thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Pavel Francouz and Martin Kaut shine in Avalanche’s win at Anaheim

ANAHEIM , Calif. — Czech Republic countryman Pavel Francouz and Martin Kaut had memorable nights Friday in the Avalanche ’ s 1-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center .
Francouz , a goalie who earlier in the day signed a two-year contract extension worth $ 4 million , produced a 26-save shutout and Kaut , a 20-year-old forward , had the game-winning assist for his first career NHL point in his second game in the league .
“ We don ’ t have many ( Czech ) players in the NHL .
It ’ s a sad fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting less and less players in NHL , ” Francouz said after his first career NHL shutout .
“ So every time we have someone step up and play well like Martin today — nice play , nice pass — for the game-winning point , I ’ m very sure the people in Czech are going to be happy tonight.
” Added Kaut : “ For us it ’ s a big night , but for our country , too .
We are small country.
” Francouz , now Colorado ’ s clear-cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one goal or fewer in three of his last four games .
Kaut created a turnover and assisted on J.T .
Compher ’ s goal , his ninth of the season .
The Avs , who were beginning a two-game Southern California road trip , climbed to 77 points — second in the Central Division and Western Conference behind the St. Louis Blues .
Compher scored at 16:38 of the second period , one-timing Kaut ’ s circle-to-circle feed .
Kaut intercepted a clearing pass from Ducks defenseman Lindholm , who was trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neutral zone .
Kaut stepped in front of the pass just inside Anaheim ’ s blue line , took a couple of strides before dishing off to the left when it appeared he was going to shoot .
“ I just tried to read the D on the breakout and ( intercepted the pass ) , ” Kaut said .
“ I saw J.T .
and he scored.
” He added : “ For sure , I feel amazing .
But I ’ m so glad for Frankie for his first NHL shutout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point .
It ’ s good for us.
” The Avs continued to play without three key forwards in Mikko Rantanen , Nazem Kadri and Matt Calvert , as well as Philipp Grubauer , who began the season as the No .
1 goaltender .
Kaut and Sheldon Dries , who was recalled from the minors on Thursday , were stepping in for the injured forwards along with Vladislav Kamenev , who is typically Colorado ’ s extra forward .
In the first 20 minutes , both teams produced 10 shots and were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avs slowly began to take over in the second period , putting 14 shots on goalie John Gibson in the middle frame .
“ Second period , I thought our game came around in a big way .
We started to execute on our forecheck and had some good O-zone time and create chances , ” Avs coach Jared Bednar said .
“ Great play on the forecheck ( by Gabe Landeskog ) and picking off a puck high in the zone by Kauter ; makes a nice pass ( and ) it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ net to get us going and it ended up being all we needed on the night.
” Footnotes .
The Avs ’ only healthy scratch was defenseman Mark Barberio .
… The Avs improved to conference-best 19-9-2 on the road .
… Colorado bused to Los Angeles after the game to its hotel in the L.A. Live area .
The Avs will not have a morning skate at the Staples Center , which features an NBA matinee with the Los Angeles Clippers .

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Czech Republic countryman Pavel Francouz and Martin Kaut had memorable nights Friday in the Avalanche’s 1-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center.
Francouz, a goalie who earlier in the day signed a two-year contract extension worth $4 million, produced a 26-save shutout and Kaut, a 20-year-old forward, had the game-winning assist for his first career NHL point in his second game in the league.
“We don’t have many (Czech) players in the NHL. It’s a sad fact for our country that we’re getting less and less players in NHL,” Francouz said after his first career NHL shutout. “So every time we have someone step up and play well like Martin today — nice play, nice pass — for the game-winning point, I’m very sure the people in Czech are going to be happy tonight.”
Added Kaut: “For us it’s a big night, but for our country, too. We are small country.”
Francouz, now Colorado’s clear-cut No. 1 goalie, has allowed one goal or fewer in three of his last four games. Kaut created a turnover and assisted on J.T. Compher’s goal, his ninth of the season.
The Avs, who were beginning a two-game Southern California road trip, climbed to 77 points — second in the Central Division and Western Conference behind the St. Louis Blues.
Compher scored at 16:38 of the second period, one-timing Kaut’s circle-to-circle feed. Kaut intercepted a clearing pass from Ducks defenseman Lindholm, who was trying to pass to a teammate in the neutral zone. Kaut stepped in front of the pass just inside Anaheim’s blue line, took a couple of strides before dishing off to the left when it appeared he was going to shoot.
“I just tried to read the D on the breakout and (intercepted the pass),” Kaut said. “I saw J.T. and he scored.”
He added: “For sure, I feel amazing. But I’m so glad for Frankie for his first NHL shutout. And I got my first NHL point. It’s good for us.”
The Avs continued to play without three key forwards in Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri and Matt Calvert, as well as Philipp Grubauer, who began the season as the No. 1 goaltender.
Kaut and Sheldon Dries, who was recalled from the minors on Thursday, were stepping in for the injured forwards along with Vladislav Kamenev, who is typically Colorado’s extra forward.
In the first 20 minutes, both teams produced 10 shots and were 0-of-1 on the power play. The Avs slowly began to take over in the second period, putting 14 shots on goalie John Gibson in the middle frame.
“Second period, I thought our game came around in a big way. We started to execute on our forecheck and had some good O-zone time and create chances,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Great play on the forecheck (by Gabe Landeskog) and picking off a puck high in the zone by Kauter; makes a nice pass (and) it’s in the back of the net to get us going and it ended up being all we needed on the night.”
Footnotes. The Avs’ only healthy scratch was defenseman Mark Barberio. … The Avs improved to conference-best 19-9-2 on the road. … Colorado bused to Los Angeles after the game to its hotel in the L.A. Live area. The Avs will not have a morning skate at the Staples Center, which features an NBA matinee with the Los Angeles Clippers.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Bond, contrast between Pueblo East’s Andy Garcia and Aaden Valdez apparent as both wrestlers advance

Bond, contrast between Pueblo East’s Andy Garcia and Aaden Valdez apparent as both wrestlers advance to state finals again

After winning the first state title in program history last year , Pueblo East ’ s state tournament dreams this weekend are led by two close friends who are cases in contrast .
Andy Garcia , a three-time heavyweight champion , aims to join Colorado wrestling ’ s most prestigious club with a fourth title in the Class 4A 285-pound bracket Saturday at Pepsi Center .
And Aaden Valdez , a two-time state runner-up , will also be in the Parade of Champions again , seeking his elusive title in the 145-pound bracket .
Garcia is the quiet , soft-spoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he dons his singlet and removes his thick , black-rimmed glasses .
Valdez , meanwhile , is the team ’ s high-energy senior leader , the guy who never stopped smiling even after a fireworks accident before his sophomore year cost him his left eye as well as four fingers on his left hand .
“ I view him as a younger , crazy brother , and I ’ m sure he views me as an older , more quiet guy , ” Garcia said .
“ Aaden ’ s always happy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the type who keeps to myself and keeps myself well on track .
But we balance off each other , and he brings me up a lot with that energy.
” Garcia may be one of the sport ’ s more unheralded multiple-time champions in recent memory , simply due to the fact that Valdez ’ s comeback story — and three individual champs overall for the Eagles last season — has perhaps stolen some of the headlines from the heavyweight ’ s dominance .
At 32-3 heading into Saturday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Garcia is undefeated in the state of Colorado over the past couple of seasons .
That included a 25-0 mark last year as Garcia overcame plica syndrome in his left knee , which was surgically repaired after the state tournament .
“ All throughout the last half of last season , I hit a rough road block with my knee , ” Garcia said .
“ I had to figure out how to wrestle with that , how I could condition , how I could transition from the bottom.
” While Garcia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has continued to adjust , too .
That included growing from consecutive , bitter one-point defeats in the finals , as well as more fully understanding how to best compete with just six fingers and a prosthetic eye .
He is 35-4 heading into a state championship rematch against Broomfield senior Darren Green , who beat him 3-2 last year .
“ Aaden ’ s learning how he can supplement the parts of his game that he can ’ t do , ” Garcia said .
“ He can ’ t get his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand ) , but he knows how to break someone down in a different way instead .
He ’ s making up for those possible disabilities or setbacks , and he ’ s capitalizing by using more of his legs and body overall , and being smarter about doing that.
” Garcia has also endured his own medical scare .
Following his postseason surgery on his knee , Garcia rehabbed for six weeks , and then got so sick that his mobility was limited to a wheelchair and crutches for a while .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when a faulty fuse resulted in that 2017 Fourth of July accident , the health issues brought Garcia perspective .
“ Wrestling is a part of my life — but I don ’ t let it consume me , ” Garcia said .
“ I still know when I go home , I still have to help the family , help on the farm to raise animals and work with my goats .
The farm is a big part of my life.
” Valdez will be wrestling at Adams State next season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Wyoming , Kent State , Northern Colorado and others — will make his college decision in the coming month .
But for now , they remain teammates for one more day , and the duo intends to make the most of it .
“ I cherish that bond a lot , ” Valdez said .
“ I ’ m seeing Andy putting in all the little extra effort towards getting that fourth .
And I get all the love and support from him , so that ’ s helping push me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team get that repeat .
We ’ re putting pressure on ourselves to succeed for our team and each other more than anything.
” Pueblo East freshman Weston Dalton ( 33-4 at 120 ) is also wrestling in Saturday ’ s finals , against Pueblo County freshman Boden White .
The Eagles sit in second place and have some ground to make up against points leader Windsor in the team standings , and the Wizards have five finalists of their own .

