With speed, strength and plenty of scoring, the teamwork of Peewee players in Craig Youth Hockey Association helped athletes provide each other with a big early Christmas gift.

The 12 and under Craig Cougars finished their three-day ‘Tis the Season Tournament with an undefeated run, winning all five games against visiting teams across Friday through Sunday to claim a championship.

Cougars first made their mark with their first win of the season Friday afternoon in a 6-0 shutout against the Ashley Valley Raptors of Vernal, Utah.

The streak continued Saturday with back-to-back victories against Rock Springs, Wyoming as Craig kids earned a 5-0 W over the Miners’ Red team and a narrower 6-5 win against the Black team.

Sunday morning saw players claim a 3-2 win against the Northern Colorado Junior Eagles to secure a spot against Rock Springs Black in the finals, which they won 6-1.

The ‘Tis the Season event also featured plentiful games for CYHA’s 10U Squirts, who went 1-3 for the weekend.

Squirts took a 5-3 win against Nederland — their first of the year — and apart from an 8-5 defeat to Vernal, subsequent losses were tight in terms of score, 4-3 against Foothills and 5-4 with Northern Colorado.

Craig Press will have a larger recap of the tournament.

Another busy weekend for Moffat County High School wrestlers will see them head into more big events to complete 2019.

Facing six total teams across Friday and Saturday, MCHS varsity was 4-2 overall between a match against Hotchkiss and a full lineup at the Grand Junction Tiger Duals.

The Bulldogs earned a 46-29 win Friday night in Hotchkiss, giving up only three contested defeats, while pins by Brody Wiser (113 pounds) and Coltyn Terry (138), a 17-6 major decision for Pepper Rhyne (160) and respective decisions of 3-2 and 7-0 for Anthony Duran (126) and Michael Voloshin (170) added to the total.

Hotchkiss forfeits to Kaden Hixson (106), Caden Call (120), Ryan Duzik (132) and Billy Lawton (195) didn’t hurt either.

Lawton went on to lead the junior varsity group in points at Saturday’s JV Invite in Rifle, sweeping the 170 weight class for first place, all victories by fall.

Gabe Lowther (132) and Alexander Black (152) each finished fourth, Blake Juergens (138) fifth, Izzac Pierce (138) seventh, Trace Fredrickson (126) 10th and Justin Warren (138) 11th as part of the group placing ninth of 14 schools.

Elsewhere, Tiger Duals went well for the varsity squad, who won 38-34 against Montrose, 54-15 over Mancos and 38-33 with Fruita Monument.

Hixson had the best day of the bunch with no losses, earning the only Bulldog points against overwhelming opposition by hosting Grand Junction, taking a pin over Landon Scarbrough in what was otherwise a 56-6 W for the Tigers.

Eagle Valley also had a nearly full roster working against the Dogs. The Devils won 57-21, giving up a forfeit to Hixson, falls to Duran and Voloshin and an 11-4 decision by Rhyne.

In all, Hixson was 5-0 during the duals with three pins; Rhyne with two pins and Voloshin four to each go 4-1 ; Call, Duran, Duzik and Dagan White (145) each 3-2 with a combined seven pins; Wiser going 2-3 and two falls; Daniel Cruz (182) 1-4 with one pin; Terry 0-4; and Taylor Coleman (152) 0-5.

“They all have a lot to be proud of,” head coach Tyler Seislove said. “The guys have really elevated their effort out on the mat. We are wrestling really hard in some close matches and not giving up.”

MCHS will be back in the Grand Junction area this weekend, with varsity attending Central High School’s Warrior Classic and JV at Fruita Monument to complete the early season.

It’s just a matter of time.

Moffat County High School girls swimming is on the verge of qualifying for the 3A CHSAA State Championships, if the past weekend is any indication.

The Grand Junction Invitational Friday saw the MCHS 200-yard freestyle relay team trim make a huge cut in their results, as Alexa Neton, Jeni Kincher, Ellina Jones and Kelsey McDiffett placed seventh in the group race, hitting 1:58.85 and nearing the 1:56 mark.

Coach Melany Neton said swimmers were nearly four seconds faster in the free relay from a week before.

“They are really motivated to get that state time,” she said.

