This story is part of State of Emergency, a Grist series exploring how climate disasters are impacting voting and politics, and is published with support from the CO2 Foundation.
As the one-year anniversary of the 2021 Marshall Fire approached, Kyle Brown was serving as a city councilman in Louisville, Colorado, a suburb of Boulder that had been devastated by the blaze. Brown’s own home had escaped damage, but hundreds of his neighbors had lost everything to the costliest and deadliest fire in the state’s history, which caused more than $2 billion in damages and destroyed more than a thousand structures.
Despite Brown’s efforts to help the victims, the fire recovery was stalling out. Displaced residents were struggling to secure insurance payouts and scrape together cash to rebuild their homes, and most couldn’t afford the jacked-up rents in the area. The City Council was supposed to be helping these victims, but instead it was locked in a dispute with them over whether they should have to pay local taxes on building materials.
Advertisement
Brown was desperate for a way to do more. When the incumbent state representative in the area resigned after it emerged that she didn’t live in the district, he saw an opportunity and put his name forward as her replacement.
What happened next is one of the rare disaster recovery success stories in recent U.S. history. After securing a seat in the state legislature, Brown, a Democrat, spent the next two years working with a highly organized group of survivors to pass a suite of ambitious bills that have made Colorado a national leader in responding to climate disasters. Many of the same issues crop up across the country after fires and floods, but survivors rarely succeed in getting lawmakers to pay attention to any of them, let alone all of them. Brown, however, was able to gain bipartisan support for bills that give fire survivors leverage against insurers, mortgage companies, homeowners associations, and rental property owners, elevating concerns that have often been ignored in other disaster-prone states.
Kyle Brown has been in the Colorado House of Representatives for less than two years, but he’s already passed several bills that aim to protect fire victims from predatory behavior by insurers, landlords, and mortgage lenders. Eli Imadali / Grist
This legislative success wasn’t thanks to any political horse-trading or inspiring rhetoric on Brown’s part. Rather, it’s the result of a hand-in-glove collaboration with a well-organized and often militant group of fire survivors, drafting bills based on their recommendations and needs, and allowing them to tweak and strengthen legislation where necessary.
“We needed to accelerate the pace of recovery, so I just listened,” said Brown in an interview with Grist. “I took notes on everything they said, and I turned it over, and I turned it into bills.”
This combination of organized advocacy by disaster survivors and ambitious lawmaking by sympathetic politicians could become a model for other disaster-prone places, but it was only possible because many well-heeled Marshall Fire victims had the resources to organize and press for change after the fire, a luxury most disaster-stricken communities don’t have. Lower-income communities around Colorado may benefit from the Marshall legislation, but it may be difficult for survivors in other parts of the country to emulate it.
Advertisement
Survivors walk through what remains of a house destroyed by the Marshall Fire, which burned around 1,000 homes in the Boulder suburbs. Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images
The Marshall Fire wasn’t like the massive forest fires that have tortured Northern California or the desert blazes that rage across Texas and New Mexico each year. It ripped down from the Front Range in December of 2021 and all but vaporized a fast-growing, gentrified segment of the Denver metroplex, bringing about what climate scientist Daniel Swain calls the “urban firestorm.” High winds whipped the grass fire to full size in a matter of hours, igniting vegetation that had dried out during a severe drought of the kind that global warming is making more common. In contrast to California, where burned communities have often been rural and less well-off, the Boulder suburbs of Louisville and Superior are dense and suburban, filled with well-to-do lawyers and consultants.
For that reason, there were several fire victims who had the time and money to become volunteer recovery advocates. One of those survivors was a patent lawyer named Tawnya Somauroo, who was galvanized to action when she learned that Louisville had not issued an evacuation order for her subdivision, most of which burned in the fire. She spent months bird-dogging the mayor’s office and local law enforcement on her own time to ask about their evacuation procedures, but found herself making little progress.
“I didn’t even know where City Hall was before the fire,” Soumaroo told Grist. “I just started calling city council members and talking to them and getting not a very good reception at first. It just became this narrative of, ‘the survivors versus everyone else.’” In other words, elected officials were weighing the need to finance the rebuilding of public parks and facilities against the need to help the hundreds of displaced homeowners.
As Soumaroo watched local Facebook groups devolve into hubbub and confusion, she turned to a less commonly used app to make order out of the chaos — she downloaded Slack, the messaging platform normally used in white-collar workplaces, and invited hundreds of locals to join her there. The app allowed survivors to create individual message threads to discuss specific insurers, specific permits, and specific federal aid deadlines.