After winning the first state title in program history last year, Pueblo East’s state tournament dreams this weekend are led by two close friends who are cases in contrast.
Andy Garcia, a three-time heavyweight champion, aims to join Colorado wrestling’s most prestigious club with a fourth title in the Class 4A 285-pound bracket Saturday at Pepsi Center. And Aaden Valdez, a two-time state runner-up, will also be in the Parade of Champions again, seeking his elusive title in the 145-pound bracket.
Garcia is the quiet, soft-spoken one, his intensity only emerging after he dons his singlet and removes his thick, black-rimmed glasses. Valdez, meanwhile, is the team’s high-energy senior leader, the guy who never stopped smiling even after a fireworks accident before his sophomore year cost him his left eye as well as four fingers on his left hand.
“I view him as a younger, crazy brother, and I’m sure he views me as an older, more quiet guy,” Garcia said. “Aaden’s always happy, high-energy, and I’m more of the type who keeps to myself and keeps myself well on track. But we balance off each other, and he brings me up a lot with that energy.”
Garcia may be one of the sport’s more unheralded multiple-time champions in recent memory, simply due to the fact that Valdez’s comeback story — and three individual champs overall for the Eagles last season — has perhaps stolen some of the headlines from the heavyweight’s dominance.
At 32-3 heading into Saturday’s finals against Mesa Ridge freshman Matthew Moore, Garcia is undefeated in the state of Colorado over the past couple of seasons. That included a 25-0 mark last year as Garcia overcame plica syndrome in his left knee, which was surgically repaired after the state tournament.
“All throughout the last half of last season, I hit a rough road block with my knee,” Garcia said. “I had to figure out how to wrestle with that, how I could condition, how I could transition from the bottom.”
While Garcia battled through his own pain, Valdez has continued to adjust, too. That included growing from consecutive, bitter one-point defeats in the finals, as well as more fully understanding how to best compete with just six fingers and a prosthetic eye. He is 35-4 heading into a state championship rematch against Broomfield senior Darren Green, who beat him 3-2 last year.
“Aaden’s learning how he can supplement the parts of his game that he can’t do,” Garcia said. “He can’t get his grip exactly right (on his left hand), but he knows how to break someone down in a different way instead. He’s making up for those possible disabilities or setbacks, and he’s capitalizing by using more of his legs and body overall, and being smarter about doing that.”
Garcia has also endured his own medical scare. Following his postseason surgery on his knee, Garcia rehabbed for six weeks, and then got so sick that his mobility was limited to a wheelchair and crutches for a while.
Like Valdez’s own life-changing event, when a faulty fuse resulted in that 2017 Fourth of July accident, the health issues brought Garcia perspective.
“Wrestling is a part of my life — but I don’t let it consume me,” Garcia said. “I still know when I go home, I still have to help the family, help on the farm to raise animals and work with my goats. The farm is a big part of my life.”
Valdez will be wrestling at Adams State next season while Garcia — who has drawn interest from Wyoming, Kent State, Northern Colorado and others — will make his college decision in the coming month. But for now, they remain teammates for one more day, and the duo intends to make the most of it.
“I cherish that bond a lot,” Valdez said. “I’m seeing Andy putting in all the little extra effort towards getting that fourth. And I get all the love and support from him, so that’s helping push me to the top of the podium and our team get that repeat. We’re putting pressure on ourselves to succeed for our team and each other more than anything.”
Pueblo East freshman Weston Dalton (33-4 at 120) is also wrestling in Saturday’s finals, against Pueblo County freshman Boden White. The Eagles sit in second place and have some ground to make up against points leader Windsor in the team standings, and the Wizards have five finalists of their own.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Nuggets coach Michael Malone “did an awful job” in bruising road loss to Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Nuggets were fully healthy for the first time in more than a month .
And while they got out of the game seemingly unscathed , Oklahoma City put Denver through the ringer Friday night at Chesapeake Arena .
Jamal Murray took an elbow to the face and endured an unnerving fall in the first half .
Gary Harris stayed in after getting crushed on a late layup attempt .
And in the first game back after the break , the Thunder put an 113-101 hurting on the Nuggets , dropping them to 38-18 on the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss was Denver ’ s first to a Northwest Division rival all season ( 9-1 ) .
Nikola Jokic was superb with 32 points on 12 for 15 shooting from the field , but his fantastic performance couldn ’ t undo 19 Denver turnovers or their abysmal work on the boards .
“ We did not value the ball for 48 minutes , ” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone .
“ Good teams don ’ t beat themselves , and that ’ s what we did .
The few times we played good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t rebound .
This team is last in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game , and they had 14 tonight.
” Murray added 21 points , six rebounds and four assists , but was outdone by Oklahoma City ’ s All-Star point guard Chris Paul , whose wizardy with the ball caused all sorts of problems for Denver ’ s defense .
He finished with 29 points , four 3-pointers and one deflating offensive rebound .
Thunder bruiser Steven Adams had 19 points and 17 rebounds of his own .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray , who had five miscues and stayed in after slipping and appearing to aggravate his groin/hip .
“ The ball kept slipping out of my hand .
Not just mine , but everybody .
… We had a chance to win that , on the road , first game back .
We beat ourselves tonight.
” Malone was most disappointed in the bench unit , which conceded a 14-2 run in the first quarter and then a more dispiriting run to start the fourth .
“ I elect to go with that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they go on a 10-2 run , ” Malone said .
“ I did an awful job tonight of trying to help our team win.
” Jokic and Murray worked their two-man game to perfection in the third quarter , sharing and setting each other up as one of the league ’ s preeminent offensive duos .
Jokic buried a 3-pointer early in the period and then continued to carve up Oklahoma City ’ s frontcourt with a variety of spin moves .
By the end of the third , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots .
And Murray dug deep into his bag of difficult shots , scoring eight points in the quarter alone .
On one , he ripped Paul , and then coasted for a smooth transition layup .
But Paul ’ s aggressive play ensured Oklahoma City entered the fourth up 78-77 .
Will Barton , who ’ d missed the last four games due to right knee inflammation , added 16 points , including two clutch 3-pointers , and nabbed nine rebounds .
Friday also saw the return of Michael Porter Jr. ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( foot ) .
Porter played just eight minutes and finished with only four points .
With Barton healthy , it marked the first time since Jan. 6 that the Nuggets began the game with their preferred starting unit .
Prior to the game , Malone was asked why he felt Jokic hadn ’ t generated much MVP buzz from a national perspective despite carrying the team amid their rash of injuries .
“ I ’ m not sure , and we don ’ t concern ourselves about it , ” Malone said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Nuggets , if you want to sleep on Nikola , keep on sleeping .
… We know who we have .
We have an MVP candidate , we have the best center in the NBA .
“ I ’ m not going to get into the reasons why we don ’ t get the perceived respect from everybody in the country , because then we ’ re listening to the noise … ( Nikola is ) not going to bed at night wondering why no one ’ s talking about him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s reading his book on horses , we ’ re winning games , and he ’ s happy.
” In addition to Jokic ’ s dominance , Murray had been on a tear in the last five games before the All-Star break , averaging 29 points on 57 percent shooting along with 6.2 assists .
“ Keep on doing what you were doing , ” Malone said .
“ I loved his mindset .
He came back refreshed , he had his legs underneath him .
But more importantly , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , him being aggressive , him being shot-ready , was remarkable .
And he was doing it in all areas.
” After a rocky opening quarter , the Nuggets settled and found their offensive groove in the second .
Jokic continued to dominate inside , finishing the first half with 19 points on just seven shots , including 7-of-7 from the free throw line .
Murray , who stayed in after a scary spill in the second quarter , added 11 of his own .
The teams entered halftime tied at 48 despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s reserves .

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Nuggets were fully healthy for the first time in more than a month. And while they got out of the game seemingly unscathed, Oklahoma City put Denver through the ringer Friday night at Chesapeake Arena.
Jamal Murray took an elbow to the face and endured an unnerving fall in the first half. Gary Harris stayed in after getting crushed on a late layup attempt. And in the first game back after the break, the Thunder put an 113-101 hurting on the Nuggets, dropping them to 38-18 on the year and 17-11 away from home.
The loss was Denver’s first to a Northwest Division rival all season (9-1).
Nikola Jokic was superb with 32 points on 12 for 15 shooting from the field, but his fantastic performance couldn’t undo 19 Denver turnovers or their abysmal work on the boards.
“We did not value the ball for 48 minutes,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “Good teams don’t beat themselves, and that’s what we did. The few times we played good defense in the second half, we didn’t rebound. This team is last in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game, and they had 14 tonight.”
Murray added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists, but was outdone by Oklahoma City’s All-Star point guard Chris Paul, whose wizardy with the ball caused all sorts of problems for Denver’s defense. He finished with 29 points, four 3-pointers and one deflating offensive rebound. Thunder bruiser Steven Adams had 19 points and 17 rebounds of his own.
“Turnovers killed us,” said Murray, who had five miscues and stayed in after slipping and appearing to aggravate his groin/hip. “The ball kept slipping out of my hand. Not just mine, but everybody. … We had a chance to win that, on the road, first game back. We beat ourselves tonight.”
Malone was most disappointed in the bench unit, which conceded a 14-2 run in the first quarter and then a more dispiriting run to start the fourth.
“I elect to go with that same unit in the fourth quarter, and they go on a 10-2 run,” Malone said. “I did an awful job tonight of trying to help our team win.”
Jokic and Murray worked their two-man game to perfection in the third quarter, sharing and setting each other up as one of the league’s preeminent offensive duos. Jokic buried a 3-pointer early in the period and then continued to carve up Oklahoma City’s frontcourt with a variety of spin moves. By the end of the third, he was sitting on 28 points on just 13 shots.
And Murray dug deep into his bag of difficult shots, scoring eight points in the quarter alone. On one, he ripped Paul, and then coasted for a smooth transition layup. But Paul’s aggressive play ensured Oklahoma City entered the fourth up 78-77.
Will Barton, who’d missed the last four games due to right knee inflammation, added 16 points, including two clutch 3-pointers, and nabbed nine rebounds.
Friday also saw the return of Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) and reserve center Mason Plumlee (foot). Porter played just eight minutes and finished with only four points.
With Barton healthy, it marked the first time since Jan. 6 that the Nuggets began the game with their preferred starting unit.
Prior to the game, Malone was asked why he felt Jokic hadn’t generated much MVP buzz from a national perspective despite carrying the team amid their rash of injuries.
“I’m not sure, and we don’t concern ourselves about it,” Malone said. “If you want to sleep on the Nuggets, if you want to sleep on Nikola, keep on sleeping. … We know who we have. We have an MVP candidate, we have the best center in the NBA.
“I’m not going to get into the reasons why we don’t get the perceived respect from everybody in the country, because then we’re listening to the noise … (Nikola is) not going to bed at night wondering why no one’s talking about him. He doesn’t care. He’s reading his book on horses, we’re winning games, and he’s happy.”
In addition to Jokic’s dominance, Murray had been on a tear in the last five games before the All-Star break, averaging 29 points on 57 percent shooting along with 6.2 assists.
“Keep on doing what you were doing,” Malone said. “I loved his mindset. He came back refreshed, he had his legs underneath him. But more importantly, I felt like his approach to the game, him being aggressive, him being shot-ready, was remarkable. And he was doing it in all areas.”
After a rocky opening quarter, the Nuggets settled and found their offensive groove in the second. Jokic continued to dominate inside, finishing the first half with 19 points on just seven shots, including 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Murray, who stayed in after a scary spill in the second quarter, added 11 of his own.
The teams entered halftime tied at 48 despite a significant advantage from Oklahoma City’s reserves.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Monarch’s Vince Cornella staking claim as Colorado’s next big thing in high school wrestling

