BENNETT — The forecast of heavy snow and frigid temperatures this afternoon and evening have led to the postponement of tonight’s (Jan. 4) basketball games at Bennett High School. Instead, both boys and girls games against The Pinnacle have been rescheduled for 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2.
Whether tomorrow’s Eastern Colorado Honor Band activities will proceed has yet to be determined. Stay tuned to www.i-70scout.com for scheduling updates for this week.
RAIDERS AT BRONCOS 2:25 P.M., KCNC Channel 4
by ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer
DENVER (AP) _ Spoiler is an unfamiliar role for Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr., who get to see what it’s like to play for nothing but pride Sunday when the Denver Broncos host the Oakland Raiders.
The Broncos (8-7) were eliminated from playoff contention last week, so they won’t get a chance to defend their Super Bowl 50 title.
“It’ll definitely be weird,” Harris said. “It’s different playing a game for nothing, really.”
And heading into the offseason so early.
“It’s a weird feeling,” Miller said. “I called some of my buddies that never made the playoffs and I’m like, `What do you all normally do around this time?”
The Raiders (12-3) know all too well what it’s like to play for pride rather than playoff positioning before beginning an extended offseason. They went 13 years without even a winning record since losing the Super Bowl following the 2002 season.
They’re headed to the postseason party for the first time since then, but they’ll be without Derek Carr after losing their star quarterback to a broken right leg last week. Backup Matt McGloin will lead them instead.
The Broncos still own the league’s best secondary and premier pass rush, but both were neutralized by slow starts and poor play in the trenches that spelled an end to their five-year reign atop the AFC West.
“When teams don’t have to throw at me and (Aqib) Talib or have Von pinning his ears back to rush, it kind of takes away what we do,” Harris said. “We’re definitely built to stop the pass more than the run, and it definitely showed this year.”
Oakland needs a win Sunday to secure the division crown and a first-round bye. If the Raiders stumble, they could fall all the way to the fifth seed and have to hit the road for the AFC playoffs as a wild card.
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak plans to play both of his young quarterbacks . Trevor Siemian is coming off his worst game _ 17 for 43 for 183 yards _ at Kansas City, where the unflappable second-year pro looked rattled for the first time all season.
So did raw rookie Paxton Lynch in his last start, a 20-10 win at Jacksonville a month ago that marks Denver’s only victory after hitting the bye week sitting pretty at 7-3.
“I think Trevor deserves the right to go back out there as a starter,” Kubiak said. “He’s done a lot of good things this year. He’s a young player that needs to keep going. I want him to get the Kansas City taste out of his mouth. It was a tough outing.
“ Paxton is also going to play. I’m preparing both and you’ll see them both in the game.”
Other story lines in this role reversal:
SLOW STARTS: The Broncos’ 33 first-quarter points are lowest in the league and include just one sustained TD drive. That ineptitude defanged their 143 fourth-quarter points and 110 points off turnovers _ both NFL highs. Denver has trailed 48 percent of the time this season after playing from behind 27 percent of the time last year. So, teams quit testing their cornerbacks but targeted tight ends and backs instead.
MONSTER MILLER: The Broncos have 10 or fewer points in three consecutive games for the first time since 1966. That’s kept Miller, the MVP of last year’s Super Bowl, stuck at 131/2 sacks. He’s still a leading contender for Defensive Player of the Year because of his stellar all-around play and ability to beat double- and even triple-teams whenever QBs did have to drop back.
MILLER VS. MACK: Oakland coach Jack Del Rio worked with Miller as Denver’s defensive coordinator and now has an elite pass rusher in Khalil Mack, who has 11 sacks. “They’re similar in that they’re both disruptive,” Del Rio said, noting Mack is heavier than Miller.
“Von’s the only guy I’ve ever seen that can look like Gumby going around a corner and an inch off the ground and still be going at full speed,” Del Rio said.
RUN SUPPORT: The Raiders relied heavily on the run to nullify Denver’s pass rush and “No Fly Zone” secondary in a 30-20 win on Nov. 6 , when they ran for 218 yards on 43 carries. They figure to rely even more on their ground game with McGloin under center and the banged-up Broncos ranking 29th against the run and No. 1 against the pass.
POSSIBLE FIRST: Del Rio can accomplish something Sunday he has never done in his previous 170 games as an NFL coach. A win, or a loss by Kansas City, would give Del Rio has first career division title. Only Norm Van Brocklin (173) coached more games without winning a division in NFL history.