“People would join a certain thread, and then someone would pop up who had the same problem, and then coach them [on] how they solved it,” she said. “And you know, little by little, we started identifying problems that way.”
Tawnya Somauroo stands outside of her family’s new fire-resistant home in Louisville, Colorado. After she lost her house to the Marshall Fire, Soumaroo founded a nonprofit that advocates for fire survivors. Eli Imadali / Grist
Meanwhile, a former Boulder resident named Jeri Curry moved back to the area from Virginia to help aid in the long-term recovery. She and a group of fellow volunteers established a long-term recovery center in an office park, opening it up about 10 months after the fire as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state of Colorado wound down their recovery operations. In addition to providing free food and computer access, the center provided guidance to survivors navigating the process of filing an insurance claim and applying for FEMA aid.
“The big thing that we believed the community overall needed was a gathering place, a central place where people could get everything that they needed,” she said. “The agencies put their mission first, their service delivery and resource delivery first, and they don’t put the survivor in the middle.” These casework conversations alerted volunteers to the dynamics holding back the recovery — lowball cost estimates from insurers, delays in securing claim payouts, and construction material sales taxes that many residents were struggling to pay.
Advertisement
Frustrated with the response from city officials, the survivors’ group — now incorporated as a nonprofit — decided to team up with their new state legislator, Brown, who was looking for ways to help fire victims. Brown had worked for Colorado’s insurance department while serving on the Louisville city council and had experience dealing with complex policy issues, but property insurance and housing law were new to him. So he relied on Soumaroo’s expertise, letting her and the other survivors guide the bills he wrote and introduced.
Read Next
A year after the worst wildfire in modern US history, the people of Maui try to heal
This strategy soon produced a number of laws that gave immediate financial relief to fire survivors who had been struggling to rebuild. Brown passed a bill that stopped mortgage servicers from holding back insurance payments from customers who were waiting to rebuild, eliminating a delay that stopped many survivors from rebuilding for months. He passed a bill that required insurers to take into account the state’s own estimates of rebuilding costs, a measure designed to stop them from lowballing homeowners trying to rebuild. Bills that gave survivors grants for rebuilding with fire-safe materials, provided them with rebates on construction material taxes, and plowed resources into studying smoke and ash damage all sailed through the legislature with ease.
“It feels really good to be listened to,” said Soumaroo. “I would just sort of brief him on, like, people with this problem, that problem, that problem, and he would go move the bill forward.”
Advertisement
Beyond assisting Marshall survivors, Brown and the survivors’ groups also took on other institutions that hampered fire recovery in general. Soumaroo had become incensed that homeowners’ associations in Louisville maintained design rules that prohibited residents from replacing the flammable wooden fences that had ferried the fire across the city. Her own subdivision had a decades-old deed covenant that in theory could have allowed any other resident to sue her for rebuilding with a fire-resistant fence. She took her concerns to Brown and he drafted a bill that prohibited HOAs, which represent more than half of Coloradans, from impeding a fire-safe rebuild.
Construction workers on the job in Louisville, Colorado, where the Marshall Fire destroyed hundreds of homes. The neighborhood is now mostly rebuilt with new fire-resistant homes, and just a few empty lots remain. Eli Imadali / Grist
One of Brown’s most difficult fights was against rental property owners, whom he accused of price gouging after the fire. Some renters reported increased rents of 10 to 15 percent, as displaced homeowners competed with existing tenants for a tiny number of available units, mimicking a dynamic that had emerged in California years earlier. In theory, there is a simple legislative solution to this problem — bar apartment owners from raising rents after a fire — but few jurisdictions have enacted it, in part because property owners have lobbied fiercely against such moves.Earlier this year, Brown passed a strong bill that prohibits price gouging after fires, including with some Republican support.
Many of the bills Brown introduced faced initial objections from insurers, banks, and landlords, all of whom had an established presence in the Capitol. In other circumstances, this opposition might have doomed the laws, but the survivors of the Marshall Fire acted as a political lobby; rather than just plead for help, they tweaked bills in response to industry criticism and ensured lawmakers knew they were paying attention to their votes.
Still, not everyone is happy. Betty Knecht, the executive director of the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association, a trade group representing banks and other lenders, says she worries the legislature veered too far to the left in addressing the fire recovery.
“You had a very unbalanced legislature, which unfortunately allows for a lot more to be passed.” she said, referring to the large Democratic majorities in both chambers. She also pointed out that dozens of representatives in the legislature were appointed to fill vacancies, like Brown, rather than elected.