Individually, McDiffett placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke, within two seconds of state at 1:22.48. Her 10th place outcome in the 200 individual medley belied a cut of 2.12 seconds in the IM, now at 2:41.04 as she shoots for 2:36 or better.

Alexa Neton sped to ninth in the 200 free solo race, down this season nearly another three seconds at 2:27.66, also posting a 1:19.42 in the 100 backstroke. Likewise, Kincher hit seventh in the 100 free (1:06.68) and 12th in 100 breast (1:31.01), trimming times in each.

Jones was close behind McDiffett with 11th in the 200 IM (2:53.55) and Alexa Neton in the 100 back at 11th (1:20.19).

Though the varsity relay team didn’t post a time in the 200 medley relay, the secondary group of Mackenzie Anderson, Kate Lockwood, Anna Cooper and Sarah Johnson took eighth at 2:34.84. Among their best finishes each were Cooper 10th in 100 butterfly, Lockwood 11th in 100 breast, and Johnson and Anderson in 100 free and 200 free, respectively.

Elsewhere in the 200 free relay group, Cooper, Johnson, Anderson and Allison Jacobson earned 12th, while the team of Eliana Mack, Cristiann Reyes, Alexei Reyes and Grisel Moriel followed at 16.

In a competitive field for the 50 free, Mack led the team with 33rd.

On Saturday, MCHS hit the Southwest Conference Relay Meet, with a new order getting Kincher, Jones, McDiffett and Neton fifth place and a hair faster in the 200 free. The quartet of Neton, McDiffett, Cooper and Jones also saw sixth in the 200 medley to 2:19.09.

Though the race doesn’t feature state qualification, the 200 breaststroke relay also saw McDiffett, Lockwood, Johnson and Kincher excel with fifth at 2:44.59.

MCHS girls will next compete Dec. 20 in Montrose as their last event of 2019.

An abundance of wintertime powder Saturday afternoon only made the atmosphere feel all the more Christmas-y in Alice Pleasant Park.

Snow hit hard and so did the crowds during the Down Home Christmas celebration hosted by Downtown Business Association.

Between free cookies and cocoa, a reindeer food station, Elfie Selfies and fire pits for roasting chestnuts, marshmallows and s’mores, horse-drawn transports between the park and Alice Pleasant Park as well as live music throughout the day made for plentiful entertainment.

Mother Nature did her part as well, as a pile of freshly plowed snow provided winter delights for young kids.

Some familiar faces in the final day of the Glenwood Springs Demon Invitational proved haunting for Moffat County High School hoops as Bulldog basketball teams wrapped their early season tournament stretch.

After Thursday losses and Friday wins, MCHS used the last of their energy Saturday with girls matched against Cañon City and boys with Faith Christian.

Lady Bulldogs faced the Tigers during last year’s Glenwood event as did boys against the Eagles, and the 2018 losses didn’t play out much differently this time.

MCHS girls moved to 4-2 for the season with a 69-41 defeat to the 4A foe, while guys took a 79-32 drubbing from Faith Christian to put the Dogs at 2-4, each bunch of blue and white finishing sixth in the Demon Invite brackets.

Both Bulldog bunches were 1-2 at their second tournament in as many weeks, each taking a loss to Montrose and a win over Peak to Peak leading into Saturday games.

Lady Dogs experienced their first defeat of the season against the 4A Indians in a 44-28 start to the tournament. After an 18-5 deficit in the first quarter, Moffat County girls could not catch up to their foes from there.

In the subsequent consolation round, Lady Bulldogs controlled the flow of the game against the Pumas, finishing ahead 67-39.

The story was much the same for Bulldog boys Thursday night falling 80-44 against Montrose.

However, the Dogs matched up well against Peak to Peak in Round 2 of the tourney, turning a 39-21 halftime lead into a 74-37 victory.

MCHS boys head coach Steve Maneotis attributed the difficulties to weariness combined with players’ issues attempting to come back from behind.

“These blowouts have to become competitive winnable games,” he said. “We need to believe in our system and execute, not go off the rails and play selfish, individual basketball.”

A Tuesday road game against Steamboat Springs follows, while a home opener against Rifle Dec. 19 will round out the calendar year.

The upcoming rivalry match is one that favors the Dogs, as both Sailor squads have only one win to their name after struggling in the early season, including the past weekend’s Steamboat Shoot-Out.