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For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
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AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed.
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Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton
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b
y ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) _ Von Miller is headed for a very different kind of offseason.
“For one, I already know that I’m not going to be Super Bowl MVP,” the Broncos star cracked.
No, but he could still win his first Defensive Player of the Year award _ if voters look past Denver’s offensive-driven nosedive that will leave them out of the postseason party for the first time since 2010.
Even though he’s been stuck at 131/2 sacks for three weeks, Miller has grown into a well-rounded linebacker : one who can stuff the run, cover tight ends and torment tackles as adroitly as he can knock the ball out of the quarterback’s hand.
Miller cringes at the term “pass rusher” because it describes just one aspect of his job, which he says is to “make plays, big plays, for my team.”
“That’s interesting that he would answer that question like that way because that tells you how much better a player he’s become,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “Guys get a lot of accolades for sacks and numbers in this league, but really are you a complete player?”
In Miller’s case, absolutely.
Denver’s inept offense and poor run defense limited his chances down the stretch to have game-turning plays like he piled up earlier, including sack-strips of Andrew Luck and Blake Bortles that sealed victories and a sack of Cam Newton in the opener that was reminiscent of his spectacular Super Bowl.
Miller’s 73 tackles are a career high and more than double what he collected last season (35) before embarking on a big playoff run that culminated with probably the greatest defensive performance in Super Bowl history.
At midseason, Miller was just about the only player in the conversation for top defender in 2016. Going without a sack for the last three games has opened the door to others, including Khalil Mack of the Raiders (12-3), who visit the Broncos (8-7) on Sunday.
Oakland coach Jack Del Rio said Miller and Mack are similar in their disruptive capabilities but “Von’s the only guy I’ve ever seen that can look like Gumby going around a corner and an inch off the ground and still be going at full speed.”
Miller also faces constant double- and even triple-teams that guys like Mack, Vic Beasley Jr. and Ryan Kerrigan don’t usually have to worry about.
Sunday will mark the first time in Miller’s six-year NFL career that the Broncos are playing for pride and not playoff positioning.
At this time last year, Miller was preparing for a stellar playoff run that would bring him fame and fortune, from a Super Bowl 50 MVP trophy to a record-breaking contract. His cross-country victory lap: a six-month jet-setting junket of television and dance studios, A-list parties and B-roll appearances.
“Honestly, I did miss my teammates. I love these guys in here. But it was so new and I was meeting new people and it was new experiences,” Miller said. “And the end of the day, I was like, `Dang, I was supposed to … we had practice today.’ I’m on my Snap and I’m getting messages from my guys like, `Bro, we ready to work out today and you at Six Flags.’”
He compared it to taking a sick day during school and thinking about what his buddies were doing all the time.
Miller combined his Super Bowl success and his franchise tag status to enjoy last year’s offseason as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: “An offseason like that with the contracts, you really only get one of those,” Miller said. “So, I wanted to take advantage of that.”
Miller is preparing for a very different kind of offseason now.
“I’m starting my offseason training on Wednesday,” Miller told The Associated Press. “I just don’t want to take a break. Right now, I’m in great shape. So, why take a break and lose that? So, while I got January off, I’m just going to hit the workouts hard while I can where I just focus on working out and not appearances or endorsements. I’m heading to the Super Bowl. That’s a month away. I’ve got all of January to just grind it out.”
Come April, he’ll report to the Broncos’ offseason program with the rest of his teammates.
“I’ll be here with my guys,” he said. “I won’t be so all over the place.”
He’ll save that for game days.
NOTES: C Matt Paradis, Denver’s 2016 Ed Block Courage Award winner, confirmed he’ll have surgery on both hips this offseason. … Kubiak, who had a second health scare in three seasons back in September, was asked about his desire to continue coaching Friday. “Why, do I look bad?” he said with a laugh, then added: “I love this league. I love the Broncos. I love to work. I’m all in on the Raiders right now. There will be a time for reflection and all of that stuff next week.”
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Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton
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For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
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Rockies add four coaches from within the organization to the Major League staff
DENVER – The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has finalized their 2017 coaching staff under Manager Bud Black.
