It still is a ways off and has to be approved by the CHSAA Legislative Council during its April meeting, but the hockey committee has recommended the sport be split into two classifications for the 2021-22 season.

The proposal has 20 teams playing in Class 5A and 17 in 4A to try to create better parity in the sport.

There will be three leagues in each class and each loop would play each other twice. The league champion would gain an automatic berth in the state tournament.

There would be 10 teams in the 4A state tourney with the top two teams getting byes. There would be a 12-team state tournament bracket in 5A with first-round byes for the top four seeded teams.

The proposed 5A league alignments would have Cherry Creek, Regis Jesuit and Heritage in the Metro League. Mountain Vista, Chaparral, Castle View and Valor Christian would be in the South League. Standley Lake would be in the North League.

Moment of silence

It only seemed appropriate that a moment of silence was held for my good friend Tom Munds prior to Englewood’s boys basketball game on Feb. 13 against Fort Lupton.

Munds passed away Feb. 6 and I, like the Englewood community he served and wrote about, will miss him.

Long before I started working for Colorado Community Media and would cover events with Munds, I would visit my former dentist’s office in Englewood. I would pick up an Englewood Herald and read stories written by Munds.

He was an icon in Englewood and the south metro area and will be hard to replace. He would always tell me stories about this Englewood meeting or this Pirates coach.

State champions

The first girls state championship wrestling tournament for the CHSAA pilot program was held Feb. 8, and Douglas County had two champions.

Senior Sarah Sams captured the 185-pound title, which she added to state titles in girls competition she won the past two seasons. She finished her career with a 65-2 record.

Senior Tristan Kelly, who also won her third state title, was the 165-pound champion and she was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the state tournament. Kelly was 55-0 as a high school wrestler.

Sprout wins again

Valor Christian senior Cole Sprout has been named the Gatorade Colorado boys cross country runner of the year. It is the third straight year that Sprout, a three-time state cross country champion, has won the award.

Honor roll

Each week, performances of South Metro athletes and teams will be highlighted. This week’s performances were selected from games, matches, meets held between Feb. 8 and Feb. 13.

Jakob Boos had two goals and two assists for four points to help the Heritage hockey team topple Chatfield, 6-1, on Feb. 8.

Julian Hammond III led four Cherry Creek double-figure scorers with 27 points in a 73-57 boys basketball victory over Arapahoe on Feb. 12.

Valor Christian’s hockey team scored on three of its first five shots on goal in a 3-2 victory over defending state champion Regis Jesuit on Feb. 8.

Junior Sam Hoops scored 17 points and the Lutheran boys basketball team made 59% of its field goal attempts in a 70-43 win over Jefferson Academy on Feb. 13.

Reece Kelly scored 26 points and Ben Bowen added 20 as Mountain Vista’s boys basketball team edged Legend, 72-70 in overtime, on Feb. 11.

Jim Benton is a sports writer for Colorado Community Media. He has been covering sports in the Denver area since 1968. He can be reached at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com or at 303-566-4083.