Panthers Win Big Ute Pass Rival Showdown
Trevor Phipps
Now that it’s well into the fall high school sports season, local fans are ecstatic after watching their hometown teams pick up some big wins.
And this bout of victories followed a so-so start for a few teams.
Even though the season has experienced its ups and downs already, Woodland Park’s fall sports teams have celebrated some unexpected success.
More importantly, many of the athletes still have a chance to play in the postseason. In fact, with a lot of games left to play, none of the Panther teams can officially be counted out of the playoff brackets.
So far, Woodland Park’s High School girls’ volleyball team has fared the best throughout the season. They may end up earning the crown as the school’s best fall sports team after recently picking up four wins in a row.
As the season winds down and the teams start to play more league matches that really matter for playoff chances, here are some highlights of the Woodland Park fall sports season.
Panther Football
Ever since Head Coach Brad Page took over the reins of the team at the start of last season, he had big shoes to fill. Before he landed the job, the team went 9-1 and made it to the playoffs.
Page brought several years of coaching experience with him including serving as the head coach of a 6A high school team and coaching at the college level. But he did inherit a team whose star players from the 2024 season went to bigger and better places after graduation.
Last year, the team struggled more than they had before, but they still won some key games and picked up a 3-6 overall record. This year the team has fallen to the tougher schools on the roster, but they have still been able to snag some big wins.
For example, on Sept. 25, the Panthers had a highly anticipated match against their rivals, the Manitou Springs Mustangs. The team gave their fans a new surge of energy after dominating their rival team 29-2.
The team is currently 2-4 overall, but they have lost half of those games by small margins. If the Panthers can pick up some “W’s” against some of their league opponents down the road, they could still have a shot at postseason action.
On the upside, the Panther football team has had some stars make it to the top ten ranks in the state on offense and defense.
Junior defensive lineman Zach Summeril currently sits in second place in the state (and first in all of 2A) with a total of 10 sacks over the season. Summeril also leads the team with 37 solo tackles. On offense playing tight end, Summeril has snagged 13 receptions for 168 yards.
On offense, senior wide receiver Alexander Stotts has led the team in receiving yards with 49.8 per game. Sophomore Saie Soto has been the team’s leader on the ground with 72.5 rushing yards per game and a total of four touchdowns.
Along with Stotts and Soto, the team’s senior quarterback, Bryce Bischoff, also leads the team with four passing touchdowns. Bischoff has completed 46 passes out of 95 attempts for 515 yards.
On special teams, junior kicker Barrett Absher has also made the top 10 statewide with five field goals and seven PATs made during the season. Absher gained acclaim on social media outlets after he booted a 53-yard field goal earlier this season.
The Panthers play on the road against Alamosa this Friday. They then return home for their last regular season game to battle La Junta on Oct. 17 at 1 p.m.
Lady Panther Volleyball
The WP girls’ volleyball team looks the best on paper so far this season. The team recently won four matches in a row with three of them emerging as shutouts.
At press time, the team had a 5-3 overall record along with being 2-0 in league play. Their big mid-season winning streak has given them great playoff potential. Plus, the team is currently undefeated against teams in their league.
So far, senior Savannah Moeller has led the team when it comes to kill deliveries with an average of 2.3 per set and 58 total. Moeller also has the team’s best hitting percentage (0.243) and she sits in second place in several other statistical categories.
Sophomore Shyloe Yarosz currently leads the team with 19 serving aces. She also averages 0.8 aces per set.
The girls have two home matches this week. On Tuesday they challenge Banning Lewis Academy at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, they play The Vanguard School at 7 p.m.
Lady Panthers Softball
The Lady Panthers softball team has also experienced some success, especially when they won three in a row. At press time, the team recorded an 8-10 overall record and a 0-3 league record.
Sophomore Tyler DiFabio sits third in the 3A Tri-Peaks League with .511 batting average. Senior Christine Renteria leads most other statistical categories on the team with a .500 batting average, six homeruns, 28 runs and 21 stolen bases.
The Lady Panthers regular season play ends this week with two back-to-back matches at home. The team battles Rocky Ford on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. before playing their last match against Pueblo East on Thursday at the same time.