Below is the breakdown by role:
Manager: Bud Black* Bench Coach: Mike Redmond* Pitching Coach: Steve Foster
Hitting Coach: Duane Espy* Assistant Hitting Coach: Jeff Salazar* Bullpen Coach: Darren Holmes
Third Base Coach: Stu Cole First Base Coach: Tony Diaz* Coach: Ron Gideon*
* indicates new to the staff in 2017
Among Diaz, Espy, Gideon and Salazar, there are a combined 81 years of professional coaching experience, including 53 years of coaching in the Rockies organization.
Diaz, 39, will join his first Major League coaching staff in 2017 after 17 seasons as a Minor League coach or supervisor. Diaz served as the supervisor of development with Rookie Level Grand Junction from 2013 through 2016 after spending the previous six seasons as the manager of the Rookie Level club (Casper: 2007-11; Grand Junction: 2012). His body of work in the Rookie Level Pioneer League earned him induction into the league’s Hall of Fame in 2013. Prior to his role as manager, Diaz served as the hitting coach for Casper from 2001 through 2006 and was named Colorado’s Player Development “Man of the Year” in 2002. Diaz also assists in the Rockies Dominican Instructional League and wrote the manual Practical English for Latin Players to help Latin baseball players diminish their language barrier.
Espy, 64, will serve as the Rockies hitting coach for the second time in his career after originally filling the role for four seasons under Manager Clint Hurdle from 2003 through 2006. The Aberdeen, Wash., native transitions back to the Major League coaching staff after most recently serving as the Rockies’ Minor League Hitting Coordinator the past two seasons (2015-16). Espy has also worked in the Rockies organization as the supervisor of development for Short-Season Tri-City (2014) and Double-A Tulsa (2013), manager of Double-A Tulsa (2001-12), hitting coach for High-A Modesto (2008-2010) and hitting coach for Rookie Level Casper (2007).
Prior to joining the Rockies in 2003, Espy served as the hitting coach for the San Diego Padres for two and a half seasons (2000-2003) under Manager Bruce Bochy, his first career stint on a Major League staff after serving as a Minor League manager, coach and instructor for 21 years with the Padres, Giants and Brewers.
Gideon, 52, will enter his 21st season in the Rockies organization, his 26th as a professional coach and his first as a member of a Major League coaching staff. The Tyler, Texas, native has spent the past four seasons as a supervisor of development after serving the previous five seasons as a roving field coordinator (2008-12) and as the manager of Double-A Tulsa (2009-10). In 2014, as the Double-A supervisor of development, Gideon was named the winner of the P.J. Carey Player Development Award, given to the top player development coach in the Rockies system. During his tenure with the Rockies, Gideon has also managed Double-A Carolina (2000-01), High-A Salem (1999), Low-A Asheville (1997-98) and Short-Season Portland (1996). Prior to joining the Rockies, Gideon spent 10 years in the New York Mets organization, five as a player, including coaching stints with Double-A Binghamton and High-A St. Lucie.
Salazar, 36, will join his first Major League coaching staff after serving as the hitting coach with Double-A Hartford for the past two seasons, his first coaching stint with a Major League organization. Originally drafted by the Rockies in the eighth round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma State University, Salazar was named the Rockies Organizational Player of the Year in 2003 and made his Major League debut for the Rockies on Sept. 7, 2006. In his Major League career, Salazar played a total of 168 games in parts of four Major League seasons with Colorado (2006), Arizona (2007-08) and Pittsburgh (2009). The outfielder’s last Minor League season came in 2012 with Triple-A Durham in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Cole, 50, will return as the Rockies third base coach, his fifth season in that position and his 22nd season overall in the Rockies organization. Prior to joining the Major League staff, Cole was the manager at Triple-A Colorado Springs (2009-12), Double-A Tulsa (2006-09), High-A Salem/Visalia/Modesto (2002-05) and Short-Season Tri-City (2001).
Foster, 50, will return as the Rockies pitching coach. In 2016, the Rockies pitching staff recorded 1,223 strikeouts, the second-most in franchise history, to go along with a 2.19 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the best mark in franchise history. The 2017 season will be his third with Colorado and his ninth on a Major League coaching staff after serving as the bullpen coach for the Kansas City Royals (2010-12) and the Miami Marlins (2007-09).
Holmes, 50, will return for this third season as the Rockies bullpen coach. Prior to joining the Rockies, he spent the 2014 season as the Atlanta Braves’ biomechanics pitching consultant. Holmes was drafted by the Rockies from the Brewers in the fifth round of the 1992 expansion draft and was a member of the Rockies inaugural Opening Day roster in 1993. His 46 saves rank sixth in franchise history.
