Nine student-athletes from School District 51 signed their collegiate letters of intent as part of National Signing Day on Wednesday.
There’s more to one of the biggest Cinderella stories in Class 4A football. The Tigers, who turned heads with a 9-1 regular season record and playoff win, had two players sign on Wednesday.
Aiden Boss was an anchor in the secondary and will play football for NAIA Concordia (Nebraska). Boss was second on the team in tackles with 42 and had two interceptions. Boss will join Montrose quarterback Chris Mock at Concordia, which went 8-2 last season.
Jack Banks was a starting interior lineman who, according to MaxPreps, boasts a 6-foot-3 and 300-pound frame and will play for Fort Lewis College. He was a key starter for an offense that netted 4,161 total yards. Fort Lewis ended its years-long, 40-game losing streak in 2024, then the longest in college football, and posted a 3-8 record.
Softball standouts Audrie Hansen and Ellagrace Kellerby both signed their letters of intent. Hansen will play for NAIA MidAmerica Nazarene (Kansas). Kellerby will play softball and basketball for NCJAA Minnesota North Rainy River Community College.
Hanson hit .436 for the Warriors last season. Kellerby is a starter for the basketball team and saw playing time in softball all four years.
Two of his players signed on to play DII football — lineman Vinny Johnston will play for DII Fort Hays State (Kansas) and Keden Everett will play for Adams State.
Johnston was a two-way starter for the Bulldogs but especially excelled on the front five where he was a second-team All-3A selection. Fort Hays is an accomplished program with 11 conference titles and went 8-3 last season.
Everett joined Johnston as a second-team All-3A selection. He flashed his athleticism as the starting quarterback his junior season, then moved to tight end and defensive end as a senior. He had eight sacks in 2024.
Lacie Rodabaugh committed to play softball for Colorado Mesa and her teammate Olivia Wirth will play softball at Otero Junior College in La Junta.
Rodabaugh and Wirth were integral pieces to Fruita’s back-to-back runs to the 5A tournament.
Rodabaugh batted an even .400 with 34 RBI and 11 home runs in 2024. She also posted a 2.13 ERA, 5-1 record and fanned 59 batters in 49⅓ innings in the circle.
CMU ran the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last season and has high expectations for 2025. Rodabaugh’s former teammates Marissa Nehm and Ava Stephens play for the Mavericks.
Otero, meanwhile, is coming off of a 23-29 season.
Central battled hard but lost 47-35 to Montrose on Tuesday.
The Warriors (5-13, 0-6 Southwestern League) led by two points after the first quarter. But a four-point second quarter put them in too deep of a hole. It was only the eighth time that the RedHawks (17-2, 5-2 SWL) allowed more than 30 points this season.
Emma Diaz led Central with 13 points and Bianca Berens scored seven for Central, which has lost two straight.
Mayce Oberg scored 20 points for Montrose, and Maggie Legg added 15. No one else on the team scored more than four points.…Read more by SENTINEL STAFF