Advertisement
Read Next
As climate risks mount, the insurance safety net is collapsing
Knecht argued that Brown’s price-gouging legislation wouldn’t hold down rents and that the new pressure on insurers might make many leave the state, as has happened in Florida. However, she praised him for workshopping his mortgage-servicers bill with her group before it went up for a vote and adjusting the payout requirements. The group didn’t end up endorsing the bill, but it didn’t come out against it, either.
The Marshall Fire victims secured a far bigger legislative response than the victims of past Colorado fires. The district adjacent to Brown’s had suffered a disaster of its own a few years earlier when the East Troublesome Fire roared through the mountain town of Grand Lake, leaving hundreds of underinsured residents without the means to rebuild. That district’s representative, Judy Amabile, had worked for most of 2021 on a bill that would prohibit insurers from haggling over the value of personal contents, but it still hadn’t come together when the Marshall Fire struck that December.
Frustrated with the lack of progress, Amabile used the surge of attention around the Marshall Fire to push through the bill that was designed to help the East Troublesome survivors. The experience of seeing her bill pass with bipartisan support made her realize that the Marshall Fire had opened a window for big-picture lawmaking that no other disaster had.
Advertisement
Judy Amabile, a Colorado state representative in House District 49, at her home office in Boulder. Amabile had sought to pass insurance legislation for victims of a 2020 wildfire that burned through the mountains of the Front Range. Eli Imadali / Grist
“If you have more resources, you have more time to invest in the recovery effort,” said Amabile. “There was some pushback, like, ‘all these rich people in Boulder are getting all this stuff.’ But they were a force. They really made stuff happen for themselves.”
Soumaroo and Curry, two of the lead post-fire organizers, acknowledge that the high education and income levels in the cities impacted by the Marshall Fire helped the rebuilding effort move faster. Two and a half years after the fire, almost half of displaced homeowners are back in their homes, which is a higher rate than many other communities have been able to achieve after disasters of comparable magnitude. This is in part because the community had more resources to begin with, but it’s also because survivors had enough political clout to secure financial relief that other survivors have not obtained.
Curry’s disaster casework center also relied on support from well-resourced residents: the organizers behind the center were able to pull in $1 million from wealthy locals and nearby businesses, and recruited locals with spare time to volunteer as caseworkers, allowing them to keep it open until this past June. The Boulder Community Foundation also raised more than $43 million to help victims, much of it from wealthy private donors.
The irony is that while this effort would likely never have happened in a lower-income and less-educated area, it will benefit future fire survivors in worse-off areas of Colorado. The mortgage-servicer delay and rent-gouging laws will only apply to survivors of future fires, which are far more likely to start in the state’s rural mountain communities than in the suburbs of the Front Range. It may have been Democrats who pushed the bills through, but the benefits will reach Republican sections of the state, and Brown and Soumaroo have talked with people in other states about authoring copycat bills.
“There were no lobbyists, there’s no big money running these bills,” said Brown. “We got this done through sheer community advocacy. We talk about policies, and then I run bills, and they show up and testify and make their voices heard.”
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Assane Diop scored 15 points and Colorado built a 29-point halftime lead before cruising past Bellarmine 79-55 on Saturday for its fourth straight win.
Bellarmine led 6-4 three minutes into the game, but Colorado allowed just 10 points the rest of the half. Diop scored seven points in a 15-0 run that gave the Buffaloes a 29-10 lead with about 5 minutes left and they took a 45-16 lead at halftime.
Advertisement
Bellarmine made 1 of 14 3-pointers and was 5 for 27 overall in the first half for 18.5%. Colorado shot 52%, led by Diop who made 6 of 8 and scored 13 points.
Colorado cooled off to 42% in the second half and was outscored 39-34. Bellarmine shot 61.5% in the second half.
Colorado led 60-23 before the Lions chipped away with five 3-pointers in their next six made shots but it only got them within 70-41 with 7 minutes remaining.
RJ Smith scored 11 points and Julian Hammond III had 10 points for Colorado (9-2), which is 8-0 at home.
Dezmond McKinney scored 12 points for Bellarmine (3-10).
Advertisement
Colorado makes its Big 12 debut on Dec. 30 with a home game against Iowa State.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
The 2024 All-Colorado football team, as selected by The Denver Post staff based on statistical analysis, relative value to team success, postseason production and the old-fashioned eye test.
Austyn Modrzewski
All-Colorado selection Austyn Modrzewski of Mountain Vista poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
QB | Mountain Vista | Sr. | 6-foot-5 | 203 pounds
The CHSAA Class 5A player of the year rewrote the record book this fall, setting Colorado career marks for passing yards (11,911), passing touchdowns (147) and passing completions (814). The South Dakota commit led the state with 3,407 passing yards and 57 passing TDs while steering the Golden Eagles to another quarterfinal appearance following an undefeated regular season.