Redmond, 45, was named as the Rockies bench coach Nov. 16 after previously serving as the manager for the Miami Marlins from 2013 to 2015. The Spokane, Wash., native began his managerial career in 2011 as the manager of Low-A Lansing (Toronto Blue Jays affiliate) in his first season following his retirement as a player. Redmond played parts of 13 Major League seasons with the Marlins (1998-2004), Twins (2005-09) and Indians (2010) and won a World Series with the Marlins in 2003.
by Nick Dickens
Staff Writer
– The Bennett Tigers picked up their first win on the 2016-17 hoops season with a 58-36 victory over visiting Frontier League foe Lake County Dec. 6.
But the orange-and-black couldn’t carry over the momentum to the next night as Resurrection Christian blitzed the Tigers in the second half in a lopsided 89-44 decision in their own early-season tournament.
– The orange-and-black took control of Tuesday’s conference game early, running out to a 22-12 lead after one quarter and building the lead to 39-18 at halftime. After intermission, the game slowed down and was more competitive but Bennett kept the Panthers at bay, posting a 19-18 second-half advantage.
The Tigers had their best shooting performance of the young season, making 22-of-50 from the field, including 5-of-10 from outside the three-point line. An area of improvement continues to be the free-throw line, where Bennett shot 23 free throws but made just nine.
Senior forward Jacen Brewer topped the team in scoring with 13 total points while junior inside player Jake Francis chipped in 9.
“We were able to pretty much do what we wanted inside early. We did a good job of attacking the lane and finishing,” added Ross. “We missed a few easy ones in the second half, but nothing too bad. Our shot selection was also better and we didn’t force as many threes.”
The Tigers pounded the Panthers on the boards and on the defensive end of the floor with 38 rebounds, 15 steals and five blocks. Brewer topped the team with eight boards. Sophomore Jimmy Goodnight was the team leader in steals with three thefts. Senior Connor Strong turned back two Panther shots.
“We pressed a little and they broke it pretty easy,” Ross recalled. “When we switched to man, they struggled, and we shut down what they were doing.”
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I-70 Corridor football fans unable to make the trip to Meeker on the West Slope to watch Strasburg play in the 1A football championship game on Saturday have another option.
The National Federation of High Schools Network will stream the battle of Cowboys versus Indians online.
To access the webcast, visit www.chsaa.tv or http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/chsaa. A monthly subscription fee of $9.95 is required to access the game live.
This weekend’s title tilt, which kicks off at 1 p.m. from Starbuck Field in Meeker, features two 12-0 teams. Strasburg is going for its third state football championship in school history after winning the 1A state title in 1989 and the 2A crown in 1990. Both games were overtime victories over Fowler.
For full coverage of Saturday’s championship game, read the Dec. 2 edition of the Eastern Colorado News.
The Strasburg Indians ran past the Paonia Eagles 49-28 in the 1A football semifinals at Winter Field Saturday afternoon and will travel to the West Slope the second time this postseason when they play top-seeded Meeker for the 1A State Championship at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 26.
Meeker got by fourth-ranked Bennett 34-24 this afternoon to punch its ticket to the title game.
For full coverage of the semifinals, read the Nov. 25 edition of the Eastern Colorado News. Additional postseason updates are also available on www.i-70scout.com.
The NFL game featuring the Kansas Chiefs against the Broncos at Denver has been rescheduled for 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 27.
Bennett routed Peyton 63-27 at home while Strasburg outlasted its hosts from Cedaredge 29-11 in the 1A football quarterfinals Nov. 12.
As a result, the Nov. 19 semifinals will have the Tigers traveling to Meeker while the India
ns are back home to face off with Paonia. This year’s semifinals pit the top four seeds against each other as Meeker entered No. 1, Strasburg second, Paonia third and Bennett fourth. Both kickoffs are slated for 1 p.m.
The winners of Saturday’s games will face off against each other in the championship game Saturday, Nov. 26. If both local teams win, the game will be hosted by Strasburg. A Bennett-Paonia or Meeker-Strasburg matchup would be on the West Slope.
For coverage from the quarterfinals, see the Nov. 18 edition of the Eastern Colorado News.
Both Bennett and Strasburg football teams won their first-round 1A playoff games and will play in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12. Strasburg travels to Cedaredge while Bennett hosts Peyton. For more postseason updated, visit www.i-70scout.com and read the Nov. 11 edition of the Eastern Colorado News.