When the final mats are rolled up inside Pepsi Center after the 2020 CHSAA state champions are crowned , a new era of Colorado high school wrestling officially begins .
One of the strongest senior classes in recent history — Andy Garcia ( Pueblo East ) , Wesley VanMatre ( John Mall ) , Dominick Serrano ( Windsor ) , Isaiah Salazar ( Windsor ) and others — exits stage left .
The contenders to replicate or surpass their success will enter stage right .
Who emerges atop the 2021 podium as the pound-for-pound best high school wrestler in Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Ezra Paddock , the longtime Monarch wrestling coach , when discussing his scrappy 126-pound junior ’ s place among the state ’ s top grapplers .
Moments after Cornella advanced to the Class 5A semifinals Friday by tech fall ( 16-1 ) over Rock Canyon ’ s Sammy Mobly , Cornella explained the mindset that backs up his claim to state wrestling supremacy .
No longer does Cornella seek to only beat opponents , because that ’ s a given .
His focus is more specific .
The results speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state championship as a freshman , the 113-pound title as a sophomore , and is the runaway favorite to win it at 126 pounds on Saturday night .
His dominance hit the national spotlight in January of last year when Cornella reached the Doc Buchanan Tournament finals in Fresno , Calif. — and college scholarship offers rolled in from Cornell , Minnesota , Northwestern and Stanford .
He committed in September to Cornell , the home of 11 individual national champions since 2010 .
But the Ivy League powerhouse , named oddly-similar to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pair of state championships to win for the rare four-peat .
Cornella honed in on wrestling as his passion at about 10 years old and joined the Mile High Wrestling Club out of Broomfield .
Cornella and current Monarch teammate Dillon Roman have trained together ever since .
It was clear to Roman from the start that Cornella ’ s dedication and ability would eventually translate into greatness .
“ He has a gas tank that nobody can match , ” Roman said .
“ He just wears guys out .
Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , they ’ re probably not going to win .
On top , if he doesn ’ t turn someone , he usually lets them up and then takes them down again , just to keep chipping away.
” Paddock welcomed Cornella to the Monarch program with knowledge of his talent .
But it wasn ’ t until he witnessed Cornella ’ s off-mat preparation until he was truly sold on his potential .
On Friday or Saturday nights , when fellow high-schoolers are up to no good , Cornella can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — studying each technical detail to copy for his own bag of tricks .
“ It ’ s not lip service when he says he wants to try and get better every day , ” Paddock said .
“ He was already very talented , but when you couple it with that passion , it ’ s exciting to watch him.
” However , Cornella ’ s path to a third consecutive 5A title match wasn ’ t a sure thing last summer .
He underwent shoulder surgery with a six-month recovery timeline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being off the mat for that long ” as he watched from the sidelines of tournaments .
The time off , though , did not slow Cornella down .
He is 42-3 this season with zero losses against in-state competition .
Watch just one period of Cornella inside Pepsi Center — with three tech falls en-route to Saturday night ’ s championship match against Pomona ’ s Jakob Romero — and it ’ s clear why Cornella is considered the favorite .
“ It ’ s not necessarily that I ’ m trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bat , ” Cornella said .
“ If there is something I ’ m trying to work on , I ’ m going to work toward that move .
In that ( quarterfinal ) match , it was moving my feet and closing distance when guys are trying to evade.
” Run as they might , Cornella is on a crash course to becoming a Colorado high school wrestling legend .
“ I ’ ll only have four opportunities to wrestle at the Pepsi Center , ” Cornella said .
“ You ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

When the final mats are rolled up inside Pepsi Center after the 2020 CHSAA state champions are crowned, a new era of Colorado high school wrestling officially begins.
One of the strongest senior classes in recent history — Andy Garcia (Pueblo East), Wesley VanMatre (John Mall), Dominick Serrano (Windsor), Isaiah Salazar (Windsor) and others — exits stage left. The contenders to replicate or surpass their success will enter stage right.
Who emerges atop the 2021 podium as the pound-for-pound best high school wrestler in Colorado?
Monarch’s Vince Cornella presents a strong case.
“We certainly think he is,” said Ezra Paddock, the longtime Monarch wrestling coach, when discussing his scrappy 126-pound junior’s place among the state’s top grapplers.
Moments after Cornella advanced to the Class 5A semifinals Friday by tech fall (16-1) over Rock Canyon’s Sammy Mobly, Cornella explained the mindset that backs up his claim to state wrestling supremacy.
No longer does Cornella seek to only beat opponents, because that’s a given. His focus is more specific.
“Technical perfection,” Cornella said.
The results speak for themselves. Cornella won the 106-pound state championship as a freshman, the 113-pound title as a sophomore, and is the runaway favorite to win it at 126 pounds on Saturday night. His dominance hit the national spotlight in January of last year when Cornella reached the Doc Buchanan Tournament finals in Fresno, Calif. — and college scholarship offers rolled in from Cornell, Minnesota, Northwestern and Stanford.
He committed in September to Cornell, the home of 11 individual national champions since 2010. But the Ivy League powerhouse, named oddly-similar to Cornella, can wait. He has a pair of state championships to win for the rare four-peat.
Cornella honed in on wrestling as his passion at about 10 years old and joined the Mile High Wrestling Club out of Broomfield. Cornella and current Monarch teammate Dillon Roman have trained together ever since. It was clear to Roman from the start that Cornella’s dedication and ability would eventually translate into greatness.
“He has a gas tank that nobody can match,” Roman said. “He just wears guys out. Once he gets a takedown, at that point, they’re probably not going to win. On top, if he doesn’t turn someone, he usually lets them up and then takes them down again, just to keep chipping away.”
Paddock welcomed Cornella to the Monarch program with knowledge of his talent. But it wasn’t until he witnessed Cornella’s off-mat preparation until he was truly sold on his potential. On Friday or Saturday nights, when fellow high-schoolers are up to no good, Cornella can be found watching tape of wrestlers he admires — studying each technical detail to copy for his own bag of tricks.
“It’s not lip service when he says he wants to try and get better every day,” Paddock said. “He was already very talented, but when you couple it with that passion, it’s exciting to watch him.”
However, Cornella’s path to a third consecutive 5A title match wasn’t a sure thing last summer. He underwent shoulder surgery with a six-month recovery timeline.
Cornella said it “was tough being off the mat for that long” as he watched from the sidelines of tournaments. The time off, though, did not slow Cornella down. He is 42-3 this season with zero losses against in-state competition.
Watch just one period of Cornella inside Pepsi Center — with three tech falls en-route to Saturday night’s championship match against Pomona’s Jakob Romero — and it’s clear why Cornella is considered the favorite.
He dictates the pace.
“It’s not necessarily that I’m trying to pin this guy right off the bat,” Cornella said. “If there is something I’m trying to work on, I’m going to work toward that move. In that (quarterfinal) match, it was moving my feet and closing distance when guys are trying to evade.”
Run as they might, Cornella is on a crash course to becoming a Colorado high school wrestling legend.
“I’ll only have four opportunities to wrestle at the Pepsi Center,” Cornella said. “You’ve got to cherish the moment.”


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Murder suspect loses ruling in fight against extradition to Colorado

The Nevada Supreme Court on Friday denied a motion by a murder suspect fighting extradition to Colorado , reaffirming the court ’ s earlier decision warranting extradition .
Alex Christopher Ewing , a Nevada prison inmate , is a suspect in fatal attacks from January 1984 that terrorized Front Range residents .
On Friday the Nevada Supreme Court denied Ewing ’ s motion to stay , pending his petition to the U.S. Supreme Court fighting his extradition to Colorado .
The state of Nevada on Feb. 3 filed opposition to Ewing ’ s motion , claiming in part that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay to the conclusion of these proceedings … to face the pending charges.
” Ewing is wanted in Arapahoe and Jefferson counties to face multiple murder charges after a cold case DNA match identified him as a suspect in July 2018 .
He also faces sexual assault and robbery charges in Colorado as part of the cases against him .
In arguing for the stay , Ewing , through his attorney , claimed in court documents : “ Any such physical transfer … would cause … irreparable harm by exposing him to death-penalty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asserts would be in violation of the Constitution.
” Ewing has been incarcerated at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City since 1985 on a 40-year sentence for an attempted-murder conviction .
The Nevada Supreme Court in November ruled Ewing ’ s extradition to Colorado as warranted .
Friday ’ s ruling reaffirms the November ruling .
“ Having considered the parties ’ arguments , we conclude that staying remittitur is not warranted , ” the court ruled .
“ Appellant ( Ewing ) has not demonstrated a reasonable probability of succeeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stay.
” The Arapahoe and Jefferson district attorneys did not comment Friday on the most recent development .

The Nevada Supreme Court on Friday denied a motion by a murder suspect fighting extradition to Colorado, reaffirming the court’s earlier decision warranting extradition.
Alex Christopher Ewing, a Nevada prison inmate, is a suspect in fatal attacks from January 1984 that terrorized Front Range residents.
On Friday the Nevada Supreme Court denied Ewing’s motion to stay, pending his petition to the U.S. Supreme Court fighting his extradition to Colorado.
The state of Nevada on Feb. 3 filed opposition to Ewing’s motion, claiming in part that it was nothing more than a “deliberate delay to the conclusion of these proceedings … to face the pending charges.”
Ewing is wanted in Arapahoe and Jefferson counties to face multiple murder charges after a cold case DNA match identified him as a suspect in July 2018. He also faces sexual assault and robbery charges in Colorado as part of the cases against him.
In arguing for the stay, Ewing, through his attorney, claimed in court documents: “Any such physical transfer … would cause … irreparable harm by exposing him to death-penalty litigation effected by an extradition that he asserts would be in violation of the Constitution.”
Ewing has been incarcerated at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City since 1985 on a 40-year sentence for an attempted-murder conviction.
The Nevada Supreme Court in November ruled Ewing’s extradition to Colorado as warranted. Friday’s ruling reaffirms the November ruling.
“Having considered the parties’ arguments, we conclude that staying remittitur is not warranted,” the court ruled. “Appellant (Ewing) has not demonstrated a reasonable probability of succeeding on the petition or good cause for the stay.”
The Arapahoe and Jefferson district attorneys did not comment Friday on the most recent development.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Pedestrian hit by car, killed in Lakewood

A pedestrian was killed Thursday night in Lakewood when he was hit by a car , police said .
The @ @ @ @ @ 52 , died at the scene near the intersection of Wadsworth Boulevard and West 23rd @ @ @ @ @ news release .
The collision happened about 7:45 p.m. Thursday and the driver remained at @ @ @ @ @ investigators , police said .
No charges against the driver are expected .