Gavin Ishmael
All-Colorado quarterback Gavin Ishmael, a senior at Frederick, poses for a portrait. (Courtesy of Jake Ishmael)
QB | Frederick | Sr. | 6-2 | 210
The Golden Eagles star was a dual threat, as he threw for 2,780 yards with 31 touchdowns to just four interceptions and ran for 697 yards with 12 touchdowns. He played through injuries, including a partial quad tear and a shoulder sprain, to lead Frederick to the playoffs. Ishmael is weighing RMAC offers from CSU Pueblo, Colorado Mesa, Mines, Chadron State and Black Hills State.
Advertisement
Zeke Andrews
All-Colorado selection Zeke Andrews of Ralston Valley poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
QB | Ralston Valley | Jr. | 6-5 | 205
Andrews had big shoes to fill taking over for two-time All-Colorado QB Logan Madden, but he did it. The Mustangs star and Metro League Offensive MVP led his team to the Class 5A quarterfinals with 2,383 passing yards and a 70% completion rate that was second in the state behind Modrzewski. He also threw 19 TDs to three picks and rushed for 701 yards and eight touchdowns.
Gavin Lockett
All-Colorado selection Gavin Lockett of Pueblo West poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
QB | Pueblo West | Sr. | 6-0 | 185
The Northern Colorado pledge led the Cyclones to the Class 4A semifinals as a true dual-threat quarterback. Lockett passed for 1,274 yards and 14 touchdowns while also running for 1,369 yards and 22 touchdowns, for an average of 105.3 yards per game on the ground. The dynamic athlete who can fly with a 10.90-second time in the 100 meters was named the SoCo 1 League Offensive MVP.
Elijah Womack
All-Colorado running back Elijah Womack, a junior at Montrose, poses for a portrait. (Courtesy of Kimery Anstine)
RB | Montrose | Jr. | 6-0 | 190
Womack led the state with 2,285 rushing yards, averaging 163.2 yards per game and 7.01 yards per carry. He was the centerpiece of a Red Hawks team that was a Class 4A finalist. Womack ran for 30 touchdowns and had just one fumble on the season, and he ran for over 100 yards in each of Montrose’s 14 games, including cracking the 200-yard mark twice in four-touchdown performances.
James Basinger
All-Colorado selection James Basinger of Columbine poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
RB | Columbine | Sr. | 5-11 | 192
The heart and soul of the Rebels’ ground-and-pound offense, Basinger ran for 1,743 yards with 25 touchdowns as part of Columbine’s two-headed monster alongside junior Mark Snyder. The South Dakota State commit was the Class 5A Metro League MVP while helping the Rebels to the quarterfinals and was also Columbine’s leading receiver, adding two TDs by air.
Jaden Lawrence
All-Colorado selection Jaden Lawrence of Legend poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
RB | Legend | Sr. | 5-11 | 185
The Wyoming commit was a central reason for Legend’s run to its first state title appearance. Lawrence showed off his track speed in the open field and could also bruise for yards between the tackles as a physical runner who was tough to bring down. Legend’s best-ever running back ran for 1,743 yards and 12 touchdowns, and his sure hands also added 24 catches for 276 yards and five TDs.
Advertisement
Jayden Fox
All-Colorado selection Jayden Fox of Cherry Creek poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
RB | Cherry Creek | Jr. | 5-11 | 185
Fox battled through an ankle injury in the latter stages of the playoffs but was still an impactful force in the run game en route to Cherry Creek winning the Class 5A crown again. Fox, a Bruins captain and the MVP on a team stacked with Division I players, has an offer from Charlotte. He ran for 1,815 yards and 10 touchdowns, breaking the 100-yard mark in 10 of the Bruins’ 14 games.
Zayne DeSouza
Loveland’s Zayne DeSouza, a senior tight end, poses for a portrait. (Courtesy of Allan Jeffries)
TE | Loveland | Sr. | 6-6 | 255
The CU pledge came into his own at tight end following a weight-loss journey that saw him shed roughly 75 pounds since the start of his sophomore year. DeSouza was a premier blocker at the position in Loveland’s run-heavy offense, and he was the Red Wolves’ leading receiver with 51 catches for 446 yards and six TDs. He also played impactful snaps at defensive end.