“Steamboat we’ll be fired up and ready. Another very big challenge for us. Another opportunity to get better and hopefully win what I expect to be a close game,” Maneotis said.

As snow swirled around outside Saturday in Craig, the spirit of the holiday season was brimming inside Walmart.

The annual Shop with a Cop Christmas program saw members of Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, Craig Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and Colorado Parks and Wildlife pair up with 15 local kids to hit the aisles and load up shopping carts with Christmas gifts, allotted $100 each.

An ongoing anonymous donation combined with yearly community contributions has allowed law enforcement to keep the yuletide program going, said Moffat County Sheriff KC Hume.

“Lots of thanks to all the people across our community who make this happen, year in, year out,” Hume said.

Besides supplying cops with Santa-themed headwear for the morning, Walmart also provided gift-wrapping and refreshments for shoppers.

“It’s a great experience to be part of, I’ve been involved in it every year,” said Walmart staff member Brooke Sanfratello. “It’s nice to see their smiling faces and how excited and happy they get.”

Local elementary schools recommended several young students for the day, as did Boys & Girls Club of Craig, with Tanya Ferguson of the organization bringing kids to Walmart.

“One of our kiddos was pretty excited about it,” Ferguson said. “She said, ‘Why did you pick us?’ and we told her, ‘because we love you.'”

Jessica Stroud joined 7-year-old son Jonathan Martin and his entourage as they combed the shelves of the toy section.

“He was so excited, I’m surprised he even slept last night,” she said. “It’s a lot of excitement getting to see all the policemen.”

Sheriff’s Deputy Alyssa Rollins joined Raina Rinker, 9, for the shopping spree, with selections such as a tea set, a “Pac-Man” video game, and a hairstyle toy featuring Elsa from “Frozen.”

The pair were also on the hunt for a DVD of Pixar’s “Ratatouille.”

“We never watched it, but I always wanted to, so I want to find it,” Raina said.

Disney items were also big for 6-year-old Jolynn Morchak, picking out dolls such as Rapunzel from “Tangled.”

Her mom, Amanda, encouraged her to spend wisely and get a good value.

“We’re just looking forward to hanging out together for Christmas,” Amanda said of the family’s upcoming plans.

Children also kept others in mind while finding toys and clothes for themselves, with many selecting items for siblings and parents.

Hume and CPD’s Ryan Fritz helped 5-year-old Andrew Isaac Miller pick out a classic Godzilla action figure for his father and a plush blanket for his mother.

For his brother, Andrew picked out toys they could share, including a toy army tank set and Nerf guns.

“He got two Nerf guns that match and a total of 400 bullets,” Fritz said.

Paired with 7-year-old Cheyenne Gray, CPW’s Jeff Gonçalves helped her fill up a cart with plenty of items he’s likely to see in coming holidays as a father of a daughter born earlier this year.

The first time participating in Shop with a Cop was quite the heartwarming experience, he said.

“Just the joy in their faces is great,” Gonçalves said.

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LITTLETON — Hundreds came out in support of fallen Summit County firefighter Ken Jones on Friday morning, as a seemingly endless procession of fire engines, police cars, motorcycles and more made its way through the streets of Littleton.   

The procession, composed largely of fire and emergency service vehicles from across the state, made its way from the funeral home in Lakewood, where a group of firefighters stood in watch over Jones’ body, to the Waterstone Community Church in Littleton, where family, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate his life.

As the solemn parade of red and blue lights wound its way through the area, residents and first responders gathered on the sides of the roads to watch it pass and to pay their respects.

“It was astoundingly moving,” said Steve Lipsher, a spokesperson for Summit Fire & EMS who rode in the procession. “We had entire schools that had their students lined up along the sidewalks with their hands over their hearts. We had hundreds of firefighters and paramedics and law enforcement in the procession but also hundreds along the path standing at attention and saluting as we went by. … Hundreds of bystanders stopped to take a moment and honor Ken as the procession was just passing.

“It was all quite touching. … I don’t know if anyone could ever see that kind of outpouring of admiration and respect for one of our fallen friends and comrades without getting emotional about it.”