A pedestrian was killed Thursday night in Lakewood when he was hit by a car, police said.
The victim, Eric Cosby, 52, died at the scene near the intersection of Wadsworth Boulevard and West 23rd Avenue, according to a news release.
The collision happened about 7:45 p.m. Thursday and the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said. No charges against the driver are expected.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Keeler: Are Tad Boyle’s CU Buffs the best in school history?

BOULDER — Best of five , 2020 Buffs vs. 1969 Buffs .
Who wins ?
“ I think it would be close , ” former CU guard and current Rockies chaplain Bo Mitchell said .
“ Probably with the team depth and them playing as a team a little bit better , I ’ d give them the win.
” “ Just their athleticism , their quickness and just their skill , it ’ s just evolved , ” ex-Buffs guard Ron Maulsby said .
“ And I think it would be hard for us to beat this team , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good question , ” chuckled Charlie Gardner , the former CU All-Big Eight center and assistant coach with the ’ 68-69 Buffs .
“ It would be fun.
” Unlike the Buffs ’ football coaching search ( Seriously , Nick Saban .
What did Boulder ever do to you ? )
, CU hoops is swimming in all kinds of fun right now .
Tad Boyle ’ s Buffs ( 21-6 , 10-4 Pac-12 ) host UCLA ( 16-11 , 9-5 ) on 2 p.m. Saturday in the regular-season finale at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t coming back this winter .
That last bit is the best news and the worst , all in the same six words .
After this weekend , thanks to another one of those funky Larry Scott Pac-12 quirks , the rest of the slate features the open road , then the league tournament in Vegas , then the Big Dance .
So Saturday ’ s it .
One last campus ride for the best dang team in CU men ’ s basketball history .
“ I think we ’ ll have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who , like Mitchell , roamed the backcourt with the 1968-69 Buffs , to date the last CU squad to win a regular-season men ’ s basketball crown .
“ But when you think about how ‘ 68-69 was the last time we won a ( regular-season ) championship and these guys are on the verge of winning a conference championship , it very likely will come down to being ( among ) the best teams.
” “ In terms of the overall team , ” Mitchell said , “ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the top two or three.
” At the worst .
Yes , we ’ ve got two weeks of the regular season yet to play out .
And yes , there ’ s an NCAA tourney appearance that ’ ll decide how this iteration winds up being remembered .
But remember this , too : Over the last 67 years , a CU basketball team has made 51 appearances , all-time , in the weekly Associated Press top 25 poll .
The current Buffs have already accounted for 24 % — roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As in , since 1953 .
The 2019-20 Buffs have been featured among the top 25 the most times — 12 appearances , 75 % of the year ’ s polling — over a single season in school history , lapping the 1996-97 Chauncey Billups squad ( eight polls ) several weeks back .
And barring something goofy , they ’ re about to tie that 1997 bunch for the CU single-season record for consecutive weeks in the AP poll ( eight ) .
The next league victory will match the second-most in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squad ( 11 ) , with the all-time record of 13 set by Sox Walseth ’ s 1961-62 Big Eight champs still within shouting distance with four Pac-12 tilts left .
“ We ’ re making history and we ’ re a part of history , ” said guard Shane Gatling , one of two seniors taking their final bows on Saturday .
“ And it feels good for us.
” The computers feel even better about the Buffs than the pollsters .
CU ’ s current Sagarin Rating of 86.43 ( No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by longtime USA Today statnik Jeff Sagarin , is the program ’ s best since 1999-2000 .
The 2020 Buffs ’ Sports-Reference.com Simple Rating System mark of 17.78 — the SRS takes into account point differential and strength of schedule — is CU ’ s highest number since 1949-50 and tops both Bebe Lee ’ s Final Four side from 1954-55 ( 13.01 ) and Walseth ’ s Big Eight co-champs of 1962-63 ( 13.84 ) .
“ We know , ” senior forward Lucas Siewert said , “ that we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

BOULDER — Best of five, 2020 Buffs vs. 1969 Buffs. Who wins?
“I think it would be close,” former CU guard and current Rockies chaplain Bo Mitchell said. “Probably with the team depth and them playing as a team a little bit better, I’d give them the win.”
“Just their athleticism, their quickness and just their skill, it’s just evolved,” ex-Buffs guard Ron Maulsby said. “And I think it would be hard for us to beat this team, for sure.”
“That would be a good question,” chuckled Charlie Gardner, the former CU All-Big Eight center and assistant coach with the ’68-69 Buffs. “It would be fun.”
Unlike the Buffs’ football coaching search (Seriously, Nick Saban. What did Boulder ever do to you?), CU hoops is swimming in all kinds of fun right now.
Tad Boyle’s Buffs (21-6, 10-4 Pac-12) host UCLA (16-11, 9-5) on 2 p.m. Saturday in the regular-season finale at the Events Center, and they aren’t coming back this winter.
That last bit is the best news and the worst, all in the same six words. After this weekend, thanks to another one of those funky Larry Scott Pac-12 quirks, the rest of the slate features the open road, then the league tournament in Vegas, then the Big Dance.
So Saturday’s it. One last campus ride for the best dang team in CU men’s basketball history.
Probably.
“I think we’ll have to wait and see,” said Maulsby, who, like Mitchell, roamed the backcourt with the 1968-69 Buffs, to date the last CU squad to win a regular-season men’s basketball crown. “But when you think about how ‘68-69 was the last time we won a (regular-season) championship and these guys are on the verge of winning a conference championship, it very likely will come down to being (among) the best teams.”
“In terms of the overall team,” Mitchell said, “I’ve got to say this is one of the top two or three.”
At the worst. Yes, we’ve got two weeks of the regular season yet to play out. And yes, there’s an NCAA tourney appearance that’ll decide how this iteration winds up being remembered.
But remember this, too: Over the last 67 years, a CU basketball team has made 51 appearances, all-time, in the weekly Associated Press top 25 poll. The current Buffs have already accounted for 24% — roughly a quarter — of those mentions. As in, since 1953.
The 2019-20 Buffs have been featured among the top 25 the most times — 12 appearances, 75% of the year’s polling — over a single season in school history, lapping the 1996-97 Chauncey Billups squad (eight polls) several weeks back. And barring something goofy, they’re about to tie that 1997 bunch for the CU single-season record for consecutive weeks in the AP poll (eight).
The next league victory will match the second-most in a single season for a Buffs hoops squad (11), with the all-time record of 13 set by Sox Walseth’s 1961-62 Big Eight champs still within shouting distance with four Pac-12 tilts left.
“We’re making history and we’re a part of history,” said guard Shane Gatling, one of two seniors taking their final bows on Saturday. “And it feels good for us.”
The computers feel even better about the Buffs than the pollsters. CU’s current Sagarin Rating of 86.43 (No. 21 nationally), as tracked by longtime USA Today statnik Jeff Sagarin, is the program’s best since 1999-2000. The 2020 Buffs’ Sports-Reference.com Simple Rating System mark of 17.78 — the SRS takes into account point differential and strength of schedule — is CU’s highest number since 1949-50 and tops both Bebe Lee’s Final Four side from 1954-55 (13.01) and Walseth’s Big Eight co-champs of 1962-63 (13.84).
“We know,” senior forward Lucas Siewert said, “that we’ve got a chance to be remembered.”
A chance to set the bar. Forever.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--NFL Journal: Analyzing key points of CBA proposal

Thirteen thoughts about the NFL ’ s collective bargaining agreement , which was approved by the teams on Thursday and passed along to the union : 1 .
It was never going to be easy , right ?
The teams ’ approval wasn ’ t going to be immediately followed by the players ’ rubber-stamping .
On Friday morning , NFL Network reported the NFLPA ’ s executive committee had voted 6-5 to not recommend the proposal and a vote the 32-man board of team representatives was postponed .
2 .
In a statement , the NFLPA said it “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next week.
” That ’ s better than just saying , “ No deal , ” and then stew about it .
The union released their fact sheet Thursday night , which allowed everybody to digest key points of the proposal .
3 .
I like the option for players to be paid over 34 weeks instead of the standard 17 weeks and since I like regular-season and playoff football , I ’ m all for 17 games ( won ’ t be this year ) and the playoff field expanding to 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
4 .
The 10-game season ticket plan was crucial for the owners , be it one preseason/nine regular season or two preseason/eight regular season .
In that respect , this CBA will be the status quo .
5 .
The three-game preseason is still one too long .
I would expect coaches to play their starters only in the second preseason game , giving them 25-30 snaps of fine-tuning before Week 1 .
The CBA proposal allows for four joint practices , which can fit into two sets of practices ( two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 17-game model , when will the season start ?
The NFL is currently against starting the season before Labor Day .
That would push the playoffs into mid-January and the Super Bowl into mid-February .
It ’ s been speculated for years the NFL wants to take advantage of a mid-February sports calendar that is empty save for the Daytona 500 and the NBA and NHL All-Star Games .
7 .
In the new playoff format , Wild Card Weekend will be awesome — tripleheaders on Saturday and Sunday ( likely at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. Denver time ) .
The downside for teams is only the top seed gets a bye .
That means No .
2 Kansas City would have had to host No .
7 Pittsburgh in 2019 instead of getting the weekend off .
8 .
I looked back at the Broncos ’ last eight playoff appearances ( 2003-05 and 2011-15 ) to see how the 14-team format would have impacted them .
In 2005 , the second-seeded Broncos would have had to face No .
7 Kansas City in round 1 .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had to host a No .
7 team that went 9-7 ( Buffalo , Houston , Kansas City or the Chargers based on the tiebreakers ) .
9 .
Highly-paid veteran players will understandably disagree with a $ 250,000 cap put on the Game 17 salaries .
But the other side is increased salaries of $ 100,000 for rookies , followed by $ 50,000 in 2021 and $ 45,000 each year after that .
10 .
Having an emergency offensive lineman ready to play , like the No .
3 quarterback in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move because it means teams won ’ t have to put tight ends or defensive lineman in the game along the O-line in case of emergency .
11 .
The fifth-year option system for first-round picks is being overhauled .
Currently , if a team picks up a player ’ s fifth-year option , that salary is guaranteed only for injury .
Under the new CBA , it will be fully guaranteed if exercised .
That may put more first-round picks on the market after four years if teams aren ’ t committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBA will benefit fringe players because the practice squad size will increase from 10 to 12 players and those players will earn a minimum of $ 10,500 per week .
13 .
Finally , the drug policy .
A huge win for the players .
The testing window is cut from four months to two weeks at the start of training camp .
Players can ’ t be suspended for a failed test .
The number of players subjected to testing is reduced .
And the nanogram limit increases from 35 to 150 @