Camden Jensen
All-Colorado selection Camden Jensen of Heritage poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
TE | Heritage | Jr. | 6-7 | 250
One of Colorado’s most highly recruited players passes the eye test, hence why he has more than 20 Division I offers, most of them Power 4. Jensen was a monster in the run game, with the ability to block at the line of scrimmage and pancake linebackers in the second level, too. He had 32 catches for 250 yards and four touchdowns, and Heritage also used his size and physicality on defense.
Tanner Terch
All-Colorado selection Tanner Terch of Heritage poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
WR | Heritage | Sr. | 6-2 | 180
Heritage’s other star was the team’s Player of the Year after putting up dazzling numbers. The Nebraska commit had 58 catches for 1,312 yards and 16 touchdowns and averaged 100.9 yards receiving per game. Terch’s speed, route-running and ability to beat cornerbacks off the line of scrimmage stood out while catching passes from QB Jamison Seese. He also chipped in two rushing TDs.
Andrew Smart
All-Colorado selection Andrew Smart of Arapahoe poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
WR | Arapahoe | Sr. | 6-3 | 185
The Warriors’ speedy wideout was tough to pin down with just one defensive back. Smart had 67 catches for 1,098 yards and 14 TDs. He was also Arapahoe’s punter and punt returner, bringing a wrinkle to special teams. He was capable of clutch catches, stretching the field and racking up yards after catch on short routes as well. He has an offer from Dartmouth, with potentially more coming.
Advertisement
Marcus Mozer
All-Colorado selection Marcus Mozer of Fossil Ridge poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
WR | Fossil Ridge | Sr. | 6-3 | 210
The 2024 Denver Post Gold Helmet award winner was a force for Fossil Ridge, despite facing double- and sometimes triple-coverage throughout the season. Mozer had 66 catches for 933 yards and 13 touchdowns as he used his track speed and size to dominate opposing defensive backs. The San Diego State commit also had five rushing TDs and saw time at free safety.
Sean Conway
All-Colorado selection Sean Conway of Mountain Vista poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
WR | Mountain Vista | Sr. | 6-0 | 160
Modrzewski’s top target was always a threat to zoom past the defense and catch a go-route. His longest this fall was an 87-yard TD. He has RMAC offers from Western Colorado, Colorado School of Mines and CSU Pueblo. Conway had 38 catches for 771 yards and 14 touchdowns, with ultra-reliable hands and the ability to catch the ball in traffic while taking a hit to his relatively thin frame.
Jeremiah Hoffman
All-Colorado selection Jeremiah Hoffman of Cherry Creek poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
WR | Cherry Creek | Sr. | 6-1 | 175
The Bruins’ top wideout was committed to Charlotte but reopened his recruitment after a coaching change. Hoffman had 44 catches for 874 yards, good for 19.9 yards per catch, as well as seven touchdowns. He has bona fide track speed (10.8 seconds in the 100 meters), and the wideout nicknamed “Head Top” has an uncanny ability to win jump balls over cornerbacks short and tall.
Xay Neto
All-Colorado selection Xay Neto of Grandview poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
WR | Grandview | Sr. | 5-11 | 170
Neto’s production dipped slightly this season from his 1,000-yard campaign as an All-Colorado junior, but he remained one of the most explosive and dangerous players on the field regardless of who the Wolves were playing. Neto had 52 catches for 748 yards and 10 touchdowns. The speedster with sure hands is committed to Garden City and could be a star at the juco level.
Soren Shinofield
All-Colorado selection Soren Shinofield of Cherry Creek poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
OL | Cherry Creek | Sr. | 6-6 | 285
After taking on a rotational role last season, Shinofield came into his own as a senior to help pave the way for Cherry Creek’s run game that averaged 226.6 yards per game. The Utah commit played left tackle and also helped protect quarterback Brady Vodicka’s blind side. When faced with the challenge of a stiff Legend defensive line in the title game, his play helped rally the Bruins in the second half.
Advertisement
Aidan Martin
All-Colorado selection Aidan Martin of Northfield poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
OL | Northfield | Sr. | 6-6 | 265
The Nighthawks captain has length, size and an edge to his game that set him apart over the last few years and during the recruiting process. The right tackle was a big reason for Northfield’s first winning seasons over the past four years, and the Washington State commit led the Nighthawks to the Class 4A Denver Metro League championship while setting the tone in pass- and run-blocking.
Jack Heath
All-Colorado selection Jack Heath of Mountain Vista poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
OL | Mountain Vista | Sr. | 6-6 | 300
While the Golden Eagles skill guys got plenty of recognition this season — three are on this team — Heath helped set the tone up front. His play at guard enabled Modrzewski to have plenty of time to drop back and pick defenses apart, while his dominance in the run game consistently opened up huge holes for Mountain Vista tailback Jack Blais. He also saw time on the defensive line.