Jones died during the early morning of Dec. 7, after falling from a five-story building while fighting a fire near Copper Mountain Resort. Jones lived in Lakewood with his family and worked in Summit County, and his death has made an impact across the entire state, as exhibited by the flurry of support by other emergency workers who came to remember him and to stand in unity with his family.

“Firefighters tend to call each other brother and sister,” said Assistant Chief Jerry Rhodes with South Metro Fire Rescue. “Part of having the right to do that is being together in the good times and the bad times. Whether you knew Ken or not, this is an opportunity to be there, to take care of his family, and to support Summit Fire and their neighboring departments.”

Firefighters from around Colorado have been stepping up since Jones’ death in whatever capacities they can to lend a hand. While Summit Fire & EMS firefighters took some time to grieve and to attend the funeral, others arrived to help fill the gaps in service. 

On Thursday and Friday, Summit County was being looked after with fire and medical crews from outside the area, including those from Clear Creek, Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Lake, Park, Pitkin and Routt counties and more.

Others offered to assist in other ways, such as standing watch over Jones’ body until the funeral. In firefighter tradition, it’s customary for two firefighters to stay with a fallen comrade’s body from the time of death until the funeral, a gesture meant to provide some solace to the family knowing their loved one is never alone, according to Rhodes.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=573297943446224

Rhodes, who stood three watches himself, said firefighters from all over the state came to stay with Jones, and that many shifts were overbooked, with three or four firefighters wanting to volunteer. For those standing watch, it can be a therapeutic experience in which they get to focus their attention toward Jones and those who knew him.

“The first thing is you get a little quiet time to think about your brother,” Rhodes said. “It also gives you time to pray for not only your fallen brother but for his family. … Then it’s time to get into conversation. Firefighters love to tell stories and talk. It brings up folks that have passed before that you were close to, and we kind of balance that by saying a few funny things that hopefully would have brought a smile to Ken’s face.

“Really the sentiment is we’re there to support the Jones family. We’d ask the public, in their own special way, to do the same.”

So far, the public has risen to the challenge. Less than a week from the incident, community members already have made considerable efforts to provide some comfort to the Jones family.

The Summit Foundation set up a fund to help support the family, and so far more than $20,000 has been raised from individuals, businesses and local governments.

“It’s still coming in,” foundation Executive Director Jeanne Bistranin said. “People are just pouring their hearts out because that’s what Summit County is all about. Any time there’s a need here, people want to help each other. Everybody wants to give back, and it’s really amazing.”

Others are helping out on other ways, such as the High Country Training Center, which is currently collecting Christmas presents for Jones’ kids, or the Breckenridge Elementary students who visited the Summit Fire headquarters to drop off handmade cards.

But perhaps most notable is that Jones’ family won’t have to worry about their mortgage anymore thanks to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The foundation, which provides financial assistance to families of first responders who lost a loved one in the line of duty, has agreed to assume the mortgage on the Jones family’s home.

“He dedicated 20 years of his life to protecting that community, and the people in it,” a Tunnel to Towers spokesman said. “He helped to save who knows how many lives. It’s our turn to step up and do something for him and his family.”

As Jones’ families at home and at the fire department continue to grieve, the efforts of the community to share their support and try to take some of the burden off those affected is certainly not lost on them.

“I was expecting a big show of support, but it exceeded even my expectations,” said Summit Fire Chief Jeff Berino, noting about 1,000 individuals attended the service. “The ceremony was packed. We told a few Ken stories, which was wonderful to share with everybody.

“We’re more than grateful for the out-of-county fire and ambulance folks that filled in for us. We’re going to try and get our lives back to normal. Some of the firefighters want to get back to their jobs. Part of their healing process is getting back up there and helping people. But being able to honor him today was huge.”

A concussion is an event that causes the brain to suddenly move back and forth, causing a disruption in function, according to the National Injury Prevention Foundation.

This sudden, rapid movement of the head and brain can lead to chemical changes in the brain or damaged brain cells, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Traumatic brain injuries — typically the result of concussions or head trauma — disrupt the normal function of the brain and contribute to about 30 percent of all injury deaths in the United States, according to the CDC. Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and no two brain injuries are ever the same.

Working together to improve treatment and recovery

Since 2012, students and coaches in the state of Colorado have been more proactive about recognizing and treating concussions, thanks to the Jake Snakenberg Youth Sports Concussion Act.