Thirteen thoughts about the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, which was approved by the teams on Thursday and passed along to the union:
1. It was never going to be easy, right? The teams’ approval wasn’t going to be immediately followed by the players’ rubber-stamping. On Friday morning, NFL Network reported the NFLPA’s executive committee had voted 6-5 to not recommend the proposal and a vote the 32-man board of team representatives was postponed.
2. In a statement, the NFLPA said it “looking forward to meeting with NFL management next week.” That’s better than just saying, “No deal,” and then stew about it. The union released their fact sheet Thursday night, which allowed everybody to digest key points of the proposal.
3. I like the option for players to be paid over 34 weeks instead of the standard 17 weeks and since I like regular-season and playoff football, I’m all for 17 games (won’t be this year) and the playoff field expanding to 14 teams (likely be this year).
4. The 10-game season ticket plan was crucial for the owners, be it one preseason/nine regular season or two preseason/eight regular season. In that respect, this CBA will be the status quo.
5. The three-game preseason is still one too long. I would expect coaches to play their starters only in the second preseason game, giving them 25-30 snaps of fine-tuning before Week 1. The CBA proposal allows for four joint practices, which can fit into two sets of practices (two workouts apiece).
6. In a 17-game model, when will the season start? The NFL is currently against starting the season before Labor Day. That would push the playoffs into mid-January and the Super Bowl into mid-February. It’s been speculated for years the NFL wants to take advantage of a mid-February sports calendar that is empty save for the Daytona 500 and the NBA and NHL All-Star Games.
7. In the new playoff format, Wild Card Weekend will be awesome — tripleheaders on Saturday and Sunday (likely at 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. Denver time). The downside for teams is only the top seed gets a bye. That means No. 2 Kansas City would have had to host No. 7 Pittsburgh in 2019 instead of getting the weekend off.
8. I looked back at the Broncos’ last eight playoff appearances (2003-05 and 2011-15) to see how the 14-team format would have impacted them. In 2005, the second-seeded Broncos would have had to face No. 7 Kansas City in round 1. And in 2014, the second-seeded Broncos would have had to host a No. 7 team that went 9-7 (Buffalo, Houston, Kansas City or the Chargers based on the tiebreakers).
9. Highly-paid veteran players will understandably disagree with a $250,000 cap put on the Game 17 salaries. But the other side is increased salaries of $100,000 for rookies, followed by $50,000 in 2021 and $45,000 each year after that.
10. Having an emergency offensive lineman ready to play, like the No. 3 quarterback in the old days, is a smart move because it means teams won’t have to put tight ends or defensive lineman in the game along the O-line in case of emergency.
11. The fifth-year option system for first-round picks is being overhauled. Currently, if a team picks up a player’s fifth-year option, that salary is guaranteed only for injury. Under the new CBA, it will be fully guaranteed if exercised. That may put more first-round picks on the market after four years if teams aren’t committed to them.
12. The new CBA will benefit fringe players because the practice squad size will increase from 10 to 12 players and those players will earn a minimum of $10,500 per week.
13. Finally, the drug policy. A huge win for the players. The testing window is cut from four months to two weeks at the start of training camp. Players can’t be suspended for a failed test. The number of players subjected to testing is reduced. And the nanogram limit increases from 35 to 150.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Brooklyn man convicted of fraud in lottery scam

A Brooklyn man has been convicted of stealing more than $ 700,000 from an Estes Park woman in a lottery scam .
Leonard Luton , 43 , a Jamaican citizen , was convicted last week of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and eight counts of aiding and abetting mail fraud after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court in Denver , according to a U.S. attorney ’ s office news release .
The victim , a senior citizen , was convinced by Luton and a co-conspirator that she had won a $ 2.8 million lottery prize and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To collect the winnings , the victim was instructed to pay thousands of dollars in fees .
In 2018 , the victim mailed multiple packages with cash and cashier ’ s checks to addresses of Luton ’ s friends .
The victim also purchased six iPhones and mailed them as part of the scheme .
The co-conspirator was not named in the news release .
Luton made two trips to the victim ’ s Estes Park home to pick up packages of cash .
In October 2018 , a Luton co-conspirator went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. and identified himself as an FBI agent , flashing a fake badge and leaving with a package stuffed with $ 65,000 .
On a second trip , Luton was arrested at the victim ’ s home when he showed up to “ pick up more cash , ” the release said .
Luton was in possession of an iPhone purchased by the victim when he was arrested .
“ Lottery scams are just one way that scammers prey on vulnerable victims , ” U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said in the news release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners , we are working to protect the elderly and bring scammers to justice.
” Financial records from the victim and Luton established Luton ’ s involvement in the $ 700,000 scheme , the release said .
He ’ s scheduled to be sentenced May 12 .
The case was investigated by the FBI , Estes Park police and the Larimer County district attorney ’ s office .

A Brooklyn man has been convicted of stealing more than $700,000 from an Estes Park woman in a lottery scam.
Leonard Luton, 43, a Jamaican citizen, was convicted last week of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and eight counts of aiding and abetting mail fraud after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court in Denver, according to a U.S. attorney’s office news release.
The victim, a senior citizen, was convinced by Luton and a co-conspirator that she had won a $2.8 million lottery prize and a Mercedes Benz, prosecutors said. To collect the winnings, the victim was instructed to pay thousands of dollars in fees. In 2018, the victim mailed multiple packages with cash and cashier’s checks to addresses of Luton’s friends. The victim also purchased six iPhones and mailed them as part of the scheme.
The co-conspirator was not named in the news release.
Luton made two trips to the victim’s Estes Park home to pick up packages of cash. In October 2018, a Luton co-conspirator went to the victim’s home at 1:30 a.m. and identified himself as an FBI agent, flashing a fake badge and leaving with a package stuffed with $65,000. On a second trip, Luton was arrested at the victim’s home when he showed up to “pick up more cash,” the release said. Luton was in possession of an iPhone purchased by the victim when he was arrested.
“Lottery scams are just one way that scammers prey on vulnerable victims,” U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said in the news release. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we are working to protect the elderly and bring scammers to justice.”
Financial records from the victim and Luton established Luton’s involvement in the $700,000 scheme, the release said. He’s scheduled to be sentenced May 12. The case was investigated by the FBI, Estes Park police and the Larimer County district attorney’s office.


thedenverpost--2020-02-23--Milton’s career-high 28 points sends Wyoming past Air Force

AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Greg Milton III came off the bench and more than doubled his previous career high with @ @ @ @ @ Wyoming past Air Force 78-72 on Saturday .
Milton , a 6-foot-3 sophomore , posted @ @ @ @ @ 12 points on Feb. 1 against San Jose State .
Against the Falcons he had @ @ @ @ @ finished 9-of-14 shooting , including 4 of 7 from 3-point range , and made 6 @ @ @ @ @ He grabbed four rebounds , distributed three assists and committed just one turnover .
Lavelle @ @ @ @ @ with 2:11 left gave the Falcons a 72-66 lead and they never scored again .
@ @ @ @ @ dunk , Brandon Porter sank two from the foul line and Maldonado buried another 3 @ @ @ @ @ 2-14 Mountain West Conference ) had the lead in just a 70-second span .
Maldonado @ @ @ @ @

AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Greg Milton III came off the bench and more than doubled his previous career high with 28 points to help carry Wyoming past Air Force 78-72 on Saturday.
Milton, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, posted his prior career high of 12 points on Feb. 1 against San Jose State. Against the Falcons he had 18 by halftime. He finished 9-of-14 shooting, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and made 6 of 8 foul shots. He grabbed four rebounds, distributed three assists and committed just one turnover.
Lavelle Scottie’s three-point play with 2:11 left gave the Falcons a 72-66 lead and they never scored again. Hunter Maldonado threw down a dunk, Brandon Porter sank two from the foul line and Maldonado buried another 3 and Wyoming (7-21, 2-14 Mountain West Conference) had the lead in just a 70-second span. Maldonado finished with 19 points.
Scottie led Air Force (10-18, 4-12) with 17 points, Ryan Swan 14, Caleb Morris 13 and A.J. Walker 11.


thedenverpost--2020-02-23--Colorado State basketball falls short against San Jose State at Moby Arena

FORT COLLINS — Adam Thistlewood scored 16 points , Nico Carvacho had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Colorado State @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday .
Dischon Thomas added 13 points and David Roddy had 10 for Colorado @ @ @ @ @ Mountain West Conference ) .
Seneca Knight scored a career-high 37 points for the Spartans @ @ @ @ @ , whose losing streak stretched to seven games .
Zach Chappell added 12 points .
@ @ @ @ @ ’ second leading scorer entering the matchup at 10 points per game , shot only @ @ @ @ @ ( 2 of 11 ) .
The Rams improve to 2-0 against the Spartans on @ @ @ @ @ defeated San Jose State 81-70 on Jan. 11 .
Colorado State matches up against San @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday .
San Jose State takes on Utah State on the road on Tuesday @

FORT COLLINS — Adam Thistlewood scored 16 points, Nico Carvacho had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Colorado State beat San Jose State 78-71 on Saturday.
Dischon Thomas added 13 points and David Roddy had 10 for Colorado State (19-10, 10-6 Mountain West Conference).
Seneca Knight scored a career-high 37 points for the Spartans (7-21, 3-13), whose losing streak stretched to seven games. Zach Chappell added 12 points.
Richard Washington, the Spartans’ second leading scorer entering the matchup at 10 points per game, shot only 18 percent for the game (2 of 11).
The Rams improve to 2-0 against the Spartans on the season. Colorado State defeated San Jose State 81-70 on Jan. 11. Colorado State matches up against San Diego State on the road on Tuesday. San Jose State takes on Utah State on the road on Tuesday.


thedenverpost--2020-02-23--Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder II live blog: Real-time updates from the heavyweight championship boxi

Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder II live blog: Real-time updates from the heavyweight championship boxing match

Live updates , tweets , photos , analysis and more from the Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder II heavyweight boxing @ @ @ @ @ Arena in Las Vegas on Feb. 22 , 2020 .
Mobile users , if you @ @ @ @ @ live blog , tap here .