Cole Powell
All-Colorado selection Cole Powell of Erie poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
OL | Erie | Sr. | 6-7 | 265
The Eastern Michigan commit was a force at left tackle for the Tigers as they made the quarterfinals in their first season in Class 5A. Erie’s captain helped them to the Front Range South League championship, and he was a driving factor in the Tigers averaging 235.5 rushing yards per game. That included a 1,000-yard rusher in junior Braylon Toliver, plus three other guys over 350 yards.
Kannon Smith
All-Colorado selection Kannon Smith of Valor Christian poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
OL | Valor Christian | Jr. | 6-5 | 280
As the Eagles made a push to the Class 5A semifinals before falling to champion Cherry Creek, Smith was a linchpin at left tackle. He has eight Division I offers, including Michigan, Miami, Ole Miss, Kansas State and Colorado State, as one of the most sought-after junior linemen in the state. He also played on the defensive line, where he had 32 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Jordan Rechel
All-Colorado selection Jordan Rechel of Fairview poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
ATH | Fairview | Sr. | 5-11 | 180
The Knights star keyed their run to the Class 5A semifinals. He was a game-breaker at wideout, running back and defensive back, was Fairview’s team MVP and also finished as the program’s all-time TDs leader. He had 891 yards and 19 TDs on the ground, 1,001 yards and eight TDs by air, and 78 tackles and three picks. He has offers from New Mexico, Northern Colorado and CSU Pueblo.
Advertisement
Cash Spence
All-Colorado selection Cash Spence of Valor Christian poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
ATH | Valor Christian | Jr. | 5-10 | 175
The Eagles’ do-everything athlete could, to quote “Friday Night Lights,” do everything up to and including painting your back porch. He played wideout, running back, safety and returner. Spence had 72 catches for 942 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 13.1 yards per catch. He had 15 rushing TDs and threw a TD, too. He was also a dynamic returner and had 52 tackles (5.5 for loss) on defense.
Max Mervin
All-Colorado selection Max Mervin of Ponderosa poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
ATH | Ponderosa | Sr. | 6-0 | 185
As Ponderosa’s star, “Swervin” Mervin was elusive in the open field with the ball in his hands. He had 50 catches for 642 yards and six touchdowns, and was also one of the top kick returners in the state, earning him the honor of South Metro League Specialist of the Year. The Colorado School of Mines commit also saw time in the secondary, where he had three interceptions, including a pick-six.
Levi Hermsen
All-Colorado wideout/returner Levi Hermsen, a senior at Fort Collins, poses for a portrait. (Courtesy of Robert Trubia)
ATH | Fort Collins | Sr. | 5-11 | 180
The Lambkin of the Year did a bit of everything for Fort Collins this season as they made the Class 5A playoffs. Hermsen was first in the state in receptions with 93, second in the state in receiving yards (1,311) and yards per game (119.2), and caught 12 touchdowns while averaging 14.1 yards per catch. He also racked up 1,007 yards in returns, with a 34.9-yard average on kickoffs and two TDs.
Jack Blais
All-Colorado selection Jack Blais of Mountain Vista poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
ATH | Mountain Vista | Sr. | 5-7 | 160
Talk about tough to tackle. Once Blais got the ball in open space, his speed and shiftiness made him a nightmare for opposing defenses. With Modrzewski throwing him the ball, Blais had 32 catches for 631 yards and 12 touchdowns. And on the ground, he racked up 1,013 yards with an eye-popping 8.8 yards-per-carry average, including 14 touchdowns and five 100-yard games.
Keegan Perea
All-Colorado selection Keegan Perea of Cherry Creek poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DL | Cherry Creek | Sr. | 6-3 | 250
The Nevada commit is a handful to block, and the opposition had a tough time doing so. Perea faced consistent double-teams all season, and his ability to stuff the run was a major reason for Cherry Creek’s comeback in the Class 5A title game. Perea finished with 78 tackles (five for loss) and four sacks. He was a game-changer on the edge with speed and strength to keep plays inside.
Advertisement
Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais
All-Colorado selection Tufanua Umu~Cais poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DL | Cherry Creek | Jr. | 6-3 | 285
Part of the Division I-laden Bruins defensive line along with Perea, Umu-Cais has more than 20 Division I offers, most of them Power 4. Being sick and out of practice all week leading up to the championship game didn’t stop him from being a force in the trenches. He had 75 tackles (eight for loss), with two sacks. He also bolstered Cherry Creek’s offensive line in his first full season at right guard.
