a homer in her first at-bat, homered in her final at-bat at the Women’s College World Series, and also had a walk-off grand slam in between to punctuate a college career that seemed unlikely when she was young.

In her early seasons of travel ball when she was 10, 11 and 12 years old, the 5-foot-6 Otis was routinely told college softball was out of the question for her. Coaches said she was too small. Even as Otis progressed, emerging as an ace pitcher, there were still doubters as to whether she could play Division I.

But by the time she reached high school, she was committed to Louisville and well on her way to stardom.

“As a young kid, I was told I was going to have to pursue JuCo and D-III schools because I wasn’t good enough, strong enough or tall enough to play D-I,” Otis recalled. “Hearing that as a young kid can be discouraging, but my dad and I chose to fight, for as long as it was going to take, and as hard as it was going to take, to accomplish those dreams.”

So that’s what Otis did.

For about six years from age 12 through 18, she and her dad, Matt, traveled to California most weekends. She started with the Orange County Batbusters, then switched to the Corona Angels for her high school years. She arrived in Southern California on Fridays, did hitting lessons with Angels coach Marty Tyson that night, then practiced or played tournaments with the Angels all weekend.

“We found flights that were cheap, we rented rental cars for $28 a day, and my wife (Jami) found every hotel that was under construction in Southern California — with an elevator that was down, or something that had discounts every weekend,” Matt Otis said with a laugh. “Korbe would sit on the plane and do her homework, sit in the hotel room and do her homework.

“We just put our head down and were determined to build on her strengths, even though she was small. She was always a really fast kid, super intelligent, really hard working. We made the determination that if (college softball) was really what she wanted to do, we had to put our foot on the gas and outwork everybody.”

Otis often practiced six hours on Saturdays and Sundays, with her Angels team as well as the club’s older team. She started working with a mental coach. And when she was back home in Littleton, she spent hours each evening hitting and pitching in the cage that Matt built in their unfinished basement.

“I approached the sport like it was my job,” Otis said. “… I saw what my parents were investing in me and my career, so I needed to also invest the time and make the sacrifices to show the same investment.”

With the Angels, Otis had her first coming-out moment as a hitter at the final tournament in the fall of her freshman year.

She blasted a no-doubt homer, which made Tyson believe the two-way player was probably going to be a pure hitter at the Division I level. Tyson’s had an array of Colorado phenoms play in his program, most notably Legacy pitcher Rainey Gaffin, who went on to star at Tennessee, and most recently, Eaton catcher Emma Anderson.

“Korbe hit a ball about 250 feet, turned everybody’s heads, and I told her, ‘Your future is going to be in hitting,'” Tyson recalled.

While Otis continued pitching for the next couple of years, helping lead Columbine to the Class 5A title as a junior, the impetus for her switch to full-time outfielder came a few weeks before the start of her senior season. At a national club tournament, she dove back into second base on a back-pick, and the shortstop spiked Otis’ right pinkie.

It shattered the finger into three pieces, injured the ligament and sidelined Otis from playing for the Rebels that fall. Even when she got healthy again, she wasn’t able to grip the ball the same on her pitches.

“It was a sign for me that my pitching career was over,” Otis said.

The change in trajectory worked out for Otis — the lone Coloradan playing in softball’s new-look professional era.

The AUSL is the latest attempt at a professional women’s softball league, picking up where National Pro Fastpitch (2004-2019) left off and what the Women’s Pro Softball League (1997-2001) began.

The AUSL is a 24-game regular season across 10 cities with four teams in a barnstorming format, culminating in a championship series in Tuscaloosa from July 26-28. The average player salary is $45,000, according to the league’s website.

The league plans on becoming a city-based entity in ’26, and it’s arriving at a time of intense growth for the sport. Softball will return to the Olympics in 2028 and AUSL broadcast partner ESPN recently announced it had its highest-rated pre-finals Women’s College World Series games ever, with an average of 1.1 million viewers.

Perhaps most important to the league’s long-term sustainability, Major League Baseball recently announced its first partnership with a women’s professional sports league. MLB’s “strategic investment” as an equity partner in the AUSL includes joint sales and marketing efforts, promotional support and broadcasts on MLB Network and MLB.com. The AUSL is helmed by former Marlins GM Kim Ng, who is the league’s commissioner.

All of which points to the AUSL being the best chance yet for professional softball to find its footing.

“The coolest part to me is I get to be part of inspiring the next generation of players to play in the pros, and work toward that goal,” Otis said. “What the AUSL is doing to amplify the presence of professional softball is huge for all the little girls like I used to be, and with MLB’s backing, it makes that dream that much more tangible. To send the sport in that direction, it’s incredible to be a part of.”

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