Live updates, tweets, photos, analysis and more from the Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder II heavyweight boxing match at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Feb. 22, 2020.
Mobile users, if you can’t see the live blog, tap here.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Late UCLA run gives CU Buffs big disappointment in home finale

The 18th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes closed the book on another home slate at the CU Events Center in disappointing fashion .
CU went cold at crunch time and couldn ’ t get stops when it needed , allowing UCLA to storm back and send the Buffs to a 70-63 defeat in the home finale .
The Buffs led 50-41 after a D ’ Shawn Schwartz-to-McKinley Wright layup with about 12 and a half minutes remaining , but the Bruins took over from there .
UCLA reeled off 14 consecutive points in what became a 20-3 run that gave the Bruins a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CU point guard McKinley knocked down a 3-pointer with 49.9 seconds to get the Buffs within 66-63 , but the Bruins took advantage of a defensive switch to get an easy basket inside by Cody Riley .
After Shane Gatling missed a 3-pointer , UCLA iced the win at the free throw line .
Wright led the Buffs with 20 points , six rebounds , and four assists .
Tyler Bey posted 13 points , but the Buffs finished 5-for-19 on 3-pointers while the Bruins went 8-for-20 .
A sold out crowd of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team that has been ranked in the AP top 25 more frequently than any other squad in program history .
It was the fifth-largest crowd in the Events Center history and the second highest of the Pac-12 era , trailing only a crowd of 11,309 for a win against Arizona on Feb. 24 , 2016 .

The buzz finally caught up with the 18th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday, as one of the largest crowds ever at the CU Events Center came out to show their appreciation for a team that has been ranked in the AP top 25 more frequently than any squad in team history.
They were treated to a colossal disappointment.
CU went cold at crunch time and couldn’t get stops when needed down the stretch, as UCLA reeled off a dominant run late in the second half to ruin the Buffs’ Senior Day, sending the Buffs to a 70-63 defeat in their home finale.
In just 10 or so minutes of bad basketball, CU went from sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 Conference into a crowd of teams jockeying for the league’s top four spots and a bye at the league tournament in Las Vegas.
CU’s second-half collapse unfolded before a sold out crowd of 11,214, the fifth-largest crowd in the Events Center history and the second largest of the Pac-12 era, trailing only a crowd of 11,309 for a win against Arizona on Feb. 24, 2016.
“Our fans deserved better than they got tonight,” CU head coach Tad Boyle said. “I’m sick to my stomach for a lot of reasons. But mostly for the two seniors and mostly for our fans, because our fans were terrific this last homestand. We didn’t play well enough. That stings. When they show up you want to give them a reason to show up, and we didn’t. We didn’t do a good job tonight.”
The Buffs led 50-41 after a D’Shawn Schwartz-to-McKinley Wright IV layup with about 12 and a half minutes remaining, but the Bruins took over from there. UCLA reeled off 14 consecutive points in what became a 20-3 run that gave the Bruins a 61-53 lead with 2:52 to go.
At one point, CU went nearly 10 minutes without a field goal, missing 10 in a row. UCLA, meanwhile, barely missed after halftime, shooting .563 (18-for-32) in the second half. The Bruins also didn’t commit a single turnover after halftime.
“We were getting some good looks. Some stuff wasn’t falling and we let it affect our defense on the other end,” Wright IV said. “We have to do a better job of staying together. On the offensive end, when the ball isn’t going in, people get frustrated and it affects our defensive effort and what we were doing on that end. Going forward, we have to be better at doing that. We have to hang our hat on defense regardless, and our defense in the second half wasn’t there tonight.”
Wright knocked down a 3-pointer with 49.9 seconds to get the Buffs within 66-63, but the Bruins took advantage of a defensive switch that forced the 6-foot Wright to guard UCLA’s 6-foot-9 Cody Riley on the block. Riley made an easy conversion, and after Shane Gatling missed a 3-pointer, UCLA iced the win at the free throw line.
Wright led the Buffs with 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Tyler Bey posted 13 points, but the Buffs finished 5-for-19 on 3-pointers while the Bruins went 8-for-20. It was CU’s second-lowest 3-point percentage of any game this season with at least 10 long-range attempts, trailing only the .206 mark (7-for-34) the Buffs posted in a loss at Kansas on Dec. 7.
“Credit to UCLA. They deserved to win this game. They were the tougher team in the second half,” Boyle said. “They made the plays down the stretch that needed to be made. And we didn’t. Our defense in the second half wasn’t good enough, especially our ball-screen defense. It really just left us.”
Fast break
What went right: After getting outrebounded by 10 in a loss at UCLA three weeks ago, CU outrebounded the Bruins 35-31 and shot a solid .446 from the field.
What went wrong: The Bruins shot .563 after halftime, and CU was just 5-for-19 on 3-pointers.
Star of the game: McKinley Wright IV. The junior point guard finished with a game-high 20 points along with seven rebounds and four assists.
What’s next: The Buffs will have to try to keep pace with the Pac-12 front-runners on the road, beginning with a date Thursday at Cal (7 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Networks).
UCLA 70, No. 18 Colorado 63UCLA (17-11, 10-5 Pac-12)Hill 2-4 0-0 4, Campbell 5-10 4-7 15, Singleton 0-3 0-0 0, Smith 4-7 2-2 14, Jaquez 4-14 0-1 9, Riley 8-12 0-1 16, Kyman 5-7 0-0 12, Bernard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-57 6-11 70.COLORADO (21-7, 10-5)Battey 5-10 1-2 11, Siewert 1-2 0-0 3, Gatling 3-9 2-2 9, Wright 8-14 2-2 20, Schwartz 2-5 0-0 4, Bey 5-10 3-4 13, Parquet 0-4 0-0 0, Walton 1-2 0-0 3, Daniels 0-0 0-0 0, Kountz 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-56 8-10 63.Halftime — Colorado 29-26. 3-point goals — UCLA 8-20 (Smith 4-6, Kyman 2-3, Campbell 1-2, Jaquez 1-6, Singleton 0-3), Colorado 5-19 (Wright 2-4, Walton 1-1, Siewert 1-2, Gatling 1-7, Battey 0-1, Parquet 0-2, Schwartz 0-2). Rebounds — UCLA 31 (Jaquez 10), Colorado 35 (Battey, Wright 7). Assists — UCLA 13 (Campbell 11), Colorado 7 (Wright 4). Total fouls — UCLA 15, Colorado 13. A — 11,214 (11,064).


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--The history of the Colorado state wrestling tournament: From Gunter Hall to Pepsi Center

Many preps fans consider the state wrestling tournament as the premier postseason event in the state .
That ’ s largely because 896 qualifiers and their coaches , families and fans from all corners of Colorado descend upon Pepsi Center for an unmatched , raucous atmosphere over three days .
But , as Bob Smith reminds , it wasn ’ t always that way .
Smith , 82 , is a Colorado Sports Hall of Famer who won 10 state championships as the head coach at Wray .
He was the one who , in 1982 , began pushing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then three classes , with each tournament often held at separate locations ) into one spot .
“ Wrestling people like to see good wrestling , regardless of who it is or where they ’ re from , and that ’ s what the state tournament is , ” Smith said .
“ We needed to get it all under one roof , and it took five years for that to happen.
” Smith finally succeed in his goal in 1987 at McNichols Arena , where all classifications wrestled their respective state tournaments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
The tournament stayed at McNichols until moving to Pepsi Center in 2000 , and the rest is rowdy Colorado wrestling history .
“ How could you not love this atmosphere ?
” said Smith , who is attending his 69th consecutive state tournament since qualifying as a sophomore at Denver North in 1952 .
“ These three days at the Pepsi Center are what wrestling fans wait all year for.
” The following is a timeline of the CHSAA state wrestling tournament .
All information was provided by Smith , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unofficial historian on the sport .
The first CHSAA state wrestling tournament is held at Gunter Hall in Greeley , making it the fifth-oldest prep sport in the state behind football , track , boys basketball and tennis .
The tournament featured one classification with nine schools ( Greeley , Olathe , Fort Morgan , College High , Grand Junction , Montrose , Golden , Windsor and Fort Collins ) and eight-man brackets ( 45 total qualifiers ) .
Greeley won .
Tournament continues to be held in Greeley , with Denver city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East won in 1937 , and after Grand Junction took the title in 1938 , Denver North won the next two years .
Tournament moves to Denver East , and Denver North continues to dominate , with four titles in six years .
Tournament moves to Denver West , and Denver North wins again as a then-record 232 wrestlers compete .
Tournament moves to Denver City Auditorium Annex .
It ’ s still one class , but for the first time , a qualifying tournament is used for state .
Denver North earns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University Arena in 1950 , when Montrose breaks Denver North ’ s streak of six straight titles .
Fort Collins wins the crown the next two years .
Tournament moves to Denver City Auditorium , and CHSAA begins recognizing the different sizes of schools in team awards .
Colorado Springs won the overall team title in 1953 , while Arvada won the “ A ” grouping and Palisade won the “ B/C ” grouping .
The tournament is still held at Aurora Central but expands to two classes for the first time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 351 and up , and Division II is 350 students and below .
The previous year ’ s overall champion , Montrose , repeats in Division I , while Wray wins the first of a now-record 13 state tiles with its Division II championship .
The tournament remains at Aurora Central for three more years and the state sees its first four-time individual champion crowned in 1959 when Montrose ’ s Bob Thompson wins the title at 175 pounds .
The age of classification separation begins .
On different weekends in 1963 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Englewood Fieldhouse and the Division II tournament is held at Aurora Central .
The practice of separating the tournament sites continued through the 1970s .
The tournament expands to three classes : Class A ( enrollment of 175 and below ) , Class 2A ( 176 to 550 ) and Class 3A ( 551 and up ) .
The tournaments are staggered a week apart , with A at Greeley , 2A at Hinkley and 3A at Denver City Auditorium .
The A brackets are eight-man , not 16 , until 1973 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the decade , and the tournaments continue to be held in separate venues until 1976 .
At that time , 2A and 3A both moved to Auditorium Arena , while the A tournament remained in Greeley .
Also starting in 1976 , six places were scored , and in 1978 , true double-elimination brackets are introduced for the first time .
The A tournament moves to the newly-opened CU Events Center ; 2A and 3A tournaments remain at Auditorium Arena .
The A and 2A tournaments are moved to Denver Coliseum , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arena .
The locations for each classes ’ tournament remain the same as 1981 , but from 1982 through 1986 , all tournaments are held on the same weekend .
And , the finals for all classes are held at the Denver Coliseum .
The three state tournaments are finally consolidated into one spot , and 34,400 fans come out to McNichols Arena that weekend .
Fowler ( A ) , Fort Lupton ( 2A ) and Brighton ( 3A ) are crowned champions .
The 12 weight classes , which had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 .
The tournament expands to five classifications — A/2A , 3A , 4A , 5A and 6A — and this format stands through 1994 .
Classes 4A and 6A have 16-man brackets with 12 contestants .
The tournament goes to four classifications — A/2A , 3A , 4A and 5A — all with 16-man brackets .
The tournament expands to its present 14 weight classes .
The tournament is moved to the Pepsi Center .
Wiggins ( A/2A ) , Hotchkiss ( 3A ) , Canon City ( 4A ) and Pomona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ champions at “ The Can ” .