John Niedringhaus
All-Colorado selection John Niedringhaus of Legend poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DL | Legend | Sr. | 6-3 | 220
Legend had several playmakers along its D-line, but Niedringhaus was the centerpiece. He led Legend with 120 tackles, including 20 for loss, as well as nine sacks and seven hurries. He was one reason the Titans shut out Cherry Creek in the first half of the Class 5A championship in a defensive slugfest that not many saw coming. Uncommitted, but has the talent to play at the next level.
DJ Crowe
All-Colorado selection DJ Crowe of Denver East poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DL | Denver East | Sr. | 6-4 | 220
The Angels’ star pass-rusher terrorized opposing quarterbacks for three seasons. Crowe ranked third in Class 5A with 11.5 sacks and also posted 27 hurries. With the word out on him after notching double-digit sack totals as a sophomore and junior, he routinely faced double- and triple-teams and opposing offenses consistently ran away from him. He holds offers from a handful of RMAC schools.
Jaxon Pyatt
All-Colorado selection Jaxon Pyatt of Arvada West poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
LB | Arvada West | Jr. | 6-2 | 220
Amid the Wildcats’ resurgence as a program, Pyatt emerged as a star. Strong and fast, he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Class 5A Metro League. He has offers from Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Missouri and Wisconsin. He led the Wildcats with 140 tackles, including 18 for loss, four sacks and an interception as he was a serious mismatch for would-be blockers.
CJ James
All-Colorado selection CJ James of Thompson Valley poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
LB | Thompson Valley | Sr. | 6-6 | 220
As the Eagles went 14-0 en route to the program’s first state title, James was a stalwart on both sides of the ball. In addition to 27 catches for 324 yards and four TDs as a wideout, the CSU Pueblo commit plugged up the second level on defense. James had 68 tackles, including 10.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks that helped the Eagles defense hold opponents to a paltry 6.36 points per game.
Advertisement
Carson Hageman
All-Colorado selection Carson Hageman of Erie poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
LB | Erie | Sr. | 6-0 | 205
The stout middle linebacker is committed to Air Force, and his physicality and skill were one big reason the Tigers were able to run with the big dogs in their first year in Class 5A. He paced Erie with 134 tackles, including 18 for loss. He also posted six sacks and nine hurries as a defensive star who was able to tackle in open space, stuff tailbacks at the line and get to the quarterback.
Landon Kalsbeck
All-Colorado selection Landon Kalsbeck of Dakota Ridge poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
LB | Dakota Ridge | Jr. | 6-2 | 210
Dakota Ridge’s two-way star propelled the Eagles to the Class 4A semifinals. Kalsbeck has an offer from Hawaii and was named the CHSAA Class 4A player of the year. He had 1,511 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns on offense, and was a menace on defense, too. Kalsbeck recorded 90 tackles, including 15.5 for loss, as well as a team-best 11 sacks, 20 hurries and three forced fumbles.
Jace Filleman
All-Colorado selection Jace Filleman of Regis Jesuit poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
LB | Regis Jesuit | Sr. | 6-3 | 225
The Colorado School of Mines commit, who also stars in baseball for the Raiders, highlighted for Regis at edge/outside linebacker. He had 70 tackles, including 12 for loss, as well as a team-best 6.5 sacks and 12 hurries. He brought a seasoned, physical presence to a young team. He also made an impact on offense with nine catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns at tight end.
Mikhail Benner
All-Colorado selection Mikhail Benner of Broomfield poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DB | Broomfield | Sr. | 6-0 | 185
Benner played big in the final games of the tournament, as his flashy play helped the Eagles cruise by Dakota Ridge in the semifinals and then rally to beat Montrose for the Class 4A title. He had 46 tackles on the season, with three interceptions, three forced fumbles and five pass-break ups. The Air Force pledge was also Broomfield’s leading wideout with 31 catches for 710 yards and 10 TDs.
Elvin Ampofo
All-Colorado selection Elvin Ampofo of EagleCrest poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DB | Eaglecrest | Sr. | 6-1 | 170
A central force in the Eaglecrest defense, Ampofo consistently stuck his nose into plays as a physical defensive back who tallied 90 tackles. He had four interceptions, nine pass deflections and three forced fumbles. Opposing offenses often threw away from the Wyoming commit’s side of the field due to his athleticism, ability to cover on deep routes and his playmaking on jump balls.