The legislation “requires that coaches receive education about concussions, that a student-athlete is removed from the field of play if a concussion is suspected and that the student be signed off by a healthcare professional before returning to play,” according to the Colorado Brain Injury Collaborative, a group of stakeholders that spent more than a year working on the bill. This is significant because a second concussion could result in serious injury, or even death, if proper treatment and recovery didn’t occur following a first concussion.

Around the same time as the state legislation was created, Frani Jenkins came to Craig to work as a Certified Athletic Trainer and a Physician Assistant, bringing a wealth of sports medicine experience and knowledge about concussion injuries. She helped create a local collaboration between physicians, athletic trainers, physical therapists and the school district, now known as the Craig-Concussion Action Team (C-CAT), which also collaborates with and includes members from the Moffat County School District’s Traumatic Brain Injury Team. 

Concussions are so dangerous because they involve both physical and neurocognitive symptoms. The C-CAT stays current on national and international research to make sure local concussion treatment protocols incorporate the latest evidence-based research, Jenkins said.

The dangers of concussions

A concussion is often caused by trauma to the head, but it could also be caused by violent shaking to the head or upper body.

There are more than 62,000 concussions every year in high school contact sports, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. “Estimates show that between 4 percent and 20 percent of college and high school football players will sustain a brain injury over the course of one season,” according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. “The risk of concussion in football is three to six times higher in players who have had a previous concussion.”

People with concussions often can’t remember what happened immediately before or after the injury and may act confused. A concussion can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance and muscle coordination, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. 

Research shows that the brain is still developing into a person’s mid-20s. Children who have had one concussion are more likely to have a second one, and second concussions that occur close to the first can have devastating consequences. 

C-CAT tries to educate students and parents on all of these dangers. Parents of concussed children sometimes don’t fully understand the dangers of the injury. Jenkins said she often hears parents claim they hit their heads many times as a child and turned out fine — that their child just got his or her “bell rung.”

“One of the things we run into is the length of time it can take for a kid to return to full activity, full sports and full academics,” she said. “One requirement is you have to be back in class with no academic accommodations before going back to athletics.”

This recovery can take three to four weeks minimum, she added. 

Collaborative treatment

The C-CAT involves school athletic trainers, physical therapists, the school nurse and other medical providers so identification and treatment of concussions are always done thoroughly and collaboratively. Memorial Regional Health asks parents to sign a medical release form when a child comes in for evaluation for a concussion so that the healthcare providers can communicate with the school nurse, teachers, physical therapists and athletic trainers about the injury.

That communication allows these folks to better monitor the children and teens after their injury. At school, for example, students are monitored to see if they’re having any learning or classroom struggles. This might necessitate shorter days at school, rest breaks, limited computer time, extended periods of time to return schoolwork and shortened work assignments.  

One of the many tools used in treatment plans is baseline testing, in which student athletes are given a computerized test that assesses balance and brain function, including learning and memory skills, ability to pay attention or concentrate and how quickly the student can solve problems. The results, according to the CDC, are compared with results from a similar exam after a student gets a concussion.

Perhaps the most important concussion treatment and management tool in Craig is this collaborative effort to care. It’s something for which the school district and the C-CAT are incredibly proud.

Competition from a larger school equated to a trying time Thursday night for Moffat County high school basketball teams, but the bulldogs rebounded nicely Friday.

MCHS teams are both 1-1 in the Glenwood Springs Demon Invitational following losses to Montrose and wins against Peak to Peak.

Lady Dogs experienced their first defeat of the season against the 4A Indians in a 44-28 start to the tournament.

After an 18-5 deficit in the first quarter, Moffat County girls could not catch up to their foes from there.

In the subsequent consolation round, Lady Bulldogs controlled the flow of the game against the Pumas, finishing ahead 67-39.

The story was much the same for Bulldog boys Thursday night falling 80-44 against Montrose.

However, the Dogs matched up well against Peak to Peak in Round 2 of the tourney, turning a 39-21 halftime lead into a 74-37 victory.

Moffat County teams will complete tournament play Saturday in Glenwood, each vying for fifth place.

A Tuesday road game against Steamboat Springs follows, while a home opener against Rifle Dec. 19 will round out the calendar year.