Many preps fans consider the state wrestling tournament as the premier postseason event in the state. That’s largely because 896 qualifiers and their coaches, families and fans from all corners of Colorado descend upon Pepsi Center for an unmatched, raucous atmosphere over three days.
But, as Bob Smith reminds, it wasn’t always that way. Smith, 84, is a Colorado Sports Hall of Famer who won 10 state championships as the head coach at Wray. He was the one who, in 1982, began pushing for the consolidation of the state tournament (then three classes, with each tournament often held at separate locations) into one spot.
“Wrestling people like to see good wrestling, regardless of who it is or where they’re from, and that’s what the state tournament is,” Smith said. “We needed to get it all under one roof, and it took five years for that to happen.”
Smith finally succeed in his goal in 1987 at McNichols Arena, where all classifications wrestled their respective state tournaments in the same location for the first time. The tournament stayed at McNichols until moving to Pepsi Center in 2000, and the rest is rowdy Colorado wrestling history.
“How could you not love this atmosphere?” said Smith, who is attending his 69th consecutive state tournament since qualifying as a sophomore at Denver North in 1952. “These three days at the Pepsi Center are what wrestling fans wait all year for.”
The following is a timeline of the CHSAA state wrestling tournament. All information was provided by Smith, who has emerged as the state’s unofficial historian on the sport.
1936
The first CHSAA state wrestling tournament is held at Gunter Hall in Greeley, making it the fifth-oldest prep sport in the state behind football, track, boys basketball and tennis. The tournament featured one classification with nine schools (Greeley, Olathe, Fort Morgan, College High, Grand Junction, Montrose, Golden, Windsor and Fort Collins) and eight-man brackets (45 total qualifiers). Greeley won.
1936 – 1940
Tournament continues to be held in Greeley, with Denver city schools making their presence felt. Denver East won in 1937, and after Grand Junction took the title in 1938, Denver North won the next two years.
1941 – 1946
Tournament moves to Denver East, and Denver North continues to dominate, with four titles in six years.
1947
Tournament moves to Denver West, and Denver North wins again as a then-record 232 wrestlers compete.
1948
Tournament moves to Denver City Auditorium Annex. It’s still one class, but for the first time, a qualifying tournament is used for state. Denver North earns the five-peat.
1950 – 1952
Tournament moves to Denver University Arena in 1950, when Montrose breaks Denver North’s streak of six straight titles. Fort Collins wins the crown the next two years.
1953 – 1955
Tournament moves to Denver City Auditorium, and CHSAA begins recognizing the different sizes of schools in team awards. Colorado Springs won the overall team title in 1953, while Arvada won the “A” grouping and Palisade won the “B/C” grouping.
1956
Tournament moves to Aurora Central.
1957
The tournament is still held at Aurora Central but expands to two classes for the first time. Division I consists of schools with enrollment of 351 and up, and Division II is 350 students and below. The previous year’s overall champion, Montrose, repeats in Division I, while Wray wins the first of a now-record 14 state titles with its Division II championship.
1958 – 1960
The tournament remains at Aurora Central for three more years and the state sees its first four-time individual champion crowned in 1959 when Montrose’s Bob Thompson wins the title at 175 pounds.
1961 – 1962
The tournament moves to Englewood Fieldhouse.
1963 – 1968
The age of classification separation begins. On different weekends in 1963, the Division I tournament is held at Englewood Fieldhouse and the Division II tournament is held at Aurora Central. The practice of separating the tournament sites continued through the 1970s.
1969
The tournament expands to three classes: Class A (enrollment of 175 and below), Class 2A (176 to 550) and Class 3A (551 and up). The tournaments are staggered a week apart, with A at Greeley, 2A at Hinkley and 3A at Denver City Auditorium. The A brackets are eight-man, not 16, until 1973.
1970s
The three-classification system remains in place throughout the decade, and the tournaments continue to be held in separate venues until 1976. At that time, 2A and 3A both moved to Auditorium Arena, while the A tournament remained in Greeley. Also starting in 1976, six places were scored, and in 1978, true double-elimination brackets are introduced for the first time.
1980
The A tournament moves to the newly-opened CU Events Center; 2A and 3A tournaments remain at Auditorium Arena.
1981
The A and 2A tournaments are moved to Denver Coliseum, while the 3A tournament is at Auditorium Arena.
1982 – 1986
The locations for each classes’ tournament remain the same as 1981, but from 1982 through 1986, all tournaments are held on the same weekend. And, the finals for all classes are held at the Denver Coliseum.
1987
The three state tournaments are finally consolidated into one spot, and 34,400 fans come out to McNichols Arena that weekend. Fowler (A), Fort Lupton (2A) and Brighton (3A) are crowned champions.
1989
The 12 weight classes, which had been standard since 1943, are expanded to 13.
1991
The tournament expands to five classifications — A/2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A — and this format stands through 1994. Classes 4A and 6A have 16-man brackets with 12 contestants.
1995
The tournament goes to four classifications — A/2A, 3A, 4A and 5A — all with 16-man brackets.
1997
The tournament expands to its present 14 weight classes.
2000
The tournament is moved to the Pepsi Center. Wiggins (A/2A), Hotchkiss (3A), Canon City (4A) and Pomona (5A) are the debut team champions at “The Can”.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--State trooper cleared in fatal shooting of Nevada truck driver in Avon

A state trooper was justified in the shooting death of a 58-year-old Nevada man who brandished a gun after being stopped by authorities in December near Avon , the 5th Judicial District ruled .
Trooper Joel Juenke ’ s decision to shoot Alvern Walker was “ justifiable self-defense and a justifiable self-defense of others , ” Heidi S. McCollum , assistant district attorney , said in a decision letter .
About 8:15 p.m. Dec. 5 , the State Patrol stopped a U-Haul truck in a Walgreens parking lot in Avon .
Walker , a passenger in the truck , began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language , the DA said in the letter .
After the trooper called for backup , Walker pulled out a handgun and placed it under his chin with the barrel pointing up , the district attorney said .
Officers gave Walker more than 50 commands to drop the weapon , as the man waved it around his head , walking near the Walgreen entrance .
An Avon police officer attempted to use nonlethal force by shooting Walker with a beanbag round designed to disarm him .
At the same time , another officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he heard may have come from Walker , Juenke fired , hitting the armed man , the decision letter said .
Walker was taken to a hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
The assistant district attorney noted that there were communication issues during the tense negotiation brought on by the fact that multiple agencies — the State Patrol , Avon police and the Eagle County Sheriff ’ s Office — were attempting to coordinate with different dispatch centers .
“ Basically , the sequence of events was rapidly evolving , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to such a degree that responding agencies were unable to most effectively coordinate their communications because doing so would leave them and others vulnerable to the danger presented by Mr. Walker , ” McCollum wrote .
Authorities found that Walker had struggled with drug use , possible mental health issues and difficulties transitioning back into society .
Walker had been on parole in Nevada stemming from a 1983 murder conviction .
He had tested positive in a recent drug test and recently had been admitted to a hospital because of a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office said .
“ In the hours preceding the incident , Mr. Walker was also displaying odd behavior and experiencing psychosis due to drug use and/or mental illness , ” McCollum wrote .
The driver of the truck told police that Walker said , “ They ’ re going to shoot me .
They ’ re going to shoot me .
I ’ m gon na kill them , ” according to the decision letter .

A state trooper was justified in the shooting death of a 58-year-old Nevada man who brandished a gun after being stopped by authorities in December near Avon, the 5th Judicial District ruled.
Trooper Joel Juenke’s decision to shoot Alvern Walker was “justifiable self-defense and a justifiable self-defense of others,” Heidi S. McCollum, assistant district attorney, said in a decision letter.
About 8:15 p.m. Dec. 5, the State Patrol stopped a U-Haul truck in a Walgreens parking lot in Avon. Walker, a passenger in the truck, began verbally confronting the trooper, spewing nonsensical language, the DA said in the letter.
After the trooper called for backup, Walker pulled out a handgun and placed it under his chin with the barrel pointing up, the district attorney said. Officers gave Walker more than 50 commands to drop the weapon, as the man waved it around his head, walking near the Walgreen entrance.
An Avon police officer attempted to use nonlethal force by shooting Walker with a beanbag round designed to disarm him. At the same time, another officer used a Taser.
Thinking the shot he heard may have come from Walker, Juenke fired, hitting the armed man, the decision letter said. Walker was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The assistant district attorney noted that there were communication issues during the tense negotiation brought on by the fact that multiple agencies — the State Patrol, Avon police and the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office — were attempting to coordinate with different dispatch centers.
“Basically, the sequence of events was rapidly evolving, and the dangerousness of the situation was fast-unfolding, to such a degree that responding agencies were unable to most effectively coordinate their communications because doing so would leave them and others vulnerable to the danger presented by Mr. Walker,” McCollum wrote.
Authorities found that Walker had struggled with drug use, possible mental health issues and difficulties transitioning back into society. Walker had been on parole in Nevada stemming from a 1983 murder conviction. He had tested positive in a recent drug test and recently had been admitted to a hospital because of a “meth binge,” the district attorney’s office said.
“In the hours preceding the incident, Mr. Walker was also displaying odd behavior and experiencing psychosis due to drug use and/or mental illness,” McCollum wrote.
The driver of the truck told police that Walker said, “They’re going to shoot me. They’re going to shoot me. I’m gonna kill them,” according to the decision letter.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Rockies’ Brendan Rodgers progressing ahead of schedule with shoulder rehab