Advertisement
Bennett Wilkes
All-Colorado selection Bennett Wilkes of Wheat Ridge poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DB | Wheat Ridge | Sr. | 6-1 | 200
The Farmers’ two-way star tied for third in the state with seven picks, and he also had 48 tackles and a forced fumble. The Northern Colorado commit was Wheat Ridge’s best wideout, too, with 77 catches for 1,201 yards and 14 touchdowns. His track speed (10.9 seconds in the 100 meters) showed on both sides of the ball, and he was able to consistently lock down the other team’s top wideout.
Aiden Knapke
All-Colorado selection Aiden Knapke of Cherry Creek poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DB | Cherry Creek | Sr. | 6-0 | 190
The Washington State commit has been a staple in the Cherry Creek secondary since he was a freshman and capped off his high school career with another strong season. Knapke led the Bruins defense with 128 tackles, including five for loss, and had two interceptions and 16 passes defensed. He had several clutch break-ups in the second half of the Class 5A title game to lead the Bruins.
Rhett Armstrong
All-Colorado kicker/punter Rhett Armstrong, a senior at Palmer Ridge, poses for a portrait. (Courtesy of Skrastins Photography)
K/P | Palmer Ridge | Sr. | 6-6 | 200
Palmer Ridge’s star kicker — who stepped in at quarterback in the Class 4A quarterfinals and threw for 208 yards — went 57 of 57 on PATs this year. The Baylor commit was also 5 of 6 on field goal attempts, including a classification-record 62-yarder on Sept. 13 that’s tied for the third-longest field goal in CHSAA history. Armstrong had 69 touchbacks on 77 kickoffs and a 43-yard punt average.
Jamie Steele
All-Colorado selection Jamie Steele head coach of Thompson Valley poses for a portrait at the Denver Post in Denver on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
Coach of the Year, Thompson Valley
The Eagles’ boss led Thompson Valley to the first state title in program history with a 16-14 victory over Mead in the Class 3A championship. Steele’s personable approach led him to develop a rapport with his players after taking over as interim head coach in 2023. Thompson Valley is Steele’s first head coaching gig in 28 years coaching high school football, and he’s making the most of it.
Honorable Mention
Fairview’s Toray Davis (21) is defended by Mountain Vista’s Bryce Bailey (12) during the 5A state playoff game at EchoPark Stadium on Nov. 22 in Parker. Fairview won the game in the last few moments 49-45 and will advance to the final four. The game was moved from Halftime Help Stadium after the lights went out. (Rebecca Slezak/Special to The Denver Post)
Quarterback
Jamison Seese, Jr., Heritage; Brady Vodicka, Jr., Cherry Creek; Bryce Riehl, Sr., Mesa Ridge; Nick Kubat, Sr., Fossil Ridge; Andrew Brown, Sr., The Classical Academy; Ki Ellison, So., Fairview; Dawson Olk, Jr., Valor Christian; Kellen Behrendsen, Jr., Dakota Ridge
Running Back
Amari Brown, Sr., Pueblo Central; Tay Wheat, Sr., Montezuma-Cortez; Mark Snyder, Jr., Columbine; Braylon Toliver, Jr., Erie; Adrian Symalla, Jr., Arvada West; Colton Lucero, Jr., Pagosa Springs; Tyler Meyer, Sr. Rock Canyon; Colin Torres, Sr., Broomfield
Advertisement
Tight End
Jackson Blanchard, Sr., Castle View; Henry Hurd, Sr., Aspen; Caleb Kasayka, Sr., Air Academy
Wide Receiver
Nico Benallo, Jr., Ralston Valley; Ben Herbek, Sr., Valor Christian; Luke Strickland, Sr., Fairview; Cael Buxton, Sr., Lamar; Kobe Dooley, Jr., Mesa Ridge; Alijah Landrum-Hamilton, So., Cherry Creek; Maxwell Lovett, Jr., Cherry Creek
Offensive Line
Ned Zilinskas, Sr., Cherry Creek; Mason Bandhauer, Jr., Fort Collins; Isaac Schmitz, Sr., Legend; Ben Brown, Sr., Arapahoe; Peyton Burcar, Sr., Columbine; Gage Turnbull, Jr., Legend; Jesse Wolf, Sr., Chatfield; Kaden Clough, Sr., Pueblo West; Isaiah Garcia Perez, Jr., Broomfield; Court Towns, Sr., Palmer Ridge; Deacon Schmitt, Jr., Windsor; Oliver Miller, Jr., Cherry Creek
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25782636/247422_ChatGPT_anniversary_CVirginia.jpg "Inside the launch — and future — of ChatGPT")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789444/1258459915.jpg "OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25546252/STK169_Mark_Zuckerburg_CVIRGINIA_D.jpg "Meta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951353/STK043_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_3_Meta.jpg "Meta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age")