SCOTTSDALE , Ariz. — A hard rain washed out the Rockies ’ Cactus League opener vs. Arizona on Saturday , but it wasn ’ t all gloomy news .
Manager Bud Black said top infield prospect Brendan Rodgers is ahead of schedule in his rehab from shoulder surgery .
The Rockies initially predicted that Rodgers wouldn ’ t be able to return until May .
“ If he continues to progress at the rate he ’ s progressing , he ’ s going to be back sooner than I think we anticipated , ” said Black , who earlier in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compete in Cactus League games as a designated hitter .
“ ( Trainer ) Keith ( Dooger ) is really encouraged about where he is right now.
” Rodgers , 23 , debuted last May , hitting .224 with no home runs in 25 games for the Rockies , but he did slash .350/.413/.622 with nine homers and 21 RBIs for Triple-A Albuquerque in 37 games .
Last July , Rodgers underwent labrum repair surgery , and he admitted he was worried about his baseball career .
For more than a month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above his head .
“ It was a crazy surgery , ” he said .
“ I was in a bad place for a little bit , but I ’ ve come a long way and I ’ m happy with where I ’ m at right now .
I was shocked , for sure , on how the long recovery was going to take , but I ’ m on pace , in my eyes , if not even a little bit ahead.
” Hoffman ’ s up .
Right-hander Jeff Hoffman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s game , will take the mound Sunday when the Rockies play the Angels at nearby Tempe Diablo Stadium .
Hoffman , who has been working on a new delivery , is expected to pitch two innings .
Hoffman , who is competing for a spot in the starting rotation , could have pitched a side session Saturday but Black said the Rockies wanted to see Hoffman pitch in a game situation .
The Bard .
Right-hander reliever Daniel Bard , who signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our reports from a workout that happened a few days ago were outstanding , from our scouts ” Black said .
“ Yesterday , he got the uniform on and went out and played some catch , and our coaches were very excited about the arm action looked .
“ Now , it was just playing catch , but this a guy , when he was playing well , had really good stuff for the Red Sox .
Good movement on the fastball and the ability to spin the ball.
” Bard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the majors in 2013 , and he was a mental skills coach with Arizona for the past two years .

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A hard rain washed out the Rockies’ Cactus League opener vs. Arizona on Saturday, but it wasn’t all gloomy news.
Manager Bud Black said top infield prospect Brendan Rodgers is ahead of schedule in his rehab from shoulder surgery. The Rockies initially predicted that Rodgers wouldn’t be able to return until May.
“If he continues to progress at the rate he’s progressing, he’s going to be back sooner than I think we anticipated,” said Black, who earlier in camp had said he hoped Rodgers could compete in Cactus League games as a designated hitter. “(Trainer) Keith (Dooger) is really encouraged about where he is right now.”
Rodgers, 23, debuted last May, hitting .224 with no home runs in 25 games for the Rockies, but he did slash .350/.413/.622 with nine homers and 21 RBIs for Triple-A Albuquerque in 37 games.
Last July, Rodgers underwent labrum repair surgery, and he admitted he was worried about his baseball career. For more than a month, he couldn’t lift his arm above his head.
“It was a crazy surgery,” he said. “I was in a bad place for a little bit, but I’ve come a long way and I’m happy with where I’m at right now. I was shocked, for sure, on how the long recovery was going to take, but I’m on pace, in my eyes, if not even a little bit ahead.”
Hoffman’s up. Right-hander Jeff Hoffman, who was supposed to start Saturday’s game, will take the mound Sunday when the Rockies play the Angels at nearby Tempe Diablo Stadium. Hoffman, who has been working on a new delivery, is expected to pitch two innings.
Hoffman, who is competing for a spot in the starting rotation, could have pitched a side session Saturday but Black said the Rockies wanted to see Hoffman pitch in a game situation.
The Bard. Right-hander reliever Daniel Bard, who signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies on Friday, has made a good first impression.
“Our reports from a workout that happened a few days ago were outstanding, from our scouts” Black said. “Yesterday, he got the uniform on and went out and played some catch, and our coaches were very excited about the arm action looked.
“Now, it was just playing catch, but this a guy, when he was playing well, had really good stuff for the Red Sox. Good movement on the fastball and the ability to spin the ball.”
Bard’s bouts of wildness drove him out of the majors in 2013, and he was a mental skills coach with Arizona for the past two years.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Karl Dorrell “clubhouse leader” to become new CU Buffs football coach, report says

There ’ s reportedly a new clubhouse leader in the race to replace Mel Tucker — and this one is charging in hard from out of left field .
Karl Dorrell , the former CU assistant , ex-UCLA coach and current Miami Dolphins wide receivers coach , has “ emerged as favorite in the Colorado search , ” Yahoo Sports ’ Pete Thamel reported via a tweet early Saturday afternoon .
Multiple outlets have since confirmed that Dorrell will be hired .
Dorrell , 56 , hasn ’ t been a head coach since serving a five-year stint from 2003-07 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 35-27 record , 24-18 in the then-Pac-10 .
The California native and UCLA alum had two stints as a Buffs assistant , working as a wide receivers coach under Bill McCartney from 1992-93 and as offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach for Rick Neuheisel from 1995-98 .
He was a wide receivers coach with the Denver Broncos from 2000-02 .
“ Numerous coaches involved in the job have been told they aren ’ t getting it , ” Thamel tweeted .
“ No deal done yet.
” CU had reportedly interviewed former USC and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema , Air Force coach Troy Calhoun , and interim coach Darrin Chiaverini , among others , in recent days .
It ’ s not clear yet when CU will announce a permanent successor for Tucker , who departed for Michigan State on Feb. 11 after just 14 months on the job , becoming the first CU coach with a tenure of only one season since Bud Davis in 1962 .

The Buffs are keeping their head football coaching job in the family.
Just not with a family member most onlookers were expecting.
Karl Dorrell, a former CU assistant coach and current assistant head coach/wide receivers coach with the Miami Dolphins, is expected to be named the 27th full-time head coach in school history, multiple media outlets reported Saturday. CU officials had not confirmed the reports as of early Saturday evening.
Dorrell, 56, would replace Mel Tucker, who left the program in stunning fashion on Feb. 11 after just 14 months on the job to take the head coaching vacancy at Michigan State.
Buffs athletic director Rick George had hired Tucker, a former defensive coordinator at Georgia, in December 2018 to replace Mike MacIntyre.
Dorrell would become the Buffs’ third football coach in 15 months and fifth in the past decade.
A California native, a UCLA alum and a former head coach with the Bruins, Dorrell has served two previous stints with the Buffaloes as an assistant.
He worked as a wide receivers coach under Bill McCartney from 1992-93 and was an offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach for Rick Neuheisel from 1995-98. He worked under Mike Shanahan as the Denver Broncos’ wide receivers coach from 2000-02.
Dorrell’s son Chandler was born in Boulder. His daughter Lauren was born in Louisville and played volleyball at CU from 2016-18.
While the Buffs were successful during his tenures in Boulder a generation earlier, Dorrell’s head coaching resume remains something of a mixed bag. He hasn’t been in charge of a program since December 2007, when UCLA fired him after five seasons and a 35-27 record, 24-18 in league play.
The Bruins reached the postseason in all five of Dorrell’s campaigns in Westwood, but won only more than seven games in a season once — a 10-2 mark in 2005 with a squad that featured Maurice Jones-Drew at tailback and Marcedes Lewis at tight end.
Both Jones-Drew and Lewis would go on to Pro Bowl-caliber careers in the NFL and both would — ironically — play under Tucker with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dorrell has spent most of his post-UCLA career in the NFL, save for a one-season stint as offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt in 2014 that saw the Commodores finish 3-9, 0-8 in the SEC while averaging 17.2 points per game.
CU had reportedly interviewed former USC and Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun, and interim coach Darrin Chiaverini, among others, in recent days. It’s not clear yet when the Buffs will make a formal announcement confirming the Dorrell hire.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Englewood scrapes by Arvada, wins 37-33

Englewood scrapes by Arvada, wins 37-33

The Arvada Bulldogs narrowly lost to the Englewood Pirates in a 37-33 contest on Friday .
Arvada was lead in @ @ @ @ @ accounted for 10 points , while also collecting seven rebounds and one assist .
Jasmine @ @ @ @ @ points , 10 rebounds , and two assists .
Englewood has not reported any team @ @ @ @ @ contest .
This story was created with technology provided by Data Skrive .
Information accurate @ @ @ @ @ update as more data is available .

Englewood dominated down low, collecting 66.2 of all rebounds and blocking six shot attempts in their 37-33 victory over Arvada on Friday, Feb. 21.
Lilly Johnson lead Englewood with 12 points scored while also recording 11 rebounds and one assist. Sydnee Aragon had a good night, recording 10 points, nine rebounds and one assist.
Arvada was paced in scoring by Angelina Castillo who put up 10 points, while also recording seven rebounds and one assist. Jasmine Morales had a productive night, recording eight points, 10 rebounds and two assists.
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This story was created with technology provided by Data Skrive. Information accurate as of publication and will update as more data is available.


thedenverpost--2020-02-22--Lakewood wins big over Bear Creek, 56-16

The Lakewood Tigers easily defeated the Bear Creek Bears by a score of 56-16 on Friday .
Lakewood was lead @ @ @ @ @ who accounted for 15 points while also collecting four rebounds and three assists .
Logan @ @ @ @ @ had good games contributing 10 points and nine points , respectively .
Bear Creek has @ @ @ @ @ player statistics from this contest .
This story was created with technology provided by Data @ @ @ @ @ of publication and will update as more data is available .

The Lakewood Tigers easily handled the Bear Creek Bears by a score of 56-16 on Friday, Feb. 21.
Lakewood was lead in scoring by Nadia Trevizo-Medina who scored 15 points while also collecting four rebounds and three assists. Logan Watson helped the effort by contributing 10 points.
Bear Creek has not reported any team or player statistics from this contest.
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This story was created with technology provided by Data Skrive. Information accurate as of publication and will update as more data is available.